Absolute and his group visited the Royal Castle to participate in the martial arts tournament. The tournament was divided into two sections: one for those 15 and older, and one for those under 15. Most participants were nobles, but exceptions were made for those recommended by nobles.
This time, Uru participated with the recommendation of the Ark Duke House.
The rules were simple: no magic, only skills and personal weapons.
“Absolute, please look! It’s almost Uru-sama’s turn. I’m so excited!”
The Lady who came with him wrapped her arm around Absolute’s shoulder, pressing her soft, budding pair of hills against him to get his attention.
Absolute almost reacted, but since Maria gave him far more than that on a regular basis, he deliberately ignored it.
However, this only made the Lady even more infatuated with the stoic Absolute, sending her head over heels.
While watching the Lady with a look of amazement, Chris spoke to Absolute.
“So, Absolute-sama, are you sure about this? Uru has certainly grown since then, but she’s still just a child. She may have speed, but she lacks a decisive blow, doesn't she? And this time, you forbade her from using her Beast Transformation skill…”
That’s right. This time, Uru was prohibited from using the Beast Transformation skill unique to beastmen. The reason being that the purpose this time was to measure the Hero’s strength, so they were saving her trump card.
“Well, just watch. She’s grown far more than when she was with you. After all, I’m the one who trained her.”
Uru entered the arena. Her opponent was the son of a Baron family and had an orthodox style. In contrast, Uru had…
“What is that weapon that resembles a claw? It looks like she doesn’t have claws, so wouldn’t that be the same as fighting barehanded?”
That’s right, Uru’s equipment was, so to speak, brass knuckles.
As soon as the match began, her opponent slashed at her, but before he knew it, Uru had slipped into his guard and landed a blow on his stomach.
Her opponent couldn’t stand up, and Uru’s victory was decided.
“Uru’s strength is her overwhelming speed. But Uru, who is still small, isn’t compatible with long weapons. That’s why I gave her equipment that could reliably deal damage just by throwing a punch.”
Chris was surprised. He never thought that a slave he had once managed at his own home would grow so much.
“I see… that makes sense.
I stand corrected.”
“You thought that far ahead, Absolute-sama?!”
(Well, Uru’s the one fighting, though…. The next match is the Hero’s, huh? Let’s see what he’s got.)
After watching the Hero’s match, Absolute looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
(He’s not weak, but he’s not utilizing the Hero’s skills. He’s just swinging his sword around and trying to overpower his opponents. His fighting sense is inferior to Uru’s.)
“…Chris, is that really the Hero? He was struggling.”
“Well, perhaps he hasn’t had much practical experience? Not many children are as experienced as you, Absolute-sama.”
(That’s true, I can understand that. But in that case, the Hero should also be made to do the dirty work that the Ark House is doing behind the scenes. He can gain experience, level up, and train his mentality. What is the country thinking!)
In the meantime, Uru and the Hero steadily advanced. And then the final match began.
The Hero, Alto, and Uru faced each other, and the Hero spoke.
“Hey, are you from the Ark House?”
Uru nodded silently. If she defeated the Hero and won the championship, she could have anything she wanted for sweets. Thinking about it made her hungry, and Uru smiled and licked her lips. It might look cute to some, but not to the Hero, Alto.
(…For such a young child to make such a combative face, what kind of terrible education is the Ark House giving them?!
The Hero, Alto, was filled with righteous indignation.)
“Did the people of the Ark House tell you to participate in the martial arts tournament?”
He asked Uru, suppressing his anger.
“…If I win, I’ll get delicious food (sweets).”
(…Does that mean she doesn’t usually get good food? Damn the Ark House! I’ll never forgive them!)
The signal to start the match sounded.
Uru immediately rushed towards the Hero and threw a punch, but the Hero blocked it with his sword. But Uru’s barrage didn’t stop.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang…
(S-She’s fast!)
The Hero, Alto, was barely able to defend when Uru began to mix in feints, and the Hero lost control.
(Damn it, the Hero… losing to such a small girl!)
“Don’t underestimate me!”
He swung his sword to shake off the girl, but the girl disappeared from in front of him.
(Where did she go?!)
“Below you!”
It was too late by the time Alicia’s voice from the audience reached him, and the Hero was struck by a powerful uppercut from Uru, who had slipped into his guard, and lost consciousness.
““““““A-Amazing!””””””
The venue erupted in a great upset. The unending cheers enveloped the venue, but Uru only had sweets on her mind.
“I’m looking forward to the sweets!”
Chris couldn’t hide his surprise.
“She really won…”
To be honest, he thought it would be difficult for Uru to face the Hero, but it was an overwhelming victory….
Absolute opened his mouth.
“The Hero’s skill was troublesome. But the owner was a small fry, so he couldn’t make the most of it. If the Hero’s attack had landed on Uru even once, she would have lost. But Uru understood that, so she didn’t give the Hero a chance to attack.
Well, at this stage, Uru was stronger. That’s all.”
Absolute was in high spirits. He had seen the bottom of his enemy, the Hero, Alto.
(*In the original story, the reason the Hero was weaker than Absolute was because he had no sense as a fighter.
Well, I don’t know what will happen in the future. Even if he has no sense, there is a possibility that he will lose if his level is close. I’ll keep an eye on the Hero in the future.*)
“Master! I’m back! Let’s eat sweets soon! And shopping, too!”
Uru returned, wagging her tail.
Absolute placed his hand on Uru’s head and gently stroked it. His expression was still expressionless, but his voice was somehow kind.
“Uru, you did well. I’ll give you a reward. Let’s go. Don’t hold back.”
Absolute and his group enjoyed the royal capital while indulging in Uru’s reward time.
【Hero Side】
The Hero, Alto, who was defeated in the match, was taken to the medical room, where his fiancée, the Mirai Marquis’s daughter, Alicia Mirai, who had come to watch the match, was present.
“To think that Alto, of all people, the Hero, would lose… That beastman child was strong. Alto tends to think he can win with just his strength, so I hope he’ll learn something from this defeat.”
Alicia regretted that Alto didn’t know the real world and had just been a frog in a well among his own family.
That’s why she used her father’s name this time to force Alto to participate.
(I wish Father would think of some countermeasures for Alto instead of leaving everything to me! It’s unreasonable that I’m always blamed when Alto-kun skips class, even though Father decided to take in the Hero’s descendant in the first place…)
Alicia was a hard worker. She was given unreasonable orders from above, and every time her subordinates didn’t listen and messed up, she was scolded from above.
That was the Noir Marquis’s House, a black noble family.
While she was thinking about this, the Hero, Alto, woke up.
“Hmm? Alicia… Oh, right, I lost.”
“Yes, unfortunately. So, did you gain anything from it?”
(After all, it’s his first defeat. I’d be grateful if his mindset changed a little.)
“Alicia, I’ve decided…”
(Oh, he finally understands! I believed in you! I knew that one day you would have the awareness to become a Hero!)
“I’m going to crush the Ark House!”
The Hero, Alto’s answer was diagonally below what Alicia wanted. It was a wild pitch.
“Huh, what?”
“I’m going to crush the Ark House! I thought that after seeing that child fight in the final. A house that enslaves such a small girl and makes her fight shouldn’t be considered a noble family. After all, the Ark House is as bad as the rumors say.”
“Eh, eeh?! No, but isn’t that impossible? They’re nobles, and even high-ranking nobles, and besides, isn’t that just Alto-kun’s imagination?
Even if you’re the Hero, there’s no way Alto-kun, a commoner, can crush a high-ranking noble. Besides, if Alto-kun messes with the Ark House, the Mirai House will be the ones to suffer! Do you understand?!”
“I understand! But I can’t allow a noble family that’s preying on such a small girl… I am the Hero.”
(*Oh, no, he’s not listening! We’re not on the same page.
Really, a stupid hard worker is troublesome. Okay, calm down, Alicia. The future of the Mirai House rests on my shoulders.*)
“You’re not going to suddenly attack them, are you? If you do, I’ll break off our engagement immediately. The Mirai House has nothing to do with you.”
“…I’m frustrated, but I can’t beat the Ark House alone. That’s why I’m going to look for allies to fight with me.”
She was relieved that he seemed a little calm, but the disaster was likely to continue.
“So, Alicia! Become my ally and together let’s destroy the Ark House—!”
Alicia interrupted him.
“No way! I’m not going to be your ally based on your far-fetched theory! If you want me as an ally, prepare a proper reason with the royal family and high-ranking nobles and tens of thousands of troops first. Then I won’t say anything…. So until then, stop messing with the Ark House! I don’t want you to destroy the Mirai House because of you!”
Pressed by Alicia’s momentum, the Hero, Alto, agreed.
“I understand. You’re saying to gather troops from the royal family and high-ranking nobles and crush them completely.
As expected of Alicia. You think differently. I’ll do it, Alicia!”
Alicia was relieved that she had avoided the worst-case scenario for the time being, but her disaster was far from over.
