The Hura River separates the northwestern country of Eltraluy from the southwestern country of Lauravia.
　So large in area and so clear in water quality that it could easily be mistaken for the sea, the Hura is a national treasure, one of the few places in my world where you can find it.

　The closer we get to the river, the more people we pass, the more explosive it becomes.
　But it feels less crowded than at the Festival of Someday.

　-- Someday, the festival ......?

　I know what it is.
　Perhaps it's my past experience.
　I shake off the headache with a familiar feeling.

　I board a small riverboat from the small port at the northern end of Lauravia.
　The boat, carrying a few dozen or so passengers, is slowly making its way to the center of the river. There, there was such an amount of boats lined up that it seemed as if we were about to go to war. The small boat was lifted up using a rope as it was attached to the side of one of those luxurious giant ships.
　This is how the people of the Allies seem to come to 'Vualhura'.

　The festival was a bit of a hurdle to overcome, I thought.
　The previous festival I'd been able to visit for free, but this time I'm going to have to pay for a boat just to enter Vualhura.

　I look around, checking the faces of the people walking by.

　It's as if I'm on land.
　There are countless ships lined up in a row with no gaps between them, and the tremors are minimal. Because of this, one does not feel that they are at sea. If anything, I felt as if I had landed on an island called "V'Alfoura".

　V'Alfoura" seems to be full of well-dressed people.
　As I suspected, the entrance fee for the boat is a big hurdle to overcome.

　Immediately I drowned out the festive mood and unfolded the Dimension.
　For now, I'm going to 'gaze' at every single person who looks strong. In the meantime, I'll be able to find my objective, Rustyala.

　I walk around with materials in hand and figure out the ships and people.

　According to the data, the fleet is divided into four areas. I'm in the northern area of the fleet, which is divided into north, south, east and west.

　The contestants of the tournament are also divided into four groups, and only the team that wins in each area will be able to fight on the giant theater ship in the center.

　I read the detailed rules of the tournament.
　To be honest, I'm not that into this tournament. There were other special systems, but I didn't read up on them in detail. I guess the important thing now is that the center of Vualhura is a special treat.

　I turned my eyes to the center.
　There was a huge luxury liner floating there, towering like a fort.
　The materials and size of this ship are far different from other ships. Furthermore, the density of magic power is also different. Perhaps the amount of magic stones used on board the ship was high. But more than that, the quality of the people on board the ship must be higher than that.

　I decided to focus on examining the center area.

''--Magic 《Dimension Multiple Deployment (Multiple)》......

　And the search would go on and on until nightfall.
　I had intended to stop as soon as I found Rastiara, but I couldn't find them until the sky had turned red.

　What's more, there weren't many people who were likely to be in a fight with me.
　To begin with, it was rare that anyone was even stronger than Mr. Volzak from Epic Seeker. These were fierce people from various countries, but their refinement was low compared to the people of the Confederacy who made a living exploring the labyrinth. If you think about it, if you have the skill, you would have come to the United Kingdom even before the 'Dancing Tournament'.

　I sighed and focused my attention on the data and 《Dimension》.
　The one who seems to be a possibility is Snow's brother Glenn Walker, the man who bears the name of the "strongest".

　Right now, he was just making the greeting rounds in the hall where the nobles in 'Vualhura' were gathered. But there's a part of him that wants to keep me and Snow together. And since he seemed to be on good terms with Palinkron as well, it is unlikely that he will cooperate with me.

　The next possibility is Fenrir Arrais, the man who bears the name of 'Sword Saint'.

　He too was in the same hall as Mr. Glenn.
　Although he was an old man of the first generation, his body hadn't deteriorated at all. Even without the 《Dimension》, one could see the thickness of the muscles in his body. And his sharp eyesight has awed many nobles. He would be as good as Glenn-san, too.

　However, as far as I can see in the 《Dimension》, Fenrir Arrais is on good terms with Mr. Glenn. Perhaps he might not be able to listen to Mr. Glenn in a righteous manner and listen to him. Most of all, it's tricky to ask someone of high status for money. I honestly have no idea how to get alone with them and how to get them to talk.

　These two have little hope.
　They are constantly surrounded by nobles and a large number of guards.
　I have no choice but to look for Rustyala Fouzeyars and Diablo Sith more often.
　However, they had not appeared on the evening of the previous day. I continue to search the entire Foura River with Dimension, but there's no sign of them.

　With Dimension deployed, I move to the room I was given.
　According to the documents, Rastiara's team will be having a match in the west area tomorrow morning. We have to aim for that time to talk to them.

　And if possible, ask them to destroy the bracelet in a safe place, not during the game. That's the end of my problem with the bracelets. After that, it would be ideal if I could solve my friends' problems in turn.

"Feng ......

　I enter the room and draw my sword with a sigh.

　It's a luxurious room. Probably, it was originally a room for a state guest level person. All of them are high quality furniture made of magic stones, and each one of them is worth as much as an average citizen's annual income.
　In the center of such a room, I place my sword against the 'bracelet'.

　I can't just consume time until Rastiara appears.
　I'm going to try various things and check the conditions.

　For example, if my body is restrained by myself and only my right hand is free. If I concentrate on my right hand alone in that condition, I might be able to destroy it more easily than I thought. I'd also like to try it when I'm drowsy and dazed.

　I take out a rope from my 'belongings' that could be restrained and begin to tie both feet together.
　In the meantime, I'm waiting for Rastiara's arrival with the 《Dimension》.
　If I can make contact with them today, it will be a very good thing.

　Thus, I continued to try every method in the room in order to break the 'bracelet'.


◆◆◆◆◆ ...


　I felt a dull ache in my head and shook off the muddy sleepiness.

　When I open my eyes, what I see is an unfamiliar ceiling.
　Slowly I try to sit up and realize that my legs are restrained.

　I make sense of the situation.
　I seem to have lost consciousness last night as I tried to push the experiment to its limits. In the end, Rastiara didn't appear for any length of time, so the experiment went on until the next day, the day of the 'dance competition'.

　His left arm is tied to the bed with a rope, so he moves his right hand, which is the only one free.

'Don't be misled if people see you: ......　

　I muttered and untied the tightly bound ropes.
　In the middle of it all, there was a knock at the door.

''Excuse me. Aikawa Kanami-sama, may I have your permission?

　When I checked with the 《Dimension》, the attendant who managed the "Dancing Competition" was waiting in front of the room.

　I hurriedly finished undoing the restraints.
　I quickly dressed myself and opened the door.

''Oh, sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Aikawa Uzumi.

　There was a woman in white formal attire giving a deep bow.
　The attendant woman immediately began to explain in a clerical tone.

''I'm contacting Aikawa Kanami-sama, who is a contestant in the 'Ichinotsuki Allied General Knight's Seed Ball' final round.
Yes. Please.
Aikawa Kanami, the representative of the Lauravian nation, is exempt from the first round. He is what is called a seed. Therefore, please make your way to the arena ship in the north area in the afternoon instead of in the morning.
...... Got it.
That's all we have to tell you. We wish you all the best, Aikawa Kanami. Good luck.

　She briefly told me her business and left.
　Watching her back, I spread out my Dimension to gather information and understand the current time and situation.

　The sky had become brighter. It was a pleasant sunny morning.
　There are many people watching the "Dancing Tournament" on every ship.

　Apparently, the first round of the tournament is about to begin.
　The "Dimension" is lightly stretched out.

　Rowen is preparing for the match on the arena ship in the south area.
　The reapers are not in the fleet. Maybe they are planning to not participate in the 'Dancing Competition' at all.
　Snow was with Teyri from 'Epic Seeker'. He is being comforted by Tairi-san in the antechamber of the arena ship in the west area. There was also an uncomfortable looking Volzak-san nearby.
　I was told a short while ago that these three will also participate in the "Dancing Tournament" as representatives of the guild "Epic Seeker". Perhaps because of what happened yesterday, I was worried about Snow, but as long as Teyri-san and Volzak-san are in charge, she seems to be okay for the time being.

　Soon I'll be looking for the girls as well.
　According to the data, Rustiala's first battle will be held in the western area.
　However, I couldn't find them even though I looked for them with Dimension. Even on the day of the battle, Rastiara and the others still have not appeared. I searched the entire fleet, but still there was no sign of them.

　I walk to the west area with a bit of impatience.
　I walk into the arena ship where Rastiara and the others are having their match and observe the surroundings. By the way, the contestants were given special treatment and no admission fee was charged.

　The construction of the arena ship was much different from other ships.
　It was visibly sturdier than the other ships, and the physicality of the ship made it clear that it was originally a warship. The deck of the huge battleship was modified to house an amphitheater on top.

　The construction of the arena is much the same as my image of the ship. The whole thing is shaped like a cylinder, and the seats are arranged like a platform. In the center is a sandy stage the size of a playground, which can be seen from every seat. The only difference, however, is the decoration.
　It was decorated with excessive amounts of jewelry, and if you look down, there were many "magic stone lines" drawn. This is a feature not seen in my world.

　All the seats were occupied. I arrived at the last minute, and it looks like I'll have to stand and watch.
　I rest my back against the wall at the highest and farthest point. But it's not technically the highest and farthest, as there are special seats reserved for the aristocracy overhead.

　We're almost to the start of the match.
　According to the documents, it's the first match for Las Tiara. A few minutes more and it would be an unbeaten match for Rastiara and his team.

　And as the crowd was buzzing, the time for the match to start had passed.
　But when the time came, the match did not start, and the buzz of the crowd grew stronger.

　It seems that Rastiara really isn't there.
　I thought he was escaping the Dimension by some means, so I came here, but it seems to be in vain.

　I was just about to sit down to go outside of Vualhura to look for him when the voice of the presenter inside the arena echoed through the arena.

''-- I apologize to all the visitors. The scheduled 'Ichinotsuki Allied General Knight's Seed Ball', the first game of the West Area, has not yet arrived for the Rustyala Fusoya's team. Therefore, after a fifteen-minute grace period, we will declare the second game to be an undefeated match against Rustiala Huskyards.

　It was an announcement of the treatment of the late Rastiara.
　It was a very low voice, but it certainly echoed throughout the arena.
　I was curious about how it worked, and observed it carefully with the 《Dimension》.

　The presenter was holding something that resembled a stand microphone. However, the material was not iron, but a gemstone. From its meticulous workmanship, one could tell that it was a magic stone in which a special magic formula was implanted. And that magic tool is connected to the magical stone line that stretches across the arena.

　It's similar to Snow's vibrating magic.
　It is said that if you have expensive magical tools and the environment of the magical stone line, you can do something similar. Whenever the presenter speaks, the "magic stone line" at his feet vibrates.

　I continued to listen to the presenter's announcement, impressed by the usefulness of the device.
　Apparently, Rastiara is not immediately disqualified. Apparently there is a little grace period. Because of this, I decide to wait until the last minute.

　Perhaps that jovial girl may appear at the very last minute, aiming for the right time.

　And I decide to watch the match in the other area while I wait.
　With my Dimension, I can watch all the games in the north, south, east, and west areas at the same time.

　I focus my attention on the south area. If I wanted to watch, I wanted to watch Rowen's match, which was probably the strongest of the participants.

　The "Dimension" cuts through the expanse, and I can see that the arena ships in the south area are built the same as here. And the seats were full as well.
　The western area was taking a long time to progress, but the southern area was progressing without a hitch.

''--'The first match of the 'Ichinotsuki United Kingdom General Knight's Seed Ball' in the south area, it's on!

　The first game is just about to begin.

　In front of Rowen, who is standing comfortably, three men and women are holding their weapons at the ready.

　I look through the materials at hand and grasp the details of the three men and women. They seem to be well-known explorers, and the spectators in the arena are cheering a lot. No, if it's not good, everyone in the arena might be cheering for the explorers.

　From the point of view of the Allies, Rowen was close to unknown, so there was no way to blame them.
　He didn't seem to care about that, and was waiting for his opponents to come out in an interesting way.

　In contrast, the three explorers were also waiting.
　No, to be precise, they are preparing to attack.

　The composition of the searcher's party can easily be seen from their formation and appearance. A wizard-like man continues to chant in the rear, and two men and women with swords and shields are the wizard's wall.

　It's a back-to-basics tactic.
　It would be an interception formation with a long chanting large magic as the main axis.

　If you give it time, large magic will come flying at you. However, even if you aim at the wizard ineptly, you will be interrupted by the two vanguards.
　They are basic and royal, therefore there are no gaps. It's a great tactic that will at least overturn a slight level difference.

But you're dealing with Rowen.

　It would all be pointless.

　To the extent that it seemed so, the current Rowen was full of energy.
　As usual, her magic power was low. However, her presence and heaviness is thicker than ever before. If it's not good, it looks like it's in better shape than when we met.

　That Rowen, with a thin smile tautly on her face, did not try to step forward at all.
　The crowd sees this and gives Loewen a few mocking jeers.

　And so it is.
　Even to the untrained eye, Rowen's fighting style is stupid.

　As long as there are wizards chanting in the rear, the more time you spend, the worse off you are.
　And while Rowen is faltering, the wizard's large magic is completed.

''-- 'Raging Wisdom,' 'Tie the Time'!　-- Fetiality Woods!

　With the completion of the project, light dust danced around.

　Since I'm analyzing the magic with Dimension, I know what it is. That's a magic seed. It is a crystal of the magic of the wood attribute that has been concocted with great precision.

　The magic seeds are scattered on the sandy soil of the arena, and instantly sprout and grow into large trees that almost cover the sky.
　Countless large trees writhe like life-like puppets and attack Rowen one after another.

　The trees' attacks are fun for Rowen to avoid.
　From the point of view of an ordinary person, one would think that he would be overwhelmed by their overwhelming mass. However, he was able to handle all of the attacks with just his body language.

　He dodged the tip of an attacking branch with his nose, and jumped and dodged a thick branch that had been dispatched like a whip. Using that dodged branch as a foothold, he dodged more attacks from all directions. It also dodges attacks by roots from the ground that scratched its back, as if it could see the future. --They continue to dodge and dodge and dodge.

　The audience understands the unusual situation and is simultaneously enthused.
　Loewen had the entire crowd mesmerized by his physical skills alone.

　Then, after confirming the excitement of the audience, Rowen picked up a twig that had fallen nearby. It was one of the pieces that were scattered around as the large trees rubbed against each other.

　Loewen grips the twig firmly with her right hand and stops.

　Naturally, the big trees rush to Rowen as he stops.
　The crowd sees it and shouts. It was mixed with screams, because they understood that stopping their feet was synonymous with being crushed to death by the attack of the big trees.

　The three explorers were convinced that the game was decided, and the spectators in the arena were about to cover their eyes at the horrific scene that was to come next - the moment the three explorers were convinced that the game was over.

　-- A light sputtering sound was heard and countless large trees shifted to the side (...).　

　And all the large trees crumbled one by one, falling in half to the side.

''--Huh?''

　The moderator let out a dumbfounded voice.
　It represented the state of mind of the entire arena.

　No one could understand what had happened.

　But the answer is simple.
　Rowen just made a blade with 'magical materialization' on a twig and lightly paid the entire arena (・・・・・・) with it.

　But the sequence of actions was just too fast.
　And it was too unrealistic.
　Hence, no one could keep up with the understanding.

　Rowen walked leisurely through all the trees that dominated the arena as they fell.
　It was a fantastic and terrifying sight.

　His opponent came to himself and the two vanguards attacked Rowen as he tried to get closer.
　The two vanguards with swords make contact with Rowen.

　However, if they challenge Rowen, the 'greatest swordsman of all time', to a close fight, the result is obvious.
　The next moment of contact, the two vanguards are bleeding from the back of their hands and have dropped their swords to the ground.
　Rowen left them behind and walked to the rear guard wizard's side.

　He thrust the twig in front of the wizard's eyes.

　The wizard laughed with cold sweat.
　He couldn't help but laugh before the overwhelming difference in power.

''-- Ha, ha, I surrender.

　Hearing this, Rowen exhaled lightly and released the twig to the ground.
　Then she waved to a corner of the auditorium.

　There were the sisters and children from the sometime orphanage. The children cheered, their surprised expressions turning into big smiles.

　With that, the entire arena erupted in cheers.
　In order to keep up with the volume, the MC also shouts out.

''--Lo, Rowen!　You've met the win condition: ......!　Rowen wins by unanimous decision!　A strong team that had been in the running for the championship was brought down by a single person, and an unknown swordsman advanced to the second round......!

　The cheers got louder and louder.
　The storm of praise is truly worthy of being called 'glorious'.
　Although not the summit of "Glory", Rowen stepped into the foot of it. There was no doubt about it.

　However, Rowen's extraordinary presence did not diminish.
　It still remained thick.

　It's true, Rowen is smiling now. But at the same time, she also looked sad.
　It wasn't a smile from the bottom of her heart.

　Rowen, waving a smile in the center of the arena, looked somewhat breathless.