Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 76
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Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 76
22. Monster Subjugation Battle (1)
[Duke Isaac Francis / Grand Master]
Race: Human
Age: 55
Affiliation: Lord of the Francis Duchy, Bringham Empire
Talents: Physical Ability (Supreme), Aura (Supreme), Learning Ability (Supreme), Command (Average), Administrative Skill (Average), Political Skill (Average)
Traits: Increased Destruction Power, Frontline Breakthrough, Boosts Allied Morale
Relations: Wariness / Hostility
Status: Flustered / Perplexed
Terrifying stats.
A figure who doesn't fall short even compared to Arcia, the highest standard for assessing talent.
Yet such a being stood before me, greatly flustered, showing wariness and hostility.
Could it be because the Grand Master of the anti-Bringham Empire, "Duke Francis," is showing this much emotion toward a young noble barely twenty years old?
The sponsors of various nationalities who had been sizing me up just moments ago opened their eyes wide in surprise.
"You sent me a gift, it seems. A truly great gift."
"...."
And I, fearless, walked up to Duke Francis and picked a fight.
After all, he was someone who tried to kill me, so it's hard to treat him without emotion.
But even at my actions, he couldn't say a word.
A reaction I expected.
It seems Gregory and August really stirred up trouble properly.
"I heard there was a major incident at your territory recently? A sky fortress suddenly crashed and wiped out the industrial district..."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Just expressing my condolences. Did the sky fortress crew suddenly lose their minds?"
"You...!"
My expression showed sympathy as if offering consolation, but my tone was anything but.
With a broad smile on my face, I noticed a woman standing blankly beside Duke Francis with a confused look, and offered her a greeting.
"You must be Princess Evelyn Francis."
"Yes, nice to meet you."
"Please go easy on our Lady Ibril in the competition."
"I'll see."
An atmosphere not much different from Duke Francis.
Looking at her through the Myriad Mirror, she was indeed a person full of authority-consciousness and elitism.
Her face was pretty, but her upturned eyes made her resemble a cat.
I shrugged as if saying "is that so," then delivered my final words to get under Duke Francis's skin.
"Come to think of it, I've arranged to meet Sir Gregory and Sir August again. Did you know?"
"What?"
"Ah, so you've completely lost contact with the two. Well, it's no longer any of your concern, Duke, so no need to worry about it."
I let out a mocking, deep laugh and offered the Duke a polite farewell.
"You seem to be in a bad mood in many ways, so I'll take my leave. We'll meet again."
Then, with a kind smile on my face, I coldly scanned Evelyn Francis from head to toe.
Perhaps it was because she'd never received such a reaction since being born as a princess of the Bringham Empire?
She flinched in surprise, and I turned my back without hesitation and left with my companions.
I did try to hide my emotions at the end, but Duke Francis's flushed face clearly showed anger to anyone looking.
"D-Duke Francis... that's the, the, the... of the Bringham Empire, right?"
But the one most shocked and flustered by my sudden behavior was none other than Ibril, the girl who had been working part-time at a convenience store until recently.
Seeing me walk up to a figure straight out of textbooks and pick a fight must have been a huge shock.
"M-My Lord, you're far greater than I ever imagined..."
She was so shocked that she lost her ability to speak.
"I don't know the exact circumstances, but the atmosphere around us isn't bad."
Eric Jones, patting Ibril's back and scanning the surroundings, said that.
Indeed, as he said, I had now transformed into a heavyweight who could engage in a showdown of presence with Duke Francis and even gain the upper hand rather than a newly risen noble.
Everyone seemed bewildered, wondering how such a thing was possible.
"What a most interesting scene I've witnessed."
And as if putting the finishing touch on the situation, Olivia Riverdale, the highest noble of the Kingdom of Lucias and the head of one of the world's top ten companies, approached me and smiled.
She commanded multiple Grand Mages, a woman capable of earning a duke or marquis title even in the Bringham Empire.
Therefore, the fact that her home country wasn't an empire didn't make her seem inferior at all.
In fact, the Kingdom of Lucias alone was a great kingdom that ranked right after the four Great Empires alongside the Kingdom of Rhinehearts hardly a nation to be looked down upon.
"I was actually looking for you, Duke Riverdale."
She was one of the few allies I had, so naturally my attitude toward her was full of goodwill.
Today, the two Grand Mages she always brought along were nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps she was busy with Mage Tower affairs?
"Don't be so formal call me Olivia instead of Duke Riverdale. I'll call you Brother Adrian in return."
"Haha, very well."
Then she introduced me to the Saintess candidate she was sponsoring.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Marquis. I am Judy Esther, a priest of the Sepia Order."
This was 'Judy Esther,' who would be forming a temporary alliance with Ibril this time.
Unlike the other candidates who wore dazzling party dresses thanks to their high-noble sponsors, she was dressed in priest robes.
However, hers was a ceremonial priest robe, so it carried a certain elegance and flair far from shabby.
The reason she alone wore priest robes was that, unlike the others, she was already a fully ordained priest.
What's more, she had climbed through the ranks without any special privileges becoming the youngest Lay Priest three years ago after passing through probationary priesthood, and she had already accumulated many achievements in the field, standing on the verge of promotion to First-Class Priest.
Personally, I thought she might be Ibril's greatest rival.
[Talent: Divine Power (Peak)]
[Trait: Great Saint]
Sure enough, her talent was also peak-level in Divine Power, just like Ibril.
However, unlike Ibril who had the trait 'Qualification of a Saintess,' she possessed a trait called 'Great Saint' one that made you tilt your head in puzzlement.
Traits were like a sort of passive skill inherent to a person. It was certainly an extraordinary title, but I couldn't gauge its level relative to a Saintess.
'Surely it can't be a higher-tier trait than Qualification of a Saintess.'
In any case, like Ibril, she too could be said to have been born to walk the path of a holy profession.
That was why I was quite surprised when I approached her with a light-hearted greeting.
"I heard the first round drew a troublesome challenge will you be alright, Brother Adrian?"
"Ah, you mean that. Yes, I believe it will be fine. I happen to have suitable people available."
Sure enough, our topic turned to the first-round challenge, and it didn't look bad for me.
The first-round theme was this:
"Mercenary work centered on monster subjugation..."
Essentially, mercenary activity for the candidates.
It was a test to see if they could stand on the front lines as holy figures fighting alongside mercenaries.
However, the party must consist of exactly five members including the candidate herself two Aura User-grade swordsmen and two mages of the 3rd Circle or below.
Furthermore, all of the Saintess candidate's abilities except Divine Power would be sealed.
After all, this trial was meant to assess one's qualities as a priest and one's improvisation in unexpected situations not to show off combat power.
"For Miss Esther, who's already at the level of a First-Class Priest, this seems manageable."
"That's true. At the very least, she'll know one or two more divine spells than the other candidates."
But despite that, she seemed deeply troubled.
"The problem, however, is the selection of Miss Esther's party members."
Party members?
She could just mobilize her house's regular mages or knights I didn't understand what the issue was.
A Lord's estate was practically overflowing with Aura Users and 3rd-Circle mages.
"Knights aside, we don't have a single mage with real combat experience."
"Ah..."
I was a rather special case myself, but in this day and age, mages were seen more as researchers than combat personnel.
Thus, it was difficult to employ a mage who had been nurtured like a treasure under a Lord or Mage Tower Master as a battle mage.
"Now that you mention it, that's true."
From a Lord's perspective, monsters were just something you wiped out by sending a few Vanguards.
Battle mages were rarer than one might think.
"Couldn't you hire some from the mercenary world?"
"Better than nothing, but trusting mercenaries who move for money with our backs is unsettling too."
That was a fair point.
The other candidates' sponsors would surely pull all sorts of tricks, so mercenaries simply couldn't be trusted.
"If the mage quota weren't mandatory, I'd just fill the whole party with knights..."
"So in the end, we need to hastily forge a battle mage."
In that sense, my situation wasn't bad.
The Gifted Institute had plenty of talent, and on top of that, after the broadcast of my battle with the Aura Master made me a star, a great number of battle mage aspirants had come seeking to become my disciple.
"Or how about I lend you some personnel?"
"You'd do that?"
So that's why she'd been talking herself down in front of me that had been her goal all along.
She must have known that battle mage aspirants had gathered under me as well.
"I'll find two 3rd Circle battle mages with solid skills and proper character, and send them your way."
"Haha, here I thought I formed an alliance, but it feels like I'm the only one benefiting."
"Not at all. Just the sight of us laughing and chatting together like this puts tremendous pressure on the other candidates."
After all, it was an alliance between Judy Aster, ranked 2nd, and Ibril Barnet, ranked 4th.
From an outsider's perspective, an alliance between me someone whose cunning motives they couldn't read and Olivia, who looked on with such pride, would leave them baffled.
"It feels like you two are in a world of your own. Please take care of me, Lady Ibril."
"Yes, please take care of me as well, Lady Aster."
While I, the sponsor, and Olivia exchanged opinions on the first round, Ibril and Aster exchanged greetings, and Eric Jones likewise greeted Aster's attendants.
As the social gathering got underway, Arcia, not wanting to just stand around, abruptly extended her hand toward Olivia's attendant.
The attendant the Knight Captain of the Riverdale Ducal House realized it was a request for a handshake and, face flushing red, took her small hand in his.
Arcia was not only an Aura Master, the dream of all knights, but she had also been exceptionally beautiful today, making her an overwhelming presence for him.
"Hmm, this is a rather out-of-the-blue question."
"What is it?"
"In the mercenary activities during this contest, a Magic Swordsman counts as one full member, right?"
"A Magic Swordsman?"
At my sudden question, Olivia's eyes went wide.
Unlike the Saintess candidate, who could only use holy magic, the party members had no restrictions besides equipment.
There was plenty of room to exploit here, wasn't there?
* * *
The next day after the event.
The first round of the contest began immediately.
"May I have the roster of the mercenary party participating in the first round?"
"Here it is."
[First Round Participant Roster]
Representative: Candidate Ibril Barnet
Swordsman 1: Bruno Usher (Aura User / 2nd Circle)
Swordsman 2: Andrew Dillon (Aura User / 1st Circle)
Mage 1: Allen Lopez (3rd Circle / Aura User)
Mage 2: Hayden Jackson (3rd Circle / Mana User)
The priest assigned to Ibril among the first round participants tilted his head upon reading the member list she handed over.
"The realm information seems to be mixed between mage and swordsman?"
"Yes, our sponsor Marquis Lawrence said that all of these people had gone down the wrong path, one that didn't suit their talents."
"What does that mean?"
"They became Magic Swordsmen against their will..."
"What? Magic Swordsmen?"
Where on earth did she scrape up people with such an absurd position?
The priest in charge of Ibril pressed a hand to his forehead, lamenting that he now had to manage such a baffling individual.
"I think I need to file a report. Please wait a moment."
Shortly after, the story reached the Saintess, and upon hearing it, she burst into laughter.
"That person is truly amusing."
"How should we handle this?"
"What is there to handle? It's our fault for not explicitly banning hybrids. Just let it proceed."
"But there could be controversy over fairness..."
"We can't exactly rewrite the rules now. Finding a loophole in the rules is also part of one's ability, and we'll evaluate it as such."
The Saintess accepting this so cleanly was largely thanks to the favorable impression she'd gained from her previous meeting with Adrian.
Thanks to that, the first round went according to Adrian's plan.