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Urban Fraternity Preliminary
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After our audience with the Water Sage, Undine-sama, Yustin and I headed back. We crossed the frozen bridge and returned to the front of the ice cave where the giant Argos-san awaited.
“………Human, how did it go?” (Argos)
“She agreed to stop the blizzard.” (Lost)
“Is that true?” (Argos)
Argos-san’s dull, aquamarine eyes seemed to regain some light. He looked back at us with a slightly brighter expression. Surely, having such relentless blizzards every day would be enough to weigh anyone down. Undine-sama, in her agreement with us, promised to stop the blizzard right away.
“Lost, you’ll be entering the battle tournament with me.” (Yustin)
The team battle for adventurers in Azarigrad, scheduled for three months later. The grand prize was Undine-sama’s magic tool. We could potentially seize it by force from the Adventurer Guild, but Undine-sama strongly opposed that idea. Although she maintained a high-handed attitude, she seemed to dislike unnecessary trouble.
“Of course.” (Lost)
I feel bad for Taurus since he invited me first, but as the tournament requires teams of three, joining Taurus’s team would exceed the limit. We’ll need one more person to join Yustin and me. Someone who doesn’t care about the grand prize. Although, if we do win and secure the prize, we’ll have to climb this snowy mountain again… The road to obtaining the magic tool ‘Cold Sculpture (Ice Rose)’ is a long one.
—
We decided to stay in the giant’s village, Gigant Village, for two or three days to confirm that the blizzard had indeed stopped before returning to Azarigrad. In the end, I ended up being away from Azaliegrad for about a month and a half, including the trip there and back.
I’m running low on Shia content. I want to see Shia soon, as quickly as possible.
Visiting my regular bar, Simnon Tavern.
Coming back here feels reassuring. It’s almost as if I live here, given how often I frequent the place. Surely, Simnon Tavern must have been sad about my month-and-a-half absence.
“Oh, it’s Lost and Yustin. You’re back, huh? Welcome home!” (Taurus)
“Indeed, abandoning me to go defeat giants—how ungrateful of you kids.” (Alba)
Waiting there were Taurus, Alba-san, and Shia. Taurus, holding a liquor bottle, was slumped over the table, Alba-san sat upright while eating, and Shia sipped her water, eyes downcast.
It feels like these five are always hanging out together. Honestly, I’d love to join this group to enter the tournament, but the three-person limit makes that impossible.
“Welcome back.” (Shia)
“Ah…! Shia, I’m home!” (Lost)
Shia’s latest catchphrase is “Welcome back”. A shortened version of “Welcome back home”. Everyone’s the same as ever, and I feel relieved. By the way, while Yustin and I have been growing taller, Shia hasn’t changed a bit since we first met. I’ve heard elves are long-lived. Perhaps, their growth phases are also slower?
“Man, these two are as lovey-dovey as ever.” (Taurus)
“Taurus-san, this is just a greeting.” (Lost)
That’s right. No matter the relationship, anyone exchanges greetings.
“By the way, Taurus… there’s a festival coming up in this town soon, right?” (Lost)
“A festival? Oh, you mean Banfra?” (Taurus)
“Banfra?” (Lost)
“Urban Fraternity. Abbreviated as Banfra.” (Taurus)
“Urban” refers to the labyrinth city, and “Fraternity” celebrates the peace and achievements of adventurers. The name suggests everyone should mingle on equal footing.
“As for its tournament battle, sorry, but Yustin and I decided to participate.” (Lost)
I casually informed him of the fact.
Would Taurus get mad? We’ve been stubbornly declining his invitations to join, and now we suddenly decide to participate. It wouldn’t be strange if he got upset. He did mention aiming for the championship to boost his popularity, after all.
“…It’s fine, isn’t it?” (Taurus)
“Huh…?” (Lost)
“What’s wrong?” (Taurus)
“Well, I thought you’d be mad, Taurus. Since you’re aiming to win, and now we’re also joining…” (Lost)
Apparently, I was worrying for nothing. Taurus smirked confidently. Leaning on the table with his arms crossed, he looked up at us with a mischievous grin.
“Heh heh heh, of course, I’m aiming to win.” (Taurus)
Oh, he seems quite confident.
“I’ve already formed my three-person team, so don’t worry about it. While you two were off doing your thing, I found the strongest ally to join me.” (Taurus)
The strongest ally?
And as always, Alba-san twitched at the word “strongest”. She placed her hands on the table and leaned forward.
“What? I have no intention of fighting alongside Taurus.” (Alba)
“It’s not Alba-san!” (Taurus)
“Then, who is it?” (Lost)
“That’s a secret.” (Taurus)
Taurus’s connections are impressive, so it wouldn’t be surprising if some big shot showed up. But Yustin and I are confident in our skills, too. I’m a speed-power type without magic, and Yustin specializes in magic, including one-word spells and teleportation magic. I don’t know the tournament’s battle format, but we’re determined to win. If Shia joins us, it would be perfect. A balanced team of sword, bow, and magic.
“By the way, do you know anything about the grand prize?” (Yustin)
Yustin spoke up.
He’s talkative when it’s just the two of us but doesn’t often join group conversations. He’s not fond of socializing in larger groups.
“Yu-chan, it’s famous, so of course I know. It’s a magic tool said to have been given by the Water Sage Undine to the legendary sorcerer Emped.” (Taurus)
“The legendary sorcerer Emped?” (Yustin)
The legendary sorcerer Emped was the historical villain who created Rizomata Volga. He’s the root cause of the peaceful Azalea Kingdom turning into a massive labyrinth and the birth of the labyrinth city Azarigrad. Undine-sama gave such a person something? And she now calls it her “dark history”. Well, for a sage, giving a magical tool to someone now considered a symbol of evil might indeed count as a “dark history”.
“The magical tool of the legendary sorcerer Emped… it’s mine!” (Yustin)
No, Yu-chan, you’re supposed to return it to Undine-sama if we win.
—
On the way back from Simnon Tavern. The pleasantly cool night breeze and the warmth of lit torches.
This place is chaotic but comfortable. It’s a city where it’s easy to live. It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve walked alongside Shia.
Ahead of us, Yustin, Taurus, and Alba-san were having their usual trivial arguments.
“By the way, Shia, how about joining the team battle? If you join Yustin and me, we’ll have the strongest trio of sword, magic, and bow.” (Lost)
“…” (Shia)
Walking slowly, Shia let her eyes drift lazily through the air. She seemed to be thinking about something.
“I cannot do it.” (Shia)
“Why not?” (Lost)
“I’m not very good at interpersonal battles.” (Shia)
It felt as if she was rejecting the idea somehow.
What a shame. In that case, I might have to invite Alba-san and go as a trio with her.
“Besides, this bow and arrow… I don’t want to aim it at people.” (Shia)
Shia murmured quietly. Her expression seemed somewhat clouded.
Come to think of it, I once heard from Sylphid-sama that Shia’s parents were killed by a magician. Perhaps she herself knows about it, too. The large bow she carries on her back is said to be a memento of her parents. She might feel that using it to aim at people would trample on something her parents held dear.
The atmosphere had turned awkward.
I need to change the subject. Find something else to talk about…
“By the way, Shia, how much did your house cost? You said you bought it yourself, right?” (Lost)
Shia lives in a ramshackle house that looks like a ruin.
“About 200,000 Solido.” (Shia)
“What?! That cheap?!” (Lost)
“It’s about 1/25 of the price of the Higasa Volga.” (Shia)
Saying this, Shia struck a pose with her black parasol with a cheerful click.
I’m glad she likes it so much. Of course, it’s undeniably a super-dangerous item, but still. Even so, I might have been spending absurdly. If houses are that cheap, buying one outright might have been less expensive than paying for lodging. I’ve been living in inns for a year or two now, and even at cheap inns, I feel like I’ve spent around that amount.
“I’ll cherish the Higasa Volga for life. Since Lost-san went out of his way to spend such a huge fortune making it for me.” (Shia)
It seems Gnome-sama told Shia how much money I had spent. I don’t care about the amount, but it makes me happy that she cherishes the gift. Cherishing a gift…
Perhaps the magical tool that Undine-sama gave to Emped was also a kind of gift. If something you gave to someone ends up in someone else’s hands, it’s understandable why you wouldn’t feel good about it. Whether it’s a “dark history” or not, it’s natural she’d be upset.
—
A few days later, I visited the Earth Sage Gnome-sama’s magic tool workshop for the first time in a while. It was as dusty as ever, but I somehow liked the atmosphere of this workshop. Old magic tools crammed into a large warehouse in a chaotic mess. There were odd-shaped weapons and tools abandoned mid-construction lying around everywhere.
From the back, I heard a strange sound, a geeeen sound. Gnome-sama was probably in the middle of working.
“Gnome-samaaa.” (Lost)
At the back of the workshop, Gnome-sama was covering her eyes with black goggles, welding something. Seeing the childlike Gnome-sama working on a large machine was a bit comical.
“Oh, Lost? Well, well, look who’s here.” (Gnome)
“It’s been a while.” (Lost)
“A while? We just saw each other not long ago!” (Gnome)
Not long ago? The last time we met was two months ago. To spirits, I suppose that amount of time feels like just a moment.
“Well, anyway, I’ve come because I have something to ask and a favor to request from you.” (Lost)
“What? Do you think I’m some sort of handyman?” (Gnome)
Well, she’s not wrong. There’s no other Great Spirit as easy to get along with as her. Besides, Gnome-sama has always been cooperative with me in the end. She seems to like my heavily modified right arm.
“I’d like to ask you about Undine-sama.” (Lost)
“…You’ve met Undine?” (Gnome)
Gnome-sama stopped her work for the first time and turned toward me. I explained about Undine-sama, asking about her personality, the prize for the upcoming Banfra team battle, and her so-called “dark history”. It seemed Gnome-sama also has some idea about it.
“That one… she fell into despair because of her romantic nature.” (Gnome)
“Romantic nature?” (Lost)
“She’d do anything for the man she falls for.” (Gnome)
If my guess is correct, the man she fell for was—
“Emped, of course.” (Gnome)
“Ah, I knew it. So, Undine-sama gave the magic tool to the legendary sorcerer Emped as a gift?” (Lost)
Just as I had gifted the Higasa Volga to Shia. Could Undine-sama have been in love with Emped? If so, what was she feeling when she defeated and sealed him? Come to think of it, Sylphid-sama, the Wind Sage living in the Lucur Great Forest, once mentioned this long ago. Emped wasn’t a bad man. He was just a magician with a strong sense of curiosity. Maybe, by piecing together different bits of information, we can uncover a side of history that isn’t so black-and-white.
“She went mad because of him, too. The Neve region wasn’t always a snow-covered land. She made it that way to isolate herself.” (Gnome)
Apparently, the recent blizzards were also caused by Undine-sama.
Spirits sure are selfish sometimes. You’d think that sages would be more enlightened, more detached from worldly desires, but none of the sages I’ve met so far give off that vibe. The only exception might be Sylphid-sama.
“Well, the guy was a top-notch magician, but when it came to women, he was hopeless. He’d flit from one to the next without a care… Honestly, Lost, you’d better watch out too.” (Gnome)
“Watch out for what?” (Lost)
“Women, of course. You seem like you might end up in trouble… Don’t get stabbed in the back by Shia, alright?” (Gnome)
“No way. I’m loyal to just one person.” (Lost)
—
There’s one more favor I need to ask. It’s about the mechanism in my right wrist. I figured Gnome-sama would be interested, since this is her area of expertise.
“Modifications, huh?” (Gnome)
There it is.
Gnome-sama’s eyes sparkled at my request.
Three months from now, there’s the Urban Fraternity team battle tournament. According to the rules I looked up, the battles are time-limited to 30 minutes. If a team member is knocked out of the field, a transfer magic circle activates and sends them to a waiting area outside the arena. The team with the most members remaining in the arena at the end, or the team that wipes out the others, wins. I want to upgrade my arm to prepare for this.
“Yeah, I was thinking, can’t we tweak the form of this wrist mechanism a bit?” (Lost)
“Lost, you—” (Gnome)
Flying abilities are prohibited under the Urban Fraternity battle rules, as the boundary of the field is an out-of-bounds zone. That means the side thrusters in my right arm, which enable flight, won’t be of any use.
Gnome-sama looked at me in disbelief, but then her expression quickly brightened, and she approached me.
“You’re finally starting to understand the romance of being a man, aren’t you?!” (Gnome)
She slapped me on the back, and I choked, coughing violently. Apparently, Gnome-sama had also wanted to tinker with my arm.
We immediately began discussing my concept, with Gnome-sama sketching diagrams and debating whether it was feasible. Somehow, my relationship with Gnome-sama was turning into one between a warrior and a weapon advisor.
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