episode_0010

Craftsmen’s Competition.

Her proposed solution was as follows:

In this world, there exists only one place that even national-scale institutions dare not touch.

That place is the Craftsman’s Competition mentioned earlier.

The Craftsman’s Competition was a kind of workshop that dealt with all equipment in this world, manufacturing and distributing them directly or specializing in repairs. It had such influence that there was nowhere its reach did not extend.

Especially the original equipment of the Craftsman’s Competition, which could not be purchased even with a large sum of money, was so powerful that wielding it could split mountains and throwing it could cause waves to explode.

It was a weapon that anyone would covet.

The Craftsman’s Competition, held every ten years where participants wagered original weapons, was an event where skilled individuals from all over Teia gathered for a chance to bring fame by winning.

“…Why didn’t I think of that?”

Upon pondering Luna’s words.

They might have already formed a party among themselves, so there was no need to laboriously search for them. It would be better to make them come to us instead.

While it might raise suspicions among others, the only thing capable of drawing such widespread attention was the Craftsman’s Competition she mentioned.

“Hmph, can you solve this now?”

“No.”

“What?! You said you would if I told you! Are you lying to an elf right now?!”

“I appreciate what you told me, but think it over carefully.”

Although we had never seen it in action, with a weapon of that caliber, it was obvious that anyone would be drawn to it like moths to a flame.

Moreover, there was no way anyone wouldn’t desire the title of champion from such a prestigious place.

For the two of us, without any significant power or solid experience, aiming for victory was as improbable as a needle passing through the eye of a bull.

Furthermore, targeting the top ranks could lead to significant harm.

While the rewards were undoubtedly great, risking one’s life for just that wasn’t worth it.

While it was a plan, a follow-up strategy was necessary.

“Now you understand. Can we win if we go there?”

“…So, you won’t solve it?”

“If you suggest another way.”

“Hehehe. Foolish and pitiful creatures.”

She smiled as if she had anticipated our actions. It seemed we weren’t as foolish as she initially thought.

“Foolish?”

“Sorry, I’m sorry! Please get rid of this girl…”

“Well then, what is it? Do you have a good idea?”

Finally, the story she brought up was something so trivial that even a fool would ignore it.

In other words, it was a story not worth hearing further.

As we tightened our grip on the bound rope and turned to leave, something grabbed us by the sleeve.

“Wait!! It’s true!! It’s really true!!”

“What a waste of time.”

“I…! I’ll help you win the competition!!”

Logically speaking, how could someone currently unable to free themselves from ropes go on to win such a grand competition?

It seemed like they had been drinking since early in the day.

Otherwise, such nonsense wouldn’t have come out of their mouth.

There seemed to be no more information to gain from the marketplace.

“…Seoul!!”

“What?”

Wait, what did she just say?

I didn’t mishear. A familiar yet strangely foreign place.

Clearly, she said Seoul.

It was her unexpected revelation that stopped us in our tracks.

“I didn’t want to use this until now….”

“What did you just say? How do you know about that place?”

“Do you feel like talking now?”

An elf, not a human, knowing about Seoul, South Korea, was absurd.

If it wasn’t something heard from someone else, it meant we had already made contact with someone other than ourselves.

Before visiting the marketplace.

The person who had the most encounters with wanderers. When we found La Rune, he said that after the O’Ben Leaf incident, they had no business with them anymore.

“Then we should just introduce the person who mentioned Seoul to us.”

“I can’t do that. That guy disappeared.”

“Disappeared?”

“In fact, I was in the middle of looking for wanderers like you guys. I thought there might be some clues about him.”

“Who is this guy that you’re looking for?”

At the last question, she bit her lip and hesitated.

It seemed more like she was debating whether it was right to speak rather than having nothing to say.

There was a moment of seriousness that couldn’t be found on her face before, a moment when she became quite serious.

After a while, Luna started to explain the reason.

“…He killed our entire family.”

“…What??”

It was a heavy truth that completely defied expectations.

Committing murder since coming to this world.

Of course, there was someone next to her who almost did the same.

What came out of her mouth was nothing but a horrific mass murder incident, wiping out an entire family.

Escaping from home thanks to their sacrifice, but the moment she lost her family, everything would have felt as if it had disappeared.

Luna vividly remembered the words he muttered when he first met that guy, harming her parents.

“I will return to Seoul.”

She didn’t know how it was related to the killings, but it was strange how fixated he was on Seoul.

Now she understood why Chaesura showed such a side when trying to kill her.

In response, Chaesura asked a question.

“Why didn’t you attack us from the beginning? Wanderers usually tremble in fear.”

“Because you are not bad.”

“What…?”

“The only bad one is the guy who killed our family. Not all wanderers think the same way.”

…This guy.

Although there was a murky aspect, he seemed to have deeper thoughts than expected.

“Of course! You seem to be a bit of an exception… No, I mean…”

Chaesura began to untie the rope that bound Luna.

He wasn’t paying any attention to the circumstances of others, probably because of that incident.

“Don’t make mistakes. And remember, just because I untied you doesn’t mean you can’t die at any moment.”

“W-what does that mean…!”

“How you’ll help us win. Tell me.”

“Finally, I have a companion…”

“By the way, why did you leave your own kind behind and choose to team up with us?”

“Oh, I have no friends. I’m just unlucky. Anyway, even among elves, inadequate ones tend to bully those who seem superior.”

For some reason, she seemed to know the reason.

To sum it up, she presented one condition.

The guy would definitely appear in the arena battle, and they had to cooperate to advance to the upper rounds until they found him.

Originally, it wasn’t about obtaining original weapons or honor through winning.

If meeting other wanderers was the goal here, it might turn out to be a more interesting game than expected.

With luck, they might meet other wanderers right there.

“Alright, what should I do then? Do you know the contents of the arena battle? Or are they incredibly powerful?”

“If I knew that, I would have won a long time ago.”

“So how do you plan to win?”

“It’s better to be two than one, and three is better than two.”

“Then let’s take the owner of that clothing store over there too.”

“Were you a genius or something?”

I’m screwed.

I’ve messed up already. There was a good idea to make wanderers come to us, but there’s no plan after that.

It seems there are no competitions held with the same content each time at that place, and even if there were, there’s no way to find the winner from the previous round.

Jumping in without a plan will only end up like a moth drawn to a flame.

After questioning the Union Chief and those around him, it was discovered that wanderers are indeed a rare breed.

So, in the end, there seems to be no better option for now.

“It’s frustrating.”

“Sh-should we… train?”

“That’s not a bad idea. The chances are slim, but all we can do right now is to enhance our strength.”

“Haha, really? Well, teaching you guys might be tough, but I’ll make an exception to help out.”

“When is the tournament?”

One week.

Just one week left.

For a moment, the thought of finding a clue to return home was forgotten.

Man, we’re really in a tight spot.

With barely a week left and not a single sharp strategy, how are we supposed to win?

Ultimately, our immediate goal has narrowed down to participating in the tournament, capturing the mysterious wanderer, and extracting useful information from them in our own way.

It feels like being sucked into one significant event after another.

But if this is the only path, I will step forward, even if it’s to regain a peaceful daily life.

Perhaps we might even uncover the reasons behind these events someday.

“Well, at least you must know something that could help with training, right? Like a special location or some secret techniques.”

“Don’t worry about that! I’ve brought something very useful. You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.”

With a confident expression, Luna pulled out a piece of paper from her embrace.

Though usually uneasy when he appeared so confident, this time, his seemingly well-founded demeanor sparked a glimmer of hope within.