“No. Regarding the Corpse King’s secrets, please just speak of them whenever you feel like it, at your own pace.”
“Garm is just happy that the King is here, so cheer up, okay!?”
As the four of them responded in their own ways, the heavy atmosphere dissipated.
However, I still couldn’t explain.
There was no way I could explain that I was an Otherworlder.
Especially not to the Eight Precepts.
—I could never take an action that might cause me to lose these kids.
As I sat in a chair and took a deep breath, feeling grateful for my subordinates who asked for nothing—
“—Corpse King, there is a reaction at the third coordinates.”
Nifl suddenly spoke. The third coordinates…
meaning, someone had visited the room I rented at the inn.
“Send me back.”
“Are you sure?”
“I want a change of pace.”
“As you wish.”
Feeling uncomfortable staying here any longer, I made the request to Nifl.
Immediately after, Nifl’s teleportation returned my body to the inn.
Knock, knock!
Two quick taps on the door. It sounded incredibly urgent.
“Hizaki-sama, are you there?”
The voice calling me accompanied repeated knocking.
This voice belongs to that receptionist.
When I hurried to open the door, as expected, she was there, pale-faced and breathing heavily.
“Ah, Hizaki-sama!”
“What happened?”
I asked while trying to act natural, but things didn’t seem peaceful.
I hadn’t told her which inn I was at, and the arena wouldn’t easily give out personal information.
Which means—
“Hizaki-sama! Kaguya-sama has made another request…!”
Yeah, it’s related to the person in power.
“Kaguya-sama took a great liking to your match… and she’s asking if another match can be set up for tomorrow…! And your opponent is—Kouka-sama, a Level 8 Explorer!“
“…Excuse me?”
A Level 8 Explorer…?
Wait, I didn’t mishear that… right?
“The format will be an exhibition match… Regardless of the outcome, a large amount of fight money will be paid!”
“Wa-Wait a minute! A Level 8 Explorer? That’s a bit much…”
“I-Is it… too difficult after all…?”
Well, yeah.
Explorers at Level 8 or higher aren’t people who just swing around power like Careless-kun; they are transcendents, monsters who have undergone relentless training.
I don’t know about the old me, but with my current self, a hard fight is inevitable. There’s a high chance I could lose.
Fortunately, I’ve already finished earning the funds, so there’s zero merit in accepting.
“I’m sorry, but… this time…”
“P-Please, isn’t there some way you could do it!?”
Is the receptionist being this desperate just to please the beautiful princess living at the top of the keep? If they can stay in her good graces, it’ll make running the operations easier for them.
But still, the risk is too high.
Just as I was thinking that, I found a lead to the piled-up problems in the conditions the receptionist presented.
“R-Regardless of the result, you will be granted an audience with Kaguya-sama! If you meet with her, she says she will listen to any request as long as it doesn’t violate the law!”
“Hoh.”
“…Eh?”
A request… huh.
If I use this “request” wisely, I could prove the true nature of that strange mana Garm found, or its connection to the nightmare incidents. In fact, I might even be able to solve it. The “Ruinous Beauty” Kaguya is the ruler of the Sleepless Country. She’d have information whether she liked it or not. And maybe I could hear something useful about the “Fake Helheim” too?
Isn’t that a huge benefit? It would be foolish to let this slip.
“For example… could I ask about Helheim, which is currently causing a stir in the Empire?”
“He-Helheim…? Yes. I believe that won’t be a problem. Furthermore, Kouka-sama is a Explorer of the Empire, so she should have plenty of information… eh?”
As she spoke, the receptionist looked at me with a “Are you serious?” face.
Even though she was the one asking, she probably expected to be turned down.
“U-Um… does that mean you’ll accept!?”
Waving off the pressing receptionist, I hardened my resolve.
I couldn’t miss the chance to meet the person in power in this country. Besides, a chance to fight at full strength is rare.
I can’t keep relying on the Eight Precepts forever.
“—I’ll do it. Tell Kaguya-sama that.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
■
“He’s coming! He’s coming, he’s coming, he’s comingggggg!!”
After receiving the report of his acceptance, Kaguya bounced around innocently, making no effort to hide her long-lost excitement.
Her appearance was so pure it hardly suited the name “Ruinous Beauty.”
“Heh, he actually accepted. Unexpected~”
“The Leader is technically a Level 8 Explorer…”
“I wonder what’ll happen… Leader isn’t the type of person who knows how to hold back…”
Kouka’s party members voiced their anxieties.
Only Explorers of the same rank or higher could withstand her full power.
However, ignoring such worries, Linfa neville bared her teeth ferociously.
“—Hizaki… he looks like he’s gonna be crazy!”
An Exhibition Match.
Among the matches held in the Sleepless Fighting Arena—the Ruinous Beauty’s way of killing boredom—this term refers to matches where her intentions are heavily involved.
It’s a spotlight event held only once every few years when someone manages to catch her interest.
It depends largely on her whim, and the participants are kept entirely secret.
Kaguya’s favorite “Fighters” versus an opponent of her choosing.
That is the only information available.
The pot consists of the spectators’ bets and Kaguya’s own assets.
The amount: 20,000 gold coins.
The total sum would be among the highest for any match ever held in the Sleepless Fighting Arena.
Unknown participants. High returns for a correct guess. I
t’s the match with the highest gambling element of them all… however…
[Kouka] Linfa neville. Her presence had been witnessed by a large number of spectators.
And now, an exhibition match. There was no one else who could have been chosen as the opponent for the Fighters.
This piece of information completely overturned the usual logic of an exhibition match.
Level 8 Explorer [Kouka].
With that name alone, the spectators made up their minds.
90%.
That was the percentage of support cast for [Kouka].
However, 10% remained.
That was a number that could be considered too high for a Fighters facing a Level 8 Explorer.
Toward a result that even the Ruinous Beauty couldn’t imagine, the Fighting Arena set its course.
The audience’s interest was poured onto the unseen stage of tomorrow.
Expecting an upset somewhere in their hearts.
■
The day after the exhibition match was decided.
Standing on the stage of the Fighting Arena were two figures who did not betray the audience’s expectations.
One was the rising star of the arena, Hizaki. He had only fought two matches so far.
However, in both, he was an unknown rookie who showed no signs of using magic or anything resembling a unique ability.
Watching him were eyes from the upper levels of the Fighting Arena.
“Ugh, I want to cheer out loud~!”
“Patience, Garm. I also abandoned the creation of a banner with a heavy heart.”
“Even without our cheers, defeat is impossible for our King. The opponent is a mere human, not a Primordial Species. They cannot defeat the King just by being a little strong… probably!”
Nidhogg’s unreliable declaration. Gurba rubbed his beard and voiced his concerns.
“However, the opponent is a high-ranking Explorer who spends her days and nights in battle, living side-by-side with death. She’s a ‘Named’ one. She won’t be easy. If he underestimates her, it could be over in an instant.”
“I-I’m definitely gonna cheer after all!”
“Mmph, then I shall also give him a shout of encouragement!”
Gurba’s worry couldn’t be dismissed as mere paranoia. A 180-year blank was likely that significant.
Nifl and Garm had felt this personally a few times.
Even a Greater Demon, the encounter with the President—who was inferior in combat power—showed a difference. If it were the previous Corpse King, the gap should have been enough to kill him with a single glance and a spell.
But what he showed was a stalemate with a Demon Armament.
From that point, even for a loyal servant like Nifl, it was impossible to say there was zero worry.
The Corpse King bore the weight of his subordinates’ expectations and a sliver of their anxiety. His nonchalant stance remained unchanged; even though he was facing a Level 8 Explorer, there was no sign of him being overwhelmed.
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