During the martial arts tournament, the village shut down completely.
That didn't mean there wasn't work to be done, however.
Kuro's children and Zabuton's spiderlings were working hard to secure the entire village. It would be a real dampener if monsters attacked in the middle of a festival. To show my gratitude, I sent over plenty of their favorite treats as refreshments.
Someone also had to cook for the tournament participants, and on a personal note, I had to look after Alfred and Tiselle.
With high-profile guests like Dos in attendance, I knew they’d want to watch the matches. I felt bad for the Civil Official girls and the High Ogre maids, but I had to ask them to put in the extra effort to keep things running.
Naturally, I didn't plan on slacking off either. Between assisting with the tournament, helping with the food, and playing host to our guests, I had my hands full.
"Village Head, may I introduce you? This is my father."
Yuri promptly introduced me to a handsome, middle-aged man I’d never seen before. Given that he was Yuri’s father...
"The Demon King?"
"Indeed," he boomed. "I am the Demon King of the Galgard Demon Kingdom! Muhahahahaha!"
Wow. He certainly looked the part.
"Father, please. A bit more casual."
"I’m Yuri's papa. Pleased to meet you."
"Oh, uh, yes. It's a pleasure."
The Demon King's sudden 180-degree shift caught me off guard, but after that greeting, we agreed I would just call him "Yuri's Papa." Talking to him, he seemed like a perfectly ordinary dad.
"Hello, Village Head. Sorry for dropping in so suddenly," Shiso-sama said during his turn to greet me. "I’ve always loved festivals. I plan on enjoying myself to the fullest."
He also took the opportunity to subtly hint that he was hoping Lu and I would have a second child soon.
"Is Hakuren being a nuisance?" Dos asked.
"Hahaha. She’s being her usual self, I think."
Dos smiled, seemingly satisfied with my answer.
The spectators had all brought various food items as gifts. Michael-san, who couldn't attend, had sent a letter full of regret along with a shipment of seafood. I supposed food was the standard gift for festivals here. I’d have to remember that.
As I mentally thanked everyone for their generosity, I began wrestling with several unfamiliar ingredients.
"Village Head, the cooking is important, but if we don't start the tournament soon, someone is going to lose their temper."
"I understand."
"In that case... let the first Village of the Great Tree Martial Arts Tournament begin!"
The crowd erupted into a roar that literally shook me. I hadn't expected that much volume.
"Now, we will conduct the General Division."
Granmaria took over as the master of ceremonies for the General Division. There had been a suggestion that I host it myself, but I’d politely declined. I had the vital mission of assisting with the cooking, after all.
Or so I’d hoped. Instead, I was ushered into a special seat right next to the stage. When I’d renovated part of the spectator area to create a VIP section for guests like Dos, the villagers had insisted I add this particular spot. It turned out to be the Village Head's Seat. As the village leader, I was expected to preside over the matches from there.
For some reason, Shiso-sama and Draim’s wife were the ones currently helping with the food prep. They were expertly peeling potatoes and carrots.
I felt a twinge of guilt, but I resigned myself to my fate and focused on the first match.
The General Division used a lottery-based bracket system. Consecutive matches were avoided whenever possible. The objective was simple: victory was achieved by forcing the opponent to meet a losing condition.
There were five losing conditions: having your headband taken or cut, forfeiting, failing to stand after a ten-count, a ring-out, or being ruled unable to continue by the referee.
I expected most wins would come from either snatching headbands or shoving people off the stage. The original rules the villagers had proposed were much more aggressive—basically "fight until someone gives up or passes out"—so I’d stepped in to make things a little more sportsmanlike.
As a baseline, combatants were limited to two weapons. These had to be declared beforehand and padded with cloth to minimize injury. Armor and magic were both permitted.
Moreover, since this was a festival and not a deathmatch, killing an opponent resulted in immediate disqualification and a severe penalty. I hadn't specified what the penalty was; I didn't want anyone to weigh the cost and decide it was worth it. In a normal frame of mind, I doubted anyone would go that far, but bloodlust and adrenaline can be unpredictable. I just had to trust the referee's judgment.
Hakuren took her place as referee, and Granmaria announced the first pairing: a Beastman girl versus one of the Civil Official girls. Both were wearing trousers instead of their usual skirts—a change I’d strongly suggested. The Beastman girl wielded a pair of short daggers, while the Civil Official girl carried a standard sword and shield.
"Begin!"
At Hakuren’s signal, the duel commenced. The surrounding villagers and spectators roared with excitement. I’d banned insults and heckling, so the atmosphere was purely supportive.
The match was over in a flash.
The Beastman girl led with a low-profile dash. The Civil Official girl raised her shield to block, but her opponent suddenly rolled to her front-right. By moving toward the shield side and away from the sword hand, she managed to flank her. She was clear of the blade, but the shield was still right in her face.
The Beastman girl suddenly lashed out with a leg, trying to trip her opponent from under the shield. The Civil Official girl stumbled, but she didn't go down. She countered by smashing her shield into the extended leg.
The Beastman girl recoiled, rolling away to the right again. Anticipating the move, the Civil Official girl pivoted and swung her sword, catching the Beastman girl as she came out of the roll. The Beastman girl struck back with her twin daggers at the same time.
A headband fluttered into the air.
Because the Beastman girl was crouched so low, the sword had perfectly caught her headband and sliced it clean off. Her own daggers had struck the Civil Official girl’s flank, but thanks to the cloth padding, it wasn't enough to knock her out.
"Match over! Stop!"
Hakuren called a halt to the fight and declared the Civil Official girl the winner. The crowd went wild.
"That was a gutsy play," Granmaria remarked, providing technical commentary as she pointed out areas for improvement to both fighters.
Yeah, that was definitely not a job I could have handled. I’d stick to my own duties.
The winner approached me, and I praised her performance before handing over a single Reward Medal. She accepted it with a radiant smile, only to immediately double over in pain. Flora had to rush in with healing magic.
Evidently, those dagger strikes to the ribs hadn't been as painless as they looked. Really, if it hurts that much, you don't have to act tough—get the healing first.
The General Division continued in much the same vein. Fortunately, no one suffered any serious injuries.