“Well then, I’m off.”
“Do your best! I’m looking forward to the audience’s reaction.”
“Make sure to enjoy yourself!”
“Take care.”
I turned my back on my family and headed toward the waiting room.
My brother’s third match had ended, and now the fifth match was also over.
In the fourth and fifth matches, there was no one who could single-handedly dominate the way the genius lady or my brother could; they were more chaotic like the third match.
No… except for the fifth match; there was someone a bit different there.
Though not on the level of the genius lady or my brother, this participant was definitely more skilled than the others.
What was their name again?
I forgot. Yeah.
Well, I’ll find out once I get to the main event, so it’s not a big deal.
As I thought this, I descended the stairs to the first floor and walked toward the waiting room.
With a sword hanging at my left hip, my center of gravity shifted to the left.
However, I was used to it due to my training.
There were no problems now.
I could finally feel my body growing… I opened the door to the waiting room.
“…!?”
The young nobles waiting inside glanced at me casually—then did a double take.
Almost everyone wore expressions of surprise.
Ignoring their piercing gazes, I sat down in a chair in the corner.
I see… it seems everyone knows my face.
Where could they have seen it… Ah, they probably recognized me from the birth festival.
Plus, I was nicknamed the “inept noble son” as a comparison to the genius lady, so they likely knew all about me.
As expected of the treacherous noble society.
Their sense for malicious rumors is as sharp as a goblin’s.
I rested my elbows on the armrest and crossed my legs.
It might seem unrefined for a noble son, but given my poor reputation, I didn’t care at this point.
There were three… eight… ten people in the waiting room.
Including me, that made eleven.
So I was the last one, huh?
Out of them, there were seven noble sons and four noble daughters.
I could clearly see that everyone was tense and stiff.
Well, they were about to fight in front of over seventy thousand people.
It would be strange if they weren’t nervous.
I had experience from my past life, so I didn’t feel particularly tense… but I couldn’t help feeling strangely excited.
The people here were just a bunch of nobodies, so I had no interest in them.
Except for the genius lady.
She was special to me, and I couldn’t help but be intrigued.
“Time’s up, please prepare to move.”
A staff member announced.
Before I knew it, the seventh match was over.
Now, only the eighth match remained, which included me.
An air thick with tension flowed through the room.
Alright… let’s go.
Leaving the dawdling others behind, I briskly walked to the entrance.
“—And now, it’s finally time for the eighth match! The final contestant who can advance to the main event will be decided in this match!”
I hadn’t yet stepped onto the fighting grounds.
As before, I had to wait until the announcer said to enter.
“—Since I’ve said it many times, there’s no need for a preface! Now—please enter!”
With that, I stepped into the arena.
The others followed in after me.
I didn’t stop walking to take my position… but wow, what a difference.
Standing here was a completely different experience from watching from the audience; the pressure was overwhelming.
It wasn’t a killing intent.
It wasn’t the pressure I felt from the king.
It was the weight of being watched by seventy thousand people.
This was a first for me.
That said… it didn’t really matter.
All I had to do was swing my sword.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Yet, the audience was buzzing strangely.
“The eighth match has eleven participants! As with the previous matches, they will fight until only one remains! But I believe you all have noticed something peculiar about one of the contestants…”
Hmm, a peculiar contestant?
“While the other contestants are barehanded or wielding staves—this participant is hanging a sword at their waist!”
I could feel the entire venue focus on me.
I understood that I was a curiosity… but—
“In this modern age, where magic has developed, a sword is nothing but a relic of the past! In terms of attack power, range, and area of effect… the sword falls short against magic! Yet he has a single sword hanging at his waist!”
What the announcer said was true.
The sword was merely a relic of the past.
Of course, adventurers use them, but… only adventurers do.
Generally, nobody uses swords anymore.
“His name is Kraze Raynostia! Yes, he is the younger brother of Rowen Raynostia, who achieved a stunning victory in the third match!”
…He’s talking about me for so long, but… is that alright?
“You’ve likely heard this before! The second son of the Raynostia Marquis family is unable to use magic! And thus, he was given the derogatory nickname of the ‘inept noble son’! A disgraceful nickname compared to the talented genius lady!”
I hadn’t heard the term “inept noble son” before.
Well, it wasn’t wrong.
“Oh, I’ve droned on for too long, so let’s wrap this up. Now, in this final qualifying match, who will be the last one standing?”
Nervous tension swirled around.
The audience had begun to focus not on me but on the entire arena.
“Match—start!”
The match began.
In an instant, I let my fighting spirit flow through my body and stepped firmly onto the ground without hesitation.
No one was reacting to me.
Everyone looked down on me.
This guy can’t use magic, so he can be dealt with later.
“You fools.”
I approached one of the nobodies, drew my sword in the blink of an eye, and swung it down at their head.
Crack!
The sound of a barrier shattering echoed.
The person I struck fell to the ground, staring up at me in shock.
Those who had been trading magic blows, the audience of over seventy thousand… all eyes were now on me.
“What was that movement just now… What was that movement!? How can someone who can’t use magic move with such speed!? Is this really the kraze Raynostia known as the ‘inept noble son’!?”
With a certain level of skill, they could recognize the threat I posed.
Everyone was watching my every move.
Alright, I wouldn’t complicate things.
I wouldn’t bore them.
“Hey.”
Since my genius lady and brother had performed so brilliantly, I had to return the favor.
Besides… it went against my aesthetic.
“Everyone, come at me together. Otherwise—this will end fast.”
With that, I charged again, striking down at the dazed person.
Once more, I shattered their barrier with a single blow.
“What… what the hell is this?!”
“We can’t do it without working together…!”
“Get away from him!”
“This… inept one!”
“Don’t get cocky…!”
Ah, wonderful.
All the hostility was directed at me.
In this battle where the concept of teamwork didn’t exist… my threat was creating a bond among my enemies.
“T-This is… an one-on-eight! Have they deemed the inept noble son a threat, creating an one-on-eight formation! I’ve never seen this before… never seen this! Eight people are uniting against the inept noble son who can’t use magic!”
Surrounding me, eight people kept a certain distance.
Alright, it’s about time.
This was my first step.
“Watch closely… this is who I am!”
Release your desires.
Give in to your impulses.
Just grip the sword, just swing the sword.
Ignore the noise.
No matter how much magic approached, I could evade it.
If it doesn’t hit, it means nothing.
Those with fearful expressions, those trembling, those confused, those with faces twisted in regret… it didn’t matter.
I just had to move around and swing my sword.
“Come at me more!”
Not enough.
This isn’t nearly enough.
To quench my thirst, this won’t suffice.
Once I swing the sword, barriers break.
If I hit… if I kick, cracks will form.
More, more.
Only then will I—
“…huh?”
My feet stopped.
And the scenery returned to the world.
No one was left standing.
Just me.
I see.
So it’s over.
“—Match over!”
The announcer’s voice echoed throughout the quiet venue.
“What a sight! The boy who was despised as the inept noble son has mowed down everyone with just a single sword! This match rivals the first and third matches! It’s overwhelming… truly overwhelming!”
I sheathed my sword and walked towards the exit.
I didn’t care about the announcer or the audience, nor the stunned nobodies.
My only thought was singular.
I wanted to fight the genius lady.
That was all.
