Breakfasting in the VIP Seats—Live!

Man, that went well.

Like, really well.

I’d made a conscious effort to ensure my swordsmanship was beautiful, focusing entirely on the "show" of it all. Back when I was first training to become THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW, I went through a phase where I was obsessed with having a STYLISH SWORD. It was a bit too elegant, which is why it’s so different from my current SHADOW'S SWORD, but I’m glad all that effort finally bore fruit.

Thanks to ANNEROSE, I’d say I’ve checked off about seventy percent of my checklist for this BUSHIN FESTIVAL. Now the only question is how to stick the landing. There are so many classic tropes to choose from; it's a real dilemma.

The straightforward route would be winning the whole thing, but looking at the bracket, the upcoming IRIS MATCH is clearly the climax of the arc. Defeating PRINCESS IRIS and then just... vanishing? That’s got a strong "mysterious powerhouse" vibe to it. I can see it now: I take down a world-renowned warrior, mutter something like, "My work here is done..." and then fade into the mist.

God, that’s good.

Plus, if I defeat Iris and then go MIA, maybe my sister could actually win the tournament.

Then there’s the "Heel Turn"—always a crowd-pleaser. Right in the middle of the fight with Iris, I could shout, "I am an assassin sent by an ASSASSINATION ORGANIZATION! Your life is mine!" and just go absolutely feral, ignoring all the tournament rules. It would give me a very natural excuse to exit the stage, too.

Then again, there’s a certain sense of accomplishment that only comes from winning the championship.

There were still plenty of other hype routes to consider, so I really needed to sit down and weigh my options.

I was mulling over these possibilities as I headed back to the SPECIAL ROOM, only to find some random middle-aged guy sitting in my seat. I did a slow "nope" and quietly closed the door. Whatever. My sister’s match was already over anyway.

I headed back to the DORMITORY early that day to do some IMAGE TRAINING, and then it was the next morning.

I was sitting in a SPECIAL SEAT, sipping on the complimentary morning coffee. Apparently, the MITSUGOSHI COMPANY is still the only place that knows how to make the stuff. Pretty impressive.

"Delicious," I muttered.

Personally, I’m a "lots of milk and sugar" kind of guy.

I hated these VIP seats at first, but now that I’m used to them, they’re actually pretty convenient. If I ask a maid, she’ll bring me pretty much anything for free. I might as well enjoy the celebrity lifestyle while it lasts.

I spent a while soaking in the atmosphere of the stadium until PRINCESS IRIS made her appearance.

"Good morning."

"Mornin'."

"Is that coffee? It’s been quite trendy lately. I like the aroma, but I’m not great with bitter flavors..."

"Just dump in a ton of milk and sugar. Turn it into COFFEE MILK."

"COFFEE MILK...?" she repeated.

Iris really is a woman of action; she called a maid over to try it immediately.

"Oh, it's actually delicious..."

"Right? It’s a magical technique that makes any coffee taste exactly the same."

We ordered some toast and eggs to round out our classy breakfast. If social media existed in this world, I’d be uploading a selfie with the princess and a caption like: Breakfasting in the VIP seats with royalty! #Blessed #LivingMyBestLife.

Once breakfast was finished, the celebrities started trickling in.

The room was soon filled with the sound of high-society small talk. Being from a mere Baron’s family, I was naturally left out of the loop. Which is fine by me—I have zero intention of joining in. So please, Princess Iris, stop being "considerate" and trying to drag me into the conversation.

Amidst the slightly uncomfortable atmosphere, it finally came time for MAIN TOURNAMENT DAY 2 to begin.

Just as the celebrities were taking their seats and the room was settling down, the door to the SPECIAL ROOM swung open. I looked back and saw a woman draped in a faded robe. I couldn't see her face, as usual, but there was no mistaking it—it was Beatrix.

She spotted me and gave a tiny wave. I gave her a little nod and a smile, a real "Hey, fancy meeting you here" look.

The celebrities in the VIP section, however, were not amused. I could practically hear their mental monologues: Who is this beggar in the filthy rags? Kick her out already. Ah, the classic "silent pressure" of the elite.

"Excuse me, madam, but..." a maid began, approaching her.

"It is quite alright," Iris interrupted. "I invited her. Please, come this way."

Iris gestured for Beatrix to join us. Beatrix took the seat next to her—the one on the opposite side of me, with Iris acting as a buffer. Apparently, that was supposed to be Alexia’s seat.

"Princess Iris, who is this...?" one of the snobs asked.

"This is BUSHIN BEATRIX," Iris replied.

The room erupted into whispers.

"Wait, the BUSHIN...?"

"The LEGENDARY SWORD SAINT...?"

Man, that’s cool. I want people to whisper stuff like, "That's the legendary Shadow..." about me someday.

"It has been a long time since Lady Beatrix has appeared on the public stage like this," one of the nobles noted.

"Yes. I am looking for someone," she replied with a nod. "A niece whose face looks just like mine."

Determined not to make the same mistake she did when we first met, she actually pulled back her hood.

"My god, she’s stunning..."

"Do you recognize this face?" she asked. "I heard an ELF with a similar face was seen in this country recently."

"Ho, in this kingdom, you say? Well, if they were as beautiful as you, Lady Beatrix, I certainly wouldn't forget them... but I'm afraid I have no idea."

"You don't recognize it?"

"Regrettably..."

The celebrities all shook their heads in unison.

"I see..." Beatrix murmured, pulling the robe back over her head with a look of disappointment.

"I am sorry," Iris said. "These people have many connections, so I thought someone here might have a lead."

"It's fine. I'm an ELF; I have plenty of time."

"By the way, Lady Beatrix," Iris asked, "have you watched any matches of the BUSHIN FESTIVAL yet?"

"Not much."

"I see. Well, within what you've seen, could you tell us if any of the participants have caught your eye?"

"Notable participants... Hmm." Beatrix scanned the arena, thought for a beat, then pointed directly at me. "Sid."

"...Excuse me, Lady Beatrix?" Iris blinked.

"I am watching Sid. He will surely become strong."

"No, I won't," I interjected instantly.

God, the stares were starting to hurt.

"This boy? Strong...?"

"He's my junior at the academy, but his aptitude is... well..."

"He's technically Claire-san's younger brother, but he lacks talent, or rather—"

"If Lady Beatrix says so, there can be no mistake," Iris declared, cutting them off.

With that one sentence from the Princess, the awkward atmosphere settled down—for the moment. However, the looks the celebrities were giving Beatrix remained skeptical. I could practically see them talking with their eyes: Is this woman actually the real deal?

To them, she probably just looked like a filthy vagrant.

From my perspective, she was simply being her natural self. Her appearance, her personality, her titles, and her strength—none of it was "adorned," which meant none of these people could see how powerful she actually was.

"Well," Iris said, trying to smooth things over. "Please let us know if anything else in the matches catches your interest."

"Okay."

It seemed they were willing to humor her for Iris’s sake. And so, amidst a very delicate atmosphere, MAIN TOURNAMENT DAY 2 officially began.