Chapter. 14. One Empire, Three Legends (5)
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“So. I was wondering what you’ve been doing all this time… Are you saying you’re participating in a fighting competition? “Then why are you so late to apply for that?”
“There is that too. There were a lot of interesting things here and there. “Oh, this is a gift.”
The professor dumped a heavy bag onto a table filled with food.
“Approximately 5kg of Mithril and two pieces of special grade Benny Lion leather. I’m not sure about the value of the accessories due to the rough processing unique to Greenskin. Ah, what you are holding now. That looked expensive. It was the prize for winning an arm wrestling competition, but the organizer came crying and followed me. “He said he really didn’t think he would win.”
“…Does this really look like a tiger’s eye stone? At this size… a ring used by large demi-race? Or a small bracelet?”
“No, those are piercings on the nose. The guy I was arm wrestling with pulled it right out of his nose and handed it over. “It is believed that if you wear a tiger’s eye decoration, every time you take a breath, you will be infused with courageous energy.”
“Ugh!”
After seeing where the previous owner had used it, Lucilla was shocked and lost the ornament. Borka deftly caught the tiger’s eye ornament that flew onto the table, held it out, and opened his mouth.
“I thought there was a reason for the captain to be in a hurry. “The things piled up on the table right now are enough to fill a large chest with silver coins.”
“Okay then. “Even if it seems like I move without thinking, everything has meaning.”
“The money is good, and I think it’s great that I gained the reputation of ‘Professor of Superpower’ at Haunuman in less than half a day. But… Why did you drag me in?”
Borka held up the metal necklace around his neck with incomprehensible eyes. A small square plate hanging from a cheap necklace had the words ‘Vorka Dalun / Werewolf – Tusk Claw’ engraved on it.
Naturally, there was a similar necklace around the professor’s neck with his name engraved on it.
“hmm? Ah, that’s it… Martial arts competitions are always 2-person teams? They said they had to bring one more person. “Now look.”
The professor’s finger pointed out each member of the group.
“Two old wizards who are out of breath after running for just a few seconds.”
“Teenage merchant girl.”
“Troll Shaman.”
“An elf who specializes in long-distance combat and is not suitable for a circular coliseum.”
“A werewolf who is a former arena worker and is an expert in gladiatorial competitions who spent several years in the arena.”
“Now, among these, who would be the best partner for a two-person wrestling competition?”
Even though they weren’t asked, the group’s attention naturally focused on Borka.
“But still, Notum is-”
“For your information, the prevailing opinion is that wizards and shamans are not suitable for a competition honoring the achievements of great warriors. They say even if you win, you’ll get stoned.”
“Umm…”
To be honest, I was confident that I would win no matter who I brought with me. It was just that Borka was the only member of the group whose location was identified during the emergency.
With about 30 minutes left until the end of the application process, the professor was told to find one more colleague, so he ran to the public post office at the entrance to the city without even looking back. After finding out about the existence of letter magic, Borka had something to do every morning, but he skipped it this morning due to all the fuss, so he thought he would definitely stay here.
Sure enough, Borka was standing in line, holding two letters in his arms, in front of the public post office, the only place in the city where the archmage’s letter magic could reach.
That was the reason why Borka, who was honest and good at everything he was asked to do, was in trouble like this. This is because I didn’t have time, so I almost kidnapped them, so I couldn’t send today’s letters to my children.
“The competition will be held in a tournament format for three days starting tomorrow morning. There are as many as 64 participating teams and 128 team members. It is said that the best of the countless tribes of the plains, which were so large that the empire could not digest them all and left them as vassal states, gathered together. In addition, there are wandering knights seeking fame, great warriors who want to owe a debt to barbarian tribes, and people sent by nobles seeking the treasures of the steppes. “I don’t think we’ll lose, but it won’t be too easy either.”
The professor said as he stuffed a mouthful of food served by the innkeeper. The relaxed appearance actually made other people feel uneasy.
Especially Lucilla, who still believes that the group turned away because of her.
“Three days… wouldn’t that be too much of a delay? Today is another three days to go to the capital. If you calculate the time you will spend in the capital… I think the road to the elf forest will be delayed by a month…” “
I thought about all that too. For now, the Roderick front will be fine, so time is fine. Of course, I have no intention of wasting the time I have gained.”
The original goal was to win a prize for the fighting competition, but I also thought about how to attract the various hero units that would be encountered during the competition.
However, when I listened to the story of the Tusk Claw tribe, there were many other rather suspicious stories.
‘Heung! This year, twice as many fighters came as usual! Ten strong warriors with a fighting spirit for victory! A little more than that!’
‘It sounds like there are more than 100 people… Is this year’s prize special?’
‘There are more strange monsters in the grassland! As the grassland where sheep can safely be raised decreases, the number of starving human tribes has increased, and it has become difficult for the greenskins to survive! Everyone is planning to win the competition and then ask one of Haunuman’s eight tribes for that position! Because Haunuman’s eight tribes own the fertile land around the city! I will rush in with the fate of the tribe at stake!’
‘Wait a minute… When you say you’ll be given whatever you want within the city, does that actually include the right to rule?’
‘Heung! Isn’t it natural for the tribe with the strongest warriors to live in a land that the steppe warriors turn a blind eye to? Originally, Haunuman’s eight tribes were all his descendants, orcs, but now there are two goblins, one human, and five orcs!’
The professor cut the warm meat pie on his table into eight pieces, remembering what the orc from the Tuskclaw tribe had said. On top of the five pieces are green spices that represent oak. On top of the two pieces is a pepper, which represents a goblin with gray and green skin. And Pie, which means the area occupied by the last humans….
Quack!
Fork mercilessly.
“The range of ‘anything’ up for competition prize was wider than I thought. “Because it does not include tangible property such as tribal relics, money, or jewelry, but also includes intangible rights belonging to Haunuman.”
Thanks to this, the tribes of the grasslands who lost their homes due to the invasion of monsters presumed to be Mutation Blood… participated in the contest, risking the fate of the tribe, and greedily sought to take over Haunuman’s territory, which was a vassal state and escaped the rule of the empire. A large number of noble merchants participated.
“It is said that the human who has taken the position of one of the eight tribes is also a member of the Marquis of Wildeland, a long way away from here. I came to take a look around and found that all the land allocated there near Haunuman was growing narcotic plants. If you don’t have the power to use the land and rights yourself, you can sell those rights to other desperate tribes. Tribes that have no place to live right now will want to receive that right no matter what they pay.”
“Hmm… the prize in the contest is bigger than I thought. A tournament that started out as a way to prevent interference from the empire by accepting tribes with strong warriors on the border of the empire ended up becoming an opportunity for the empire to infiltrate…” “This
is an incident that occurred because we valued tradition too much. Thanks to you, I remembered what I should gain from this.”
“What is it?”
“Hmm… honestly, I don’t know what to do with the competition prize yet. Actually, I wanted to use the contest itself rather than the product. “Anyway, our goal is to send reinforcements to Rodrik, right?”
If an outsider gathers together the people from each tribe gathered here and wants to talk, they may be treated as crazy, or worse, they may be kicked out as a group plotting to interfere in internal affairs.
But what if we meet and talk in the arena? As there are so many participants, the competition will take place over three days, and naturally, the waiting time for each fighter will be longer. At that time, wouldn’t there be anyone who would say anything if you said a few words to the fighter next to you or the fighter sitting a little further away?
They are not just warriors, but warriors representing each tribe. Considering the culture here that reveres power, the authority they have within the tribe must be enormous.
“The chamber maid focuses on the place where it is rooted and sucks in all the vitality around it and extracts the mute. Even if only three maids settled in the land from which those tribes were driven out, the grassland that would have been enough for four or five tribes to survive would become a wasteland. A land that is no different from a desert where not a single blade of grass grows. Now, this speculation contest is crowded with representatives of people who have no land to live on. There’s a lot of empty land in Rodrik beyond the mountains over there because the nobles were massacred? “How can you not come up with a good angle to connect the two?”
“Could it be… that you are going to attract the barbarian tribes of the steppes to Roderick?”
The professor nodded at Lucilla’s words.
“You have to make merit to receive land. It’s not a single victory, and it usually takes a lot of merit to receive a hereditary territory, but Roderick is currently fighting a war that puts the fate of the nation at stake, right? There is enough justification to have them participate in the war and receive their titles. “I’m in a situation where I have to lend a hand to a cat.”
Of course, there won’t be much noise. For the tribes who lived as nomadic people, it was impossible to settle down and live in one territory. They all have different laws, cultures, and customs, and if we were to say that they would have to live a thousand miles away as a tribe, many tribes would immediately feel resistance.
“so! “I have to apply it all and win.”
However, no matter how severe the rejection, it is nothing compared to the pain of a family-like tribe being torn apart. If they don’t get Haunuman’s land, they really have nowhere to go. They have no choice but to either merge with another tribe or become a marauding tribe that lives by illegally invading land that already belongs to the owner.
If you have an idea, you will not be able to help but be interested in my proposal.
“how is it. Isn’t this enough to delay the trip by three days? The warriors of the grassland tribes are all horsemen, from children as young as five to old men in their 70s? When it comes to riding a horse, you’re a step above the knights of the knight nation Rodrik, right? Immediately from Charlotte’s mouth, ‘I survived!’ “What you say will come out naturally.”
As the professor said that, he stuffed the large breast of the turkey in front of him into his mouth. Before I knew it, Otman, who had used soundproofing magic, was shaking his head with his eyes closed.
“That makes sense. It certainly makes sense. In the past, the reason grassland tribes constantly invaded the imperial territory was because it was difficult to survive the winter just by growing food in the barren grasslands. They have been coveting fertile land inland for a long time. “If I just get a chance to talk… I think I can get them to participate in the war.”
“That’s right. “We will steal people from the prairie in this competition, not prizes.”
The warriors representing each tribe of the steppes were all gathered in one place, even in a desperate state. A great opportunity like this came to me for free, so I couldn’t just pass it up, right?
After magically devouring a turkey, the professor lifted the eight-piece pie into a bowl and put a piece into his mouth.
“Of course, I have no intention of giving up the prize for winning the competition. Let’s think about it step by step. “Not even a day has passed since we arrived in Haunuman, and no one knows what treasures this city holds.”
“haha. “You’re too greedy.”
“Isn’t this all about making the world better? Mmm, Latura.”
The professor looked at the completely empty tables and waved his hand at the inn owner. To celebrate the festival, [Special Turkey Meal! The owner, who had set up an event saying, “If you eat everything within 5 minutes, it’s free!”, was in tears and was delivering food to the professor’s table, who was already crying for his third refill, and I could hear Hyde cheering in my head.
The professor, who was watching this, shouted a toast to the great System who helped Lucilla choose this inn.
****
The next morning.
“Huh, snow?”
The professor woke up to the white snow falling outside the window. There’s a fighting competition starting today and it’s snowing. Considering that festivals are usually held in the warm spring or fall after the summer harvest, it was a city that had a different feel from the typical March World culture in many ways.
When I came down the stairs, I saw that the rest of the group was still asleep, and on the first floor of the inn, which was crowded since morning, Otman was sitting alone at the table, glaring at something on his plate.
“Oh, good morning. “I thought the conditions would be bad because it’s a dry area, but it’s snowing right now.”
“That’s right. It is better for water wizards to avoid areas with little rainfall. It’s difficult to draw water. In that sense, it’s a good thing for you, professor, to have seen some snow.”
“Well, for a last bit of luck, it’s quite small, so it’s pretty good. “What are you doing?”
“Well… I heard there was a special fish here, so I asked them to bring me one without cooking it…”
“Um… Is it a fish?”
“Seeing it cooked on the table next to me, it was definitely fish. I can’t believe this…. Ugh. I don’t know.”
For some reason, what the particularly grumpy owner brought to our table was a lump of mud that looked like an ostrich egg. When I took a quick look at it with my hand, I realized why Otman was worried because there was slippery fish inside.
“Do you feel like there will be any magical problems no matter how you eat it?”
“Well… since they have gills, it would be true that they are creatures that live in water. When I cut open the stomach, I found the lungs. After all, it would be better not to eat things like this. ‘What if I don’t?’ This anxiety will reduce the wizard’s confidence, and the weakened magic will actually increase that doubt. “I’m a little tired, but I have no choice but to fill my stomach with aquatic plants and cloud crayfish again today.”
“Ugh. You are really having a hard time buying it. “There’s a student right in front of you who can eat grilled meat and everything and still use magic well. Do you still feel that way?”
Otman laughed bitterly as he removed the strange fish in front of him and took out dried aquatic plants from his robe pocket.
“Can the stereotypes that have been stuck in our heads for decades change so easily?”
“You insist on being a wizard. You figure it out. Where did Borka and the others go?”
“Aldrich and Lucilla are going to the market to sell the precious berries and golden beetles they got yesterday. Notum was sleeping, and Borka said he wanted to warm up since it’s been a while since he went to the arena. “Even if you say that, it will take some time, seeing as you are holding a piece of letter in your arms.”
“Everyone works hard. Oh, where has Hydrasil gone? “I still wanted to ask you something.”
“What is Hydrasil… take a look around. I didn’t see you in the morning, but I’m sure he’s around you. I think it’s around there. “Like you said, they seem to be working really hard.”
Otman looked around and waved his hand, revealing Idrasil, who was sticking his head out from the corner of the inn, possibly due to the power of the water spirit.
[Why is he becoming more and more like a stalker? Didn’t the lady over there trust you and left it to you?]
‘I didn’t do anything. really.’
[For that matter, you are very different from the elf when you came out of the forest. They say an elf age of 70 is very young. I think I’m already disqualified for saying I didn’t do anything. Adults have educational responsibilities for children. Especially in a situation where you have become an implicit surrogate guardian.]
‘Hmm…’
As Hyde said, the godmother’s only eye and fearsome battle hammer came to mind. That guy was so faithful to what his godmother told him to learn about humans through me that he was recording my every move.
At that moment, without realizing it, I thought, ‘I’m talking about God! Search and go to the side!’ The person next to me shouting, ‘Your mother is God, so even if you die here like a dog, you will go to her side. It’s a blessing.’ Idrasil was depicted dryly shouting, My godmother saw that and got so angry that she blew my head off.
‘Hmm… I guess it’s not a good idea to be too lenient.’
[yes? Especially when the opponent is an elf who is like a completely pure blank slate. Maybe it’s already too late. It is said that elves do not change easily.]
I became more anxious after hearing those words, and when I called out to Idrasil with a hand gesture, Idrasil lightly walked over and sat down opposite me, adding confidence to my anxiety.
“What were you doing there?”
“As always, it’s observation and learning. “You said my behavior last time was unpleasant and disgusting.”
“So… you were hiding and watching me while using spirits?”
“yes. Now that you’ve been exposed like this, you must be feeling uncomfortable again. Next time, we will try to find a more secret and invisible method.”
I was in big trouble. A half-elf, descendant of a noble hero and a member of the Narim class of Kaneran, is saying that the innocent Idrasil will study a more professional stalking method!
Just looking at the water spirit hovering around her, she asked with a restless face, ‘Is this right?’ I could see him repeating the same gesture.
[Oh my. It’s late.]
‘No! There is still a chance to return to Idrasil in those days….’
“Ah. Yesterday, I was tracking down the professor. We found a goblin that was making a rather unsavory plan and attacked it. “They said it would be helpful information for the fighters here.”
“They attacked me first… and stole the goods?”
“I decided it was a good enough target. “I didn’t kill him, but I captured him well and put him down on the main street, so if he was a goblin with human clothes, he would have been rescued right away.”
Idrasil smiled slightly as he handed me a piece of yellow, stained paper. It’s as if he’s proud of his accomplishments.
It began to feel as if the full swing of Godmother’s battle hammer, tearing through the air, was just around the corner.
‘A robbery. After the elf stalker, it’s an elf robber! Hydrasil, what the hell are you…!’
While Hyde was rolling around holding his stomach, he and Otman had expressions of ‘this is not happening’ on their faces.
The professor was full of thoughts that he should teach strictly even now and avoid the godmother’s hammer at all costs, but…
“Uh… Ugh… Well, good job….”
“Thank you.”
When he opened the paper, what came out of his mouth was an awkward compliment. The kind of praise that would make a young robber elf confident in his actions.
It was natural that Otman’s expression became distorted, as if he had seen a crazy person beyond imagination.
“Hey professor! Even though you are not blood relatives, what a foolish thing to do to Idrasil, who is learning from you! “No matter how valuable that paper is, shouldn’t we say no to it?”
“No, that’s it… I know that much, but… uh, that’s not it, this is… a really good… uh… I can only say it was a good show, right?”
The professor couldn’t bring himself to curse Hydrasil when he saw an eye-catching name on a yellow piece of paper that he glanced at out of the corner of his eye.
=========
『Open Ribs Tribe』
– 1. Blue Mane Tushan
– 2. ….
– 3. Blue Mane Marka
=========
Blue Mane Tushan. Blue Mane Marka.
Tushan. markka. Tushan and Marca.
‘Ha Hyde. Search your memories. Is this…is what I remember?’
[Now here. Check it out for yourself. It’s not even that old of a memory.]
Hyde, who was still giggling, looked through the memories shining in the form of a monster and threw me one memory.
『Ah, Dahlia Tushan Marka…. Wait. I’ll go see you soon…』
Memories of the first time I met Borka. This is the name that Borka muttered as he ran towards me saying that he didn’t care if he died after giving it to me to sort out the rankings.
I found out later that Dahlia was the name of his dead wife, and Tushan and Marka
were… ‘his… Borka’s two lost children. That name is still written in letters sent every morning.’
found. I wanted to find him after seeing him crying like that every day, but I don’t know where they are in this vast empire. The names of Borca’s two lost children are on the list of participants in the fighting competition.
“Well done… you did really well, so call Borka right away…”
“You mean werewolf? “What can I say about business?”
“I can deliver letters like that in person, so come right away! right now!”
It has nothing to do with the main quest, but it was something that everyone in the party, including the professor, was secretly hoping for. It is truly an impossible relationship unless the luck of heaven follows.
The professor could not bear to criticize Idrasil for the final gift brought by luck.
Borka’s two lost children belong to the Empire’s vassal state, Haunuman Arena, and are living in the same city as them.
****
