Back in the Oval Office, me and the Reapers are greeted by Rowen's cheerful voice.

'Kanami, I've heard good things from Snow!
Good news?
I heard that there will soon be a competition of strength in this country. If I participate in that and win, I'm sure I will get my wish. It seems that Kanami won't be bothering you.
'Come to think of it, there's something like that: ....... I think it's called "The Dancing Tournament"?　Sure, just right. Just what Rowen wanted.
Yeah. I'm going to go sign up for it as soon as I can!
No, no, no. It's late. Let's do it tomorrow.

　I chide Rowen, who is about to leave.

'Mm, is it nighttime now (・・・・・・・)?　Yes, ......, then I guess I have no choice: ......

　Rowen stopped in his tracks, looking disappointed.
　I made sure he was quiet and called out to Snow, who looked tired.

'Snow, are you tired?'
...... Umm, yeah. I got a lot of questions.
'Good job on that. But now you know a little more about Rowen's character, don't you?
...... certainly doesn't look like a bad person. But let's just say that there's no guarantee that a bad person will look bad.
That's too twisted.
...... And what's bad for Kanami is surely not the same as what's bad for me.
Yeah, that's right, ....... Hey, is Rowen that unacceptable?
...... No, he's fine. I just don't like something else.
Another thing?
...... That's enough. No problem. But I'm tired. I'm tired anyway. I'm going home.

　Snow wavers and goes out the window.
　It seems like the window in the Oval Office has been the exit for me lately. ......

　I walk away from Snow and talk to Rowen and the others.

It's a good idea to get a good night's sleep. For now, let's head up to my sister's room.
...... Wait, Kanami. You're not going to let me stay in that sister's room too, are you?
What, no?
'Of course not. 'Kanami, you don't have to worry about us. We're not human, you know. It doesn't matter.
What's going to happen to you, ......?
'Just right ....... I'll show you what a monster you are: .......

　With that line, Rowen shows me her arms.
　The arms made a sound as if the stones clashed with each other and turned into crystals.

"You became a crystal ......?
'I'm a mixture of monsters of the monster-stone (gargoyle) lineage. I'm pretty good at this.
Um, so ......?
"Let me be a stone statue on top of this building. You'll be able to guard your surroundings and rest at the same time. It will keep the evil away.
Oh, so you can rest?
Enough. Monsters don't need their rest as badly as humans do to begin with. Besides, I've been entrusted with your protection. Let me do this.

　I stare into Rowen's eyes, searching for the truth of it.
　At least, as far as I can tell, he's not lying.

'Okay. That's fine for Rowen. But what about the Reaper?
Why don't you just let him float in the air and go to sleep? Maybe you could do that.
No, that's a bad idea: ......

　Even just a stone statue of a man on top of a building is only erected at night. I don't want any more monstrosities to happen in "Epic Seeker". You can still make excuses for the stone statue, but there's no excuse for the girl in the sky.

'Oh no, I don't want to!　I'd rather sleep in bed, for God's sake!

　The Reapers disagree, as they should.
　But if he doesn't deny it, it seems he can sleep in the sky if he wants to.

'Reaper, we're staying here. You need to be a little more modest. And be modest and sleep in the sky.
'No, I don't want you to sleep in the sky with modesty: ......

　Rowen interjects, thinking she's off somewhere with Rowen.

'I'm going to sleep with my brother, it's fine!
'In the meantime, Reaper, come up to your sister's room. I don't think I'm going to let the Reaper, a girl, stay in the field.
Way to go, bro!

　I beckoned the Reaper over to me.
　Loewen looks at it, looking terribly surprised.

　Immediately, Rowen's expression returns, shrugs, and walks off in the opposite direction from us.

'Well ....... Then I'm going to go outside. Reaper, make sure you're properly quiet.

　Rowen nailed the reaper and climbed with quick gestures from the window to the roof.
　There was no time to stop him. Because I didn't expect her to go out the window. But when I thought back on it, both me and Snow were going in and out of the window. Maybe Rowen saw that and mistook the window for a doorway.

　I headed up to Maria's room with the Reaper, making up my mind that I would correct that mistake tomorrow.

　Nailing the restless Reaper, I move upstairs and make it to Maria's room.

　After knocking, I go inside.
　Inside the room I see Maria sitting on the bed. Maria notices me and her face lights up. But her bright face froze as she sensed that the Reaper was behind me.

'Maria, I'm home,'
'Oh, welcome back, brother. ......

　Maria returns the greeting with a hardened expression on her face.
　But Maria's attention remains focused on the Reaper.
　Her vision is closed, but she seems to be able to tell from the sound of footsteps that someone is there.

''Well, this is the child who was left in the custody of the 'Epic Seeker'. His name is Reaper. Get along with him.
The Reaper?　What the hell is this kid--

　Without waiting for Maria to finish her words, the Reaper interrupts.

'Yay, not an adult!　Mm-hm!　You've got a nice little sister, man!

　The Reaper happily approached Maria.
　Apparently, Maria was preferable to the Reaper. It seemed like the Reaper wanted a partner who was about his age.

'Oh, Onii-chan?'

　However, it was Maria who seemed to have a problem.
　Her hardened expression twitched.

'What's wrong, Maria?'
Brother, what's your relationship with the boy?
'Well, um, he was lost in the labyrinth and we had to protect him. Reaper had a strong shock in the labyrinth and his memory seems to be unstable, so being gentle with him would help. ......

　This excuse was decided with Rowen on the way home.
　By the way, Rowen has become a wandering swordsman in training.

'Heh ....... So your brother picks up a girl who was weak and makes her call him 'big brother'? That's a very noble hobby.
'No, I'm just calling it what I want, I'm not letting you call it anything else, but ......'

　There was a cloud of doubt in the air.
　Before I knew it, Maria's expression had relaxed and turned into a seamless smile.

　It was a smile, that's for sure.
　However, I felt an unfathomable pressure from that Maria's smile, and sweat began to gush out of my skin.

'You're not letting me call you?　But you didn't stop when they called you, did you?
Well, well, yes, but ......　
'I mean, that means you chose to be called "big brother --a mortal sin.
You're going to be charged with a crime?

　The pressure, similar to the heat radiating from Maria, intensifies.

　It's bad.
　I don't know what's bad, but my instincts are ringing the alarm bells that it's bad.

　I'm about to run my computing power to its limit to make excuses when the Reaper lets out an innocent voice.

''Mmm, um, 'sister'?　Don't tease your brother too much, okay?

　Hearing his voice, Maria suddenly lost her fever.

''Oh, sis?　Me?
'Yes, I'm smaller than you. I'm going to call you big sister, but no?

　Maria's face loosens up a little bit every time the Reaper calls her 'big sister'.

'Wow, I don't mind. I don't care what you call me. ......
'Yes!　Thank you, sis!

　Maria's expression hardens as the Reaper hugs her with a thank you. To be precise, she's keeping her Buddha's face in order to keep her cheeks loose.
　There's no doubt that it's because I activated the 《Dimension Decisive Operation (Gradiate)》. Now Maria is desperately hiding her emotions so that the Reapers don't realize how happy she is.

　Maria lets out a strangled voice while maintaining her Buddha's face.

'...... I don't mind being your sister. But let's not call your brother 'big brother'.
What? Why?
That's because ...... your brother already has a sister named me, so it's confusing to call both of them brother.
'There's nothing confusing about it!　If you want to, just pretend I'm your sister, and I'll be your sister. Then your big sister will be my big brother!
Wow, my sister--?

　Leaving Maria flustered, I solved the Dimension Decisive Operation (Gradient).
　Because I no longer feel like I can solve everything if I leave it to the Reaper.

　Reaper becomes a crazy reaper when Rowen is involved, but otherwise she's an innocent, innocent girl. Reaper would be a better fit than me making a poor excuse here.

'Hey, sis!　Can I get in that fluff too?　I've never been in bed before!
What?　In bed? ......?　I don't mind that much, but .......
Thank you, baboons.

　The Reaper climbed onto the bed and unfolded the picture book he had borrowed.
　Maria greeted it with a stained cheek.

　The guess was no longer a certainty.
　Maria has a weakness for sisterhood ......!

　That he was often in the lowest age position. Being slow to develop for her age and being easily seen by children. All of these circumstances combined to make him very happy to be called "big sister".

'Wow, what is this ......?'
It's a picture book. My brother borrowed it from Tosho-kan. I'll read it to you.

　Then, in a natural progression, Maria begins to take care of the Reaper.
　Watching them, I borrow one of the blankets and sit down in the corner of the room.

　Leaving the two of us alone, it wouldn't be a problem to sleep like this.　

''- Oh, I'll have something to talk to my brother about later,''

　But the moment I closed my eyes, Maria's cold voice came through.
　I could only nod in response, breaking out in a cold sweat.

　It seemed to be an illusion to think that the Reaper had somehow managed to fool me.

　But now, the Reaper has managed to be a bulwark. I'll be able to sleep in peace this evening.

　With Maria and the reaper's playful voice as a lullaby, I escape into the dream world.


◆◆◆◆◆ ...


　And early the next morning--

What a beautiful light!　This is the sun!　This is the sky!　Oh, my God, how beautiful you are!

　As soon as the sun comes up, I'm awakened by a cheer that comes from the top of the building.
　I turn blue in the face and quickly jump out the window of my room to look out for Rowen on the roof.

'Lo, Rowen. Shut up and be quiet.
The sky!　That "Blue Sky" or ......!　This is exactly the scene we've all been trying to achieve: ....... Oh, thank God. The world got to the 'blue sky' properly: ......

　However, an overwhelmed Rowen refuses to listen to me.
　She looks like she has tears in her eyes.

　I had no choice but to use the Freeze to cool Rowen's head.

''Sa, it's cold!''
Quietly ......, because it's morning ......

　I snapped to attention again.

'I'm sorry, Kanami ....... I'm distraught ......

　Rowen becomes sullen and bows her head.
　Then, he senses with the Dimension that the members who were sleeping inside the "Epic Seeker" headquarters are awake.

　Just behind me, a reaper who was caught and jumped out of the water is looking at the sky while floating fluffily.

''Hmm, hmm?　What is this? It's really blue, it's really blue. So this is the blue one, huh? This one is more beautiful, Rowen.
'I agree with you, Reaper. It's nothing compared to that stagnant sky.

　They're talking casually, but my head hurts.

'Stop chatting and get inside the building. Someone might come up here to see us. And Reaper, I told you not to float outside the labyrinth.

　Loewen finally sensed that I was in trouble, and quietly walked into Maria's room. Through the window, of course.
　By the way, the Reaper entered me in a fog. When I asked her why, she replied that it's too much trouble to walk around without floating, so it's possible she thinks I'm a vehicle or something.

　Maria was surprised by the new Loewen, but when I explained to her that she was like a guardian of the Reaper, she readily accepted it.

　Unlike with the Reaper, she didn't feel threatened. After all, it looked like it was a bad idea to let the Reaper call me "big brother".

　Next, the members will also explain Rowen to the members.
　Today, there were only a few people who were sleeping inside the 'Epic Seeker'. All of them had heard Rowen's strange voice, so they needed to be introduced as soon as possible.

　I found the members in the Dimension and introduced myself to them with Rowen.
　When I introduced myself as a guest, it was surprisingly easy to be accepted. Apparently, surrounding yourself with foreign guests is a common practice in running a guild.

　As he repeated this, he sensed Snow waking up with Dimension.
　I meet Snow in the corridor and we exchange morning greetings.

'...... Good morning. What are you going to do today?
'Good morning, Snow. I've made the introductions to Rowen's guild members so far, and I'm thinking of going to register for the 'dance competition' with Rowen. So, no work or labyrinth exploration today.
"...... All right. Then I'll be in the Oval Office sleeping. ...... Yeah, this is going to be a good day.
I don't think you'll be able to sleep. I'll leave the Reapers behind.
...... What?　Why?
It's just that having a reaper there is going to take a long time. That's all I'm saying. Here, answer the reaper.

　I answer shortly and kick the Reaper out from inside.

'Oh?'　Am I staying at home?

　Slimily crawling out of my shadow, the Reaper nods his head.

'That's what I'm talking about. I'll leave the picture book with you and you can read it to your sister over there.
A picture book?　Hmmm, hmmm, I'd certainly rather go with the ...... picture book. Welp, have a nice day. Rowen, big brother.

　Apparently, a picture book is better for a reaper than outside.
　I reassuringly take the borrowed picture book from my 'belongings' and force Snow to hand it to me.

'Go to ......?　What, a picture book?
Yes, you did.
...... Hey, wait a minute Kanami. I'm not ready to--

　Snow tries to refuse, but soon the Reaper rubs up against her and spoils her.

'Sis, read, read!
Yeah, yeah?　Yeah. ......

　Snow smiles with a troubled look on his face, but he doesn't take it personally.
　Once you push him, Snow will do his job with a certain amount of responsibility. There's no doubt about that. For now, the Reapers will be relieved.

　I'm sure that Snow and the Leopards will walk into the office together, and then head into town with Rowen.


◆◆◆◆◆ ...


　We go around to the official institutions of Lauravia and collect information about the "Dance Tournament". Then we found the office where we registered for the event, and we passed through the gate of the office.

　The wooden building, which has a lot of space, is filled with all kinds of people.

　We could see that most of them were of different nationalities, a rare breed in Lauravia. And I could tell from the way they walked that many of them were martial artists who would have been familiar with their skills.
　Large adults wearing armor I've never seen before, wandering around with a pensive look in their eyes. At times, almost all of them would be participants in the 'Dancing Competition'.

''Wow, this is awesome ......''
"Hmmm, that's a nice atmosphere. After all, that's how it should be before a fight.

　I was put off by the bleakness of the atmosphere, but Rowen was excited to the contrary.
　She seems to have a more belligerent personality than I expected.

　I didn't want to stay long, so I spread out my Dimension to gather information and look for the receptionist.

　I find an empty receptionist in the corner, so I take Rowen with me and talk to her.

''Excuse me. I'd like to ask you about participating in the 'Dancing Tournament': ......
''You're a participant in the 'One Moon United General Knight's Seed Ball'. Then sign here.

　I wanted to ask for an explanation, but the lady at the reception desk quickly held out a piece of paper that looked like a contract.

　I, Ichino Moon?　A ball?　It's not a dance competition?
　I freeze as he rattles off words I've never heard before.

　However, Rowen accepts a supply quill from the side and begins to write his signature.

'Oh, Rowen, without checking carefully--'
There's no doubt about it. In short, it's a tournament held by the Allies for knights. It's not uncommon for the name of the tournament to be ostentatious.
If so, I think you should read more convention rules and regulations.

　I look at the words scrawled all over the paper offered to me and alert Rowen.

'Most of these things are about not complaining about death. Also, it's often detailed with traps to mislead you about the rewards. But this time it's about honor, so there's nothing wrong with that.
Okay, then. ......

　While being persuaded by Rowen, I use Dimension Multiple Expansion (Multiple) to grasp the details of the contract written on the paper.
　Apparently, it's almost the same as what Rowen is saying.

''So, you're not going to join us, Kanami?''
'Yeah, me too ......?'

　There were indeed two sheets of paper.
　For the sake of The Epic Seeker, I guess I'll join you here.

　However, because of the example of the duo, we decide that it's better to focus on that right now. I don't want to get distracted by the tournament and neglect dealing with the two men.

　As I gather my thoughts, the lady at the reception desk calls out to me.

"...... Um, Kanami-san, right?
'Oh, yes. Yes, I do. How did you know my name?

　I'm surprised when he suddenly calls my name.

'Oh, I knew it. I've been thinking that since I came in. I'm glad I wasn't mistaken!
What?
'Oh, sorry. I took the liberty of getting excited about this ....... Recently, the Guildmaster of 'Epic Seeker' is very famous in Lauravia. So I've heard rumors about his physiognomy as well: ......
'Oh, so that's how you found my name: ......'

　Apparently, he knew about me through rumors in the wind. You must be familiar with such stories, since you are working as a receptionist in a place like this.
　When I was embarrassed, the lady at the reception desk held out her hand to me.

She says, "I'm a fan. Can I shake your hand?
Oh, sure. If that's okay with me.

　The fans - I guess that means they support me.
　I'm embarrassed to hold out my hand.

'I don't know,' he says ....... It's really just as I've heard. A beautiful man with a burn on his neck. He's got a good arm, but he's a bit small-minded.

　The lady at the reception desk shakes my hand and tells me the rumors about me in words.

'Bi, pretty boy?　That's ridiculous. ......
If you're as handsome as your brother, it's no problem. Since all searchers are swarthy, it's necessary for the vitality of Lauravia to at least exaggerate and advertise the promising young man a bit.
'Ha. ....... I see.

　I give a wry smile and accept it.
　For some reason, behind me, Rowen says, "I like that. A young knight (Hope) who suddenly appears. Even something like that would be nice," he envied me.

　Maybe glory in Rowen is a pretty low bar: .......

'So, about Kanami-san: ....... ''The 'Ichinotsuki United Kingdom General Knight's Seed Ball' has already been registered as a nomination slot for the Lauravian nation, right?''
What, recommendations?
'Yes. It's a national endorsement. It's very rare, there's no doubt about it.
'What?　Is that something that is done without your consent and without your permission?
'No, it shouldn't be: ....... Let's see, the recommendation officer is listed as Palinclone Legacy. Have you heard anything from this person?
Oh. I've got it all figured out, so I'm done.

　Palinclone Legacy.
　The mere mention of that name made everything go away.
　You know, Palincron served his country. He must have used his connections to screw me into the nomination slot.

'Currently, Kanami-san is registered as a one-person party. What do you want to do?　Do you want to party with your people?　That way, you won't have to qualify for that one, right?
What, a party?　Aren't these competitions supposed to be a solo challenge?
'That's an even-numbered month tournament. The first month is the 'knightly species,' or a party tournament.

　From what I know in my world, these tournaments are often one-on-one tournaments. Apparently I misunderstood the premise.

''You mean I have to play three matches by myself?''
''No, basically, one person will fight three people at the same time. But if the opponent is a knight or a nobleman who values propriety, there are times when you'll have to fight three times one-on-one.

　Apparently, it's mostly a one-on-three fight.
　What was that Palinkron guy thinking, signing me up as a one-man party?

'Well then, I'll have Rowen join my party. The rest of you can put in Snow or the Reapers--
Wait.

　But Rowen stopped it.
　Then she speaks with a serious look on her face as to why.

''Since we're going to be here, I want to fight Kanami-kun as well.
If you want to win, can't we just have the same party ......?
'Yeah, yeah ....... But I have a bad feeling about it. If I avoid a strong opponent (Kanami) and win, will I really be able to disappear ......? I may not be convinced myself.
Oh, I see. I didn't know that was the case.

　It eliminates Rowen's 'unfinished business'.
　The criteria for this depends largely on Rowen's emotions. If it's not in a way that Lowen himself is satisfied with, it could all be for nothing.

''So I'm going to go it alone and join the public. If I'm going to win anyway, I'd rather have the honor all to myself.
'It's difficult. And doesn't that mean I have to be serious about the competition too?
'Yes, I will. No, I'm sorry.

　If I cut corners and led Rowen to the win, it would be useless.
　If they knew I was skimping, it would all be for naught.

No, that's okay. I don't have a problem with taking it seriously for 'Epic Seeker'. But that would make it very difficult for Rowen to achieve her goal. That's a problem.
Well, that's quite a confidence builder.
I'm pretty confident that I'm capable of defeating a 30-layered guardian originally.

　I have confidence.
　But it's not the kind of confidence I get, it's the kind of confidence that's given to me at some point in time.

　I'm privileged in this world. The power, the talent, the system, all of it is foul.
　I've been favored as if I were the 'hero' of the world. That's why I thought I could take it for granted that I could defeat the unachieved guardians of the 30 layers of humanity.

''The 'Dancing Tournament' is going to be interesting. After all, it's a tournament that has to be won through the strongest of the strongest.''

　Looking at me with confidence, Rowen was shaking with wariness.

　I was curious if I was as strong as Rowen said I was in the 'Dancing Tournament'. To say the least, I was probably the strongest person in the Confederation, and after reaching the 30th layer, I had no intention of losing to Glenn, the strongest explorer of humanity.

　I wonder if there is someone strong enough to satisfy Rowen, who feels as powerful as me, ....... I doubt it.

''Excuse me, what kind of people are gathered in the 'Dancing Tournament'?''
What kind of person?　That's right: ....... First of all, as usual, you've got all the representatives from all the countries. This is the seed. ...... And then we'll have some mercenaries and criminals with a lot of skill.
Criminals?
'Yes, come to think of it, Kanami-san was in a remote area before she became a guild master, right? If that's the case, it can't be helped that you don't know about it. Let me explain.
Oh, yes.

　I've only called myself a fan.
　He seems to know my profile to some extent.

"The site of the 'Dance Tournament' is on the canal that runs between Lauravian and Etralieu countries. It will take place in the 'Vualhura', a giant mobile theatre floating on a huge canal.
On the Canal: ......
''The anchor will be down when we play the match, so there's no need to worry about shaking. The important thing here is that on the day of the 'One Moon United General Knight's Seed Ball', its mobile theater is located on the border of the Lauravian and Eltralieu countries. In other words, it will be held in a place that does not belong to any country, so the laws of any country will not apply. So the criminals can participate without having to worry about the charges against them.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's not a very good theory--
'Yes. Of course, lawlessness is an exaggeration. But it's true that sinners do congregate. The 'Dance Competition' is a place to give a chance to the lowlifes with too much power, and it's also a place for those with money to hire free strongmen. It's the biggest and last place on the continent to find a job, so to speak.
But isn't it dangerous for a criminal to join in so openly?
''The security is amazing for that. The security professionals of the five countries are keeping a close eye on it. If any trouble were to occur here, they would be charged with five different offenses, five times the usual amount. That's five times the usual amount. So, every year, there are not many problems in the 'Mai-To-Tournament'.
............

　I didn't think to return the words.
　I knew that no matter what I said, it was coming from a different culture and didn't fit the question here.

　In this other world, there are cultures that hold these conventions. We have to accept that.
　In short, there will only be a large, rude festival for a few days or so.

''And then there's a lot of noblemen participating: ......
A nobleman?

　An unexpected participant.
　I thought I was looking at it from a high place, but that's not the case.

''It's simply to sharpen up as a knight, to be a foil, and many other reasons. ...... After all, the real reason is to get a chance to speak out. There is a lot of marital activity, so to speak.
'Que, marriage activity ......?　You said it was a place to find a job earlier.
It's a bit of both. After all, it's the biggest tournament on the continent.
I don't know. Both?

　I was expecting something more casual, but the tournament seems to be more complicated than I thought.

''All statements made at the 'Dancing Tournament' main election will be made official. They will be made in the presence of many of the powers that be, so it's no longer as close to a dueling oath as you can get.
I'm sure it would be a lot of fun to court there: ......
Yes, it's very exciting. If you get the support of the people and powerful people, you can even get married in a flutter. Therefore, it is often used by low-status male aristocrats when they want to be recognized for their marriage to a high-status female aristocrat. And the people watching are also expecting it.

　The lady at the reception desk happily explains the courtship. There seem to be many examples of this in the past.
　Apparently, this is a permissible method of courtship because many people enjoy the love life of someone like the receptionist's sister.

　Then she gives me a serious look of caution.

'Kanami-san, Rowen-san. Anyway, please be careful with your pre-match banter. Both of you have beautiful faces, so I think you're easy targets.
Hey, is this a target?
They could be dictated to, and before you know it, you could be forced to marry them, or find a place to work, or go bankrupt, or be enslaved.
When did that happen, and how does that happen ......?
Quite a few. 'I have never seen a knight as good as you. If you can beat me, I'll give you my daughter! Or a knight who loses by shouting, "I dedicate this battle to you, my dear. Or a nobleman who confesses in an atmosphere that makes it impossible to refuse: "I would be sorry for the audience if the treasure staked on this great stage is a small fortune!　How about we cross swords with all our wealth together! And the bandits who are trying to successfully pick off all the money from you by taking you for a ride...

　The lady at the reception desk is very convincing and gives me a lot of examples.
　I listen to them with a blue face. None of the stories are funny. A lot of people's lives are out of whack.

　At the end, the receptionist warns me again.

Anyway, don't be carried away by the atmosphere in the hall, and don't accept strange rules for selling or buying.

　I nodded repeatedly and took the caution to heart.

　There wasn't a strong enemy among the participants, but the rules of the tournament itself seemed to be a strong enemy.
　Next to me, Rowen is nodding with a wry smile.

　Rowen hands the paper he has finished writing to the receptionist's sister.

''Yes, now Rowen-san's registration is complete. Huh, I'm expecting that Kanami-san's friend will be participating in the event. ...... I'm sure this year's "Dance Competition" will be very exciting. It's the year of the "Prophecy" of the "Saint Tiara". We have a record number of people here.

　The sister at the reception desk piles the paper she receives onto the stack of paper beside her and laughs at its thickness.

''The year of the 'Prophecy' in The Saint Tiara, is it?'''

　I'm not interested in the number of participants. Rather, I was interested in the part before that.

''Yes, there are 'prophecies' left in the Levantine religion, the bishop of the Confederation.'' -- "The year in which the Founder Tiara was reborn" and "Sword and sword will be linked together and a 'true hero' will appear". People believe in that prophecy.
Oh, I see.

　There have been such prophecies in my world.
　But in this world, it seems that there are excessive expectations because of the religion involved in it.

''Since the recent 'Nativity' ended in disappointment, there is a lot of public expectation for the 'Dance Competition'.
A disappointing result of 'Nativity'?
You don't know that?　In The Prophecy, it was supposed to be 'Saint Tiara's Second Coming' on the Nativity this year, but there was no mention of that at all. Everyone was disappointed because it ended with the usual festival and the usual rituals as usual. So there is a whisper among the devout Levantine faithful that something worthy of 'prophecy' is supposed to happen at the 'ball game'.
Heh. ......

　After listening to the stories that only a receptionist can tell, we went over the detailed rules of the tournament at the end.

　After that, we registered for the tournament.
　The receptionist waved us off and said, "We'll be cheering you on.

　I'm grateful for the chatty but friendly receptionist, and we leave the building.

You're just in time for the registration deadline, The timing of Kanami's summons to join was perfect.

　Rowen walks away, relieved.

'Yeah, that was really just fine. Well, then, we'll just buy Snow and the Reapers a few more souvenirs and--

　I'm relieved that it's all done and dusted, too. Then I unfold the Dimension to see if the Reaper is quiet, and I find a girl .......

"-- That's certainly just right, Christ (・・・・).
What?

　A woman's voice sounded clear as a bell, and I turned around and looked over the building.

　There sat a beautiful, floating, beautiful girl, Rustyala Hoozeyers.

　My heart jumps.
　I felt like I'd seen this scene somewhere before someday.

　That's right.
　Someday, somewhere--