Chapter 261: Searching for Companions Among the Tent Cluster Yielded No Promising Candidates. However, Upon Returning to the Bus Carriage, Mysterious Knights Were Waiting

After dropping everyone off at the royal capital, we took separate actions.

I, Fullru riding Iferaski, and Iria riding Ranjou walked around among the tent cluster.

Here and there people were calling out "Won’t someone team up with me?", but as expected the majority were participants already in groups of five, and those looking for companions were a minority.

My, Fullru’s, and Iria’s Battle Powers were 20,000, 18,000, and 5,500, so even if not at the same level, I at least wanted companions with four-digit numbers.

Although Battle Power is a function for measuring the combat strength of fleets and is evaluated primarily around firepower, it still serves as an indicator for selecting the strong.

Isn’t there someone strong somewhere?

Pii.

Battle Power: 12,000

Oh.

Who is it. I thought there was someone strong right nearby, but it was Iria. I see. This is the synergistic effect from mounting that Dura-san mentioned before. It’s more than doubled.

Fullru was 20,000. Even when riding Iferaski her strength only changed by about 10%.

Anyone else strong...

Pii.

Battle Power: 4,800

Battle Power: 4,200

Battle Power: 4,000

Oh. There they are.

Are they the people who noticed my presence while I was flying last night?

4,800 is a level that doesn’t lose even compared to an A-rank knight. Amazing.

"Iria. There’s a strong presence from that tent over there."

"Ah. Blue field with three white spears as the order crest. That is the mercenary order ’Light of the Three Spears.’ They will not respond to recruitment."

"I see. The mercenary order ’Light of the Three Spears,’ huh. I feel like I’ve heard the name somewhere, but maybe it’s my imagination."

"Excluding knight orders, ’Light of the Three Spears’ can be said to possess the greatest power as a mercenary order. It’s not strange even if you’ve heard the name somewhere."

"I see."

Even after walking around for a while, almost no four-digit powerhouses were found. Do they need to be fully equipped and mounted on horses for the correct values to appear?

There were several four-digit values inside the city.

The fact that they are inside the city means they probably have bases inside the city. Unlike us, they have no need to recruit outside.

"Shall we also go to the western tent cluster?"

The southern side of the city was a plain with a large arena, and tents were lined up to its east and west. We had been searching the western tent army. There were no particularly large Battle Powers on the eastern side either, but something might be there if we went.

"We cannot recruit from the eastern side. The western tents are the North Arasgard army, and the eastern side is the South Arasgard army."

"Ah, come to think of it, the north and south of the country fight each other, right?"

Because of the word "tournament," I keep imagining individual or team tournament battles like in battle manga, but the tournament referred to here is the general name for the event that will be held over four days starting tomorrow.

The first day’s schedule is the entrance parade, jousting by knight apprentices, and jousting by knights. Originally I would participate in the apprentice slot as Iria’s attendant and demonstrate strength worthy of being appointed a knight through jousting, but according to Iria "there’s no way a newcomer like you exists."

The second day’s schedule is mounted combat with representatives selected from the northern and southern armies. There are also target shooting with bows, swordsmanship matches, and spectacles such as singing by troubadours and performances by jesters.

The third day’s schedule is the team elimination battle. This is the so-called battle-manga tournament. The thing that immediately comes to mind when one simply hears "tournament" in Japanese. Even though I know it’s different, whenever I hear "tournament" I still end up imagining this.

The fourth day’s schedule is mass combat divided into northern and southern armies. All one thousand knights participating in the tournament fight all at once. It is a main event closer to a mock war than military training.

And on the night of the fourth day, a celebration party. Apparently they hold a social gathering while eating and drinking at the palace. Here they recruit for knight orders, collect ransoms, or get cozy with noble ladies. I don’t want to participate in the combat and only want to receive delicious food at the party, but this world doesn’t have Tupperware or anything. How am I supposed to take it home?

The northern and southern armies are like the red team and white team at a sports day.

As a matter of course, Arasgard was not always the current national territory from the beginning; it gradually expanded.

Although the royal capital is farther south than the Glans, the fact that it is located in the north when looking at the country as a whole shows that it was originally a country born in the north. The south is land that was conquered. Therefore, even within the same country, the north and south are not particularly friendly historically.

The northern army boasts of the honor of being old families that have served the royal family for generations, while the southern army, though they do not show it on the surface, may secretly harbor something like ancestral grudges.

For that reason, on the final day of every year’s Christmas Tournament they divide into north and south and hold a mock battle staking various things such as honor, pride, and stubbornness. The rules are dangerous—anything goes as long as you do not intentionally kill. Apparently, just like in actual war, if you capture an opponent you can demand ransom or receive their equipment.

I digressed, but in short, because we are participating in the northern army, the people who pitched tents on the western side are our allies. We cannot recruit from the southern army that pitched tents on the eastern side. Incidentally, the reason the northern and southern armies are arranged east-west rather than north-south is because if arranged north-south the northern army with the sun at their backs would have the advantage.

"Which side is Ana on?"

"Rejoice. The southern army."

"You say ’rejoice’ so I thought she was an ally, but she’s an enemy. Well, that person does have a bright personality that seems southern, after all. Iria suits the north, or rather a snow country."

"What do you mean by that."

"It means your skin is translucent and beautiful."

"I’ll take it as a straightforward compliment."

"It’s my true feeling. You’re beautiful, Iria."

"...Don’t make me blush."

Stare.

On top of Iferaski, Fullru twisted her body and glared at me with narrowed eyes. Iferaski also looked back, and in the end Fullru ended up facing the opposite direction, so she twisted her body again.

"The elf is also beautiful."

"Of course. Hey, Masaharu. Between me and this female knight, who is more beautiful?"

"It’s like the eroticism of breasts, the eroticism of pussy, and the eroticism of anus—they can’t be compared."

"I don’t really get it."

"It means you shouldn’t ask spiteful questions that put someone on the spot."

"...Uu. Understood."

"If I had to say, the difference between the tightness from trained muscle and the tightness that comes from a small body and low frequency of use—both are the best."

Dokaa.

From atop Ranjou, Iria swung down the sheath of her sword.

If she was going to do that, I would have preferred her to kick me with her leg.

"Of course, Iferaski and Ranjou are also cute."

I gave Iferaski the usual sexual harassment, and because two cute butts were lined up in convenient positions I ended up touching Ranjou’s butt as well. Ranjou showed no particular sign of dislike, so it might be okay to keep touching her in the future.

After that we walked a little more among the tent cluster, but we didn’t spot any promising candidates.

Well, because they didn’t react to the Battle Power measurement function I hadn’t expected much, but something disappointing is still disappointing.

"Shall we head back for lunch soon? Everyone else should be returning too."

"That’s right. Let’s give up on recruitment and participate with just the three of us. In team battles we can advance if everyone wins. We also have to prepare the elf’s armor, and there’s no more time."

"I think Dura-san will at least remodel the rusted armor in the afternoon."

Dura-san, who is acting separately from me, should be walking around the capital observing the work of armorers and acquiring the knowledge and techniques to perfectly reproduce it.

"No, if it’s repaired in the afternoon it won’t make it in time. That’s because the armor is needed within today."

"Eh? The tournament starts tomorrow, right?"

"Ah. But we need to go to the heraldry official while wearing the armor by the time the evening bell rings today and register for participation. We declare that the one wearing this armor is so-and-so from such-and-such place."

"I see. Understood."

Well, it’s a tournament so prior registration is needed.

"I don’t particularly care about appearance so the rusted armor is fine. As long as I can hide my face."

"I see. Then the elf will go with the rusted armor. That might give off a mysterious powerhouse vibe in its own way. Alright. Let’s reunite with everyone and head back."

When we went to the reunion point a little away from the city, Dura-san and Esty-san were not there.

Dura-san was walking around the streets and observing craftsmen to acquire various knowledge, and Esty-san was doing business.

The free-spirited capybara girls, because it was almost lunchtime, were lined up neatly right behind Rafilia-san forming a beautiful queue, and it seemed no one had gotten lost.

Rui, who had been in gym uniform and bloomers, had changed into perfectly ordinary medieval commoner clothing.

Shepa and Petit Letree were holding some kind of bone in their mouths, so they must have been bought bone-in meat.

Having been able to see rare things in the city must have been fun, because all the capybara girls had high tension. Especially Raba kept crying "Fah! Fah!" the whole time.

There, there, good girl.

I picked Raba up and rubbed her belly.

"Fah! Fah!"

Washawasha.

On the way back Fullru also summoned the long-bodied horse and had everyone ride.

When we finished climbing the final hill before the bus carriage, Shepa and Petit Letree jumped down from the long-bodied horse.

A little later Iferaski and Ranjou also jumped down.

"Hey, what’s wrong? Fullru. Stop."

"Unn."

The long-bodied horse stopped.

"Masaharu, there’s a strange smell!"

"Master. One? Two? I don’t know, but there’s a scent that I feel like I’ve smelled before or maybe not."

The dog girls and horse girls pricked up their ears and twitched their noses.

Certainly when I consciously looked, even my eyes could see something that looked like knight armor reflecting light.

"Iria. Can you see?"

"Ah. There are two knights."

"Acquaintances of Iria?"

"No, I have no idea."

"Is there a possibility that last year’s companions came to visit?"

"They shouldn’t know that I’m there, so that possibility doesn’t exist."

"I see. Then maybe passersby stopped by because there was an unfamiliar hut? Well, because Baka and Kaka-Pipi are there, it shouldn’t be dangerous. Let’s go."

If they were dangerous people someone would already have eliminated them long ago, so there’s no particular need to worry.

We resumed movement, and upon arrival, sure enough there were two unfamiliar knights.

I left everyone by the pond and headed toward the unfamiliar knights together with Iria. Fullru clung to my arm and came along.

The one in front was a giant of a man whose height approached two meters when including the feather ornament attached to his helmet.

When he turned around his armor reflected the sunlight and drew silver threads in the air.

Even without the feather ornament his height exceeded 180 cm. The only male acquaintances of mine taller than me are the muscular Doru and Uda, but those guys have the protruding-belly wrestler physique so it’s different.

Could this be the battle-manga standard of a mysterious companion of unknown identity? The pattern where it’s actually a strong character who is the protagonist’s master or parent?

Let me measure Battle Power.

Pii.

Battle Power: 3

Hmm. I expected a mysterious combat force to join, but it’s low.

5 is an average human.

Even among the capybara girls the higher-ranked ones exceed 5, you know?

I asked Iria with my gaze "Do you know them?"

Iria shook her head left and right.

The possibility of them being acquaintances of Fullru is zero, so there’s no need to confirm.

The stay-behind group seemed to be lounging around normally without even glancing at the armored knights.

Because Rafilia-san had returned, everyone’s interest and concern turned to lunch.

I carefully approached the front of the mysterious knight so as not to startle him.

"Um, hello."

"..."

There was no reply. Is there someone inside?

"Hm?"

The armored knight turned the surface of the shield he was holding in his left hand toward me.

"Th-This is! A capybara!"

It was a deformed version of the capybara drawn on the side of the bus carriage. Not as realistic as a photograph, but as a crest drawn on a shield it excelled in visibility and simplicity, and the cuteness unique to capybaras was accurately designed.

"In other words, you are...!"

A knight holding a capybara shield—then the answer is, of course!

"...Eh? Who?"

"Hoh. You do not know me?"

"Um. I do not know."

A man’s voice I had never heard.

Or rather, a voice that leaves no impression at all.

Seriously, who?