In the main tournament bracket of the Maid Olympia, things went pretty much as expected: Frau lost to Emily, the Super Maid of Body.
It didn’t even come down to a test of stamina. The match format was Ingredient Discernment, and in a contest to identify ten rare and specialized ingredients, Frau was utterly outclassed. It seemed she suffered a total defeat.
Unfortunately, despite her impressive momentum, Luna also ended up losing to Beatrice in the Quarter-finals. Their match was a test of repair speed, a competition to see who could mend identical torn apron dresses faster. The disparity in their technical skills was undeniable, and Luna lost by a significant margin.
"Luna, Frau, thank you both for your hard work."
"It really is a shame, you two."
"I suppose the Super Maids were just on a different level, huh?"
When I called out to the two as they returned to the spectator seats, they didn't look particularly depressed. Instead, they both wore wry smiles, though Frau did look a bit more frustrated than her counterpart.
"No, personally, I’m more than satisfied with the result. My career as a maid is still relatively short, so I’m just happy to have secured a spot in the Best 8."
"Lunamaria still has the ranking match for fourth place and below, though. If things go well, she could still take fifth. Meanwhile, I’ve lost in the second round for three tournaments in a row now... The third round feels so far away."
"You were just unlucky with your opponent. I, on the other hand, had a bit of luck with the pairings."
"Still, your fundamental skill is quite high, Lunamaria. I honestly wish I could receive some training from this Illness-sama you speak of."
Frau had been a maid for a long time—three tournament cycles meant at least twelve years—whereas Luna had only been at it for about six. Less than half that time.
While part of that was likely due to Luna’s natural dexterity, it was also a testament to Illness's teaching abilities. After all, even Eta and Theta, who had been hopeless at first, had reached a level where they could be called excellent rather than just average before I even noticed. When I stopped to think about it, her skill as an instructor was incredible.
In the subsequent ranking match for fourth place and below, Luna gave it her all and secured 6th Place. For a first-time participant, it was a remarkable achievement.
"Contestant Lunamaria was truly magnificent for a newcomer. It's heartening to see such promising talent emerge."
"Indeed. With less than ten years of experience, she is like a bud yet to bloom. The direction of her Maidric Aura hasn't quite solidified yet, either. Once she finds her footing and ascends to the next stage, she may very well become a new wind blowing through the world of maids."
Ein was full of praise for Luna as well. I knew "a new wind blowing through the world of maids" was intended as a compliment, and most of the audience seemed to take it as such, but I couldn't help but feel a bit awkward about the phrasing. Sitting there thinking the terminology was weird probably made me the odd one out... I really felt the cultural gap in those moments.
Regardless, Luna and Frau’s matches were finished for now. With the two of them joining us, the five of us settled in to watch the rest of the tournament.
The atmosphere in the arena grew even more electric, and it wasn't just my imagination. Only four contestants remained for the Semi-finals, and every single one of them was a Super Maid. From this point on, it would be a clash of titans.
"This is where it gets exciting! Having four Super Maids in one place is incredibly rare. Their abilities are all remarkably close, so we can expect some truly intense battles."
"The Semi-finals will see Beatrice-sama face off against Camellia-sama, while Alexandra-sama takes on Emily-san."
"Personally, I’m rooting for Camellia-sama. I’m a big fan..."
"Hmm, since she’s my senior, I have to stand behind Beatrice-sama."
Lilia, Akane, and I were enjoying ourselves well enough, but the level of excitement coming from the two professional maids was on a different level entirely.
Up until now, they had been taking turns explaining things to us while the other was down at the arena, but now that they had both been eliminated, they were free to enjoy the rest of the show as spectators. They were clearly fired up.
"Who do you think will win, Akane-san? I feel like in a clash between such equal skills, Emily-san might have the edge. Her stamina allows her to ignore fatigue entirely," Lilia noted.
"Me? Hmm... well, if Alexandra-san really has the highest Maid Power, then I reckon it’ll probably be her," Akane replied, her expression pensive. It was interesting to see how everyone’s predictions were split.
Frau chose Camellia, Luna chose Beatrice, Lilia chose Emily, and Akane chose Alexandra.
"What about you, Kaito-san?"
"Me? Well, I don’t have any real evidence for it, but I have a feeling Beatrice might take it."
"...You know, when you say it, I feel like it’s actually going to happen."
"Wait, I’m just guessing randomly, okay?"
It wasn't like I was using some kind of future sight; it was just a simple hunch. Then again, I remembered that during the Monster Race, my hunches had never steered me wrong...
Serious-senpai: "I see. So Beatrice is going to win."
???: "That pretty much seals it. Since Kaito predicted it, her victory is basically confirmed..."