Chapter 117
I thought it was noisy out front, so that’s what happened . ”
Maizen chuckles as he takes a drink of water .
I plop down on the desk and exhale heavily .
“…… I really don’t know what to do from here anymore . ”
After Gaston had left the Adventurer’s Support Center with Princess Charlotte, I had gone back to the break area to sort out the situation .
By that time, the drama of Maizen’s party had already subsided, and that couple in question, Lisha and Tida, had left the Adventurer’s Support Center after the couple in question had left .
“I don’t know much about the situation but…… it sounds like it’s a lot of work . ”
…… And for some reason, only the interloper was left .
The interloper’s name seems to be Cliff .
When I came back to the break area, Cliff and Maizen were comforting each other in a rather friendly manner .
“Um…… well, has the lascivious ruckus from earlier calmed down?”
I asked, and Maizen stuck out his tongue in a small way .
“You-, you’ve been watching, huh . I’m sorry you had to see something so unseemly…… our party has been called off . Maybe the time was a bit bad, well, maybe it was just a matter of time before it wasn’t . ”
Maizen said sadly and shook his head quietly from side to side .
“Maizen……”
“So anyway, Cliff and I have decided to team up for the hunt . We’re a bit small in numbers, but it can’t be helped . ”
I look at Cliff, the short-haired man sitting next to Maizen .
He’s Lisha’s lover and the start of this scene of carnage .
“Ah, thanks…… It seems to be an important conversation, I’m sorry . Should I leave the table?”
I may want to yell at him for lowering his head and staying here, but he seems to be a relatively normal, nice guy, so that’s a problem .
I was on the side of stopping the fight earlier too, and if Maizen is convinced, I won’t say anything .
“…… It’s alright, everything is already over after all . ”
Even if you ask me this now, it doesn’t matter now .
I never dreamed that this would happen .
“Ahhh, that’s right . ”
I keep my cheek on the desk and look at Maizen .
“If you’re small in numbers, then I’d like to introduce you to a couple of guys who just need some company . It’s a pair of melee and archers, their character is a bit poor, but good at heart . If you think that they are being selfish, if you just tell them you’re my friends and they will calm down . ”
“Yeah? Then I’ll ask for you later . ”
Of course, it was the duo of Gordon and Mordon .
That brother must have had a hard time having someone to team up with because of Gordon’s lack of good-naturedness .
“Getting back to my point… I don’t think this matter will be as important as Abel thinks . It may sound good to call them the royal family’s elite guards, but they are after all just like the princes’ babysitters . Rather than practicality, as long as they maintain their dignity, it can somehow be done . Or rather, Gaston, whose name has been selling like hotcakes, may be the right man for the job . ”
Especially since the country is so peaceful and safe, Maizen continued .
“I-, Is that how it is…… that’s fine if that’s the case . ”
“Yes, King Dinrat has been appointed by his predecessor for generations . The princes show their abilities to the king by touring the provinces, greeting the allies, and organizing their own Elite Guards . That’s why Gaston, whose name is spreading, was just fine as a decoration, regardless of his abilities . Maybe they don’t expect much in the way of strength . ”
That’s why they didn’t bother to check the authenticity of the product, and just went ahead with the suspicious rumor .
Or rather, she wants to keep the plating on, in case it comes off by poking at it carelessly .
When I think about it like that, the princess’s behavior makes a bit more sense . .
“What…… then it’s a relief . I heard they were going to make him an Elite Guards Captain, so I thought what were they thinking . ”
“Eli-, Elite Guards Captain?”
Maizen’s face paled quickly .
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“…… Well, in the royal capital, there’s an arena . It’s a tradition that the prince’s captains of the Elite Guards fight each other before the combat tournament begins, to show the royal family’s dignity…… I’ve seen it once myself, but……”
“Ga-, Gaston’s in there…?”
“…… I don’t know, but if they went to the trouble of wanting to rush an untrustworthy rough adventurer to be captain, maybe they’re going to drag him out there . I’ve heard that the winner there will be nominated as the king as well . ”
Being involved in the king’s nomination means that the entire royal family will naturally come to watch the game .
It must be a big event in the royal capital .
Thousands, no, tens of thousands of people must come to watch it .
“That…… when is that?”
“…… It should always take place at the beginning of the Fire Dragon Season and Ice Dragon Season . ”
It’s now the end of the Fire Dragon Season .
In less than ten days, the Ice Dragon Season will begin .
“It-, it’s over…… I’m completely checkmated……”
“We-, we don’t know yet! In the first place, if the princess found out on the way, she would have pulled Gaston back……”
‘No, I get it somehow . Gaston will come out . That guy will definitely come out . ”
Bad coincidences are a strange thing that happens often .
I can tell, because we’ve already overlapped so much . Gaston will come out . He’s going to be in the Imperial Game .
He will be dragged out in front of tens of thousands of people and will have to fight the other Elite Guards Captains .
I can’t see a future where that idiot princess will realize on the way out and pull Gaston back in a hurry at all .
I can only picture Gaston happily running as fast as he can to the executioner’s table .
“I don’t understand…… . but Gaston-san, he’s going to be in the pre-fight for the tournament!”
Cliff said happily .
I don’t have a clue what was going on, but I just knew that Gaston will participate in the pre-tournament’s display fight anyway .
“This is something that all the adventurers of Lomarn must go and support! If we’re going to get ready now, we’re going to have to hurry to get ready in time! And there’s also the reservation for a seat!”
“N-, no, no matter how you think about it, it’s not going to be a bad idea, so you shouldn’t……”
Cliff didn’t hear Maizen’s restraint and ran to the crowded area of the receptionist .
“Everyone! Listen to me! Gaston-san, it seems Gaston-san is going to be in the pre-fight for the Royal Capital Combat Tournament! Let’s all go support them!”
Cliff shouted, and the crowded facility became even noisier .
“Seriously! We’re going to be able to see that Gaston-san’s tremendous fight with our own eyes!”
“Hey, hey, don’t you think the idiot aristocrats will faint from excitement when they see a cancerous thing?”
I’m more worried that the Lomarn’s adventurers are going to die of shock .
“I’m tight on money, you know…… I don’t have any money to get to Royal Capital and back……”
“Idiots! You’d have to borrow money to scrape it up!”
It’s definitely not worth it to go see it that much .
“Wow…… I’m looking forward to it . I have to admit, I’m a bit skeptical . Maybe they pulled out a tree and swung it around, or maybe the magic beast they threw in the morning fell at nightfall…”
“What? You, are you making fun of Gaston-san?”
“N-, no, I don’t mean that!”
I looked at Mea in silence .
She looked away from me looking down .
“I’m-, I’m sorry…… Mea was just thinking…… . . maybe something flashy would be better……”
Mea softly lifts her head up and says while looking at me with an upward glance .
It’s already beyond that dimension, so it’s a little late for that now…… . .
“…… What are you going to do, Abel? If you’ve gotten this far, I’d say you might as well pretend you don’t know anything and get away with it . ”
“If we can somehow interfere with the match with magic, we might be able to fool them…… If I can get them in a good mood there, it might give me a chance to talk to the princess . ”
“There are tens of thousands of eyes in there, you know . And the opponent is an Elite Guards Captains . It’s not that easy……”
“I think that part is out of our control . The question is, will I get a chance to talk to the princess or not……”
“I, I see…… yeah, I guess so……”
Maizen said this half-heartedly, then bent his head and looked out the window .
“What’s the matter? Did you see anything flying?”
“…… No, I just remembered something you dropped out of the sky a long time ago . ”