Chapter 779 – Kingdom Martial Arts Tournament
ㅡWooooaaaaaaaah!!!!!
ㅡWoooooooh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ㅡYiaaaaaaah!!
The frenzied shouts continued for quite some time.
With a hologram magic show, a beautiful archmage, a stunning princess, and an incredibly powerful swordmaster all showing their faces, it would be strange if the atmosphere didn’t heat up.
But I guess it’s because it’s a martial arts tournament?
The swordmaster’s three words got the best reaction. More enthusiastic than the princess’s congratulatory speech. Even though the princess was more beautiful.
It’s only natural since she’s respected by all warriors.
“Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!”
Anyway, I also joined in on the atmosphere, shouting louder than anyone else to let my wives know where I was.
They must have noticed by now, right?
While doing that, I looked around to find my wives, but there were so damn many people that I couldn’t find them. How many spectators are there? I know it’s at least in the tens of thousands, but I don’t know exactly.
“Now~!!! Finally, there will be a special parade by the Royal Knights!!!!”
The last event of the opening ceremony was the Royal Knights’ parade. ㅡClang! ㅡClang! The doors on the other side opened, and knights in shining silver full plate armor marched in, performing drills with large greatswords.
“Wow, Royal Knights…!”
“It’s the Royal Knights!”
“Good heavens!”
“So cool!”
The tournament participants nearby couldn’t take their eyes off the knights and admired them. They really did look damn cool.
Silver armor.
ㅡShining! Shining!
I had seen it once in the dungeon, but it was quite dark there, so it wasn’t as impressive. In contrast, the sunlight was shining here, so the armor was shining like crazy.
“So badass.”
ㅡClang!
The knights, a squad-sized unit, marched in formation and took their places in the center, maintaining appropriate distances from each other and saluting with precise movements.
ㅡThump!
Thus, the parade began.
Holding their greatswords, they performed acrobatic sword dances combined with somersaults with precise movements, without any buffering or mistakes, just like a professional Taekwondo demonstration team performing a breaking performance.
“Oooooooooh!!”
“Such movements are possible!!!”
“So cool!!!”
I also watched with considerable interest.
The movements themselves are not difficult.
ㅡHop!
ㅡWhirl!
With a simple run-up, they jumped about 3 meters, spun six times in the air, performed a sword dance using the greatsword, landed, and then naturally connected to ground movements like flowing water, and then performed a backflip.
Easy movements, but more than thirty people perform the exact same movements very accurately without touching their comrades at all.
That’s the most impressive thing.
ㅡThe level of training is considerable.
Each individual’s senses are also outstanding, and looking at what they’re doing, they’ve all enhanced their bodies with mana. They said those guys are the main force of the Knights.
They’re pretty good after all.
They deserve to swagger around as knights.
“Come to think of it, they said a few members from the Royal Knights would participate, right?”
“They might be standing somewhere here.”
“Isn’t that guy going to win?”
Perhaps they were quite excited watching the performance, as the contestants started talking to the person next to them. They all seemed like complete strangers, but they were making acquaintances and becoming friendly like this. This must be one of the things the martial arts tournament is aiming for.
Soon the parade ended, and the knights who saluted returned.
“Now, now!! Did you all enjoy the show? The ever-strong knights are protecting the kingdom! Now~! The martial arts tournament is starting!! But participants! No killing!!! Reas really hates those murderers! Please compete beautifully with respect and honor for your opponents!!!”
Finally, the host made such a request, and the tournament really started. It seems they want to make sure there’s no killing.
“…”
I looked at the audience seats one more time.
ㅡLooking over there.
The archmage, the princess, and the swordmaster were sitting on luxurious chairs in the highest and best seats, looking down at the martial arts tournament arena.
They’ll probably sit there like that until the end of the tournament, watching the players like Roman emperors.
But, an archmage.
Is that real?
Did I just see someone similar because the impression of her hair color is stuck in my head? I can’t tell. I just hope it’s not true. If it is, I’ll have been messing around with an archmage.
I can’t handle that kind of future.
Anyway, the princess was a voluptuous beauty with a decadent and antique feel, and the swordmaster… was just an ominous woman who felt like a slaughterer, a mass murderer, a general.
It’s because it’s me that I feel ominous, but the people of this world would just think their country’s swordmaster looks so strong and not care. But how can such a fierce aura emanate from a person?
“Now! Let’s go back inside!!!!”
The tournament really started, and the staff holding flags controlled the players again. We followed him right back to F Hall.
Now we just have to wait here and go out when they call our names.
The preliminaries start now.
Looking at it just now, the Great Arena was already divided into sections. As if there’s no need to use strength from the preliminaries, they had created several temporary dueling arenas for the preliminaries of a certain size.
It seems that the preliminaries are held there with dozens of people at once.
Let’s see, if there are roughly 500 participants in the tournament, then if we have a first battle in a tournament format here and cut it in half, we’ll have 250 people.
If we cut that in half again with the second battle, we’ll have about 120 people.
If we cut it again with the third battle, we’ll have 60 people.
If we cut it one more time with the final fourth match, we’ll have 30 people.
In other words, if we cut it just four times, we’ll start the main round consisting of 32 people.
The preliminaries will probably end today if we do it quickly, and if the schedule is a bit delayed, it will end tomorrow. I hope the main round starts soon. Frankly, there’s nothing to see in the preliminaries. I can tell just by looking at the guys in this F Hall.
But there must be some decent guys in the other groups.
I’m just trusting in that.
There’s no way there isn’t a single strong person among these 500 people.
“Mr. Kumelson of Group F!! Please come out! The preliminary round is starting!”
“Oh!”
“And Mr. Buffalo! Mr. Odmalik! Mr. Malos! Mr. Philgris! Please come out too!”
At that time, the staff shouted while calling out names.
Are those guys fighting first?
They’re all holding swords and blunt weapons, but to be honest, they’re just pushovers. If they were my opponents, it would be over in 1 second. People’s skills are so inconsistent that there are total pushovers and super strong guys and stuff.
“The rest of you, please wait here! You can go to the bathroom or the snack bar, but if you are not in your seat when I call your name later, you will be immediately disqualified! Please keep that in mind! This is the rule of the Kingdom Martial Arts Tournament preliminaries!”
“I understand.”
“Understood.”
As expected, the rules are so lax because it’s the preliminaries.
Actually, it’s not that important, so they’re just glossing over it. The organizers must also think that the preliminaries, which are not very important, should be passed quickly.
I grabbed a seat and sat down, waiting for my turn. There was a water bottle with a hose inside, so it didn’t seem necessary to go to the snack bar. I didn’t even bring any money in the first place.
Today, I just brought my equipment and sword.
“I’m a little nervous.”
“You can say that again.”
“Where are you from, sir?”
As I sat there, the players gathered together and started talking to each other. They must be easing their tension and making acquaintances.
They introduced themselves, saying they were from such and such guild in such and such city, or the third son of such and such baron.
Less than 20% of them could handle mana.
Of course, that’s a pretty good skill level, but from my perspective, they’re total pushovers. But they should stand out in the preliminaries.
How long did I wait?
“Mr. Kim Kat! Please come out!”
“Ah. It’s my turn. I understand.”
Finally, it was my turn.
I immediately followed the busy staff back to the arena.
“Oooooooooh!”
“Alright!”
“Amazing skill!”
The preliminaries were already in full swing in all the arenas. Looking at it, there were some guys who fought pretty well, and there were also many guys who fought haphazardly in a dogfight. Surprisingly, the wins and losses were quickly decided.
The winners and losers were quickly decided and moved somewhere.
“This way. Now, please inquire with the staff there, Paladin Kim Kat!”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
I went to the arena that he told me about, and the person there came up to me and checked my name.
“Paladin Kim Kat. Confirmed. Now, please go up to the arena. The match will start soon.”
“I understand.”
I simply bowed and went up to the arena.
The arena was temporarily made for the preliminaries, but it was quite large. About five times larger than the ring I knew on Earth. I think I can fight comfortably in this size.
Anyway, there were several such temporary arenas, and there was a main ring in the center of the Great Arena.
ㅡThere’s no one there.
It seems they’re not using that now.
They’ll use it in the main round.
“Wooooaaaah!!”
As I was doing that, a red-haired man shouted and came up to the ring from the opposite side.
Looking at it, he was wearing a pretty good-looking brigandine. He had antique hand axes in both hands… Is he a dual-wielder? The skill I feel seems pretty good.
Is that my opponent?
“Now, please introduce each other!!”
As he came up, the referee clapped and shouted.
“I am Inserner Bomalson, the fifth son of the Bomalson barony! I am honored to fight with a noble whom I do not know!! Let’s compete in skill!!!!”
He pointed one of his axes at me and said that, as if he had a hearty personality.
“Nice to meet you. I am Paladin Kim Kat, directly under the Saintess of the Brass Celestial Church. I look forward to a good match.”
“What, what?! A Paladin?!”
“There’s no need to be surprised. I’m probably about the same age as you.”
“Wh, what the hell…!”
I can’t help it if you’re surprised.
“The match will begin!!!”
ㅡClang!
As soon as the introductions were over, the referee rang something like a gong to signal the start.
“Paladin… I don’t care!!”
ㅡThump!
“Haaaaaaaap!!”
Bomalson immediately kicked off the ground and rushed towards me like a beast. That speed was a bit different from the ordinary. A movement that only those who have melted mana into their bodies can perform.
He’s got the basics.
ㅡWhoosh!
Bomalson, who had approached me like that, struck down the two twin axes like lightning without stopping his running momentum. It’s fast, but it’s nothing to me.
ㅡSwoosh.
Immediately, I take a step forward diagonally at the same time.
ㅡGrab.
“What!”
I grab the guy’s right wrist, ㅡWhirl! and throw him out of the arena while holding his wrist. He’s a heavy adult man full of muscles, but I can’t throw him with one hand.
“Aaaaaaaack!!”
Bomalson screamed and flew away, crashing to the bare ground.
Pushover.
“Out of bounds!! Winner! Kim Kat!”
The referee immediately announced my victory.
“What should I do now?”
“The winner goes down and follows that staff! Congratulations on your victory!”
“It’s over quickly.”
“It’s the preliminaries. It’s all over quickly. Then the next player has to come up…”
“I understand. Thank you for your hard work.”
There’s no tension or anything because it’s the preliminaries.
“Congratulations on your victory. Now, please follow me. From now on, you will be waiting in the winner’s waiting room.”
“I understand.”
I immediately followed him.
Looking back as I went, Bomalson was scratching his head and talking to a staff member.
“Here, this is a souvenir for participating in the preliminaries. Please receive this and go back now. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Aing…”
If you lose in the preliminaries, do you just get that and that’s it? I feel a little sorry.
But it’s a tournament, so what can I do?
I was just too strong.
So I went into the winner’s waiting room.
When I went inside, there were already about twenty men and women sitting in their seats.
“Oh.”
Looking at it, except for about ten people, the rest seemed to be pretty good. Yeah, this is what a martial arts tournament should be. But there are no guys that catch my eye, but that’s a passing grade. The guys who make it to the main round will be stronger than these guys, right?
“Are you perhaps the Paladin of the Brass Celestial Church?”
“What?”
As I was about to sit down, a man came up to me and spoke to me.
“Oh my. A Paladin.”
“Really?”
“That nomad player?”
Attention is focused on me.
