“Here you go, your yakisoba!”
“Careful, it’s hot.”
“Shun-sama, there’s two orders for slime-baked pancakes as well.”
“Please have Ao handle those.”
The food stall had run into an unexpected problem.
Apparently, the bakery we’d relied on for bread had a kitchen malfunction. Production had resumed, but the freshly baked bread wouldn’t be ready for a little while.
So, we decided to sell yakisoba on its own and the slime-baked pancake instead. Since the yakisoba was served on plates, I had thought the number of orders wouldn’t be too high.
But I was quickly proven wrong. No matter how many plates of yakisoba we fried, customers kept coming. And with a slime doing the cooking, slime-baked pancakes are also a huge hit.
As a result, Ao and I were working at full capacity. Even Shiro and Fran, who weren’t part of the medical team, were bustling around serving customers.
“An extra steward has arrived.”
“The dishes are piling up. Please take care of them.”
““Yes, understood.””
It had gotten so busy that I had asked Sue to get additional helpers from the mansion. Sue herself was having a hard time keeping up with all the injuries and lost children among the crowd.
“Testing, testing! Ladies and gentlemen, the preliminaries of the martial arts tournament will begin shortly!”
““Woohoo!””
At that moment, an official used some sort of magical loudspeaker to make an announcement from the stage that served as the venue.
Looking around, I realized that members of the Margrave’s family had also arrived.
I hadn’t noticed at all before because I had been completely absorbed in the cooking. Fortunately, the stall was slightly elevated, so even with the crowd, we could just barely see the stage.
As soon as the audience realized the preliminaries were about to start, they erupted in excitement, cheering along with the announcement.
“Now, to begin, we will hear a greeting from Brod-sama, heir to the Margrave’s family.”
Oh, I just learned the name of Fina-san’s brother for the first time.
“Everyone, let us give thanks that this year’s martial arts tournament can take place safely. In celebration of the birth of my son, this year’s tournament will be grander than ever. Enjoy it to the fullest!”
“““Woohoo!”””
The audience roared even louder at Brod-san’s words, their cheers reaching a new level of excitement. The energy in the crowd is absolutely incredible.
“Now, we will begin the preliminaries. The sixteen fighters who advance through today and tomorrow will move on to the main tournament starting the day after tomorrow.”
Whoosh!
As the announcer spoke, red and blue flags were raised on either side of the stage.
Ah, this way it’s immediately clear which side each fighter is on.
Then, as the competitors took their positions in the red and blue corners, the Madam herself picked up a magical device that functioned like a microphone.
By the way, Fina-san and her brother were seated in the special seats set up for the Margrave’s Family yesterday. Even at the edge of the stage, seeing her standing there felt incredibly out of place. And yet, the crowd erupted in even louder cheers.
“Now, the preliminaries will begin! In the red corner, the martial artist Balshu! In the blue corner, the swordsman Zed!”
“““Here they come!”””
“Ehhhh?!”
It turned out—the Madam herself had taken on the role of ring announcer. And, oddly enough, she spoke in the kind of dramatic tone I’d only heard in old boxing matches in my past life.
The crowd’s excitement reached a fever pitch, but I was completely stunned.
The Madam is fully enjoying herself as the ring announcer. This must be what Fina-san meant when she said that her mother had a special role during the martial arts tournament.
“Then, let the preliminaries begin! Fight!”
At the referee’s signal, the matches were underway.
Well… I suppose it’s time for me to return to my own battle—with the customers at my food stall.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next
Yume Neiji's Works 