Editing Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo:Volume 9 Chapter 2

==Chapter 2 - Finding the answer to the Golden Plate Mystery==

===Part 1===

[[Image:Mondaiji-tachi_ga_isekai_kara_kuru_soudesu_yo_v9_p42.png|thumb]]

—'''[No Name] Community grounds. Resting shed that faced the reservoir.'''

Leaves of the Water Tree rustled softly as a cool spring breeze lightly brushed them in passing.

The small shack was situated in the corner of the path that connected the reservoir to the small overgrown forest. And within the small shack, Kudou Asuka was mumbling to herself in a sleepy stupor as she read a book.

"...What a beautiful day."

The skies were clear and there were the sounds of the light breeze and flowing water.

It was indeed the best weather to be reading outside.

For an oujo-sama who had been born to riches and hence shut off in something similar to a birdcage, this was an extravagant way for Asuka to pass time.

And perhaps it was just too unusual for her to be accustomed to, her eyelids began to grow heavy and the sensation of drowsiness crept over her.

"... There won't be anyone watching. It is just a small shack that is so out of the way for anyone to come by anyways. Just a little nap would be fine, wouldn't it?"

Closing her book, Asuka elegantly smoothened out her dress as she leaned on the wall as she prepared to savour her afternoon nap while enjoying the blessing of the warm breeze and the cosiness that it brings.

===Part 2===

'''—An hour later.'''

Kasukabe carried a bunch of apples in her arms as she made her way towards the reservoir.

Perhaps it was a passing thought of hers to relish her snacks in the small shack.

Thus, Yō, who usually lacked the display of emotions of her expression, was wearing an expression that evidently showed her good mood today.

"...Ara? There's someone here before me?"

Halting her steps, she tilted her head as she peered at the two figures in the small shack.

One of them, characterized by the red formal dress and long straight hair, the girl was undoubtedly Kudou Asuka. Seeing her in this remote small shack, where she might have wanted to spend the holidays, was nothing too special.

The problem was about that other figure in the shack.

The one who wore a headphone around his neck, a gakuran male high school uniform while supporting a thick and heavy tome of an encyclopaedia with one hand—

"Izayoi? What are you doing?"

"Isn't it understandable with just a glance? ...It's a lap pillow." Declaring with a smug expression, Izayoi was providing a lap pillow for Asuka while reading a book along the corridor of the small shack where a pleasant ray of sunlight illuminated the area.

Yō tilted her head as she continued, "… was it requested by Asuka?"

"How's that possible? I originally intended to take a look at the condition of the farmlands while  passing through this area. But, I stumbled upon Ojou-sama who was having such a blissful afternoon nap with so many openings to be exploited and I decided to tease her a little."

"Tease her?"

"Mhm Mhm. —Give it a thought will you? If Ojou-sama were to wake up in this kind of situation she would definitely blush to the tips of her ears and scramble in a fluster. I wanted to catch her in that situation to tease her about it."

Oh, I see, giving a clap that seemed to say that she understood the matter.

"That, I want to see as well."

"Right?"

"Mhm. So like that, I will be joining in." Saying that, she sat beside Izayoi and made a lap pillow out of his other thigh.

At this point, even Izayoi was sent into a panic for a moment.

"... Kasukabe?"

"It is just nice that Izayoi have two legs and the weather is the most awesome for an afternoon nap. ... So like that, please wake me up at the same time that Asuka wakes up."

Ha~ giving a yawn and assuming her position for an afternoon nap. It was exactly like the behavior of a large feline. This must be the feeling of being huddled up with a lion or leopard I guess, Izayoi gave a bitter smile as he resumed his reading.

[[Image:Mondaiji-tachi_ga_isekai_kara_kuru_soudesu_yo_v9_p46.png|thumb]]

===Part 3===

'''—Yet, another hour has passed.'''

"... Wow. The both of them are still asleep."

Having completed the book in his hand, Izayoi expressed his surprise about the two who were still sleeping soundly on his laps. Perhaps it was out of his estimations that they would still be asleep for that long.

With nothing to do at hand, Izayoi was also preyed upon by the drowsiness of the Sandman's grasp.

"It's a sunny day with the breeze of spring and the sound of running water. If I were to say it myself, it is indeed the conditions for an afternoon nap."

But if he did allow himself to be tempted by sleep, it would be a pity to miss the flustered reactions of Asuka. Just when he was entertaining the thought of "simply knocking her head to wake her", which was not of his usual way of doing things, an energetic voice came from the path that led from the Community's main building.

"Guys, This is bad! Things are going awry~!"

The rabbit ears bounced up and down as KuroUsagi bounded up the path from the Community's main buildings to the shack facing the reservoir and braked sharply.

Having found Izayoi and the others, KuroUsagi practically flew in her bounds and leaps to close in on Izayoi.

"Things are going very wrong! Things are going very wrong! Things are going very wro"

"You are being noisy."

<nowiki>*Pak!* And an apple flew towards KuroUsagi's forehead.</nowiki>

Still in her excitement, even if her forehead was now red and swollen, she continued to chatter away with the apple clutched in hand.

"Any, Anyways, please take a look at this! They are passing out these things outside,"

"You are being noisy."

<nowiki>*Pak!* And yet another apple flew towards KuroUsagi's forehead and landed a fatal strike. Not expecting the second apple to follow the first, KuroUsagi finally toppled over to face the skies.</nowiki>

At the same time, a golden board fell beside Izayoi.

"...? What's this?"

Taking the golden plate that felt very weighty in his hand, Izayoi stared at it in surprise.

"What is this golden slab? It sure seems to be the real thing from its density."

"It, It is real... and KuroUsagi's forehead really hurts..." clutching the apples in both hands this time, her eyes reflected the light from her tears as she complained.

Just then, KuroUsagi finally noticed Asuka and Yō.

"...Hmm? May I ask….. how, how did things become like this?"

"A rabbit doesn't have to think of things in a complicated fashion. So, what is this about the golden plate?"

<nowiki>*Klunk!*Izayoi gave the golden plate a knock as he asked Kuro Usagi.</nowiki>

Seeming to have waited for this question for a long time, Kuro Usagi puffed up her chest as she answered.

"Please listen up carefully! This golden plate is the [Geass Roll] for the Gift Game hosted for the inheritance of the alchemical secrets— <RaimundusLullus>!"

Wha? Izayoi gave a disbelieving squawk.

"Do you mean that <RaimundusLullus>? The philosopher Raimundus Lullus?" <ref>[magrefnotes: Raimundus Lullus (1235~1316), one of his works is the <<The mystery of Mother Nature: the Fifth Element>>. In theory, alchemy only recognises the four big elements and so this ‘fifth element' was deemed to be the Philosopher's stone. At the same time, Lullus was the first to attempt the assimilating of the Cabbala into the theories of alchemy. This Cabbala should refer to the Tree of Life.]</ref>

"That's right! Using the alchemical technique to transform lead to gold, the one who solved the truth of alchemy for the world— the great man who reached the technique of transmutation! And this Gift Game was hosted for the sake of conferring that great truth!"

HeeHee. Kuro Usagi was so joyful that her rabbit ears were waving from side to side.

If they were able to obtain the Gift that gave the ability to transmute gold, they would not have to run around to raise funds anymore. It was a chance for the Community to instantly replenish its financial reserves.

Izayoi was partially doubting her words as he gave a glance over at the Golden plate with his steady gaze.

—The contents of the <RaimundusLullus> game were as follow.

[–Name of Gift Game: "RaimundusLullus"—

Participant qualification B: The Kind

Opponents: The Great.

The Heir

The Strength possessor.

The Intelligent

The Determined

The Virtuous

Conditions for defeat: Losing the [Geass Roll] is equivalent to losing the participation rights.

Conditions to win: Gather all the "Plates of Lullus" and you shall receive the glory of the truth.

Additional information: The Game shall begin when all participants have finished their preparations.

The end time for the Game is when all other contestants have been defeated.

Oath: Respecting the above information, swearing upon our glory and flag, this Gift Game is hosted by [Thousand Eyes].

"Seal of [Thousand Eyes]"]

"...Oi, Kuro Usagi."

"YesYes, is something the matter?"

"It says here that the host is the [ThousandEyes]. Is there really no problem with this?"

It was becoming increasingly suspicious. Heightening his cautiousness, he scrutinised the contents of the [Geass Roll] once more."

However, Kuro Usagi was more excited than was before as she waved her rabbit ears happily and looked at Izayoi with eyes brimming with hope.

"Regarding that point, it actually multiplies the trustworthiness of the game by a few fold! It is a game that took [ThousandEyes] a long time to prepare! This must surely be an incredible game and Kuro Usagi will not be wrong about that!... And,"

Suddenly her words fell to a whisper.

Kuro Usagi's index fingers and rabbit ears were tracing circles in the air as she suddenly shifted her gaze to the wasted pathways.

"it is time... for us to get the destroyed paths back in shape again. For that purpose, we would require some funds."

Upon Kuro Usagi's urging, Izayoi also looked towards the wasted paths.

Three years ago— the [No Name]s had been destroyed by a devastating impact from an unknown Demon Lord.

The formerly magnificent residential area was now covered by gravel and sand and the wooden structures by the sides were also collapsing from the constant decay. The iron supports and metal wiring  utilised in the construction of the structures along the path were also bending with rust. The withered trees that line the path were also left in the state of a pale white condition which made them look more like tombstone markers.

And in this residential area, it was the sleeping quarters of the children that included the Senior Group as well. Even if it weren't possible to repair the damages, the cleaning up of the land to prepare for the construction of newer houses was the least that they should make plans for.

"...Hai. I guess there's no other way!"

Not hiding the lack of enthusiasm in the matter, Izayoi got to his feet.

And because of that movement, it caused Asuka and Yō's heads to knock together.

"Ah!?"

"... Oww."

"Well now, how long do you girls plan to sleep? The break is over. The hosting of a large scale Gift Game is starting."

Izayoi waved the Golden plate before the duo.

But Kuro Usagi had frantically rushed over to interject, "No, But Izayoi-san. We don't even know the venue for the Game nor have we received the signal for the start of the game. There's no need for us to be in such a hurry right?"

<nowiki>...*Hai*, came a more unenthusiastic sigh as he tossed the Golden plate back to Kuro Usagi.</nowiki>

"—it's coming. Dodge to the right!"

Instantaneously, the atmosphere of the duo underwent a dramatic transformation.

Seeming to have taken that warning as a cue, a hail of arrows rained in from the overgrown forest. Whereas Izayoi and Kuro Usagi who had immediately entered the mental state for combat had carried Asuka and Yō respectively as they hurried away from the small shack.

"Aie!? Aie!?"

"Enemies...!?" Just like that, Asuka, who was still half asleep and unclear about the situation, was blinking her eyes in confusion.

Having smelt the enemies' presence, Yō was just a tad slower in entering her combat state.

Pulling out her [Vajra. Replica], Kuro Usagi shouted at them shakily, "May, May I ask what is this with your attacks and all?!"

"Didn't you read the contents of the roll, you stupid rabbit?! This game is the battle for the [Geass Roll]s—the Golden Plate! The game has already started a long time ago!"

In the instant that he shouted the reply, the ground under Izayoi's feet exploded like lighted gunpowder as he broke into a sprint. There were the presence of eight individuals lying in ambush in the forest and they were most probably werebeasts from their scent.

Izayoi dived into the blind spot of the second wave of arrows and deftly grabbed the wrist of one of the ambushers in the next leap. The male werebeast, who prided himself with a stature of two grown men, was surprised by the speed of Izayoi's lithe movements.

"Wha?! So fast!"

"Baka. It's you who's too slow." Giving a twist to the opponent's wrist while initiating a low sweep at the legs as he gave that haughty speech, Izayoi sent the werebeast into the air where it spun three and a half rounds before landing on its back in the blink of an eye.

"Bastard!"

"Actually doing that to our comrade...!"

"Surround him! Surround and shoot him together!"

The irate comrades of the tripped up werebeast dispersed to surround and close in on Izayoi.

There were six silhouettes of the werebeasts moving around in the overgrown forest and Izayoi who had already pinpointed their locations from the sides of his eyes picked up a stone in irritation—

"Hai... Really now,I thought that I would pass some time with you guys but in the end you guys are only sneaking around the covers of other people's territory? You lot of bastards, go and reflect well on your actions—!!!"

Allowing the anger within him to explode, Izayoi simply threw the stone towards the ground.

The various species of trees and shrubbery that have been left alone to grow wildly in the past few years were instantaneously blown into the sky by the impossible intensity of the force. The werebeasts were also forcefully dispatched as they were unable to withstand the blow.

Soon after, the glinting golden board fell from one of the hands of those werebeasts who were blown into the air like the other various carcasses of the forest.

"And that will be our first piece. ... Really now, this sure is a troublesome game. Is it really going to get us the technique for transmutation? Even if it is a big sale that doesn't care about the losses of the organiser, there should still be some sort of limit to it."

Scratching his head as he complained, he simultaneously turned the golden plate around. This, was the main thing that Izayoi had been unsatisfied about from the start.

The "Gold Transmutation Technique"— is not a scientific perspective but one that belonged to the arcane perspective of researching alchemy.

It was said to be called by various names such as "The secret technique of Lullus", "The secret tracks of the King", "The last Alchemy" and was one that many were in search for as it was known to be the Gifts of the highest grade.

Especially when the name of the game also utilises the name of ‘RaimundusLullus'—the Japanese Name? Raimundus Lullus, is a philosopher who had many interesting news about him being associated to the alchemy of gold.

''(One of those stories that is quite renowned is the legendary anecdote that he had given the King of England Edward III some gold. It was a story about transmuting many a dozen inferior metal bars into gold. But—)''

Thinking up to that point, Izayoi suddenly changed his gaze to glance at the contents of the golden plate.

[–Name of Gift Game: "RaimundusLullus"—

Participant qualification D: The Heir

Opponents: The Kind.

The Great.

The Strength possessor.

The Intelligent

The Determined

The Virtuous

Conditions for defeat: Losing the [Geass Roll] is equivalent to losing the participation rights.

Conditions to win: Gather all the "Plates of Lullus" and you shall receive the glory of the truth.

Additional information: The Game will begin when all participants have finished their preparations.

The end time for the Game is when all other contestants have been defeated.

Oath: Respecting the above information, swearing upon our glory and flag, this Gift Game is hosted by [Thousand Eyes].

"Seal of [Thousand Eyes]"]

—Just when Izayoi was puzzling over the contents,

The golden plate corroded into a rusty piece of metal and disintegrated on the spot in the blink of an eye.

"Wha...?"

Although he had wanted to catch them in his moment of panic, but the powdered up rust particles of the Golden plate continued to trickle away from the grasp of his hands with a rustling sound. It was just an instantaneous event. The gold had lost its radiance and disappeared into the wind.

===Part 4===

'''—[No Name] Community grounds, the small shack facing the reservoir.'''

It was a clear day with the smell of spring in the air as they consolidated the situation near the water's edge. At the same time, they were having tea with the pancakes and tea that Lily had prepared for them.

Lily, who wore her chef coat, was sitting in a seiza as she cocked her ear towards Asuka to ask.

"I've tried out this new recipe of the seaweed pancake. May I ask if it is to your tastes?"

"Mhmm, yes, it is really tasty. Thank you."

Asuka was dividing her pancake into small bite size portions before picking them up to put into her mouth.

Whereas Yō who was taking huge bites out of it found it unthinkable as she asked, "But, I really didn't expect for seaweed to be found in this world. Does the world of Little Garden have a sea somewhere?"

"Yes, there is a certain sea in the south that is very famous. And well, because the North have very broad frozen rivers, I'm not too sure about them..."

Lily's kitsunemimi drooped while Asuka and Yō nodded and smiled as they were taken aback by the information.

"Little Garden is quite wide huh? So long as we improve the fame of the Community and the name of Jin-chan, there might come the day that we will be welcomed by the famous Communities of the sea."

"You are right. For that purpose— Let's try to solve this Gift Game together."

Having had a well-rested afternoon nap, Asuka and Yō read the contents once more.

[–Name of Gift Game: "RaimundusLullus"—

Participant qualification B: The Kind

Opponents: The Great.

The Heir

The Strength possessor.

The Intelligent

The Determined

The Virtuous

Conditions for defeat: Losing the [Geass Roll] is equivalent to losing the participation rights.

Conditions to win: Gather all the "Plates of Lullus" and you shall receive the glory of the truth.

Additional information: The Game will begin when all participants have finished their preparations.

The end time for the Game is when all other contestants have been defeated.

Oath: Respecting the above information, swearing upon our glory and flag, this Gift Game is hosted by [Thousand Eyes].

"Seal of [Thousand Eyes]"]

"A golden [Geass Roll]... it sure is written in a special style huh?"

"Mhm. The contents also seem a little special. Do you know something about this, Izayoi?" Yō asked through her mouthfuls of pancake.

On the other hand, Izayoi was giving a curious expression as he stood akimbo and in a slightly soft and disappointed mutter,

"... Mah, it's nothing too difficult to comprehend. Come to think about it, the contents are also nothing too unusual", he replied.

"Is that so?"

"Aahh. Although the numbers do not add up, but this figure here refers to the smallest unit recorded in the "Lullus technique". The Latin alphabet assigned to us is the mark that represents that unit." He replied while casting a doubtful glance towards the Golden Plate.

The [Lullus technique] is simultaneously the name of the game as it is a term to refer to the secret technique of the alchemist ‘Raimundus Lullus'. And among the terms, the smallest units are the following nine.

B: Kindness

C: Greatness

D: Inheritance

E: Strength

F: Wits

H: Morals

I: Truth

K: Glory

The language where these acronyms reside and combine as one is a portion of the [Round Plate of Lullus].

"There is this Latin alphabet of the "B" carved into the top of the participant's eligibility right? This is the Latin alphabet to represent the word of ‘kindness'. The guys who attacked us earlier also had a similar Latin alphabet carved into their golden plate, so I can't be wrong about that." Izayoi explained while pointing at the apprehended aggressors.

They were no longer in the game due to their failure of holding onto their Golden Plate. Although it was alright to let them off now, but they were still the ambushers who had snuck and infiltrated the lands of another Community. Even if the act was committed in the midst of the game, this was clearly a violation of rules. But with the negotiations of Izayoi and the others, in exchange for the condition of not reporting to the [Floor Master], they were to repent for their actions through the transaction of forced menial labour for a set number of days.

Izayoi walked towards the villains as he questioned them once more about the details of their disintegrated Golden Plate.

"You are sure that the participant eligibility that was carved on your Golden Plate is that of the "Participant qualification D: The Heir" right?"

Using a high tone to talk down to them, the dog ears of the man drooped in fear as he answered.

"Ye, Yes. Regarding that point, it is absolutely right."

"Good. Next question. Did you temper around with the Golden Plate or was it already like that when you received it?"

"No, we didn't ... Ah, but we did hear the instructions that the content would be a little bit different for each respective Community that it is assigned to!"

"Ho?"

The dog eared man, who was trying to lighten his sentence, obediently answered the questions.

Aie?? Kuro Usagi tilted her head in surprise.

Having found that piece of intelligence from their interrogation, the problem children turned to look at Kuro Usagi at the same time.

"... Oi, Kuro Usagi. Was there explanations of that sort?"

"Aie? Well, that, Wait a moment! Or maybe they did say it too!"

"That is really vague for a reply. To actually skip over the explanation of the rules that was said by the Host, doesn't that make one feel less than enthusiastic about it?"

"Mhm. At this stage, if we are unable to clear the game, it will all be Kuro Usagi's fault."

Asuka and Yō's retort caused Kuro Usagi's ears to fall in dejection.

On the other hand, Izayoi stood akimbo as he asked for more clarification on the game from the villains.

"Then, besides that, did they say anything else about the game? Did they hint on any game rules about having to fight and wrest it from the others?"

"Eh, Mhm. I did hear that it is of importance to gather all seven types of Golden Plates to successfully clear the game. And for the battle for the Golden Plates, it must follow the minigames hosted by the possessors of the Participation eligibility......"

"... Hou, and that would mean that you guys who have used brute force to try wrest it from us, would be Participants who have broken the rules, am I right?" Izayoi's gaze had sharpened and intensified in an instant.

Having dug their own graves, the villians frantically huddled tighter.

Grinning devilishly, the problem children trio seem glad about having caught the weakness of their opponents as they started to poke at it.

"Ojou-sama, we must really tip our hats off to these guys! If it were just a simple intrusion onto our lands, we might be able to process this with discretion. But to think that they would dare to violate the game rules hosted by [ThousandEyes] too!"

"That's right. I would have suggested a week of forced labour to be enough to forgive them... But since this is the case, it would be much different right, Kasukabe-san?"

"Mhm. For the clearing of the fields, we might just have to work them for a whole year or so."

<nowiki>*Eek!* The villains gave a pitiful moan.</nowiki>

They were undoubtedly serious about it.

Kuro Usagi pitied the villains as she continued the topic.

"But to think that it is through the style of minigames. We do not have any prior experience of participating in this sort of game, do we?"

"Mhm Mhm."

"But, I did hear of it before. I remember that it is through the clearing of many small scale games right?"

Kuro Usagi nodded to affirm Yō's words.

Small scale games— were simplified games hosted within the umbrella of another game.

Using the style of many different games with their accompanying different sets of rules as the style of game play, it was a game that required the combined efforts of the Community to win all the games till the end.

"Hmph~...Mah, we have already gotten the fundamentals of the game. In other words, the disintegration of the Golden Plate is due to the illegal acquisition of the Plate without the process of clearing a minigame?... Hmph. It sure is an average game after all huh?"

Izayoi, who was a little worked up about it, had now returned to his suspicious regard for the Golden Plate.

Come to think about it, the [Technique of Lullus] did not have much presence in the Round Plate other than the fact that it appears as the symbols of the Latin alphabet. It was hard to believe that this was a Gift Game that would allow one to get their hands on the secret of alchemy known as the [Gold Transmutation technique].

''(There should be some sort of inner workings in this right?... In addition, this is something hosted by that Shiroyasha, it shouldn't become some sort of boring event right?)''

It was Izayoi's belief to participate in any sort of game with fun in mind. However, the game this time had only left him with a sour premonition. Moreover, the contents of the game did not match up to the title of [RaimundusLullus] and that was bothering him.

Up till date, these sort of Gift Games were hosted by Communities that were related to the game. But it felt a little off when this sort of alchemical Gift Game was hosted by Shiroyasha and it made Izayoi hesitant.

Yet, there was this nagging feeling that it would be a pity not to go along with the game.

''(The acronyms, Latin alphabets carved on the Golden Plate and the words that are born from the acronym that represents the [Technique of Lullus]. They hinted at the formation of words as being similar to the units that formed the material world, which is the key to encourage the birth of new concepts.)''

"Conditions to win: Gather all the "Plates of Lullus" and you shall receive the glory of the truth."

‘Gather', and the other ‘I: Truth', ‘K: Glory'. These elements exuded a vaguely suspicious aftertaste to the whole event that kind of bothered Izayoi.

''(Mah...it is only that much and I should not think too deeply about it should I?)''

He gave up in impatience. To be able to line up the similar words together but be unable to draw a connection between them would make further thoughts useless and so it was best to leave it aside for now.

On the other hand, the girls' group have placed Izayoi's worries aside as they were getting enthusiastic about the whole event.

"Since we now know that it is a battle to wrest it from the others, let's take action immediately!"

"That's right... we need to gather the seven types. We'd better hurry."

"How are we going about this? Do we split up to challenge the minigames of the other Communities?"

"YES! We are fortunate to have four of our fighters of [No Name] who can best a thousand each! This is because Kuro Usagi have also asked Leticia-sama to help us out. So, for the sake of acquiring those golden plates, Kuro Usagi would like to request for you guys to go your separate ways for the task!"

Saying that, Kuro Usagi sprinted towards the Community's Main building like an escaping rabbit.

The trio who were left behind exchanged a look with each other, seemingly helpless at the turn of events.

"Although Kuro Usagi seemed really enthusiastic about it... What should we do now? If I were to put it bluntly, this is a very suspicious game."

"Having doubts about Shiroyasha's game isn't something that we have only experienced today. No matter what kind of unimaginable truth which may lie in wait for us, we will never get to find that out if we were to stay out of it."

"...just saying that it sounds fishy from the start."

Yō  just gave a wry smile at their conversation.

Izayoi had a bored look on his face, took a few steps as he prepared to set out—Suddenly, he turned back with a sly smile.

"No, there's another way. If it is a boring game, then we can just add value to it."

"Aie?"

"Wha?"

Asuka and Yō queried at the same time.

Izayoi continued on his way as he laughed heartily to toss them a challenge.

"No matter what boring end it might be in hold for us, this is still a game that Shiroyasha hosted after all. There should surely be some reciprocating rewards in wait for us right? — So how's this? The person who gets the most of the seven Golden Plates gets to have the sole ownership of the prize. How's that sound?"

"Ara. Doesn't that sound interesting?" Asuka gave a smile in reply to Izayoi's challenge.

Yō  also nodded her head as she gave a thumbs up while supplying her own suggestion.

"But it would be boring with just that condition. The loser.... Shall have to serve the victor for a whole day."

"I see... Don't you feel that it is a little too harsh?"

Asuka was backing away a little. If it turned out to be a race of getting to the various minigames hosted in various areas, it would be a harsh rule to impose on her, who lacked the mobility of the others.

So Yō gave it some thought before clapping her hand as she hit upon an idea.

"Then, the victor... can make Kuro Usagi serve them."

" "That's the one!" "

"That's the one! My foot! You bunch of Bakaaaaahhhh!!!"

<nowiki>*PakPakPak!* The folding fan in Kuro Usagi's hand was working overtime. Stowed under her armpit was Leticia whom she had fetched from the Community's main building. And it would seem that she was in the midst of her maid chores as the cleaning cloth was still grasped in her hand.</nowiki>

Leticia, and her gorgeous hair that seemed easily mistakable as golden silk, gave a sigh while seeming in a daze but raised her right hand that held the cleaning cloth.

"Regarding that game, count me in."

"Wait, Leticia-sama?!"

"Okay, the maid has entered the fray! If Leticia wins, Kuro Usagi will have to do the chores of a maid for a day!"

"Then, let's change the name of <RaimundusLullus> to the <The competition for the Authority to gain Kuro Usagi's servitude>."

"Mhm, you two, let's get to the streets quickly!"

The trio completely ignored Kuro Usagi's tsukkomi as they split up in the free zone.

And due to the unexpected turn of events, Kuro Usagi's rabbit ears have turned a shade of ashen white as she stood in a daze.

She had not thought that things would turn out this way.

Kuro Usagi turned to Leticia apprehensively,

"Well, ...Leticia-sama, you are kidding right...?"

Clapping her hands around the completely panicking Kuro Usagi's shoulders, Leticia assured her,

"There's naught to worry. I shall tutor you on the job of a maid, so just be prepared."

"Isn't that like a fully motivated attitudeeee—-?!!!"

<nowiki>*Pak!* the sound of the folded fan making a sorrowful slap resounded in the overgrown forest.</nowiki>

===Part 5===

'''—A branch store of [ThousandEyes], before the trees that line the street.'''

The peach coloured petals danced in the air.

The participants were fighting to be the first in the challenges that betted the Golden Plate as the prize. Although Gift Games were a test of one's intellect and physical prowess, the minigame style focused on the cooperativeness of the group as a whole.

The normally desolate lower levels had now livened up due to the various games hosted in the region.

"Hohoho... Everyone, enjoy the frenzy to gather the Golden Plates."

Shiroyasha stood with her arms akimbo as she looked at the progress of the minigames.

"Give it your all, youngsters of the lower levels. The final point of this game is a glory that is unattainable even after a hundred years of patience."

Standing under the Azure blue cloth, the flag emblazoned with the symbol of the ‘twin goddess who faced each other', Shiroyasha waited for her challengers with the gaze of a Demon Lord.

"<RaimundusLullus>—Players who can surpass this game will get the chance to pick a fight with me as their opponent...!!!"

===Part 6===

—Outer Gate, In front of the Fountain Plaza.

Due to Shiroyasha's game, the fountain plaza was bustling with a rarely seen lively atmosphere.

The stall assistants of the street stalls, which were located in the usually desolate streets for a long time now, were also busying without rest in conjunction with the increase in the flow of people. And this was a rather rare sight for the lowest levels of the East Side.

There were also food stalls for snacks being set up in the area.

Izayoi stuck up a conversation with the feline shop assistant—Carol, as he bought a sandwich from the stall of [Six Scars].

"Yo. It seems like it's quite lively huh?"

"We are almost too busy to breathe! It's not always that we get this large scale hosting of minigames! And that makes today the best day to for us to earn. Neh~!"

Carol happily smiled as she waved her hook-like tail.

Placing the sandwich set before himself, Izayoi asked offhandedly as he looked around,

"There seems to be more participants than I expected. Are there famous Communities taking part in this game as well?"

"Yeap. Although we of [Six Scars] are considered a sizeable Community, there seems to be a few Communities that are much bigger in their scale who are participating too. Although they are mainly of the commerce type!"

"... Ho? Which large ones are they?"

"In the six digits, there's [Six Scars], [One Horn], [Willo'wisp]. In the five digits, there are the Communities under the flag of [Onii-Hime] Alliance from the North and [Kerykeion]. Although these Communities are fairly famous in this region... but the focus of the spotlight still goes to the one from Little Garden's Three digits, [Queen Halloween]!"

<nowiki>*Poing*The hooked tail straightened as informed Izayoi.</nowiki>

At this point, Izayoi's expression changed.

"... From the three digits?"

"But it is also impossible that the Queen would personally make her way down to join the fray. Moreover, there is this relationship between her and Shiroyasha-sama that can be likened to the tense relations of fire and ice. The one who's representing the Queen is from the important members of the Queen's Knights. And it was a task assigned to a lone knight by the Queen. All thanks to that, the number of Participants who are entering the game on the account of their personal curiosity have increased to an unprecedented crowd."

Carol happily placed the sandwich into a carrier bag and Izayoi subsequently took the sandwich and turned to leave the stall after the payment.

Sitting himself at the fountain of the fountain plaza, Izayoi grimaced as he folded his arms before his chest.

''(... . Could it be that this is a game of an extraordinary difficulty level?)''

His gaze shifted to the [Geass Roll] contents that was carved on the Golden Plate.

Although Carol had mentioned it in a carefree manner, but the Communities that were named were all organizations of a large scale. And even those who would usually stay away from the games of the lower levels, especially [Kerykeion] and [Queen Halloween] which were super large scale Communities.

The former being a guardian for the Greek God treasury while the latter being a DaiMaou who possessed Sun Authorities. <ref>[magrefnotes: I used DaiMaou because it seems weird to say it as Big Demon Lord when she's most likely going to be some loli demon lord judging by the author's preference.]</ref>

And it mattered greatly that both the names of those Communities were well known enough for Izayoi, who came from another world, to have heard of them. They were also known to be the type of Communities that would usually not participate in the games of Little Garden's lowest level.

As his gaze fell back to the [Geass Roll], Izayoi put on a solemn expression as he studied the contents repeatedly.

"Golden Plate... huh. Mah, even if it isn't the technique to transmute gold, it should still be some kind of important blessing (Gift)."

Delivering the sandwich to his mouth and adding the details of the participant characteristics into the matrix, he started to give it more thought.

— The community of [Kerykeion].

The name of the Community was derived from the mystical sceptre that is possessed by the god of Commerce who made up one of the Greek gods from the "Twelve Pillars of Olympus". The flag emblazoned with the symbol of the ‘Two intertwined snakes" was also famous in the outside world.

Besides the organisations of the European commercial and medical sectors, it is also depicted on the National High School's badge to represent the core of creativity and is a flag that is known to both the Eastern and Western Seas.

If faith was similar to spiritual power, it would not be exaggerating to say that [Kerykeion] s a symbol that garnered a group of believers for the Greek gods from the 1900s to the 2000s and acted as their pillar for support. For that sort of Commerce focused Community to enter the game hosted by [Thousand Eyes], it would definitely signal a hidden agenda that only insiders would know about.

Following them— was the Community of [Queen Halloween].

By the 21st Century, Halloween has already become a festive event. However, if one were to turn back time to its origins, they would realise that it is a traditional ritual practiced by the ancient Celts at the peak of their prosperity.

The Celts had the tradition of hosting various harvest rituals in honour to the Sun, which radiance varied with the four seasons and was seen as a symbol for life and death. This is the faith that the Celts hold for the Sun. The origins of Halloween.

When talking about the Celtic mythologies, the better known Sun God would be the Sun God Lugh who had the alias of [The Bright One with the Strong Hand] and possessed the spear of assured victory. But that was only the Celts who elevated their ancestor to the level of the Gods to be worshipped as one of the ancestral spirits to be worshipped. And that was the foundation for the idol's creation. Originally, he was supposed to be categorized as a Heroic spirit but it was the faith and followers of the descendants who elevated him to the position of a God-class spirit after his death.

And even if one were to be elevated to the position of an Elder God, they would never be conferred the title of the strongest type if they had originally been humans.

It was only reserved for the pure-blooded dragon kind, the representatives for the planets and the natural God-class spirits.

To protect the Gods, it was imperative to possess a power that belonged to the strongest three as that sort of power was an isolated spiritual power which was a class of its own.

And among the Gods of the Celt descendants, there was the strongest kind that had its worship based on the faith of the Sun's trajectory, the Celestial spirit who controlled the Sun and the Boundary—[Queen Halloween].

''(Even though it is said to be so, the sovereignty of the Sun is being repressed by Shiroyasha. Wouldn't that make it a personal grudge?)''

Propping his chin with one hand as he pondered over the question, Izayoi was unsure about the origins of this existence in Little Garden that was called the Queen. Although he did have knowledge about the festival of Halloween, he was unsure if the Queen's existence was one that had been elevated from the position of Man or had it been by another method. All that he knew were the fire and ice relationship between her and Shiroyasha and her position as one of the three biggest problem children in Little Garden.

And that they were all strength types who were strong individuals who matched their names.

''(If I recall Leticia's words correctly... "Do not lift a hand against the Queen of Gold" right? Although the advice seems exaggering, is she really that strong to warrant that warning?)''

As long as he did not witness it with his own eyes, it was only acceptable for him to harbour such thoughts. Moreover he was in a bad mood. Although he had agreed to the game out of compliance sake, it turned out that he had participated in a suspicious game and besides the feeling of dissatisfaction, there were the feelings of dissatisfaction. But, he could not just get up and walk away even he felt that way about the whole business. Having the chance to get the rare authority to have Kuro Usagi as a maid is something that would be much too regrettable if it were to fall into the hands of the other two.

''(Mah, I must work hard if I want to obtain something that I want to get.)''

As he shook his head haplessly and was planning to find a challenger for the game—

Suddenly, there was a huge cheer that erupted from the area next to his resting spot.

"That's super awesome, five consecutive victories in just a blink of an eye!"

"May even be the fastest person to clear the game!?"

"Bastards, the opponent is just a girl and you guys are losing this much? How can you give up just like that?!"

"That's right! Call our people together! After all there's no way for us to win! Everyone, let's do it together!!!"

What? He turned his head as he felt that the words sounded strange. Normally, one would have assumed that it was just the usual piece of misheard conversation but it would seem that things were not the same this time.

If this were to be a contest for the game, it would be fine. But if this were to be a start to a contest that is outside of a game's perimeter, it would really be infuriating. Perhaps hearing that a woman is being targeted by physical violence was something that irked him.

But the foundation of the reasons would be his bad mood. And that would be the biggest reason.

Izayoi stood up with the thought that this would be a good opportunity to sweep away his melancholic feelings. Just as he was about to turn to carry out his motto of "supressing both the strong and the weak"—- five grown men were sent flying at the same time.

"Hoh?"

Dodging in his astonishment, the men of huge statures rolled pass him with an intensity that seemed bent on scraping the top of the stone tiles in the fountain plaza and they soon passed out due to their inability to defend themselves in time.

In the middle of that scene, Izayoi's gaze had already shifted to size up the opponent with curiosity in his eyes.

The woman who sent the huge men fling was in a strange outfit of a linen robe that covered her from head to toe.

"...Hoh? Looks like the proclaimation of having an instantaneous five consecutive victory is not a lie."

Commenting frivolously, he continued to move closer towards the linen robed woman.

Although the face was mostly hidden in the depths of the hooded robe, one could still see the faint outlines of a mask like structure within that hood which was scrutinizing the scene before her. It would seem that it was a person who really wanted to hide their identity.

A self-composed Izayoi walked towards the other as his interest was steadily growing by the moment.

The masked female then wordlessly extended the [Geass Roll].

[–Name of Gift Game: "RaimundusLullus"—

Participant qualification E: The possessor of Strength.

Opponents: The Kind

The Great

The Heir

The Intelligent

The Determined

The Virtuous

Conditions for defeat: Losing the [Geass Roll] is equivalent to losing the participation rights.

Conditions to win: Gather all the "Plates of Lullus" and you shall receive the glory of the truth.

Additional information: The Game will begin when all participants have finished their preparations.

The end time for the Game is when all other contestants have been defeated.

Oath: Respecting the above information, swearing upon our glory and flag, this Gift Game is hosted by [Thousand Eyes].

"Seal of [Thousand Eyes]"]

<ref>[magrefnotes:I changed it to E although the primary translated text says B: the Strength possessor, this is to fit in with the sequence spelled out earlier in this story. Rezel: It truly "E". 参加資格Ｅ：力ある者。]</ref>

After Izayoi confirmed the contents of the [Geass Roll], the masked female tilted her head as she spoke up.

"... My minigame is "strength". What's left would be "The Kind" and "The Virtuous"."

"Well, that's great. My [Geass Roll] is "The Kind". So we just need to bet on these things and hold the minigame?"

"That's correct. Although it would become the contest between "The Kind"and "Strength"..."

What is your opinion? The masked female tilted her head as she posed the unspoken question. From her actions and calm voice, it gave off a well cultured feel about this person and she probably did not belong to the lower levels.

Izayoi suppressed his soaring anticipation of facing this unknown strong foe as he managed two replies.

"I do not have interest in "The Kind". And it is too vague for an abstract term. I would personally choose "Strength"."

"I understand."

<nowiki>*KaChi!* Pulling the sword out of the scabbard, that movement gave a glimpse of the white gauntlet, abdominal armour and knight dress under the long robes. She was clearly a type of knight.</nowiki>

In the moment that Izayoi committed himself to the minigame's oath and took his first step forward—

<nowiki>*Shuu!* The tip of a sword narrowly missed his nose.</nowiki>

"—Hm?!"

By the time that he noted the image of the sword, his upper torso was already leaning back.

His body had responded earlier than his consciousness from his perception.

What Izayoi's vision had noted was just a minor twitch of that masked female's hand for just an instant. Although it was careless of him to ignore that information, but it really was a scary speed of unsheathing the sword.

''(Ha...! This fellow is really worthy of praise...!!)''

The unrelenting flash of the blade struck towards Izayoi again. The subsequent trajectory of the attack and the sharpness of its angle was fairly unusual. And it was the fastest strike that Izayoi had witnessed among all his opponents in the world of Little Garden thus far.

Switching from his carefree attitude, Izayoi instantly recognised the strength of his opponent.

But in regards to that point, the masked female also shared the same thoughts.

''(He dodged it...?)''

Although she wasn't haughty about her strength, but she did not expect someone from the lower levels to be able to dodge her sword. It might have been chance for the first strike but on the second dodge, that would be reflective of the true potential.

Immediately classifying Izayoi as a strong opponent, the masked female took a large step backwards.

Giving a twist to the sword's hilt to slowly and smoothly release it into its whip form.

Realising that the weapon is a whip sword, Izayoi immediately drew closer.

''(Although the storing of that sword might be a very smooth move on her part, but it is definitely a bad idea in this case.)''

The strike of a bladed whip is indeed a threat but as long as one drew close to the wielder, it would be nothing to worry about. And although the capturing of the blade tip movements is a very difficult feat, but as long as one watched the hand movement closely, it would be possible to trace the sword's trajectory. That was how Izayoi anticipated the moment that the whip sword would strike and used a ground exploding speed to close in onto his opponent's territory.

Charging with speed that reduced the ground to rubble

If it were just a normal enemy, just the wind pressure would be able to distinguish the victor.

But the masked female seemed to have anticipated this move as she drew out a spear for each hand.

''(Wha...?!)''

"It's the end. It was a fairly good fight."

Proclaiming her victory and simultaneously emitting a high speed flash from the long robes. It would seem that this was a strike that would also doubtlessly bring down any ordinary opponents.

But Izayoi's level of absurdity was a step higher.

Knowing full well that it was too late to halt his advance, Izayoi clenched his fist to punch towards the stone floorings to send the shattered ground flying into the air.

"...?!"

The sound of an explosion. And the stone tiles of the plaza which popped up from the reaction.

The masked female's foothold was instantly eliminated and could only dance in mid-air. Izayoi assumed the moment to be his best chance and lifted his head to press his pursuit.

But it was a pity that he was late by a fraction.

The masked female who gave a somersault in the air had switched to a bow in a flash to rain arrows upon Izayoi.

"Tch, bastard!"

Cursing a mouthful while dodging at lightning speed to escape the shower of arrows, the style of the masked female's way of combat finally dawned upon Izayoi.

Dual spears, whip sword and followed by the bow.

Utilising a close, middle and long range weapon to cover any potential openings in battle. Though it might sound simple in words, this was a really unusual martial art. It was a strategy that can only be possible if one refined their skills for the respective weapons to the same utmost heights that can be reached for each of the respective martial arts.

''(... What will come will come eventually, right?)''

As Izayoi dodged the shower of arrows, he shifted himself to hide in the shadows of the fountain.

The enemy beyond his expectations had finally appeared before his eyes but what appeared in his eyes weren't that of happiness.

What swam within his eyes were an intense mix of emotions.

The enemy was undoubtedly strong and one that was the direct opposite of Izayoi's type.

Different from the naturally gifted Izayoi, one could tell that the masked female had certainly undergone some unusual training and study in her martial arts. Having such an unusual confidence and trust in her sword, spear and bow techniques, one would require a strong determination or they would not be able to attain such a level of mastery. An evidence would be the ability to quell Izayoi's choice of attacks even when he held the upper hand in the speed of attacks and defence.

The enemy was more than just powerful. She was smart.

''(Kuro Usagi.... Although this is somewhat late, but this is a super Good Job!)''

Having had the chance to meet such a rare strong opponent whom he might never have the chance to meet in the near future, Izayoi clenched his fist tightly as he continued to think for the sake of defeating the strong foe before him.

And it was at that moment that the commotion started in the distance.

===Part 7===

"This is bad...! Izayoi has a one up on us...!"

"Mhm... Thinking about it carefully, we do not have the [Geass Roll] in our hands too."

Asuka who bit her nails in regret and Yō who drooped her shoulders in a wry smile.

Besides the fact that the [Geass Roll] provided the rights of partipation, it was also the ticket to the games. As long as Izayoi held onto it, they wouldn't be able to participate in any minigames.

It was at this moment when they decided to participate in the game that the duo, who excitedly ran to the streets, realised the flaw in their plans.

Biting her thumb in regret, Asuka watched the minigames in resentment.

"Not being able to participate even though it is being held in our own back yards, ... what a humiliation...!"

"Yeah. Our neighbours seem to be enjoying themselves but it sure is lonely to be unable to participate."

Yō  smiled wryly as she comforted Asuka who was frustrated by their situation.

Yō  then bought a candied apple to try enjoy the festival in another way. And it would seem in line with her way of life where it was satisfying with just the appeasement of her basic needs of a bath, meals and a bed to sleep in.

When Asuka's anger had passed and left her feeling empty, she joined Yō with a chocolate coated banana from the stalls which she bit into in silence.

After that, the duo changed their route to walk among the festival stores to do a little window shopping.

And a loud voice attracted the attention of the customers as it gave off a loud cheerful laugh.

"Yahohoho! Everyone, please get ready, okay! We are now starting the explanations for the special game hosted by [Willo'wisp]!"

"We will be offering the three [Geass Roll]s of "The Intelligent",  "The Determined" and "The Virtuous" through the style of a minigame!"

"As for those who do not meet the participating conditions, you may also participate if you offer an equivalent reward for the bet!"

—Aie? Asuka and Yō turned their heads at once.

The focus of their gazes were pinned upon the Pumpkin head ghost, Jack whom they had met in the Birth of the Fire Dragon Festival. And sitting cross legged on his head was Ayesha the Ignis Fatuus who spotted the duo and subsequently waved and called to them.

"Oh, it's the [No Name]s from before, right? Are you guys here to participate as well?"

"... Is it okay to participate without the [Geass Roll] too?"

"As long as you pay the corresponding price.—But, our game is really intense you know?" Ayesha grinned as she dropped the provocation.

At this point, the duo would not have retreated and they replied with the same tone.

Asuka and Yō had a face of grim determination as they accepted the challenge to stand before Jack.

"No problem. Just state the price that is required of us."

"There's no problem since we will win it anyways."

"Yahohoho! Being so energetic is the best!"

"HmHmph, you will have all the time to regret after hearing the condition."

That's impossible. The duo said it in unison.

In contrast to the stubborn duo, Jack and Ayesha smiled in reply.

Confirming that they have gathered a sizeable group of participants, Ayesha spread her arms to make the announcement.

"Our minigame shall be—- this!"

[–Name of Gift Game: "RaimundusLullus"—

Minigame: "Intelligence" and "Determination" and "Virtue".

Summary of the Rules:
The winner shall be the one who sells the most goods of [Willo'wisp] within an hour.

But with respect to the above, all participants are required to wear the maid costume which has the [Willo'wisp] flag emblazoned on it while engaging in the sales.

As a side note, male participants are also required to wear the maid costume.

The losing parties would be forced to wear the maid costume and work for [Willo'wisp] for a full day without payment.]

" "Wuaah!!!" "

The duo, and the male participants had felt themselves trembling at the announcement.

===Part 8===

'''—Outergate, before the Fountain Plaza.'''

"Mhm... where did everyone go?!!" <ref>[magrefnotes: I would like to point out that Kuro Usagi's ears are really lousy…]</ref>

Kuro Usagi's ears drooped in dejection as she casually strolled in the Fountain Plaza. In her search for Izayoi and the others who broke into a run that left only a trail of dust in their wake from the main building of the Community, Kuro Usagi was now wandering aimlessly with a lack of enthusiasm as she swayed unsteadily in the Free zone of the city. <ref>[magrefnotes: Free Zones would refer to the zones not controlled by a particular Community]</ref>

Leticia, with her blond hair that sparkled brilliantly, had accompanied Kuro Usagi in her drifting walk around the minigame venue.

Wearing her maid costume, Leticia did not lose her stern look as she fell in step behind Kuro Usagi. Just like a pretty servant who shadowed a step behind her master. For Leticia, who had been trained strictly as a knight, to mimic a servant would probably be very easy task.<ref>[magrefnotes: The author takes an interesting perspective, obedience of a knight is similar to obedience of a servant. Can't deny that myself. :o]</ref>

Leticia gave a wry smile as she looked at the droopy eared Kuro Usagi.

"Although it would be nice if you could pull yourself together, but I would still suggest for you to be more optimistic about this. It is a rare sight to have a game of such scale in the East side. It is the best time chance for us to relax a little isn't it?"

"Indeed, it sure is as you said….."

The atmosphere of the streets have livened up under the hearty shouts of the stall keepers and the ornate decorations of the area. And although it was all too easy to enjoy oneself in this lively place, the situation that she was caught up in was something that prevented her from doing so.

According to the movements of the problem children trio, there was the possibility for herself to be teased around as they get to order her around as a maid.

Just the imagination of their possible treatment in stall for herself was enough to cause her rabbit ears to quiver.

"All Kuro Usagi did was to act as the agent for the game... how it end up like this...?!"

"Mah, don't look at it that way. If you get used to it, it is actually not bad to be a maid. Kuro Usagi would definitely look pretty in a maid costume and I will make sure to teach you the ways properly, so you needn't be so worried."

Leticia covered her mouth as she smiled.

Kuro Usagi felt her rabbit ears drain in strength even further.

Just as they were wandering along the street in a casual stroll,— suddenly, the symbol of an uncommonly seen flag came into their field of sight.

"...Kuro Usagi, look at that flag symbol emblazoned on that guy's chest."

"Aie?"

"That's the one. The design of a sceptre and a snake — that is the symbol of the [Kerykion]s."

Slightly jutting her chin to motion towards the subject of the conversation.

Leticia was referring to the male who had the design of twin snakes, which intertwined around each other, emblazoned upon his chest.

Kuro Usagi immediately perked her rabbit ears as she lowered her voice as she spoke.

"A [Kerykion]...?! Why would one of the Guardians of the Greek God Treasuries be down here in the East Side's lowest levels?!"

"I do not know either. It is a big possibility that they have come to participate in the game. But there is also the chance that they are sent here due to the incident with [Perseus]."

Just a month prior, [No Name] had accomplished the noteworthy deed of defeating a Community of [Perseus] that stood under the flag of the [ThousandEyes], and successfully wiped its flag from the starry heavens.

But that would also mean the destruction of a portion of the Greek gods' faith and associated followers. In that case, it was highly doubtful that the Greek gods would continue to sit by and do nothing.

"The game was also related to [ThousandEyes] for the other occasion. Hence, we did not think of any retributive acts... But looks like it would be best to have some caution. Let's go find Izayoi and the others immediately."

"YES!"

Clenching her fists, she mustered her enthusiasm. In this sort of situation, she could not afford to allow herself to be always burdened down by some setbacks and so she straightened her rabbit ears while straightening out her thoughts.

Just when they were about to split ways to conduct their search— a familiar voice floated over from a tent in a lane away from the alley.

"Well now, Asuka, this is not the time to be shy. If you do not make an effort to attract customers, we will never be able to win you know?"

"I, I can't do this! Using this sort of embarrassing appearance to appear before the crowds, I will never be able to do this!?"

"Don't worry. It fits you SUPER well. It's a SUPER GOOD JOB. A SUPER maid."

"SUPER maid?!"

"SUPER maid?!!"

"Heeh~ A SUPER maid?"

Leticia's eyes were sparkling as she heard those words.

Probably the flipping of a strange switch somewhere, Leticia who strode over to the tent flipped the tent flaps with a fierce intensity to her actions.

"EEEiiYaaaaa…..!?"

"Mhm?"

A small pitiful wail came from the inside as Leticia made a sound of being in thought as she evaluated the appearance of the voice's owner.

[[Image:Mondaiji-tachi_ga_isekai_kara_kuru_soudesu_yo_v9_p87.png|thumb]]

It was none other than Kudou Asuka and Kasukabe Yō within the tent and they were both wearing a white and black laced maid miniskirt. They were so surprised that they rested their hands on the cart filled with [Willo'wisp] produce such as the candle holders, glass lamps, dining cutlery and such which were assigned to them for their portion of the sales.

And especially for Asuka, whose cheeks had turned to a bright cherry red, she was shivering in cowardice.

"Le, Leticia...? Why would you be here?"

"Because I heard your voices from outside and was just wondering what it might be. But... Mhmmm."

Holding her chin as she appreciated the maid garb of the duo.

Contrasting to Asuka's usual dressing of the red formal dress and the other wide dresses, this maid costume was of a pretty high exposure value.

The tender white skin that has rarely seen the sun was eye catching, coupled with the contours of her sexy thighs and the low neckline of the costume that went down to the splits of her bossom. Although Asuka was still young, but this much was already enough to give off a feminine charm.

As for Yō, though she might lack the feminine charm, the tenderness of youth and the maid costume made a combination that accentuated an atmosphere of cuteness. If accompanied with a sincere smile, she would definitely be impeccable as a shop assistant.

Leticia looked at the duo in maid outfits for a moment before giving a light sigh.

"...Umu. Such a great impact from their youth. Is this what they call the ideal super maid?"

"No, if you were to talk about looking young, wouldn't Leticia-sama's appearance seem tender and much younger?"

Kuro Usagi gave her tsukkomi in a small voice.

That's not the point, was what Leticia wanted to retort, but retorting at this point would also be of no particular use.

Pointing at the cart beside the duo with her finger, Leticia continued her questions.

"Is this cart related to the reason for your dress up as maids?"

"Aie? Mhm. Actually—"

Asuka tried to cover as her bare skin that was revealed by the costume as she passed the [Geass Roll] of [Willo'wisp] over to them.

[–Name of Gift Game: "RaimundusLullus"—

Minigame: "Intelligence" and "Determination" and "Virtue".

Summary of the Rules:
The winner shall be the one who sells the most goods of [Willo'wisp] within an hour.

But with respect to the above, all participants are required to wear the maid costume that has the [Willo'wisp] flag emblazoned on it while engaging in the sales.

As a side note, male participants are also required to wear the maid costume.

The losing parties would be forced to wear the maid costume and work for [Willo'wisp] for a full day without payment.]

Having read it with her focused attention, Leticia scrunched her brows as she got to the middle portion.

"... Wait a moment. Is this really the entirety of the game's contents?"

Leticia has furrowed her brows in suspicion. This game deviated from the norm of pitting the Host and the Participants against each other. Instead, it was created with the precondition that the Participants would be fighting each other for the reward. With that in mind, the [Willo'wisp] would lose all their Golden Plates and their participation qualification as well.

Facing Leticia who tilted her head ever so slightly, Yō smiled wryly as she replied.

"Jack and the others have lost interest in the game after learning about the participation of [Queen Halloween] and so they have offered up the three pieces for the winner of the minigame."

"If we follow their line of thought, it would mean that it wouldn't be of any use to them even if they did win the game."

What?! They exclaimed in surprise.

Although they were surprised that Jack and the others were disinterested in the game, but regarding [Queen Halloween]— one of the largest organizations from the three digit Communities in Little Garden to have joined a game of the lowest levels, that was something that truly elicited their cry of surprise.

"Not only [Kerykeion] but [Queen Halloween] have joined this sort of game of the lowest levels... it sure is situation that is hard to believe."

"But if it really promises the secret technique to transmute gold, the "Alchemy of Gold", one would think that the presence of these Communities in the participants would not be something unthinkable would it?"

Kuro Usagi straightened her rabbit ears as she said it with confidence.

Regarding that point, Leticia held a contrasting attitude. [ThousandEyes] is indeed a large Community that is known to all, but it did not seem plausible for them to offer such a reward to the lowest levels.

"About that, could it be... something that is kept secret from the normal participants?"

"...that is possible as well. Let's tidy up the information that we have at hand currently.

—For the sake of understanding the situation, all the information that we have till date would be tidied up and presented here.

The Gift Game <RaimundusLullus> is one that uses the contents for the Gold transmutation technique, the "Alchemy of Gold".
The victory will go to the person who gathers the seven pieces of Golden Plates.
[Willo'wisp] seems to have figured out the rewards and deemed it to be of no use.
The large scale Communities of [Kerykeion] and [Queen Halloween] have joined the fray.
From the points of III and IV, it would be plausible to speculate that the prize is something that will not matter unless it is given to a large scale Community.
Listing out the important elements that they could think of, they racked their brains together.

But they were still unable to get close to the answer with just those clues. As she tilted her head while poring over the contents of the [Geass Roll] repeatedly,<nowiki> —*Ah*, </nowiki>Yō seemed to have stumbled upon something as she looked up.

"Could it be….. that this game is basically a competition between the "commercial forces"?"

"What?"

"And the meaning is?"

Asuka, Leticia and Kuro Usagi asked simultaneously.

Yō squatted as she traced the contents of the [Geass Roll] on the floor.

[–Name of Gift Game: "RaimundusLullus"—

Participant qualification B: The Kind

Opponents: The Great.

The Heir

The Strength possessor.

The Intelligent

The Determined

The Virtuous

Conditions for defeat: Losing the [Geass Roll] is equivalent to losing the participation rights.

Conditions to win: Gather all the "Plates of Lullus" and you shall receive the glory of the truth.

Additional information: The Game will begin when all participants have finished their preparations.

The end time for the Game is when all other contestants have been defeated.

Oath: Respecting the above information, swearing upon our glory and flag, this Gift Game is hosted by [Thousand Eyes].

"Seal of [Thousand Eyes]"

Initially, we assumed that we would have to pass through seven minigames to clear the main game but it turned out that there isn't such a restriction. Having accepted the minigame of Jack and the others, we realise that we can also bet three pieces of [Geass Roll]s at once. "In other words, as long as we choose a common topic for the minigame in this Gift Game, it will also be permissible for us to bet with seven pieces of the Golden Plate at once. "And wouldn't that refer to the "commercial forces"? Yō made the speculation.

Kindness, wisdom, determination and virtune were terms that were used to describe the basics of commercial trust.

As for greatness, legacy and strength, those were nouns to describe the scale of the Community and the accompanying economic might.

As for the winning condition of "Gather all the "Plates of Lullus"", it would hint that one only needed to host a minigame to complete the task.

Then, that would also mean—

"Could it be that... the real participants are not us but the stalls?"

Asuka looked at stalls around them from left to right and back again.

Probably peeved to find herself to be a mere decorum on the stage of performance.

Yō nodded her head in affirmation as she proposed her last conjecture.

"Mhm. The last victor will surely gather the seven pieces of the Golden plates and will be picked from the Community which reaped the most profits. From the perspective that there are large scale commerce focused communities such as [Kerykion] participating in the game, I would guess that the reward would not be of a tangible tool or alchemical technique but an authority of sorts for the Commercial world— what are your thoughts?"

With regards to Yō's speculation, everyone folded their arms as they sank into deep thought.

If the speculation were to be right, this game would not be of any use for the [No Name]s. They did not have the foundation of engaging in commercial activities and it would be something that wouldn't serve any purpose even if it did land into their hands.

Kuro Usagi could not hide her disappointment as her rabbit ears hung down dejectedly.

"If it is like that... the aim of Kuro Usagi to fix the wastelands will not be coming true..."

After all, it was such a barren piece of land.

To regain the former glory of its beautiful view, talented individuals and wealth were necessary for the task. Merun and Deen were already having their hands full with the work in the farmlands and they were unable to help out with the barren ruins. And to provide for a hundred and twenty children, the [No Name]s just did not have the economic capabilities to bring about that sort of rebuilding effort.

"But to get the Gold plates as the consolation prize of being a participant, that would be good enough! If we were to exchange this gold piece—"

"—Wait. What's that about?"

Yō raised a hand as she directed the question at Kuro Usagi. Her tone revealed her earnest query about the matter. Facing this situation of having created a confusion, Kuro Usagi frantically supplied an additional explanation.

"Really, Really sorry about that. The explanations were incomplete. This Golden plate will be given to Participants who enter the game. So, even if we do not win the game, we will still be receiving a golden plate."

<nowiki>*Pak!* Came the sound of a fist landing on a palm as they finally understood the reasoning.</nowiki>

But with all that in place it would really connect the dots, if one were to think along the lines of the game stage being one that targeted for the participants to spend money. After all, the initial participants were all gathered to be the decorum of the stage.

Falling into deep thought after listening to Kuro Usagi's words—- Yō suddenly smiled mischievously with the hint of a prank in mind.

"Then, let's just accept those gold pieces."

"—Aie?"

"If this is a competition for the gold plates where we engage each other with the fight for the highest earnings, the gold plates should go to the Community with the highest earnings. We might as well have a share in this market of theirs and give these bold and confident tradesmen a returning blow."

"Ara, that's a good idea. But do we stand a chance?"

With regards to Yō 's brazen proclamation of a strategy, Asuka replied with a smile.

Yō drew herself up to full height as she knocked on the push cart piled full with the crafted items of [Willo'wisp] as she smiled mischievously.

"We have already heard the method from Jack and the others. There will be no problems. So, for that end—"

She pulled out a maid costume from the push cart.

"Kuro Usagi will also be transforming into a SUPER maid."

"Aie?"

Revealing a look of dismay, Kuro Usagi's rabbit ears jumped as she shouted "what?!".

===Part 9===

'''—Branch shop of [ThousandEyes], Shiroyasha's room.'''

<nowiki>*Dong!* The echo of the bamboo colliding on a stone and the elegant sound of water running to refill the bamboo holder.</nowiki>

Shiroyasha was in her own room as she focused her thoughts to make out the movements within the game as a referee. She was using the Gift that was left for her by a comrade of the Community, the gift known as the [Eye of Laplace], to gather the information with help of the many surveillance faeries released in the region. As a type of Communal faerie just like Merun, they were able to use their vision and hearing as information to be transferred back to the base. Originally an object that was entrusted to her to maintain the peace of the region, but in the hands of Shiroyasha who had that sort of interest and personality, it was used more often than not to take stealth videos and to eavesdrop on others.

With that in mind, the use of the Gift for today's street surveillance would be the most appropriate usage in a long time.

"Hohoho. The plan is progressing as intensely as expected. Very Good. Very Good."

Smiling gently as she felt satisfied with the livening up of the streets that were noisy with the intense battle and crowds in the free zone. They of the [Floor Master]s did not only look after the peace of the region but were also in charge the cultural events of their region.

Such as the hosting of Games at regular intervals like this, the opening of a Trial.

"But, not only is there [Kerykeion]... for that rascal Queen, to send the her knight over as well? Where in the world did she hear about the rights to challenge?"

Many generations before, Shiroyasha partook in the trials for the Authorities of the Sun with her White Night Celestial Being form. After many countless games and defeating many Sun gods of the god class levels, she managed to obtain over half of the twenty-four Sun Authorities—fourteen of them.

And [Queen Halloween] was one of her opponents whom she had fought with a feud that continued for thousands of years.

"It's been a long time since the battle for the Sun sovereignties but she sure does like to find trouble again, huh? That rascal."

Drooping her shoulders as she felt her energy drained by the situation. However, it was not something that she could just ignore as well. If the Queen's knight was truly out in force, the Communities of the Lower Level could never be a match against that individual.

Umu. She folded her arms and hugged her chest as she pondered over it.

[Queen Halloween] was feared by many as a Demon Lord but simultaneously, she's the strongest force behind the Celtic mythologies. Under the Flag of the Queen, there were the knights of the Round Table, priestesses of Light and many similar famous knights, who have gathered to make up the core while gathering many witches and Magic wielders(Druids) who possess an absolute great power, and even many Eudemons who are summoned from across the Veil of the worlds. <ref>[magrefnotes: Quotes jogelotr:" If we suppose that this is the rendering of Japanese 光の神子, then it would be a girl (it would translate as "priestess of light"), and a quick search shows that a figure with that name is very common in modern japanese fiction (mainly LN, WN and games), but with no relation whatsoever among the characters other than its position as messengers, servants or protegées of a divinity related with light (well, some are power posessors able to use light)". Well, I'm using his explanation because it seems better than leaving it as the raw form. Though I would have wanted to find a Celtic person with a specific name, it does seem likely that the term is not a title of an individual and just a general term for a category. So there it is. Priestesses of Light :)]</ref>

The [Floor Master] of the South Side, [Avalon] was also one of those.

Although Queen had the headstrong attitude of causing trouble, but she had the consideration to clean up her mess. And that is the reason for the lack of jurisdiction enforced upon her even after being branded as a Demon Lord.

"Mah, there shouldn't be anyone who would continue to take up the challenge even after knowing that the individual is a Queen's knight, is there? I guess I will just take a look at the situation before making further decisions?"

<nowiki>*Shuuuuu~* Giving a peaceful sigh after the sipping of some green tea.</nowiki>

<nowiki>*DonDonDon* came the sound of running steps and it after that,</nowiki>

"Things, Things are bad, Shiroyasha-sama! The female who was determined to be Queen's Knight... is now the opponent of that [No Name] guy and they are sweeping towards the shop house in their path of destruction.

"Is that true?!"

<nowiki>*Puu!!* The mouthful of green tea spewed like a fountain.</nowiki>

And it was not long after this that the Branch Store of [Thousand Eyes] was blown apart.

===Part 10===

"Oi, Did you hear?!"

"Mhm? What is it?"

"OiOiOiOiOi, You really haven't heard of it?! There's a stall that is manned by a group of four very kawaii girls in maid costunes! In maid costumes!! In maid costumes!!!—I say again, okay?! IN. MAID. COSTUMES. Who are starting to tend the stall!!"

"What...did you say….?"

"And one of them is a [Knight of Little Garden] too!!"

"And another is an [Aristocrat of Little Garden]—It's that Moon Rabbit, you know?!!!"

" " " What... What did you say?!!" " "

In an instant, the witnessing of the fight between those two individuals brought about a strong impact to the crowd who saw it.

===Part 11===

"Ir, Irashaimase! The proxy of the shop, [No Name]'s usage shop is here!!!"

At the corner of the fountain plaza, there appeared to be an exaggeratingly long queue.

The queue that curled in a circle was so long that it gave off an illusion of being a living entity of its own. They were queueing in such an orderly fashion. But what could be the reason for this behaviour— the answer would be at the front of the queue.

"Those, ...Those who are here to make a purchase, please stand quietly in your queue and await to be served!"

" " "YES, ma'am!" " "

Holding a megaphone in hand, the straight black haired maid who was red to the tips of her ears— Kudou Asuka was now feeling very shy about her current get up.

''(This skirt is so short...! And why must I wear a maid's clothing...?!)''

The prideful financial conglomerate's daughter and the representative of a girl from the Showa period, Kudou Asuka. Under those maid clothings, the young and tender form of her body and those thighs were filled with the charms of a developing girl.

"A shy maid who is scolding...!"

"Praise to the person who thought of it! That person must surely be a genius, right?!"

"ONEMORE! ONEMORE! ONEMORE!"

"You, You guys...! Did you not hear my words to shut up?!"

Using her highest volume to shout into the megaphone. The cheers suddenly fell silent.

For someone who could control the hearts of others with the use of her words, to get everyone in the neat orderly rows was not a problem at all. But her shyness was keeping her from making a proper judgement.

And the crowd of male customers who had fallen into silence under the power of her words.

But, because of the silence, the fervour of the males were intensely concentrated upon Asuka's maid appearance and made her the focal point for the crowd.

Bathing in the soundless gaze of the enthusiastic crowd that seem to bombard her from all corners, Asuka's face got redder by the moment as she hugged herself while glaring back at them.

''(Ugu .….. Although it is easy to give the order of "Don't look"...! But if it were so, it might just cause the customers to be turned away…..!!)''

It was only that which she wanted to avoid at all costs. But wearing such a sinful maid costume and becoming a focal point for the crowd was too much of a mismatch for the era that Asuka was born into. The miniskirt maid costume was a completely strange culture of another world for the girl of the Showa period.

Enduring her embarrassment as she looked towards the shop.

Within the shop were Kasukabe Yō and Leticia who played the roles of the shop assistants. For the duo who looked physically younger, this sort of skirt length would not be something that would make them feel shy.

Yō was using a faint smile while Leticia gave a charming smile as they sold the various goods that was deposited in their cart. And the rabbit eared maid who was the cashier—Kuro Usagi, had transformed from her unwilling attitude to a storm of sincerity as she worked.

"Here's a ka, Kawaii maid shop, and it is only here that you can find it!! If, If you care to have a look, we are also selling goods from the other shops as well!" shouted Kuro Usagi who was holding the set of kitchen cutlery and a candle holder as she handed them over to the customer with a dazzling smile.

To be thanked by a smiling Kuro Usagi in maid costume who said "Thank you for your patronage, goshujin-sama." And a personal handling of the purchased item as it is handed over the counter, many of the males were already bewitched and were planning to queue up once more for the sake of experiencing such a purchase for a second time.

Yō and Leticia exchanged a glance as they stifled a laugh at the success of their strategy.

"It sure is surprising. I never expected it to work out so well. It would seem that my goshujin-sama have a talent for business."

"This is all thanks to Leticia and Kuro Usagi, Asuka's also very adorable. ... Mhm. Looks like the other goods placed with us from the other stalls would also be swiped clean."

"Aah. And two percent of all the profits collected from the sale of the goods placed with us from the various Communities will also belong to us. If it had been only one or two stalls working with us, we would be far from the victory.... But never did I expect for fifty-four Communities to request for our services."

"That's only to be expected. After all, we have gathered the famous [Knight of Little Garden] and [Aristocrat of Little Garden]. The degree of credibility and anticipation would naturally be higher than the other shops by twice or thrice."

Mu! Yō clenched her fists.

There's no place for their competition. And Leticia could only reply with a wry smile.

Even though they were in a conversation, the goods placed at their stall continued to dwindle in quantity. And within half an hour, the goods that totalled around the quantity of two filled warehouses were completely sold out.

And before the stall of the [No Name]s, there continued to be a large crowd of people even though the goods were all cleaned out and so the four of them gave a simple farewell as they closed the tent to instantly take off into the alleys.

Kuro Usagi gave a whoop of excitement as she carried the two woven burlap sacks filled with copper and silver coins.

"This, This is amazing! We actually earned the amount equivalent to the funds for ten years of our Community's activities in a blink of an eye!"

"Okay, Okay, calm down, Kuro Usagi. We are only getting two percent of that pile."

A Kuro Usagi who was prancing around in joy at the achievement of earning that unexpected amount of money.

And a Leticia who wore a wry smile as she seem to have given up.

With the energy drained out of her, Asuka swayed her way to lean against a wall as she let out a sigh.

"...it is the worst day ever."

"But Asuka's very kawaii. Well, it's mainly about the characteristics such as how you blush up to the tips of your ears when you get embarrassed."

"Excuse me, just cut it out. I do not want to be reminded of it again."

"But it sure is a praiseworthy feat! If, If we were to use that same method to do It again,"

"How can you propose that we do that again, you bakausagi!!! If you want to do it, then please do it alone!"

Grabbing the rabbit ears of Kuro Usagi, Asuka fell into a state of rage as she vented it out in her series of fierce tugs.

Yō, who was smiling as she watched Kuro Usagi who was crying pitifully, was alerted by a sound of an explosion and that attracted her attention immediately.

''(That explosion just now….. is someone battling it out somewhere?)''

===Part 12===

Simply picking up an iron pillar that has fallen with a hand, Izayoi flung it at the masked knight. And although the masked rider was faced with the incoming iron pillar that travelled at a dumbfounding speed of the third cosmic velocity, the knight only used her spear to singlehandedly strike the end of the iron pillar to change its trajectory with a gentle movement.

Using the minimum amount of force to change the trajectory, the masked knight readied the two swords in her hands without letting up on her defensive position at all. On the other hand, Izayoi maintained his stance in preparation to throw the next metal rod when he suddenly went stiff.

"Tch...!"

The flash of the scorpio serpens sword made a snitch at Izayoi's right leg.

The whip sword that traced a curved trajectory in the air was clearly a weapon that made the trajectories a difficult aspect to be controlled but with just a flick of the masked knight's wrist, six different types of snaking movements were executed as she stalked closer to her prey. Furthermore, that technique was definitely not dependent on a Gift of some sort. It was the result of disciplined training of the martial arts and could be said to be on the more unusual range of the martial art spectrum.

Besides, it was not the only time that his legs were cut in this manner. His legs were peppered with thin cuts that were bleeding. Although every cut had been shallow, but the accumulation of all those were definitely slashing away at Izayoi's mobility. The knight, who did not have the physical prowess of Izayoi's body, was employing this efficient and precise method of whittling away the mobility of those legs with the flash of the sword to close the gap between their agility levels.

''(Che... Though it may look like a despicable sneaky move, but I concede that it isn't something that any other guy around can pull off that easily. This is a combat technique that can only be realised through the stupidly persistent hard work of the honing one's martial arts.)''

Picking up one of the torn canvases that was the remains of a destroyed stalls, he tied it like a bandage to stop the flow of blood. Although he might have some inner grievances about the progress of the situation, there continued to be a smile hanging by the edge of his lips.

Dual spears, the whip sword that looks like a snake or scorpion's stinger and that rapid fire bow.

Regardless of the type chosen from that list, they were all weapons of an unusual choice. If the individual did not research and refine the training of such skills to the utmost, it is impossible for them to display this level of combat skills. And for the process of an individual to master a martial art by itself, it would already take up a lifetime of training and this masked female had already mastered three.

''(YareYare...The world is really a wide place.)

—I did not expect for such a strong martial artists to exist.''

Izayoi was harbouring a begrudging respect for the knight.

Izayoi who only depended on his congenital talents was a clear opposite existence to the knight. For one to have overcome the many tiring training sessions that might even make one puke blood, it was clearly a result of an unshakable resolution and goal.

In contrast to the hedonistic Izayoi who preferred to pass his days slothfully, the various techniques executed by the masked knight were the alibis for the time spent hard at trainings.

''(Ah, now's not the time to be in admiration for others. I've bleeding too much and my leg is getting heavier. It would be all over if I get another injury.)''

<nowiki>*Tudtud!* Tapping his feet lightly to readjust his thoughts.</nowiki>

On the other hand, due to the unexpectedly difficult opponent, the masked knight was breathing in short ragged breaths and perspiring as her shoulders heaved heavily with each breath. The difference in physical prowess between Izayoi and her body was similar to that of a leopard and a human.And battling against said opponent with such a gap in the physical prowess, she could only execute her incomparably perfect and accurate techniques.

Utilising all the concentration and muscles in the body to be focused on the task of defending and attacking.

The masked knight would be reaching the limits of her body's strength.

''(...I would never have thought that there would be such a strong foe residing in the lower levels.)''

Honestly, she had harboured the notion of quitting the game before meeting Izayoi.

No, it should be said that she could not do anything else but to withdraw from the game. As one of the Queen's knights who possess great strength, it would be just a matter of an interval to sweep out the other participants if she had the intention to do so.

But she could not do that. Rather than calling it the reserved cool-headedness of the strong, it should be seen as a calculated choice with regards to the atmosphere of the region.

If she had the intention of wreaking havoc in the game—

"Oi, Oi, did you know? I hear that one of the members of [Queen Halloween] is making herself unparalleled in the lower levels!"

"Surely that can't be the case can it? To be serious to the point of making herself unparalleled to those low level opponents, surely that can't be true can it?"

"That masked knight can already be considered as [Queen's knight (lol)]!"

—and many other similar expressions that would run contrary to her intentions would definitely be spread like raging fire.

In the end, she decided to follow the balance of the game to release her strength as she saw fit and to not incur unnecessary wrath. However, holding back her strength was giving her unnecessary stress. Even if it were the solemn carrying out of the tasks as a masked knight, it was also just a matter of time that she would start to feel bored.

And it was at that time that the unexpectedly good opponent appeared. He was none other than Sakamaki Izayoi.

''(Initially, I had joined due to my Queen's stubbornness and was disgruntled about it...but this is a really unexpected find.)''

It did not matter if one had the finest martial arts if there is no opponent that can resist the fate of being torn to bits in the first execution of the technique. In regards to this point, it was a fortune to have him appear then.

Twisting the whip sword, it retracted the blade segments to form the sword blade's body. Although it was a type of weapon that utilised catch mechanisms in its workings, it was not the workings of a Gift that helped the mechanism to operate.

Knighted as a Queen's knight of [Queen Halloween], one would be bestowed weapons crafted by famous artisans and it would be a masterpiece that utilised various metal with special properties.

And her whip sword was one of those.

The segmented portion of the sword's body was crafted with thousands of extremely fine wire interlinkages reeled within the mechanisms and it enabled the various executions of sword release by maintaining a tight grip on the handle and giving it a twist. Consequently, the serpent scorpion demonic blade would bare its fangs as it strikes like the fangs of a snake and the puncture motions of the scorpion tail.

Currently, when the opponent's mobility was shaved off considerably, it was indeed time to land the fatal strike.

''(I will just continue with the choice of the whip sword. And the winner of this battle will be clear by the next bout of exchanges.)
''
Dispelling the spear that she held in the other hand, she gripped the whip sword with both hands.

Meanwhile, Izayoi who detected the sharp shift in the atmosphere started to have a fierce grin that grew across his lips as he looked at the masked knight.

"Deciding to crown the victor with the next move? Good, I was thinking about that as well... but before that, could you please introduce yourself, o' knight-sama? If we were to end this off without knowing each other's identities, it would be quite pity for this game."

"... May I hear of yours?"

The masked knight at the opposite end nodded her head quietly. To tell the truth, she was also curious. And her thoughts were betting on which famous Community could such a strong opponent belong to and that it can only belong to some larger organisation as well.

Izayoi placed a hand at his hip while using the other to point at his own chest.

"My name is Sakamaki Izayoi—- of the [No Name]."

"...…. [No Name]? You?"

"Aahh. We have this Jin Russel who is similar to a calling card as our leader. Remember that well okay? —Well then, what would be your name, o'knight-sama?"

Not bothered by the fact that he was referred to as the denigrated master status, Izayoi gave a carefree laugh.

To avoid misunderstandings, it is not that she had any haughty opinions when she repeated that denigrated master status.

It is just that she had this thought then. They shared a curious thing in common.

"—A knight under the direct command of [Queen Halloween], Third seat of the [Queen's Knights], my knighted name by the Queen is [Faceless]."

Discarding her robes, the masked knight shouted her own introduction. It is only then did Izayoi saw the full appearance of the knight who was hidden from view all those times.

A flawlessly pure white gown and armour with a fiery red masquerade mask. The reflected sun rays that strike upon the swaying white hair immediately gave off a silvery radiance that seemed to give a saint-like vibe.

Facing the masked knight, whose ponytail swayed in the wind while being tied back in a black ribbon, Izayoi gave a barking laugh.

"Ha, [No Name] and [No Face]?! This sure is a curious meeting, it is very coincidental indeed! We as members who have lost the things to represent us... can only use our strengths to proof our worth right—!!!"

Pounding and cracking the ground as he went, he dashed forth in a surprise attack while sending the remains of the shops into the air.

Mirroring his actions, Face.Less was still using her sepens scorpio sword that flashed while she backed away from the assault.

The last portion of the battle was bound on the path of becoming the most intense battle.

Knowing that this was their last, the duo rampaged freely in the free zone.

Smashing through stalls, destroying property that is unfortunate to be in their paths and causing the ground to explode like it were full of land mines. And in the midst of all these, for it to have no injured onlookers was already a sort of miracle.

Izayoi who wanted to close the distance to continue his barrage of attacks and Faceless who wanted to pull away to make space for her attacks and defence.

Although the change in mobility levels was advantageous for Faceless, but Izayoi wasn't only fooling around earlier.

The demonic sepens scorpio sword that attacked from all directions.

It wasn't as though the sword had unlimited patterns for its trajectories. And Izayoi can predict the trajectory of the blade and can be said to be on the upper hand against Faceless.

''(If it works out like my guess, the bladed body's interlinkage mechanisms are controlled by the handle of the sword. Since I can't see through the tricks of the sword's body traced trajectories with my eye, it only leaves the option of watching the movement of the wrist...!)''

Whenever the whip sword executed an extension or contraction, it would be based on the movements at the fingers. On first glance, it was difficult to tell but there seemed to be 5 ring like designs on the handle portion. And with the squeezing of the hoop that corresponds to the respective finger position, the sword would give a flashing movement as if it were a living thing.

Knowing that her sword blade trigger mechanisms were seen through by the opponent, Faceless had a little cold sweat starting for herself.

''(The patterns for the sword extension and contractions have been seen through... the time has been dragged too long...!)''

Even so, it did not change her combat strategy. Having made the oath to herself to pull through as the victor, she had chosen her beloved sword for the battle. Then, she should believe in that oath and her judgement to succeed.

Sensing that strong determination in her, Izayoi was also thinking about ending the game too.

"Here it comes, o'Queen's knight— can that whip sword of yours defend you from this—?!"

Izayoi grabbed the bottom portion of the structure that he was standing beside and used an overwhelming brute force to lift up the ground. The surroundings started to tremor as the huge shadow fell over the area.

At this point, even Faceless was caught by surprise.

No matter how one saw it, the lifted structure's possible routes of travel would only be in one direction.

''(Could it be...... he really wants to throw that entire residential building over—?!!)''

It was just as she thought.

Izayoi sent the huge structure that was multiple times larger than himself hurtling towards Faceless at the Third Cosmic velocity.

"Tch!"

Giving the whip sword's handle a press to extend the sword's reach to the maximum. The structure that was hurled at her was already starting its disintegration process just from the force of the throw and the huge scatter shot closed in upon Faceless.

But, even though it is another scatter shot like the previous moves, this scale of dodging would be different.

It wasn't the small pellet form of scatter shots but each piece was around the size of a boulder.

In this case, it would not be possible to use the same tactic of slightly changing the trajectories and one could only hope to use all their might to continue dodging while destroying those in their path.

''(But, is it possible to defend against this...?!)''

Using the longest reach of her whip sword to continuously crack and slash through the huge rubble. But with just those movements alone, it was indeed insufficient. Faceless backed off while continuing to dodge.

Although it was just an instant that she was doing these actions, the sense of time within Faceless had sped up by a few thousand beats per second.

She no longer executed her cuts and slashes based on her visual senses. But she was calculating the trajectories of the shattered fragments and unleashing a barrage of attacks in the future locations of the debris.

Not allowing herself to have a single error in judgement. But it was impossible for her to err. The sword skills that were polished to the highest limits were bound to pull her through any difficulties.

Boulder like debris that should be cut were cut and those that were supposed to be dodged were dodged.

Faceless indeed predicted the next moment in advance.

But precisely because of that, that moment was the instant that decided the victor.

"—Found it, your blindspot."

Faceless's body tensed in surprise but that was only to be expected.

For Sakamaki Izayoi had stepped out from the shadow of a boulder that she had dodged.

''(But this is still manageable—I can still make it to retract the blades to attack!)''

"Do you think I will let you?!"

The collision of the congenital talented punch and the disciplined arts of the sword.

And with just a step before her, Izayoi's punch came into contact with the pure white gown and in that instant— The both of them were swallowed up by the debris which also destroyed the front door of [Thousand Eyes].

===Part 13===

"Are you STUPPPPPPPPPPPPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDD???!!!"

<nowiki>*Pak~~~~!!!* Shiroyasha's special custom made folded fan was waving furiously.</nowiki>

Pointing at the town that was torn up and devastated by the fight between Izayoi and Faceless, Shiroyasha was in the rare occasion of being really angry. Izayoi pouted his lips as he was made to sit in a seiza position, despite his unwillingness.

If you were wondering why, it is because a certain other person who should be around to share the lecture was not at the scene in this moment.

"...Damn. That bastard masked knight actually escaped before me. Isn't it a shared responsibility to be here at this sort of situation?"

"Oi, the destruction of the streets were 80% of your doing isn't it?! Let's just say that it is the game's stage and having a little damage to it is inevitable, but shouldn't there be a limit to things?! And it isn't like you aren't old enough to understand these stuff, you big idiot!"

"Uu, but, for the battle between me and that knight to be only of this extent is already a very good thing right?"

"Hmph. Of course. Let's not start with you for now. She was being very attentive to limiting the damage to the surroundings when she battled."

"...what did you just say?"

"Just think about it a little will you? When you hurled objects at her, she would always change the trajectory to hand in a direction where no one would be standing right? A professional like her would only need to dodge the object in the first place."

Isn't that right? Shiroyasha gave him a chiding stare.

But the truth rather than the tone was what made Izayoi feel the chills.

"To actually have the capacity of mind to consider the surroundings.... In that sort of battle...?"

"Mhm. Although it isn't like she spared you from her worst, but it is unquestionable that she was able to battle with that sort of considerations. And though she might be the subordinate of my sworn enemy, it is a really commendable knightly spirit. A martial artist of that calibre isn't that common to meet on the streets. —With that in mind, isn't it a good learning process for you?"

Flicking open her folded fan of the twin goddess design, she covered her smile as she watched Izayoi. On the other hand, Izayoi who sat in the seiza position was wearing a complex expression as he could not find words to express his thoughts and he scratched his head unhappily.

"...Che. It was tough for me to win that game and so what if I get this sense of feeling that I've lost? Damn, this sure is hard for me to accept."

"That is just the fault of your pride. ... Mah, there will come a day when you two will meet again. Now, now, compared that sort of thing—"

<nowiki>*Donk* Shiroyasha shook some ash from her red smoke pipe.</nowiki>

And a piece of sheepskin parchment lightly floated down to land beside Izayoi's hand.

Picking up the sheepskin parchment in surprise, Izayoi's lips started to tremble slightly.

"...Oi, Shiroyasha-sama. What is this? This extremely large sum of fines."

"This is the compensation for the damages this time. Destruction of the streets, residential property, stalls that were smashed and for the destruction of the main door of my Community, the [ThousandEyes]. So, please kindly prepare the amount as stated."

A smiling Shiroyasha that did not have the smile extended to the gaze.

Izayoi raised his hands as he gave a bitter laugh at the thought of how it had been a very unfortunate day while looking up at the skies above.

===Part 14===

— It was the time when the festival had ended and the streets were dyed with the hues of the setting sun.

In the middle of the vermillion streets, Kuro Usagi was crying in a loud and exaggerated fashion.

"Iza…. Izayoi –san you big idiot, big idiot, super big big IDIOOOOT~~!!!"

<nowiki>*PakPakPakPakPakPakPakPakPakPak!*</nowiki>

And it was accompanied by the flurry of sounds that came from the repeated smacking of the folded fan against Izayoi's head.

Unlike his usual self, Izayoi did not dodge the beating and was receiving it obediently this time.

"It, It was such a difficult chance to come by... Actually it is all thanks to everyone that we could get this sum of funds for our reconstruction efforts...! And just to pay of the finds would leave us back to where we started..."

"....That's right. It was a rare chance for us to have gotten such a big victory in this game of competing interests, and now the pile of golden plates that were supposed to be our compensation for the participation will now be confiscated."

"Mhm. Orginally, we were expecting to give a treat for everyone to eat a scrumptious meal. And this time, it really is unforgivable, no matter what it may be."

"...I'm sorry. I have no excuses."

Asuka and Yō sighed as though they had given up while Kuro Usagi's face was really awash with tears.

Leticia had a troubled smile as she was the only one who stepped in then.

"Mah, Mah, let's just leave it. Anyways, it was just some easy money. It comes easily and goes easily. Even if we were to use that sort of easily earned money to help with the reconstructions, it wouldn't have meant much would it?"

"Well, ...perhaps you are right on that."

Mu! Asuka pouted her lips. But giving it further thought, if the money earned from wearing that miniskirt maid costume were to be successful, that sort of accomplishment would be a story that would be passed down for generations to come would it?

Reflecting on that possibility, it might just be a good ending for them.

"But let's take it as a favour from us okay? It is something that everyone here is giving to Izayoi, right?"

"Mhm. No matter when it may be, I will return the favour when I can."

"But in the end, what is the grand prize of this game? Although it seems that [Kerykeion] is the winner and all."

"Mhm? Aahh, what are you bothered about? Even though you have figured out the underlying competition between the commercial powers, you still haven't figured that part out?"

"...Then if you put it that way, it would seem that Izayoi, you have figured it out already?"

I'm guessing that he did. She then unfurled the paper which the girls group had jotted down all the observation points about the game that were tidied thus far.

The Gift Game <RaimundusLullus> is one that uses the contents for the Gold transmutation technique, the "Alchemy of Gold".
The victory will go to the person who gathers the seven pieces of Golden Plates.
[Willo'wisp] seems to have figured out the rewards and deemed it to be of no use.
The large scale Communities of [Kerykeion] and [Queen Halloween] have joined the fray.
From the points of 3 and 4, it would be plausible to speculate that the prize is something that will not matter unless it is given to a large scale Community.
"And the biggest clue of all is the participation of [Kerykeion]. That group is a commerce focused Community that is famous as a part of the gods group in this world and the outside world as well. Even the crest of the famous Japanese University that offers courses on economics uses this logo. As long as it is a person related to that group of people, it can be assured that it isn't just a normal authority right?"

"...Right. But isn't giving it further thought a very difficult task to do?"

"You are right on that too. So what comes next will only be my speculation... Ojou-sama, Kasukabe, there's still one more important clue that hasn't been used in that paper for your discussion. —Do you know what it is?"

"...,"

"... ."

"Okay, times up. The answer is "gold transmutation"."

Izayoi replied with a mischievious smile.

Instantly, Asuka muttered as though she had caught onto something.

"—gold transmutation...transmutation…transaction... Gold moulding? Could it be the rights to investing in the gold minting of [ThousandEyes]?!"

"Aahh. As expected of ojou-sama of the financial conglomerates. That is a really good guess there."

<nowiki>*Haha* Laughing as he followed it up with a supplement to explain.</nowiki>

"It could also be the start of a new currency and the subsequent issuing rights. [Queen Halloween] seem to want the rights from Shiroyasha and it is said that in the past, the permeation of faith is similar to the permeation of currency. So Queen-sama might have wanted to stick her foot into the battle for the market."

"Ha~... So that's why Queen decided to send her knight down to the lower levels?"

"That's right. And that means it was me who beat back the Queen's knight and prevented the potential erosion of our markets by the Demon Lord."

Indeed, that's the case! Leticia raised her hands in admiration.

Izayoi laughed in his good mood as he retrieved the last remaining piece of the gold plate out from his Gift Card to pass it to Kuro Usagi who was sobbing uncontrollably.

"But... it is really embarrassing but this is the only one left. This is the golden plate that I won from the Queen's knight-sama. I hope that it can help out with our living expenses somewhat."

"...Yes. Continuing the lecture would be meaningless. Let's just forget it this time."

"Well, if you can do that, it would really be helpful. Otherwise— This invitation letter would be wasted."

—Aie? Kuro Usagi straightened her rabbit ears as she gave a dazed voice.

Held in Izayoi's hand was an invitation letter that was sealed with the wax stamp of a Great tree design.

And the recipient was addressed to [No Name]'s Jin Russel-sama.

"That, That's ... the Harvest Festival of South Side, District of the water and Great Tree!  The invitation to [Underwood's Great Waterfall]?! Why, Why would there be such a valuable invitation?!"

"Shiroyasha passed it to me. It seems like it is an invitation mailed from an alliance called [Draco Greif] who wishes for us to participate as their guests."

Guests— That is a term that did not include the normal participants, but one that is reserved for the important guests who would be entertained warmly.

And it was a treatment that a person of the denigrated term of [No Name] could not even dream of.

Izayoi, Asuka, Yō, Leticia and Kuro Usagi were cheerful as they held the invitation.

"For us to receive an invitation to have a guest treatment...?! It must be the news of everyone's accomplishments of having defeated the Demon Lord reaching the ears of the South side!"

Ya~~? Behind Kuro Usagi who was in her state of joy, Asuka, Yō and Leticia were also wearing a smile.

"Yeah, that should be it. Even for the commotion this time, I guess introducing my name and association might be a good thing."
"...Although we are unable to have a scrumptious meal."

"That's nothing. If we were to attend the Harvest Festival of the South Side, there will be delicacies that will naturally fill you to the brim. This will be just a small matter, my master."

And standing before the group that were grinning to each other, Izayoi opened the invitation letter to announce.

"The next stage for the [No Name] will be —South Side, the Waterfall in the district of the water and Great Tree. Let's brighten up and proceed with the preparations!"

Exchanging hi-fives with each other, the group started to walk back to their home.

With regards to the different world, the new stages and new meetings continued to bring them excitement that raced their hearts.





'''Translator's Notes'''

<references/>

<noinclude>
{{Mondaiji Nav|p1=9|p2=Chapter 1|n1=9|n2=Chapter 3}}
</noinclude>