Romilda and her friends froze with a collective gasp. Then they all sat on the ground, looking dejected.
“That’s it...”
“It’s over...”
“This is the end...”
“Two weeks of work...”
You would think I had sentenced them to death. Watching them sit there and groan among themselves was almost as hard for me as it was for them. I felt like I was forcing something terrible on them.
“Hey, uh, but you can just play without magic, right?” I said in a hurry. “It looked like you really had dribbling down and stuff.”
I pointed to the dwarf who had been kicking the ball. As far as I had seen, the dwarves had used their magic to build walls and dig holes, but as for basic soccer technique, that was all them. So why not just play?
“But that...” Romilda said, a panicked look on her face, “that would make us like children playing against them.”
“Them?”
I let my gaze follow Romilda’s finger: she was pointing at the third soccer field...
The dwarf boys and girls wouldn’t say anything more, so I had no choice but to go over and have a look for myself.
“Ahhh hahahahahahahahaha!”
No sooner had I arrived on the third field than a burst of almost ecstatic laughter reached my ears. It was coming from—
“Elvia?!”
Yep. The adrenaline-high belly laugh was coming from my own personal beast girl.
The third field was currently occupied by the mixed team, for which anyone could apply. It wasn’t students on this team, but regular citizens of Marinos; there were eight humans and three beast people.
The beast people were standing smack in the middle of the soccer field, passing the ball to each other and looking like they were having the time of their lives. The humans, however, were standing on the sidelines, looking bored.
“Take that!”
“Got it!”
“Hi-yah!”
There was Elvia. There was a young guy with two-colored hair who looked like a weretiger. And then there was a large girl with round ears, probably a werebear.
Elvia and the beast people loved soccer balls so much that I figured I couldn’t keep them off the field if I wanted to, so I had asked Elvia to go into town and find some young-ish beast people to participate.
But what was going on now? I took a few steps onto the field and stared vacantly at the beast people’s game, just like the human players. Seriously, what was this?
The ball—
“Rrah!”
“There!”
“Try this on for size!”
—it never touched the ground. The beast people were essentially playing hacky sack with it, as if the whole point were to keep the ball in the air. And the way they were doing it—Elvia and her friends would jump up to kick the ball and then jump up to catch it, all using their feet, of course. They would twist and dodge in the air, kicking and blocking the ball again and again.
Bicycle kicks were all well and good, but this was soccer as air war. They might as well have a sign saying Hands off, humans! Er... or Feet off, I guess. Whatever. The point is, the ball was never less than three meters off the ground. Heck, a bicycle kick would practically be the starting point for a game like this.
I stood dumbfounded. I knew beast people had serious athletic abilities, but this was ridiculous. It was like something straight out of Shaolin So***r, but without the supernatural powers.
“So that’s what they meant.” I finally understood why the dwarves were so unhappy to hear that magic was off-limits. Against a team like this, you couldn’t even hope for a fair fight without magic. What was more, watching the expressions on the faces of Elvia and her friends, it was clear that they weren’t even being serious. They were just playing, knocking the ball around; it wasn’t a proper contest yet.
I shuddered to think what would happen if they decided to really play. No human would be able to so much as get a toe on the ball.
“They’re right...” This was something else.
As I stood thinking, Elvia noticed my arrival. “Oh, Shinichi-sama!” she said, breaking off her game and coming over to me. Her eyes were sparkling; she was palpably fulfilled. “I didn’t realize you were here!”
“Oh, uh, sure. Say, Elvia...”
“Man, but this is a great game, this soccer!”
I didn’t say anything. A question—did what they were doing count as soccer?—flitted through my mind, but Elvia looked so happy that I couldn’t bring myself to voice it.
Still, there was a real dilemma here. Without magic, the beast people would have an unbeatable advantage. But at the same time, I could hardly tell Elvia and the others to hold themselves back.
“Oh... I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” I said lamely. Elvia nodded enthusiastically, her tail wagging in time.
“I sure am!” she said. “A whole lot!” Behind her, the weretiger and the werebear were both giving me big grins. They looked so happy. So innocent. What was I supposed to say to them?
“That’s...” I started. “...Great,” I finally managed, nodding without much conviction. “Have fun, then.”
“We sure will!” Still grinning, they launched the ball back into the air.
I waved the dispirited humans over to me.
“You know what? You can use magic.”
Chapter Four: The Hero Stands upon the Field
“Things are like a rolling rock.” I vaguely remembered reading those words in some manga or light novel somewhere. I wonder which one it was.
Often, it takes a lot of effort to set things in motion, but once they get going, it’s almost impossible to stop them—even for the person who started them in the first place. I think that’s what the line is supposed to mean. And at the moment, I was experiencing the meaning of that saying firsthand.
It was the day of the exhibition match. I went to the stadium, nursing a slight headache. Riding beside me in the carriage was Myusel, who carried a basket with a packed lunch. Across from us were Minori-san and Matoba-san. We didn’t see much of Matoba-san around the house these days, but this was a pretty big event—what with the empress attending at all—so he was coming as a representative of the Japanese government.
I didn’t mind that as far as it went, but...
“Master?” Myusel gave me a concerned look. “Is something the matter?”
“Huh? What?”
“Oh... Forgive me for being forward,” she said carefully, “but I couldn’t help noticing that something seems to be worrying you.”
“Ah...” I gave an ambiguous smile. At this point, it was all I could do. “I’m not sure I’d call it worrying, exactly...”
“Hey, why let it bother you?” Minori-san offered. She, at least, seemed to have picked up on what I was concerned about—or more precisely, what I was at the end of my rope about. Then again, one glance at those practice fields would have been enough to give it away. “It’s not like you’re trying to get any of these teams into the World Cup,” she went on. “Let Eldant do soccer its own way.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” I said with a sigh.
Practically speaking, I supposed there wasn’t really a problem. Yet I couldn’t help feeling very, very worried.
“Hrm...”
In due course, we arrived at the imperial stadium. The driver opened the carriage door and respectfully ushered us out.
“You certainly took your time, Shinichi!”
Who should I see waiting for us but the loli (in appearance only) empress?
“Pe—er, Your Majesty?”
“We have been waiting most impatiently!” she said with her characteristic air of authority. It seemed like she was genuinely excited about this match. Garius had mentioned to me that at one point Petralka had been bent on forming her own team and participating in the tournament. He said it had taken quite a while to talk her down.
Having the empress herself take the field would understandably intim
idate everyone else to the point that having a game would be impossible. And soccer could be a pretty rough sport, even before you factored in the magic and beast people. If Petralka went out to play and ended up getting hurt, it might cost someone their head.
Yes, definitely better for her to sit quietly and watch.
“Ho. So you’ve come, too, Myusel.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Myusel said with a bow. “With the permission of my master...”
“...Hm,” Petralka replied, nodding graciously.
Petralka and Myusel had been quite close ever since the “assembly of patriots” incident, but even so, Myusel was careful not to act too familiar toward the empress. She was just being circumspect, but Petralka seemed to find it irritating sometimes.
“In that case, you shall accompany Shinichi,” the empress said.
“Accompany me where?” I asked, and for the first time, Petralka smiled.
“To our viewing box, of course.”
How did this happen?
It wasn’t the first time I had found myself flummoxed and confused like this. As I recalled, I had felt the same way when I was reading manga to Myusel and Petralka.
This time?
“Ah, an excellent view!” Petralka exclaimed happily... from her place on my knees.
That’s right: once again, Her Imperial Majesty was sitting on my lap. She kicked her legs back and forth in breathless anticipation of the opening ceremony. It was adorable, but to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t able to enjoy it.
“It’s almost a little frightening, isn’t it?” Myusel said from her seat beside me. At that moment, we were in the special viewing area built for Her Majesty. It was, needless to say, something altogether different from the rest of the spectator seating. Glass, held together by wood frames, surrounded most of it. Frankly, it felt a bit like being in an aquarium. The floor itself was hardwood, but the glass extended as near as possible to our feet to afford the best view of the field. It gave the sense that the box was floating in the air, and it had inspired Myusel’s completely understandable comment.
In light of the security needs of a setup like this, it had been decided in advance who would sit where. In addition to Petralka, Garius, and Prime Minister Zahar, there were places for me and Minori-san and even Matoba-san. But Myusel’s presence, apparently, had been unexpected; there was no seat for her. The upshot was that someone would have to stand, or at least sit on the floor.
Myusel, sweet and retiring as always, had offered to take the floor, but it bothered me to make her sit on cold, hard wood when I was in a nice, plush chair. We were trying to decide how to handle it when Petralka announced, “We shall sit here, then,” and pointed directly at me. Thus, the current state of affairs.
Myusel was sitting beside me, meaning I had the gorgeous young empress on my lap and a beautiful maid one seat over. Anyone would assume I must be in seventh heaven, even if I might also be feeling a little awkward...
And in the past, I might have agreed with them. The reality was, flop sweat was rolling down my forehead. Confronted with the actual situation, I found I didn’t have the wherewithal to enjoy it.
For one thing, this space was mostly glass. That gave us a great view, sure, but the Holy Eldant Empire didn’t have one-way mirrors, so we were on display for everyone who showed up. The imperial viewing box was located at the highest point of the stadium, but some of the spectator stands reached this height, too; if anyone were to look over and see me with the empress on my lap and a maid sitting next to me, what kind of person would they think I was?
“It has been tested for strength and durability, of course.” This assurance came from Garius, who had set his hands gently on my shoulders. Wait—why were his hands set gently on my shoulders? I considered asking, but was too afraid that the answer might launch us straight down a truly 801 (yaoi, remember?) path, so I kept my mouth shut. “You needn’t worry, Shinichi.”
“Uh-huh...” That depended on what he thought I was worried about, but never mind.
Incidentally, Petralka’s viewing box was well separated from the rest of the stands. Partly that was because, well, it was for the empress, but I gathered that security considerations also played a large role. It really wasn’t that long ago that Her Majesty had been held hostage by terrorists. The box’s excellent view meant it would be possible to spot anyone suspicious long before they got close. Mages and knights were posted just outside, making sure no one unauthorized came near the box.
None of this, however, seemed to bother Petralka, who was in high spirits.
“Ooh! We cannot wait!” She continued fluttering her legs happily.
Aargh! Every minute she does that, she gets cuter and cuter!
I could feel her behind on my knees; her hair was so close to my nose I could practically smell it. My heart started pounding with the moe-ness of it all, despite how dangerously close I was to Petralka. It was right about then that I thought I felt a squeezing on my left shoulder.
“Huh? What’s up?” I turned to the side. For some reason, Myusel was looking dejectedly at the ground. It looked like she was the one who had pressed against my shoulder. Like maybe our bodies were bumping up against each other.
“Something wrong?”
Maybe the seat was too small for her?
But Myusel only said, “It’s... nothing. It’s nothing,” in a very quiet voice. I couldn’t shake the sense that her cheeks were just slightly red. Feeling like it wouldn’t be quite right to pursue the subject any further, though, I fell silent.
“Oh ho!” Zahar said a moment later. “It’s starting!” I turned my gaze to the soccer field, below us and beyond the glass.
All eight teams were arranged neatly on the field, facing the viewing box. They were about to pay homage to the empress.
The knights’ team.
The JSDF team.
The elf student team.
The dwarf student team.
Two human student teams.
The mixed team that Elvia was on.
And then, finally, the lizardman team.
“Gosh... I think the JSDF is at a pretty serious disadvantage here,” I mumbled.
All of the Eldant teams, to a greater or lesser extent, could probably use magic. The Japanese self-defense forces, however, could not. What were they going to do about a volley of kicks that looked like they came straight out of some manga? True, Minori-san was on the JSDF squad, and she had witnessed the “magic soccer” of the elves and dwarves firsthand, so maybe she had been able to help them come up with a strategy...
“You might be surprised. It seems the odds rather favor the JSDF team,” Matoba-san said blandly from behind me. “They come from the home of soccer, after all.”
Yeah, great. That didn’t make them pro soccer players or whatever. It sounded like that swindle where a guy says “I’m with the fire department” and then tries to get you to buy a fire extinguisher.
“Hang on just a second. Did you say ‘the odds’?”
“Yes,” Matoba-san replied calmly. “There’s quite a bit of betting going on already regarding which team will be victorious.”
I almost choked. This was the first official soccer game here, and people were already gambling on it?!
“Bear in mind that there’s no law to prevent betting on a soccer game in this world,” Matoba-san said. “As such, none of us, including myself, are in a position to condemn such behavior.”
“Ugh! Could you sound any more bureaucratic?”
“I may remind you that I am a bureaucrat.” My remark didn’t appear to move him.
I’ll just bet he had money on at least one of the teams...
“Oh, look,” Matoba-san said. “It’s starting. There’s Koganuma-kun.”
The JSDF team had been chosen to lead the others in opening the game. (Was that because they came from the “home of soccer,” too?) Minori-san took a step forward and raised one hand.
“The Players’ Oath!” she declared, and pla
yers from the other teams followed her lead. “We players swear to honor the true spirit of sportsmanship, respecting and abiding by the rules of the game—”
And so on and so forth; but I had serious doubts that everyone there understood what the rules of the game actually were.
In any event, Minori-san led the players through the rest of the oath. Then Garius rose.
“Very good,” he said, speaking into a microphone we had borrowed from the JSDF. “In the name of Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress of the Holy Eldant Empire, let the first game begin!”
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
The entire stadium erupted. (This time I’m speaking metaphorically.)
Naturally, the people of the empire didn’t really know what sports were, and they didn’t know what kind of contest they could expect from this “soccer.” But they clearly knew it was almost like a festival, something to celebrate. I looked out over the stands and saw that the people way down in the general seats, along with those up higher in the special seats, were all leaning forward, their eyes shining, ready for some soccer.
I let out a little sigh. Let the chips fall where they may...
We had come this far. All we could do now was see what happened.
The speed was incredible. The projectile reminded me less of a soccer ball and more of a bullet tearing through the air. It goes without saying that this was not something an unaided human body could intercept. All the JSDF team could do, standing there in their dark-green uniforms, was watch in stupefaction as the ball went hurtling past them and into the goal.
Thud.
Honest to God, I could practically see the sound effect.
I think that ball might actually have broken the sound barrier. Naturally, it tore the net out of the goal, then went straight on toward the spectator seating. But if there was one thing you could have faith in, it was a wall designed and built by dwarf engineers and the JSDF. It held firm as the bullet-like ball slammed into it, and there was no further incident.
Outbreak Company: Volume 3 Page 13