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CHAPTER 295: THE SHURASAKI FESTIVAL

 

After the maid finished cleaning the nosebleed off the tatami, she bowed once and withdrew. Zen neatly folded his kaishi paper, straightened his posture, and resettled into seiza.

His back was ramrod-straight—as if the disgraceful spectacle from moments ago had been a lie—and his eyes were clear.

…Though the way he carefully avoided looking in Yurai’s direction made it hard to call it a complete recovery.

There had been a bit of commotion, but the room had returned to silence.

Zen cleared his throat once to reset the air, then spoke quietly.

「…Allow me to formally greet you again. Thank you for coming all this way, despite the distance.」

There was no way I could believe this was the same man who’d been rolling on the floor with his face scrunched up into a total mess just a moment ago…

But as he bowed deeply, I could tell Souji swallowed hard.

If fluffy animals weren’t involved, Suigetsu Zen really was a proper 【Sword King】.

Zen continued speaking in an even tone, fully aware of all that.

Or maybe he’d mistaken Souji for my attendant or something.

「Aun. To be honest, I… had a rough idea you would come to Bukyo Country.」

At the sudden statement, my eyebrows shot up.

「I left that message in the port town for that reason as well.」

「…Why did you think I’d come to Bukyo?」

Zen answered with a faint, wry smile.

「It seems you got up to quite a bit of mischief even after I departed on my travels. In particular, Seiha’s actions in Wislo reached even this country’s upper circles. And when a clan that achieved that kind of result suddenly vanished from Wislo…」

「Got it. People came sniffing around you—someone who knows me—trying to pry information out of you.」

「Yes. After considering a number of things, I judged the likelihood of you coming to Bukyo Country was high, and I moved on that assumption.

I couldn’t avoid passing along information about Seiha and my projections of what would happen next, but… I kept the most important parts withheld, so you wouldn’t be put at a disadvantage.」

Even if we had met with the Shogun before, it finally made sense why getting into a semi-closed country like Bukyo had gone so smoothly.

Still… the fact they even knew I’d been involved in the large-scale liberation battle in Wislo—and the ranking struggle on top of that…

…I’ve been underestimating this country’s information network.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, something cold ran down my spine.

If they could gather information this quickly and accurately, then there was a high chance Bukyo Country had spies embedded in Calvados, Tekirana—or both.

And naturally, they must know about Prince Fernando’s rebellion in Alraine as well.

Just how many spies did this country have, if they could fool Heil, Garcia… even Ruzark?

While I was turning that over in my head, Zen’s expression suddenly softened.

The way his lips curled up made him look like a kid who’d just thought of a prank—no, like a bad friend who sets you up for something because he knows you’ll love it.

「For this past month, what I’ve done for my comrade Aun hasn’t only been preparing your entry into the country, you know?」

「Huh? …Meaning?」

「Your grandfather—Lord Doumeki Daigoku’s whereabouts… I’ve managed to get a rough grasp on them.」

At that single line, my heart thumped hard in my chest.

「Seriously!?」

「Yes. It seems he is currently on Naraka Island.」

「…Naraka, as in that dungeon?」

「Correct. Within Bukyo Country, it is an island that could be called the most anomalous place of all.」

Zen lowered his gaze and continued quietly.

「Naraka Island is treated as a ‘divine realm’ in Bukyo. The island itself is an object of faith, and anyone not permitted cannot even approach it.」

「That’s a pretty tight lockdown.」

「There is good reason for it.」

The Naraka Dungeon.

I’d heard it was a special dungeon on the Sphin Continent—one of the hardest—where you could only enter solo, but… if Grandpa’s on that island, it feels like I’m being tested.

「But wait—why’s Grandpa even there?」

「Apparently he serves in the role of a ‘Guardian’… or so I’ve heard. According to the stories, only someone overwhelmingly strong can survive on that island.」

「…So? How do I get over there?」

At my question, Zen closed his eyes once.

「There is only one official method. Win first place in the martial tournament known as the 【Shurasaki Festival】.」

I could tell Souji was desperately holding back from blurting something out.

He probably had a mountain of questions, but for now, he was choosing to read the room.

「Once a year, in the capital—Amanekyo—Bukyo’s largest martial tournament is held. Swordsmen, fist fighters, spearmen… warriors of every kind gather from across Bukyo. And—only the champion earns the right to cross to Naraka Island.」

「…So only one person a year gets to challenge the Naraka Dungeon, huh. But you’re making a face like it’s not just some normal tournament.」

「Yes.」

Zen nodded clearly.

「The Shurasaki Festival also has a ceremonial aspect. The ‘mana’ and ‘energy’ released through battle are charged into a certain magical implement.」

「…A certain implement?」

「That implement splits the raging sea and creates a ‘path’ to Naraka Island.」

「…It splits the sea?」

「Temporarily, yes.」

Hearing him say it so calmly made me let out a small breath.

「So this tournament is…」

「A battle to decide the truly strong. And at the same time, a festival to ‘open the road to the divine realm.’」

—Prove you have the right to reach the divine realm through martial might.

Yeah. That’s Bukyo thinking, alright.

And on top of that, as a Dungeon Master, I could tell.

The mana they gathered also carried the meaning of an ‘offering to suppress a Stampede.’

A dungeon with a mechanism that complex meant only one thing—

…There’s a Dungeon Master in the Naraka Dungeon.

「This is gonna be fun.」

A grin slipped out before I could stop it.

「Heh. I thought you’d say that, Aun.」

Zen’s sly smile was tinted with the emotion behind the next words.

「The Shurasaki Festival will be held two months from now.」

He said it, then stared straight at me.

「…Aun. I won’t hold back.」

—Zen would be entering the Shurasaki Festival too.

That was his declaration, as a rival worthy of the name.

「Perfect. Let’s crash head-on at full power!」

To meet my grandfather.

To challenge the Naraka Dungeon.

And to step straight into Bukyo Country without flinching.

Two months from now in Amanekyo.

Just what kind of monsters would be waiting for me there?

Bukyo Country… really knows how to make my blood sing.