With both semi-finals over, that was naturally the end of the tournament for the day.

It wasn’t uncommon for it to take several days for the qualifying, first, and seconds rounds to take several days. But after reaching that point, the daily schedule would be over in a day, half a day, or even several hours.

If you only heard that, it wouldn’t be surprising to think that some people in the audience would be dissatisfied purely in terms of the number of matches. However, it was also true that the matches were now significantly more amazing to watch now that only the better participants were left.

In fact, in today’s match, they had seen a water dragon (only the head) collide head on with a fire bird. They had also seen many techniques and magic such as wind magic wrapped around a spear and ice and flames covering a sword.

「Finally, the day after tomorrow, huh?」

「Guru~?」

Rei’s murmurs disappeared into the night.

Set, who as listening nearby, gave a cry as he turned to look at Rei.

Rei stroked Set’s head to say it was nothing.

By winning the semi-finals, Rei was guaranteed at least second place.

A victory party was held once again at the inn’s dining area to celebrate, but Rei quickly slipped out of of the dining area, partly because he wasn’t in the mood to make a fuss.

Right now, he was petting Set’s head as he listened to the cheers coming from the Eternal Sky Pavilion and the annoying chirping of insects.

In a space close to the stables that could be called a backyard of sorts, Rei relaxed with Set.

「I’ve inconvenienced you a lot Set. You want to be able to move around, don’t you?」

「Guru~」

Of course, Set seemed to say with a cry.

Set liked to sleep, but he also like to move around. Naturally, spending most of the day inside the stables was hard on Set.

That said, he didn’t throw any tantrums or become violent as he understood that doing that would cause trouble for Rei.

In addition, as one of the highest class inns in the Imperial Capital, the people who took care of the stables were comfortable and not afraid of Set.

After spending all day long with Set, the other animals and tamed monsters in the stables had also started to get used to him.

……Still, they weren’t able to do something like play with Set.

「The fighting tournament is almost over. Also……」

After saying that much, Rei judged that it wouldn’t be too good to careless discuss something like that here, so he shut his mouth.

However, Set probably understood what Rei wanted to say and gave a soft cry as he rubbed his head against Rei.

It was autumn and now night time. Naturally, the temperature was cool and many people would find it cold.

However, for Rei, who was wearing the Dragon Robe and leaning against Set on the ground, it was a rather comfortable environment.

「Hey, Set. ……Do you think I can win the day after tomorrow?」

Rei asked as he stroked Set, who was still rubbing his head against him.

It was probably because Set was the only one around. Rei’s words felt so weak that Set couldn’t believe it had come from the usually confident Rei.

「Gururururu~」

Set rubbed his head against Rei as he gave a cry.

It was as if he was saying ‘good luck’.

However, Set’s response, didn’t give Rei much confidence.

He had seen today’s fight and understood. There was still a big gap between him and Noiz.

Of course, he also believed that it wasn’t impossible to win if he used everything he had.

However, doing that also meant ignoring the rules of the fighting tournament.

For example, fighting together with Set, or using wide area annihilation magic that would not only damage the arena, but also the entire Imperial Capital.

「But, there’s no way we can do something like that.」

When he had first come to the Imperial Capital, he might have been able to do something like that in the case of an emergency. But now it was different. Rei had lived in the Imperial Capital for a period of time and had made some close friends. If he were to do something like that, he would also be risking another war between the Bestir Empire and the Mireana Kingdom.

「I guess I have no choice but to fight him head on.」

「Gurururu~……Guru~……Gurururururu~!」

As Rei said that, Set, who Rei had been leaning against, suddenly gave a strong cry as he poked Rei with his sharp beak.

His beak could easily take the life of an enemy if he was serious, so of course his poke was very light. However, it still caused a sharp pain on Rei’s head.

Since Set had been the only one around, Rei had pulled down the hood of his Dragon Robe. Rei turned to look at Set, who had poked him unexpectedly.

「Set, what……」

「Guru~!」

Set’s cry seemed to tell Rei not to feel weak. ……No, maybe it was more correct to say that Set was telling Rei that it was what he had to do?

Set completely understood Rei’s words, but Rei wasn’t able to fully understand everything Set wanted to say.

But……still, in Rei’s eyes, it seemed like Set was doing it to cheer up his timid self.

「Gurururururu~」

Set gave another cry as he looked at Rei.

Rei stared at Set for about a minute before slapping his own cheeks with both his hands.

The high pitched slap echoed out, mixing in with the chirping sounds of insects in the autumn night.

「That hurts-, I slapped myself a little too hard. But, thank you Set. Thanks to you, I feel refreshed. That’s right. It’s no good to look weak even before the fight.」

「Guru~!」

Set gave a cry as if to say Rei was right before immediately rubbing his head against Rei again.

The way Set gave his cry made it seem like he was apologising for his actions earlier

Even though Rei couldn’t understand Set’s words, he could grasp his overall intentions as he gently stroked his head.

「Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. In fact, you were doing it for me, right? Then I won’t be angry.」

「Gururu~?」

Really? Rei nodded at Set, who tilted his head slightly at him, and took out some dried meat from the Misty Ring.

「Gurururururu~!」

Realising it was okay to eat the dried meat, Set gave a happy cry as he picked it up in his beak and popped it into his mouth.

The more he chewed the dried meat, the richer the taste of the meat that spread through his mouth. Even ignoring the fact that the meat was given by Rei, it was still exquisite.

However, as it was dried meat meant for humans, the amount was naturally not enough for Set.

Can I have more? Rei smiled back at Set as he took out more dried meat from the Misty Ring.

「Because you helped me today. I’m grateful for that.」

The dried meat was actually sold by the Eternal Sky Pavilion and was quite expensive.

It took a lot of work to create the perfect environment for making dried meat including carefully selecting the meat, using multiple spices, and special magic items.

Still, for the guests staying at the Eternal Sky Pavilion, the reality was that it wasn’t that expensive, so it sold like hotcakes.

Especially now, with the fighting tournament being held, guests often bought it as a snack to accompany drinks, to eat in the arena, or as souvenirs for friends.

Of course, Rei had made quite a bit of money betting on himself in the tournament.

He now had quite a number of gold and silver coins at very little cost, outside of fighting in the tournament.

He had also bought whole pots of stew and stewed dishes from the Eternal Sky Pavilion’s kitchen as well as enough sandwiches for 100 people.

The cooks were surprised by Rei’s order at first and refused, saying that the didn’t want to let their food rot without being eaten. But, Rei explained that if they were stored into his item box, time would stop inside. After proving it to the cooks, they decided to accept the request.

That said, the main reason they accepted Rei’s request was probably because Rei had reveal a new recipe to them during one of their previous chats.

As expected, udon noodles, which were created in Gilm, a remote location in the Mireana Kingdom, and the seafood okonomiyaki, which were created in the port city of Emoshion, were far away from the Bestir Empire……and had not reached the Imperial Capital.

That said, Rei felt it would be a little unfair to introduce the same dishes here, so he asked the cooks to make a large amount of food on the condition that he would teach them some new dishes.

That said, it was so much food that it wasn’t enough for Rei to just teach them some new dishes, it was food for several hundred people after all.

Since he had recieved pots, frying pans, and large plates in addition to the food as well, he had to pay a sum of money for everything as well.

……Well, since it was all money he had earned from the fighting tournament, he had no intetion of holding back.

In any case, Rei’s Misty Ring currently held a large amount of food. After the dried meat, Rei took out some stir fried mushrooms and Orc General meat in bean paste and shared it with Set.

「Orc General huh, reminds me of something. ……I feel like there was still some meat left.」

As Rei muttered to himself, he expanded the Misty Ring’s inventory list in his mind. Indeed, there was still quite an amount of Orc General meat stored inside.

When eating outside, Rei and Set had eaten a fair amount of orc meat, but even so, all the meat that was taken as his reward from the raid on the orc settlement had yet to be finished.

「Orc meat is delicious after all.」

「Guru~」

At Rei’s murmurs, Set nodded in agreement as he ate the food given to him on a plate with his beak.

The higher the monster rank, the more magic power their meat contained and the tastier it became.

That was why there were many people who wanted to eat dragon meat, considered the pinnacle of high rank monsters.

「Well, I’d certainly like to eat dragon meat someday. Set thinks so as well, right?」

「Gururu~!」

Rei smiled at Set’s immediate response as he ate some of the food himself.

The Orc General meat had a similar texture to pork. However, juices overflowed with every bite and, most importantly, the meat itself had a very rich flavour.

(I guess this is what a better version of pork tastes like.)

As Rei thought about that, he and Set spent a peaceful time on their own, looking at the autumn moon and listening to the sound of insects.

 

 

While Rei and Set were having a relaxing time, Vihera, Theorem, and Tilleyle were about a day’s distance from the Imperial Capital.

That wasn’t all. There were many people who admired Vihera for her martial strength as a member of the Third Prince’s faction as well as those who had switched to the Third Prince’s faction at the request of Vihera.

Each of them had ccome here in order to rescue the Third Prince, the original leader of their group, the day after tomorrow.

As the bonfire crackled before them, Vihera looked towards the moon with melancholy.

Tilleyle played a harp as he watched her.

The song he was playing had a sad tune.

Normally, it would be a tune hated for lowering the morale of soldiers, but no one close to Vihera would say such a thing right now.

On the contrary, they focused their ears on the song and their eyes on Vihera, as if the sad tune was most appropriate for this occasion.

Sparks from the bonfire bounced around Vihera, turning her already fantastic beauty into something more mysterious.

A valkyrie.

The people around her suddenly had that though when they looked at her.

Seeking out and enjoying battles. The appearance of such a dangerous yet beautiful battle maiden seemed to invite others into the afterlife.

However, Vihera’s gaze, which had been directed towards the moon, turned to the people present.

Commanders, each there to order their soldiers.

Friends, gathered to help her younger brother.

And, comrades who she would soon be running through the battlefield together with.

She didn’t want to start a civil war, but with her younger brother under house arrest and a high likelyhood he would be assassinated, there was no way she could leave him alone.

(But……I wonder what Rei would think.)

The figure of the person she had met, was attracted to, and fell in love with in the Labyrinth City Exil flashed through her mind.

He was shorter than her and had a face that could be called a girl’s. At first glance, he didn’t look very strong, but the power hidden within his body could be called ferocious.

Such a person would be fighting against Noiz, the Immovable, the proud S rank adventurer of the Bestir Empire, in the fighting tournament.

Depending on time and timing, it might even occur during her own fight.

(If possible, I would have liked this to happen after the finals had finished……Rei, please be safe.)

Vihera let out a sigh and her side profile was no longer the warrior maiden she seemed like a few seconds ago, but a maiden in love.

Regardless, most of the people present couldn’t help but be drawn in by the sight.

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