It was the final game from early morning.

　There was only one other participant in the General Senju-shou match besides me, the Steam Frontier Count. This means that one of them will get the right to challenge General Gloria Senju-shou.


　However, you're ...... too popular, [Wand Art].

　Well, I can't understand it. I'm sure you're thinking, why bother fighting with a wooden stick when there are swords, spears and other "blades"? The people of this world risk their lives to fight. All the more so.


"Hmm, Second Lord. Are you thinking with me in front of you, Mr. Second?　This is outrageous.

Steam, you're a wand junkie.

Yes, I do, just for fun. But in the last six months, I've gotten really into it.

That's good. Are you inspired?

No. No. I was only trying to impress you.

You're as comfortable as ever.


　In order to be liked by me, you raised your taste in wand arts to a competition level in just six months.

　Of course you're going to like that.


"But even so, I've never seen a guy who looks like a cane jutsu (・・・・・) as much as you do.

"Because you want to say you're an oddball (・・・・)?

Yeah.

Honestly, ......, since you don't seem to know this yet, General Gloria Sentez is many times more "potty" than I am.

'Oh, right. Let's hope for the best.

But to begin with, I don't know what it is about the trend of describing wand masters as eccentric. I don't think there is any other skill as interesting as this one.


　Yes, exactly. The [Staff Art] is interesting.

　In addition to the nine types of skills from Infantry to Dragon King, there are three types of "Thrust, Strike, and Payoff" for each, making a total of 27 different skills. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to see the difference. You can specialize.

　It is truly a skill that can be changed in a thousand ways. A mere piece of stick turned into a spear, a sword, or a naginata. No other skill has such flexibility.

　Instead. With so many options, it's extremely difficult to master. On top of that, it's difficult to extend its firepower in the final stages of development. It's also not suitable for team play. If anything, this skill is designed to be used against player battles, not against demons. So ......


The skill itself is interesting, but the user itself is still an oddball.

　Wand wizards are an oddity. I've seen hundreds or thousands of players, and I'll tell you, it's quite convincing.


'Bow to each other!　Ready!

　Follow the referee's instructions and get ready.

　You used a maple as your weapon? I'm the cherry blossom. Well, there's not much difference between the two. There are small differences in the characteristics, but they're both wooden sticks.


Begin!


　The command was given.

　Steam moved forward at once, then prepared 《 Gui Ma Cane Technique, Striking》.

　He seems to step in suddenly. Then let's take it carefully.


''Hmph!''

　A quick pause to a quick and honest uppercut.

　Nice and simple. It's simple, which narrows down the options for blocking.


What about this?

　I twisted a bit and received it with the Infantry Staff Art, Thrust.

　Normally, I would receive it by paying or hitting. However, if it was the ninth-dan Katsurama and the infantry, Katsurama would have more firepower. Therefore, if you pay with the infantry, you can deal with him for the first time, but you will lose firepower and be attacked. In other words, if you pay and receive the attack, you need to respond with the skills of a Guillermo or better than a Guillermo, or you will be played and exposed to an opening.

　However, by thrusting the infantry into the opponent's stick itself here (・・・・・), even the infantry will be able to catch it without a gap, because the firepower is lined up with Guiama.


''Well, I suppose so!''

　Steam seemed to have expected this.

　The next move was the Silver General Wand Technique and Payoff without a pause. It's a powerful ranged attack skill.

　I see, he wanted to keep a little distance. So they are going to play each other with the Silver General to regain their timing and try to compete by throwing in a high firepower skill, perhaps even the Flying Wheel Wand Technique.


''I can't allow that to happen.''

　Crush his hand. This is important.

　I aim at the fingertips of the steam with the "Incense Car Wand Technique, Tsuki". The moment I thought, "Ah, Silver General," my body had already begun to prepare the incense car on its own, so I was able to activate the incense car and plunge before I could activate Steam's Silver General and Payoff.


''Ah danger!''

　In the nick of time, Steam cancelled the Silver General and avoided it at all costs. Nice decision.


　Now, our counterattack.


Do you know what this is?

　You probably don't even know it. It's a technique I'd like you to learn. It's a good time to show you.


"...... woo woo ......

　I heard steam pulling (...).


　What I'm currently doing is closing the distance between me and ...... steam while I'm doing high-speed consecutive hits (・・・・) with "infantry staff technique, poke," "infantry staff technique, strike," and "infantry staff technique, pay".


　The so-called "What will I get? Status. With [Wand Technique], if you start preparing for a new skill without cancelling the previous skill, the previous skill will be cancelled automatically for the same skill. By the way, with skills other than [Wand Technique], you cannot start preparing for a new skill unless you cancel it once.

　In other words, this "Thrust, Strike, and Payoff Roulette" is a technique recommended by Mevion management in [Wand Technique].


''Stappi!　"It was a poke.

　But the more advanced you get, the less sense this roulette makes.

　This is because there is no such thing as an idiot who "prepares in advance before approaching", and it is common sense to approach without activating the roulette until the last minute. The roulette can only be used to disrupt the moment.


"d*mn!

　...... Just works terrific if the opponent is a beginner.

　Steam, who was tossed around, responded with 《Infantry Cane Technique, Payment》 after a beat.


''Next~, doruruuruuru......

　This roulette, I use it as my "technique for winning against a lower class".

　Because it works half the time.


'There it is!　Strike ...... and poke it in the face!

What?


　Sometimes the stakes are slimy and slippery like this.

　Occasionally, it's possible that a skill I didn't intend to use was activated. Like right now, when I activated "Incense Car Wand Strike," it became "Incense Car Wand Strike. Such surprises are also interesting.

　Steam was going to prepare a "sparring wheel and stick technique" to deal with it, but because I unpredictably launched a "sparring wheel and stick technique", the timing of my activation is a little off and my thrust reaches the steam first.

''Gu, ah, ......!

　Steam received a penetrating thrust to his right arm that had a penetrating effect and took his right hand away from Kaede's stick. It's actually a big gap.

　However, even though the result was bad, I'm surprised you were able to endure the preparations for the "Incense Car Wand Art and Payment". If you had started preparing at the same time as I started my roulette, you would have immediately switched to the Angularity Wand Technique Tsuki, and that would have almost settled it. You saw through that. As expected of a young frontier count of thirty-three years old, he was still very sharp, even if he was still smart.


''Do you want to surrender?''

...... No. Sir Second, you look like you want to have some more fun, so I'll go out with you, if that's okay with you.

Oh, right!


　Nice guy, Steam.

　I'd love to have a drink with you afterwards, but I don't think I can handle it. Too bad.

　Well, the less you can drink, the more you can enjoy.




That's it!　Winner, second first test!


　For the next few minutes, Steam had me playing roulette with him.

　This guy, despite his appearance, is surprisingly gutsy. I didn't know that a slender, indoor-looking, bespectacled guy with unhealthy white skin would bite me so hard.

　By the second half of the game, he was halfway through my roulette. How much had Steam grown in this one game?

　The growth potential and the concentration that earned him the experience to raise his 【Wand Technique】 in half a year, not to mention the boldness that made it possible for him to master that 【Wand Technique】 skill, and the observational eye that saw through how to form a team, he's a guy who has many things to look forward to in the future.


　Ah, just speaking of fun right now, ...... General Gloria Senteh.

　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. It's hard not to care.

　And, of course, his skill.


　Now, let's play...



　　* * * *




Lady Gloria, Lady Gloria.

...... Is it that time already?

Yes, it's time for the game.

'No, I lose track of time when I'm reading.

We have two contestants this season, which is awesome.

It's really great. It's like a story.

Let's get a move on. Let's get a move on.

Yes, I will.


　A dim light floats dimly in the dimly lit stacks.
　An elven woman was reading a book under it.

　Her name was Gloria.

　There is no one in the elves who does not know her name.


　The silver princess, or so it was claimed, was a thing of the past. Now she is a lone princess ...... Yes, bibliophilia would be an appropriate term.

　Somewhere along the line, she became obsessed with the magic of books.


　She still has good looks that everyone envies and beautiful silver hair that reaches her waist. But her life is books, books, books. She spends all day in the library, reading books.

　When she goes out on errands, it's to buy a new book or to try out something from a book. Her actions were always related to books.


　An eccentric one, indeed. But if that's the only reason for her isolation (...) for decades, it's a weak ...... reason for her isolation (...) for decades.


'I'm in a mood for either tsuge or zelkova.'

Zelkova is good, Zelkova is good.

Yeah. Then I'll give you Zelkova.

"Yay, yay.


　Gloria puts the zelkova stick away in her inventory and leaves the stacks.


　She is the only one who has left the stacks.

　There was no one left in the stacks she had left.


　Who on earth was Gloria talking to? .......