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Carve a Path to the Confederacy – Part 04

Oh, dear.

He had an overwhelming advantage here.

“You, then.”

Hikaru pointed to Chi of the Ratmen. His smirk said he was expecting to be chosen.

“Ah, I knew you would choose me. It’s because I look weak and pathetic, isn’t it? Too bad! I’m one of the best fighters there is!”

“And you, and you, and you.”

“What?”

“Hmm?”

“…Are you not taking the mask off?”

Aside from Lukrek of the Sinners, who was still fixated on the mask, both Utekko and Garan looked aghast.

“Even if I beat one of you guys, the others won’t be satisfied anyway. So I’ll take you all on at once. It won’t be a proper match otherwise.”

It was already dark. Hikaru needed all four of them to have a similar crowd as during daytime. He wanted to create a decent environment for the match. However, they interpreted it differently.

“Oh? It’s not a proper challenge unless it’s four versus one? Is that what you’re saying?”

The warriors roared. Hikaru realized that they misinterpreted him, but decided it was too late to correct them.

They weren’t entirely wrong, in a sense.

Compared to the Sword Saint Lawrence D. Falcon, the Black Dragon, and the Fire Drakon (whom he hadn’t fought), these four weren’t much of a threat.

“Don’t expect us to go easy on you!”

Utekko, who appeared mild-mannered, picked up a spear and twirled it around like an electric fan’s blade. Garan brandished a huge axe, Lukrek two daggers, and Chi a short bow.

“W-Wait,” Paula said. “Will he be all right?! It’s four against one!”

“I think so?” Lavia replied.

Hikaru and his opponents stood face-to-face in the middle of the open space.

“S-Silver Face. I know I’m the one who started this all, but are you sure about this?”

Jillarte volunteered to be the referee, but she did not expect Hikaru to take on all four of them.

“It’s fine,” Hikaru replied. “Gerhardt would take down these four, wouldn’t he?”

Jillarte gave a start. “Right… Ready…”

She moved back and stopped in front of the crowd of people.

“Fight!”

Before the leaders of each race could make a move, Hikaru pulled out from his waist three suntetsu, small pieces of iron each about ten centimeters long and as thick as his index finger.

With a full swing of his right hand, he threw the three weapons. His two points on Projectile stat didn’t quite translate to an expert—only a skilled user—but it was enough to land a hit on a target from about twenty meters away.

Especially a large one.

Hikaru aimed at the bonfire pillar. The shards of iron hit their target, knocking it down with a loud crash. The onlookers gasped in surprise.

“Keep your wits about you! He just put out the fire! There’s still the light from the moon—Huh?”

The four leaders’ confidence in their abilities made them follow the suntetsu with their eyes. For a brief moment, they took their gazes off Silver Face.

The light from the bonfire was gone, but the moon rising in the sky above provided enough light. Nevertheless, they lost sight of him.

“Where did he—”

Garan fell forward with a thud. It wasn’t from a slash or being hit by the same piece of iron. Not one person thought that Garan, who stood over two meters tall, was taken down with a mere kick. It was the effect of Hikaru’s Assassination, triggered only when attacking in Stealth mode. The Skill buffed attacks to be lethal, but Hikaru knew from experience that a weak blow would only be converted into an intense strike.

“I-I surrender.” Chi raised his hands. There was a dagger pressed on his throat.

“Two more.”

The spectators fell silent—they were rendered speechless, to be more accurate—as the two were quickly defeated. Garan, known for his strength and endurance, was now lying motionless on the ground from just one blow.

For Hikaru, this was a success. He learned that even with so many people around, if he could distract them for even a split-second, he could use his Stealth.

Utekko readied his spear.

“Stop,” Lukrek said. “We’ve lost.”

“What are you saying?! We’re still standing!”

“Let me ask you, then. Did you catch any of his movements?”

Utekko grunted.

“I can’t think of a single way to beat this guy.”

Utekko looked over at Lukrek and opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“You’re right,” he finally said. “I hate to admit it, but we lost.”

Utekko lowered his spear. The moment its tip touched the ground, cheers erupted from the spectating warriors. There was no anger in their voice now, only pure surprise, as well as expectation and admiration for the strong fighter that had appeared out of nowhere.

“Fine. I’ll join the tournament,” Hikaru said. “I was planning to go to Hopestadt anyway.”

An even louder cheer rose. It continued on for a while.

---

Jillarte couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. After gaining experience as an adventurer, she was now currently on par with Utekko. She was as strong as the leader of a race.

But fighting four of them at once was a different story. She wasn’t even sure if she could take one of them down. Yet Silver Face effortlessly defeated two of them.

“Wow…”

When Jillarte first met him, all she felt was suspicion.

When he freed her, she felt a mix of gratitude and doubt.

Now, after defeating the four leaders and agreeing to participate in the tournament, Jillarte felt a different emotion.

A skilled fighter had become their ally. Regardless of his true intentions or motives, he showed genuine concern for Jillarte.

As they say, the strong are drawn to the strong. Jillarte’s mother once fell in love with her father, Kouga, after witnessing his strength.

“He will stay by my side until the end of the tournament…”

For the first time, Jillarte became aware of her feelings of affection for Silver Face, whose face she hadn’t even seen.

---

As they neared Hopestadt, the largest city in the Confederacy of Einbiest, the warriors of each race split up. As members of ostracized races, they wanted to avoid being seen as a threat by moving in a group. They entered Hopestadt separately to watch the Ruler’s Rumble tournament and witness the beginning of a new era.

“Good luck!”

“You can do it! Make our dreams come true!”

“Take care of our little Jillarte. We owe Lord Kouga a lot.”

“Godspeed.”

At first they harbored only hostility towards Hikaru, but once they realized how strong he actually was, they started to respect him. Einbiest’s belief that strength was virtue seemed to have rubbed off on them.

“I was shocked when you said you were going to fight all four of them at once,” Paula said. “I was so worried, my throat went dry.”

Jillarte had transferred to the Dragonfolk’s carriage, leaving Hikaru, Lavia, and Paula alone in their own carriage. It was quite relaxing.

“Things just turned out that way. Sorry for making you worry.”

“You’re so strong, Lord Hikaru!” Paula’s enraptured eyes scared Hikaru a little.

He got the feeling that she admired him just a little too much.

I’m just using the Soul Board.

Though the fact that Hikaru even had such an ability was what made him special.

“I had to show that I got what it takes to win the tournament,” Hikaru said, distancing himself from Paula and moving toward Lavia.

Delighted, Lavia smiled faintly. “Are you sure about this?” she asked. “I’m sure you didn’t expect this to happen. You’re actually getting involved in something that will draw attention to you.”

“Uh, yeah. I didn’t see this coming.”

“You seem to become a different person when you put on your mask. You become bold and ambitious.”

“R-Really?”

“Yup. How do you feel about Jillarte?”

Hikaru thought this was a good opportunity, so he decided to tell the truth.

He told them how Jillarte was honest and didn’t utter a single lie even after breaking her out of prison. She promised to tell Hikaru everything if he helped her escape, and she held true to her word, not hiding anything. This was when they were desperately trying to figure out how to escape.

Normally people would hold back information to get the maximum help from others, but Jillarte was different. She just told him whatever she knew.

“Also… I’ve mentioned that I’m from a different world.”

“Yeah,” Lavia said.

“Yes. Though I don’t really understand it,” Paula added.

“It’s okay. Even I am not a hundred percent sure about the mechanism that brought me here either. In my world, the name ‘Hikaru’ means ‘to shine’ or ‘to cast a light’.”

“It fits you perfectly!” Paula remarked.

Hikaru’s specialty was Stealth. Paula’s comment just reinforced his theory that she thought too highly of him.

“I couldn’t live up to the wishes of my parents,” he said.

His parents lost interest in him, so he distanced himself from them in return—such excuses were meaningless now. Hikaru did not choose to live as his name implied. He lived his life showing moderate ability and kept a low profile.

Back in Japan, he didn’t care.

But right now, he did, oddly enough. He was intrigued about Jillarte, who was trying to move forward as she carried everyone’s overwhelming expectations.

She was the one who shone, the one who cast a light.

“I know I’m only doing this for myself. I want to help Jillarte as much as possible. Is that okay?”

“Of course!” Paula raised her hand. “My life is yours!”

Instead of answering, Lavia linked her hand with Hikaru’s.

I have my own way of life. If I can become a light that shows the way for these two… then that’s enough for now.

Numerous buildings in the distance came into view.

Hikaru’s story continued on to Hopestadt, the largest city in Einbiest.