Chapter 990: The Second Holy Beast Festival 11
We returned to the surface without any particular trouble. Well, even if there had been any trouble, it would’ve been nothing in the face of a team like Dianne, Neia and Breakcore. The Labyrinth Walk Rally continued without incident after that, and just as the four-person Gauntlet Knight team that had gone in last emerged in high spirits, Gant who had been at the deepest level also returned, bringing the event to a successful close.
“It’s so bright in there, it’s practically just like an open-air labyrinth, isn’t it?”
“More importantly, Tetes-chan has a body that would be in real trouble if anything went wrong, so I think she should’ve stayed behind”
“Pregnant women aren’t supposed to skip exercise, right? ……Or so the old midwife said, anyway”
“I don’t think a labyrinth assault falls under the category of exercise she was referring to!”
Naris is giving Tetes a pretty serious, disapproving look. ……I caught myself thinking, well, the other three besides Tetes are strong and work well together, so it’ll be fine……but maybe I shouldn’t have said that.
“This might be my first time entering a dungeon like this where everyone’s going all out. It really brings the emaki to life”
“You really do say that all the time, don’t you?”
“Since an outcast like me is just strolling around at a festival, I have to tell myself, it’s all part of the experience or I just can’t handle it”
It seems Gloria-san also entered the dungeon with Kathy. Of course, it wasn’t just the two of them, Broll-san, their bodyguard, accompanied them as well. Even among the female slaves, some went in while others didn’t, Jeanne, Selenium and Apple, for example, showed no interest in going. Well, I suppose they just aren’t that curious about dungeons. On the other hand, the cat beastmen were eager to dive right in, running all over the place and causing trouble for the bodyguards. It’s spacious enough that getting lost would be dangerous, so it’d be a real problem if we lost track of them. ……That said, since we’ve brought a large number of dragons along this time, there’s really no chance of actually losing them. Their sense of smell and hearing are even sharper than those of the beastmen, so even if we can’t keep an eye on them, there are plenty of ways to find them. If it comes down to it, Breakcore remembers every single path, so we can narrow down the areas where they might get lost however we like.
“Did Charlotte go in?”
“Y, Yes. Sort of……”
It seems Charlotte had slipped in and out without anyone noticing. She jingled the cloth bundle and showed me the arrowhead and medal inside.
“You took an escort with you, right……?”
“Eh? No, I’ve actually been here before……I’m used to the labyrinth, so I went in alone”
“Seriously?”
“Even if there are monsters, I’ll be fine. I’m confident they won’t find me……”
“……Honestly, I can’t say I approve of not preparing to fight, but if you can pull that off perfectly, you could become an Ace Knight”
“?”
There actually is someone who’s pulled that off. His name is 100-man Commander Becker. No, but seriously, there’s something about this kid that makes me think she might actually pull it off……I’ve never been to the Iwakami Labyrinth for the Ace Knight exam myself, so I can’t say for sure.
Then we temporarily close off the entrance to the labyrinth. Well, if we actually sealed it with a door or something, the 「Qi」 wouldn’t be able to flow through, so we just set up a makeshift barrier to block the way. Next, we move on to the athletic events.
“Hmph. This year, I’ll show everyone the pride of the Orange Clan”
“Ooh, you’re really fired up, Gorkus. But just because it’s the climax of the year doesn’t mean it’ll be a showdown between you and me again, you know?”
Diel and Gorkus are fired up for the swordfighting tournament, the one where, after all that happened last year, Naris somehow ended up winning.
“You’re entering again this year, aren’t you, elf of the South?”
“Eh, me? Well, I was thinking maybe I’d skip it this year”
“Why!?”
“I haven’t really swung a sword in a while……I’ll get in shape by next year. Is that okay?”
“It won’t be the same without the defending champion”
“If you’re not in top form, isn’t it fine to sit this one out?”
Naris is flustered, cornered by Gorkus and Diel. She glances sideways at Tetes for help, but Tetes rubs her belly and strikes a pose that says, 「See, because of this, I can’t really say anything」. Sharon and Almeida are already raring to go. They actually look puzzled as to why she’s so hesitant.
“P, Please help me, 10-man Captain Smithson!”
“Why not just give up and let them beat you? You’ve got nothing to lose even if you lose”
“But the pressure is just different this time!”
Even Naris seems unable to withstand the 「Pressure of being the one everyone’s after」 that comes with being the defending champion. Well, I mean, I do understand that part of Naris’s strength lies in being treated as a dark horse. Just as they’re having this subtle argument.
“May I also enter that tournament?”
Fiona stepped forward. ……Since Polka’s female slaves were participating in droves, she figured she might as well join in, so she, too, had entered alongside Princess Ran.
“Hou. Just so you know, I won’t go easy on you”
“I understand. It’s a test of my skills”
“……Smithson. Listen”
Since Diel asked for confirmation, I nodded. Of course, I don’t think she’ll do particularly well, but if that’s what she wants, I suppose I should let her try. Many of the Forest Swordsmen are technically skilled, so she’ll likely get a different kind of challenge compared to the dragons, whose physical stats are fundamentally different or Dianne.
“If it’s just a minor injury, Breakcore will heal it”
“Even if it’s not just minor, it’s absolutely no problem. As long as she’s not dead, I’ll heal anything”
“I’d prefer you didn’t plan for that level of risk in a wooden sword match, though, right?”
Well, it’s true that when it comes to limb loss or anything like that, it’s more reliable than even the spirit spring.
“If it looks like things are getting dangerous, I’ll stop it. Got it?”
Since Dianne said that, I nodded to her as well. When it comes to judgment and speed, no one can beat her.
That said, a swordfighting tournament isn’t really suitable for getting everyone gathered here excited. There aren’t any spectator stands set up like those in an arena where over a thousand people can watch together and to begin with, many elves aren’t interested in displays of strength. ……So, it seems they’ve decided to use the opposite side of the square, with Nord-san and Cosmos-san taking the lead, to hold a cultural exchange battle featuring dancing with the ladies of the forest……or so I’ve heard. Irina made the decision just a moment ago after assessing the turnout. As a result, more spectators than expected flocked over there, leaving the swordfighting tournament with a smaller crowd.
“I’d like to watch that one, too……”
“You’ll just have to hold off. If anything happens, it’s over here that we’ll need you to step in”
Held back by Dianne with a wry smile, I reluctantly had to miss the dance battle. I mean, does a dance battle with a white elf even work? And how do they judge it? How does it even end? I’m really curious about all that.
“I’m going to check that out!”
“Me too!”
I watched the Masturbation Brothers energetically leave the circle with a slightly resentful look on my face.