Moto Sekai Ichi – 210 | Sousaku – 創作

210　Celebration Party (Part 2)

Arc 10: Title Defense

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"How many decades has it been since I've been to a party? "
"It's been a long time, it's been ages."
"I'm in a really good mood today."
"I want to talk to that person; I want to have a conversation with that person."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"What should we share? What should we talk about?"
"About Jojutsu."
"Only that? Just that? "
"If possible, I'd like to talk about books too."

Muttering to herself, a beautiful female elf dressed in a monochrome gothic dress with long silver hair reaching down to her waist appeared at the venue for the Eight Crowns Celebration Party.

Former Senjushou, Gloria――there was probably no one in the room who did not know her name.

However, only a handful of people knew her true identity.

"My seat is..."
"It's Section F, Table F."

Gloria glanced at the invitation and spoke to her friend Silva, who was inside her.
Silva used Gloria's mouth to announce her seat.

To anyone else, it was clearly just her talking to herself, but to her, it was a meaningful conversation that had been going on since she was a child.

"――I hope you're doing great, Princess."
"――Princess, please have this seat."

When Gloria approached the F seats, Kevin and Nil, who were at the same table, bowed their heads politely and greeted her, then guided her to her seat.

The former heir to the Weissroy family took the initiative, without a hint of reluctance, and pulled out a chair for Gloria to sit down.

Princess…… It was exactly those words.

Gloria was the daughter of the chieftain who ruled the elves and was therefore a princess.

A member of the most noble bloodline among all elves.

"Kevin, Nil. Huh? Nil, Kevin? "
"Who is which? Which is who? "
"Oh well, never mind."
"It's a beautiful view; it's a beautiful scene."

Gloria took her seat and, muttering to herself as usual, glanced at Kevin and Nil before looking around to check out the surroundings.

Then, her gaze met that of Akaneko, Renko, and Silvia, who were sitting in the same F seats.

“The katana girl, the fist girl, and……? "
"The bow, the bow."
"Yes, the bow girl."
"I watched the katana matches; I watched the martial arts matches."
"I refrained from reading books."
"That's amazing! That's incredible!"
"Because that person was on it."
"We are interested; we are curious."
"But I did read at night."
"It's a daily routine, it's a habit."

Those were probably words spoken to the three of them.

"U-Umu……? "

However, since the conversation was between Gloria and Silva, the three of them were left completely perplexed.

Gloria also seemed unconcerned, as if this were a familiar situation, and began observing her surroundings again.

Weirdo――Everyone would probably have that impression of her.

……Therefore, few humans knew that she was an elf princess.

It was concealed. The upper echelons of the elf race did not want humans to know that such an eccentric girl was their princess, regardless of what the elves themselves thought.

Some even called it a disgrace to the family.

But she was a genuine elf princess.
Her long white hair and natural talent were the best proof of this.

That is why the elves showed her the utmost respect.
Elves, who lived long lives, were a race that valued bloodline and talent above all else.

"I wonder if that person likes books? "
"Probably a little, most likely a little."
"I guess so."
"Let's recommend a book, let's get him to read it."
"Right."

Butsubutsu, butsubutsu.
Her mysterious mutterings continue unabated.

Nevertheless, there was only one person in the room who understood that this was not merely the ramblings of a delusional individual.

Due to the unique nature of online gaming, he had no choice but to deal with numerous self-proclaimed 「mysterious girls」.

That man was unusually experienced. His fame as the world's number one made him so. After all, for better or worse, people were drawn to him.

However, it was precisely because of that experience that he was able to immediately see Gloria's true nature and accept her without hesitation.

That was only natural for him. He interacted with her in a very natural manner and had a completely normal conversation. His behavior was exactly the same as always, not treating her in any different way.

That really caught Gloria's interest.

He had taken too many of her “firsts” at once.

――The first person who treated me honestly and normally. The first person I met who didn't find me creepy. The first person I was able to talk to without worrying about anything. The first person I completely lost to in Jojutsu. The first time I was curious about what happened next in a book.

This was only natural. From the moment she met him that day, it was certain that this would happen.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have come all this way, nor would she have dressed up so nicely.

It was certainly not romantic feelings, but still.

Gloria, the elf princess, was captivated by Second Firstest――

"Well, as you all know, I am Second, the winner of eight titles."

With everyone gathered, a man came out with a microphone in his hand and started talking.
Second Firstest hachi-kan.

Today was a party to celebrate his eight titles.

"I defended the Issenza, Eishou, and Reiou, and obtained the Shisousei, Senjushou, Tenmouza, Toushini, and Bishamon titles. I'm Second."

Everyone knew that, but the man emphasized it repeatedly.

He didn't have any deep thoughts.
Simply put, he was happy.

"With that said, let's drink to that!! "

The meaning of “with that said” in this context was still unclear.

However, most of the attendees knew that was just the way he was. Therefore, at this moment, everyone raised their glasses and shouted "Cheers! " without hesitation.

In the first place, it was a strange situation for an Eight Crowns champion to invite his rivals to celebrate his victory. Such absurdity was nothing new.

And yet, they were able to celebrate wholeheartedly because of the greatness and magnitude of his record of eight titles.

――Eight titles.

It could be said that this record was not very realistic. Before the man known as Second appeared in the title matches, anyone who mentioned winning eight titles would have been laughed at.

That was the case even six months ago. Even Second's fans, who were moved to tears by the unprecedented achievement of the Triple Crown, would surely respond with “That's impossible” if they heard about eight titles.

That impossible dream had come true.

Right now, they were in the midst of a historic moment.

Been invited to a party to celebrate a man who will surely be in the history books in a few years. That made them feel frustrated and proud at the same time.

No one knew better than them how amazing it was to achieve eight titles.

That's why they could celebrate even though they were rivals.
The bigger the stakes in the title, the more you realize how amazing the record of eight titles is.

Some time passed, and now the banquet was in full swing, with guests enjoying first-class cuisine prepared by Chef Sovra, who had become a master chef, and a high-quality brass band performance by the maid staff.

As usual, the prizes for the bingo tournament were announced.

The moment the black cloth covering the large board carried into the venue by the staff was removed――The venue suddenly became noisy.

"……Hm! ? "
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! "
"Eh, is that all right……?"

Steam rose involuntarily, Jerez let out an agitated cry, and Sherry muttered in disbelief.

Most of the attendees reacted with either surprise or bewilderment.

"Foooooooooo!! "

Muratti was the one who shouted with joy.

Although they did not take such action, many people were probably just as happy inside.

The prize was something beyond common sense.

4th to 26th: One “small skill” of your choice.
1st to 3rd place: One “great skill” of your choice.
27th: One request.

"Chichiue, what's going on? "

Rave seemed unable to comprehend the situation and asked Rothman for an explanation.

"Fourth rank and below means that if you are trying to learn Rook Swordsmanship, you will be taught how to master it. I guess that means that third rank and above would be taught everything from Soldier to Dragon King in Swordsmanship."
"That means, Second Hachi-kan, will give us......? "
"I'm pretty sure……"
"……No way!"

This was no longer a matter of prizes.

Simply put, it was a difference in values.

Even skills that might be considered common knowledge for Second, could be considered secret techniques passed down from generation to generation in this world.

At this point, leaving aside the question of why Second had such valuable knowledge that was normally kept secret, no one could understand his crazy behavior in teaching it to nearly 30 rivals as bingo prizes.

"Oh, my team members and servants are excluded."

While distributing bingo cards, Second said this into the microphone.

Of the thirty-five attendees, eight were related members. There were twenty-seven left.
In other words, prizes enough for all 27 participants in bingo were prepared.

"What? Hey, maid, are you okay with that? "
"Yes, that's fine."

Prince said that to Champani, who was sitting at the same table. Champani nodded proudly.

Then Nova, who was sitting next to him, smiled and broke the silence.

"Kuhaha, you don't even understand that? "
"Ahh!? What the hell do you mean?"
"This means that the eight people who were excluded by Second can ask him questions anytime."
"……What? "
"And I will eventually join them. Mufufu."

With Prince frozen in place with his mouth agape, Nova smiled happily with a carefree expression.

She looked happier to be on the same team as Second than to be taught new skills.

"You can ask as many questions as you want anytime…… Akaneko-chan too? "
"Since she's his disciple, I bet that's right."

Azami and Masamune, who were listening to Nova's words nearby, were once again stunned by this surprising fact.

"If the talented Akaneko-chan learns even more skills, she'll surely become a title holder……"
"……I don't think I can get used to that. Even if everyone here had the skills to compete in all eight title matches at the same time. I don't think Second-kun has any intention of losing."
"So, that's why he's teaching us so generously."
"He's showing off to us. Second-kun's confidence."
"He's unaware of it, isn't he?"
"That makes it even more frustrating……"

Plop.

The sisters sighed quietly as they punched a hole in the center of their bingo cards.

＊ ＊ ＊

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!! Come on, come on, come on! Me, me! "

The annual bingo tournament at my eight-title celebration party was once again fierce.

Just now, the twenty-seventh place was decided, and it was finally over.

It appears to be Muratti.

I think the first, second, and third places were Chérie, Vogue, and Prince.

I'm looking forward to seeing what skills everyone wants to learn. I'm not looking forward to Muratti's “request” at all…… But hey, I'm the one who brought it up, so I guess I have no choice. Let's go to each seat later and ask them.

More than anything else, there was something more important to do right now.
After the bingo tournament, I asked Yukari to make some time for me.

"Um...? What is this……? "

Ohh, here it is.
Yukari appeared at the hall, accompanied by Champani and Yve, who had secretly disappeared during bingo.

Waiting for them were me, Silvia, and Eko. Stand back, Ras, Akaneko, and Renko.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but I would like to ask for your attention for a moment."

In addition, Cubero acted as a presenter with a microphone in hand.

The nine people here had one thing in common.

That is, being taken care of by Yukari.
Yukari takes care of all the weapons, armor, and accessories that everyone uses.

Yet, most of the people in this venue probably did not know that fact.

When I won the Triple Crown, I was convinced that everyone would recognize Yukari, but that didn't happen.

If I am to become the best in the world, then my blacksmith must also be the best in the world.
If everyone is going to celebrate my eight titles, then Yukari must also be celebrated as an eight-time Blacksmith Champion.

On top of that, I, we…… are very grateful to her.

"Yukari."
"Y-Yes."

When she faced us, Yukari showed a rare look of nervousness.
She must be nervous, not knowing what I'm going to say.

"Former slave, assassin, servant, blacksmith, secretary, head maid, house steward. Those are your job titles."
"Eh, well, yeah."
"Too many."
"Well, yes, now that you mention it."
"Well, how should I put it……Narrow it down to one."
"Yes? "

Ugh, this is so embarrassing.

"In other words…… when we're in the spotlight like today, I want you to stand there as our blacksmith."
"As a blacksmith……"

I take the present I left with Cubero and bring it to Yukari.

"It is from us, Yukari. Please accept it."
"Take it and eat it! "
"You can't eat it, Eko."

Silvia and Eko also stand side by side, receiving Ras's retorts.

"Is this…… a dress? A suit too? "

Yukari received the present with a puzzled look on her face and checked its contents.

"Umu. That's because you always wear a maid outfit, Yukari. I chose the suit myself."
"I referred to Champani's opinion when choosing the dress."
"Yes, I'm sure it will suit Yukari-sama."
"I heard that Yve made the necklace herself."
"……u……o."
"I hope it suits you, is what she said."

Yukari always wore a maid outfit and acted as a maid at every event.

It was clear that she took pride in her job as a maid. But I also knew that she valued her work as a blacksmith just as much.

She is a maid, but also a member of Team Firstest.

I want Yukari, as the blacksmith of Team Firstest, to be highly regarded by even more people.

With that wish in mind, everyone decided to give her this present.

Unnecessary interference? No, that's not it.

I certainly told her this.

Let's aim for the world's number one together. Become the world's greatest blacksmith.

And to that end, this is the first step.

Let's all celebrate the moment when Yukari the blacksmith is recognized by the world.

"Yukari. You are my blacksmith. The Eight Crowns' Blacksmith. So…… from now on, when we have occasions like this, will you wear that dress and stand next to me? "

"…………Yes……! "

When I said that, looking her straight in the eye, Yukari nodded with tears in her eyes and threw herself into my arms.

Good.

It's all up to her. Whether she wants to be a maid or a blacksmith, Yukari should just do whatever she likes.

Even so…… if she chooses to stand by my side, there is nothing that could make me happier.

"I'm glad you are happy."

Silvia said with a laugh.

That's right, I'm relieved.
I just didn't think she would be so happy that she would cry.

Recently, I have come to realize that Yukari's cold expression and attitude do not seem to be her true nature. It's probably just that she's exceptionally good at keeping a poker face due to her former occupation.

There are still many sides of her that I don't know about.
Moved to tears, she began to cry in my arms, looking incredibly charming.

I want to show everyone, not just myself, this good side of Yukari.
Yukari, the world's best blacksmith, is a super cute, kind, and amazing woman who is great at her job and housework. I want to brag about it to everyone.

And then, six months later. As the blacksmith Yukari, I would like to receive recognition together with her.
She is also a member of Firstest, after all.

"Well, let's get started! "

I raised my voice to resume the conversation that had been temporarily interrupted.

A party to celebrate the memorable achievement of winning eight titles. This is also Yukari's party.

In that case, we need to liven things up more.

"Let's all have fun together!"

I used 《Spirit Summoning》 and 《Monster Summoning》 to summon Angolmois, Anko, and Miroku, and ordered them to act freely.

Just to be on the safe side, I reminded everyone not to harm the guests. I mean, these guys have no common sense……

"Well then, I'll go make my rounds――"

=====
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