The martial arts tournament following the autumn harvest concluded without a hitch, just as it did every year.
Well, I did have to rebuild the stage three times, but there weren't any actual injuries to speak of. The duration, which usually lasted only a day or two, ended up stretching across four, but that was fine. It was completely within the realm of what I considered acceptable. Truly, there was no problem at all.
That was why I told the girls they didn't need to hang their heads like that.
I had decided to leave the management of this tournament entirely to the Civil Official Girls. It was supposed to be a relaxing change of pace for me... but it wasn't. Between being summoned to rebuild the stage, mediating staged fights between Kuro's children, and entertaining the drunken Dragons, I felt like my workload hadn't changed much at all.
Speaking of which, to Kuro's children: staging fake fights just to get my attention is a bad habit. I already know how well you all get along.
And then there was Giral. I didn't know what had happened to him, but I really wished he would stop dunking his head into the sake barrels. The Sake Slime was having a field day hovering nearby to catch the spills. Seriously, what was his problem? Usually, his moods were related to Gral, but...
Wait, he was depressed because Gral had held Hiichiro’s hand? Give me a break; Hiichiro only just turned one. One year. It felt like time was flying. Just a moment ago, he was barely crawling, and then suddenly he was standing on his own.
I told Giral it was a bit early to be getting jealous of a toddler, but he insisted I’d understand when it came time to marry off my own daughter. I just laughed. Tiselle wasn't getting married off to anyone, so we were safe.
I was getting sidetracked. In my opinion, the Civil Official Girls did a fine job. This tournament had a lot of unexpected variables.
First, there were the guests. The usual Dragon Family showed up, along with the Demon King’s group and Progenitor-san. Michael-san was absent this time, apparently buried under work in Shashato City. It was likely related to Big Roof Shashato, which made me feel a bit guilty.
The Dragon Family consisted of Dos, Raimeiren, Draim, and Draim’s wife, Graffaloon. Hakuren’s younger sister Suiren came as well, along with her husband Marksbergark and their daughter, Helzernark.
The Demon King brought his daughter Yuri, and the Four Heavenly Kings—Beezel, Randan, Gratz, and Hou—were all in attendance. Progenitor-san arrived accompanied by Fouche.
Everything up to that point was standard. What was unusual was that each group had brought along a few new faces.
The Dragon Family brought a man from the Devil Race. He wasn't like Gucci or the others who had served as midwives; he was a grizzled, rugged man with the air of a veteran general. He seemed incredibly intense at first, but he turned out to be quite polite after we exchanged greetings. He did, however, go absolutely wild during the tournament.
The Demon King brought two elderly men who looked every bit the high-ranking aristocrats. Technically, they were ranked below the Four Heavenly Kings, but their demeanor suggested otherwise. Beezel whispered to me that they were two of the Former Four Heavenly Kings. That explained it. Apparently, three of their granddaughters were members of our Civil Official Girls. When I approached to greet them, they offered me bows so deep they were practically prostrations. They seemed like incredibly humble people. They spent more time playing with the Slimes and the horses than watching the matches, so they clearly had gentle temperaments. I hoped to maintain a good relationship with them.
Progenitor-san brought a sharp-eyed young girl. She looked to be about fifteen and had the refined air of a noble daughter, but she carried an aura that kept everyone at arm's length. Progenitor-san introduced her as a Saint who possessed divine protection. In certain circles, she was apparently known as an Apostle or a God's Proxy.
I couldn't fathom why he’d bring someone like that to a martial arts tournament. Had she come to worship the Statue of the Creator God? The one I’d carved from the Black Rock? That was part of it, but the main reason was different. Apparently, he wanted to take her down a peg. I didn't quite understand the logic, but I didn't press the issue.
The girl, however, was absolutely terrified of the cat. I wondered if I should help her, especially since Urza had started chasing her around while brandishing the cat. Eventually, Kuro’s children joined in on the chase. It wasn't supposed to be a game of tag, but there was no stopping them.
These new arrivals threw the Civil Official Girls’ guest management into total chaos. Unlike me, who usually just shoved everyone into tents by group and served them food and sake, the girls had agonized over things like seating protocols. Perhaps I was being too casual about it? They insisted it was vital, especially when high-ranking officials were involved. They even mentioned that some people might start a war over a perceived slight in seating. That might be true, but I figured we only needed to worry about that if we invited people who actually cared about such things... though I suppose they had no way of knowing if the newcomers were that type.
Furthermore, twenty members of the Lamia Race from the Southern Dungeon and twenty Giants from the Northern Dungeon arrived together. They were highly motivated, claiming to be elites who had spent an entire year training specifically for this event. I hadn't realized they were so bellicose.
At one point, the Lamias and Giants were performing dances for each other. I thought it was nice that they were building a friendly rapport, but I was corrected. Apparently, those were War Cries—dances meant to stoke their fighting spirit before a battle. The tournament wasn't until the next day, but they were already winding themselves up.
The Minotaurs from Village Two and the Centaurs from Village Three eventually joined in, and before I knew it, a series of preliminary skirmishes had broken out. I had to tell them to keep it down so they wouldn't get injured before the main event.
The Civil Official Girls didn't want to use force to stop them, but the groups were rampaging right where the qualifying rounds were supposed to take place. I had to step in and move everyone. I spent the afternoon directing traffic, moving the fighters to the right and shifting the Dwarves who were arm-wrestling out of the way.
It was one thing after another, and the schedule kept slipping. To make matters worse, they had added the Inferno Wolf Division, the Demon Spider Division, and the King Division on top of the usual three. It was simply too much for them to handle.
Of course, the girls weren't incompetent. They had prepared for sudden guests and anticipated that people might start fighting on their own. They had requested help from the Beastman women and had even consulted Draim beforehand to help suppress any major trouble.
However, an unexpected series of events crushed all their preparations.
First was the discovery that Frau, the leader of the Civil Official Girls, was pregnant. Her stomach had already grown quite noticeable; she was likely due in mid-winter. She hadn't even realized it herself, thinking she’d just put on a little weight. Her father, Beezel, was so overjoyed that he was incapable of holding a normal conversation. He was already obsessing over baby names. I just hoped he wouldn't get into an argument with Frau over it.
Then, Sena, the representative of the Beastman Race, was also found to be pregnant. She’d been quite proactive lately, so I wasn't entirely surprised. The Beastman Race was thrilled, and they even sent word to Howlin Village, where a celebration broke out.
Finally, Rusty was found to be pregnant as well. Rusty usually looked like a young teenager, but she had a habit of maturing her body at night. She had a knack for matching my preferences perfectly... I suspected she’d learned that from Lu. Because her form became fixed to her pregnant state until she gave birth, her condition was discovered early on. For my own peace of mind, she decided to remain in her adult form for the duration of the pregnancy.
Draim and Graffaloon were happy for her, though they seemed a bit overwhelmed by the news. Gucci, who had accompanied Draim, stepped in to handle all the necessary arrangements.
So, the situation was this: Frau, the core of the Civil Official Girls, had to withdraw. Sena, the leader of the Beastmen, had to withdraw. And Draim, who was supposed to be the enforcer, was in a daze because of Rusty.
The fact that the Civil Official Girls managed to finish the event at all was a testament to their hard work. I told them it wasn't a failure—it was a success. There was no need for tears. After all, I was the one who had gotten Frau and Sena pregnant. I told them they had done a great job.
The final results were as follows:
General Division: Multiple Winners Warrior Division Winner: Donovan the Dwarf Knight Division Winner: Kierbit of the Angel Race Inferno Wolf (Male) Division Winner: Gucci of the Devil Race Inferno Wolf (Female) Division Winner: Zabuton Demon Spider Division Winner: Fubuki the Cocytus Wolf King Division Winner: Raimeiren
The list of winners looked like a collection of typos, which was a clear indicator of how chaotic the tournament had become. The General and Warrior Divisions were standard, but the Knight Division was won by Kierbit, who had skillfully exploited the openings left when the true powerhouses knocked each other out. It helped that Uno and Makura had entered different divisions, but it was still an impressive victory.
The Inferno Wolf and Demon Spider Divisions were essentially the informal internal competitions of Kuro’s and Zabuton’s children being brought into the main event. At the insistence of Kuro’s children, the wolf division was split by gender.
I thought that would be the end of the trouble, but several intruders jumped in, wanting to challenge the Inferno Wolves. They certainly had courage. Once the first person joined, others followed, shouting "Me too!" and the confusion only accelerated. Zabuton eventually stepped in to help restore order.
The King Division was meant for the Dragons, the Demon King, and the winners of the other divisions. Raimeiren was terrifyingly strong. She hadn't planned on entering, but Hiichiro had cheered for her, which changed her mind. I won't go into detail about the first-round match between Kierbit and Raimeiren.
Regardless, the Civil Official Girls did well. They worked hard. I tried to give them the Reward Medals I had promised, but they stubbornly refused, asking for punishment instead. They really didn't need to be so hard on themselves.
"Well, if you want a punishment," I said, "I have a favor to ask."
I explained that we were short on staff for Big Roof Shashato. I didn't need laborers; I needed people to act as teachers for the private school and a manager for the inn. Marcos and Paula were reaching their limit trying to train everyone.
Since the Civil Official Girls were daughters of nobles, I asked if they knew any suitable acquaintances they could introduce to me. Anyone would do, as long as they were willing to work at Big Roof Shashato. I promised a fair salary and asked for ten people to start with.
They accepted the task enthusiastically.
"Wait," one of them said. "That isn't a punishment. We want a real punishment."
They were far too hard on themselves.
"There’s a reason I won't give you a harsh punishment," I explained. "If I were to punish you severely, Frau and Sena—who had to leave the project halfway through—would feel responsible. So let's leave it at this. Reflect on what happened and do better next time."
With that, I dismissed them.