Magic Gems Gourmet Chapter 134

Chapter 134

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Enjoy~

ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 134 – School Compet.i.tion (After)

The waiting room for the contestants that they went to was relatively empty for its size.

This was because there were not many contestants.

To begin with, the Royal Kingsland Academy had a small number of students.

Only those who had been selected have come, so the number of people was also relatively small.

There were 12 partic.i.p.ants.

Among them, the three who were considered the favorites for the champions.h.i.+p were Ain, Butz, and Roddy.

The sound of their footsteps echoed on the cold stone pavement, and everyone stared at Ain and Butz as they arrived.

“Hey, Roddy’s already here.”

Butz turned his head in the direction he was looking.

There, he saw Roddy waiting, fully equipped and relaxed.

“What’s up with that guy? He’s not nervous at all.”

He said in a bored voice. Then, he turned his eyes back to Ain.

“…I wonder.”

Ain’s impression was the complete opposite of Butz’s.

Looking closely at Roddy, it seemed to him that his limbs were stiff.

Looking at his feet, he could see the shape of his rough toes.

Likewise, with his tightly clenched hands, it appeared that his fingers were also tense.

The way he sometimes played with his fingers might be a sign of his own nervousness.

“Hmm? Well, that’s okay.”

Butz said and left Ain’s side.

“I’ll get ready as well. …Well then, Ain. See you later!”

“Okay. See you later.”

Ain also sat down on a nearby chair and put his luggage on the floor.

“By the way, Butz, you said there was no draw, but a draw is one point, so technically there is one.”

Ain watched his friend’s back as he left and made a comment about what he had said. However, due to the nature of the rules, he thought it would be difficult to get a draw…

However, he could feel his enthusiasm, so that was good.

“Well, never mind. I’ll get ready too.”

Speaking to himself, Ain put on the armor that had been prepared for him.

The weapons would be provided later, so they were not available at this time.

He carefully put on the armor, checking the size of each piece.

He was used to this from his training with the Knights, so he put on the armor without any problems. The armor was of better quality than Ain had imagined.

“This equipment seems to have cost a lot of money… Better to be safe than sorry.”

The armor was made of monster materials and metal, not cheap leather.

Maybe it could even be used as an adventurer’s equipment? That’s what Ain thought.

“Okay, I’m done with the equipment.”

Since he was just putting on the armor, it only took a few minutes.

When he looked at Butz, who had started preparing from a distance, he was also putting on his equipment with practiced movements.

When he looked at the other partic.i.p.ants, he felt their eyes meet occasionally. But it was only for a moment, and they quickly looked away from Ain.

“They really don’t have to worry…”

The man called Ain.

They probably wanted to catch a glimpse of the hero who had defeated the sea dragon. It might be rude in some cases, but Ain had no intention of pointing that out.

“——!——…!

It seems that greetings have begun outside the waiting room with a loud noise.

It must be some kind of ceremony, and it’s hard to understand because of the echoes, but it was clear that there was excitement outside.

The other partic.i.p.ants seemed to have noticed the commotion and were listening to what’s going on outside.

“——…!——!”

At the moment when the excitement outside reached its climax, the roar of the crowd also reached its peak.

It seems that a speech, though short, was given to stir up the crowd.

“Hey, hey! Contestants, look this way!”

It’s about time.

As everyone started to feel this way, a man came into the waiting room.

“I guess you heard, but the opening speech was just given. In a little while, the matches will begin in order.”

The man was Kaizer. He began to explain the order of events.

“We have also made it possible for you to try out the weapons. The next room is the place for that, so don’t swing your weapons around in this waiting room.”

After explaining this, Kaizer quickly left the room.

Those who were ready then stood up and went to the next room Kaizer had mentioned.

“Ain, you’re ready, right? Let’s go.”

Ain did the same, and together with Butz, who had called him, he went to the next room.

About half an hour later, the partic.i.p.ants of the tournament were called.

Since it was a round-robin tournament, it didn’t end after just one match.

Ain watched the scene and felt his heart beat faster.

As the matches continued, Ain’s name was called.

“Ain! You’re next!”

“——Yes!”

Answering Kaizer’s call, Ain made his way to the arena.

＊＊＊

There was a huge scoreboard set up in the venue.

It detailed the results of the matches, including how many wins each partic.i.p.ant had achieved.

Not only Ain but also Butz and Roddy partic.i.p.ated in the matches, and the tournament reached its climax.

“Hey, it’s again, isn’t it?”

“That’s what you call the strength of a hero, right? The other guys aren’t weak either. If you were to put it in terms of age, they’re all supposed to be at the top of their game.”

“Yeah. Even though it’s a school tournament, the quality is higher than the Academy City tournament.”

The audience gasped several times.

Then, they turned their eyes to the large scoreboard.

After seven games, there were only three people with a perfect record.

They were Ain, Butz, and Roddy.

However, the spectators were not only looking at that but also at another place.

That was the list of Ain’s results.

The results lined up in 7 columns were all 3-0.

Ain had won every single match so far, without exception, by winning the first three.

“Man, that’s a clean record, Ain.”

Ain, who had just finished his match, returned to the room next to the waiting room.

Waiting there was Butz. He had watched Ain’s match and was simply amazed.

“Thanks, but Butz, you’re no different.”

Butz’s record was that he had only lost four points in seven matches. Even so, it was a pretty good record.

“I’m glad you said that, but it looks like the winner will come down to the top three.”

The top three partic.i.p.ants have 21 points each.

In other words, the final match will be between these three.

“…Was it 3-0 again?”

Roddy, who was also in the room, came over to where Ain and Butz were.

“Hmm? Oh, it’s you, Roddy. Thanks to you, I was able to make it 3-0 again.”

“It was really a more beautiful sword than I could have imagined.”

Ain was slightly confused, as he hadn’t expected him to praise him so openly.

“Ah, yes… Thank you.”

“Even you, in the face of Ain’s sword, had no choice but to be honest?”

When Butz said this in a mocking tone, Roddy let out a wry smile.

“Yes. They were all better than I expected. I thought I was strong, but I never thought there would be such a barrier between us.”

He didn’t mention Butz’s name, but he also acknowledged him… or something like that.

“But, Your Highness, why do you only use the knight’s sword?”

Roddy asked Ain in a curious tone.

“Of course. I learned how to use the sword from the knights in the castle. So it’s not surprising that I use the knight’s sword.”

“…I see.”

He nodded his head and listened to Ain’s voice.

“So does that mean that I have a chance to win against you?”

Ain reacted.

“So you’re saying that the knight’s sword is easy to handle?”

“It is easy in a way. After all, it’s a beautiful sword. It’s not like there’s no opening I can take advantage of.”

Roddy spoke with a confident look on his face.

Butz sighed deeply and looked at Ain’s expression.

“Ain?”

He thought Ain would be angry, but Ain’s expression didn’t seem displeased.

In fact, he even looked a little happy.

“Roddy, does that mean you have the skills to compete with the knight’s sword?”

“Yes. I speak with that intention, if I may say so. I’ll show you how I can confuse you with my dual blades.”

Roddy’s face was full of confidence.

“I see. I understand. Then I look forward to seeing the sword.”

“Yes. Then, Your Highness, I’ll see you on stage later.”

When Roddy left, Butz opened his mouth.

“Are you just going to let him say whatever he wants?”

“It’s alright. It’s true I used the knight’s sword, but Roddy got it all wrong.”

“Got it all wrong?”

Ain laughed as he looked at Butz, who tilted his head and continued.

“As Roddy says, the knights’ swords are refined. But they’re not just any swords.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I mean the Knights of Ishtalika. Roddy doesn’t know the true strength of their swords.”

In reality, there were few opportunities to see the knights’ swords in everyday life.

And there was almost no way to know their true nature.

“I see… but still, why are you so happy?”

Butz understood what Ain wanted to say, but Ain still hadn’t explained why he was so happy.

“Of course. I can show him the true power of the knights’ swords.”

Ain’s smile when he said this was very bright.

A short time later, Ain and Roddy’s names were called.

＊＊＊

Since it was a match between undefeated fighters, the excitement in the crowd grew.

Roddy, who held two swords, and Ain, who held a single long sword.

The way they fought was very different, and that was one of the reasons for the lively atmosphere.

Ain showed off his incomparable skill, and Roddy showed off the power of his dual swords.

How could this not be the center of attention?

“As I thought, it attracts a lot of attention.”

Roddy said, glancing around the room before turning his attention to Ain.

“Are you nervous?”

“Actually, I was at first, but as I got used to it, I stopped being nervous at all.”

Seeing Roddy’s relaxed smile, Ain believed him.

“This is a good thing. I can experience Roddy’s strength with my own body.”

Ain replied, but he couldn’t help feeling that Roddy’s eyes were looking somewhere else than at him.

Sensing this, Ain quickly looked behind him.

Ah, I see.

The direction he looked was where Krone was sitting.

Olivia sat next to her, and Chris, Dill, and several of the royal knights stood nearby.

Obviously, the direction Roddy was looking was where Krone and the others were sitting.

“This is the perfect stage.”

Roddy, who had finally returned his gaze, spoke to Ain.

“There is no better stage for me to show my gallantry.”

“…I see.”

“You don’t seem to care at all. Did you not think for a moment that you might lose?”

“I didn’t think that. But I was thinking of something else.”

“Something else?”

As the two of them talked like this, the starting signal gradually approached.

“W-what do you mean by ‘something else’?”

Then, Ain moved to his starting position to prepare for the start of the match.

“Your Highness, what do you mean by ‘something else’?”

Roddy asked Ain as he walked towards him.

“I’m not giving up on winning. That’s all I was thinking about.”

For the first time, Roddy felt a s.h.i.+ver run down his spine.

As soon as Ain spoke those words, Roddy felt a great sense of pressure wash over him.

“I don’t want to give up on victory either.”

As Roddy stood there frozen, the MC called out to him.

Hearing this, Roddy went to his place for the fight with Ain.

“….”

Ain stared at Roddy’s figure in the opposite corner.

Seeing Roddy, who was unexpectedly calm, he was glad that he would be able to fight at his best.

“Suu… haahh…”

Roddy, who had arrived at his position, also checked his body.

And with each pa.s.sing second, the noise in the arena died down.

Finally, it was almost silent,

Kaizer had come on stage and checked both fighters.

“…Begin!”

He took a deep breath and gave the signal to begin with a voice that echoed throughout the venue.

Hearing the signal, Roddy was the first to move.

He closed the distance between him and Ain with a quick movement.

…But.

“You block my attacks so easily again…!”

He glared at Ain bitterly and said this.

Both of Roddy’s attacks were blocked by Ain’s long sword.

“But you were fast. You’re several levels above Butz in speed.”

“I wonder how long you can keep that kind of composure…!”

Seeing that Ain was unfazed, Roddy increased the speed of his attacks.

He had no intention of holding back with this strike. And yet, Ain had easily parried it.

Needless to say, this hurt Roddy’s pride.

“…..”

——He really is skilled with his dual blades; Ain thought about Roddy’s swords.

This was the first thing Ain noticed.

He was able to keep his center of gravity steady and deliver one strike after another in a good rhythm.

A normal student would have no chance against him.

But Ain was also confident.

He had crossed swords with Lloyd and Dill many times in the castle.

Not only that, he was also the last opponent of a man named Marco.

That’s why he thought.

If he lost on this stage, it would be the greatest insult to Marco.

“Roddy. I’ll show you the true power of a knight’s sword.”

“You seem pretty relaxed, but you’re on the defensive, Your Highness!”

It’s true that he was watching Roddy’s sword to see how it would go.

But that didn’t mean he was on the defensive.

“The most important thing for a castle knight is to protect. Even though they have a high level of attacking ability, their greatest strength is their ‘stability’. …Roddy.”

Then, Ain changed the way he received the attacks.

Previously, he had simply blocked them, but now he became a huge human wall, pressing against Roddy as if to ‘pin him down.’

“Wh-what…!”

“A wall that doesn’t collapse must be incredibly scary. I think I would be even more terrified if it came cras.h.i.+ng down on me.”

Roddy, unable to see any openings anywhere, attacks Ain with his dual swords, trying to find a way out.

But it is as if he was. .h.i.tting a thin branch against a huge rock.

“This is a knight’s sword. It is a solid, high wall that goes on forever. Even if you try to break it down with your fists, it won’t be enough.”

He made one mistake.

When he attacked Ain, his arm didn’t have enough strength, and his center of gravity s.h.i.+fted to the side.

Ain, who was standing in front of him, would not miss this, and Roddy desperately pulled his arm back and crossed his sword with his other hand, preparing for Ain’s attack.

“Guh…!”

The blow, which was swung down with plenty of room to spare, had a huge impact on Roddy’s dual swords.

With his center of gravity already in a bad situation, this blow had no trouble breaking Roddy’s knee.

“d.a.m.n it… No way…!”

He struggled to hold on, but one of his knees was already on the ground.

He managed to put all his strength into his arms to keep his hands from touching the ground.

But now that he couldn’t get any power from the ground by kicking it, it was just a measure to buy some time.

“…..!”

He gritted his teeth and glared at Ain in front of him.

Large beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he concentrated all his strength in his body. However, the overwhelming disadvantage of the position cannot be overcome.

——…Thud.

He fell from his waist to the ground and was pushed by Ain until his back finally hit the ground.

“Stop! One point to Ain!”

Kaizer’s words reached him, and Ain moved his sword.

Until now, Roddy had won the fights almost single-handedly.

That’s why the crowd had high expectations for his sword. However, those expectations were shattered by the hero who had defeated the sea dragon.

Ain won the first round with a sword attack that he had never shown before.

It was truly a model of how to win with the sword, as he won with the sword of a castle knight.

A loud cheer of “Raaah!” echoes throughout the arena.

Meanwhile, Roddy still seemed to be in a state of shock.

But without paying any attention to him, Ain returned to his seat.

Roddy just watched Ain’s back.

He didn’t know why, but he was fascinated by every movement.

“Roddy, can you continue?”

Kaizer approached and asked Roddy how he felt.

“…..”

But maybe because he was still shaken from the shock he had just experienced, Roddy was unable to answer.

“Hey, Roddy!”

Roddy, who had finally come to his senses after being shaken violently, opened his mouth to speak to Kaizer.

“I’m fine. I was just surprised by the strength, so there’s no problem.”

With that, Roddy stood up straight.

“You seem fine. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

After checking on Roddy’s condition, Kaizer returned to his original position.

He’s fine. There’s no major damage to his body, so he can still fight.

“I was just naive. Is that what it means?”

He wondered but didn’t get an answer right away.

Roddy got up and continued on his way.

Even though he was confident in his ability to handle his dual blades, he was easily overpowered and pinned down like a child’s toy.

This was his first time experiencing something like this, and he couldn’t even judge what he had done wrong.

“Are you okay?”

When Roddy reached his position, he heard a voice that was worried about him.

“Yes. I was just surprised, that’s all.”

“I see. That’s good to hear.”

Hearing these words, Ain smiled as if relieved.

And Roddy, seeing that smile, couldn’t take his eyes off him for a few seconds.

“…Uh, what’s wrong?”

This went on until Ain was worried about him again, and he felt ashamed of himself for losing his composure.

“N-no, it’s nothing. But…may I ask you a question?”

“Hmm? What?”

There was only one thing that bothered him.

“Why doesn’t Your Highness fight with your own swordsmans.h.i.+p?”

Roddy looked directly at Ain and asked him.

Ain’s expression hardened for a moment, and he opened his mouth with a wry smile.

“Is there a need to tell you this now?”

“Yes, there is. I have the feeling you’re holding back, and that makes me uncomfortable.”

It was just a show of strength.

Maybe even the technique Ain had just used was just a show of strength.

And yet, Roddy was easily overpowered.

“I might hurt you. That’s why I chose a sword that would cause as little injury as possible.”

The way Ain said this made it clear that he wasn’t joking.

His voice, his expression, and even his small gestures—none of them gave the impression that he was lying.

“I understand. In that case…”

And Roddy replied simply.

Ain looked at Roddy and was apologetic.

However, he was grateful to Roddy for his understanding… or so he thought.

“Then please show me the Crown Prince’s sword next. Since this is a stage, I would like you to do that as well.”

Without waiting for Ain’s answer, Roddy continued.

“I was also very rude, but at this stage, don’t you think the Crown Prince is also insulting me?”

He really does say whatever he wants, doesn’t he?

But Ain himself wasn’t completely without thoughts. It felt strange to retreat after being spoken to like that.

It was also true that he had built up some kind of pent-up anger since the incident with Krone.

“I’ll let you make the first move.”

After saying that, Ain changed his mind.

He thought about his sword. Sometimes, he used it on Lloyd, sometimes on Dill.

…And he also used it on Marco, a sword that was his own.

Many people in the audience felt it.

That the aura around Ain had changed to that of another being.

This was especially noticeable to Chris and Dill, as well as the nearby royal knights.

It was impossible to tell what kind of conversation had taken place on stage, but it was clear that something had triggered a change in Ain’s appearance.

Even the referee, Kaizer, put his hand to his forehead and said, “Good grief…”

“Instructor, please.”

Roddy told Kaizer this, and Kaizer decided to give the starting signal.

After a few seconds, Kaizer finally raised his voice and…

“Begin!”

With this signal, Roddy ran into Ain’s arms.

Compared to the first round, Roddy’s movements seemed a little faster. The whole audience felt that Roddy had really gotten serious… but then their attention immediately s.h.i.+fted to Ain.

“…I got you…!”

Unlike the first time, Ain didn’t seem to put up much of a fight.

Roddy lets out a cry of joy as if he’d been cut down in a situation that would normally happen.

But the joy was only momentary.

“No. I won’t allow it.”

The sword that Roddy had not raised came up. A sharp blow struck him. He was surprised by the sudden attack, but he managed to block Ain’s blow.

However, because he had swung up with force, perhaps due to Ain’s blow, his body flowed forward.

“…..!?”

He was surprised for a moment, but he regained his stance in the direction he was moving.

However, there was Ain, who had moved without him noticing.

“——Hahh!”

He parried Roddy’s sword as if it was slas.h.i.+ng from below. Roddy’s body, swaying back and forth, s.h.i.+fted into an even more dangerous stance.

“Not good… I have to retreat for a moment…”

He moved his legs in desperation and took a step back.

However, this could not be overlooked, and Ain quickly closed the distance.

“If you take a step back, you won’t be able to get back in front.”

Ain’s words, spoken softly, pierced Roddy’s heart.

He simply wondered what in the world he was going to do.

“Calm down. It’s okay…! Entangle the sword and get back in position!”

He couldn’t help but speak up, but he had to do it to stay calm.

No matter how he moved, no matter how he swung his sword, no matter what he did, he didn’t feel like he could succeed.

He tried to block Ain’s movements, but his weak blows were meaningless, and he felt as if he was unarmed.

He didn’t understand. His own attacks were far away, but why were those of the other so close?

Many thoughts crossed his mind as if even s.p.a.ce had been taken over.

“Take a good look and accept it. This is the only ‘strong man’ sword I can show you right now.

He learned a lot from him. Quoting from there, Ain drove it into Roddy.

Roddy prepared his two swords to cross them somehow and prepare for Ain’s blow.

This blow reverberated with a shock he had never felt before, seeping into his very organs.

“Roddy!?”

Kaizer let out a surprised cry and looked at Roddy, who had taken the blow.

As soon as Roddy had taken the blow from Ain, he was knocked back several feet.

He fell to his knees, clenching his teeth to keep from falling over.

…And on the ground were the tracks left by Roddy as he crawled along the ground.

“Haa… haa…!”

Without understanding what was happening, he looked at the tracks on the ground.

He was stunned to see that he had left such marks after being hit by Ain’s blow.

“Kuh… ah…”

His arms could not move, and he hung limply on the ground.

Then, his dual swords fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, leaving only the handles behind.

As he looked at the ground with no strength, a human-shaped shadow gradually approached.

Then, as the shadow pointed its sword at Roddy, it said these words.

“If you want to continue, get up.”

After hearing this, Roddy put his hands on the ground and opened his mouth to face Kaizer.

“Instructor, I give up.”

Thus, the match between Ain and Roddy ended with Ain winning two points and Roddy forfeiting.

“The winner is… Ain!”

The spectators who had witnessed this incredible scene were speechless for a while.

However, when they heard Kaizer’s words, they all cheered at once.

“Here. Let me give you a hand, Roddy.”

“Thank you very much.”

So Ain reached out his hand to the loser.

Perhaps because the sun was behind him, the outline of Ain’s body looks a bit blurry.

“…..”

Roddy took the outstretched hand, but he didn’t stand up at all.

Seeing Roddy like this, Ain raisef his voice again in concern.

“I’m sorry. You’re hurt…”

“No, it’s not that… It’s just that…”

Roddy couldn’t find the words.

Looking at Ain now, he didn’t know what words to say.

But after a short time, only one word came to him.

Looking at Ain again, with the sun at his back, Roddy mumbled a single word.

“…Precious.”

＊＊＊

After that, Roddy was unable to move his body and withdrew from the match against Butz.

This meant that the champions.h.i.+p was down to the two finalists, Ain and Butz.

About an hour after the match between Ain and Roddy.

As the sun was about to set, the last match—the final—was held.

“Hey, Ain. I knew it would come to this.”

Butz, holding his big sword and looking confident.

“You were so upset earlier, weren’t you, Butz?”

“H-hey! Don’t say that!”

Of all people, it was Butz who was most excited to hear that he would be fighting Ain in the final.

To be honest, he was also looking forward to fighting Roddy.

But since he had been forced to withdraw, he was grateful to be able to put all his energy into the fight against Ain.

“I’ve been warming up for almost an hour…”

“Hey, stop it!”

Ain smiled, enjoying the exchange with Butz.

“Besides, I drank too much water and had to go to the toilet…”

“Stop it! Hey, it’s not like it’s going to reach the audience, but it’s kind of embarra.s.sing!”

“Just before I went on stage, I realized I forgot my gun…”

“Stop with the mental attacks! I understand, so stop it! Right?”

——It’s time to stop.

Ain had enjoyed the exchange up to this point, but after one last loud laugh, he stopped fooling around.

“Well, whatever! Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, but you’re not going to ask me to lose, are you?”

“Of course not. Just like the last time with Roddy, I want you to fight me with your sword. That’s all.”

Hearing this, Ain’s smiling face changed back to a serious expression.

Butz also had a serious expression on his face, so he knew that he was serious.

“I’m sorry, but I was going to do that even before you said it.”

“Hahahaha! That’s great, Ain is the best!”

He remembered his first meeting with Butz.

It was at the training grounds when a boy was staring intently at his training.

That boy was Butz, who ended up imitating Ain by taking on a Red Bison head-on.

Both have grown a lot since then.

“I tried it the other day. I wondered if I could stop the Red Bison.”

“How did it go?”

“I grew enough not to be blown away, and I was able to stop him for a short distance.”

What a big improvement!

Even that alone is something an ordinary student couldn’t do.

Compared to a full-fledged adventurer, his ability might not be that different.

“You were holding back earlier, weren’t you?”

Earlier refers to the fight with Roddy.

“Well, I wonder…”

He didn’t say he held back, but Butz knew about Ain.

“Oh, I don’t really need an answer, but I hope for more strength than before, you know?”

Butz said this and then stretched and did some warm-up exercises.

Even at this late stage, he’s doing warm-ups again, he thought, but a smile came to his face at the thought of Butz.

“If it’s only a Red Bison, I’ll be disappointed. You know that, right, Ain?”

“Then how about an Ain Bison? Does that sound strong?”

“Ku, hahahahaha! What’s that? What a lame name!”

——I was a bit confident, though, Ain thought.

But when he sees Butz laughing happily, he doesn’t care about anything, which is strange.

“Well then, I’m counting on you. Use your Ain Bison and give me a special attack!”

The two of them made their presence known to the whole place with a power worthy of a final match.

It was a power that even Ain’s bodyguard, Dill, had to take his hat off to.

The audience also watched the fierce battle and felt the strength of the two with their whole bodies.

After a while, the battle reached its climax and excitement, and then time came to an end.

The last thing Butz showed to the audience was a satisfied smile as he lay flat on his back.

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