We were outside the martial arts convention hall once we managed to calm Erna down as she continued to cry.
　We sat down on the benches in the many stalls set up, and we started to get a little more information from Erna about the situation so far.

'What, to the Great River of Gau!
Yes, we were on a bridge in Mismid. We were out on a bridge in Mismid and it was rotten and suddenly collapsed. It just fell down with Lynne...
Are you hurt?　Were you okay!

　Else, who was next to Erna, raised her voice in concern. Seeing this, Erna gave a troubled smile.

'Yeah, that's okay. I didn't fall into the river just in time. But we both dropped the phone we were holding in our hands into the river. That's why we couldn't reach anywhere...

　Ah........so.
　The mass-produced smartphone that the doctor made has 【Apports】 and 【Teleport】 granted to it so that it's safe even if it's stolen or lost.
　But since I'm the only one who can use it to recover the phone, I guess there was nothing the two of us could do about it.

''I had to get in touch with Brunhild somehow, and then I heard about the martial arts tournament. I'm sure His Majesty the Beast King will be there, so I thought I'd have him contact me from there...''
Eager!　Well done!　That's my girl!

　Muggy, Else hugs Erna next to her and rubs her cheek. Erna's side is turning red with embarrassment.
　I see. This is how much they look like their mothers, Else and Linse. If His Majesty the Beast King sees these children, he will definitely contact me. Even if I don't tell him, he will contact me today or tomorrow?
　But I'm in a bind. Mass-produced smartphones have a serial number, and that number is used as a guide to collect them, but as expected, I don't know the number of a smartphone made in the future. I don't think the owner of the phone would know it either.
　It's a hassle, but I'll have to use 【Search】 later to retrieve it.
　In front of me who was thinking about that, Suu, who was seated on the opposite side of the table from Else, was asking me a question.

''How old are Erna and Rinne?''
Well, we're both seven years old. I'm only one month older than you, so I'm your sister.

　From what I've heard, Elna is the sixth daughter and Lynne is the seventh. Kuhn is the third daughter, so there are two in between. And two more under Lynne.
　Yumina or Lou, Sue or Sakura, though I don't know who they are with.
　Su and Sakura were about to ask her about her children, but Erna didn't want to talk about it, slurring her words, ''Uh, well, I mean..... Apparently, Grandma Tokie included her to not talk too much.
　Seeing her troubled daughter, Else shut out their questions. Reluctantly, the two seemed to give up, and Erna was relieved to be free from the barrage of questions.
　At the same time, from somewhere, I heard a cute little sound of kuuhhh.......
　When I looked, I saw Erna holding her stomach and turning red.

''Oh, um, I hadn't eaten yet, so........''
By the way, Warawa and the others were on their way to lunch. Let's have a light lunch here. Shopkeeper!　Three of those grilled chickens for each person!
Yes!

　Soo placed an order with the stall owner. It's a good thing that there is plenty of food in the [storage], but taking it out and eating it here where the food stalls are crowded with food stalls is a disgrace.
　Well, since it's a festival, it would be a loss not to eat anyway. I took a piece of yakitori brought to me right away and handed it to Lindsay, who was sitting next to me, and said, "See?

See, Lindsay too.
Oh, yes....

　Linse receives it with a smile. Her smile was a bit listless, as if she was worried about her daughter 《Lynne》 who was taking part in the contest. Those eyes are turned to Else and Erna who are embracing each other.

''Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. That's the daughter of Linse.
Thanks, Sakura-chan.

　Linze smiled at Sakura's encouraging words. I mean, that girl has the strength of a gold and silver rank........ By the looks of it, she's going to break through the preliminary round easily, and if she's not good, she'll win the championship.......isn't that a bit of a bad thing?

'I mean, we've reached our goal, so why not have Lynne abstain?
Well, Dad I think that's a tough one.

　Erna spoke to me timidly. Ki, you don't hate me........?　I'd like to believe she's just embarrassed because she sobbed earlier.

'Lynne loves these games and stuff like that. I think she would be very uncomfortable if she lost or if she stopped in the middle of a game. At worst, she cries. I think I'll cry a little bit if we lose...

　A child. He was a child.
　It didn't bother me because Kuhn and Frey and the like were so mature, but Lynne seemed to be a childish child.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that this competition is sponsored by Miss Mido. This tournament is sponsored by Miss Mido, after all. Moreover, this is a memorable first competition. I don't think it's a good idea to have a royal family member compete, if it's just an ordinary person from another country.......

　Well, I'm not going to say 'I'm your daughter,' but if you look so much like Else and Linse, they'll definitely think you're related. Daughter or relative, it doesn't change the fact that it's a bad idea in the end.
　If they lose in the main tournament, there's no problem, but with that kind of strength, they're going to win easily, let alone the final.......
　I have mixed feelings. I'm not sure if it's a good idea for a father to win, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea for a king.
　Probably as a mismid, he'd want someone from his own country to win, and that would be more exciting. It's more exciting that way.

'I mean, what's that power Lynne has?　I knew it was unattributed magic?
Oh, yeah. Yeah. [Gravity]

　Elna answers Else's question honestly. Ah......... So that's it. I'm convinced.
　I'm the one who does it a lot. You're weighting the weapon at the moment of impact when it hits the enemy and making it heavier. In Rinne's case, he can't weight it remotely like my phone, so he's probably weighting the gauntlet he's touching to increase its power.

''Is it okay to use magic in a match?''
''As long as it's not a magic that directly attacks the opponent or a recovery type of magic, it's fine. I saw someone using [Tailwind] earlier, too?

　Erna answers Sue's question. 【Tail Wind】.......Wind magic that creates a tailwind and increases its own speed? I don't use it very often, though. There's 【Accel】 and 【Boost】.
　Sakura asks Erna the same question.

''Is the thing that makes Rinne bounce in the air also magic?''
'It's using [Shield] as a foothold to jump. It's invisible, so it looks like it's bouncing through the air...

　[S.H.I.E.L.D.]　I see, so that's how it was used....... The [Shield] disappears quickly, but it still lasts for a second or two. It's enough to use it as a foothold to run through the air. ........I'll try it next time.
　Or rather, for some reason, you have two unattributed attributes of 【Gravity】 and 【Shield】.......
　When I thought that, Erna was more than that. It seems that she can use 【Multiple】, 【Recovery】 and 【Boost】. Else's joy when she found out that she could use the same non-attribute magic as herself.
　 No, the other daughters' non-attribute magic is also inherited, but.......from me.

So, what should we do about Linne?
"I'll bring you home with or without [teleportation].
'No, I don't know about that either...'

　I find it difficult to respond to Sakura's blunt proposal. Even if she cries in tears after that.....

If you lose, you'll be convinced to leave, right?　Why don't you ask His Majesty the Beast King to guess who's strongest as soon as possible?
''Hmm........ From what I saw in the match earlier, you have to be very strong.......
Well, you want me to change into someone else in [Mirage] and fight?　And apparently, like Alice, Lynne is like my apprentice.

　Else makes a ridiculous suggestion, but is that even possible...?　I'm sure His Majesty the Beast King or the Vizier Graz-san could screw him over........

''No, if Linne is Else's disciple, she could be found out by the way she fights or something. If I'm going to do it, I'll be the one to do it.......
I'll do it.
What?

　Everyone was scowling at Linse, who raised a small hand in the seat next to her.

'Watching your sisters made me want to play with my daughter too.

　No, it's just for fun. Even if you smile and say it like that, it's still a game, after all.　How is that the first time you've had contact with your daughter?

But Linse is a wizard, right?　Can you fight without attack magic?
It's not like I'm hurting him, but I can do whatever I want in a fight. I've been training for that kind of thing for a while now.

　It's true that Linze doesn't have a noticeable strength compared to everyone else, but that doesn't mean he's weak. To be honest, she has a level of strength that those adventurers can't compete with. After all, he has mastered the ancient magic, synthetic magic and even spirit magic that was in Babylon's [Library].
　Moreover, she also has the power of the wedding ring given to her by the World God.

''Hey, Erna. Linne has a bit of a tendency to get carried away, don't you think?　This tournament is another 'easy win, easy win! Didn't you say something about that?
Uh-huh. Great, how do you know that?
Hmm. I know. I was close to that when I was a kid.
Lindsay?　Hey, it's in front of the kids, in front of the kids!

　Else raises her voice as if impatient with Linse's statement. We, who guessed it, send her a look with warm eyes. You said it.........

"I thought it was a mother's duty to check how much her daughter is growing. May I, Fuyao-san?
'No, I don't mind if Linse says so, but...'

　I don't think he's going to beat up Linse only to beat up Linne, though.
　Mmmmmm, as I was troubled, an incoming call comes in on my phone that was in my pocket. Huh?　It's from the Vizier of Misguided, Mr. Graz.

"Yes, hello.
"Ah, Your Majesty, King Brunhild. Are you in Mismid, by any chance?
'Oh, yes. Is that clear?
"Ha, ha. "Ha, ha, ha. I've seen His Majesty the King and his friends from the grandstands. Would you like to come up here, if you'd like?

　As I recall, Mr. Graz is in the VIP section, which is built partly on high ground. I wonder how he could see us from there. Oh, he is a bird beastman, and he has good eyesight, right?
　Since we were invited, let's go to the VIP seat. Let's talk to him about this.


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


Huh?　Erna, your sister is gone........ I wonder if she's picking flowers?

　Lynne looks out the window of the waiting room towards the hall. Her sister of the same age, who was there earlier, is gone. I feel a little uneasy wondering what's going on. It's really inconvenient to be without my phone.
　In the waiting room, each of the victorious contestants were resting their bodies, stretching, meditating, and concentrating in their own way in preparation for the match.
　There were twelve contestants who had won, including Lynne. Two of them had been injured, so they were now in the infirmary.
　Even recovery magic was not a panacea. If the injury was severe, it was possible for them to withdraw from the competition. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of good reasons for this.
　If someone withdrew from the race, it would be a no-win situation and there would be someone who could win. Linne didn't even care, but most of these people seemed to be hoping that the injured contestants would withdraw from the competition.
　Although they weren't here, in addition to the twelve contestants who had won, there were four more contestants to be nominated. In other words, a total of sixteen contestants would now be competing for the championship, but the king of this country, the Beast King Jamka Blau Mismid, was in the nomination slot.
　If they caught the king's eye, they could serve in his service. It was no wonder that the contestants wished for their rivals to withdraw from the competition.
　Soon, with a clatter, the door to the anteroom opened and three figures walked in. One was a beastly referee who was facilitating the match. The other was a young man, a contestant who had gone to the infirmary. And the rest was someone the other contestants had never seen before.

''Since the qualifier, Lord Vale, has abstained, we'll be adding a new candidate to the nomination list. This Lord Lin Lin will be joining us.
Linlin. Hi, nice to meet you...

　The person who was introduced as Linlin greeted him in a small voice and bowed politely. It seemed that the unwinnable quota was gone.
　She was a girl of about sixteen or seven years old, with blonde hair in a braid. She carried a short cane with a star-shaped staff head at her waist, and a yellow star-shaped badge shone on her left chest as well. She was not equipped with any armor, but was dressed in a black gothic jacket, tiered skirt, and black knee socks on her feet.
　She was a girl who could be recognized as a wizard type at a glance. Since direct magical attacks are forbidden in this martial arts tournament, it's rare for wizards to participate, but that doesn't mean there are no wizards at all. In fact, some of the people here who made it through the qualifying round are also magic users.

''Then, Linlin-dono, go to the waiting room for the nomination slot.
Oh, I'm good over here. It makes me nervous over there.
"...?　Okay. Well, I don't mind.

　The young man who was the judge thought it was a little strange, but there was His Majesty the Beast King on the other side. He reconsidered that he was nervous and feared that he would not be able to show his abilities.
　He was recommended by the Prime Minister, Graz-sama, so he must be sure of his abilities, but it would be difficult for a wizard to win this tournament. He decided that he didn't mind giving them free rein in the anteroom at least, so that they could at least fight without being overwhelmed.

'Then the contestants will have to wait for a while longer.

　With that, the young man who was the judge left the waiting room. Everyone's attention was drawn to the girl who called herself Linlin, but the reactions afterwards were mixed. Some lost interest, perhaps because they judged her to be a wizard, others, on the contrary, were wary and stared at her, and others were concerned, but looked away.
　In the midst of it all, there was only one girl who, without even glaring, was staring at Linne while tilting her head, staring at Linne──....... It was Linne.

''Wha, what is it?''
Mmm...?　Um, sis, have you met me?
'What?　I don't think this is the first time!
Oh, really?　So it's just my imagination? That's okay. Why don't you sit over here?

　Linne tapped next to the couch where she was sitting with a pang. When Linne unwillingly sat down there, the Linne next to her smiled and held out her hand.

I'm Mochizu.....　Nice to meet you, sis!
Nice to meet you, Lynne.

　Smiling and casually grasping the hand that was offered to him, Lin Lin Lin casually grasped it, but in his heart, his heart jumped up and down, and he was desperately trying to hold on to the fact that he was about to scream.


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　《Fluffy!　Cute!　Lynne is adorable!　This is Fuyao-san and I...!　I don't know if I should hold her.　My daughter...!　About the fact that you are too cute...!
　Linlin, I mean, Linse, who had changed her appearance with her transformation badge, was screaming from the top of the cliff in her mind. She was so excited to finally meet her own daughter.
　The jealousy she had for her sister just a short time ago was wonderfully blown away. I can't get enough of her. Cuteness is the right thing to do.

Are you a wizard?
'Uh, yeah, I do. Is that weird?
'No!　My mother is a wizard too. So I know how powerful wizards are. But I'll be the one to beat them!
Oh, I see.

　Hmph, and the way she boldly stated that is also cute. Linse was desperately trying to endure the fact that her expression was about to relax.

''Linne-chan's mother is a wizard too, isn't she?
'Yes!　She's a great mom!　I can do magic, I can make clothes, I can cook!　I can do so many things!

　Linse listened with narrowed eyes as Lynne talked as hard as she could. She said what she wanted to ask her as she talked.

''Ri, do you like your mother, Linne-chan?''
'Sometimes it scares me when he gets mad at me but I love him. He always tells me all kinds of stories when he goes to bed. I'll see you in a little while. I'm going to see you and Elna. Then you'll have to...

　The last part of her voice was small and lonely. Linse squeezes such a Linneh into a hug.

''Sis...?''

　Linne looks up at Linse with a curious look on her face. A huffed Linse releases Linne. I unconsciously hugged her. She must have thought it was strange. I have to cover it up somehow, Linse gasps out an excuse.

''Gee, I'm sorry!　I mean, I... I... I looked like my sister...!

　It's a painful excuse, even for me, I think, but I manage to make up for it.

'You have a sister too?　I have one myself. My brother too.

　Linne smiled and replied as such, and Linse patted her chest, apparently deceiving her.
　Just when Linze was about to ask about her sister and brother, the door of the anteroom opened again with a clatter, and the two judges and the Miss Mid soldiers from earlier entered.

''Thank you for your patience. The list of battles has been decided. We'll call you when the time is up, so please stay here until then.

　The two soldiers pasted the battle charts they had brought to the wall. The contestants stood in front of it and identified their opponents and those they might have to face afterwards if they won out.

'Ah!　You're with me, big sister!
I guess so.

　I asked Graz, the vizier of Mismid, to make this happen, so I'm not surprised at Linze. Of course, even if Linze wins, she's supposed to decline for some reason, like being injured or something. I can't lose to my daughter for that reason.

''It's a match!　Since you're a wizard, do you want me to go easy on you a little?
Lynne-chan, your sister is probably as strong as Lynne-chan's mother, so if you're not careful, you'll get caught underfoot.

　I said that with the intention of warning Linne, who was somewhat still taking the other party lightly, but she was visibly grumpy, ''Muuuu~'' Linse was a little impatient, wondering if she had hurt her pride.

''........It's a lie. There's no one as strong as your mother except our family!　I'm the one who's going to take out my sister so easily!

　What, that one?　And Linse's eyes are dazzled. Although it is a pleasure for a mother to be adored this much, there is still a part of her that looks down on the other person. But, well, she's a child, so that's inevitable, Linse smiles. My own sister was that type of person too. A chuckle leaks out of her mouth as she gets nostalgic.
　With a pout, Linse turned away from Linse, crossed her arms and tied her mouth into a straight line with a pout. Perhaps she felt as if her family was being made fun of.
　But even that huffy attitude made Linse love him. It was a strange feeling to feel that this child was definitely her own.

''Then it's a game.''
I'm not gonna lose!

　Mother and daughter exchanged glances with each other, each with their own thoughts.