Chapter 264: The Event Organizer

There was a mountain of things I had to do—farming, manga-related matters, trade with Milagros-san, manufacturing, construction—but the busier I got, the faster time seemed to pass.

The long period of boredom during winter now felt like a distant memory, and though I sometimes wanted to look away from reality, escaping it wasn’t an option.

This time of spring was also the season for the annual mock battle tournament.

Last year, it had grown so large that even people not directly involved had been caught up in it, so inquiries were already coming in about whether it would be held again this year.

It seemed Donnie-san had received various updates too, and he estimated that at least twice as many participants as last time would gather.

Even the previous tournament had been chaotic, so holding it on a larger scale was absolutely impossible.

For that reason, having a skilled event organizer was essential to manage the tournament.

So, I contacted the king through Velvet-san and asked him to introduce me to a capable event organizer.

Since the introduction came directly from the king, I quickly secured an appointment.

With the date approaching, I immediately headed to the royal capital.

The meeting spot was a stylish café.

Since I came alone this time, I felt a little awkward being an older man in such a trendy place, but I steeled myself and went inside.

The café was full of female customers, and I couldn’t spot anyone who looked like a skilled event organizer.

I decided to explain the situation to the waitress and wait at a table.

“Welcome. Are you… alone, sir?”

“Yes, I’m alone, but I’m meeting someone here and will be joining them later.”

“A meeting, I see. May I have your name?”

“My name is Sato.”

“Sato-san, then. Your companion is already waiting, so please allow me to show you to your seat.”

“Eh…?”

I thought they hadn’t arrived yet, but apparently they already had.

Feeling a little confused, I followed the waitress quietly as she led me to the table.

Sitting there was a beautiful woman dressed in eccentric fashion.

Her name was Sam, and I had assumed it would be a man—but it turned out the event organizer was female.

“Nice to meet you. You must be Sato, right? I’m Sam. I’ll be working with you this time—pleased to meet you.”

Her greeting was stylish, and combined with her appearance, it was a bit intimidating.

I held back my unease and introduced myself.

“Nice to meet you, Sam-san. My name is Sato. I’m very grateful that you’ve agreed to take on this work.”

“Since this is a job recommended through the king, there was no choice but to accept. It’ll likely affect future events as well, so I’ll give it my all.”

“That’s reassuring. I look forward to working with you.”

I shook hands firmly with Sam-san, sat down, ordered a recommended menu item, and quickly moved on to discuss business.

“So, Sato-kun, what exactly do you want me to do? I accepted without knowing the details, so I’m not fully aware of what’s involved.”

“Understood. What I’d like you to handle is the operation and progression of the mock battle tournament. Until last year, I had been in charge, but the scale has grown every year. With this year’s scale, it’s impossible for me to manage alone, so I thought it best to leave it to a professional.”

“I see. For starters, can you give me an overview of how last year’s tournament ran?”

I gave Sam-san a concise explanation of last year’s tournament.

Though I had significantly shortened it, Sam-san seemed to grasp it immediately and lightly clapped her hands.

“I see. With a tournament of that scale, we can manage with proper preparation. Leave it to me.”

“You’ll take it on so easily? And the cost—what do you expect?”

“I can handle it with my own connections, so I’ll do it free this time. In return, please convey my regards to the king. Also, if the job goes well, I’d be happy if you continue to favor me in the future. Of course, next time I’ll expect payment.”

Sam-san said this with a refreshing smile.

She exuded confidence—not just in appearance, but in speech as well.

“Are you sure? It seems like a pretty challenging task, and I can pay you accordingly.”

“No second thoughts. Just give me a map of the venue. I’ll spend a day scouting and arrive three days before the tournament.”

“…Understood. Then, I look forward to working with you. We’ll also do our best to entertain you while you’re here.”

“Fufu, that sounds fun. Well then, enough about work. Can you tell me more about yourself, Sato-san?”

From that point on, the conversation shifted entirely from work, and Sam-san dug into my personal background.

She was most curious about my connection to the king, but when she learned I was from another world, she understood immediately.

From then on, we talked about Earth and other topics until the meeting time ran out.