Legend

"Damn it!

With such a cry, the table that was in the room is destroyed by a fist waved down.

A table was available that was made quite sturdy because of the modest room spent by the athletes competing in the martial arts tournament, but it was still not enough to withstand the fist that Rhodos waved down.

But... the anger and humiliation that exists in Rhodos' chest will not disappear even if he destroys the table in front of him.

"Ray... to him, what am I!? It's not even a blockage in front of you!

That word that is spouted out of his own mouth reinforces the frustration that is more in him.

I know. For thoughts such as anger and frustration in this chest to be unreasonable.

In the first place, Ray doesn't know the very thoughts he has about Vihera.

But still... I really couldn't contain this feeling in my chest.

Hate, jealous, envious, irritating... that such thoughts are in your chest.

I think it's strange for me. But still... I held my fist to at least smash this thought into the wreckage of the table that existed in front of me, at that time.

"I'm not impressed with eight wins."

To that voice, which suddenly echoed inside the modem, Rhodos sends a reflexively murderous caged gaze.

Ahead of that gaze...... one guy in the understatement is in his 20s or so.

However, it is more correct to describe the appearance as a female face.

In that sense, it must have been natural that Rodos' attitude towards the man in front of him, which somewhere reminded him of Ray, had become sword-soaked.

"I'm sorry, but I can't afford someone else right now. Just disappear."

"I think it would be awesome if I just made it to the third round on my first trip."

But the man spins the word as if he didn't hear Rodos at all.

That attitude further associates Ray in Rhodos, turning his swordswallowing gaze toward the man.

"Go away. That's what I said, you didn't hear me?

"And you have one more head out of deep red intensity than the others. The final of this tournament will be a battle between deep red and immobility."

"... just say it one last time. Go away."

Final notice. That wasn't just the word, it represented the killing spirit released from Rhodos' body.

The man in front of you is clearly weaker than he is. Even so, I find myself terribly frustrated by my attitude as if I wasn't dealing with myself at all.

"Well, are you selling me fights? Then I'll buy you that...... Yikes!

I kicked the ground with that word and slapped my fist in the face of a man... and suddenly my stretched hand grabs Rodos' wrist.

Not to take the fist, or shelter the man. It's Rodos' unleashed fist, even if it's not full force. The fact that he stopped it by grabbing his wrist from the side meant nothing more than that whoever did it was completely out of Rodos' fist movements.

In the first place, where did you emerge from when only the man in front of you was supposed to have been there until earlier?

With all that Rhodos mess to spare, the men continue their conversation.

"Look, that's why I told you. Your attitude is a pain in the ass for normal people. You should have left it to me."

"Why? I'm just getting things reasonably going, okay? In the first place, if I leave it to you, this guy might be useless, right? That doesn't make any sense, so it's no strange story for me to leave."

"... well, not to this extent an arm. I just didn't know you could deal with me in the first place..."

Rhodos' comic cramped pictorially into that conversation that was taking place with his right hand held down.

The two people in front of them, who even appeared where they were just frustrated, ignore themselves and behave as if they were not worth dealing with.

"Za... Ru..."

Bosoli, and the man holding that wrist turns his gaze on the leaked word of Rodos.

What's floating there is a strange look. I have no idea why I'm being targeted for murder.

"What's going on? Yeah, I'm sorry, but I'll see you later. Now let's talk about this one..."

That's why I told him that in a mild tone, but that would result in an explosion of Rodos' anger.

"I'm kidding!

Pull your wrist back forcefully, regardless of the person holding your own wrist.

Keep reaching for the sheath of your hips.

Still, I guess I wasn't completely out of reason yet. Instead of pulling out the long sword, swing each sheath straight down to the opponent who was holding his own wrist.

"Ouch! What? Suddenly."

To the sheath to be wielded, take only one step back. Were you completely out of motion in the game with Ray, the shaken sheath passes places like a few centimeters in front of a man.

The first man watching the scene opens his mouth as if he was frightened.

"I would have said it when I advanced to Your Highness. This guy named Rhodos has some strength, but he says he explodes easily in character."

"No, isn't this your fault, not mine?

A man who tells as he dodges all of the successive attacks of the sheath being wielded, but the colour of haste does not exist at all in his expression.

Even though I have said that this situation is common and normal, I continue my conversation with the man while avoiding the attack of Rhodos.

That's why Rodos finds himself insulted and increases the speed at which he wields an extra sheath.

But if there is blood on his head, the attack naturally gets rough... eventually the man who is dodging gets tired of it too, takes a light, bare-handed, swinging sheath down.

"Um, come on, come on. You can't possibly hit me with an arm like yours, can you? Let's see him a little more real."

"You!

I guess that word got in the way. It was Rhodos who tried to shower his anger, but the first man to speak to Rhodos opens his mouth as if to block the word.

"Bratta, come on. I'm here to draw the man in, but what if I piss him off?"

"... no, the first thing that pissed you off was Soble, right?

A man called Bratta returns his words as if he had been distraught somewhere, but the man called Soble calls out to Rodos without looking particularly concerned.

"Well, it seemed like a lot of things went wrong...... let's introduce ourselves again. I'm Soble. With Bratta there, serving His Royal Highness the First Prince of the Bestian Empire, Kabazid."

"... what?

There was blood on his head, Rhodos, but he still stopped the attack because he heard the word 1st prince.

1st prince. That's one of the enemies in difficulty when Rodos makes Vihera's brother in love at first sight and rescues a third prince under house arrest.

Someone serving someone like that pulling themselves out? I think that way, and maybe they know about our connection to Vihera.

But it feels like the other person's attitude is soft.

While I had my inner doubts, I thought this might be a good opportunity.

(Jump into the other person's nostalgia to gather information, or move when you need to... maybe that's how you can help? Fortunately, I'm on Ray over there...)

That's all I think about, and I can think of.

I was wondering if I could fight Ray again if I put him on the other side like this.

Of course I'm not going to betray Dusker or Elk or, above all, Vihella. But still, Ray and... if I could rematch Ray for trampling his pride so insensitively, that seemed like a huge reward above all else.

Summarizing his thoughts that far, he lowers the sheath of the sword that was pointing at Bratta.

Let me talk to him.

Complicated feelings about Ray and the intention that Vihella might help.

That obvious change in attitude is not very much but unbelievable if you try it on two people, Bratta and Soble, and the fact is Bratta tries to say something.

But Soble stopped it and turned to Bratta.

Originally sobbled, I didn't think Rodos would swear allegiance to Kabazid from his heart, and I saw that it was an act with some intent.

It's not like I don't have anything to think about inside, but it still makes a lot of sense to be able to keep a pawn named Rhodos at hand, and above all, if you know you're the one who's planning to move, you just have to deal with it accordingly from the start.

"Okay, Rhodos. Let's hear it again. Will you pledge your allegiance to His Highness Kabazid and be one of us?

"... right. As you know, I'll be one of you. I can't swear allegiance to His Highness Kabazid, but I can assure you that it will still serve you as a force of war."

To Rhodos, who tells him so, Bratta snorts like it doesn't seem funny.

He said, "Well, with your arm, it'll help us." Try not to pull my leg at most. "

If you try Bratta, you won't like Rodos, who is weaker than you but gets special treatment from Soble.

Soble opens his mouth as if to take it to such a bratta and invite it against Rhodos.

"It is true that Rhodos is not a powerful and powerful force today. But if you're weak now, you just have to be strong."

That word out of Soble's mouth isn't very much but it's not something you can listen to if you try to make it a rhodos who want a rematch against Ray.

"That's... what do you mean? Do you have the means to be that easy and strong?

"It certainly wouldn't be possible to make Rodos stronger from the ground up. But for example, replace your weapon's long sword or leather armor with a magic item, besides other magic items in the form of ornaments such as bracelets, foot rings, necklaces, piercings, etc."

"... that you give me that magic item?

Ask suspiciously Rodos, but basically magic items are more than expensive. Naturally.

But against Rhodos like that, Soble grins lightly and nods all the time that there is nothing wrong.

"Our Lord is His Highness Kabazid, the most prominent candidate for the next heir to the throne. Moreover, the Vestian Empire invests in alchemy, so magic items are not so rare. So far, can you believe it?

"I see. If you do become the first prince, can you like magic items,"

"That's the thing. I just can't get you to meet His Highness Kabazid in person yet.... Now, can we recognize that you're going to be one of us?

To Soble's inquiry, Rodos nods slowly after a moment of hesitation.

"Oh. If I can really be stronger than I am now... and if I can fight Ray again, I'll be happy to help you guys"

"... Hmm. Then we'd be happy to welcome you in."

Rhodos holding the hand of the offered soble.

Naturally, I'm not going to give Rhodos all my loyalty to Kabazid until the end, and I'm not going to betray Vihera.

But... rematching with Ray was definitely fascinating.

I can predict that a first prince named Kabazid would be willing to set up some sort of thing with his father, Ray, or Larks Borderline Uncle Dusker, than he had himself on his side. And that you're trying to use yourself then.

But I also don't think Rhodos would mind that.

(The opponents are father and Ray. And I have a mother. If anything happens, there's nothing we can do about it, and if we flow information from this side, we'll be able to handle it adequately.... but Ray. You'll have to fight me again.)

Thinking that way, Soble, with his hands off Rhodos, turns his gaze toward Bratta.

I guess I felt something subtly unpleasant in that gaze. Bratta's eyebrows were slightly praised.

"... what is it?

"The corner Rodos is now one of us, so I'm definitely going to get Bratta to work out Rodos, okay?

It was a hassle, as expected, and Bratta gives a disgusting look.

"Why should I bother to imitate that? Mostly, I didn't admit he'd be one of us."

"That's why I want to ask Bratta. Bratta is one of the best of us. If you work out for someone like that, you'll be able to bottom up Rhodos' strengths, and you say that a lot, right? He said if you cross swords, you'll know the character of the opponent. Even in that sense, I think it's the right person for Bratta, right?

It was a mixed word of half flattery, but it was undoubtedly also the heart of Soble that was put in there.

It is a fact that Bratta is one of the most powerful of the 1st Prince factions.

To keep an eye on whether Rhodes is thinking strangely, and to raise the bottom of his strength. It was a suggestion aimed at making a good deal of money.

Even for Bratta, there's no reason I'm not happy that I'm being praised. Especially if the other person is a soble who always tells himself a novel, it was even more so.

"Heh, heh. Well, if Soble's going to say that much, can I work out a little bit?... Look, Rodos. I'll work you out. Follow me."

Tell him so, Bratta pulling Rodos.

Soble, who dropped it off, grinned contentedly.