“Incredible! What a fierce display of offense and defense!”
“I thought the finals were spectacular, but this is on another level!”
“Quite right. This is truly the ultimate match! A battle of the highest caliber!”
In the arena, the two figures repeated a cycle of clashing and retreating, only to close the distance and strike once more.
The sheer power behind their strides caused the newly repaired paving stones to crack and shatter, scattering fragments like stone bullets into the surrounding air.
Then, during another intense exchange...
“Ah!” a voice cried out from the spectator seats.
Once again, the wooden swords had shattered.
“Stop!”
The two golems froze in place at the organizer’s command.
“...What should we do?” the tournament chairman asked.
By “what should we do,” he was referring to the state of the arena. Because the two had run rampant across the grounds, the surface was in tatters.
“Well, this is merely an exhibition match, so perhaps this is enough?”
“I agree. No matter who wins or loses, someone’s honor would be tarnished. It would be wise to end it here.”
If Phantom lost, it would cast a shadow on its championship victory. Conversely, if Steward lost, it would tarnish the reputation of the Magi Craft Meister.
Taking these factors into account, the tournament chairman decided to bring the exhibition match to a close.
“The mock battle between these two is a draw! We shall call it a draw!”
While the conclusion felt somewhat unsatisfying, the match had been exciting enough that the audience offered a generous round of applause.
Thus, the first Celuroa Kingdom Golem Gonpetition came to its conclusion.
The Gonpetition was over, but the associated festivities were just beginning.
Specifically, the banquet.
This was a place to reward the participants for their hard work, while also serving as a venue for them to build connections with influential figures.
Jin personally loathed such settings, but in his capacity as the chief judge, he could not refuse. Fortunately, since he was operating a Doppel in the Celuroa Kingdom, he decided to leave the social duties entirely to the doll.
“Now then, let’s see how Garik Ash moves,” Jin muttered.
He shifted his focus to his other concern. Following Laojun’s instructions, Elm of the Secret Mobile Unit (SP) was currently tailing the man while hidden.
“Well, I suppose the plan is halfway successful.”
Garik muttered the words in a low voice as he left the standing-room section. He showed no signs of contacting Jix and appeared to be heading straight back to his own carriage.
At the carriage lot, he happened to cross paths with Vivienne and Lucol. Since the Gonpetition had concluded and everyone was preparing to depart, it was a perfectly natural coincidence.
“Oh, are you feeling better now?” Lucol asked.
“Um, and you are...?” Garik tilted his head, looking puzzled. Having been unconscious for so long, he didn’t recognize their faces.
Vivienne and Lucol, however, knew exactly who he was.
“I am Lucol, and this is Via. We are the ones involved in the carriage accident with you earlier this afternoon.”
“Ah! So it was you!” Garik exclaimed as the realization hit him. “That was an accident where it was hard to say who was at fault. Since we both seem to have come out of it safely, shall we call it even? No hard feelings?”
The proposal came from Garik, the one who had actually been knocked unconscious. Neither Lucol nor Vivienne had any desire to escalate the matter further.
“If you aren’t in a hurry, would you care to join us for a meal?” Lucol suggested.
“...That sounds good.” After a brief hesitation, Garik accepted.
“Actually, I heard there is a good restaurant just ahead.”
One of Lucol’s two assistants had been sent ahead earlier to find a place and secure a reservation. The man knew that after an event like the Gonpetition, every restaurant in the area would be full. It seemed he was quite capable in matters outside of their primary investigation.
“I see. Lead the way, then.”
“We’ll go first; please follow us.”
“Understood.”
The three of them set off in their respective carriages. Despite having overturned earlier, Garik’s carriage was barely damaged. Lucol convinced himself that this made sense, given that it was built to carry such heavy loads.
On the other hand, the frame of the carriage Vivienne and Lucol were riding in had become slightly warped during the accident. The only saving grace was that it remained drivable.
...Or so they thought. After driving for a short while, the wheels began to rattle and clatter.
“Hey, is it going to be okay?” Vivienne asked.
The assistant acting as the coachman called back, “I’ll fix it properly later, but I can make it hold together for now.”
Despite the concerning vibrations, the carriage eventually reached its destination. The restaurant was located slightly away from the main bustling district.
“Ah, over here!” the assistant who had stayed behind to secure the reservation called out, guiding the party. It was a fine establishment that even featured a dedicated carriage lot.
“We’ve added one more to our party; is that alright?”
“Yes, it’s fine.” The assistant explained that he had reserved a table for five because it was the only one available. Including Garik, they were now exactly five people.
“We certainly were lucky,” Vivienne remarked.
“Now, let’s go inside. This way.”
The assistant led them into the shop.
“Welcome.”
“Yeah, I’m Lucol. I have a reservation.”
“Yes, Lord Lucol, a party of five? Right this way, please.”
A staff member led them to a partitioned seating area, where a single large round table sat surrounded by five chairs.
I see, Vivienne thought. She had been wondering if five would be an awkward number for a square table, but the round setup made it feel perfectly natural.
It seemed the menu was left entirely up to the chef. Once the five of them were seated, the servers brought out the dishes with remarkable efficiency. They had likely either pre-prepared the food or were producing the same set menu in large quantities.
“The menu here is limited, but that means the flavor is guaranteed,” the assistant noted. It appeared that by reducing labor through a smaller selection, the restaurant was able to reflect that efficiency in both the price and the quality of the food.
“Well then, shall we have a toast?” Lucol suggested.
Garik tilted his head. “That sounds fine, but what are we toasting to?”
“How about ‘to our meeting’?” Vivienne offered.
No one had any objections to that.
“Then, to our meeting.”
“Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
Though it was perhaps a bit inelegant that they weren’t using fine glassware, the three of them raised their wine-filled cups and toasted. Meanwhile, the two assistants sat quietly in a corner, sipping their wine in silence.