The "intense" battles of Maid Olympia continued to unfold... and against all odds, Luna successfully navigated the second round to secure a spot in the Best 8.
Unlike the first round, her opponent seemed to have advanced largely due to a lucky bracket. With lower Maid Power than Luna’s and a general lack of versatility, the match ended in a decisive, natural victory for our side.
"Luna, that’s amazing! You’ve made the Best 8. If I remember correctly, reaching this stage means you’re exempt from the qualifiers in the next tournament, right?"
"She’s doing wonderfully. Seeing her succeed makes me just as happy as if it were my own achievement."
While much of Maid Olympia remained incomprehensible to me, I was genuinely happy to see Luna succeed. When she returned to the spectator seats, Lilia-san and I offered her our congratulations.
Luna scratched her head with a bashful look, speaking with a slight, wry smile.
"Thank you very much. I was quite lucky. Since the qualifiers were a battle royale this time, it was easier for me to advance."
"Wait... 'this time'? Does the content of the qualifiers change every year?"
"Of course. Both the qualifier content and the number of people who advance to the main tournament change every time. Besides battle royales, there have been years with written exams on Maid Studies, or sessions where we were judged on basic maid movements using a point-deduction system. The format of the matches in the main tournament also tends to favor quick resolutions when there are many participants. Since there are fewer than thirty people this year, we have matches that take quite a bit of time, like my confectionery-making..."
"I see..."
Well, come to think of it, if it were a battle royale every time, maids with high technical skills but poor combat ability would never have a chance to reach the main tournament. It made sense that the format shifted with each iteration.
From the way Luna spoke, there seemed to be many other types of matches in the main tournament as well. This made it difficult to prepare or plan specific countermeasures, forcing the participants to rely purely on their raw, innate ability.
"The events in Maid Olympia are so varied that they require every possible skill a maid could possess. That’s why someone like Camellia-sama, who has consistently high abilities in every field, is at such an advantage."
"I get it now. I’m sure you need a high level of skill no matter what, but it sounds like being an all-rounder is better in a tournament format than having extreme strengths and weaknesses..."
Frau supplemented Luna’s explanation, and Akane nodded in agreement. Perhaps the reason Camellia-san held the most victories was due to that very versatility.
However... did that mean Camellia-san was deeply knowledgeable about things like Maid Studies too? I had a feeling she only studied those subjects because Ein-san had pressured her into it, and she simply hadn't been able to refuse.
"Still... it seems my winning streak will likely end with the next round..."
"Is it really that hopeless against Beatrice-sama?"
"Well, maybe someday... but right now, I don't have a single chance of winning."
Having cleared the second round, Luna was slated to face Beatrice-sama in the upcoming quarterfinals. Beatrice was like a senior disciple to her, having also studied under Illness-san, and Luna was reportedly outclassed by her in every conceivable maid-related skill.
"Wait... you have no chance even in combat?"
"Beatrice-sama is a Baron-class High-ranking Demon, so my raw power isn't even in the same league as hers."
"By the way, regarding the other Super Maids, Alexandra-sama is also said to be Peerage-class equivalent. Emily-sama was once known as His Majesty Laguna’s rival; she is a Viscount-class High-ranking Demon. And Camellia-sama... well, she goes without saying."
I had thought that Luna, a former Top-class Adventurer, might have a chance in a straight fight, but it seemed the Super Maids’ combat power was truly "super" as well.
While nodding along to the explanations from Luna and Frau, a certain phrase caught my attention, so I decided to ask about it.
"Why is Alexandra-sama the only one described as a Peerage-class 'equivalent'?"
"Alexandra-sama claims to be a half-demon... but there is no record of any demons in the Arclesia Empire’s Imperial Family from the time she became a maid. Furthermore, she erased all information regarding herself when she renounced her royal status, leaving her a person shrouded in mystery. However, based on the proclamations of the Emperor of that era, it seems certain that she possesses imperial blood..."
Frau answered my question with an air of uncertainty. I see; because her race was based purely on her own claims and remained unconfirmed, they used the term "equivalent." Indeed, if she really were a half-demon, it would be difficult to decide whether to classify her as human or demon.
As I was pondering this, Luna muttered as if suddenly remembering something.
"Come to think of it, there are rumors that Alexandra-sama is actually the First Emperor who founded the Arclesia Empire."
"Really?"
"Yes. There is a theory that the name of the Arclesia Empire’s capital was taken from the First Emperor. Also, the Arclesia Empire experienced a large-scale civil war eight hundred years ago, during which the records of the first through the third emperors were lost. Since information on those three sovereigns is missing, those kinds of rumors began to circulate."
"Interesting..."
I had heard that the Arclesia Empire was the oldest of the three kingdoms in the Human Realm, so it made sense that various legends like that would be whispered about.
Serious-senpai: "...So, what’s the actual truth? Someone give me the inside scoop."
???: "She is the First Emperor herself. Moreover, the 'half-demon' part is a lie; she is actually a full demon. She was a demon who accidentally drifted from the Demon Realm to the Human Realm and, through a series of events, founded the Arclesia Empire as its first sovereign. However, believing that a human should ultimately lead the nation, she passed the throne to a trusted subordinate and supported the country as an advisor for a while. Once the situation with the Demon King settled and she felt the empire could stand on its own, she discussed it with the emperor of that era and withdrew from politics entirely. That’s essentially the whole story."