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484: Elna and Linne

 

To calm the continuously crying Elna, we temporarily left the martial arts tournament venue.

 

We sat on a bench at one of the many food stalls set up and slowly began to extract the details of the situation from Elna.

 

"What? Into the Gau River!?"

 

"Yes... We ended up on a bridge in Mismede, but it was rotten and suddenly collapsed. Linne and I fell..."

 

"Did you get hurt!? Are you okay!?"

 

Elze, who was sitting next to Elna, raised her voice in concern. Seeing this, Elna gave a troubled smile.

 

"Yes, we're fine. We barely managed not to fall into the river. But we both dropped our smartphones into the river. So we couldn't contact anyone..."

 

Ah, so that's it.

 

The mass-produced smartphones made by the Doctor have 【Apport】 and 【Teleport】 attached to them to ensure they can be retrieved even if they are stolen or lost.

 

However, I'm the only one who can use these features to retrieve the smartphones, so they must have been helpless.

 

"We were trying to figure out how to contact Brunhild, and then we heard about the martial arts tournament. We thought His Majesty the Beast King would be there, so we planned to ask him to contact you..."

 

"Well done! You did a great job! As expected of my daughter!"

 

Elze hugged Elna tightly and rubbed her cheek against hers. Elna blushed with embarrassment.

 

I see. She's just like her mother, Elze, and Linze. If His Majesty the Beast King saw these children, he would surely contact me. Even if we stayed silent, I would have received a message today or tomorrow.

 

However, there's a problem. The mass-produced smartphones have serial numbers engraved on them, and I can retrieve them based on those numbers, but I don't know the numbers of the smartphones made in the future. The owners themselves probably don't know either.

 

It's a hassle, but I'll have to use 【Search】 later to retrieve them.

 

While I was thinking about that, Sue, who was sitting on the opposite side of Elze, asked a question.

 

"How old are Elna and Linne?"

 

"Um, we're both seven years old. I was born a month earlier, so I'm the older sister."

 

Elna is the sixth daughter, and Linne is the seventh. Since Kuhn is the third daughter, there are two in between. And there are two more below Linne.

 

I'm not sure if they're Yumina or Lou, Sue or Sakura's children.

 

Sue and Sakura were trying to ask about their own children, but Elna hesitated and didn't want to talk about it. It seems Grandma Tokie told her not to say much.

 

Seeing her troubled daughter, Elze shut down their questions. Reluctantly, they gave up, and Elna looked relieved to be free from the barrage of questions.

 

At the same time, a cute sound came from somewhere.

 

When I looked, I saw Elna holding her stomach and blushing.

 

"Um, we haven't eaten yet..."

 

"Come to think of it, we were in the middle of lunch too. Let's grab a bite here. Shopkeeper! Three skewers for each of us!"

 

"Got it!"

 

Sue ordered from the stall owner. Although there was plenty of food in the 【Storage】, it would be awkward to take it out and eat it here amidst the bustling food stalls.

 

Well, it's a festival, so we might as well enjoy it. I took a skewer that was soon brought and handed it to Linze, who was sitting next to me.

 

"Here, Linze."

 

"Ah, thank you..."

 

Linze smiled as she accepted it. She seemed a bit worried about her daughter Linne, who was participating in the tournament. Her eyes were directed at Elze and Elna hugging each other.

 

"Don't worry. With her skills, she won't lose to just anyone. She's definitely Linze's daughter."

 

"Thank you, Sakura."

 

Linze smiled at Sakura's encouraging words. But still, that girl has the strength of a Gold or Silver rank, right...? She might breeze through the preliminaries and could even win the tournament... That might be a bit problematic, right?

 

"Since the goal is achieved, why not have Linne forfeit the tournament?"

 

"Um, Dad... I don't think that's possible."

 

Elna spoke hesitantly. ...I feel a bit of distance between me and Elna compared to Elze. She doesn't hate me, right...? I hope it's just that she's embarrassed after crying earlier.

 

"Linne loves these kinds of matches. If she loses, she might cry a bit, but she really hates giving up halfway. She might even cry a bit if she loses..."

 

She's a child, after all.

 

Kuhn and Frey are quite mature, so I didn't notice, but Linne seems to be a typical child.

 

"Hmm... This tournament is hosted by Mismede. It's the first tournament, so it's not ideal for royalty or related individuals to participate, even if they don't know our connection..."

 

Well, I'm not planning to announce that they're my daughters, but anyone would see the resemblance to Elze and Linze and assume some connection. Whether they're daughters or relatives, it's problematic either way.

 

If she loses in the main tournament, it's fine, but with her strength, she might easily win... That's quite a dilemma. As a father, I want her to win, but as a king, that's troublesome.

 

Mismede would probably prefer one of their own to win. It would be more exciting that way.

 

"By the way, what's with Linne's power? Is it an attribute-less magic?"

 

"Ah, yes. It's 【Gravity】."

 

Elna answered honestly to Elze's question. Ah... I see. That makes sense.

 

It's the same trick I often use. She enhances the impact by increasing the weight of her weapon at the moment of contact. In Linne's case, she can't remotely control the weight like my smartphone, so she probably enhances the weight of her gauntlets to increase the impact.

 

"Is it okay to use magic in the matches?"

 

"As long as it's not a direct attack or a healing spell, it's fine. Someone used 【Tailwind】 earlier."

 

Elna answered Sue's question. 【Tailwind】... A wind magic that increases one's speed by creating a tailwind. I don't use it much because I have 【Accel】 and 【Boost】.

 

Sakura asked Elna a similar question.

 

"Is Linne's hopping in the air also magic?"

 

"She's using 【Shield】 as a foothold to jump. It looks like she's hopping in the air because it's invisible..."

 

【Shield】! I see, that's an interesting use... 【Shield】 disappears quickly, but it lasts one or two seconds. It's enough to use as a foothold to run through the air. I'll try that next time.

 

And she has both 【Gravity】 and 【Shield】, two attribute-less magics...

 

Elna was even more impressive. She can use 【Multiple】, 【Recovery】, and 【Boost】. Elze was overjoyed to learn that her daughter could use the same attribute-less magic as her.

 

Kuhn has 【Program】, Elna has 【Boost】... Ah, and Yoshino, Sakura's daughter, can use 【Teleport】 too. It seems attribute-less magic is hereditary. Well, other daughters' attribute-less magics are inherited from me.

 

"So, what should we do about Linne?"

 

"Take her home with 【Teleport】 without a word."

 

"Well, that's..."

 

I showed reluctance to Sakura's blunt suggestion. She'd probably cry her eyes out afterward...

 

"If she loses, she'll accept it and go home, right? Why not ask His Majesty the Beast King to match her with a strong opponent?"

 

"Well... Judging by the previous matches, she'd need someone really strong..."

 

"Then I'll disguise myself with 【Mirage】 and fight her. Since Linne is my disciple like Alice, it should be fine."

 

Elze proposed a ridiculous idea, but is that possible...? If I ask His Majesty the Beast King or Chancellor Glatz, they might allow it...

 

"No, if Linne is Elze's disciple, she might recognize the fighting style. If anyone, it should be me..."

 

"I'll do it."

 

"Huh?"

 

Everyone was taken aback when Linze, sitting next to me, quietly raised her hand.

 

"Seeing my older sisters, I want to play with my daughter too."

 

Well, playing... Even if you say it with a smile, it's essentially a fight, right? Is it really okay for your first interaction with your daughter to be a brawl?

 

"However, Linze is a magician, right? Can she fight without using attack magic?"

 

"I'm not aiming to harm the opponent, and within the rules of the match, I can manage just fine. I've had proper training for that."

 

Certainly, Linze doesn't stand out in strength compared to everyone else, but she's not weak. Frankly speaking, she possesses a level of strength that ordinary adventurers can't match. After all, she has mastered ancient magic, synthesis magic, and even spirit magic from Babylon's [Library].

 

"Hey, Elna. Linne tends to get carried away sometimes, doesn't she? Didn't she say something like 'this tournament will be a breeze'?"

 

"Uh, yeah. Wow, how did you know?"

 

"Hehe. I know. I heard similar things often when I was a child."

 

"L-Linze!? B-but, not in front of the children!"

 

Elze raised her voice in a panic at Linze's comment. Sensing this, we sent her warm gazes. So she really does say those things...

 

"It's a mother's duty to see how much her daughter has grown, right? Is that okay, Touya-san?"

 

"Well, if Linze says so, I guess it's fine, but..."

 

I doubt Linze would go so far as to beat Linne to a pulp. It would be enough to make her admit defeat without causing injury, like when Hilda and Frey fought... but since there can be out-of-ring losses, it might not be possible.

 

Hmm, while pondering this, my phone, tucked away in my pocket, starts ringing. Huh? It's from Minister Gratz of Mismede.

 

"Hello, yes?"

 

"Oh, Your Majesty Brunhilde. Are you by any chance visiting Mismede?"

 

"Oh, yes. You figured that out quickly, didn't you?"

 

"Haha. We could see Your Majesty and the others from the special viewing seats. Would you like to come over?"

 

Certainly, Gratz's location is part of the VIP seats built in some high places. It's amazing that they could see us from there. Ah, Gratz is a bird beastman, so I wonder if he has good eyesight.

 

Since I've been invited, I might as well go and see. I'll try discussing this matter with him.

 

---

 

Later on...

 

"Huh? Elna isn't here... Maybe she's picking flowers?"

 

Linne peeks towards the arena from the window of the waiting room. Her older sister, who was there just moments ago, is now gone. Did something happen? She starts feeling a little anxious. It's really inconvenient without a smartphone.

 

In the waiting room, winners of the matches are resting their bodies, stretching, meditating, each concentrating in their own way for the upcoming matches.

 

Twelve participants have made it through, including Linne. Two of them are currently in the infirmary due to injuries.

 

Recovery magic isn't omnipotent. If the injuries are severe, they might have to withdraw from the competition. Blood lost doesn't return, and stamina doesn't recover completely.

 

If someone withdraws, it counts as a win by default, allowing others to advance. Linne isn't worried about it, but most of the others seem to be hoping for the withdrawal of injured participants.

 

In addition to the twelve who made it through, there are four additional participants as recommended entries. So, a total of sixteen participants will compete for the championship, but among them is the King of this country, Beast King Jamuka Brow Mismede.

 

If noticed by the King, it could even lead to an official position. It's not unreasonable for participants to wish for the withdrawal of their rivals.

 

Soon, the door of the waiting room opens with a clatter, and three people enter. One is a beastman referee who will oversee the matches. Another is a young man who went to the infirmary. The remaining person is someone the other participants have never seen before.

 

"Due to the withdrawal of Bail-sama, who passed the preliminaries, we have decided to add a new recommended participant. This is Linlin-sama joining us."

 

"I-I'm Linlin. P-pleased to meet you..."

 

Linlin, introduced as such, bows timidly and greets everyone. It seems there won't be any default wins.

 

She's around sixteen or seventeen years old, with braided blonde hair. She carries a short staff with a star-shaped head, and a yellow star-shaped badge gleams on her left chest. She's not wearing armor, instead dressed in a black gothic-style jacket and tiered skirt, with black knee-high socks.

 

It's clear at a glance that she's a mage type. It's rare for mages to participate in this martial arts tournament since direct magic attacks are prohibited, but it's not completely unheard of. In fact, among those who passed the preliminaries, there are several who use magic.

 

"Now, Linlin-sama, please come to the recommended participants' waiting room."

 

"Um, I'm fine here, actually. I get nervous over there..."

 

"...? I see. Well, if that's how you feel."

 

The young referee finds it a bit strange but decides that since the Beast King is over there, he might be concerned about being too nervous and not performing well.

 

Since it's a recommendation from Minister Gratz, her skills should be reliable, but it will be difficult for a mage to win this tournament. At the very least, she should be allowed to relax in the waiting room to fight without pressure.

 

"Now, participants, please wait here for a while."

 

Saying that the young referee leaves the waiting room. All eyes are now on Linlin, the girl introduced, and the reactions vary. Some lose interest upon identifying her as a mage, others glare at her warily, and some seem concerned but look away.

 

Among them, there's one girl who doesn't glare but instead tilts her head, staring directly at Linlin—Linne.

 

"U-um, is something the matter?"

 

"Hmm...? Um, onee-chan, have we met somewhere before?"

 

"Huh!? I-I think this is our first time meeting!?"

 

"Is that so...? Maybe it's just my imagination. Oh well. Want to sit here?"

 

Linne pats the seat next to her on the bench. Timidly, Linlin sits down, and the adjacent Linne smiles and extends her hand.

 

"I'm Linne... uh, nice to meet you, one-chan!"

 

"...Nice to meet you, Linne-chan."

 

Linlin casually shakes the hand offered with a smile, but inside her heart, her pulse is racing, and she's barely containing the urge to scream out loud.

 

　　◇　◇　◇

 

《Fufufuwaah! Kawaii! Linne is so cute! This child is mine and Touya-san's......! C-can I hug her......! My daughter───! About how incredibly cute she is────!》

 

Linlin, now transformed from Linze with the transformation badge, screamed from the top of her heart. She was at maximum excitement upon finally meeting her daughter.

 

Any envy she had towards her sister until recently was completely blown away. This is unbearable. Cuteness is justice.

 

"Is Onee-chan a magician?"

 

"Y-yeah, that's right. Is that weird?"

 

"Nuh-uh! My mom is also a magician. So I know how strong magicians are. But I'll be the one to win!"

 

"I see......"

 

Her bold statement was adorable too. Linze struggled to keep her expression from softening as she listened.

 

"Linne-chan, does your mom like magic too?"

 

"She gets scary sometimes when she's mad...... But I love her. She always tells me lots of stories when I go to sleep...... I'll get to see her soon. I'm going to see her with Elna onee-chan. And then......"

 

Her voice towards the end was small and lonely. Linze hugged Linne tightly.

 

"Onee-chan......?"

 

Linne looked up at Linze with a puzzled expression. Startled, Linze let go of Linne. She had hugged her unconsciously. She must have been misunderstood. She had to come up with an excuse quickly, and Linze stammered apologies.

 

"S-sorry! It's, um, because you reminded me of my little sister, so I......!"

 

She thought it was a painful excuse, but she tried to cover it up somehow.

 

"Does Onee-chan have a little sister too? I have one little sister and one little brother."

 

Linne answered with a smile, and Linze breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had managed to deceive her.

 

Just then, the door to the waiting room opened with a clatter again, and two people entered: the judge from earlier and a soldier of Mismede.

 

"We apologize for the wait. The match schedule has been decided, so please cooperate. We will call you when it's time, so please wait here until then."

 

The two soldiers posted the match schedule on the wall. The participants stood before it, confirming their opponents and those who might face them if they advanced.

 

"Ah! My opponent is Onee-chan!"

 

"It looks like it."

 

Linze wasn't surprised because she had asked Gurattsu, the prime minister of Mismede, to make it so. Of course, Linze was supposed to withdraw, citing an injury or some other reason, even if she won. That's why she couldn't lose to her daughter.

 

"It's a match! Since Onee-chan is a magician, should I go easy on you?"

 

"...Linne-chan, Onee-chan is probably as strong as Linne-chan's mom, so if you show off, you might get your legs swept out from under you."

 

She said that intending to caution Linne, who still seemed to be underestimating her opponent, but Linne visibly became displeased with a "Muuu~". Maybe she felt like her pride had been hurt. Linze started to panic a little.

 

"...That's a lie. Besides our family, there's no one as strong as Linne-chan's mom! I can easily defeat Onee-chan!"

 

"Huh, really?" Linze's eyes widened. She was pleased as a mother to be so loved, but she seemed to be seen somewhere under her opponent. But well, she's a child, so that's inevitable, and Linze smiled. Her own sister was that type too. She laughed nostalgically.

 

Linne turned her face away from Linze with a "puff", crossed her arms, and pursed her lips in silence. Maybe she felt like her family had been made fun of.

 

But even with that puffed-up attitude, Linze found Linne lovable. She felt a strange feeling that without a doubt, this child was her own.

 

"Okay, let's battle."

 

"I won't lose!"

 

With their respective thoughts in their hearts, mother and daughter exchanged glances.