Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 86: The First Mock Battle Tournament
A week had passed since Mash’s evolution, and today was finally the day of the first mock battle tournament. Participants had been steadily gathering since the morning.
Since we would be doing regular farm work until noon, those who arrived early helped out in the fields, making for a fun and productive time. The lively atmosphere made the work enjoyable, and we finished quickly. By the time we were done, everyone who had been invited had arrived.
“Thank you all for gathering here today. We will now begin the mock battle tournament, and after that, we will treat you to a feast of otherworldly cuisine. I hope you all enjoy yourselves.”
As I gave my opening remarks and thanked everyone for coming, the crowd responded with cheers, hyping up the event. Next, I explained the simple rules.
“The rules for the tournament are straightforward. You lose if you: Receive three clean hits, Declare surrender, or Are deemed unable to continue by the referee. The referee for this tournament will be Donnie, a former A-rank adventurer and the current instructor for the Royal Knights.”
“Leave it to me. I won’t play favorites, even for the princess. I’ll judge fairly, so fight with everything you’ve got.”
Yes, Donnie had volunteered to be the referee instead of participating in the tournament himself. Instead, a member of the Royal Knights whom he had recommended would be competing in his place.
Similarly, since Sid couldn’t participate due to his inability to fight, someone he recommended would be taking his place. It was my first time meeting all of these recommended participants, and I was excited to see what kind of fights they would put on.
“With that said, I believe this will be a fair and impartial competition. Please fight to the best of your ability. Also, for the top three winners, I have prepared prizes, so do your best!”
The moment I mentioned prizes, the excitement of the participants skyrocketed.
…Except for one person, who looked at me in shock.
“Huh?! There are prizes?! Then let me enter after all!”
“No, that’s impossible. The tournament bracket has already been set, and we have exactly 16 participants.”
“If I had known there were prizes, I would’ve entered from the start! I thought it was obvious I’d win, so I stepped back to keep things fair!”
“Donnie, shut up. You volunteered to be the referee. If you keep complaining, I’ll send you home.”
“Ugh… My lady, I apologize…”
Donnie had been grumbling about the prizes, but Velvet quickly shut him down with a single remark.
I felt a little bad for not mentioning the prizes earlier, but honestly, the tournament was going to be more interesting without Donnie participating.
Still, I thought an exhibition match between the champion and Donnie could be fun. If he won, I might even prepare a prize for him. After all, he was doing us a favor by acting as the referee.
“Alright then, let’s get back on track. Give it your all and aim for a top ranking in the tournament!”
“Ooooh!!”
With everyone’s enthusiasm at its peak, it looked like we were in for some exciting battles.
Thanks to Norman coming over to help, I could watch the tournament and still have time to cook afterward.
Now that everything was in place, I decided to introduce myself to the recommended participants. There were only two—one chosen by Donnie and one chosen by Sid.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Sato. Thank you for coming today.”
“N-No, not at all! I’m sorry for being Donnie’s substitute!”
“There’s no need to apologize. This isn’t an official tournament, and Donnie spoke highly of you.”
“N-No way! I’m one of the weakest members of the Royal Knights! I don’t even know why Donnie would take notice of someone like me…”
The one looking down as he spoke was Joel, the knight recommended by Donnie.
At just 13 years old, he still had a youthful and timid demeanor.
He was also quite slender, and based on first impressions alone, I almost felt like I could beat him.
…Of course, there was no way that was actually true.