Noise watched as the exploration permit for the Mountain of Magic was granted. He gave a slight nod with a faint smile, then stepped back.
Sparse applause broke out within the arena, steadily swelling into a thunderous roar.
As the sound of clapping from the audience in the general seating and the spectators in the VIP boxes echoed throughout the venue, the voice of the noble conducting the ceremony rang out across the arena once more.
Trading places with Noise, Rei stepped forward from the edge of the stage toward the center of the arena.
Stopping before the Tournament Management Committee, he knelt toward the Emperor—a stark contrast to Noise’s earlier defiance.
Rei wasn't one for kneeling, but he was standing before the Emperor of a foreign nation. Moreover, considering Trajist Gnose Bestia was Vihera’s father, Rei decided it was a necessary ceremonial concession.
Besides, such a blatant disregard for protocol was a privilege granted only to an S-Rank like Noise. No matter how well a mere B-Rank adventurer had fought in the finals, there was no way he would be permitted the same latitude.
The noble conducting the Award Ceremony let out a visible sigh of relief at Rei's behavior.
Because of the way Noise had acted, he had worried that Rei might similarly ignore etiquette.
However, the one breathing the greatest sigh of relief was likely Daskar, who was watching from the VIP box.
As Rei’s associate, Rei’s attitude would inevitably reflect upon Daskar’s own standing, as well as the reputation of the Kingdom of Mireana.
Ignoring etiquette before the ruler of a powerhouse like the Bestia Empire could easily spark an international incident, especially since Daskar was present as the official representative of the Kingdom of Mireana.
"Rei, runner-up of the Fighting Tournament. What do you desire as your runner-up prize?"
The voice inquired of the kneeling Rei.
In response, Rei looked up and spoke.
"A magic item that can be used in actual combat."
Even as he answered, Rei honestly doubted the wish would be granted.
If the prize were being awarded here and now, it might be one thing, but the formal presentation of prizes was scheduled for a grand ceremony to be held later at the palace.
(The explosion from earlier was likely Vihera’s work. If that’s the case, there’s a good chance the formal ceremony won’t even happen.)
At Rei's request, Trajist Gnose Bestia nodded while looking down from the VIP box.
"Umu, I understand. I shall promise to grant you a magic item befitting a Fighting Tournament runner-up. You may look forward to the ceremony at a later date."
Rei nodded in return, rose from his kneeling position, and walked back toward the edge of the stage.
While not receiving the prize immediately was a disappointment, Rei had something else on his mind.
Specifically, it was Noise’s request.
The Mountain of Magic. He could vaguely imagine what kind of place it was, and he understood that Noise would likely head there the moment the tournament concluded.
That realization left Rei with complex feelings.
(Certainly, once the nation falls into civil war, it would be a blessing for the Third Prince Faction if Noise isn't among the enemies. If he were on the opposing side, there's no telling how much damage our allies would take.)
Indeed, from the perspective of securing a victory for the Third Prince Faction, this was the best possible outcome. Rei understood that much.
But...
(I really wanted to fight Noise on a battlefield without restrictions... with Set by my side. Man and beast together are what make me 'Crimson.' I was actually planning to join up with Vihera’s group to seek that out, but now...)
In this Fighting Tournament, based on the size of the stage and tradition, the use of summoned beasts or tamed monsters was strictly forbidden.
However, there were absolutely no such restrictions on a real battlefield.
Considering that, it was only natural for Rei to want to test his full power against the wall that was Noise, the greatest opponent he had ever encountered.
(Well, it’s a moot point until I can actually master this Overlord's Armor skill.)
To fight Noise meant he would once again have to fight while moving at high speeds using the Overlord's Armor.
As Rei currently stood, he was doing nothing more than barely cladding his body in the Overlord's Armor by consuming an immense magic power. He was far from being able to master it to the point of concentrating the armor in his legs to enable high-speed movement. That was his own cold analysis.
In reality, he had attempted to use it during the match with Noise despite his lack of experience, but perhaps because it had been an almost unconscious action, he had almost no memory of it.
(The gap is immense. But I can finally see the path leading to him. The rest depends on my own strength.)
Muttering this internally, he cast a brief glance toward Noise and then turned back toward the center of the stage where the committee members were gathered.
As if waiting for that timing, Trajist Gnose Bestia spoke from the VIP box.
"This year's Fighting Tournament was truly a splendid one. I am pleased to have witnessed such strength, technique, and magic power. While it was an honor to see such struggles, I feel a hint of regret when I consider whether next year's tournament can possibly match the excitement of this one."
This year's Fighting Tournament had featured the S-Rank adventurer Noise. Furthermore, Rei—who was famous in the Bestia Empire in a negative sense—had also entered. Both possessed massive name value, and it was a fact that their presence had pushed this year's tournament to unprecedented levels of fervor.
Of course, they weren't the only notable participants. Several other A-Rank adventurers, starting with Digma of the Water Dragon, had also participated, alongside those who were well-known in their home regions and cities.
Still, if Noise and Rei had not participated, it was likely that no one could confidently claim the event would have been this successful.
(And... it's questionable whether there will even be a tournament next year.)
Rei cast a brief glance at Noise standing beside him and muttered to himself.
The disturbance about to erupt had the potential to develop into full-blown civil strife within the Bestia Empire.
Generally speaking, because civil strife involved fighting within the same country, it often dragged on, and because it pitted countryman against countryman, it often followed a more tragic course than a foreign war.
(Though, the Kingdom of Mireana—which has been attacked by the Bestia Empire numerous times—is probably aiming for exactly that.)
From the perspective of the Kingdom of Mireana... or more accurately, the Neutral Faction and Noble's Faction involved in this matter, they wanted the national power of the Bestia Empire to be crippled by this internal conflict. Rei understood their motivations well enough.
The King's Faction, the largest faction within the Kingdom of Mireana, was not involved in this particular scheme, but that had nothing to do with him as a mere adventurer. He felt that Daskar and Elena's father, Duke Kerebel—the leader of the Noble's Faction—would handle the political fallout however they saw fit.
While Rei was deep in thought, Trajist Gnose Bestia’s speech continued.
As expected of the Emperor of the Bestia Empire, his charisma was undoubtedly first-class... no, it exceeded first-class and was super first-class.
(With a man like that at the helm, it’s easy to see how the Bestia Empire became so mighty. His expansionist policies—the way he swallowed up neighboring territories—all of it makes sense given that overwhelming aura he projects.)
The Emperor's voice echoing through the arena possessed an almost magnetic quality that drew in the consciousness of the spectators. Even just understanding that made participating in the tournament worthwhile.
Thinking that to himself, Rei let the rest of the Emperor's words slide past him.
"...!?"
However, whether he had noticed Rei's disinterest or it was simply a coincidence...
Suddenly, the Emperor’s gaze shifted toward Rei.
Not toward his friend, Noise, but toward Rei standing right beside him.
Despite this, the Emperor’s talk continued... and while keeping his gaze fixed on Rei, the speech finally ended after several minutes.
(What was that? I mean, it's not strange for the Emperor to be curious about me. But it didn't feel like that kind of gaze... He couldn't possibly know that I'm cooperating with Vihera and Theoreme, could he?)
Harboring a vaguely unpleasant premonition, Rei watched as the Award Ceremony continued.
Since the formal one would be held at the palace, what was being performed here was merely a simple ceremony. It did not take much time, and when the committee's closing remarks concluded, the Award Ceremony also naturally came to an end.
"With this, the Award Ceremony is concluded."
When the voice of the noble in charge echoed through the arena, applause naturally broke out.
This time, it wasn't from the VIP boxes. It came from the general seating.
In previous years, such a thing was rare. The fact that it happened now was a testament to how much more heated and exhilarating this tournament had been.
Rei and Noise walked off the stage with that applause at their backs.
There were many inside the arena who watched them go—or more accurately, watched Rei's retreating figure.
Each harbored their own thoughts, but for now, they could do nothing but see him off in silence.
Hatred, longing, envy, respect. Amidst the gazes filled with a vast diversity of emotions, one of the spectators whispered.
"...He's a monster."
The voice was quiet. In the general seating, where everyone was loudly sharing their impressions of the matches, it went unheard by almost everyone.
Everyone, that is, except for the person standing right next to her.
"Yeah. It means he was holding back even when we attacked him."
If Rei were here, he would likely have taken the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring and slashed at them. Or he would have thrown a spear, or fired an arrowhead using his newly acquired magic item, the Eye of Nebula.
Regardless of the method, he would have undoubtedly attacked.
This was because the pair blending in with the crowd were Mura and Shistoi—the Requiem Bell assassins who had targeted Rei's life only days ago.
Shistoi had been stabbed in the back by a poisoned knife, but because he was a top-tier member of the Requiem Bell, he had managed to avoid instant death and healed his wounds using high-grade potions and antidotes.
What was truly remarkable was that Shistoi, who had been on the brink of death, had recovered enough to walk around normally in just a few days.
He had used an incredibly expensive potion, but it was Shistoi's own trained physical resilience that made the recovery possible.
"He copied the skill Noise was using, didn't he?"
"Most likely. His proficiency looks utterly immature, but I honestly don't want to believe he actually stole an S-Rank adventurer's skill."
"...You don't think he's such an outlier that he can mimic a skill just by seeing it once, do you?"
At Mura's words, Shistoi fell silent.
Ordinarily, such a thing was absolutely impossible. But having seen the impossible with their own eyes, they couldn't deny it.
Thinking back to their fight in the waiting room—a battle where they had been almost unilaterally trampled—it was an undeniable fact that Rei had done so without even using his full power.
Mura knit her brows in distaste.
"Give me a break. If that Rei really is such a monster, then what kind of move are we even supposed to make?"
"I don't know... but we have to do it. It's not like we can just abandon the job."
Mura let out a weary sigh.
As long as they were operating as Requiem Bell assassins, they couldn't simply walk away.
They owed a debt of gratitude to the organization, and they had friends and allies within it.
To abandon a Requiem Bell contract meant casting all of that aside... and potentially facing their own pursuers.
But after seeing today's battle, Mura had to admit that the prospect of dealing with Rei was daunting.
In fact, she felt it might be safer to go against the Requiem Bell than to pick another fight with Rei.
"Well, even so, it's not like I can seriously quit. ...As for opportunities, maybe we look toward the Palace?"
Information that Vihera was already rampaging in the palace had reached them through the organization's network.
Given that Rei and Vihera had a friendly relationship, there was a high chance Rei would eventually become involved there as well. If they aimed for that... Shistoi nodded as Mura spoke.
Thus, the two assassins from the Requiem Bell began to act, preparing to bare their fangs at Rei once more.