Category: Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Then, something shifted onstage. For some reason, the referee—his face utterly pale—approached the Madam and spoke to her. She listened, nodded, and then relayed something to the staff waiting backstage.

A moment later, the referee was replaced. His face had been almost ghostly… maybe he wasn’t feeling well?

“With that, we will begin the final match before the lunch break!”

““““OOOHHH!””””

Once the new referee was ready, the Madam began the announcement. Since it was the last match before lunch, the audience was more fired up than ever.

“Red Corner: Heir of the Count Ooak, Chikin!”

““““Boo—! Boo—! Boo—!””””

Huh?

The moment the Madam called out the heir’s name, the audience erupted in a massive chorus of boos.

Fina-san’s older brother explained why.

“That guy keeps loudly proclaiming that Fina will be his bride at every opportunity. The townspeople know about it, and they absolutely hate him for it.”

Wow… what an idiot.

Even Sue, hearing Fina-san’s brother’s explanation, couldn’t help but jolt in disbelief.

“Blue Corner: The Miracle Mage… Ao!”

“Go, Ao!”

“Take that idiot down!”

The moment Ao’s name was announced, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers. A few over-the-top shouts here and there, but nothing to worry about. Ao waved her tentacles enthusiastically, responding to the audience’s cheers.

“All right, the match time is set. Let’s begin with a handshake—”

“Hmph! I have no need to shake hands with something like a slime.”

““““Boo—! Boo—! Boo—!””””

The heir ignored the referee’s instructions, snapping shut his full-face helmet as he stepped back from Ao.

Ao had been more than ready to extend her tentacles for a handshake, but he completely brushed her off. The audience responded instantly with another massive chorus of boos.

Ao bristled with anger, putting some distance between herself and the referee.

The referee, meanwhile, looked utterly helpless.

“Both competitors, take your stance! Let the match begin!”

““““OOOHHH!””””

The referee, eager to get the match underway, gave the signal to start. The heir drew his sword from its scabbard and began concentrating his mana.

Yep—already breaking the rules.

“Heh, a mere slime won’t even make a decent test swing.”

“Whoa! Contestant Chikin’s sword is starting to glow! Meanwhile, Contestant Ao has deployed a magical barrier.”

A mocking voice can be heard from the full-face helmet. I couldn’t see his expression, but there was no doubt he was grinning. Ao, on the other hand, raised a small magical barrier, fully prepared to defend herself.

“Uooooooh!”

“Contestant Chikin is charging with his sword!”

Well… that’s something.

The heir had charged forward with his sword raised, looking brave—but his pace was painfully slow. Even in plate armor, with the supposed effects of a magical tool, he should be moving much faster.

Ao stayed completely focused, maintaining her defensive stance without a single lapse.

“Take this!”

Whoosh! Boom!

“Contestant Chikin swung his sword at Ao! And… some kind of mysterious explosion just occurred!”

The heir swung his sword straight at Ao. Then, when the blade struck the stage, it triggered a massive explosion. However, the Madam paid no attention to his blatant rule-breaking and continued her commentary as if nothing had happened.

“Huh? Damn it… the sword won’t come out!”

“Gahaha!”

“What on earth are you doing?!”

“There’s an idiot over there! Hahaha!”

Yes, it’s important enough that I’ll say it again. The heir’s downward swing didn’t hit Ao—it drove his sword straight into the stage. Right beside Ao, who was standing behind her magical barrier. And now, the heir was struggling desperately to pull his sword free from the stage.

The audience couldn’t help but laugh at his clumsy predicament.

Ao, meanwhile, alternated her gaze between the sword stuck in the stage and the hapless heir, her expression utterly serious.

She hadn’t moved an inch and yet she clearly hadn’t expected his swing to miss her entirely and he even embed his sword in the floor.

Yeah… this match is already over.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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When we went over to the Margrave family’s seating area by the stage to greet Fina-san and her older brother, it was her brother—wearing an inexplicably grim expression—who came out to meet us.

Huh? Did something happen?

“Shun, about Ao’s opponent—you’d better be careful. He’s the son of a noble from the royal capital, and he’s been pestering us for a while now, insisting that Fina should marry him.”

“I don’t like that person.”

“Eeh?!”

We were assigned to the blue corner this time, but standing over in the red corner was that unpleasant noble we’d already encountered at the reception desk.

I mean, seriously—he looks like he’s in his thirties, and yet he wants to take eight-year-old -san as his bride? Isn’t that basically picking a fight with the entire frontier margrave family?

Just then, Sue seemed to recognize our opponent.

“Could it be… the heir of Count Ooak?”

“Ah, yes. That’s the one. He keeps insisting Fina should be his legal wife, but the man already has multiple mistresses and even children. He’s a spendthrift as well, so he’s probably aiming for both. Well, impressing Fina and getting his hands on the prize money for this tournament.”

Judging by his name alone he already sounded like a terrible noble, but his behavior was even worse than that. If he was targeting Fina-san, it was surely because he had his eyes on the frontier margrave family’s fortune.

“Ao-chan, make sure you beat that guy, okay?”

At Fina-san’s and Pearl’s request, Ao waved her tentacles in eager agreement.

Ao then headed towards the blue corner together with Shiro and the others. As they moved, the Madam approached Shiro and the group, speaking to them about something in a low voice.

Since we weren’t registered as seconds, Sue and I borrowed a section of the Margrave family’s seating area.

By the way, the attendant who came with us was here to look after Fina-san and her older brother. He was actually doing his job—replacing Fina-san’s drink and such—so there was no problem at all.

Alright then, let’s take another look at Ao’s opponent. If anything, he certainly looked like a noble—wearing plate armor layered over chainmail. He hadn’t put on his helmet yet, but his defenses were clearly top-notch.

There’s one more thing that bothered me. Sue seemed to have noticed something about the heir’s equipment as well.

“That armor… I’m fairly certain it’s a magic tool. The sword as well.”

“I can’t say for sure about the sword yet, but the armor probably has some kind of physical enhancement spell. I can feel a faint trace of mana coming from him.”

Magic tools—those things that show their true power only when used by a mage.

If his equipment was really that kind of artifact, then Ao might actually struggle a bit. But then a small doubt occurred to me.

“Wait… wasn’t this tournament supposed to ban magic tools?”

“Oh—that’s right.”

“In martial tournaments, magic tools are prohibited. Magic itself is allowed, but the battle must be fought purely on one’s own ability. That is precisely why magic tools are forbidden.”

Fina-san’s brother explained.

He was absolutely right. If someone used powerful magic tools, personal skill would no longer matter at all.

And that heir wasn’t just using a magic weapon—his entire body was covered in enchanted gear. It wasn’t just a violation, he was so far past that line that it was almost refreshing in its brazenness.

“Even so, there’s no way Mother wouldn’t notice that the heir is using enchanted gear. If she still chooses not to reprimand him… well, that tells us everything.”

“In other words, even if he openly breaks the rules, he still won’t be able to beat Ao.”

“Exactly. No matter how good the equipment is, it’s useless if the one wielding it is incompetent.”

The Madam knew that heir all too well. And because she knew him, she was intentionally letting the violation slide. Which meant one thing: the heir’s chances of winning were already gone.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The preliminaries of the martial arts tournament were even more intense than I had expected.

By the way, the fighters I had a hunch would win were actually winning. Judging by the crowd’s cheers, it seemed there hadn’t been any major upsets so far.

“Here’s your yakisoba bread!”

“This one’s a fruit sandwich!”

“Slime’s pancake is ready too!”

Meanwhile, the food stall was as hectic as ever. The bread had finally arrived, so we switched back to the full menu. Still, with the matches so exciting, customers seemed to be looking for something easy to eat while watching. The orders just kept coming. Thanks to that, sales were looking very good.

That said, Ao’s match is coming up soon, so I focused on making plenty of yakisoba for the yakisoba bread orders.

“Shun-oniichan, it’s almost Ao’s turn.”

“Got it. I guess it’s time to put out the ‘On Break’ sign.”

Prompted by Shiro, I grabbed a wooden board and quickly scribbled some words on it.

Alright, done.

When I set the makeshift sign at the front of the stall, passing customers stopped to peer at it curiously.

“Oh? What’s this? 「-On Break- The stall is closed while the staff participates in the martial arts tournament.」 So you’re entering the tournament, huh?”

“No, I’m just supporting. Tournament rules don’t allow me to compete.”

“Ohhh, I see. So you’re strong enough that the rules wouldn’t let you fight?”

The man happily munching on his yakisoba bread seemed to already know about the tournament rules. Then Shiro leaned over and started explaining to him.

“The one participating in the tournament is Ao!”

“The slime? The one who was cooking those little baked things?”

“That’s right. Ao can even use magic—and she’s really strong.”

“Hahaha, I see. I’ve seen tamers have their companions fight before, but a slime huh. That’s a first for me. Do your best, little guy.”

Encouraged by the man’s words, Ao waved her tentacles in response.

Meanwhile, the other will also have a break while we are gone.

Hmm… Still, leaving the stall unattended raised the risk of theft.

Just then, the steward in charge came over and called out to me.

“Shun-sama, we’ll be taking turns on our breaks, so you can handle the stall in the meantime.”

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”

It was a very kind offer, so I gladly agreed.

Then, the steward in charge made a small request.

“Shun-sama, could you take these two with you? The others can see the stage just fine from here, but these two are a bit short.”

“No problem at all.”

““Thank you very much!””

The two the steward had asked me to take along were a little older than Shiro, but still short in stature.

Ao, being one of the stall crew, waved her tentacles as if to say, “Come with us!”

With everyone ready, we first headed toward Sue at the medical tent.

“Sue-oneechan! We’re here!”

“Shiro-chan, thanks for waiting. Alright, let’s go.”

Sue called out to the people inside the tent before joining us.

“Sue-oneechan, are you busy?”

“A little. Just a while ago, some drunkards got into a fight and were brought here.”

“Eh? Really?”

Sue certainly seemed to have her hands full.

A fight between drunkards, huh. I understand getting heated watching intense matches, but let’s keep it reasonable, everyone.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“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.

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On the morning of the first day of preliminaries, we planned to set out for the venue a little earlier than usual.

The Margrave’s wife, Fina-san, and Fina-san’s older brother will head to the venue after us. They will apparently change into attire appropriate to the Margrave’s family before leaving. And so, we decided to pay our respects to the Madam before we went out.

She’s with Fina-san’s sister-in-law and little Arthur. Being her first grandchild, I’m sure Arthur is simply irresistible to her. Since there is a chance Arthur might be napping, we made sure to knock properly before entering the room.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

It was Fina-san’s sister-in-laws’s voice.

It should be fine. With that, we opened the door and stepped inside.

Click.

“Yes, yes… Arthur is just too cute. Bleh~bleh~ah!”

““““…….””””

Click.

…Wow. That was quite a sight.

The Madam, usually so composed and dignified, was making an absolutely ridiculous face while doing that silly “bleh~bleh~ah” thing to little Arthur. Even Shiro and the others, who had followed me into the room, froze when they saw her like that.

Clearly, this was not the time to interrupt. I quietly closed the door, left a message with the steward, and slipped out of the mansion.

“Even the Madam can turn into a doting grandparent huh.”

“Shun, you really shouldn’t say that. It was certainly an adorable sight, though.”

Sue commented.

As we walked toward the martial arts tournament’s main square, I couldn’t help but think—I never expected the Madam to be so completely smitten with her grandchild. At that rate, she might end up spoiling Arthur with all sorts of gifts.

Well… hopefully the Madam herself will step in to keep things under control.

“Hmm… like this.”

“No, it was like this.”

“See? Like this.”

And then there were Shiro and the others.

Even Ao joined in, mimicking the ridiculous face the Madam had made while doing her “bleh-bleh-ah” moment.

Sue was struggling to hold back her laughter.

Amid all this, we finally arrived at the martial arts tournament’s main square.

“Wow… there are so many people!”

“It’s similar to the cherry blossom festival.”

“They’re selling all sorts of things.”

“Come on, let’s hold hands so nobody gets lost.”

“““Okay!”””

Yesterday, the streets had been relatively empty, but even though it was still early in the morning, a large number of people—including tourists—had already poured into the town. Only about half of the food stalls were open, yet they were already bustling with customers.

Amid the crowd, we made our way toward the entry booth.

“““Good morning!”””

“Good morning. We’ll be registering Ao here.”

“““Thank you!”””

The registration had already started early and Shiro and the others went ahead and completed their check-in.

Behind the counter were adventurers, soldiers, and ordinary townsfolk. Among them, a few appeared to be nobility, their suspicious aura made even Shiro and the others frown slightly. It seemed best to keep an eye on them for the time being.

“All set. The matches will begin at twelve o’clock, so please make sure to be at the venue ten minutes before your match.”

“““Got it!”””

And just like that, registration was complete.

We split up, some heading toward the medical tents, while others went to help at the food stalls.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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And then, on top of everything, the Madam herself came after me with yet another demand.

“Since we’re at it, let’s have Shun prepare the staff’s meals.”

“Oh, that would be great!”

“Good food will give everyone the energy to keep going this afternoon.”

“R-really?”

Just a quick glance around the square told me there were over a hundred workers.

…Am I really supposed to cook for all of them?

I happened to sneak a look at the steward, and he was clearly relieved. It seemed that even he thought preparing meals for this many people would be a nightmare.

Then, someone raised their hand, volunteering to help with the cooking.

“Then I guess Fina will handle the taste testing.”

“I’m tasting too!”

Shiro chimed in.

“Of course, I will taste it as well.”

Fran added.

“Me too, me too!”

Horn did not want to be left behind.

Yeah… I had a pretty good idea of what they were getting at. Even Pearl was energetically waving her tentacles in agreement. There was no way I could ask this lot to help with the cooking.

So, I had no choice but to get Ao to assist me in the kitchen.

Since we had plenty of ingredients, the meal of the day was settled—yakisoba, of course.

“I’ll help!”

“I’ll chop the vegetables.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”

With the stewards also pitching in, we set to work, slicing vegetables at a steady pace.

Ao used magic to speed things up, cutting vegetables and meat with remarkable efficiency.

“Wow, the slime’s using magic!”

“No kidding… its control over magic is top-notch.”

By the time it was ready to serve, the workers had started gathering around.

Seeing Ao slice vegetables and meat with magic left them genuinely astonished—apparently, they hadn’t expected a slime to wield magic so skillfully.

“Ao’s going to participate in the martial arts tournament too!”

“Ao’s really strong, you know.”

“Mm! Ao can fight hand-to-hand as well.”

“I see… I don’t often come across a slime this powerful.”

“Who knows, it might even steal the spotlight at the tournament.”

When Shiro and the others shared with the workers that Ao would be entering the martial arts tournament, a few of them grinned knowingly. After all, Ao looked like an ordinary slime at first glance—no one would expect him to be so formidable.

As they chatted excitedly about it, I just kept my focus on frying the yakisoba.

“Hey, the yakisoba you made is really good!”

“Seriously! I’ve never had yakisoba this delicious before.”

The staff happily munched away, their reactions encouraging.

But I had no time to relax—I was frantically frying batch after batch of yakisoba.

“Here you go.”

“Careful, it’s hot!”

“Please line up and take turns.”

“There’s plenty more, don’t worry.”

Fina and the others helped hand out the freshly cooked yakisoba.

Thanks to their help, we managed to serve every single worker. Finally, we were able to sit down and enjoy the meal ourselves.

“(Munch, munch) As expected, Shun-oniichan’s cooking is really delicious.”

“Even though it’s simple, it’s truly tasty.”

““Munch, munch!””

Fina and the others had finished helping serve, and now they were enjoying the yakisoba I had made. I was a little tired, but seeing everyone happily eating what I’d prepared gave me a warm, satisfying feeling.

“The treatments have settled down. Since everyone’s been doing heavy labor, there are quite a few injuries.”

“With so many strong people, I guess they’d keep working even if they got a few scrapes.”

“Exactly. When I started treating the injured, many came to me during breaks in their work.”

Sue also came over to me, beginning to eat some yakisoba.

It seemed the medical team had been quite busy, but at least things were finally starting to calm down.

“Shun, your cooking skills are impressive. I’ll make sure you can watch Ao’s matches without interruption.”

“That would be great.”

With the Madam’s words, my schedule for the next few days was effectively set.

Of course, I wanted to see Ao’s heroic performance myself.

And so, the preparations for the main martial arts tournament, three days before it began, were complete.

Tomorrow, the preliminaries would finally start.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Three days before the martial arts tournament, just as planned, we rode in a carriage with Fina-san and the Madam toward the grand plaza that would serve as the tournament grounds.

“Wow, look at all the things they’ve built!”

“There are food stalls too!”

“So many seats!”

“The preliminaries starts tomorrow so most of the preparations are already finished.”

Shiro and the others gazed around in amazement at the stage and the newly constructed facilities.

Just as the Madam had said, the plaza was practically ready for the event to begin. Rows upon rows of chairs stretched across the square, enough to seat a small army. Once the spectators filled those seats, it would be quite the spectacle.

Still… with everything so close to completion, I couldn’t help but wonder—what exactly were we supposed to be doing here?

“Fina, Shiro, all of you follow me. We’ll be checking the Margrave family’s seating area.”

““““Y-yes!””””

“Sue, could you please stay with the medical team for now? Construction sites tend to have a lot of injuries.”

“Yes. I understand.”

In that moment, Shiro, Fina, and Sue were each given their roles by the Madam.

The Margrave family’s seating area needed a final inspection, and with construction still ongoing nearby, it was likely someone could get hurt. It made sense to have Sue ready to respond immediately.

Right before my eyes, a worker was being carried into a medical tent, their hand bleeding from a cut.

I was about to join Sue in helping with the injured when the Madam stopped me.

“Ah, Shun, you have a different task. Could you head over to the stall where our steward is? He’s preparing something for me.”

“Ah?”

“Please”

I had a bad feeling about this.

At the stall she was pointing to, the steward was testing out a dish I had made—a trial run of my cooking. On top of that, she gave me a smile that left no room for refusal—warm, but unmistakably commanding.

Reluctantly, I made my way to the stall.

There were four stewards at the stall, though mainly two of them approached me with questions.

“Shun-sama, we’ve been waiting for you.”

“We’d like you to check the dish we prepared.”

“O-oh, understood.”

Thank goodness. I wasn’t being asked to cook the dish myself. I just have to inspect the stewards’ preparation of it. If that’s the case, I could do this all day.

With that settled, I immediately began reviewing the cooking process, step by step.

“The fruit sandwiches use plenty of fresh fruit.”

“We made sure the meat slices weren’t too thick, so they’re easier to eat.”

“Thank you for your creativity. This is very well done.”

Each steward had added their own clever touches, and the dishes had turned out even better than if I had made them myself. Truly, the Margrave family’s stewards were impressive—the flavors were excellent.

Then, something caught my attention.

“You’re making yakisoba too?” I asked, intrigued.

“Yes. We tried to recreate the yakisoba bread that became popular at the cherry blossom festival in the eastern Margrave territory.”

“But… it hasn’t been going very well…..”

“In that case, leave it to me. Not to brag, but I was the one who originally made yakisoba bread, after all.”

And so, I decided to take charge of making the yakisoba bread. The yakisoba for the sandwich needed a slightly stronger seasoning to bring out the flavor properly.

By the way, we decided to skip the curry this time. The reason was simple—there was no way I could risk spilling curry in front of a crowd.

With that in mind, I focused on cooking the yakisoba and assembling the yakisoba bread.

“Whoa, it smells amazing, kid!”

“The scent of the sauce caramelizing is irresistible.”

Perfect timing. I handed them a sample to taste.

“Want to give it a taste?”

“Sure. Oh—this slightly stronger flavor is perfect.”

“The yakisoba really holds its own against the bread, and best of all, you can eat it without getting your hands messy.”

I had cut the yakisoba bread in half and offered it to the workers, and judging by their reactions, it was a success. I also let them try the onigiri, which they enjoyed just as much.

Just then, the Madam approached the stall.

And… I had that uneasy feeling again.

“Impressive work, Shun. I’ve been watching from a distance, and your technique is excellent. But more than that, you’re really used to dealing with customers.”

“That’s because I practiced a lot in the eastern Margrave territory.”

She nodded approvingly, her eyes moving between me and the workers.

“Madam, this kid really is a skilled cook.”

“This year, the Margrave family’s stall is bound to have a long line.”

“Yes, it’s truly a blessing.”

“H-hey—wait just a moment!”

I protested, feeling flustered at all the praise.

How did it happen that I ended up being the one cooking at the stall?!

I was supposed to be helping at the martial arts tournament as a healer this time!

Can’t the stewards say something?

“Madam, with so many customers expected this year, having Shun-sama here is incredibly helpful.”

“Please, could you assign him to the stall?”

“Very well, Shiro and the others will help out with the medical team, so there’s no need to worry.”

“E—eeeh…?”

I collapsed, defeated by the Madam’s decision.

Ah, so it’s back to being a cook again…

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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With the martial arts tournament drawing near, we decided to head to the square where the tournament will be held to confirm our entry.

We couldn’t bring Fina-san along this time, so she stays behind at the estate. She’d admitted she wanted to come with us, but she also understood why she couldn’t—it wouldn’t be safe. Instead, she said she’d stay by little Arthur’s side.

I made a mental note to bring her back a souvenir later.

With that thought in mind, we arrived at the square.

“Whoa, there are so many people!”

“They’re all lined up!”

“So many people!”

The crowd stretched as far as we could see. When we reached the square, I couldn’t help but stare in surprise. There were so many more people than when we’d first registered. Shoppers filled every street, and soldiers were patrolling in greater numbers than before.

Yeah… seeing this, it was clear why bringing Fina-san along would’ve been a bad idea.

In a crowd like this, the risk of something happening, be it an abduction or an accident is far too high. We weaved through the crowd toward the entry booth set up at the edge of the square.

“Hmm… it doesn’t look like there’s many people in line.”

“I wonder what it’s really like, though.”

There were only a few people lined up at the registration booth for the martial arts tournament. I couldn’t really tell how far the entries had progressed just by looking, so I decided to ask the staff directly.

As luck would have it, the same clerk who handled our entry last time was there.

“Um, excuse me.”

“Yes? Oh, you’re the one who came with the slime, aren’t you? Perfect timing, actually. I was just about to get in touch with you.”

Huh?

That was unexpected.

…What exactly happened?

“The main tournament will feature sixteen groups. But this time, we’ve had an unusually high number of entries. Because of that, we’ll need you to fight through two rounds of preliminaries before the main event.”

“Wait—so that means there are more than sixty participants?”

“There are some who only need to compete in one preliminary match, but yes, around that number sounds right. We’ve gathered nearly twice as many contestants as in previous years.”

It was probably thanks to the increased prize money—but still, two rounds of preliminaries sounded like a lot of work.

“Ao says she’s fine with it.”

“She’s ready to fight.”

“She’ll take them all on.”

“Oh~, that’s good to hear.”

Ao, for her part, was absolutely fired up. Still nestled in Shiro’s arms, she raised her tentacles into what could only be described as a fighting pose. Like a boxer warming up before a match.

The clerk, seeing this, looked visibly relieved.

“The preliminaries will begin two days before the main tournament. There will also be matches on the day before the main event, so please be prepared. The gathering time will be the same as for the main tournament.”

“Understood. Thank you very much.”

I had only come to check how many people had signed up, but it turned out to be worth the trip.

We’d be fighting from two days before the main event—but with Ao’s enthusiasm, I was sure we’d be fine.

With that, we bought a peach pie and a berry pie on the way home, and returned to the mansion.

“I heard about the preliminaries earlier as well. Of course, I’ll be leaving those to my son and daughter. I’ll be joining in from the main tournament.”

“I’ll do my best to help, too!”

When we returned to the mansion and reported the news, it turned out the whole household already knew about the additional rounds.

Apparently, the Margrave intended to start from the main event to maintain his dignity and prestige—so it would be up to Fina-san and her brother to carry the family’s banner through the preliminaries.

“I’ll help out with the preliminaries, too.”

“Madam will be helping out too?”

“Why, of course.”

She replied with an elegant smile.

“My mother’s amazing, you know! You’ll see when the time comes!”

That way of saying it definitely sounded like, “Just wait until the real thing!”

The Margrave gave a wry smile, which only confirmed my suspicion that there was something he wasn’t telling us.

Then, as if remembering something, the Margrave turned to us with a thoughtful expression.

“Three days before the tournament, our house will be helping prepare the venue. My wife and Fina will be going as well, so I’d like you and your group to assist.”

“Understood. We don’t have any plans before the tournament, so that should be fine.”

“Good. I’ll be counting on you.”

Most likely, he wanted us there not only to help with the preparations but also to act as escorts for his wife and Fina-san.

With that, our schedule leading up to the tournament was set.

All that was left now was for everyone to give it their best.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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As the martial arts tournament drew nearer, the number of visitors from outside the city continued to rise—and with them came a fair share of trouble. Naturally, that meant more injuries among the soldiers who kept order in the streets.

It seemed that lately, there were more than a few rough types among the newcomers. And so, today, we headed to the garrison of the frontier soldiers to treat the wounded.

“Fina-sama, we’re sorry to trouble you with this.”

One of the soldiers said, bowing slightly.

“Not at all. It’s thanks to all of you that the people of the city can live in peace.”

“Hearing that from you means a lot, my lady.”

The soldier said, breaking into a grateful smile. Here too, Fina-san was in her element, working tirelessly to heal the wounded. She had already been known for visiting the soldiers in the past to offer encouragement, but now that she was personally treating their injuries, their gratitude was beyond words.

Moreover, Fina-san showed genuine concern for each soldier she spoke with, asking after their well-being and thanking them for their service. It was no wonder their morale was soaring.

Then, something caught my attention.

“There are quite a few beastmen among the soldiers, aren’t there?”

“Yes. The Margrave’s troops value strength above all. And the Lord himself doesn’t care about race—he’ll accept anyone, so long as they’re honest and hardworking.”

“We get proper pay, too. And as you can see, we even receive regular medical treatment like this. That’s why we do our best. Tor the sake of the town and its people.”

Thanks to the Margrave’s fair policies, anyone with skill and integrity—regardless of race—could serve in his army. That was precisely why the soldiers of the frontier were so dedicated to their duties.

Then one of them turned to me with a curious look.

“You folks look pretty strong. Are you planning to join the martial arts tournament?”

“Actually, we can’t. We hold official titles, so the rules prevent us from participating.”

I admitted with a wry smile.

“Ah, right, that’s true. There’s a similar rule for us. Soldiers above a certain rank aren’t allowed to compete either.”

“I see…. So there are participation limits even for the soldiers.”

“Yes. The ones who usually enter are the younger lads. As for me—well, I’ve had my turn. I’m too old for that sort of thing now.”

So even the soldiers had specific criteria for entering the tournament, huh?

Though, I suppose the higher-ranking ones would be far too busy keeping order during the event to compete anyway.

“By the way, the only one from our group who’ll be participating is Ao—the slime who’s been teaching magic to Fina-san’s slime, Pearl.”

“Oh, that one?”

One of the soldiers said, his expression brightening with recognition.

“Yeah, that slime is strong. There’s… a sort of presence about it, you know? Hard to describe, but it’s got the bearing of a veteran warrior.”

“You can tell how strong Ao is?”

I asked, a little surprised.

“Any serious fighter can. Look—right now, it’s keeping an eye on everything around Fina-sama without even drawing attention to itself. That kind of awareness doesn’t come from instinct alone. It’s the mark of real training.”

Indeed, Ao was currently by Fina-san’s side, teaching Pearl how to use magic while occasionally glancing around to survey the surroundings.

The soldiers had sharp eyes—they were trained to notice subtle movements and spot anything suspicious. No wonder they could read Ao’s alertness so easily. That kind of insight came from years of vigilance I guess.

Meanwhile, the others were busily tending to a variety of injuries.

Sue is talking gently to one soldier.

“Your knee isn’t the only problem. Your lower back and spine are strained as well.”

“Oh, you noticed that too?”

“You’ll need to strengthen your body properly if you want to avoid further injuries.”

Sue treated the wounds as she spoke, offering calm, practical guidance. After healing so many people over time, she seemed to have developed a natural sense for the body’s condition—able to see what lay beneath the surface.

“I fixed your shoulder.” But your stomach isn’t doing so well either.”

Horn informed earnestly.

“Ah, that’s because I ate too much earlier.”

The soldier admitted with a sheepish grin.

“I’ve been feeling a bit of indigestion.”

“Eating too much is bad for you.”

“Hahaha, you got me there.”

Horn continued treating the soldiers’ injuries with great focus—but she also didn’t hesitate to lecture them on their eating habits. The soldiers, recognizing the truth in her innocent words, could only laugh good-naturedly in return.

“Is it all right if I set this here?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Okay! Then I’ll carry this one too.”

Since Shiro and Fran couldn’t use healing magic, they helped out by tidying up around the soldiers’ facility instead. Both of them were surprisingly strong—carrying several weapons at once as if they weighed nothing at all. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the day’s treatments went smoothly and without issue.

“Fina-sama, we’re truly grateful for your help today. Because of you, many of our soldiers are now fit to return to duty.”

“No, think nothing of it. I merely did what I could. It’s all thanks to everyone’s constant hard work that we’re able to help in this way.”

“Your thoughtfulness honors us, my lady.”

The officer’s face brightened—clearly, the results of the day’s healing had far exceeded his expectations.

And Fina-san was right, of course. The soldiers’ dedication made it only natural for us to give our very best in return.

Thus, the treatment at the garrison came to a peaceful and satisfying close.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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As the martial arts tournament drew steadily closer, we’ve decided to tone down our adventuring activities in town and focus on treating soldiers and treating patients at the hospital. The Margravate was growing busier by the day, with more and more visitors arriving from outside the capital, so it was only natural that we took extra care to ensure Fina-san’s safety.

From then on, whenever she went out, Fina-san was required to travel by carriage. Of course, for someone as friendly and talkative as Fina-san, being unable to stop and chat freely with the townspeople made her a little restless and a bit lonely.

“Good afternoon!”

“Fina-sama, everyone—we’ve been expecting you.”

Today, we visited the hospital as a group to provide treatment for the injured and the ill. Upon our arrival by carriage, the hospital staff came forward to greet us with polite efficiency. Without delay, we divided our duties and began our work.

“Shiro, please attend to the lightly injured patients together with Sue and Lady Fina. Horn and I will focus on the more serious cases.”

I instructed.

“““Understood”””

“Do your best, Horn.”

Fina-san added warmly.

“Yes, I will.”

Horn replied with quiet determination.

With our roles clearly assigned, I led Horn towards the ward where the more severely injured patients awaited us. Her small hands were clenched into fists, her expression firm with resolve.

Shiiing!

“How does that feel?”

“Oh! Much better already. Thank you, young lady.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Horn replied with a bright smile. She carefully casts a healing magic on a man who had broken his leg. The results of her daily training were clear to see—her spells had grown remarkably strong.

The man, feeling his pain fading rapidly, reached out and gently patted her head in gratitude.

“Haha, you’re such a small one, but what a wonderful mage you are.”

“I train hard every single day.”

Horn replied with a proud smile.

Even the staff member accompanying us praised Horn’s magic.

To me, she still had a long way to go—but at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before she surpassed me as a healer.

“This next patient has multiple injuries.”

“I see. Let me take a look.”

“Please, we’d appreciate your help.”

The next patient was an elderly woman suffering from pain in her lower back and knees. Just to be safe, I decided to check if there were any other hidden ailments.

Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, I let a small flow of magic seep into her body.

…Hmm?

It seems there’s something wrong with her internal organs as well.

“Horn, come here for a moment. Try letting a bit of your magic flow into her.”

“Ah… there’s something cloudy around her stomach too.”

Horn murmured.

“That’s right—good work. Now, focus on that murkiness. Picture it clearing away as you cast your healing magic.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

I called Horn over and had her examine the elderly woman’s condition for herself. Almost instantly, she sensed the same abnormalities that I just saw. We shared the same mental image without needing many words.

Then, Horn began her healing spell.

Shiiing—

“Oh my, my stomach feels so much better now.”

The old woman said with relief.

“It’s all taken care of now.”

Horn had managed to carry out the treatment exactly as she had imagined. Just to be certain, I placed my hand on the elderly woman’s shoulder once more and checked her condition myself.

“Mm, everything looks fine now. You did very well, Horn.”

“Ehehe.” she giggled, her face lighting up.

“My, isn’t it nice to be praised by your big brother? Thank you, little mage.”

“Mm!” Horn nodded, beaming with pride.

Both the old woman and I praised her, and Horn’s smile grew so bright it was almost dazzling.

When healing magic is used skillfully, it can save a great deal of energy—something I’d have to teach Horn next, now that she was growing more confident.

“Thank you for your help. Thanks to you, the treatment of the severe cases is complete.”

“Then we’ll head over to assist with the lightly injured.”

“In that case, please allow me to guide you.”

The staff member said, leading the way.

After two hours of steady work, the treatment of the seriously injured was finally complete. Since I had been guiding Horn closely the entire time, she had grown much better at performing preliminary checks before beginning a treatment—a crucial step for any skilled healer.

With that done, we made our way to the ward for the lightly injured.

Shiiiing—

“How are you feeling now?”

“I’m completely better. Fina-sama’s slime is truly remarkable!”

“Thank you very much.”

Fina replied with a modest smile. Over on their side, Pearl is shining—quite literally. Under Ao’s gentle supervision, she was learning to channel her magic with precision and care. And of course, Fina-san herself  is being showered with words of praise from those she had healed, her face glowing with quiet pride.

“Looks like everything’s going well here.”

I said as I approached.

“Ah! Shun-oniichan!”

Shiro called out, her face lighting up.

“I work hard too!”

“I can see that.”

“Hehe.”

The two of them giggled together, clearly pleased.

When I spoke to them, both Shiro and Fran turned around from their tasks. They’d been doing a fine job keeping the lines organized, so I reached out and gently patted their heads in praise.

“This side should be finished soon.”

Sue said, coming over to report.

“That’s good to hear. We’ve completed all the treatments for the serious cases as well.”

I replied.

True enough, there were only a few people left waiting in line. I decided to lend a hand as well so we could wrap things up more quickly.

Even so, I couldn’t help but marvel—Fina-san’s popularity truly was something else.

“Fina greeted everyone with such a warm smile. Thanks to that, her popularity has grown even more.”

“Well, she was already well loved to begin with. But now that she’s healing people with her slime by her side, it reflects wonderfully on the Margrave family as well.”

And so, our work at the hospital came to a peaceful close.

The treatments had gone smoothly, and word quickly spread that Fina-san, daughter of the frontier Margrave, had personally assisted in healing the sick and injured. Naturally, her reputation and the affection people felt for her rose higher than ever.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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