Originally, the Lotus Cup is based on the training that was held in the military department of the royal capital.
　What used to be an informal and irregular hand-to-hand combat event gradually expanded to an annual event, and the Lotus Cup came to be held in order to open the event to the public anyway.
　This is the reason why even today, when it has become an official event, the military becomes the organizer and most of the contestants are the officers and soldiers belonging to the military.

　After several cancellations due to the king's fall and war, the Lotus Cup has been held for the 27th time this time.
　Nowadays, it was treated like an annual festival in the royal capital.

　Some people sarcastically said that it was a fake race to boost the prestige of Marquis Olguin and his army, but for the majority of the people in King's Landing, it didn't matter.
　I'm not going to give a d*mn about the backstory, especially for the merchants, as long as the city is bustling with activity and business is booming.
　The current royal capital was visited by many peddlers from the north and west, who did not want to miss this opportunity.

　The previous year, the Fuyou Cup (Lotus Cup) was also cancelled due to the war with the empire, and this time it will be held for the first time in two years.
　Since the original purpose of this event is to compete in martial arts, magic and sorcery are forbidden, and the weapons used cannot contain magic.
　From the viewpoint of preventing fraud, participants are required to borrow the armor prepared by the management of the Lotus Cup each time they compete.

　The number of contestants is 32 in total.
　This time, eighteen of them were occupied by the national and local territorial armies, while nine mercenaries and five explorers filled out the remaining contestants.

　Moore and Ardis are participating as mercenaries, for one thing.
　Normally, the army alone would account for 90% of the contestants, and the number of martial artists from the outside would be settled at around three or four.
　However, due to the devastating damage caused by the last war, the military's human resources may be drying up.
　Only this time, the number of martial artists invited from the outside was close to half.

The reason why me, who is not a member of Marquis Olguin's faction, and Ardis, who has no acquaintance with the marquis, were able to participate in the tournament is probably related to that situation.

　Moore interjected with his own speculation.

'Is that how it works?　For an army that wants to show off its strength, an outsider's ability to participate would be an unnecessary uncertainty.

''That's what the army and the marquis would think. Normally, they wouldn't allow someone who isn't under their control to participate in the tournament. It's a good idea to have a strong military presence in the field, and this time it's because of the recommendation of His Highness the Duke. Normally, he wouldn't have been the first person to be nominated.

　In the center of the royal arena, the first match was already taking place.
　In the center of the circular area with a radius of about thirty meters, two soldiers from the army were fighting with swords and spears in their hands.

　Moore and Aldis were stationed next to the contestants' entrance, watching with their backs to the wall.
　There is a seat prepared for the contestants in the front corner of the bleachers, but it's hard to feel comfortable and speak carelessly when it's surrounded by soldiers belonging to the Marquis of Olguin's faction, mercenaries and searchers under his breath.
　That's why the two of them are standing there like guards at the entrance.

"Oh, we've got a winner.

　Seeing that the victory of the soldier with the spear is confirmed, Moore begins to relax his body.

''So it's my turn to be next, after you.

　He left his words to Ardis in an unenthusiastic tone and walked straight to the center with a light step, as if he were going for a walk.

''Which weapon would you like to use?''

　The attendant who called out to me on the way out asks me, indicating a rack of various armaments.

'I'd like a one-handed sword and a light shield.

　From the lineup, Moore picked up a slightly longer double-edged sword and a small circular shield (round shield).
　He secured the shield to his left arm and gave the sword in his right hand a few light bare swings.

''Yeah, that should do it.''

　With that announcement, he walked up to the center where his opponent and the judges were waiting.
　The referee was an officer in his late forties, who looked to be an active duty military officer.
　Although Moore was a stranger to him, he must be a person of a certain level of ability and status, since he can be entrusted with the responsibility of judging the Fuyo Cup (Lotus Cup).
　As for his opponent, he showed obvious hostility towards Moore.　

"I didn't expect you to be in the race.

　His opponent, who had been staring at Moore the whole time he was approaching, opened his mouth and spat out.

''Well, I didn't think I would be competing in the Fuyo Cup (Lotus Cup) either,''

You watch your mouth, commoner.

　His opponent is a junior officer in his mid-twenties.
　Just as he knows Moore, this one knows his opponent.
　Although they weren't direct subordinates due to their different units, they were opponents who had met up with each other several times in joint training.
　He didn't seem to like Moore, who had risen from a mercenary career, and was very aggressive, but I remember lightly taunting him each time, and he almost looked at me as if I were an enemy.
　He was a platoon leader somewhere, I believe.

'Well, don't be so adamant. We've sworn in each other in training, haven't we?

You're not even a superior officer anymore. You're just a commoner who was fired for shirking your responsibility. It's not your place to talk to me like that.

　Apparently, unlike an upstart mercenary, he is a man of solid origins, and he was a man who had a thorny attitude towards Moore, who was his superior officer at the time.
　It seems that Moore, who is no longer a superior officer and has lost his military membership, no longer has to hide his contempt for him.

You're so boring. I'm sad to lose my job, and I need a little more help," he said.

"Shut up, you 34-year-old!　It's a disgrace to the glorious Army of Naglas that a man as impudent as you should have been a battalion commander!　I'll beat you to the ground and make you unable to stay in King's Landing, so that you can't even hang on to your past glory!

　The referee interrupted the seemingly endless exchange between the two.

"That's enough for both sides. This is not the place to argue.

　Staring at them both equally, the referee couldn't keep up with them, and quickly tried to do his duty.

You know the rules of the game, don't you?　Unlimited time. No magic or witchcraft is allowed. Naturally, no outside assistance is allowed. A fighter is considered to have been struck by an effective blow to a vital point, or if one fighter is stunned, or if the fighter has dropped his weapon, or if the fighter has verbally acknowledged his defeat. Also, if a fighter uses a concealed weapon other than the one provided by the management, the fight is considered a foul loss.

　The judges take out two bangles from their pockets and hand them to Moore and his opponent.

It is designed to deploy a special magical barrier to prevent outside magical support and interference. Do not remove it during a match. If you deliberately remove it, you are considered to have lost the match. Okay?

　Moore, who had been briefed beforehand, nodded silently and put the bracelet on his left hand.

'Then both sides take five steps back from each other.

　The young man who was fighting against him turned his piercing gaze to Moore and walked out, turning his back.
　Similarly, Moore also turned his back and took five steps backward, falling to a whimpering silence.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that the talent is so depleted that they have to send that guy to the Fuyo Cup (Lotus Cup). ...... Is the inner workings of the military more serious than we thought?

　The bare ground made a moist sound under their feet as they walked.
　As both sides took five steps back and turned to face each other, the referee announced the start of the match.

''Then let's begin!''

　The opposing NCOs come rushing in to take the lead.
　Like Moore, he is equipped with a one-handed sword and shield.
　However, unlike Moore, who chose a smaller round shield, the opponent has chosen a medium-sized kite shield (kite shield) that can be completely hidden from the left shoulder to the tip of the hand.

''I wouldn't choose that kind of equipment for a one-on-one against a mercenary.

　Muttering softly in his mouth, Moore takes half a step forward to match the strides of his opponent as he heads towards him.

'Eat it!'

　The opponent's blow, delivered with momentum, is parried by the circular shield.

''Tch!''

　As if he was very confident in his first move, Moore calmly dodged it while observing his opponent, who was clicking his tongue and firing two or three sword shots at him.

'Heh, you raised your arm.

'Of course!　Not like you, who's been dawdling around for a year!

　There were only a few people who could count on the fingers of one hand who knew that Moore had been transported to a different world than this one due to the collateral damage of the attack on the Duchess of Nilesteria.
　Although he was unwilling to do so, it was inevitable that the world would think that he had abandoned his responsibilities and wandered for a year.

　However, he and Moore were not playing around in a slothful manner.
　Rather, Moore honestly felt that he was in considerable danger of his life, even if it was only for one day.
　Of course, this was not the time to bother explaining such things to them, and he had no intention of doing so.

　Moore ignored the junior officer's accusations and threw in some alternative words.

'But aren't you being too conscious of the offensive?

　Moore timed his counterattack while commenting on the attack as if he were an instructor.
　After about three rounds of frontal attacks, Moore leapt to the left arm side where his opponent was holding a kite shaped shield and slammed his sword down.
　There was a dull metallic sound and the kite-shaped shield held by the junior officer wavered.

''Kook!''

　The junior officer hurriedly tried to turn his body to the left, but Moore was already gone.
　Moore, who had moved further around from the point of the NCO's gaze, delivered another full-body blow at the kite-shaped shield.
　The shocked non-commissioned officer wobbled from the unexpected direction.

''Chokokotto!

'You should expect this to happen when you bring out such a small shield against a mercenary, though.

　To a frustrated NCO, Moore slams his sword into the kite shaped shield as he answers.
　In contrast to the NCOs who stand on the same spot and continue to defend against the attack, Moore is agile enough to move to the right and to the left to strike the kite shaped shield from every direction.
　Who has the upper hand is probably obvious to those watching from a distance.

''You don't have the guts to fight me head on!

You idiot. Why do we have to risk it all to fight it head on?

"We are the proud Army of King Douglas!

So?　I mean, I'm not a soldier anymore. You said so yourself earlier.

　Moore couldn't help but chuckle at the way the junior officer seemed to have forgotten what he had said.

"Oh well. If I wanted to fight you that hard, I'd be the one you want.

　Then Moore stopped in his tracks.

'Good try, commoner.'

'Yes, yes. I'm flattered by your praise, dumbass.

Shut up!

You're a selfish person who can say whatever you want.

You talk the talk, not the less!

　The junior officer swung his sword away with his circular shield, and in return, Moore swung his sword in a sideways swipe.
　Moore kicked up the sand with his left foot, making sure that his opponent would try to catch the blow with his kite shaped shield.

''What!''

　A junior officer was frightened by an attack from an unexpected direction.

　Naturally, Moore didn't miss the opportunity.
　He immediately hooked the petty officer's leg and, leaning on the back of his prone opponent, thrust his sword blade into the neck.

''That's it, you're up against it!

　The judges raised their hands and pronounced it loud and clear.
　By all accounts, it was a clear victory for Moore.

'You know, you've always been that way, but your vision is too narrow. You have no idea how to choose a shield or how to construct an attack, or how to fight against a large number of people. Even though the Fuyo Cup (Lotus Cup) is a one-on-one battle, there is a big difference between focusing on one-on-one with many enemies in mind and dealing with only one enemy in front of you. And by the way, if you fall for this kind of trickery, you'll be dead in a heartbeat.

"d*mn it!　You can't do that!

　The junior officer didn't listen to Moore's advice and complained.
　Sighing briefly, Moore stood up and released his opponent, then returned his weapons and arm bands and turned to return to where Aldis was.

'Judge!　Isn't that foul play in the eye-gouging you just did!　It would be against the rules to use a weapon other than the one provided by the management!

　The junior officer, apparently unconvinced of his loss, appealed to the referee, but the answer to his appeal was very cold.

'You claim that the sand under your feet is a weapon?　That's ridiculous. In other words, if this were a foul play, some of the winners would have to be stripped of their honors. Do you want me to disgrace our predecessors by being selfish?

　Yes. There have been winners in the past Fuyo Cup (Lotus Cup) who have won by using the stones and sand underfoot.
　The stones and sand on the ground are considered as "situation" and not as weapons.

　It is bad enough to challenge the Fuyo Cup without even checking such things beforehand.
　Can he realize that when Moore said 'narrow vision', he was not talking about anything limited to the field of view in battle?

'Well, you don't have the right to take care of him that much, do you?

　It was none of his business, and Moore walked away.