Kays Translations

Chapter 50 The Villainous Aristocrat Fights the Hero

"Now!! Here we go, the second day of the tournament!! The victors of the first day's battles will now compete in a tournament format!"

The announcer's voice echoes throughout the Colosseum.

As I do a final check on my equipment in the waiting room, I listen attentively to the broadcast.

"Today, we have a special guest!! Her Majesty the Queen is here!!"

"Y-Yes. Everyone, do your best."

"Now, let's proceed with the introduction of the participants in the main tournament!"

I casually address Freya, the knight in dazzling golden armor sitting next to me.

"Why is the Queen, who should be in the announcer's seat, here?"

"Hahaha, that's my body double. She's a user of transformation magic, a bloodline magic. I've entrusted her with being my body double for a long time. Her name is Ines. I'll introduce you someday."

I don't know her face, but I can't help but feel sympathy for Ines, who must be going through a lot just because she became Freya's body double.

"Now, who's your opponent?"

"Wait a minute. Is that the match schedule!? Why do you have it when it's supposed to be announced on the day of the main tournament!?"

"Heh. I am the organizer of this event, you know? Of course, I have it."

"Well, that makes sense!!"

"...Do you want to see it?"

I nod silently.

But Freya says with genuine excitement.

"Too bad. It's forbidden to show this to anyone other than those involved."

"Then don't show it in such a conspicuous way!!"

"Hahaha!!"

While we're bantering, a staff member comes to call me.

"Lord Kunou von Draussen, please get ready."

"Huh, oh, from the first match of the first round?"

"Kunou, it's a royal decree. Don't disgrace yourself in the battle."

"...You don't need to tell me."

I leave the waiting room.

My primary goal this time is not to win.

Ultimately, the goal is to learn how to fight from someone stronger than me and find a fighting style that suits me.

Creating various weapons is part of that effort.

However, if I'm going to do it, I'll aim to win.

That's because winning raises motivation in various ways.

No matter who the opponent is, I have no intention of losing.

"Now!! Entering from the west gate, there's no one who doesn't know him!! The boy who rescued our country's princess from the clutches of the Demon King, saved his sister and friends from the attacking demons, and was recognized for his achievements, rising to the rank of Baron!! Kunou von Draussen!!"

"S-Somehow, it's a bit embarrassing..."

With the signal, I walk from the west gate to the ring in the center of the Colosseum.

The audience erupts in cheers, and I feel a bit awkward about the reaction.

Well, objectively, I'm the person who rescued a princess, so it's a natural response... maybe?

"Yesterday in the qualifiers, he showcased a variety of weapons!! Oh, but today he seems to have equipped only a slightly larger sword and shield!! Is he switching from tricky tactics to a solid fighting style!!? I'm looking forward to it!! Now, his opponent is this young girl!!"

Oh? My opponent is a girl.

Yesterday, there were so many participants that I didn't grasp the details, but I didn't expect a girl to make it this far.

Huh? The queen is an exception, of course. She seems likely to win normally.

"Entering from the east gate is a young hero from a small village a bit away from the capital!! At only ten years old, she has slain large monsters and wields a sword larger than her own height!! Rumor has it that she single-handedly demolished bandits who attacked the village in a matter of minutes!! — Iori Argner!"

Huh? Argner? That means...

I stiffen as I see the girl entering from the east gate.

"Don't underestimate her just because of her cute appearance!! In the qualifiers, she ruthlessly beat down other participants with her bare hands and even attacked those trying to forfeit and escape. She was about to be disqualified, but with a single word from Her Majesty the Queen, 'It's okay because it's interesting,' she secured a spot in the main event!! The large sword she's holding will undoubtedly wield tremendous power with a single swing!!"

According to the live commentary, she was an adorable girl.

With pink-blond hair and sky-blue eyes, still in the process of growing, her body lacks curves, but I know she will develop into a fairly good figure.

More precisely, I know her character design from a few years later.

"Why is the hero here, I wonder."

I couldn't have mistaken it.

The girl named Iori had the exact same appearance as the character design when the player chose a female. 

The last name, Argner, also matches the hero's.

However, the large sword she holds is one of the more powerful weapons available early in the game.

That's strange. The divine sword—oh, right, the main game hasn't started yet, so she probably doesn't have it.

That large sword is meant for muscle characters other than the hero, serving as a bridge until the divine sword becomes available.

"Hey, you."

"Hmm? What is it?"

When I tried talking to her, Iori responded in a more carefree voice than I had anticipated.

Despite the intense personality I had imagined from the live commentary, she seemed surprisingly decent.

Before the signal for the judgment to begin, I tried to make contact.

"I'm a reincarnate, and I bet you are too."

"Huh, really?"

My grandmother mentioned it before.

In Arsen Village, where she went for some business, she met a girl around my age who had knowledge of molecules and atoms, just like me.

And in that village, there shouldn't be anyone of my age other than the hero.

"Wow!! Amazing!! That's insane!! A reincarnate!? Hey, where are you from? I'm from Tokyo!"

"I don't want to say because it's scary to be identified."

"Identified!? I have high internet literacy, so I find it amusing!! Oh, not the internet but isekai literacy? But since this is a game world, maybe game literacy?"

"Yeah, that's right. I also have knowledge of games."

There's an overwhelming presence of sunlight, so to speak.

Maria is also a sunny person, but that's due to the typical high energy of Kansai people.

However, this girl has, how do I put it, a gal-like radiance.

If Aya were here, she would undoubtedly be emitting vomit beams, or "gerobi" for short.

Even for me, who is not reserved, approaching her is challenging.

"Well, we can talk about that later, okay?"

"...Yeah, let's get this fight over with."

"Oh, you're so confident. Just so you know."

Iori's presence suddenly intensifies.

"I'm pretty strong, you know. Because I'm the hero."

"Haha, I bet. Looking forward to it."

I have knowledge of "Fantasista Stories" gameplay, but the protagonist's abilities are unknown.

To be precise, the growth of the protagonist varies depending on the player.

In general, the protagonist earns skill points as the level increases, and by allocating those points, they learn various skills and magic.

However, the range of abilities that can be acquired through these skill points is incredibly broad.

Therefore, the player's personality strongly influences the character.

Well, that's why you can generally predict how they've grown based on their equipment.

"The first round, first match. Begin!!"

The commentator gives the signal to start.

Iori steps forward with a force that seems to shatter the ground, closing the distance between us.

Terrifyingly fast.

"Gah, so it's a super-physical build after all!"

"Exactly!"

One of the most famous character builds in protagonist development is the super-physical build.

A build that doesn't learn any special skills or magic, but allocates skill points to enhance agility, stamina, strength, and endurance. It relies solely on normal attacks to slaughter enemies.

Simple, making it beginner-friendly, and its simplicity means it has almost no weaknesses.

Its combat capabilities easily surpass even Wendy, who unleashes critical hits in succession in the late game.

In fact, the normal attacks with the fully upgraded super-physical build can deal damage comparable to Wendy's critical hits. It's pretty terrifying.

The maximally enhanced super-physical build can effortlessly defeat even the final boss, the Demon King Mevius, so I probably won't win against it.

Well, that's talking about the scenario when it's maximally enhanced.

From what I can see, she hasn't reached that level yet.

...Naturally.

To reach that level without even going on an adventure yet, you'd have to hunt an absurd number of monsters.

That's truly the kind of thing only a maniac would do.

"Take this!!"

"Dodge that!!"

"Oh, don't dodge!!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'll die if I don't!!"

I narrowly avoid the strike from Iori's large sword.

The sword cuts through the air, gouging the ground of the ring, and a large cloud of dust billows.

It's still incomplete, and it has this much power...

I seriously have to keep dodging this. Even if I were to block with a shield, I have to do it skillfully.

I ready my sword and shield, lowering my stance.

The speed is fast, but it's still a speed that I can track with my eyes.

Probably prioritizing strength and endurance in her build.

In that case, the choice I should make is...

"Here it comes!!"

Iori swings her large sword again.

I carefully avoid taking the full force of the sword head-on by using the shield in my left hand, making sure to parry.

Good, successful parry!

"What!?"

With Iori thrown off balance after having her sword strike deflected, I swing my sword.

The action I should take is a counterattack.

Fortunately, my eyes have been trained more than enough by Martha.

This level is a walk in the park.

"Watch out!?"

"Damn, seriously!! What's up with your skin!?"

I swing my sword with all my might and manage to catch Iori around her side.

Even if she manages to avoid it, the power is enough to cause injury.

However, it didn't do much.

I could only lightly cut through her thin skin, and it didn't cause significant damage.

"Whoa, that last one got me nervous!! Seriously!!"

"Really?"

"By the way, Kunou is amazing! I was proud of sinking my opponent in the qualifiers in seconds! The main tournament isn't going well."

A regular sword doesn't seem to be very effective.

In that case, let's try testing the performance of this weapon a bit.

"Hmm?"

““Oh, what's this? Kunou's shield is split vertically!! She's putting a sword into it—and wow!! It transformed into an axe!?””

"Wow, that's amazing!! It's like a Charger Axe!! Monster Hunter!"

"That naming might not be ideal. Let's call it the shield-axe."

"Huh, aren't they the same?"

"I feel like this one is still okay."

The transforming weapon I created. I'm still thinking of a name for it, but its striking power is far higher than that of the sword.

I'll hit her with this during a counterattack.

The problem is that without the shield, I can't deflect Iori's large sword anymore...

"I'll figure something out."

I focus.

Thanks to Martha's training, my eyes are better than Wendy's—well, just my eyes.

The match has only just begun.

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