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Last Embryo Volume 1 Chapter 6 Part 8

Translator: DarkHeartedAlchemist

Editor: Weasalopes

「Ah, it looks like Homura and the others are using a rather safe and steady approach so far.」

Kuro Usagi, the acting Judge for this Gift Game said to herself as she jumped from rooftop to the rooftop across the buildings in the industrial area to better monitor the Game. According to her observations, the chances of winning were about fifty-fifty, which was quite surprising, considering that Izayoi’s friends were going against a holder of Divinity.

「Hehe, it would be quite thrilling if the three of them turned out to be on Izayoi’s or Yo’s level, but then again, being able to stand their ground against someone of Shirayuki-hime’s caliber simply by using Apport & Asport alone is already a praiseworthy achievement.」

If Suzuka’s Gift was based purely on teleportation, it couldn’t even be called a Game anymore, it would simply be a one-sided beatdown, with them needing not even a minute to jump all the way to the race’s goal and back.

If Suzuka wanted to use Apport & Asport for long distance teleportation, she would always have to carry out those two precise steps in order to succeed, and that would put both her and the carriage in unnecessary danger. It would be disadvantageous for her, but on the other hand it would provide a proper balance for the audience watching the Game.

(Soon they will reach the industrial area, where many man-made Gifts and artifacts are being stored. I don’t even want to think what’s going to happen if they decide to use them on a whim, but with the way things are going it should be fine.)

Kuro Usagi’s ears twitched happily.

The industrial area was mostly dealing with the manufacturing of iron and steel, so everywhere she went she could hear the sounds of forges and workshops working at full throttle. She even recalled a rumor that when the water form the Underwood was combined with proper smithing Gifts, it could be used to produce Adamantine, the strongest metal in Little Garden. And as for how the industrial area came to be, it could be established mainly due to the help of the various spirits residing within the great Tree itself and them lending their powers to  those who came to ask for their help.

Hopping down from the roof she was standing on, Kuro Usagi arrived at the riverside of the industrial area. Unlike the shopping district, it was a place where work continued almost 24/7, but it doesn’t mean there was no means of entertainment there. A riverside casino, in front of which she was standing now, was build exactly for the purpose of giving those who didn’t have any job on their hands at the current moment some way to enjoy themselves.

At the current moment, there was no one in the area who would try to interrupt the Game. The only thing that was ruining the atmosphere was the weather.

(I wonder if it’s going to rain? All those storm clouds look kinda unstable.)

「Oi, Porol, look! Isn’t that sis Kuro Usagi over there? What is she doing at a dirty place such as this one?」

「That comment of yours was really unnecessary, Sharol. Also, I am your boss here, so please make sure to address me properly!」

Hearing a pair of familiar voices, Kuro Usagi jumped up in shock. Looking over her shoulder to locate the source of the voices, she saw a pair of  cat-eared beastmen.

「Lady Sharol! And Lady Parol as well!」

「Yo, long time no see, sis Kuro Usagi. So, how’s the Game going?」

「YES, very good and proper for now. Aside from a bit of paint getting into the water, everything else seems to be proceeding quite smoothly.」

「Nyahahahahaha, that’s very good to hear! After all, in the past, the area ended getting up absolutely thrashed whenever we would lend it to you for the Games you were judging, so this is a nice change of pace.」

「Sis Sharol, the manners! Mind who you’re talking to!」

The young boy, Porol Gundark, tried to make his older sister, Sharol Gundark, who wore a blacksmithing uniform and carried a giant hammer on her shoulder, to behave properly. Those siblings who wore the emblem of the 『Six Scars』 Community on their clothes were the two responsible for managing the industrial area. Kuro Usagi’s guess was that they made their way over here to check on the potential damages done to the place by Shirayuki-hime’s sudden Gift Game. But when he stepped forward, Porol told Kuro Usagi that they were actually waiting for Homura and the others to arrive.

「Since we, the entirety of the 『Six Scars』 owe a favor to Master Izayoi, big sis Kuro Usagi and the 『No-Name』 Community for everything you have done for us, we will accept any request you might ask of us. That being said, if this industrial area, the source of our livelihood were to be destroyed wo wouldn’t have been able to work and do business anymore, which would in turn had a huge negative impact on our promise to you.」

「Of course, I understand that perfectly well, and I assure you that we would never do anything to trouble the 『Six Scars』, who are our dearest friends.」

「Nyahahahaha, you got that right, Bis Sis Kuro Usagi. But I have to say, I still can’t forget that one time when we’ve been had so much that I thought we won’t be able to come back from that.」

Sharol suddenly looked to the distance with a solemn look on her face, as if she just remembered a story from very long ago, making Kuro Usagi’s ears twitch in embarassement.

『Six Scars』 was a trade-oriented community responisible for the construction of the Spirit Train, and as such they could use it exclusively to transport their goods all across Little Garden. Among their ranks, Sharol Gundark was one of the precious few who specialized in combat. Since they were a part of the same community Alliance, the members of 『No-Name』 had more than one occasion to join forces with the 『Six Scars』 in a Gift Game, so naturally Kuro Usagi took that opportunity to occasionally partner up with Sharol. But there was one time where it can be said that they drew the shortest end of the stick by teaming up.

「Ahahahaha, YES, we did end up causing you a great deal of trouble back then, didn’t we?」

「There is no need for you to beat yourself up over it so much. After all, even with the odds stacked heavily against us, we did manage to come out on top in that Gift Game, so it all turned out alright in the end. Anyway, did you know that there is a new model of the Spirit Train being build here in this very industrial area? Well, let me put it this way: since I heard that one of the participants of this Gift Game was going to be a relative of the infamous Sakamaki Izayoi, I couldn’t allow myself to just stand idly by and watch. If he turns out to be even half as troublesome as Izayoi and  somehow end up dragging the Spirit Train into the competition and destroying it, do you have any idea how big of a mountain of trouble that would have caused for us?」

「I… I see. And let me tell you, my thoughts were similar to yours when I heard he will be arriving in Little Garden, but after meeting him and talking with him personally, I really think there is no need for any concerns.」

It could be said that Saigo Homura’s first Gift Game was a very steady and calm one so far, standing in direct opposition to the Gift Games Sakamaki Izayoi was usually getting involved with, so no matter how wrong things would go or how derailed the entire Gift Game got, Kuro Usagi was pretty certain that Homura, Suzuka and Ayato would never do anything that would have resulted in some crazy outcomes like, say, the industrial area getting levelled to the ground in its entirety, Shirayuki-hime getting sent flying across the sky or destroying important buildings and landmarks just because they stood in their way of creating a shortcut that would ensure their victory.

As the three of them continued their chat, the waterway next to them began to tremble noticeably, making Sharol’s cat ears stand up sharp as she pointed her finger in a certain direction.

「Oh! Porol, Big Sis! They’re coming!」