An elderly man walked through a frontier town that was currently alive with the energy of the annual Flying Board Tournament. He watched the rows of stalls with a wry smile, the lively atmosphere humming all around him.
"This place only gets this busy once a year. There isn’t much in the way of entertainment out here in the frontier, so I suppose it’s the best time for the merchants to make some coin... though some are more interested in the race than their business. Hey there, you old eccentric. Business any good?"
"I’d be in a real spot if I made too much. It would just get in the way of watching the race. I’ve held this prime spot for forty years, and I haven't yielded it once. I’d much rather take a modest profit and spend the day relaxing with a drink while I watch the boards fly."
"You’re as obsessed as ever. Give me a skewer."
"Sure, but you’re bringing me some vegetables next time as payment."
"Nonsense. If that’s the trade-off, I’m taking two..."
After exchanging banter with the stall owner, a long-time acquaintance, the man took two of the pre-grilled skewers and began to eat. Since the Flying Board heats had already commenced, most of the crowds had moved toward the tracks, leaving the area relatively quiet.
The man spoke again between bites.
"Still, for a 'prime spot,' you’re the only one here."
"That’s how you spot the amateurs. You can’t see much of the preliminaries from here, but the final struggle before the goal happens right in the sky above us. It’s no exaggeration to say that whoever wins the scrap here wins the whole thing. It’s the hottest spot on the course."
"I see... Anyone interesting in the lineup?"
"Yeah, I spotted a promising bunch today. A young trio—one man and two women. I didn't recognize them, so they must be rookies, but they had an aura about them. I think they might pull off something special."
"Is that so? Well, I’ve learned to take your predictions with a grain of salt."
"Hey now! There isn’t another man alive who can predict the outcome of a chaotic Flying Board race with a hit rate like mine."
Seeing the stall owner puff out his chest with confidence, the man gave a wry, slightly mischievous grin.
"Boasting about a 'decent' hit rate doesn't say much for your skills."
"Shut up! Anyway, where’s your wife? Did she finally get fed up with your stubbornness and leave you?"
"Sorry to disappoint, but we’re still on excellent terms. She was invited by a friend to go visit the Kingdom of Sinfonia today."
"Sinfonia? That’s a hell of a trip. Can a dirt-poor farmer like you really afford that?"
"It’s fine. An old friend of ours is a top-tier Spirit Mage, and she’s particularly good with teleportation magic. I expect the women are enjoying a shopping spree right about now."
The man laughed heartily at his old friend’s jab while finishing his skewer. The owner nodded as if satisfied, then crouched down to retrieve a bottle of alcohol and a pair of cups from a small Magic Box.
He poured himself a drink and began eating one of his own skewers.
"Hey, you delinquent shopkeeper. Since when do you serve booze?"
"The preliminaries are already underway, and I’ll be too busy watching to run the shop. Besides, having a gruff geezer like you loitering out front is enough to scare off the customers anyway. Here, have one."
"Good grief, you’re a hopeless case. Fine, fine. I suppose I’ll provide the snacks then... Since the fire is already going, I might as well toast some dried squid."
Accepting the cup, the man reached into his own Magic Box and pulled out some dried appetizers.
"By the way, Shigenobu. Aren’t you going to enter the race yourself?"
"Me? It’s a bit too intense for someone my age. Though I suppose to the long-lived species, I’m still practically a child."
"There are plenty of elderly contestants. That’s the beauty of the Flying Board—even the old-timers can compete with the youngsters."
"You aren’t out there either, are you?"
"I told you, I’m too busy watching."
"Then I’m busy watching too. Think you can grill some fish?"
"Hey, the smell will stick to the rack... You’d better have a piece ready for me too."
Watching his old friend grumble while clearing space on the grill, the man—Shigenobu Okura—began to cook the fish he had taken from his Magic Box.
He remained entirely unaware that a fateful meeting with someone from his own country was waiting for him just over the horizon.
Serious-senpai: "Ah, I knew he’d show up eventually! It was mentioned before that he lived in the remote regions of the Hydra Kingdom. At this rate, the flow is probably going to be Kaito and the others reaching the finals, leading to a meeting during that final struggle before the goal, right?"