The first round of the tournament is well underway.
　Forty matches were scheduled to be played over three days.

　When you hear that the tournament will be narrowed down from 50 to 10 players in a battle royale, you may wonder if it can be completed in three days.

　However, with the advice of Futa and Prim, this is how the schedule was worked out.

　If it was a battle to single out 50 people, I would have known.
　If there's a limit of 10, the smart ones will get around it.
　And above all, they both knew that the difference between a "self-proclaimed braggart" and a "warrior" was unexpectedly large.

　It was because they were the ones who had reached the pinnacle of the Principality Colosseum.
　They knew this because they had experienced firsthand the battles of the minor leagues.

　The schedule drawn up by Pasta, who had listened to their suggestions, went so smoothly that it was hard to believe that this was the first tournament.

　And so, today, after all the games of the third day, the first round of the preliminary round has come to an end.




　Slumped on the visitor's couch, fiddling with her long red hair, Pasta turned to Lilac, who was standing across from her.

Let's hear your story first.

　Pasta was not uncomfortable with being sent to a private room instead of the Oval Office, but he thought he had a rough idea of what was going on.

　After the third day of the tournament, Pasta was confronted with a fact that was, as expected, less exciting than the first day.
　This was obvious to Pasta, but Lilac seemed to be taking it more seriously than she thought.

　Gently brushing her lips, she muttered to herself as she glared at Pasta.

I was able to get a statement from Conrad's inner circle. It's too late for what he did in his domain, but it seems that the women who went missing in King's Landing are still in captivity.
"Hmm. ...... I knew it, but you're not in a hurry, are you?
Hurry?　Why?

　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.
　The truth is, you're not in a hurry. She didn't have it in her to think that she had to save the imprisoned girls as soon as possible.

　Rather, the expression on her face, as if she was satisfied that she had enough material to hunt them down, reminded me once again that she was my own blood sister.

I'll take care of this before the finals, that's all.
"Yes, yes, of course. I don't care what happens to Eastwood. ...... And if you tell me, does that mean you'll let me use it to make money?
Well, you know, be my guest.
Oh, yeah.

　He waved his hand away and Pasta took a bite of the cupcake in his hand.

And?
...... You sound as if you're convinced I have something more to say.
If I didn't, I'd cut you loose. If I didn't, I'd cut you off. You have no idea how poorly you're doing in the business at hand.
"......, huh?

　Phew, sigh.
　By the end of the second day, the number of customers had decreased.
　This is a normal thing for any business. We had mentioned that there would be an opening ceremony by a princess on the first day. The effect may have been twofold or threefold.

　But of course, it was so crowded that some people were not even allowed to pass through the gates of the Spectacle on the first day.
　This enthusiasm will continue for the next ten days or so. But.

　But there were fewer people.
　The spectacle club was still packed. But the number of people crowding around the spectacle was clearly decreasing.
　I could clearly see people who just wanted to see the spectacle, and people who hadn't been appealed to at the first day's event.

　And - compared to the first day of the event, there were no standout players during the last two days.

　There was a lot of excitement. It was exciting, but Lilac herself could not help but feel that there was something lacking.

　That's why I called him. The manager in front of him.

"I'll be honest with you, I'm being paid to advise you. That battle royal, right? --Honestly, for a layman, it's not that interesting.
......
The fact that they moved up 10 people is kind of disappointing. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.　I don't know what to say. Also, to be honest, the sword fighting itself isn't as beautiful as I was expecting.
I'm sure. Have you read through the ...... audience feedback?
Of course.

　Lilac said "audience feedback."
　It was, in a word, a voice.

　The impressions of the Spectacle I had the people running it take.
　Pasta, of course, had already read it, having collected it yesterday.

　The audience must have known that this was a project that the princess herself was working on.
　Many of them were bland, but the one that caught my eye was.

Not "sword fighting" but "spectacle". Well, of course. It's not warriors like you you have to deal with. It's amateurs like me. An event that can't entertain amateurs is a third-rate event.
But... Narrowing it down to one person from that many is no fun for any participant. Considering they're the ones holding the weapons, you can see why they had to take this approach, right?
"That's true. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out the best way to get the most out of this. Izuna. Don't expect the likes of Izuna Sienzan. What we need is an approach from another direction.


...... That's your job, isn't it?
I work for what I'm paid for.

　I'm not happy about this woman's trust in me.
　Brushing her words away with his hand, Pasta remembered what she had said.

"So, I have a proposition for you.
What is it?

　Holding up a finger, she twisted the corner of her mouth.
　Lilac frowned at her malicious smile.

　A look of confidence. But there's something about her that's more "fun" than I've ever seen in her.
　I just thought of something. Not just an idea.

　Lilac felt very uncomfortable, because she realized that she looked like her in some way.
　Because it's... Because that look is so...

　Because the expression on her face didn't look like that of a lonely person.


"Let me use that voice diffusion spell.


　Yeah, a little. I may be interrupting.

















　--It was the night before.


"............


　Pasta was puzzling in his study.
　A lot of scrolls in his hand. He pores over them all, rubs his aching brow, and exhales.

　The only light he could find was the cantera.
　Alone in my darkened study.
　It's a shame I was so stingy as to move all the lights from the ore to the merchant's villa.

　It's no use complaining about it now, though.

............ I knew this would happen.

　She muttered in resignation as she looked through the scroll.
　She has an "opinion piece" in her hand. As she identified the problems with the many voices, a sigh escaped her, as if to say, "As expected.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea," she said. ...... After all, it's only the shallow wisdom of amateurs when they try to copy it without understanding the intent.

　I'm not sure what you're talking about.
　It was a common practice in the Colosseum to gradually narrow down the field of players in the preliminary rounds.
　This was the only tournament in which minor league players and outsiders who wished to rise to the top could participate, and if they won, they could challenge the Eight Flashes of Heaven and the Champion.

　The qualifying round was designed to mimic that tournament, but, well...
　The matches were lousy. In hindsight, the crowd was probably there to see who would be fighting the Eight Flashes of Heaven, or to cheer on someone they knew from the minor leagues, or in anticipation of a story of domination against the champions. Or.

　In any case, I could understand that the appeal was based on the major class of the Colosseum that already existed.

　Nevertheless. However, in order to make the tournament more exciting, it was not enough to be able to see the princesses' games. It was necessary to invite the general public to participate.
　The reason for this was simple: to create the expectation that not only the princess but also her relatives might fight against her.

　This is the main reason why the guards of King's Landing were allowed to enter.
　And the ones coming from outside of the capital were first targeted at those who were proud of their skills.
　The fact that their relatives would also be there to support them was also a big factor.

　Her prediction came true, and as a result of gaining a large number of people who are referred to as the core in marketing, word of mouth spread explosively and reached the light people.

　I'm proud to say that my promotion had the maximum effect.

　What I missed was simply ....... Simply.

　It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I thought that fighting swords would be more appealing to people.


"...... Huh. It's all your fault.


　I hate to admit it, but... "His game wasn't that bad.
　"He didn't do so well himself. That's true. But I could feel Prim and Barrier Reef's desire to challenge him.

　--Wind was just scary.


You're a genius.
It's your fault.
What?

　What are you talking about?　What are you talking about?
　Futa stumbled into the study with two mugs of sweet hot lemonade in his hands, placed one on her desk, and began to sit on his own, leaning against the bookshelf.

What are you doing relaxing?
I'm bored until I fall asleep.
...... I told you, I don't need your attention. Your body is your capital, so get some sleep.
I'm going to bed, if you don't mind.

　I'm going to sleep even if you don't tell me to." He said that, but he didn't move in front of the bookshelf.
　Pasta stared at him, as if his concentration was being disturbed.

Go home then.
You seem to be at a loss. "Unemployed, can't you help me?"
"......

　"Huh," he sighed.
　I could have said, "How can an unemployed person be useful?
　But when he mentioned his "occupation", I suddenly realized something.



　The man in front of me is not just "Futa." "He's unemployed, and most importantly.
　He's a former champion.

　I asked him about his Colosseum experience when I scheduled the tournament.

　After some thought, Pasta mutters.

"Today wasn't as exciting as yesterday, was it?
"Well, yeah.

　We didn't watch the game together, but we were each watching the game.
　Futa crosses his arms, but he looks somewhat confused.

"What?
No, no, no. Well, I guess I'm realizing what it means to not have any flare.
"Oh, ...... "flower", huh?

　On the first day, even excluding the opening ceremony, there was the splendor of Izuna and Aylin.
　Pasta looked a little hard at the situation, which could be said to have been maintained thanks to them.

　That makes no sense. You can't be a manager if you rely on chance.
　Even though the qualifying rounds were going to be fierce, I wanted to make a move that would break the deadlock.

　I rested my head on my cheek and looked at Futa on the bookshelf.

"Hey.
Hmm?
Why didn't you give up being a fighter?
You really don't have a soul.
What's more important, your heart or your money?
You really don't have a soul.

　Despite his dismay, Futa gave a small laugh.
　His face, lit up by the lights of the cantera, was not at all depressed.
　It wasn't like Pasta was trying to make him depressed. He just wanted to make fun of him a little.
　I was aware that I had a cute tongue for a person who is said to be a manager with a twisted personality.

I thought I could ...... do it.
I'm sure you'll be fine.　"I thought I could do it. - Why? Didn't you find out early on that you didn't have the chops?
Yeah, I guess.

　He crossed his arms and exhaled.

　As he sipped his hot lemonade, letting the sweet taste soak into his mouth, Pasta suddenly realized. I've gone into his past quite a bit, he thought.

　But then again, the last time I saw him, he was suddenly talking about himself with this hot lemonade in his hand, so what the hell.

Because I won. Of course I did. But yes. In the end, the truth is that I was trying to figure out how to make it spectacular, and I thought I could do it with effort.
"What does 'flower' mean to you?"

　It was a genuine question.
　As a non-warrior, I could only recognize that his swordsmanship looked good at first glance. But a warrior must have something theoretical about it. That's what I thought.

...... Hmm, I honestly don't know either.
"You useless piece of shit unemployed.
"Shut the f*ck up. If I knew, I wouldn't be in trouble either.
............ "Flower", yeah. What about Izuna? What about him?
Izuna?　That's right.

　Futa crossed his arms and continued.

You tend to focus on the big swing of the hatchet, but that's not his real strength. The big hammer axe is just a bluff.
Oh, really?
Getting blown away by it is a sign that you're not good enough. Getting blown away by it is a sign that you are not good enough. But what's waiting for you is the true essence of Izuna.
If someone gets close to you with that big thing, it's over, right?
"That's where 'Kuro Hawk Karate' comes in. His real strength is his well-trained body. I'm sure you've heard of it, but I've never heard of it.
...... Continue.
So it's like having another arm. "So it's like you have another arm, and the hawk is one body. "So it's like having another arm, or a hawk and a body. You look like an idiot, but it's a very well thought out power, you know.

　After leaving Pasta to think about something for a while, Futa continued.

So, I think the combination of black hawk karate and hammer axe is the "flower" .......

　Futa's head is in his hands. It seems that he has reached this point.
　Pasta asked him without mercy.

"And Prim?
"Yeah, he was born in the head temple of one of the three major spear schools called 'Jozan Cross Spear Technique'. Unlike Izuna and Ocean, he is not an original spear master, but rather a sophisticated and orthodox spear master. I don't think there is anyone in the world who can use the Jozan Jyu technique as well as he can. There may be others out there who can perform perfect thrusts or perfect dances, but his greatness lies in his battle sense.


"What do you mean?
"Tsuneyama Jujyu Jyari is a school that originally studies what the strongest weapon is, and as a conclusion, there is the Jujyu. The Jujishari can be used to thrust, reave, pull, or any other battle style. But that also means that it can only be used by people who are skilled in all of them.
"Wow. It's the strongest.
Yes, Tsuneyama Jujitsu is the strongest. He's the embodiment of it. You see what I mean?　He can use a variety of weapons if he wants to, and he wields them with full understanding of their merits. This means that he can always come up with the best solution for his opponent's weapon. You're always on the move. And fast. Even in the original Colosseum, you were number one in first hits.
"...... I see.
So, the ............ crossed spear technique can be used beautifully in the ...... flower .......

　With a hand on his chin, Pasta stuffs more into the crumbling huta.

So, what would happen if Izuna and Prim had a match?
"That's a tough one. It's difficult to say. Prim is unlikely to be at the mercy of Izuna's hammer axe. It's more likely that Prim, who has the advantage in speed, will have the advantage. But, of course, Izuna knows that. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to use the combination of the black hawk karate and the hammer axe to your advantage, but I'm sure Prim knows that if she grabs you, it's over.
...... So, is it Prim's turn to get caught, or do you want to finish Izuna before she does?
"Right. If there's a deciding factor, it's whether Prim's spear can break through the mallet and karate defenses. That is, if he grabs the spear, it's over.
"..................
...... Why did you even ask me to predict the match?　What does it have to do with flowers?
Can we please not talk about that right now?
I'll knock you down.

　I'm thinking about it, but her response is quite a bit.
　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

"...... is funny.
"What?
"How do you know so much about it?
You said I could mimic what I saw, right?　It's not just about imitating what you see, it's about the power of being able to see what kind of effort that person has put in. It's not like you can know ...... the past.
...... So whatever warrior comes out, you know what kind of user he is?
Hmm?　Yeah.
And can you make predictions like this?
It's hard to tell the difference. To a certain extent?
Hmm. ......

　Pasta gently brushes her lips.

　You'll be able to see the difference between the two, but it's hard to read the difference.

I don't know if you're still gorgeous.
What's wrong with that? All warriors are the same. d*mn.
You're starting to swear a lot, aren't you?
We can't let Master Lilac and Corona see you like this.
Hmm. ...... Hmm. ...... Maybe I'll snitch on you next time.
Do you really think I'm going to believe a tipoff like yours?
f*ck you. I wish the Spectacle would quiet down with your entrance.
Why do you have to be the one to say it?

　But," Pasta thinks, tipping his mug.
　"It's just that I don't know if there's anything spectacular about it. That means you can talk to other warriors the way you just talked to me. This man.

I told you the big difference between the ...... Colosseum and the Spectacle was the information.
Yeah. Like whether or not there's an awesome fighter.
No, it's not. It's whether there's someone to root for.
Yeah, you could say that.
What are you trying so hard to get me to do?　You're a 40 at best.
You've got more.
You admit you're not a hundred.

　You've admitted you don't have a hundred." Futa grits his teeth, but Pasta gives a small smile and says, "Hmm.

You can go now.
You're too arrogant.
That's a compliment.
"Well, ......

　You're too arrogant." "That's a compliment." "Ah, ." Futa sighs in resignation and glances at Pasta.



　Yes, indeed. The sternness was gone from his face as if he was telling me to go home.

　I don't know, but...
　He doesn't seem as stuck as he was at first. Well, good.

"...... Well, whatever. We're just about out of lemonade, so let's go to bed. I'm not a pasta guy, I'm a body guy.
That's annoying coming from you.
No. But even if you've given up growing up, don't stay up too late.
Die.

　In the event that you're in a position to do so, you'll be able to do so.



If only I could use that ...... magic, or...



　I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing.
　The speed of her writing was much faster than it had been before Futa's visit.

　Quietly, the night draws to a close.