Ch. 226

“What do you like about him? His loud voice? His big build? His big feet? He does have big hands, too. Ah! He’s also big down there… There’s a dealer over there! Let’s bet over there!”

I changed the subject as quickly as possible. It was the first time in my life I’d ever diverted a conversation that urgently.

Oh my god, that was close.

Even if my brain and mouth were connected to the point that I just blurted things out as they came, that was a bit much.

“He’s big down there, you say? What are you talking about?”

“His head.”

“Ah…”

“Still, I respect your taste, Akia. Bigger is better than smaller! Having a big head might not have anything to do with intelligence, but there must be some good points.”

I led the solemn Akia to the temporary ticket booth.

There was a long line, so we stood at the back.

There were definitely countries where betting on fights was illegal, but in Heidrike’s case, it was legal.

As a country that lived off tourism, it was quite lenient on gambling, and during festivals the country even helped with the operation. It was truly a beautiful country of gambling.

There were even professional dealers just for nobles, so you could tell how little entertainment they had.

“I’m going to bet on the Count. In support of the Count… Geenie said she was betting on the Count too, right?”

“That’s right. I bet the day before yesterday, and it didn’t seem like enough, so I bet again yesterday.”

“I won’t ask how much you bet… because I’m scared.”

“I didn’t bet much. I even had money left over from what I prepared. I didn’t know, but you have to bring your ID if you want to bet more than a certain amount. It’s such a hassle.”

“…That, I think the limit was 500 Gold.”

Thanks to her good memory, Akia, who had just learned something she really didn’t want to know, stared at the 1 Silver in her hand with a strange look.

It was Akia’s loss if she started comparing different scales of spending.

The reason I was throwing money around wasn’t because I was a noble, but because I was a Spirit Mage.

I had the only Metal Spirit in the world, and luckily, the currency of this world was metal.

“Next.”

It was finally our turn after a long wait.

The dealer handed over a blue form with a businesslike air. There was a space to write the bet and a seal proving which merchant guild the ticket office belonged to. There was also an advertisement promising dividends up to 3,000 Gold.

“Who are you betting on?”

“1 Silver on the Count!”

I couldn’t control my excitement and acted like I was betting my own money.

The betting system for the general public was simple. After signing in the center of the form, you handed it to the dealer along with your bet, and the dealer stamped a large seal in the center to confirm it. Then they tore the form in half and returned one side to us.

“Take good care of your receipt. You won’t get your dividend if you lose it.”

“That’s basic. More importantly, what are the betting odds right now? Count Trenpe is obviously the overwhelming favorite, right?”

I asked pleasantly, and a pleasant answer came back. I was in a good mood today.

“Of course! Our Count is the overwhelming favorite. Eight to two! How could some kid who just runs around relying on his youth possibly beat the Count?”

“That’s right!”

“Our general will take this opportunity to crush the noses of those arrogant Empire bastards! Again! Hahaha!”

“Eekyakyakya!”

It felt so good to laugh with someone who thought the same way.

If I wanted to make a fortune, I should have bet on Rovenin, but betting on him wasn’t a wise choice right now. Not if I didn’t want to lose money.

“Hey!”

“Ah, you’re here?”

“You’ve arrived.”

Chad, coming toward us through the crowd, was easy to spot because he was two heads taller than everyone else.

The question was how he’d found us so easily when we were buried in the crowd.

“How did they find us?”

The front of the Duel arena, where the match would soon be held, was literally packed.

“I followed the weird laughter and it was you.”

“Oh my, I don’t know what you’re talking about? I’m elegance incarnate, so even my laughter is the most elegant in the world.”

“You laugh like a villain with the most evil plan in the world. I can tell right away how dangerous you are, you know?” (T/N : Hahahahaha)

“Hmph, no I don’t. Ask Bright or Akia. Everyone will agree with me.”

“The list of people you’re telling me to ask is already shameless, isn’t it? Those two would give you their liver and gall, and one of them is Akia, who can’t say no to you.”

He’s got a better brain than a goldfish.

Normally, I would have kicked Chad in the leg, but I was in such a good mood today that I felt like I could forgive anything.

I am generous. Because I’m excited at the thought of smelling my nemesis’s blood.

“Khahah!”

[Kyakyak!]

“Ah, embarrassing…”

The rest of the group, including Ash, appeared with their heads raised above the crowd when I let out another loud villainous laugh.

Judging by their wide eyes, they’d definitely come after hearing my laughter.

Whether I wanted to or not, I was gathering lost people with my laugh. The makings of a Saintess didn’t go anywhere. Ha, I really needed to be a little less noble.

“They say it’s time to enter. Did you hear the loudspeaker?”

“Oh! Really?”

“They’re already going in over there.”

The central Duel arena where Toomdra was being held was quite large.

According to the information I’d unintentionally memorized from everyone talking about it, there were more than thirty entrances, it could hold nearly forty thousand people, and it was the second largest on the continent.

The largest stadium was the Colosseum in the capital of the Elan Union, where I fought Rovenin.

“Everyone, gather around, I’ll hand out the tickets.”

I took six tickets out of my clothes and waved them around. Bright had gotten them by selling my parents’ names.

The person Lox had written a letter of introduction to was so busy he wasn’t even home, so I hadn’t even seen his face.

We’d almost missed the match, but I’d have something to nag Lox about later, so in the end it wasn’t all bad.

“Um… Geenie? What about your mage friend?”

“Why?”

“I don’t see him. I know he’s the one who got the tickets.”

“You should say it right. I told him to get them, so I’m the one who got them.”

“…Yes.”

Akia was very uncomfortable with Bright’s presence. She got nervous and shrank back just because there was a noble among us, but she didn’t really care about me. I was technically a noble lady too.

It was odd, so I peeked into her inner thoughts, and the reason was simple: the title of Saintess was so powerful that just being a noble wasn’t a big deal.

She also believed I wouldn’t harm her because I was a Saintess, and most of all, she liked me very much.

Anyway, this popularity of mine.

“I thought he would be watching the match with us.”

“I guess he couldn’t get any more tickets.”

“Ah.”

“These tickets must be worth a lot these days. These six alone are worth praising. Though they might be cheap as a life.”

Bright’s list of crimes was already overflowing, so there were too many to punish one by one.

“That’s… Well, I’m okay. The invitation itself is an honor, and I’m really grateful, so I’m fine even if I can’t watch the match. It would be better to call him…”

“Huh? No. He whined so much that I’m sick of hearing him. The person he owed for these tickets was a mage, and it seems he’s being dragged to the Tower of Magic starting today. What did he say… I couldn’t understand half of it because he was crying, but he said something about the communications team having a manpower shortage and needing reinforcements. That’s probably right. Right, Ash?”

“I’m glad you’re not interested in him, but…”

Ash often made that troubled face whenever I talked about Bright.

“If it’s a good thing, it’s a good thing. What’s with that expression?”

“…It’s like I can see my future. It makes me imagine when you’ll lose interest in me.”

“If you don’t do anything stupid, that won’t happen.”

[Ah.]

[What?]

[I thought I could have Master’s attention for the rest of my life, too! Because I’m an intellectual being.]

Looking at Rai, I’m reminded that confidence is good, but I shouldn’t get too full of myself. It makes him look mentally ill.

“Anyway, you don’t have to worry about Bright. He was just trying to follow me. After all, that senior doesn’t like violence… He does like it when it’s done to him, though.”

“…”

“Did I say that last part out loud?”

“Yes…”

That adds one more reason for Akia to dislike Bright.

“It’s a secret, okay? That he’s a pervert.”

“I can tell just by looking at him, though…”

“Still, we have to respect his identity. Everyone, take the tickets the pervert brought! We can’t all sit in the same area, so keep that in mind. I got them late, so the seats are scattered all over the place.”

The cheapest general admission tickets, just a step above standing room, simply stated which area you could sit in.

The idea was that you could sit in any empty seat in that area on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you wanted a good seat, you had to go as early as possible.

“Let’s see. Two tickets for Zone 11, two for Zone 24, and two for Zone 38, so we’ll split into three groups. First… Gale and Enk.”

I handed out the tickets however I pleased, and the best friends Gale and Enk naturally ended up together in Zone 11.

The tickets were slightly different in color by zone, and those two had a pale gray tint.

“Finally!”

“Kuh! Thank you!”

“You’ll have to hurry if you want to sit side by side, you know?”

The two of them were happier than ever when they received the tickets. The cutest thing about men is when you can clearly see what they like.

“Zone 24 is Akia and Chad.”

“…What was that?”

“And me and Ash! Let’s meet back at the inn after the match. It’ll be too crowded around here to meet again, so take care of yourselves…”

“You little punk! You… You can watch with Akia! I’ll watch with Ash! Isn’t that normal?”

How dare he be dissatisfied with the seats I’d assigned.

He must be shy about being alone with Akia. A man without courage is not cute. I glared at Chad with a crooked look.

“Why? Don’t you want to watch with Akia?”

“…No, that’s… That’s not what I mean…!”

“I knew you were an idiot, but stop right there. Don’t do anything stupid that makes Akia uncomfortable just because you’re embarrassed. Akia will be embarrassed if you react like that, you know?”

“Keuk…”

“And it’s normal to want to watch with someone you like. What else would ‘normal’ be?”

Enk and Gale had already dashed off and disappeared, and all that was left were Ash and Akia, making similar faces.

Both of them had red cheeks and couldn’t keep their lips still, biting them and desperately trying to hold back their embarrassment.

Akia being like that was understandable, but why was Ash making that face? Looking again, Chad had a similar expression, so I was the only one who was indifferent.

What’s up with you guys? What’s with this atmosphere?

[Why is Ash like that, too?]

[Because Master said she wanted to watch with someone she likes?]

[Ah.]

[That means she likes Ash.]

I quietly agreed. It was an undeniable fact.

Rai was currently transformed into a snake and hiding in my clothes, because the Duel arena prohibited pets, and I’d decided to follow that rule.

If you couldn’t see it from the outside, it was the same as it not being there. Just like how a perfect crime isn’t a crime.

“Um, Chad…? I… I’m fine watching separately. Even alone… Maybe…”

“No, Akia! Not in a fighting arena of all places! Being alone there is like standing in the middle of a gathering of lunatics who are crazy about blood!”

Is that me?

“But I think I’m making you uncomfortable.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to sit with you… I…! I mean…! It’s just…”

“…Yes?”

“I, I’ve… never… done anything… alone… with a girl! That’s why!”

I alternated between looking at Chad, who couldn’t even make eye contact as he stuttered, and Akia, who looked mortified, then roughly shoved the pink ticket into Chad’s pocket.

I’d cheer them on since they clearly had feelings for each other, but I had no intention of watching this ticklish scene live.