When I said, "You can be a hero," to a child with no talent, he really started to become a hero, so I acted like I knew what I was doing, like I was a wise master. - Chap 22: Before the Match

Will was outside the Colosseum taking deep breaths before the match. He was not in the right mental state to face the competition because he was too nervous.

“Oh, you’re really pumped, ain’t ya?”

“Huh?”

A voice came from behind Will. It was Tessie. Though Tessie couldn’t see, he had discerned from the surge of Will’s magical power and his breathing that Will was full of fighting spirit.

“Ooh, the name’s Tessie! Nice to meet ya!”

“Ni-, Nice to meet ya?”

“What’s yer name?”

(Wh-, What an odd way of speaking, this person…)

Kansai dialect doesn’t exist in this alternate world. Therefore, Will felt uneasy about the Kansai dialect that Tessie had been taught by Hero Dan.

“My name is Will. Um, why did you start talking to me?”

“Ah, sorry ’bout that right before the match, but yer magical power was so pure and gentle, it felt outta place, y’know? That’s why I started talkin’ to ya.”

“Ah, I see?”

“Yup, yer magical power’s kinda strange.”

“Ah, well, recently my magical power has been in good shape…”

“Oh?”

“Like, it’s too good, to the point it’s hard to handle… I feel like someone else was using my body, but I don’t feel uncomfortable about it. Rather, it feels logical.”

“Hmm, I don’t get it.”

“Ah, I guess that makes sense. Sorry for suddenly going off on a tangent.”

“No, I was the one who started talkin’ first.”

Will thought to himself that Tessie was an odd person as Tessie chuckled loudly. He also couldn’t help but wonder if it was inconvenient for Tessie to have his eyes covered with cloth.

“Ah, I’ve been blind from birth, so don’t worry about it.”

“Is that so…”

“I can sense magical power in exchange.”

“Wo-, Wow.”

“Well, that’s about the only thing I’ve got going for me.”

“No, but that’s incredible! I couldn’t do that.”

“Hahaha, well, I aim to be the second-best in the world, so it’s natural! But there are people I can’t sense, and that’s a problem.”

“Can’t sense?”

“Like Hero Dan and so on. Also, Great Sage Linlin. Some people have such mysterious states or enormous magical power that I can’t pinpoint where they are or sense them.”

“I see… interesting.”

“Yeah, so—”

“—Oh, Will, when does your match start?”

The moment he heard that voice, Tessie went into battle mode. Unsheathing the spear slung across his back, he instinctively directed it towards the source of the voice.

“Ah! Tessie, this person isn’t dangerous, he’s an adventurer colleague named Ban.”

“Hey there, nice to meet ya. Tessie.”

“…Is that so?”

Suddenly, Adventurer Ban, who spoke with an unconcerned expression, tried to clear the misunderstanding, but Tessie remained vigilant.

(What’s with this guy… I didn’t sense him at all until he spoke up… Even with Hero Dan, I can sense him to some extent… Not noticing the approach at this distance without making any footsteps, is that even possible for me?)

(If he had been an assassin or something, I would have clearly been dead…)

Sweat forming on his brow, Tessie felt the highest level of discomfort towards Ban. Even with Hero Dan, he felt something, but with Ban, he felt nothing. What could this mean?

When Dan is in his “I’m the hero” mode, he unconsciously emits an intimidating atmosphere, leaking a bit of magical power. On the other hand, when he’s Adventurer Ban, he’s more natural and blends into the atmosphere, effectively turning off his magical power unconsciously.

“Ah, sorry about that. You surprised me…”

“Don’t worry about it. So, Will, when are you starting?”

“The fifth match.”

“Good luck! I’ll be cheering for you. And Tessie, you too, give it your best!”

“Thank you!”

“Thanks, much appreciated…”

After offering words of encouragement, Dan left the scene. A moment after he had gone, Tessie spoke up.

“You should be careful around that guy. He’s not normal.”

“Huh? He’s a good person, isn’t he?”

“He’s like an onion with only a thin skin; it’s unclear what lies beneath. He’s definitely dangerous. It’s not about whether he’s good or bad, it’s beyond that… Just be careful.”

“Huh? Okay, I got it.”

Hearing this from Tessie, Will was left scratching his head, unsure of what to make of his warning.

◆◆

I went to cheer on Will, and he seemed a little invigorated, which was a relief. Also, Tessie said something about being able to sense magical power, but he hadn’t noticed mine at all. Well, he can sense magical power, but he did say it’s hard to detect mine specifically. I guess that just means I still have a long way to go.

I returned to my seat in the audience. Lin, whose face was hidden, noticed me coming back.

“Ah, where did you go?”

“I went to cheer up an acquaintance.”

“Hmm.”

“Also, would you like some of these fries? I bought some on the way.”

“Really? Thanks.”

Lin began munching on the fries beside me. So, there are both men’s and women’s divisions in this warrior tournament. The women’s division is tomorrow, and Candy is actually participating. She probably won’t win, but she could make it to the top eight at least.

In my opinion, when humans lose a competition, their motivation drops. In other words, it’s almost certain that Will’s motivation will decline. He’s getting stronger, but the people participating in this are undoubtedly formidable.

Some are famous knights with real ability. Adventurers of D, C, B, and even one A-rank are participating. So, I need to think about how to support him in case he loses early…

“Why the glum face?”

“What would be some comforting words to say to Lin if she’s feeling down?”

“Hmm? Well, maybe something indirectly supportive?”

“I see.”

“It’s even better for times when your magic isn’t going well, or when you’ve had a close call in a dungeon.”

Hmm, is that so?”

As I listened to her, a loud voice resonated throughout the venue. It was the voice of Dododo, a former member of the Seven Holy Swords.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! The first match is about to begin! I pray that the heroes of the future, the new hopes, will appear in this world!”

Was he always like that? I thought he was more sarcastic, and he’s surprisingly energetic for an old man.

“Was Dododo always like that?”

Lin seemed to have the same thought. And then, the matches began. Watching them for a while was honestly boring. I came to see Will and the others, so I’m not interested in anyone else. However, as time passed, it looked like Will’s match was about to start.

“The fifth match features an adventurer of rank C! The man who controls the Gale Punch, Ryofuuuuuuu!!!”

“Wowwwwww!”

The excitement is intense. Apparently, you can bet on who will win in this tournament, similar to horse racing. So those who are betting are probably cheering for that reason. Well, I don’t know that guy at all…

“And facing him is the youngest participant! The rising star who just recently advanced to D-rank, Willlllll!!!”

“Wowwww…?”

“Who?”

“I don’t know him.”

“His face looks pale, doesn’t it? Glad I didn’t bet!”

I did bet on Will, for the record. Not that I think he’ll win, but as his master, I felt it was proper to place a wager. How far can he go, I wonder… Ah, looks tough. Will’s face is pale, and he looks like he’s about to throw up from nervousness.

“Then, let the first round, fifth match, begin!”

The next moment, I lost the taste of the potato I was holding. It was salty just a moment ago, but now it’s tasteless. Why? Because Will’s wooden sword hit the opponent’s crown and knocked him down.

Of course, any average person struck on the crown of their head wouldn’t get off lightly. That’s not surprising. What was surprising was the speed. It looked slow to me, but it was clearly refined. Oh, not bad… Will…

“Whoaaaa! I won!”

“Damn it, damn it… I lost such a big bet…”

“Huh? Didn’t he move oddly?”

“I could only see afterimages. Was that magic?”

“It didn’t look like he used any kind of physical enhancement magic…”

“Could it be, that level of agility is just his natural physical ability?”

Heh, how about that? That’s my disciple. I knew from the start that he would easily clear the first round. Never in my dreams did I think he’d lose so disgracefully in the first round!

“Big bro, isn’t that ticket worth quite a lot?”

“Ah, maybe so.”

The man next to me is looking at my betting ticket for Will, commonly called a battle ticket, with a look of regret.

“You don’t mean to say, big bro, that you knew from the start that the kid would win…”

“Oh, not at all, there’s no way that could happen. It’s just a coincidence.”

“But to bet 100,000 gold on him… what a discerning eye…”

I just bought it for good luck and, to some extent, as his master, I felt it was the right thing to do… well, it doesn’t really matter. For now, congratulations, Will. The encouraging words I had prepared in case you lost disgracefully in the first round turned out to be unnecessary.

“You did well, Ban. I really thought he was going to lose.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, he did defeat the Elite Four, so maybe this was to be expected?”

“Ah, luck has a way of continuing, doesn’t it?”

“…Let’s leave it at that.”

Now, what about the second round? That might be too much for even Will. Should I think of some encouraging words in case he loses?