Sitting on the ledges around the large arena, I was a bit excited about the tournament that was soon about to happen, and getting to see more of what my classmates could do. Sadly, I first had to listen to the idol who had been invited once again.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Ainu's annual ranking tournament! I, Elizabeth Rose, have gotten the honor to be the host for this year's tournament as well. With me today I have none other than Bruce Denver, one of the three prodigal children of the guild master of the Denver guild, as well as the Denver house."
*Waaaaaa!*
In the booth where they were sitting, the red-haired man wearing a black suit, who I could easily determine was Mike's brother, just gave a confident nod in response to the audience going wild.
"Now, this year will be a bit special, as we are actually not going to just get to witness the proficiency of the freshmen, but also tomorrow, another tournament will be held between the sophomores. And even better than that, the whole event will ultimately end with a show match between the number one freshman and the number one sophomore!"
Once again the crowd cheered, guests and students alike, everyone excited for the rare chance to see the older students fighting. "Seems like everyone is excited. So, Zero, how do you feel about having to sit this one out?"
Dr. Smith was the one who spoke to me, as he had opted to sit in the ledgers with me, both as company, but also as a way to make Jessica feel more comfortable as she had to stay with my classmates as their homeroom teacher and judge.
And to the doctor's question, my answer was pretty clear, "No, not at all. I'm not really suited to fighting anyway."
"I see. Well, just as well. Before your check-up this morning, your dear teacher was pretty intense, saying things like, 'I want a detailed 4000-word report on the state of his body by the morning', so maybe she will calm down a bit with this."
"Ahaha... is that so..."
At this point, I was wondering if there was something else Jessica was thinking of, and the possibility of her using me as a way to distract herself, but as it felt pretty far-fetched, I just had to assume she was very... caring...
"Oh, seems like it's time for my old friend to talk about some boring politic stuff!"
Raising my head, I turned my sights to the large platform that had once again been raised, with the same actor taking place and the only difference being the absence of arms that used to be attached to his body.
However, the king still stood proudly, his royal garments fluttering in the wind and his crown shining under the sun. It didn't take long until he opened his mouth, and I instantly felt myself getting drowsy when hearing him speak.
"Beloved citizens of Mensch! First of all, I would like to thank the academy of Ainu for once again holding this prestigious tournament where we all will get to see what the elite of the future looks like! In times like this..."
As the king blabbered on, I allowed my mind to flow back to the check-up that Dr. Smith had with me this morning in the office he had been appointed.
'-Hmm... Your body seems to have stabilized a bit, but the breakdown of cells is still continuing. At this pace... Well, we still have a lot of time it seems to find another solution, as long as you don't do something stupid.'
'-Ah, that's good, right?'
'-I want to say it is, but finding another solution will probably be next to impossible, and, if we let this continue, even the surgery won't help anymore. So...'
'-Yes?'
'-Are you sure about this? I understand what it would be like to live a life without mana, and how it might feel like you might as well be dead, but life is more than that. I'm sure a clever youth like you could find other work, build a family, or eve...'
'-Dr. Smith, I am sure. For me, this isn't something new, no matter how agitated Jessica might seem. For me, this has always been my truth and this has always been my future. Now, that's not to say I would say no to another way, but I need to keep the power I have been given.'
'-Haa... I don't know if you're an egomaniac or a hero... Alright, then I will continue my research and we will hope for the best.'
'-Thank you, Dr. Smith. And... thank you for staying by my side.'
'-Haha! Don't worry about it, after all, aren't I getting paid for my troubles? With the money they are spending to keep me here, I might be able to build myself my own castle soon! Hahaha!'
It appeared that no matter what, there probably weren't any good ways to solve the situation for Zero, and even if there were, I wasn't sure what was the right thing to do.
Life had gotten a lot more complicated since I got my 'restart', and it was getting harder and harder to find the right answer on how to approach the future. I still knew what my goal would have to be, and even without the deal with Loki, that was a goal I would strive for anyway.
However, what was the correct thing to go about it? There was not a part of me that enjoyed the death of innocent lives, and if there was another way to make sure no one won the war, shouldn't I at least try it first?
The problem lay in the fact that I didn't hate living as Zero. No, rather, I enjoyed it. So, did I honestly want to throw this chance away? If I had the chance, wouldn't it be possible to continue living these two lives, pretty much having the cake and eating it too?
There was even a part of me that was wondering if it wasn't a good time to let James rest, to let him and his sins disappear, and to search for redemption as Zero.
'Ha... Why am I thinking as if I was thinking of someone else?'
Contrary to what I had believed would happen in my mind, where I would have the James part and the Zero part, it was as if there was a third actor. And that was the me right now, where I could think somewhat clearly and rationally while still keeping my emotions with me.
Just as I was about to dive too deep into these thoughts, sub-me threw me out of the loop.
'You know, maybe we should think about that some other time?'
'Ah, you're right. Seems like that foolish king is finishing things up anyway.'
"... and this is what makes us strong! Now, let's get on with the event.'
*Waaaaaa!*
Just like always, the people loved their ruler, only seeing the painting he wanted them to see. Though I couldn't call him a wolf in sheep's clothing, there was no doubt that the hands he had lost weren't exactly pristine.
However, even if our business had been concluded, for now, I wasn't the one that would give him a second chance if something else happened. At this point, we had made our trade. I traded James's chance of living an ordinary life for his arms, as well as the feeling of security of his citizen.
Who lost more? In pure bias, I would always say me, but objectively he had lost a lot more than I did.
"Let's begin the tournament! First up, Gomerick Ritter versus Caroline Rue! As always, we are doing a double-elimination bracket so even when one of them inevitably loses, they will get another shot at winning the whole thing!"
*Wooooo!*
Leaning his head a bit toward me, Dr. Smith had a pretty interesting question, "Say, who do you think will win? Although I don't really know them, I have a feeling that the boy over there is pretty strong."
Rubbing my chin, I pondered for a bit, thinking about how things could play out. And in the end, I made a very simple conclusion, "I do believe Gomerick is stronger. However..."
"However?"
"However, Caroline will absolutely win this match."
His brow raised a bit in surprise when hearing how confident I was. "Hmm, is there a reason for that? Or is it just a gut feeling?"
It was hard to explain what I meant without telling him too much, but as I shook my head, I made an attempt at least. "It's because of who they are. Hahaha, I know it might sound stupid, but that's all there is to it."
"Alright... Well, we will just have to wait and see."
As he reset his sights on the arena, watching the two contenders getting ready to fight, I could only think about the real reason I thought Caroline would win.
'After all, how could someone as honest as Gomerick win against a snake?'