Taming The Villainesses-Chapter 359: Main Character (4)

Including me, there were sixteen.

That was the total number of contestants advancing to the finals.

━That’s Anchornoi speaking...! Congratulations to all the finalists...! Now, if you look at your flags, there should be letters written on them...!

Following the crisp voice of the nymph commentator, I unfolded the flag in my hand. Sure enough, just like the announcer said, a large letter was printed there.

G.

I was G.

━From A to H, participants with the same letter will form a match together—simple rules...! Now, the stage for the finals...! Let’s get it set up quick, yes indeed...!

At the commentator’s words, a swarm of people appeared from somewhere and began clearing the chaos that covered the arena. They carried off the fallen on stretchers, patched up the damaged floor, and tidied things up with practiced coordination.

As they moved swiftly and efficiently, I scanned the other finalists who also held flags in their hands.

I figured I should get a feel [N O V E L I G H T] for who I might be facing next to pace myself properly.

Who else had the G flag?

Did those bizarre nymphs from earlier fail to qualify? Well, considering they chose to fight over collecting flags, it seemed they hadn’t made it to the finals.

Swish.

That was when I felt someone reach toward me.

Turning my head, I saw a girl—someone whose head didn’t even reach my shoulders—thrust the tip of her flag at me like a sword.

Flutter.

Her flag bore the letter H.

“You. I don’t know what kind of trick you pulled earlier, but I won’t allow anyone to stand out more than me! You steal all the attention and even hide your face behind a mask!”

Who was this?

Naturally, I had no idea who this woman was. She looked to be about fifteen or maybe twenty at most. Platinum blonde hair and clear blue eyes—her features had a brilliant luster.

Beneath her red cloak, she wore a fitted white pair of trousers with a uniform jacket—quite stylish. A noble, perhaps.

Judging by the medals and epaulettes pinned to her chest, she seemed to be someone with both experience and skill. Still, for someone of that level, she looked remarkably young.

Of course, judging age by appearance in this world was a foolish endeavor.

There were races like fairies that looked young even in old age, and those who trained their mana or physique could appear youthful no matter how old they were.

Even I was using a treasure called the Karma Changer to alter my appearance.

“What’s this? Cat got your tongue? Someone’s talking to you, so say something! Or are you scared of me? I knew it the moment I saw you hiding behind that mask. You coward!”

Well, one thing was for sure—she was bold. Brimming with spirit, yes, but drawing this much attention was a good way to make unnecessary enemies.

In fact, the other finalists were starting to focus their attention on the girl standing before me. Let’s eavesdrop on what they were whispering.

━Isn’t that the Aslan of Orléans?

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━Just like they say—fiery temperament. Kinda dumb-looking though.

“What? Who just called me dumb?! Who said that?! I’ll skewer your mouth with my magic lance! I don’t need the finals—come at me all at once, I don’t care!”

She shouted furiously. That temper of hers. With that blessed look—blonde hair, blue eyes—she reminded me of someone. Elga.

Come to think of it, I remembered something Elga had said while looking through the contestant roster.

That the House of Leones had many branch families, and some among them had been eyeing this tournament eagerly.

Aslan of Orléans.

This girl was probably one of Elga’s many cousins. And now that I saw her under that premise, her appearance and personality did share a lot of similarities. The only difference—

━Flat-chested, especially for a Western family.

━Yeah, aren’t Leones women known for having big breasts?

Apparently, the common opinion was that her chest was unusually flat. I hadn’t known Leones women were famous for large busts.

“Grrr...!”

Whether her ears were sharp or she just had good hearing, the girl called Aslan turned bright red. I began to tense up slightly, wondering if she might explode and cause a scene right here.

The others seemed to feel the same. Those who had mocked or provoked her were all reaching for the hilts of their swords.

Everyone looked ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

“Hmph.”

At that moment, Aslan snorted.

“Cowards who can only whisper behind my back... Pathetic. I’ve lost interest. You’re not even worth dealing with.”

And just like that, she coolly backed off, as if truly uninterested now.

Matches go from Group A to Group H.

Since I’d received a G-flag, I naturally belonged to Group G.

Seventh in line, then?

My opponent was a young prodigy from the Red Mage Tower in Borja, a central city of the West.

He was said to wield red-elemental magic with flashy, powerful firepower. What was his name again? It had been a long, strange name, and it had already slipped from my memory.

Still, Borja was in the West—Elga’s homeland, wasn’t it?

If I could ask her, I’d probably find out both who my opponent was and who that Aslan of Orléans girl really was.

But the VIP section for a highborn like Elga and the waiting area for contestants were worlds apart—talking to her was physically impossible right now.

That’s when someone called out to me.

━Comrade! What’s going on?! I’m looking at the finalist list and your name isn’t there!

It was Marmar—no matter how far apart we were, she could talk to me. Thanks to the wand attached to her tail, we were on a similar frequency, like a communication channel.

━Yeah, there’s... a situation.

━All the Imp Sisters came to cheer you on! But you’re not on the list, so we don’t know who to root for!

The Imp Sisters, huh?

There had definitely been a strange crowd among the spectators. When more than ten imps gathered together, they were noticeable even from a distance.

I didn’t know how to explain this situation to Marmar, but before I could fumble through an answer, she spoke up again.

━So we just decided to each cheer for whoever we want!

I see.

━But hey—Gargar’s acting really weird today.

━Gargar?

What popped into my head was that snarling imp who always growled like a beast—Gargar.

The crazy imp Gargar. His behavior was always strange, so it wasn’t surprising... but if Marmar was bringing it up specifically, maybe something really was off.

━What happened with Gargar?

━Dunno! But he seemed really scared! He even ran off during the preliminaries! If you run into him, please look after him!

Maybe he had a nightmare.

That reminded me—during the preliminaries earlier, even Bael had shown intense wariness toward something. Even though Gargar was completely mad, his instincts were sharp, like a wild beast.

If someone like that was scared, and Bael was also on edge... is it overthinking to think there’s a connection?

━Ah! Group A’s match is starting! I have to go sell peanuts and squid now—bye!

Click.

That was the end of Marmar’s message. Looked like she was working a part-time job selling snacks to the crowd.

The Imp Sisters had been receiving quite a bit of sponsorship money lately, so they probably didn’t have to worry about money anymore. I had no idea why she was still working so hard.

Because she’s diligent?

Or maybe it was the trauma from her past—living in an abandoned shack, poor as dirt—that made her obsessive about saving money. From the start, she had always valued the importance of work.

Waaaaaaah—!

A huge roar shook the coliseum.

A crystal display installed in front of the waiting room showed two people dueling.

Group A’s match: swordsman vs. swordsman. A textbook matchup, but the difference lay in their styles.

The red corner featured a swordsman using battoujutsu with a massive katana. A young, handsome man with black hair tied back—probably from the North.

In the blue corner was a beautiful man with a strange sword.

Long, ashen hair, black leather outfit, and a sword dyed violet. A chain wrapped around the hilt was looped around his right arm, creating an unforgettable impression.

He swung the sword wildly with the chain, even launching it like a harpoon in unpredictable ways—his opponent deflected those erratic attacks with a lightning-fast blade. A spectacle worth watching.

At the same time, I felt a growing tension.

In real sword duels, even the slightest graze could be fatal, blood scattering everywhere.

Even watching through the crystal, it was tense—those on-site must’ve been feeling it a hundredfold. I wondered if it was okay for Ayra to be watching scenes like this.

Even if Ayra was emotionally stable lately, was it really fine to expose her to such violent displays? I’d been questioning this ever since the tournament was announced, but still had no clear answer.

━Hrrrng...!

As the two clashed fiercely through the crystal display, the Bael within me swelled up and raised her vigilance. The same discomfort she’d shown during the preliminaries.

The feelings of the one who had made a home in my heart came to me loud and clear.

Discomfort. Fear. Unease. I couldn’t be certain, but from how cautious Bael was acting, it seemed one of those duelists had triggered her mental tripwires.

Who is it that’s got you this upset?

━Hiooong...

You don’t know either?

It hadn’t been long since I invited Bael into my heart, but—

I trusted Bael, the spider of my soul, as deeply as I trusted my own limbs. If she was on alert, there had to be a good reason.

Could something be happening beneath the surface of this tournament—something I hadn’t even considered?

Was this Ayra’s doing?

Or maybe...

“.......”

There was no way to know right now—but since I’d already sent Bael out, it was only a matter of time before I got answers. No point wasting energy thinking about it now.

Better to meditate and recover my mana and energy.

Knock knock.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

━Excuse me, contestant 1432, Angmar. It’s time to get ready for Group G’s match.

So it was time already?

I gathered my things and stood up.