漫画大王

Chapter 289

There were students arguing with passersby, or some high-ranking-looking outsider being dragged away by the guards shouting, “Do you know who I am?”

The place was as chaotic as it was crowded.

Scarlett, Ludwig, and I pushed through the throngs of people towards our destination.

The main stadium of the Temple was an amphitheater in which important matches or events were held.

It was rather large, with a seating capacity exceeding thirty thousand.

Significant sporting events within the Temple were held there, including important tournaments like the one today.

Naturally, there were broadcast screens prepared for the spectators.

The semifinals and finals of each grade-level tournament would be held here, and the finals of the Open Tournament would also take place at that venue.

Members of sports-related clubs used it often, but I personally had no connection to it until this tournament.

The Royal Class students who were coming to watch the tournament would arrive later, but since we were participants, we arrived early.

“Wow... There are really a lot of people,” Ludwig muttered in a daze as he looked at the crowd gathered at the entrance of the stadium to watch the tournament.

“This tournament is one of the main events of the festival, after all,” Scarlett commented.

“Wait a minute, Scarlett. Does that mean the people coming to see us won’t have any seats?”

“It’s okay, Ludwig. The Royal Class will be able to enter all these events as extra capacity.”

Scarlett seemed to have already looked into various details and knew quite a lot. The privileges that the Royal Class had within the Temple were unending.

“Oh, I see. But what does extra capacity mean? How can anyone enter if the place is full?”

“... Well, think of it as having special designated seats. Seats that are not included in the regular seating capacity, and reserved for members of the Royal Class.”

“Oh! I get it now.”

For a brief moment, I could sense an air of exasperation from Scarlett, accompanied by a one-word sentiment: ‘pathetic’.

‘Life is indeed unpredictable, but how did these two end up with such a relationship?’

Scarlett didn’t dislike Ludwig, but it was evident that she often thought of him as a “slightly... slow” friend, even if she did not show outright contempt.

It was all my doing, after all...

We headed towards the entrance for participants and not the spectator entrance for the Gradias Temple’s annual tournament finals.

***

Since the identities of the finalists were already known, we only needed to present our IDs and were guided straight to the participants’ waiting room inside the stadium.

Given the massive scale of the stadium, the participants’ waiting room, to which spectator access was strictly prohibited, was also large.

It was equipped with convenience facilities, exercise equipment for warming up, priests for dealing with injuries, and even guards for safety.

There were thirty-two finalists from each grade, which meant close to two hundred participants in total from all six grades. Individual rooms were prepared to accommodate each participant separately.

We were guided to the waiting rooms reserved for first-year students.

“When all the finalists have arrived, we will provide instructions and guidelines. Until then, please feel free to stay in your respective waiting rooms or in the hall. Please approach the desk if you require anything.”

The three of us sat in the hall.

Ludwig seemed impressed by the luxurious waiting rooms, which were comparable to rooms in the Royal Class dormitory, and Scarlett felt the same way.

We noticed some students who had arrived before us each resting or preparing in their own way.

However, most of them were alone.

These finalists were individuals from the numerous classes within the Temple. It was almost impossible for three students from a single class of the general cohort to all make it to the finals, unlike the Royal Class.

Because of this, every one of them saw the others as competitors. No matter how comfortable the place was, everyone was on edge and wary of one another.

Most were either deep in thought, warming up, or doing some form of mental preparation.

Even though they were only high school freshmen, this tournament had the same intensity as a national team selection.

This tournament would determine the strongest seventeen-year-old within the Temple, and to exaggerate a bit, the strongest of their age group on the continent.

It was impossible not to be nervous.

Of course, Ludwig, seemingly oblivious to all this, was munching on a piece of bread he had somehow acquired.

“Reinhart! Want some bread?” he asked.

Scarlett and I naturally exchanged glances.

“...”

“...”

We seemed to be thinking along similar lines.

‘You know that—Never mind.’

“Sure, give me a piece.”

“Here! This is tasty.”

In the end, I was also the type who didn’t care about such things, albeit in a different way from Ludwig.

Scarlett eventually decided to eat as well.

“I’ll have some too.”

The atmosphere changed, and the wary gazes of the surrounding students turned towards us.

Most of them had come alone, to a place filled with individuals who saw everyone else as enemies. Here we were, three people who seemed to know each other well, huddled together and eating bread.

Three finalists who appeared to come from the same place...

There was only one possibility.

They would inevitably realize that we were from the Royal Class.

Wariness. Hostility. Fear.

Numerous gazes were directed at us.

“Uh, um...”

Ludwig finally seemed to notice the attention and glanced around, while Scarlett quietly nibbled on her bread.

Eventually, I got annoyed by the stares and snapped at the surrounding students.

“What are you looking at, you punks? Never seen someone eat bread before? If you’re jealous, get some for yourselves. Why are you staring?” I demanded.

Unfortunately, the room was filled with individuals who were at the highest level of their respective fields.

We weren’t surrounded by clumsy, bumbling idiots. The room was filled with people who not only had pride in their skills, but also had considerable self-confidence.

In such a tense situation, there would certainly be those who would react menacingly to such provocations.

“What did you just say?”

I leaned on the sofa, watching the guy approaching me with a smile.

‘Is he really a high school student, though?’ I wondered. He was about two meters tall and built like a human tank.

Of course, that didn’t mean I was intimidated.

I didn’t know about the others, but this guy, in particular, had been glaring at us with a particularly hostile look.

“I asked if you’ve never seen someone eat bread before. What makes you think you can stare at us like that?”

“You little bastard. Just because you’re from the Royal Class, you think you can look down on everyone? You must be under the delusion that you’ll win just because the Orbis Class isn’t here.”

As the atmosphere grew tense, Ludwig stepped in.

“Ah, haha. R-Reinhart. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Calm down. Sorry about that. My friend is a bit sensitive.”

“...”

“...”

The guy alternated his gaze between Ludwig and me, while I stared back at him. The human tank of a high school student opened his mouth first.

“Which group are you in for the finals?” he asked me.

“Group A, Reinhart.”

“Perfect. I’m in Group A too.”

The guy cracked his knuckles, looking at me as if he was going to crush me.

“What’s so perfect about that?” I said as I chuckled at his display. “It’s really unfortunate for you.”

I couldn’t understand what was so perfect about getting badly beaten up.

After the tense standoff, the nameless human tank finally backed off, and a voice came from behind me.

“It seems like you’re still attracting trouble wherever you go.”

I turned around. “Ah, it’s you.”

“We haven’t talked before. You remember my face?”

Of course I did.

We hadn’t spoken, but I remembered his face. Scarlett and Ludwig, who had never seen him before, tilted their heads in confusion.

“Still, you probably don’t know my name. I’m Gladen Amorel.”

He extended his hand to me. There was no hostility in his gesture.

“Oh, uh... Long time no see.”

I felt a bit sorry for him since he had lost his special class privileges because of the commotion I had caused.

***

Gladen Amorel sat on the sofa opposite me.

“I was a first-year in the Orbis Class, which no longer exists.”

Scarlett and Ludwig nodded in realization as they understood why we were familiar with each other.

Gladen Amorel didn’t seem to harbor any other feelings towards me. In reality, Lilka Aaron’s decision to blow the whistle hadn’t been a lone-wolf action; it had been agreed upon by the entire first-year cohort of the Orbis Class.

I originally set him up with a cold personality, but the fact that he approached me first and offered a handshake meant that something had changed in him during that time.

I wasn’t sure what exactly had changed, though.

“I figured you would participate in the tournament.”

“... Is that so?”

“I can’t explain it well, but I just had that feeling.”

He accepted the bread offered to him by the ever-friendly Ludwig and began to munch on it himself.

“The first-year students... Have they all gone their separate ways, then?”

“That’s right. But since we’re all still within the Temple, it’s not impossible to meet up if we try.”

The first-year students of the Orbis Class had been dispersed into various classes within the general cohort. However, Gladen Amorel seemed to have taken the initiative to create a club through the head student council, providing a place for the former Orbis Class first-year students to meet. Club gatherings transcended class boundaries.

Since they had gone through hardships together, their bonds couldn’t be easily severed.

Without me even asking, Gladen mentioned that Lilka Aaron was doing well. He joked that he was experiencing a late growth spurt and felt like he was growing a bit taller recently, though in reality, he wasn’t growing at all.

“Honestly, I’m kind of relieved it turned out this way. It was too... hellish.”

Though the Orbis Class had been dissolved, it seemed they were doing well. Somehow, that brought me a strange sense of comfort.

Despite all the problems I had caused, which sparked several incidents that led to numerous changes, at least some of the changes were positive.

Gladen Amorel was in Group D.

The four of us sitting there were the strongest contenders for the championship.

Though it wasn’t our first time meeting, it was our first conversation.

But it was clear that he held some goodwill towards me.

“Of course, I don’t plan on losing, Reinhart.”

That was that, and the tournament was the tournament.

Both he and we understood that.

***

“The main stadium of the Temple is equipped with powerful protective and barrier magic. Therefore, special actions can be taken.

“All of you participating in the tournament finals will be under strong protective magic.

“The matches you will be participating in from now on will not be in the form of practice duels. If you are in a situation where you might receive a fatal injury, powerful protective and summoning magic will activate, transporting you to a safe location. Of course, you will be considered defeated.

“In short, even if you go all out, your opponent will not be severely injured or killed. Therefore, the Gradias Temple Tournament can create a combat situation that is as close as possible to reality, and that draws out each participant’s full abilities.

“To put it simply, think of this as a real battle, and use every means at your disposal to win. There are no rules against foul play.

“Of course, minor injuries or broken limbs can occur. However, any injuries that can be treated afterward will not result in a defeat. Remember, getting hit once doesn’t mean you’ll lose.”

The thirty-two first-year finalists sat in the waiting room, listening quietly to the tournament organizers lay out the ground rules.

This was different from the countless practice duels I had with Ellen.

Even if we attacked with the intent to kill, the protective spells and barriers in the stadium that were in place ensured maximum safety for the participants.

This allowed us to fight with our full strength. It served both to provide a spectacle and to showcase each participant’s combat abilities to their fullest extent.

After all, this tournament was supposed to be a spectacle.

It was about displaying the most extreme level of combat and showing off the kind of monsters the empire was nurturing.

Tension was written on every participant’s expression, and even Ludwig, who had been relaxed until now, had a serious look on his face, now that he realized the tournament finals were imminent.

“If that is all, please rest in your individual rooms or the hall, and prepare yourself when you are called.”

It was the start of the tournament’s Round of 32.

The group winners who would proceed to the finals would be determined that day.

“Group A, first match. Royal Class first-year A-11, Reinhart. Dalon Class first-year C-2, Lageres. Please prepare.”

I was set to participate in the very first match of the grade-level tournament, or rather, the first match of all the festival tournaments that would follow.

***

It was often said that fires and fights were the best spectacles to watch.

The Temple’s main stadium had thirty thousand seats.

I thought I wasn’t going to be nervous, but when I saw it filled to the brim, I realized I was wrong.

No way. Wasn’t it just a bunch of kids fighting? Even though it was a packed schedule, and the first- to sixth-grade tournaments would run continuously into the night, was there really a need for such a large crowd? Some people couldn’t even find seats, and had to stand to watch.

Was this really that entertaining?

It finally hit me that no matter how advanced this world was, it lacked TV, smartphones, the internet, and other mass media.

In a world where such forms of dramatic stimulation was rare, watching the empire’s nurtured talents engage in sword fights, even if they were just kids, was quite a significant attraction by this world’s standards.

The large screens installed throughout the Temple’s main stadium alternated between showing my face and that of my opponent.

—Ooooh...

A strange murmur of admiration arose from the audience when my face appeared on the screen.

It felt... weird.

I tried to see if I could spot any familiar faces among the thousands of people in the audience, but there were too many faces to recognize anyone.

Everyone was watching me.

I felt odd, trying to find someone who might have come to see me.

‘They probably wouldn’t be here since everyone is busy.’

But strangely enough...

In the midst of tens of thousands of people, where I shouldn’t have been able to find anyone...

I saw a quiet girl with black hair in the distance.

It was Ellen.

Ellen was watching me.

Next to her were Riana, Cliffman, and Harriet.

Even Olivia Lanche, who surely had a terrible relationship with them, was there.

—Our Reinhart is the best! He’s so handsome! Kyaaaa!

Next to them were the students from Class B.

Charlotte was watching me with a quiet smile. She didn’t say anything, but I could tell she was cheering for me.

And of course, for security reasons, Sabioleen Tana was sitting beside her. She was watching me with her arms crossed.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but smile.

—You got this.

I could see Ellen’s small mouth forming the words.

—W-W... Win! Win it!

Harriet, despite stuttering, cupped her hands around her mouth and cheered me on loudly. It wasn’t just Harriet—even the members of the Magic Research Club, including Rudina, were all there.

—Go for it, Reinhart!

I thought everyone would be too busy to come, but they were all present.

Ellen and Olivia, who shared a notoriously bad relationship, were sitting next to each other, trying to keep as much distance between themselves as possible even though they were in adjacent seats.

Everyone had gathered.

—Whoo...!

In my hand was not a training sword, but a real one. I had chosen a longsword with the same weight and balance as the one I had used in the Dark Land.

My opponent was also armed with a longsword.

—And now, the much-anticipated Gradias Temple Festival. First-year, Group A! First match! Let’s begin!

—Yeaaaah!

A thunderous cheer rose up to meet the stadium announcer’s cry.

‘Alright. Since it’s the first match, I should show them something interesting. Sorry, friend.’

This was for my friends, who had come all the way to watch me despite being busy with their own lives.

I had to show them what I had been doing for the past year.

I believed in myself.

I activated Mana Reinforcement.

Kroooom!

With an explosive surge of power, blue flames erupted from my body. The cheers grew even louder, and I could see my opponent growing increasingly intimidated.

I activated Haste (迅速), Single Strike (逸格), and Harden (硬化), as well as Self-Deception and Mana Reinforcement, combining them all into a single move.

“I will win.”

To that, I also added the power of Incantation.

I took a step forward. And with that one step...

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, I was already right in front of my opponent.

Victory... I desired nothing else but that.

***

—Waaaaaah!

“I wonder if it was really necessary to come and watch,” Harriet muttered, sounding displeased.

The third match of Group D of the first-year tournament had just ended. Reinhart’s match, which they had come all the way to see, had ended in literally less than five seconds.

There was still a lot of time before Reinhart’s next match. After the first-year group matches, the second-year group matches would begin.

Although it wasn’t necessary to watch all the Round of 32 matches for every grade, it seemed like all of Reinhart’s matches would end in a flash, just like the first one.

The spectators were overwhelmed by Reinhart’s performance, but they were also left a bit dumbfounded.

‘Who is this guy?’ was the stunned reaction from most of the spectators.

It was overwhelming, but also a bit anticlimactic.

In terms of entertainment, the fight that had just ended, despite being clumsy and full of desperation, had been more fun to watch.

So, although all of them had come to watch Reinhart, there wouldn’t be much of him to see.

Ellen and Harriet had their own commitments as well, but they had decided to head down in the end after much debate.

Olivia, whom they had encountered on the way, reluctantly sat next to them, despite showing clear signs of displeasure.

The reason for that was simple.

‘If I sit with these guys, Reinhart will find us easily,’ or so she believed.

If she sat alone in the crowd, Reinhart might not find her. But if she sat with his friends, Reinhart would spot them—and her—easily. And indeed, Reinhart had found them precisely.

When Reinhart won his first match with overwhelming ease, Olivia, while everyone else had been in a daze, screamed, “Take me! Take me with you Reinhart!!!” causing everyone around to stare at her in disbelief.

Reinhart’s next match would start after all the Round of 32 matches were completed.

Harriet quietly observed Ellen. She had thought Ellen might participate in the Open Tournament, but Ellen had unexpectedly entered the Miss Temple contest instead.

“Ugh... When will it be Reinhart’s turn again? I didn’t come to watch these weaklings fight... Hey, when is Reinhart up next? Check the match schedule.”

“Why don’t you check it yourself, senior?”

“When a senior asks, you should do it!”

“... Reinhart doesn’t like people who talk like that. Oh, you didn’t know that, did you?”

“You... Ugh. Forget it. I don’t want to talk to you.”

Olivia Lanche acted like an angel only in front of Reinhart, as though she could give him everything, but treated everyone close to Reinhart harshly.

This was the Saintess of Eredian, whose personality was becoming increasingly twisted and crooked.

Ellen and Harriet, though participating in different contests, both wanted to beat her.

Could they win, though?

Despite their worries, Olivia Lanche acted as if they didn’t exist, or rather, she seemed to deliberately ignore and provoke them.

“Yawn. This is so boring! Bring our Reinhart out!” Olivia yelled, causing a scene.

“Can you please just shut up?” Ellen said, glaring at her with a frown.

“What did you say? Do you want to go out there and go one round with me right now? People would love it.”

“Why not do it right here and now?”

“Want to have a go? Should I show you?”

“Stop mimicking Reinhart; it’s annoying.”

Even Ellen’s personality seemed to change when she encountered Olivia.

Ellen and Olivia Lanche...

If those two stormed into the arena, no match afterward could hope to capture the audience’s interest.

“Both of you, please stop...” Harriet muttered.

Just watching the two of them made Harriet feel dizzy.