As the sun dipped below the horizon, the awards ceremony for the Village Five Martial Arts Tournament finally began.
Though I had expected a single champion in a tournament format, there were actually eight individuals being honored. This was because the bracket had been cut short at the quarter-finals. It wasn’t a matter of running out of time; apparently, the organizers had decided from the outset to conclude the competition once eight contestants remained. This was done to ensure that the honor of being personally congratulated by me wouldn't fall to just one person. It felt a bit like a letdown, but the eight finalists seemed thrilled, so I let it slide and offered them my blessings.
Strangely, I didn't recognize a single face among the winners. Where was the Bronze Knight? What about the Silver and Iron Knights? I hadn't even seen them lose. When I looked into it, I discovered that the Bronze Knight had withdrawn after the second round, satisfied that he’d shown off enough for his fans. He had apparently headed straight back to his shop with a trail of supporters following him. While I appreciated his work ethic, I couldn't help but wonder if that was really appropriate behavior for a tournament participant.
The Silver and Iron Knights had also withdrawn. Their reason was a bit more dramatic: they had sustained injuries while challenging Reginleiv after she had crashed Pirika’s exhibition match. Even though healing magic had mended their wounds, they had insisted that a loss was a loss and stepped down with grace. Well, as long as they weren't causing trouble for anyone, I suppose there was no issue.
That left Chelsea. In terms of raw power, she was easily on par with Pirika, yet she was nowhere to be found. Had she sat this one out? No, apparently she had felt that accepting a recommendation slot was unfair and insisted on entering through the general lottery instead. Unfortunately, the pool of applicants was so large that she had lost the draw. I felt for her, but from now on, I really preferred she just take the recommendation. She seemed to have the same "luck" with draws as the Demon King, though in a different sense.
Even after I officially declared the tournament closed, the fever pitch in Village Five didn't drop an inch. The festival was slated to run until morning. Stalls lined the streets, and tables and chairs were set up everywhere. Perhaps the reason the Bronze Knight had withdrawn was specifically to focus on this part of the event. I had told my acting managers they could run their shops however they liked, even if it meant sacrificing a bit of profit for the sake of the festivities. I wasn’t going to micromanage; I would just look at the reports and cover the expenses later. Still, I asked Yoko’s subordinates to keep an eye on things just to be safe.
I headed back to the Village of the Great Tree with the Flying Carpet to pick up Yoko’s daughter, Hitoe. When we arrived back at Village Five, she spotted Yoko and immediately sprinted over to leap into her arms. They were as close as ever. I liked to think Alfred and the other kids were just as affectionate with me.
With that heartwarming scene behind me, I made my way to a private room in Yoko's mansion. Lu, Tia, and Pirika were already there, waiting in their chairs. I didn't mince words. I told them plainly that it was wrong to keep pursuing Galf when he had repeatedly and explicitly turned them down. I made sure Lu and Tia understood my disappointment as well. They might have thought they were helping a friend, but their meddling threatened to tear a family apart. Whether or not it actually would didn't matter; the risk alone was unacceptable. This wasn't a suggestion—it was an order. I would protect Galf’s household.
I had heard reports that Pirika had finally moved on, but it seemed she hadn't quite let go. When I questioned her, she claimed she had tried to give up once, only for someone to tell her she shouldn't. That "someone" was a girl named Fairina. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it at first. "The daughter of a baker in Shashato City?" Still nothing. "Magistrate Ifuls’ son’s fiancée?" Wait, Ifuls’ son... Gilspark? Right! I had met him at Maruura several times. He was always talking about her.
Apparently, their wedding was officially back on. It had been delayed because Fairina was obsessed with her bread research, but the parents had finally given their blessing for next year. I had even been invited, though the news hadn't reached my desk yet. And it was this Fairina who had encouraged Pirika? Pirika closed her eyes, mimicking the girl's voice with great emotion: "If you give up, it's over! If you don't give up, you'll succeed eventually! Keep at it! You mustn't lose!"
I see... I didn't want to rain on Pirika’s parade while she was clearly so inspired, but knowing what I knew about Fairina from Gilspark... she was definitely talking about bread. She had almost certainly meant, "If you give up on your research, it's over."
The Demon King turned to Chelsea. "A fellow unlucky soul?" "N-No, it's not like that!"