episode_0058

Damp fingers gripped my foot.

A shiver ran through me at the tingling, ticklish sensation.

Only for a moment, though. The mister gently covered my ankle, warming it, and began to massage my joints.

“Mmm…”

I pressed my lips together and exhaled.

This mister really is good at massages.

It feels subtly good when he kneads and presses.

I’d felt it even back in Charrarac Village; the mister’s touch was neither too strong nor too weak.

It was just right for me.

“H-how does this feel?”

“…Good.”

The mister moved his fingers little by little, continuously asking how it felt.

It felt good.

No matter where he touched, my chest felt warm and fuzzy, and all I could say was ‘Good.’

“Hoo-woo, hoo-woo.”

“…Agh.”

In the quiet silence.

Only Mister Fosao’s breathing and my muffled groan from beneath my lips could be heard.

I felt somewhat embarrassed and considered speaking, but the mister spoke first.

“People who use their bodies a lot put a lo-lot of strain on their feet, on their insteps. So massaging here is re-really effective.”

“Ah… that feels good there.”

“Heh heh. So it’s here.”

“Haa!”

He massaged the good spots vigorously.

I hunched my shoulders, tickled.

The mister looked closely at my foot and marveled.

“T-Tia, your feet are small and pretty, it’s amazing.”

“……”

“And your legs are so th-thin. Yet strong.”

“…Well, I’ve been training.”

“I-it’s an honor for me to b-be able to touch Tia’s feet.”

With that, he brought his lips to the top of my foot and blew, as if dusting off gold.

His breath tickled, and his appearance was so comical that I chuckled.

“…Mister. Isn’t ‘honor’ a bit much?”

“I mean it. Tia… I-I do.”

“Hmph-.”

Even though I’ve kicked him with these feet before.

The mister gently massaged each of my toes, truly with an honored expression.

As I received the pleasant massage, I gradually grew drowsy.

The mister must have noticed I was sleepy, as he bid me a quiet goodnight.

“Sleep well. Ti-Tia.”

“……”

As soon as I closed my eyes, I fell straight into a deep sleep.

* * *

The very next day was the second round.

Before the match began, the announcer declared that several new rules had been created.

First, the match can only proceed if both athletes are wielding weapons.

Second, within the arena, effective hits can only be dealt to the opponent using a weapon.

Third, attacking with other objects, including the soil within the arena, is prohibited.

Fourth, extra points will be awarded for knocking an opponent down, but attacking is forbidden until the opponent gets back up.

A baffled laugh escaped me.

These rules were clearly made to specifically target me.

And even though the match was already well underway.

Suddenly creating and applying new rules felt like an unfair measure.

Well, I guess there’s nothing I can do.

Protesting wouldn’t change anything anyway.

“Now, the matchups for the second round begin! The first fighter to enter is—the Swift Swordsman, Rogue Crepe! Will Crepe, who has crushed the hopes of all challengers with his exhilarating skill, be able to show it again today?!”

A black-haired male swordsman ascended into the arena.

His weapons were a buckler and a longsword.

He wasn’t wearing a helmet, but the fact that he was properly armored was impressive.

“Rogue Crepe’s opponent is—Tia Anshier! The controversial topic of conversation, and the ‘Girl Swordsman’ herself, who defeated Krinek Wolf with her formidable skill and ascended here!”

“Whoaaah-!!”

As I stepped into the arena, cheers erupted.

Sure enough, the fighter called ‘Crepe’ provoked me first.

“Hey, brat. You heard about the new rules, right? Your tricks end here. Go back home quietly and suck your daddy’s thumb some more.”

“Yes- yes. I did hear about the rule changes.”

I swiftly drew my sword and took a stance.

“But I don’t think that’ll really change the outcome, you know?”

Crepe was speechless, as if he’d been hit.

A moment later, he gnashed his teeth and glared at me.

“I usually don’t hit women. But I’ll have to make an exception.”

“That’s what I was hoping for.”

“Be ready.”

Growling ferociously, my opponent raised his sword.

“Match—begins!”

The moment the signal dropped.

Crepe charged first.

*Thwack!*

My opponent leaped into the air.

A large shadow fell over my head.

“Hah!”

If I took it head-on, I’d be pushed back by his strength.

I naturally stepped back, deflecting the attack.

*Whoosh-!*

A heavy attack whizzed past right in front of me.

Not stopping there, Crepe began to press with a flurry of consecutive attacks.

*Swish-! Whiz-!*

Heavy sounds of air being cut.

Indeed, his movements were fast, befitting his nickname, ‘Swift Swordsman.’

He was skilled at disrupting my vision, giving me no time to breathe, and trying to steal my rhythm.

…And the fact that I knew this meant.

I had already grasped my opponent’s swordsmanship and strategy!

Crepe roared loudly.

“Don’t run away, fight me! You bitch!”

The more excited one gets, the bigger their movements become.

I calmly kept my guard up, waiting for an opportunity.

Sure enough. Finally, the trajectory I wanted appeared.

*Swish-.*

A single attack coming in diagonally.

I didn’t miss it and met it with my sword.

*Clang-!*

Steel clashed against steel.

In that momentary reverberation of metal.

I swung the blade in the opposite direction.

*Thud!*

A dull sound of hitting Crepe’s neck.

“Cough…!”

My opponent’s head snapped back.

He fell to the ground, choking and writhing in pain, then vomited on the floor.

This was my chance to finish him.

I immediately grabbed my sword and was about to charge, but.

“Crepe is down! Will he be able to get back up?! The countdown begins!”

I snapped to attention upon hearing the announcer’s words.

Oops. They said to wait if he falls.

I patiently stood in place, waiting for Crepe to get up.

“Stop! Stop!”

Suddenly, medics rushed out.

They hastily helped Crepe up and checked his condition.

“Ah—what’s happened here?! It seems Crepe’s condition is quite critical! One must respect their opponent in the arena, you know! It appears Tia Anshier attacked excessively again!”

It was unfair.

Of course, I controlled my strength.

I had put less power into that attack and swung my sword, so he shouldn’t have been seriously injured.

“…Ah! Crepe’s side has declared forfeiture!”

However, it wasn’t long before a declaration of forfeiture came, and I once again achieved a somewhat unsatisfying victory.

“Mister. Aren’t they going to make new rules again tomorrow? Like, [Fifth: Attacking the opponent’s neck or face with a sword is prohibited]?”

“Heh heh. T-Tia is too good, so they’re jealous… that’s why.”

“Tch. Then they might as well just make a rule saying [Sixth: Tia Anshier is forbidden from participating]!”

“Th-that might happen soon…”

The mister readily indulged my complaints, pressing down on my shoulders.

Just like yesterday, I received a massage as soon as I returned to the lodging.

Truthfully, nothing particularly hurt, but since massages felt good, I just used the excuse that my shoulders ached.

Enjoying a subtle pleasure, I listened to information about my third-round opponent.

“I heard the next opponent is a r-rough one. His main weapon is a ma-mace.”

“He uses a mace? That’ll be a bit of a difficult opponent.”

“Why?”

“It’s hard to fight against a mace with a sword. And chainmail won’t help either.”

“Th-that’s a problem… Then should we buy plate armor now? Oh, I earned 100 gold today.”

“Really?!”

The mister’s stakes were growing larger and larger.

He said he’d taken the remaining 30 gold from yesterday’s party and put it all on my name again, swelling it to 100 gold.

At this rate, it felt like I could earn 1,000 gold in a single go, but…

The problem was that as I got closer to the finals, the opponents would get stronger and stronger.

The opponent I’d face tomorrow had a completely different physique.

He was a large man who used a mace.

It was highly likely that a direct physical confrontation wouldn’t work at all.

“It’s fine. Even if I wear plate armor now, it’ll just make me heavier.”

“But if T-Tia gets hurt…”

“So, Mister, you need to put in some effort-. Massage me harder.”

“Ah, alright!”

It feels good.

Being held in the mister’s arms like this, having my shoulders massaged… a warm heat seeped into my back.

That night felt like I had a sweet dream.

* * *

“Unbelievable! This is an incredible result! Once again, Tia Anshier claims victory in the third round!”

I had been slightly worried, but it ended blandly.

This large opponent, who wielded a mace, was simply a savage fighter who knew nothing but destruction.

Thus, he just charged at me without any technique.

But relying solely on one’s physique when fighting is the very essence of ‘swordsmanship’ that can lead to a rude awakening.

Following my master’s teachings, I slowly drew him in, hitting only vital points and retreating, and before long, my opponent tired himself out first.

Perhaps I’ve grown accustomed to the ‘arena rules’ now.

Ultimately, victory and defeat are decided by the scores the judges give.

According to the mister’s impressions from watching the match, I flew like a butterfly and stung like a bee.

He said it was impressive how I pierced through the fierce mace attacks and struck the opponent.

In any case, the effect was very good.

The audience seemed to have many complaints, saying it was the most boring match ever, but…

I didn’t care, as long as I could win.

Mister Fosao had again turned 100 gold into 200 gold.

He said that now, so many people were betting on my name that the odds had dropped.

“…D-don’t you think it’s time to stop?”

Today, I was getting a back massage.

Mister Fosao asked that in a serious voice.

“Huh? Stop? Suddenly?”

“Starting from the fourth round… the op-opponent will be very difficult.”

Even if I’d been purely lucky so far, the fourth round, called the ‘main tournament,’ would feature renowned swordsmen.

I heard these individuals were extremely ferocious, and if you crossed them the wrong way, you could get seriously injured.

Furthermore, even the match predictions, which had been a decent earner, had dropped to 1.2x odds, making it difficult to find much enjoyment there anymore.

I shook my head while lying prone on the bed.

“Hmm- I still want to. I can do more.”

“Are you re-really sure you’ll be okay?”

“Even if I fall midway, I should at least give it a try. The prize money for winning is 300 gold, right?”

“Even for T-Tia, that might be too hard.”

From the start, Mister Fosao hadn’t suggested this arena aiming for the prize money.

His plan was to multiply his money through gambling, but…

My unexpected success had tragically reduced the betting payouts.

It was safest to withdraw now, having made enough.

Of course, if I thought about it rationally, there was no safer method than this.

…But somehow, greed sprouted within me.

As a swordsman, I wanted to truly test my abilities.

“From the fourth round, there’s a small participation fee too. I want to try just one more time.”

“Alright… if Tia w-wants that…”

“Haa!”

Suddenly, pressure came onto my waist.

“You startled me… Mister.”

“But it feels g-good, right?”

“It does, but-. Ugh-. You’re… on top, so I feel a little uneasy, you could say-.”

I was lying prone, and the mister was massaging my back from above.

If he were to accidentally sit down like this… I was worried my waist would break under that immense weight.

He swore it would never happen, kneeling and pleading, so I said I’d trust him for now.

But when Mister Fosao climbed onto the bed, that feeling of both sides sinking in.

I’m still uneasy…

If I were crushed by such a large body, I wouldn’t be able to breathe.

…Just imagining it was terrifying.

But contrary to such anxious thoughts, the thrilling sensation of him pressing down on my waist and shoulders made me… unable to move.

And this is a secret, but…

“Ahhh… nice-.”

Shedding a good sweat from dueling, and receiving such a pleasant massage from the mister every night.

That was also one of the reasons I wanted to continue the challenge.