The Tale of A Man Who Believed That His Reincarnation Had Granted Him A Japanese Sword And The Greatest Battle Sense, Only To Have The God Finally Inform Him "Huh, I Didn't Give You Any Combat Sense… That's Scary…" - Episode 17

“The 56th Kendo Tournament, those participating in the main event, please come this way!!”

“Main tournament champion prediction! How’s the information on the champion prediction? With thorough coverage over twenty days, our accuracy is outstanding compared to others!”

“Papa, do you think that armored guy will win again this year?”

“Ah, that’s right. The Four Knights are so strong that they’re on a completely different level from everyone else.”

Riding in the carriage with Lyra, I enjoyed the view of the town from the passenger car for about ten minutes before we arrived at the venue for the swordsmanship tournament. The venue for the swordsmanship tournament was a circular arena, and at first glance, it resembled the Colosseum from my previous life. However, it was much larger than the Colosseum, about the size of a baseball dome in the city.

Various stalls and attractions are being showcased around the arena, and the crowd is so dense that it feels dizzying. To put it in perspective, it’s as crowded as Kabukicho on weekends and holidays.

There are all sorts of people: ordinary-looking commoners, those dressed in flashy golden clothes that scream “I am a noble,” rough-looking individuals with weapons slung over their backs, and people selling snacks with a smile while sweat beads on their foreheads. It truly feels like a festival, and I can’t help but feel excited.

“Enri, over here. Stay close so you don’t get separated.”

Ms. Lyra walks towards the arena, the sound of her heels clicking with each step. The people around the arena, upon seeing the elegantly dressed Ms. Lyra, naturally part to make way for her. Following closely behind her like a dog on a walk, they were able to enter the arena.

Inside the circular arena, it is somewhat dimly lit, with several wall-mounted lamps installed. The lamps have flames in cool colors like blue and purple, casting a cold light over the arena. When I went with Lyra to the wide space that resembles an entrance hall immediately after entering the arena, I saw a man and woman who appeared to be the receptionists talking to several armed individuals.

“Hey, hey, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m Zand, the famous adventurer even in the royal capital, the one with unmatched strength! What do you mean I can’t participate, huh!?”

The man, who was talking roughly while carrying a one-handed sword, slammed his hand on the marble table at the reception desk with a bang, but the woman handling the reception sighed and explained with a familiar demeanor.

“Therefore, as I have mentioned many times before, only those who have received recommendations from the owners of adventurer clans, or from the king or ministers, or those who have contributed a certain amount to the tournament organization will be eligible to participate in the main event.”

“What does a recommendation even mean?! This swordsmanship tournament is supposed to be a competition of pure strength. If you’re strong, anyone should be able to participate without complaints!”

Futile argument. Pushing against a curtain. Chanting to a horse. Fools don’t listen to explanations. Well, to put it simply, it’s that kind of thing. When Lyra-san saw the people arguing with a look as if she were looking at trash, she spoke to the man at the reception desk while keeping a slight distance.

“Good day. I’ve brought a swordsman recommended by the Grosvenor family. I apologize for the short notice, but could you please take him to the waiting room?”

“Well, well, Lady Lyra Grosvenor. You have personally brought the contestant with you. Is the person next to you the contestant from the Grosvenor family?”

The receptionist, with a practiced demeanor, smoothly wrote something in the ledger and gave me a slight nod. Reflexively, I returned the nod. It was the corporate slave skills and reflexes honed in my previous life.

“Ah…? Hey, receptionist lady. Are you really letting a kid who looks like he just wet his pants in here? What’s going on, this is ridiculous. Why can this kid get in, but I can’t?!”

The man who had been causing a scene at the reception, not listening to reason, turned his aggression towards me. He drew the sword from the sheath on his back and pointed the unsheathed blade at me. A quick glance at his face revealed a strong expression of anger. Seeing the man suddenly draw his sword, his entourage and the reception staff took two or three steps back in surprise.

“Hey, kid, you better not be thinking of entering the main event… Don’t mess with me. Why the hell can you enter the main event while I can’t? That’s just wrong.”

“It’s not strange or anything; it’s your fault for not properly checking the conditions to participate.”

“Oh dear, that’s not good, Enri. People like this can’t think logically like you do, so if you hit them with straightforward reasoning like that, they’ll shrink back like a slug doused in salt.”

Suppressing a giggle, Ms. Lyra laughed. The man who had drawn his sword, in a fit of rage, aimed the tip of his blade at Ms. Lyra, but in that instant, his wrist and the sword it held were already flying through the air. As he swung the drawn sword, bl00d splattered, and by the time he sheathed it again, the man’s wrist and the one-handed sword it had held finally fell to the arena floor.

“If you hadn’t pointed a sword at Lyra, I would have quietly gone to the waiting room. Well, it can’t be helped, I suppose.”

“Impressive. You seemed faster than when you fought the bandits before.”

“Thanks to fighting with Arthur-kun, I was able to grasp the concept of speed better, and now I can move even faster.”

Behind me and Lyra, who are having a pleasant conversation, the man with his wrist slashed is collapsing onto the arena floor, crying out in pain and stifling silent sobs while clutching his severed wrist.

“You don’t need to cut off their heads, Enri?”

“I didn’t come here intending to kill you, so you don’t have to cut me down this time. Besides, if you behead me here, it might get bl00d on Ms. Lyra’s lovely outfit.”

“I’m so happy to have a thoughtful swordsman. Well then, I’m going to the sponsor’s viewing area—please win, Enri.”

Gracefully passing by the crouching ruffians, Lyra-san left the reception area. To make Lyra-san happy, I’ll do my best and win, oh!

“Well then, receptionist, please show me to the waiting room.”

“Uh, uhhh Sophia… Ah, yes, I-I understand…”

The receptionist man, who was surprised when my wrist suddenly flew off right in front of him, guided me to the arena and then took me to the waiting room. Sorry, receptionist brother. If someone’s wrist suddenly flew off right in front of you, you’d be surprised too, right? I’m also surprised at myself for not resisting cutting off a wrist anymore.

I opened the door to the waiting room, and as I stepped inside, I found myself in a wide, horizontally expansive space resembling a plaza, with a vaulted ceiling that allowed me to see the sky. And the moment I entered the room, I was met with a surge of hostility, malice, and murderous intent.

Almost simultaneously, all the eyes of the people in the room turn towards me as I enter the waiting room. It feels like stepping into a sauna. The air inside the room is completely different from outside.

Well, even though I’m about to kill or be killed, I don’t really feel anything when I sense killing intent. Should I maybe react instead? Am I being expected to… maybe? Since I’ve entered the waiting room, should I do some kind of trick or funny reaction for the seniors who were already here? Or maybe I should introduce myself first…?

“Uh… the personal apprentice of the Grosvenor family…”

I tried to introduce myself, but due to my nervousness, my tongue got a debuff, and I ended up stumbling over my words. I bit my tongue so badly that even a clumsy character these days wouldn’t mess up that much.

The atmosphere in the waiting room clearly stiffened. Some people averted their gazes openly, some glared at me with irritation, clenching their fists, and some lowered their eyes to the dagger in their hands.

I completely flubbed it and froze the atmosphere in the waiting room. After a hesitant bow, I sat down on a nearby step that was just right for sitting. I removed my katana from the belt and leaned it nearby, then looked around at the other participants. I could see some unique individuals and a few familiar faces here and there.

At the very back of the waiting room, I saw a figure that I recognized from the overpriced bar in Lainchester—wasn’t his name something like Roga? Next to him, I could also see Arthur-kun, with whom I had a friendly duel not long ago.

“Tch… So that guy really did come here too. Well, I guess that’s to be expected. He’s strong enough to cut through my lightning. Did some greedy merchant bribe him to show up? Hey, Arthur, are you okay?”

“I’m, I’m fine. …The part that was cut still hurts a bit, but I can fight well enough. Ah, I’ll make sure to properly utilize the experience I gained from that duel here, Mr. Roga.”

The two seem to be exchanging words while clanking around, doing a final check of their armor and weapons. Although they were supposed to have slit open his stomach and taken out his organs, Arthur-kun seems to be perfectly fine. Hmm, that’s good.

A little distance away from the two, there was a person who stood out with an unusual presence. This person was clad in beautiful, dull-glimmering silver armor from head to toe, covering not only their face but also their legs and arms, leaving no skin exposed. The full-face helmet had many small holes, but nothing could be seen from the outside looking in.

Additionally, the armor is intricately carved with an owl motif, exuding a sense of beauty, strength, and an indescribable elegance. Beside it lies a spear that appears to be the length of an adult, with its twisted, spiral tip emanating a sinister aura.

Oh, it has this vibe of being the ultimate warrior. It’s as if there’s an invisible wall around that person, because no other participants are getting close at all. Since they’re covered head to toe in armor and a helmet, you can’t even tell if they’re a man or a woman.

I was captivated by the person who exuded an aura I had never seen before. I wanted to talk to this person. By the time I thought that, I had already stood up from the step I was sitting on and had moved closer to them.

“Hello! Your armor and helmet are really beautiful. Would you like to chat until the tournament starts?”

I approached the person in the owl armor standing in the corner of the room, placed my katana on the floor, and sat cross-legged nearby. The person in the owl armor slightly adjusted their full-face helmet with a clatter and looked at me sitting beside them.

“What’s your name?”

The muffled, androgynous voice coming from inside the helmet was indistinguishable in terms of gender. However, it didn’t seem to be angry at least.

“My name is Enri. This time, I’m participating as the swordsman of the Grosvenor family!”

“I see. My name is…”

“Attention all participants, thank you for your patience. The preparations for the main event opening ceremony have been completed, and we would like to guide you.”

The moment the person in the owl armor was about to say the name, as if on cue, the brother who had guided them to the waiting room earlier came in and announced the start of the opening ceremony. One by one, everyone who had been in the waiting room slowly left the room with their gear. The person in the owl armor shook their head as if to say, “Oh well.”

“It seems I have to go after all.”

Saying that, they left the waiting room. Oh no, if I had talked to them a bit earlier, I could have properly heard their name. It’s a shame, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I guess I’ll just head to the opening ceremony quickly. …If the opening ceremony is really boring, I wonder if Lyra-san would get angry if I fell asleep halfway through.