Hundreds of years ago, in the era of war.
The human nation, the Empire, was just beginning to rise.
The orc chieftain.
The elf’s World Tree.
The great warriors of the dwarves.
The era when dragons still lived and breathed came to an end.
Unlike the few surviving dragons, the orcs and elves were completely wiped out. There were no survivors.
And the dwarves, in order to survive, bowed their heads to the Empire. The War’s Hammer, the greatest of the great warriors, endured the humiliation with the remaining few dozen dwarves and began living deep beneath the sea.
Thus, hundreds of years passed. Finally, the dwarves were able to set foot on the continent again.
After experiencing the real sun, the real earth, and the real wind, the first thing the dwarves did was…
“Ugh, it’s so bright!!”
“Is that the sun……? No, how can anyone live looking at that!?”
“Don’t look directly at the sun! It was fine with artificial light underwater, but here it can blind you!”
“It’s too bright!”
…They avoided the sun.
It might seem strange for dwarves, not vampires, to avoid the sun, but considering they had lived under artificial magical light for hundreds of years, it made sense.
The “sun” in the underwater dwarf village was bright enough to look at with the naked eye without any issues.
Ironically, these were the same dwarves who shot fireworks during festivals, longing for the real sun.
But when faced with the actual sun, they desperately tried to avoid its light.
So, they were quickly moved inside the Magic Tower. The windows were covered, and any holes that could let sunlight in were sealed, allowing only magical light to enter.
Only then could the dwarves breathe a sigh of relief.
“The real sun is that terrifying…….”
“My eyes still hurt.”
“……Our ancestors lived under that sun? How horrifying.”
“Please, don’t look directly at it from now on.”
“It’s just habit. In the village, it was fine to look directly at the sun………no, wait, it wasn’t the sun but artificial magical light. Like this.”
“…………….”
“Anyway, we’ll have to adapt gradually, but for now, we’ll stay here. Human.”
And it wasn’t just the real sun that troubled the dwarves who came up from the sea.
The time difference was also a problem.
“Has it really……not even been a full day yet?”
“Does time flow differently on land and underwater?”
“This is normal. It was the dwarf village that was strange.”
“I see. So, even if we try to stay up for days like usual, time feels slower……it’s messing with our biological clocks.”
In the dwarf village, a day was roughly 8 hours, but coming up to the surface, a day was effectively three times longer.
Because of this, the dwarves, who tried to eat and feel fatigue as usual, strongly felt the intense time difference.
The time difference and the sun. Just these two things alone meant the dwarves had to adapt slowly.
But the dwarves didn’t just sit still. To be precise, they were bored.
‘So, we asked them to make miniatures.’
Originally, that’s why the Glesia Magic Tower had decided to spread the War’s Hammer first. It wasn’t that they decided to spread it and then asked the dwarves; the dwarves had made it first, so they decided to spread it.
……Though the enthusiastic response was beyond imagination.
Because of this, the dwarves, who started making miniatures out of boredom, soon found themselves groaning.
From a 5-shift system where only 1 out of 5 worked while the rest rested, all 5 had to focus on miniature production.
“So, what about that liquor bottle?”
“While serving various foods, I noticed you particularly enjoyed the alcohol.”
Well, when it comes to dwarves, alcohol is a big deal. They drank in the Dwarf Village too, but the amateurish booze made in an underwater environment and the high-quality stuff made with real effort are bound to be different.
It was quite pricey, but that one bottle of alcohol was a pretty useful ‘carrot’ to boost the dwarves’ motivation.
With this, the production of War’s Hammer should speed up significantly.
“Ma’am, will the tournament follow the same format as the last Bang tournament?”
“Uh… yeah? Like how you did it, Chunsik, hold qualifiers and then have the winners face off.”
“I recommend a different approach this time.”
“Huh? Why bother?”
“Unlike Bang, War’s Hammer is strictly a 1v1 game.”
Bang, which can be played with up to six people, can easily adopt a format with qualifiers and main rounds. Even with a large crowd, it can be wrapped up quickly.
But War’s Hammer is a different story. Since it’s strictly 1v1, the tournament will take much longer than Bang.
Simply put, if you’re selecting 6 out of 60 participants, Bang only needs 10 games with 6 players each. But War’s Hammer would require 30 games with 2 players each, and then repeat the process to narrow it down to 6.
If time wasn’t an issue, it wouldn’t be a problem, but I couldn’t ignore the Sub-Magic Tower Master’s desperate gaze.
The longer the tournament drags on, the longer the territory will be paralyzed.
“Then what should we do? Just leave it to you, Chunsik. But on one condition.”
“A condition…?”
“It has to be fun. It’s the Lady’s request, so of course you can handle it, right?”
Why does “you can handle it, right?” sound so terrifying?
I nodded at Shisha, who was lying on the bed, watching me.
“Adela, Leisha.”
“Yes.”
[Yeah.]
Earlier, I accidentally let it slip, so the Sub-Magic Tower Master now knows that Leisha isn’t just a spirit but a Spirit Master in sync. Of course, he wouldn’t know that the Spirit Master in sync is Leisha Everts, so I just brushed it off.
‘Spirit Masters capable of syncing with spirits are rare, after all.’
If we’re talking about magicians, it’s like being an Archmage, right? Just because you can sync doesn’t necessarily make you a Grand Spirit Master, but it’s still a technique only the most exceptional Spirit Masters can perform.
Fortunately, the Sub-Magic Tower Master knows I’ve been getting attention from several Archmages, so he didn’t suspect anything when another Grand Spirit Master showed up (now?).
Anyway, I had a request for Adela and Leisha.
“Sorry, but could you help me out?”
“No need to apologize. Just say the word.”
[The magician’s right. It’s actually disappointing that you’re even asking at this point?]
“…Thank you. Originally, I planned to ask the magicians of Glesia Magic Tower, but it seems most of them will be participating in the tournament.”
[So that means…]
“I’d like the two of you, and Sally, to act as tournament operators. Specifically, as guardians… gatekeepers of this tower.”
“Gatekeepers, you say?”
“I-I’ll do it!”
Adela asked for clarification, while Sally nodded eagerly.
Contrasting reactions, but familiar ones.
“Yes, gatekeepers. I’m planning to run the tournament in a slightly unconventional way.”
“Does that mean we have to play that War’s Hammer board game too?”
“No, Adela. You just need to grant passage.”
[Grant…?]
“Yes.”
What I had in mind was something I’d seen in another world…
It was a scene from an anime.
The protagonist, with an impossible hairstyle that would get you blacklisted at any salon, hires a proxy to win the world championship in an anime.
And the card game used in that anime, along with the tournament that unfolds across the entire city.
“Chunsik, have you decided on the tournament name?”
“Of course.”
“What is it?”
“Battle City.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s turn this territory into a battlefield for just a few days.”
Did I say it was fun?
From a spectator’s perspective, it couldn’t possibly be boring.
That’s what a battle royale is all about.
*
“What on earth is going on…?”
The hooded old knight, Sir Roland, muttered in confusion.
He had spent all his fortune to buy the exclusive Bang character card for the winner, and it had already been months since he started working as a fixer to pay off that debt.
This time, he arrived at the icy sea for a job at Glesia Magic Tower, but…
The atmosphere of the territory felt unusually tense compared to the last time he was here.
‘Though it has been years since I last came.’
“Hey, don’t look so serious. Are you already planning to ‘start’?”
“Judging by your attitude, you seem quite confident. Can you really maintain that confidence against my knight order?”
“Knight order? Hah, don’t underestimate the chieftain.”
Knight order? Chieftain? Start?
Is that man, who looks like an ordinary territory resident, the head of a noble family with a knight order?
And what on earth is a chieftain?
‘Maybe I should’ve brought Andrei.’
Was it a mistake to send Andrei, his apprentice, away on another task?
Sir Roland, who understood he was getting old, flinched, wondering if this was some new trend among the youth.
‘Both of their hands are reaching for that… pouch on their waist.’
It’s definitely a bit large for a pouch, but could there be something inside?
The two men kept glancing at each other, repeatedly reaching for their pouches and then stopping.
If that was all, Sir Roland might have just ignored it and moved on.
“Hey, both of you, stop. There’s still an hour until the start.”
“Tch! You’re lucky, you know.”
“You’re the one who should watch out. Next time we meet, I’ll show you the chieftain’s axe.”
“You’ll be crushed by my knight order before you even gather the resources to summon that chieftain.”
“You punk!”
A man appeared to stop them, but they continued their incomprehensible argument.
And despite their loud voices, almost no one passing by or the shopkeepers seemed to pay them any attention.
As if this was a completely normal scene.
Moreover, Sir Roland, as a grandmaster, instinctively sensed it.
Those two men, and even the seemingly ordinary passersby.
Beyond that, the entire city was filled with a sense of ‘conflict.’
‘It’s like stepping onto a battlefield.’
What could possibly be happening for even ordinary territory residents to exude such intense fighting spirit?
And why does everyone seem to have that pouch on their waist?
‘…Let’s head to the Magic Tower first.’
He was dying of curiosity, but work comes first. He could figure things out after finishing his task.
Sir Roland began making his way toward Glesia Magic Tower.
Strangely, the closer he got to the Magic Tower at the center of the territory, the more the number of passersby increased. But most of them weren’t walking around or shopping—instead, they were eyeing each other suspiciously.
There was.
What on earth is going to happen in this territory?
Swallowing his growing curiosity, Knight Roland arrived at the entrance of the Magic Tower.
“……Knight Roland?”
“Hmm? Are you perhaps Olfin’s disciple?”
“Yes, that’s correct. What brings you here?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask. Why have you come all the way from Arkhé to Glesia?………Ah, is Kyle Byron here as well?”
“Yes, he is.”
[Grr.]
Blocking the entrance of the Magic Tower like gatekeepers were a magician and a spirit.
Their faces seemed familiar, and indeed, they were the ones he had seen at the Arkhé Magic Tower before.
They were the ones he had met during the Bang tournament. Their presence here could only mean one thing.
That Kyle Byron was also in this Magic Tower.
‘What a strange coincidence.’
Last time, the Beggar Archmage had come to Kyle Byron with a personal request, so they hadn’t even had a proper farewell.
In this vast Empire, they had coincidentally met again, so maybe this was a chance to have a proper conversation.
Thinking this, Knight Roland was about to enter the Magic Tower when…
“Hey, you! You can’t go into the Magic Tower yet!”
“……Huh?”
A magician who seemed to belong to the Glesia Magic Tower approached and stopped him.
He was wearing a hood, and since not many people knew his face anyway, it was natural they wouldn’t recognize him.
But why couldn’t he enter the Magic Tower?
“The tournament is about to start, so preparations………Wait, hold on.”
“…………?”
“You don’t have a ‘weapon,’ do you?”
“Huh?”
A weapon? Could they not see the sword at his waist?
For a moment, he was confused, but then the magician clicked his tongue and continued.
“Outsider, are you just a regular person not participating in the tournament?”
“……Could you explain?”
“You don’t have a pouch. If you did, you’d be holding it, but you don’t have one at all.”
It wasn’t that he was upset about being stopped by a kid and being spoken to informally. In fact, he deliberately kept a low profile because people would make a fuss if they recognized him.
Instead, Knight Roland saw this as an opportunity. A chance to find out what was really going on in this territory.
Especially since they had mentioned the pouch that had been bothering him.
“What exactly is going on? I’ve been noticing people with pouches on their waists since earlier.”
“All I can say is this: it’s dangerous for regular folks, so get out of here right now.”
“That’s right! Starting today, this city becomes a battlefield!”
The magician’s words made the nearby passersby chuckle and join in.
Others nearby nodded in agreement or touched their pouches.
“………What?”
Of course, Knight Roland, a Grandmaster who had actually participated in real wars, was now suddenly treated as a ‘regular person’ and left utterly dumbfounded.
