The second preliminary round used the same armband-stealing format. I secured my victory without facing any real danger and without drawing attention, smoothly advancing to the preliminary finals.
Afterward, the Heinemann style's head instructor lodged a protest claiming foul play, but the tournament committee dismissed it out of hand without a proper investigation. With so many contestants, entertaining every single complaint during the qualifiers would be an endless ordeal. That was likely their reasoning.
Rose had evidently anticipated this outcome, offering nothing more than a detached, perfunctory "Oh, is that so?"
Since I was frequently away, Faf had been in a terribly foul mood. Fortunately, thanks to Rose patiently looking after her, her temper was kept in check enough to be soothed with a few simple headpats.
"If you win this, you'll earn three million Aul. That will easily exceed your target amount."
"Indeed."
For now, once the first round of the main finals concluded, I planned to either withdraw or intentionally throw the match so I could return to Balse.
"Hey, Kai! Um..."
Anna fidgeted with her hands, looking away awkwardly.
"What is it?"
Ever since that incident with the beastfolk girl, this woman had become considerably more open.
"Do your best."
Her cheeks flushed slightly like autumn leaves as she uttered those unexpected words of encouragement.
"Anna has become quite straightforward too, hasn't she?"
To Rose, who was nodding in quiet satisfaction, Anna protested:
"L-Lady Rose! It's not like I've become straightforward or anything—!"
Her face turned bright red as she called out Rose's name, dripping with indignation.
"Well then, please do your best. Anna, little Faf, and I will all be cheering for you."
Paying her no mind, Rose turned back to me and spoke softly.
Incidentally, having finished his errands, Asta was currently holed up in his room at the inn, buried in a book. I had only recently realized he was a voracious bookworm. Ever since I handed him a volume I discovered in the labyrinth, he had been completely engrossed, refusing to take a single step outside. Once things settled down, I would have no choice but to grab him by the scruff of his neck, drag him out of the room, and force him to breathe some fresh air. Leaving him be would only cause trouble for the inn's landlady.
Good grief. First a needy dragon, and now babysitting a shut-in demon. I was practically acting like their mother. Give me a break.
"Faf, I'm counting on you to protect them!"
I gently patted Faf's head as she clung to me, rubbing her cheek against mine.
"Leave it to me!"
Giving a slight smile to Faf as she stepped back and pumped her right fist into the air, I headed toward the arena for the preliminary finals.
One after another, the contestants for the Group D preliminary finals stepped onto the martial ring at the center of the venue.
Once all thirty participants had assembled, a young blonde woman who appeared to be the master of ceremonies approached the ring and began her commentary in a strangely drawn-out, sing-song voice.
"Alright, everyone! All thirty contestants for the Group D preliminary finals are on the stage! Four will be chosen from this group! The rules are simple: knockouts or falling out of bounds mean disqualification! In other words, the last four left standing after beating the snot out of everyone else will advance to the final tournament!"
Beating the snot out of everyone—what a wild choice of words for an announcer.
"What's more, a bonus of fifty thousand Aul will be awarded for every opponent you defeat! Even if you lose, the more you take down, the heavier your wallet will be!"
I see. In a battle royale like this, whoever makes the first move tends to end up at a disadvantage. A standoff where no one fought would make for a dull show. This bounty was likely an incentive designed to keep the combatants aggressive.
"Now then, let's begin with brief introductions for our contestants!"
Full of high energy, the blonde MC went down the line, introducing the fighters one by one.
Those called out gave a light wave or thrust a fist into the air.
"Next is Riku Salvatore of the Heinemann sword style! The Heinemann style originates from the dojo of Sword Saint Elm, one of the legendary members of the Hero's party who slew one of the Four Great Demon Kings! What kind of peerless swordsmanship will he display for us today?!"
When the handsome blonde youth raised both arms with a dazzling smile, a tremendous cheer erupted from the stands.
As expected of my grandfather's dojo. Its prestige within the Amelia Kingdom was utterly unassailable.
Even so, Riku, huh? Due to bad timing, I had yet to see him draw a blade since returning from the dungeon.
Before I was swallowed by that place, I had never managed to land a single strike on him, so he clearly possessed genuine talent. Much like the Sword Emperor, he was likely one of those chosen few blessed by the god of swords.
"And finally, Kai Heinemann of the Kai sword style! Is he... perhaps related to the main Heinemann family? Let's see here, his profile says... Huh? The world's most incompetent Gift Holder?!"
Just like the guild receptionist back in Balse, she blurted it out in a shrill, incredulous voice. After a brief beat of stunned silence, the entire arena erupted into an uproar.
Yes, excellent. Word of my incompetence was spreading nicely. Once I found a suitable Royal Guard for Rose, my obligation would be fulfilled. Then I could set off on my journey across the world without a single worry.
As for a candidate worthy of becoming her Royal Guard... No matter how much raw talent they had, young hotheads like Riku who lacked real combat experience were entirely out of the question. Besides, proposing such a thing to Riku would only send him into a fit of rage.
For now, the one best suited to replace me seemed to be that wild, brawny fellow, Zack.
His devotion to strength appeared pure, and he looked like a seasoned veteran of life-or-death battles. If I challenged him to a duel on the condition that the loser had to serve as Rose's Royal Guard, everything would be settled. A man like that would surely take the bait with a little provocation.
"Hey, announcer! Is your job to insult the contestants? If that's all you're good for, we don't need you here. Get lost and clear out of the ring!"
A swordsman wearing a bright red bandana barked loudly at her.
"I have to agree. I find it rather distasteful myself."
A narrow-eyed man in a black robe chimed in alongside him.
According to the MC's earlier introductions, the man in the bandana was Bly, and the narrow-eyed one in the black robe was Sigma, if I recalled correctly.
"M-My deepest apologies!"
Flustered, the blonde MC bowed repeatedly, offering frantic apologies.
"She was only stating the truth! You have no right to yell at her!"
When Riku raised his voice in protest against the bandana-wearing swordsman, shouts of agreement rippled through the spectators.
That made sense. In the Amelia Kingdom, a person's worth was judged almost entirely by the presence or absence of a Gift. Even so, few places took it to such an extreme degree as Lamoor.
"Listen here, kid. This is an arena where we let our swords and staves do the talking, not our mouths. If you want to tear people down with words, go become a bureaucrat, you sheltered little brat."
"Pfft!"
At Bly's venomous retort, the line-eyed man, Sigma, snorted with laughter.
"W-Why, you bastard...!"
As Riku's face flushed crimson with rage, the MC intervened in a panic:
"Please, I am so sorry! It was entirely my fault for being thoughtless! I apologize from the bottom of my heart, so please, both of you, calm down!"
On the verge of tears, she bowed over and over, desperately shouting her apologies.
"Good grief. I don't care in the slightest, so just get on with the match."
In truth, this entire turn of events was working out splendidly for me. I would win here with as little fanfare as possible, then pawn off the Royal Guard duties onto Zack. A man of his caliber could easily fulfill the role, and I would finally be free from getting dragged into any more pointless trouble.
"Y-Yes! Well then, everyone! Are you ready?! Group D, final preliminary round, begin!"
The female announcer's voice rang through the arena, and the gong signaling the start of the Group D preliminary finals echoed across the ring.