In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 13 Page 2

  But they ate standard amounts in the castle... Maybe they were just going all out because it was dessert food.

  “I wanted to give everything a try, is all... Kind of lost myself in the taste.”

  “Mhm. You can’t tell taste by looking. The only way to tell if something is tasty is by eating! Everything on the menu was tasty, though.”

  Wait, everything?! You seriously ordered everything from the menu?! I went out to get that money and you... You finally really did it... You... You maniacs! You ate it up! God damn you!

  “Ah, uhm... Touya... Sorry, but, uhm...” Aer quietly murmured towards me.

  “Oh, right. No worries, I’ll cover my sisters now...!” I had originally intended to pay for half of the food-tasting, but now I had to pay for my sisters, too... I didn’t need to worry about Micah, at least... Aer invited her, so that was her issue.

  “Ah, no... Actually, uhm... I’m out of ingredients... Entirely... I don’t have any fruits or sugar for the festival... s-so, uhm...”

  “Ah, gotcha. I’ll go and buy some, then...”

  You sisters are a public menace... You’ve completely ruined this poor woman’s supplies...

  Brunhild’s stores were running low on supplies due to festival preparations. Stuff like that was usually provided by outside merchants, but Aer had literally just set up her café branch, so she hadn’t had time to contract suppliers and such, either.

  Luckily, I could use [Gate] to shop in other cities around the world in a matter of seconds, and I had [Storage] readily available to stash the perishables in, too.

  I guess I just needed to head out and buy some stuff...

  “Guess I’ll go, then...”

  “Oh, Touya! I’ll come too!” I was about to step through my newly-conjured portal when Lu suddenly stood up and started removing her apron. That was a relief, really. I didn’t know what the best foods were, so she’d be a help.

  Sue and Sakura watched as Lu walked over toward me.

  “Darn it, Lu beat me to the punch...”

  “I’d go with you too, Grand Duke... but my tummy is quite sore...” Sakura leaned back in her chair, hands resting on her stomach. She really ate too much... She didn’t have Yae’s fortitude.

  Speaking of Yae, the gluttonous samurai was finally taking a break from chowing down. She was just sipping at some tea instead. Lu, on the other hand, hadn’t eaten all that much at all because she was helping Aer prepare all the treats.

  I figured I’d go to the alchemy lab later on and get some stomach medicine from Flora.

  “Thanks for waiting, Touya. Let’s head off!”

  “Mhm. See you guys in a bit.”

  “Take care out there.”

  Leen and Paula both waved me off. Everyone else smiled and waved, too.

  Guess if Lu’s tagging along, I’ll hit up Regulus. I can buy some more coffee beans there, too.

  I opened a [Gate] straight to Gallaria.

  ◇　◇　◇

  The preparations were well underway.

  Originally, we planned to just have a two-day festival, but it ended up turning into a four-day affair. People didn’t just want to see one tournament, they wanted to enjoy more stuff in excess.

  The finals for the shogi and martial arts tournaments were on the same day at the same time in the original schedule, and that just wouldn’t do at all.

  Thus we amended the schedule.

  ■Day One

  Opening Ceremony

  Baseball Tournament (Preliminaries)

  ■Day Two

  Baseball Tournament (Finals)

  Shogi Tournament (Preliminaries)

  ■Day Three

  Shogi Tournament (Finals)

  Martial Arts Tournament (Preliminaries)

  ■Day Four

  Martial Arts Tournament (Finals)

  Closing Ceremony

  That was basically how things were going at this point.

  It would still be difficult for participants of one tournament to visit another, though.

  A lot of other nations also asked to get involved in the celebrations.

  Originally, it was just going to be members of the alliance, but Palouf wasn’t a member, so we couldn’t be seen to give them special treatment. That was why we’d sent written invitations out to members of foreign royalty that we had neutral or friendly relationships with.

  We’d sent out letters to Hannock, Felsen, Ryle, Xenoahs, and Elfrau.

  As for Eashen, I’d sent a letter out to Tokugawa Ieyahsu, since I’d never met their emperor. Besides, I knew that Ieyahsu was the one really running the show anyway.

  If I was honest, I’d sent out those letters assuming that it’d be trouble if they didn’t get an invite... I didn’t expect anyone to show up... But each and every one of the invited royals took me up on the offer and decided to come.

  “They probably thought that if they didn’t come they might hurt your feelings... and risk you storming in there with one of your Frame Gears...” Nikola nodded slowly as he gave me his opinion.

  You seriously think I’d do that?! Those countries would also be bringing their own knights and talented individuals for the tournaments. The king of Felsen himself even planned on participating in the martial arts one...

  He sure was a crazy collector of weapons, if I recalled correctly... A real meathead, too. It was kind of funny to me, given that he was supposed to represent Felsen, which was known for being magic-oriented. He didn’t match the image at all.

  Still, this was just supposed to be a little festival... Now we had global VIPs coming in from all over the place.

  I wasn’t really worried about security or anything, we had that covered... but I’d be less poised to intervene in personal squabbles between members of royalty.

  For example, if the beastking of Mismede met up with the king of Felsen after the tournament... It was possible that if they fought in the tournament, the loser might hold a grudge and retaliate.

  Then again, I highly doubted that it’d come to that.

  They were hiding who they were during the participation, so they’d have no lost honor if they were defeated. Conversely, they’d have no gained honor if they won. It was a situation devoid of any gamble.

  I briefly considered having the tournament champion fight against Moroha... but I figured that would probably trample on their happiness. And frankly, I wanted the event to go as smoothly as possible.

  Chapter I: The Beginning Of The Festival

  “The overlord is coming...?”

  “Yes... Him and his stupid face...” Sakura pouted, as was usual whenever her father came up.

  He’d cry if he saw you like that, you know?

  Their father-daughter relationship was as one-sided as ever.

  “I should warn my mother... Tell her to hide...”

  “No, no... Come on now... Let’s not treat him that way. You need to at least meet him.”

  “Hmph...” Sakura quietly sipped her tea. The overlord was a little... overbearing, that was true... but I didn’t want to cause any trouble with him. He was just the typical doting dad, really.

  “As for me, I’m fine with my brother coming, but... my grandfather may cause trouble...” Hilde let out a little sigh.

  Oh... The old man’s coming too? He was the only person in the world other than me who’d reached gold rank as an adventurer.

  He’d probably go tame if I showed him some swimsuit photos or something... He’d be a lot easier to deal with than Sakura’s dad.

  “My elder brother will be coming to escort Ieyahsu-sama, he will. It has been a while since I have seen him, it has. I look forward to it!” Yae smiled to herself, seemingly content. Her brother wasn’t just here as a guard, since he also planned to participate in the tournament. There were also several Eashen fighters coming to test their mettle.

  “Man, this festival sure got out of hand quick...”

  “I think it’ll be fun, don’t you? Oh yeah, Auntie Lana and our cousin Emma ar
e coming over, too.”

  “Not your uncle?” I remembered that Elze’s uncle was pretty nervous when it came to being around members of higher social class.

  “He won’t be coming. I’m pretty sure he’d faint where he stood and never get back up if we brought him somewhere as fancy as a castle.”

  I agreed with what Linze said. It was a shame but it was how it was. Hell, he’d probably get unlucky enough to bump into the emperor of Refreese, his own ruler. He’d probably have a heart attack.

  Things were going to be super busy on the opening day, that was for sure... Especially for me. I dreaded to think of the number of times I’d have to cast [Gate]. Still, it probably wouldn’t take too long... I just needed to arrange to meet each world leader in a designated spot.

  Members of the alliance participating were:

  Belfast

  Regulus

  Refreese

  Mismede

  Ramissh

  Roadmare

  Lestia

  Lihnea

  Including Brunhild, that amounted to nine nations in total.

  Then there were the countries that weren’t part of the alliance, but we were still well-acquainted with. These nations included:

  Eashen

  Xenoahs

  Palouf

  Felsen

  Elfrau

  Ryle

  Hannock

  Seven in total.

  Lastly, there were the nations we didn’t really have anything to do with:

  Egret

  Horn

  Nokia

  Three in total.

  The world as we knew it was composed of these nineteen nations.

  Technically, there was also Palerius island, as well as the tribes from the Sea of Trees, but they weren’t areas that were formally recognized as nations. There were also still people living in the fractured remnants of Yulong and Sandora, but those places weren’t really countries anymore either.

  Ultimately, representatives from every nation in the world would be gathering in Brunhild... To be honest, I was kind of worried. I’d definitely overdone it here. Still, there was no going back.

  I just hoped everyone could have some fun.

  Guess I’ll give it my all, then! This is pretty hype!

  ◇　◇　◇

  The day had finally come.

  I’d been going from country to country in order to pick up the relevant VIPs.

  The nobles and royals had gathered in my castle, and for the most part, they seemed to be getting along. Some of them had never met in person before, so it was a bit of a casual chance for them to get to know one another.

  They were made to disguise themselves, so at a glance, they’d look like nothing more than regular people. That being said, they still stuck out a little bit in the way they carried themselves. It was only natural due to how they’d been brought up, and I didn’t think it’d be a huge deal. Still, they definitely had something in them that just made them look regal.

  “Grand Duke... How does this badge work, exactly?”

  The young king of Palouf spoke up as he pinned a little star-shaped badge to his chest. He was dressed in plain clothing, which made him look like a regular little kid you might see walking around any regular old town in the world. He really did look completely unremarkable...

  “You just need to channel a little bit of your magic into the star. The spellstone inside will turn from red to yellow, alright? Then, your appearance should change to the disguised form. Like this, see?”

  “But, Your Highness... Ernest doesn’t look any different to me at all.”

  The young king’s sister, Lucienne, tilted her head slightly. His badge had indeed turned yellow, while hers was still red.

  “That’s because you’re wearing a badge, too. People wearing badges won’t see the illusions, so they can know who they’re talking to. If you remove your badge and look at the king of Palouf, you’ll see what I mean.”

  The princess followed my instructions and removed her badge, her eyes widening in shock as she looked over at her brother. He likely looked like a complete stranger. I was also wearing a badge, so the disguises didn’t work on me either.

  “The star also has a protective function, so listen carefully. If you pour extra magic into it, it should turn green. While the badge is green, it will be able to sense if you’re in danger. Should you come to any harm, no matter the cause, the badge will warp you back to your guest room in this castle. Please make sure the star remains green throughout the festival, and don’t take it off, either.”

  We’d given badges to the guards charged with protecting their heads of state, as well. But those guys had been instructed to keep their badges yellow, since they’d end up being warped away from any danger if it was set to green. There’d be no point in them being there if they couldn’t protect their monarchs.

  Those participating in the tournament, like the Beastking, were asked to keep it set to green outside of matches. There weren’t any matches on the first day, so that much was fine. Jutaro and Lyon weren’t exactly high standing citizens, so they didn’t need the disguises, but they still received badges so they could tell who everyone else was.

  “Ah, right, please take this little guy too...” I called a small white puppy out of a summoning circle. I didn’t want to give out smartphones to people who weren’t in the alliance, so everyone in that category got a familiar to follow them around instead.

  “If anything happens, just talk to this guy. He’ll be able to contact me. He’s also a lot stronger than he looks.”

  “Thanks! Oh, he’s so cute!”

  The king of Palouf squatted down and gently pet the puppy’s head. The puppy responded by happily wagging its tail. It wasn’t actually a dog, it was a wolf pup. More specifically, it was an infant Snorra Wolf from the frozen wastes of Elfrau.

  Rachael, Duke Rembrandt’s daughter, was standing across the room from us. She was carefully looking at the Snorra puppy with curious eyes. It looked to me like she wanted to play with the puppy like the young king was, but she didn’t want to approach because I was there. Damn... I really did go overboard with her... Guess I can’t blame her.

  I said goodbye to the Palouf party and made my way across the room. Rachael immediately walked over to the king and his sister, and they started playing with the puppy. It went just as I’d expected...

  I’d finally finished explaining everything to the royalty in the room, at the very least. Some people had returned to their guest chambers, but for the most part, everyone seemed to be getting along. They were probably taking advantage of the fact that they could freely talk to foreign nationals in a relaxed environment.

  I left the rest of the royal greetings to Yumina and Lu before opening a portal to the Silver Moon Inn in the castle town.

  I entered the dining room and found Elze and Linze eating their breakfast amongst many others. They were seated next to their Aunt Lana and her children. There were seven in total, including Emma. Emma was the eldest daughter, and she was around my age. The entire family was eating breakfast together, except the eldest son, who was independent enough to go off on his own.

  “Ah, Touya. Is everything sorted?”

  “For the most part, yeah. How’re things here?”

  “Things are fine, yeah. Nobody here needs any disguises, so it’s been pretty chill.”

  I nodded to Elze and then greeted both Lana and Emma. There were a few people from Reflet eating their meals too, like Barral from the weapon store, and Simon from the general store. I waved to them and they returned the gesture with smiles.

  All our invited guests were going to have their food and board covered by the national treasury. Most of the people staying in the Silver Moon were people we’d asked to come.

  “Hmm... Where’s Dolan? I don’t see him anywhere.”

  “Ah, Dolan is helping Micah in the kitchen. The inn is totally booked, so there were some staff shortage issues...” Linze explained the situation t
o me.

  Geez, I guess things really are getting busy around here... I wonder how it’s going in the other inns.

  “When does the festival start, again?”

  “Around eight. So, about an hour from now. We’ll do a formal opening ceremony, greet all the guests, and then put on some mock battles in the northern training field. We’re gonna try to make it flashy and all that.”

  “The northern field... Are you gonna use Frame Gears?”

  The northern training field was different from the standard field our knights typically used. It was a more spacious area far away from the castle, and we used the area to run Frame Gear field tests. For the most part, only authorized people were allowed to access the field due to how dangerous it could be. We’d installed a powerful barrier on the northern field to prevent any damage from spells or bullets from escaping a certain area. Our testing often had a... large area of effect, so the barrier was necessary to ensure that no bystanders ended up hurting themselves. Frame Gears were kind of too massive to keep secret, so they could be seen training in the field from a distance.

  During training hours, a lot of the townspeople had started coming to watch the Frame Gears clash. It had become a bit of a regular thing for them, and they seemed to like it a lot. That was why I thought a Frame Gear demonstration would be entertaining enough for our international visitors.

  “After that, we’ll do the first baseball rounds. Both stadiums are hosting two games, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. That means today we’ll get four matches in. Those games should decide who’ll advance to tomorrow’s games.”

  “Have we decided who’s playing against who yet?”

  “Nope. We’ll be doing a lottery draw to decide that in a bit.” There were only eight teams, so it wouldn’t take long. The lottery was actually one of the events I’d chosen to pad out the fun a bit.

  Brunhild’s team was led by Logan from the knight order, but I didn’t really have much to say about the team in general. It wasn’t especially strong, nor was it particularly weak. Really, it all depended on who we ended up getting as an enemy... since all the other teams seemed to have more specific strengths and weaknesses. Either way, it would probably be fine so long as everyone enjoyed themselves.