Moto Sekai Ichi – 207 | Sousaku – 創作

207　Let’s eat! A morning with distinguished guests

Arc 10: Title Defense

=====

Today is the day of the closing ceremony…… However, the ceremony will be held in the afternoon, so I'll be free in the morning.

Therefore, I think I'll go to that curry shop for breakfast.

"Oh."

When I went downstairs to the living room, Cubero was already waiting for me.

"Good morning, Second-sama."
"Oh, good morning. About that curry shop."
"I have already made a reservation."
"Thank you. Well, shall we go then?"
"Yes."

Without saying too much in the morning, the two of us set off walking.

It's a pleasant morning with a dry wind, not long after sunrise.

"We couldn't predict how many people would come, so we've reserved the entire restaurant. Is that okay?”
"That's a good decision. At least the store won't be in a panic now."
"I still remember how it was inside the store…… the chaos that occurred, very clearly."
"Sorry about that."
"No, it was a good experience. Besides, I've actually been practicing my signature since then, too."
"Hahaha, and you're also a Toushini competitor now, aren't you~?"

I said with a laugh, and Cubero smiled with the corner of his mouth, quickly brushing his long, bangs of blonde hair parted in the middle to the side, looking embarrassed.

I've known this guy for a long time. The mutual reserve we used to have has completely disappeared, and now we can laugh together like friends.

"I'm a little embarrassed, but I'm happy to have had the chance to perform."
"That's right. There's a lot of people who want to sign autographs but there's nobody who wants them. You should be proud of you.”

With both hands in my pockets, I walked slowly to the curry shop, chatting with Cubero about trivial matters.

It'd be quicker if we used a carriage. If it's a transfer summoning with Anko, it'd be even faster. But today, walking has meaning. I think everyone has a vague feeling this is the case. After the big event that happens once every six months, they must be feeling like going for a walk and having breakfast today.

"――What a surprise, the eight-crowns winner. What a strange coincidence while jogging."

See, there he is.

"Good morning, Jerez. Let's go eat curry!"
"Let's go."

Jerez Lumberjack has joined the group.

He was apparently jogging, so he was wearing a jersey. But, it looked extremely lame. The eldest son of Earl Lumberjack is wandering around in a disgusting jersey by himself in the morning. Is the Earl family okay with this?

"Oh, but Rave was really strong. Unfortunately, I came up just short. I showed you my shameful side, Eight-Crowns.”
"Ah, Rave-kun. That guy's good……"
"Ohh? Are you charmed by him, Eight-Crown?”
"Well, I'm a little curious. I hear he's coming to the party, so I'll talk to him there. More importantly what about you, Jerez?"
"About me?”
"Yeah. At the end of your match with Rave, you threw away your Zweihänder and pulled out a short sword, didn't you?"
"Yeah. It was my trump card."
"That was a good one."
"……I wonder what this is? It's a very simple compliment, but it's strange, there's a strange happiness."
"In that situation, your opponent is likely to kick you. So, on the contrary, if you go for the kicked-out leg, you can regain the initiative. Alternatively, you could take the kick and switch from a short sword to a long sword to respond. It would be even better if you could counterbalance it here."
"I see, it seems that if you can predict the kick, that kind of move would work. As for the counterbalance…… It looks like it's going to take me a while yet."
"All that matters is practice."

After that, without mentioning anything about the horrible jersey, the three of us - Cubero, Jerez, and myself - headed for the curry shop while discussing effective training methods for counterbalancing.

Counterbalancing is an essential technique for both 【Swordsmanship】 and 【Martial Arts】. You two will have to learn it eventually.

"――Oh, as I thought!”

Three minutes later.
Capito-kun, the dog beastman, joined us.

"Good morning, Capito. It looks like you've recovered mentally a fair bit."
"Good morning, everyone! Well, I was wandering around thinking that the curry shop might be open today, and I was right. Yes, thanks to you, Second-san, I'm full of energy!”
"I feel like I almost ended up killing you."
"It was all with love, with love! I know that, so don't worry!”
"……Y-yeah, I guess.

If that's the case, that's fine.

"Jerez-san, that change of grip was seriously amazing! Cubero-san also put on a magnificent display, showcasing the dignity of a butler!”
"Hmph, I thought so too. Praise me more!"
"I don't think I have that kind of presence."

Capito, who was wagging his tail, soon became friendly with the two people and started talking happily. And pretend not to see the shitty-looking jerseys from Jerez. This kind of high communication ability is also one of his charms.

"――Oh, you're all here together."

Five minutes later.
When we arrived at the magnificent curry restaurant, 『Karai』 we were greeted by the previous Kongo, Rokunchea.

"Good morning, Rokunchea. I knew you'd be here today too."
"Good morning. Yes, that's how I felt this morning."

That's right.
Most of the participants in the title matches will want to eat a leisurely breakfast this morning. Something like a tradition of the title matches.

"By the way, color me impressed. You've got three Side Pawn Picker pieces. How did you manage to get your hands on that many?"
"I appreciate the compliment. It took a lot of effort. However, it is not even comparable to the five pieces of Badger that Eko has. And to have them all from the same series…… I wonder how much time and money was spent on this? May I ask just for reference?”
"Yeah. I've been collecting materials bit by bit while looping dungeons. The Manufacture, Bestowal, and Dismantling cycles have taken more than six months. I don't know the exact amount of money, but I think it didn't cost much because I only had to buy extra materials occasionally."
"Thank you very much. I see, looping around……"

Rokunchea seemed to have something on his mind, and he put his hand to his chin and started thinking. Like Capito-kun, Rokunchea also glossed over the topic of Jerez's jersey.

Well, when it comes to conversation, Jerez, Capito, and Rokunchea are all talking about the title matches.

I know what it's like. I guess you could say that there is a time when all net game players are like this. Perhaps right now is the time when they are having the most fun and are most absorbed in Mobius. That's why, even on days off, they think about self-improvement and trying to reach higher goals.

Oh, it makes me happy.

"――Oh, it's you guys. Me? I just happened to be passing by, by chance."

Oh yeah, I remember this guy was here last time.
The light blue-haired elf who has appeared before us now, pretending to be a total coincidence.

"Good morning, Nil. Stop acting all dumb and just come on over."
"I-I'm not acting! Hmph, you're still as rude as ever……"
"And you're just as bratty as ever."
"Don't call me a brat when I'm 128 years old!”

Well, well, I'm glad you're doing just fine.

"So, have you decided what you're going to do after you've retired from the Eishou tournament?"
"Seriously, you can be a real jerk at times…… well, if you ask if I've decided or not, I have."
"Hoo! What are you going to do?”
"……I will be under the case of the Royal Magic Academy."
"Eh!? No way!? Are you serious, Nil-san!? So you'll be a teacher, Nil-san!? You, of all people!?”
"Shut up, Capito you bastard!”
"HIIIIII! Second-san, please help!”

You guys are actually good friends, aren't you?

"Well, that was a good result. You made the decision, so that's fine. Was there some kind of trigger?”
"……Hmph, it's a trivial matter. It's not something worth mentioning."
"I see, I see."

There's even a woman who quit being an heiress to a school that had been around for hundreds of years and opened a bakery because of a cream bun she ate as a child.

"By the way, Second. How did it go with that matter?”
"Ahh……"

Alpha Promenade. The opponent Nil fought against in the Eishou Tournament six months ago and lost.
After six months of silence, we wondered what she was doing now.

As a matter of fact, a report had come up from the maid who had been investigating just yesterday.

To summarize the story, it goes like this.

She's in a place called Amano-Iwato."
"What?”
"I heard she's a recluse."
"A recluse? That Alpha, for six months?”
"On the surface, I suppose."
"……The Promenade family?

Nil said with a furrowed brow.

"What do you think, as the former Weissroy family's spoiled son?"
"Shut up, watch your mouth. But…… that house is troublesome. The Weissroy family is a family of great pedigree, and they place great importance on bloodlines. The policy is to eliminate the blood of those without talent, and only allow the best into the family, thus making the bloodline stronger. However, the Promenade family is a new aristocracy, and so they do not consider things like bloodlines. She has the strength to do anything to make her house bigger. In fact, she would have married into the Weissroy family against her will."
"You seem to know a lot about that. But wasn't it you who unilaterally demanded that she marry you?”
"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't mind, but the Weissroys were not happy about it. The most passionate advocates were the Promenade family."
"I didn't mind, you say? Were you not quite accepting?”
"Shut up, you noisy person!”

Nil got angry and his face turned red. He's over a hundred years old, but he's still like a junior high school boy inside.

But I see. So that's what the Promenade family is like. That's good to hear.

"Thank you, Nil. That was useful information."
"……Hmph. Do what you can with it."

Nil looked away from me as he spoke curtly.

And beyond that is Jerez in his jersey.

"…………"

You're going to ignore it? You've grown up, Nil.

Oh, it looks like they're about to open soon. It seems we talked for quite a while.

So, this time, should we have chicken, pork, rice, or flatbread……?

"――Well, well, Lord Second, everyone. Are you having breakfast at this restaurant?”

As I was lost in thought about curry, an unexpected person appeared.

"Steam, good morning. You're just right, you can eat with us too."
"I'm honored. Well, I had planned to do that from the beginning."

Margrave Steam Bitter-Valley.
Is it okay for the Margrave to be wandering around here by himself? Well, I guess it's okay because it's Steam.

"The curry here is delicious."
"Despite how I look, I'm quite the gourmet, you see."
"Kasakari showed me."
"Oh, that's great news! I can't help but get excited about it."

Steam glanced at Jerez and, without showing any reaction, rubbed his neck with his hand and muttered, “Well, what shall I order?” with a sigh. There was a slight dark circle under his eyes.

"Are you tired?”
"Yeah. Even Margraves have it tough."
"I'm sure."
"If only Mr. Emperor would behave himself, I could take my men on a vacation."

It seems that being a Margrave and fighting in the Senjushou tournament was quite a hard job.

But even in that situation, he still prioritized curry with me, so Steam is a pleasant guy after all.

"――Ah!?”

"Ah!”

Immediately before the store opened.
When I saw the man's face as he turned down the alley, I couldn't help but let out a cry.

"Get him!!”

When I shouted, Cubero immediately ran out. Compared to six months ago, he was twice as fast.

"Tch! What the hell is this? It's such a pain!”

The man who turned on his heel with a disgusted look on his face was the previous Tenmouza, a handsome man with black hair and purple mesh, wearing a black leather jacket and leather pants, Prince.

Oh, you are a quick runner. Your AGI seems to be quite high, Prince. However, Cubero was stronger.

"Damn it! What the hell is wrong with you?! What do you want with me!? Ahh!?”

After a few seconds, Prince was seized by Cubero and made a fuss like a hoodlum caught by the police. I don't dislike this petty person.

"Let's eat curry!"
"Ehー!?”
"I hear the curry here is delicious."
"……Huh?”
"It's not like I want to fight or anything."
"Then what is it? Why grab me?"
"I just wanted to have curry with you."
"…………"

Prince was left speechless, his mouth hanging open.

Then, Capito came up to us and broke the silence.

"Prince-san, I saw the game! You are so amazing at handling threads! The dragon's whiskers were amazing, and the way they moved the torches was amazing too!”
"What? Oh, hello…… who are you?”
"I'm Capito, a contestant in the Reiou Tournament!”
"Contestant!? Huh……!?”

And so, it seemed that Prince had finally come to his senses.

He looked around at the distinguished-looking crowd, and there was a moment of silence.
Then, with half a smile, he said

"……I'll eat some curry."

I still like this petty person.

"Oh, I remember! How dare you scribble on my body?"

About ten minutes after entering the store.
"Welcome!?” After the waitress, who had given a better reaction than last time, said her greetings, everyone sat down as they pleased, ordered as they pleased, and when the curry arrived at their table, Prince suddenly spoke.

Oh, I remember too.
Because cheating is cheating, while he was unconscious, I stripped him down to his underwear and drew doodles on him.

"Well, you got what you deserved."
"Ehー!?”
"It's better than being banned, right?"
"……Tch."
"Oh well, have some curry."
"I'm already eating!”
"It's delicious, isn't it?"
"……It certainly is delicious."
"That's true."

Prince didn't go on about it any further, probably because he'd actually been playing to his own song. I thought he wouldn't have had to bring it up again, but I guess he probably didn't want the other title contenders to look down on him.

Hmm, this show of pretension is really suited for online games. As I thought, this guy is a gem.

"The former Tenmouza, Prince, looked like he was going toe-to-toe against Second Eight-Crowns. I'm not very familiar with thread because of my Swordsmanship, but even so, I can tell that he's quite skilled."
"That's right. I was soundly defeated by Vogue-san, who was soundly defeated by Second-san... So to be able to compete with Second-san is seriously no joke."
"R-Really? But I'm a former Tenmouza, so I guess it's only inevitable, but I feel like I was just a little short this time."
"Well, it looked like you were putting up a good fight for a while. And facing that Eight Crown. That is a tremendous thing."
"As expected of the former Tenmouza. Maybe one day, it won't be a dream to make a comeback."
"Yeah, I guess so... That was a close match. I wonder if I'll get it back soon."
"Perhaps you could be in the running for an award."
"I bet. There's still a chance."
"I wonder... hehehe."

Jerez and Capito seem to have already learned how to handle Prince. Prince was visibly in a good mood.

"By the way, you've got a pretty lame jersey on."
"……Is that so? ……Hey, Capito."
"To be honest, I never thought a color like that existed."
"I……see……"

Oh, he said it! And it's kind of funny how Jerez was a little shocked.

This inability to read the situation, this sudden informality, it's so Prince-like and I like it. That sense, intuition, and 【Thread Manipulation】 that relies on momentum really is just like his personality.

Meanwhile, Cubero and Rokunchea were quietly eating their curry. They seem to be of the opinion that meals should be quiet. They are just as calm as they look.

As for Steam, he was looking at us and smiling, but then he looked at what was probably a team-only communication window and seemed busy. Even during meals, work seems to be the priority. Poor little thing.

"Can't you all eat in peace? Why don't you learn a little from me?"
"Huh? What's your problem?"

After a few minutes, Nil, who had finished eating the fastest again this time, said that.

"Hmph, you're still not finished eating because you're talking so much."

It's funny how this guy is trying to get a leg up on us by eating quickly because we're not paying much attention to him.

"Yes, teacher."
"I-I'm not a teacher yet!”

And how well Capito reads the situation.
Prince, who was about to snap, was relieved to see Nil flustered when Capito called him “teacher”.

Teacher. Teacher, huh……

"Hey, Prince."
"Huh? What is it?"

After finishing the curry, it was coffee time.
I remembered what I was going to tell Prince, and opened my mouth.

"I have a lot I want to talk to you about. So, let's stay in touch."
"……Yeah, I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask. That said, I'm not going to be a pushover."

I see. It seems that Prince is interested in the same things as me.

“Linlin-sensei” ―― that's what Prince said.

If that's the person I'm imagining…… then we're definitely from the same place.

"Let's meet and talk at the party tonight."
"Tsk, all right."

It seems that Prince will be coming to the Eight Crowns Celebration Party. That's good.

"See you guys later then."

It's about time Yukari started to worry, or rather, get jealous.

I used 《Monster Summoning》 to summon Anko and asked her to perform a teleportation. The reason being…… I don't know when the information spread, but it's already a complete mess outside the store.

"Hey, bastard! Are you going to run away again?!”

Smiling at Nil, who was voicing his disapproval, I told them one last thing.

"Oh, yes, there will be a bingo tournament again, so look forward to it."

Jerez and Capito, who saw me off with a strained smile, Rokunchea, Cubero, who looked cool, Steam, who looked nonchalant, Nil, who was angry, and Prince, who looked dumbfounded.

I hope we can all eat curry together again in six months' time――

=====
Thank you for reading.

Cheat sheet

Status Details

HP　Hit Points
MP　Magic Points
SP　Stamina Points
STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power.
DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate.
AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate.
INT　Attack Magic skill power.
LUK　Good luck, critical rate.
VIT　Simple defense.
MGR　Magic defense.

Skill Ranking

From lower (16th) to higher (1st) class, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade

16th class
15th class
14th class
13th class
12h class
11th class
10th class
9th class
8th class
7th class
6th class
5th class
4th class
3rd class
2nd class
1st class
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9 (Can challenge Title when all related skills are at this level)

Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

Pawn/Soldier (Fuhyou)
Lance(Kyousha)
Knight (Keima)
Silver General (Ginshou)
Gold General (Kinshou)
Bishop (Kakugyou)
Rook (Hisha)
Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma)
Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou).

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List of Swordsmanship skills

【Swordsmanship】　Damage： STR Dependent.

《Dragon King Swordsmanship》　Powerful ranged attack forward + stun.
《Dragon Horse Swordsmanship》　Powerful ranged attack in all directions.
《Rook Swordsmanship》　Very strong single-target attack.
《Bishop Swordsmanship》　Quick and powerful penetrating attack.
《Gold Swordsmanship》　Ranged attack in all directions.
《Silver Swordsmanship》　Strong, single-target attack.
《Knight Swordsmanship》　Precision attack＋added damage against vital points.
《Lance Swordsmanship》　Penetrating attack.
《Soldier Swordsmanship》　Normal attack.

(Rook＋Knight, Silver＋Knight, Lance＋Knight, Soldier＋Knight are possible for Combine)

List of Jojutsu (cane) skills

【Jojutsu】Thrust・Strike・Sweep

《Dragon King Jojutsu》　Extremely powerful wide-area attack
《Dragon Horse Jojutsu》　Wide range defense + knockback
《Rook Jojutsu》　Very powerful ranged attack
《Bishop Jojutsu》　Rush piercing attack
《Gold Jojutsu》　Very strong defense
《Silver Jojutsu》　Powerful ranged attack
《Knight Jojutsu》　Rush attack
《Lance Jojutsu》　Piercing attack
《Soldier Jojutsu》　Conventional attack

List of Spearmanship skills

【Spearmanship】

《Dragon King Spearmanship》　Extremely powerful single-target attack
《Dragon Horse Spearmanship》　Powerful long-range attack (shockwave)
《Rook Spearmanship》　Rush attack (charge thrust)
《Bishop Spearmanship》　Powerful ranged attack (Cleave)
《Gold Spearmanship》　Counterattack (Counter)
《Silver Spearmanship》　Powerful single-target attack (charge thrust)
《Knight Spearmanship》　Forward leaping attack (leaping thrust)
《Lance Spearmanship》　Ranged attack (Cleave)
《Soldier Spearmanship》　Normal Attack (Thrust)

List of Archery skills

【Archery】

《Dragon King Archery》　Powerful on-impact ranged attack.
《Dragon Horse Archery》　Powerful piercing ranged attack.
《Rook Archery》　Very strong single-target range attack.
《Bishop Archery》　Strong piercing range attack.
《Gold Archery》　Range attack with added knockback.
《Silver Archery》　Strong single-target range attack.
《Knight Archery》　Precise sniping range attack.
《Lance Archery》　Piercing range attack.
《Soldier Archery》　Normal range attack.

List of Shield Arts skills

【Shield Arts】

《Dragon King Shield Arts》　Very powerful ranged attack to the front.
《Dragon Horse Shield Arts》　Reinforced defense + all-range attack.
《Rook Shield Arts》　Powerful forward Rush attack (VIT converted to STR and added to net STR)
《Bishop Shield Arts》　Great Reinforced Defense (16th class: 250% ~ Grade 9th: 600% Defense)
《Gold Shield Arts》　Range homing defense ＋ Knockback（While active, attacks within a certain range would redirect themselves towards the shield）
《Silver Shield Arts》　Reinforced defense (parry grace time reduced by 0.01 second, successful parry triggers counterattack effect)
《Knight Shield Arts》　Defense + Knockback.
《Lance Shield Arts》　Piercing Reflective Defense
《Soldier Shield Arts》　Normal defense.
Success condition for parry: Activate the skill 0.287 to 0.250 seconds before the attack reaches the target.

List of Magic skills

【Magic】 (Four attributes: fire, water, wind, and earth)
Advantages and disadvantages: Fire>Earth>Wind>Water>Fire
・First Form　Normal Attack （Preparation time： Super short. Cooldown： Super short）
・Second Form　Extended range attack （Slow. Long）
・Third Form　Strong single-target attack （Short. Short）
・Fourth Form　Powerful extended-range attack （Super slow. Super long）
・Fifth Form　Very powerful extended-range attack （Slowest. Longest）

【Magical Magic】
《Combine》　Combines two magic skills into a single attack.
《Synergy》　Overlays two magic spells on top of another magic spell.
《Charge》　Magic attack that increases in magnitude the more it is charged up.

List of Martial Arts skills

【Martial Arts】　Attack：(STR+DEX+AGI)/2.56

《Dragon King Martial Arts》　A very powerful wide-area attack in the front (shockwave)
《Dragon Horse Martial Arts》　Accelerated forward strike (Dash Punch)
《Rook Martial Arts》　Very powerful single-target attack + charge (Punch)
《Bishop Martial Arts》　Omni-directional attack (Roundhouse kick)
《Gold Martial Arts》　Short-range attack plus defense (Tackle)
《Silver Martial Arts》　Strong single-target attack （Punch）
《Knight Martial Arts》　Forward jumping attack （Jumping kick）
《Lance Martial Arts》　Short-range attack (Kick)
《Soldier Martial Arts》　Normal attack （Punch）

List of Sword-drawing skills

【Sword-drawing】 (STR+DEX+AGI+VIT)/5.12+remaining SP/10^4（fire power when using a sword at the belt 128％）

《Dragon King Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Extremely powerful area of effect attack.
《Dragon Horse》 Range attack in all directions.
《Rook Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Extremely powerful Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Bishop Sword-drawing》 Quick and powerful thrust.
《Gold Sword-drawing》 Counter (Single attack + defense)
《Silver Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Powerful Sword-drawing attack.
《Knight Sword-drawing》 Large movement + Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Lance Sword-drawing》 Movement + Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Soldier Sword-drawing》 Sword drawing attack (Single attack)

List of Thread Manipulation skills

【Thread Manipulation】
《Dragon King Thread Manipulation》　The most powerful single attack, limited to the restrained target.
《Dragon Horse Thread Manipulation》　Simultaneously emits multiple threads, forcibly restraining the touched object.
《Rook Thread Manipulation》　Very powerful single attack using a bundle of threads
《Bishop Thread Manipulation》　Powerful penetrating attack using thread like a needle.
《Gold Thread Manipulation》　Thread restraints on objects within a 4-meter radius.
《Silver Thread Manipulation》　Powerful single-target attack with a bundle of threads
《Knight Thread Manipulation》　Manipulate monsters, humans, and puppets using strings for a certain period of time.
《Lance Thread Manipulation》　Penetrating attack using thread like a needle.
《Soldier Thread Manipulation》　Single target attack with a bundle of threads
(Gold + Lance or Bishop can be Combined)

ToC