Chapter 10

"From here on out, what are we going to do?"

"It's not up to me to decide."

"Maybe we should aim for a harem."

"You look a bit too serious, don't you?"

Well, you can dream, can't you...?

But this guy has been in a bad mood ever since. I wonder why. I'm even trying to start a conversation with him.

"By the way, what kind of Noble Phantasm do you have?"

When I asked him that, Sharah answered with a pout.

"Are you asking me that?"

Actually, I've been curious about it all along. I didn't ask before because it seemed like Sharah didn't want to talk about it, but my curiosity finally got the better of me.

"Well, it's fine... I'm called a 'Source of Magic,' and as the name suggests, I possess an amount of magical energy that a human can't handle."

Ah, I see, that's what it is. When I heard that, I must have looked disappointed. I thought there would be more to it, but it seems that's all there is.

I was disappointed because I don't have any magic power myself, so I can't use magic. That's why it felt so irrelevant to me.

"What kind of reaction is that after asking?"

"Nothing, really..."

Sharah and I were walking down a path in the forest. We had parted ways with Bridgegate a while ago, and I was heading for the next town, but we've been walking for about three hours now.

When I say "heading for the next town," I don't even know where it is. We just followed the path we found, but there's no sign of leaving the forest.

"You're not complaining at all, huh?"

"Is it okay to complain?"

I thought she was walking without any complaints (well, not entirely), but it seems she's still unhappy. I'm enjoying the otherworldly atmosphere around us, so I don't mind walking, but it seems Sharah isn't as enthusiastic.

If I carried her, we could move faster, but Sharah stubbornly refuses.

"I used to carry you so much..."

"That's creepy, what are you talking about?"

This guy doesn't seem to have any intention of falling for me...

And then, silence. Our conversation keeps cutting off. Even if we don't have much to talk about, can't you at least try to be more considerate?

I'm hungry, and I want to get to the next town as soon as possible. Bridgegate wouldn't just drop us off in the middle of nowhere, so there must be a town nearby.

If I didn't have this limitation, I would have already created a Nitrode Special and sped down this forest path, but in reality, that's not possible.

If we don't seem to be getting there by nightfall, I plan to carry Sharah and speed up, but will we make it?

"Do you have any money, Ria?"

"!?"

That was a blind spot. I don't have a single coin. I don't even know what the currency is in this world.

"Uh, I have a little."

"Show me."

"I don't have any, sorry."

When I said that, Sharah sighed in exasperation.

"Huh, what are we going to do?"

"We'll figure it out now."

"...I'll leave it to you."

Sharah said that with a resigned tone.

Actually, now that I think about it, can't I just create money? I can't create it without seeing the real thing, though.

Creating money aside, there are other issues. For example, these clothes. They're pretty worn out, and I want to get new ones. Sharah's too.

Most importantly, I need a purpose for this journey.

Just traveling is fine, but since I'm in another world, I want to have some kind of goal. Even if a harem is out of the question, I want to do something that feels like an adventure in another world.

While thinking about all this, I realized something.

It wasn't just a matter of being inconsiderate as a man; it was something I should have noticed long ago, something really serious.

"You're barefoot!?"

"...You didn't notice?"

Unconsciously, I was already on my knees.

Even if it's just this girl, I made her walk barefoot for about three hours. That would make anyone upset and complain. I was walking a little ahead of Sharah, so I didn't notice, but I really want to punch myself for not realizing.

"I'm really sorry."

I looked up at Sharah from a low angle.

Then I took off my shoes and offered them to her.

"They smell, so I don't need them."

Even though she said that, I felt really guilty.

Sharah's feet were all scuffed up and looked painful to see.

"No, I'm really sorry."

"It's not a big deal."

With that, Sharah started walking again.

Sharah passed by me, her dress swaying.

As I watched her go, I couldn't help but lift the hem of her dress.

"What...!?"

"...Huh?"

"Y-You... No panties!"

"What are you doing!?"

Before I could finish speaking, I got a punch to the nose. But sadly, my body, enhanced by God, is immune to such attacks.

Just as I was getting cocky, I got a finger jab in the eye.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!!!"

I writhed and screamed. An eye jab is a foul, Sharah!

"D-Did you see!?"

"C-Cute butt..."

I got a second eye jab.

---

"Hey, let's become treasure hunters."

I muttered that to Sharah, but she didn't respond.

I followed Sharah, who was walking barefoot, splashing along. She's been ignoring me the whole time.

"Sharah, cheer up, please."

I tried to create shoes, but I failed and ended up with a piece of konjac. The criteria for success or failure in creation are completely incomprehensible.

Since Sharah was walking barefoot, I felt bad and took off my shoes, so now I'm barefoot too. It's surprisingly liberating and feels good.

But with my travel companion so upset, the sense of liberation is diminished. I've apologized and tried to talk to her multiple times, but she's been ignoring me, and I'm starting to feel defeated.

I was about to give up on cheering Sharah up and just walk in silence when, unexpectedly, she spoke to me.

"Hey, isn't that a town?"

"Are you serious?"

I was more interested in the discovery of the town than the fact that Sharah had spoken to me.

But when I looked in the direction Sharah was pointing, I couldn't see anything that looked like a town. I decided to jump up and check from above.

"Hmph!"

When I flew up and looked from the sky, I could see a town after a while of forest. It was quite large.

If Sharah could see that from the ground, she must have better eyesight than me.

I confirmed that and started to fall, then landed.

"It's definitely a town."

"Finally, I'm hungry..."

Finding the town lifted my spirits.

Our pace quickened, even though we were barefoot.

---

We entered the town without much trouble.

The first thing we thought about was food, but the problem was that we had no money.

I thought if I could just see the real thing, I might be able to create it, so I suggested to Sharah that we look for money that might be lying around in alleys.

Of course, she refused.

"Then what are we supposed to do!?"

I shouted that in the middle of the town. I noticed that we were quite conspicuous walking around barefoot, and I met the gaze of passersby from time to time.

"Let's at least try to fix our appearance."

"We can't do anything without money."

That's true. Sharah's mood seemed to have improved a little, but she still wouldn't look me in the eye.

Too much tsundere!

Feeling at a loss, I found this notice.

'Guild "Heavenly Prison Calendar," Arm Wrestling Tournament! Who is the No. 1 in the guild!? The grand prize is 10 Fiorino gold coins! (Everyone can participate)'

The notice had a map of the venue and the date and time of the event. It said that registration would end at sunset today.

"Sharah, how much is 10 Fiorino gold coins?"

"You could live comfortably for five years even if you squander it."

F-Five years?

"Alright, I'm going."

When I said that and tried to run off, Sharah stopped me.

"Wait! The Heavenly Prison Calendar is one of the top guilds in the country. There's no way you can win."

Is that all?

"No, no, I can do it."

"Huh, you'll just embarrass yourself..."

She said that, but she reluctantly followed me. She might have a little hope.

---

When we arrived at the guild "Heavenly Prison Calendar," the entrance was crowded with people.

It wasn't that people were swarming the registration desk; it was that the spectators had already gathered. With so many people before sunset, it must be a big event.

I signed up and received an explanation from the receptionist.

According to the explanation, the arm wrestling would take place in the guild's entrance hall, and the matches up to the semifinals would be held simultaneously.

I learned that there were 258 participants, including me, which was more than I expected, and I was a bit nervous.

The first round would start as soon as the pairings were decided, and we were to wait in the entrance hall until then.

When Sharah and I entered the entrance hall, it was already filled with muscular men, hooded mysterious characters, and other strong-looking individuals.

Well, if I can match or even surpass the knight captain, I should be able to do it. I decided to be optimistic, but I was a bit nervous.

"Can you really win...?"

"Maybe I got a bit carried away..."

"You can withdraw if you want."

"I'll do my best."

I sat at an empty table and had this conversation with Sharah.

I didn't expect such a serious atmosphere.

Sure, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves with drinks, but when I looked into their eyes, I could see that everyone was here to win.

After talking with Sharah for a while, the receptionist announced in the entrance hall.

"The draw is complete! Please check the bulletin board for your match details! The first round will begin immediately!"

To avoid crowding at one bulletin board, several notices were posted.

I left Sharah at the table and charged into the crowd to check my opponent's name.

I managed to confirm my opponent's name.

Vincent Lane? I had no idea who he was.

I tried to find my opponent, but I realized it was impossible.

After a while, the first round of matches began, and arm wrestling tables were set up in various places. The participants took their positions.

My first match was in the second round, so I moved to the designated table in advance.

"Fight!" I heard that cry from various places. The matches had started.

Crowds gathered around the tables where the arm wrestling was taking place, and the number of spectators at the famous participants' tables was overwhelming.

In the midst of this, I was doing some light stretching near the table where my match would take place.

"Even if you don't win, you can still get a prize if you do well, apparently."

"I'm only aiming for the grand prize..."

In response to Sharah's comment, I inadvertently put on a stubborn front.

Sharah gave me a nasty smile and went to watch a different table.

Is this a subtle way of saying, "If you lose in the first round, it's over"? She could have cheered me on.

The matches continued one after another, and the excitement was palpable everywhere.

When my match was about to start, I saw my opponent for the first time.

He looked to be about my age, and I was a bit taller.

Yeah, here comes the easy win. Of all people, a kid in an arm wrestling tournament?

It's like a joke or a punishment game.

My opponent and I took our positions.

Since no one was interested in our match, the spectators had dispersed to other tables.

That means this guy is unknown and not very good. At least I won't lose in the first round. Plus, he's unnecessarily handsome, which will help me relieve some stress.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the first round and the start of the second.

I rotated my arm and exhaled through my nose. I rolled up my sleeve, crouched down, and placed my elbow on the table.

I made a "come at me" gesture with my fingers.

I'll make sure you never enter this tournament again, you weakling. That was my veteran's determination as I taunted him.

He placed his elbow on the table without reacting to my taunt.

Wow, his arms are scrawny...

As I thought that, we firmly clasped hands. The moment we did, I was confident of victory. All I had to do was wait for the referee's signal.

I had a relaxed expression, even picking my nose with one hand.

Let's end this in an instant.

"Ready..."

I focused on the referee's signal. My goal was to win in 0.5 seconds.

"Fight!!!"

"Instant win!!!"

A shock ran through my hand and the table, making a loud noise. I was shocked.

W-What...?

Despite my confidence in an instant win, there were two right hands on the table, evenly matched.

The table groaned under the strain.

What...? What...?

I couldn't grasp the situation. Is this guy as strong as me?

I looked up at his face while putting all my strength into the match.

Our eyes met.

He looked surprised too, probably not expecting to match my strength.

His surprised face was also handsome, which irritated me.

"Damn it!!!"

I pushed harder, gaining the upper hand. But he wasn't giving in and pushed back with equal force.

How long did we stay like that? Our faces were red, and we were grunting as we pushed against each other's hands.

At that point, I was determined not to lose, regardless of the prize.

The matches around us were ending, and spectators started gathering around us.

Most of them were saying things like, "The kids' arm wrestling is boring" or "It's a cute fight," but I wanted to crush their heads between our clasped hands. Their heads would probably squish.

After a long battle, my opponent's strength finally wavered for a moment. I seized the opportunity and pushed harder.

"Push!!!"

I slammed his hand onto the table.

There were small cheers and applause.

Finally, it's over...

I was immersed in a sense of superiority as I looked at my opponent's face. But he was already gone.

Was he so upset that he wet his pants?

I sat at an empty table to catch my breath.

Thinking about it calmly, winning was good, but the fact that this guy was this strong gave me a sense of despair, like "He's the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings!"

I secretly gave up on the prize.

At the very least, I decided to remember Vincent Lane's name as my first tough opponent in this world.

---

In the second round, I won by default. Apparently, my opponent suddenly fell ill.

After the second round, we had a short break.

While I was talking to Sharah about the first round and indulging in the sweet fantasy of winning by default in the next rounds, I came up with the perfect, flawless, strongest, and invincible idea.

I want a default win, a default win, a default win. That's it, I'll slip him a laxative.

That's how I came up with the idea.

If I can't win, I just need the opponent to lose. I don't have to win; I just need the opponent to lose.

So, I decided to slip a laxative into the opponent's food or drink, hehe.

"Sharah, I'm going to warm up a bit."

"Okay."

I told Sharah and got up from my seat.

Of course, I wasn't going to warm up; I was going to confirm my opponent and then quickly slip him the laxative.

I had once pranked a friend with a laxative and learned all about it, including its effects and components.

In other words, I can create it!

I immediately went outside the guild to check if I could create the laxative.

Sure enough, several familiar laxative tablets overflowed in my hand.

Is my creation ability playful in situations like this?

Regardless, I confirmed that I could create it, threw the tablets away, and returned to the entrance hall.

I managed to find my next opponent and created a large amount of powdered laxative in his cup.

Then I hid and watched my opponent.

After a while, he tilted the cup and poured the drink into his mouth.

He gulped it down without realizing the laxative was in it.

Seeing that, I was so happy that I skipped back to Sharah, laughing.