"Huh?! Wait, if the semifinal match begins tomorrow?! How about the quarter-final match?" Ludger was surprised with how fast the matches had gone.
Everyone hides the news Winter Tournament because they want to make sure that Ludger will get enough rest. But Ludger's reaction to this news was also normal because there was some unexpected factor that happened in the last few days. And it causes the matches to end quicker than they should be.
"The people who make a bet against you seem to heard some news that you won't be able to fight the winner. I think they made the pace to be quicker as their people started to forfeit their match when they met someone strong from their group. They were doing it to preserve their ace's power. Do you want to show yourself in tomorrow's match?" Darius makes his reports because he still feels guilty for what happened before.
"No. Hehe, I believe that I will make them feel happier if I don't appear until my match is decided. Well, you seem to understand what I tried to do, right?" Ludger made an evil laugh before he saw a similar expression appear on Darius' face.
"Hohoho, what are you talking about? I don't understand what you are talking about. I only know that currently your condition is getting worse and you need to have a rest for a few days more. What? Don't be surprised because you can't hide your current condition from my eyes." Darius said with an almost similar smile to Ludger.
The door suddenly opened and a person saw both of them make an evil smile while looking at each other.
After being able to recover from looking at that disturbing scene, Winslow opens his mouth. "Both of you seem to have a lot of fun. But you should mind what other people will think about when they see how evil your expression is just now. In my eyes, both of you seem to planning some bad things. Don't look at me with such a gaze. I will give this to you and leave this place immediately and forget what I just saw because I don't want to meddle with whatever both of you are planning. As long as you can promise me it won't be something dangerous."
"Don't worry, Brother Winslow. It was not something that would be dangerous to me." Ludger smiles at him.
"Haa, I think they are the ones who will get into your dangerous plan, right? But be careful about what you are doing. They might retaliate if you are doing it too far. Here, you need to eat so you can get healthy again. Even though you seem to be healthy after resting these few days."Winslow decided to give his meal and leave them because he had a feeling that they would be planning something horrible for whoever they were.
"Wow! I just realized that Cook really has such a sharp intuition. And you seem to trust him the most." Darius looks at Winslow's direction with interest.
"Brother Winslow had known me for a long time and he was also the first person who helped me when I needed it the most. He is like my real brother... Forget about it, tell me about what happened in the quarter-final." As Ludger remembered what happened before started to say something unexpected before changing the topic to what they were talking about before.
Because of Ludger's gaze at him, Darius gave up and took the item he had been preparing for Ludger. "Here. As you already know, this is the recording device that Favian made before. I don't think it was necessary for me to explain it to you because it was something that you invented with him. I just borrowed it to try it. I try to record all of the matches that you are unable to watch."
"Well, I never thought he was able to finish making it in such a short time. Let me see the recording quality." Ludger took the recording magic items and operated it skilfully because he was the person who made it together with Favian before.
The magic items start showing some pictures in something that looks like a projection and looks like a hologram.
'As expect of magic. Looking at this makes me think of the sci-fi stories in my past life. This item is small and easy to bring it everywhere. But the magic consumption is hard for the normal people who never train their magic power. Well, I can discuss it with Favian later about how to improve it. Right now I need to gather the information for the person that I will fight against after the final.' Ludger inspected the recording magic item before focusing on watching the recording.
The first match that appears in it is the fight between Leona and Alvera. It was quite an unexpected match because both of them suddenly became serious and fought with their full power after saying something after the match started. The recording magic device doesn't have an audio recording function and even if it is able to do it, Ludger is not sure that it will be able to record the voice clearly.
But it didn't mean that Ludger wouldn't be able to know what they were talking about as he turned his head and looked at Darius with a smile. "You must be heard and remember their conversation, right?"
In this world, people who trained in their magic or martial arts are usually have sharper sense than the people who never or didn't train their skills. And the nobles in this world have to train themselves in at least one of them so they are usually having a sharper sense than commoners. That is the reason for Ludger to believe that Darius will be able to hear their conversation.
"Haa, don't look at me with that expression. I understand. I will tell you about what they are talking about. But I think you will regret it after hearing it." Darius sighed as if it was something that would make the listeners feel bad after hearing it.
But Ludger became more interested in it and nodded his head. "I understand. Please let me know about what they are talking about until the atmosphere between the two of them becomes like this."
***
The first match of the quarter final, was Leona versus Alvera.
When the two of them step into the ring, both of them at first greet each other respectfully.
But then...
"I never thought a newbie like you would be able to proceed until now. Well because you are part of the fan club, I was proud of you. But I won't let you proceed to the next match because I will defeat you and win this tournament so I can have a date with him. Hehehe, I'm sorry but I will win this match." Alvera proudly declares as the match begins.
"Although you are the Leader of the fan club, I won't let you win this match because I was the one who will win this match and win the date with Lord Ludger! Besides I heard you are much older than your appearance because you are a half-elf. So, you are better off becoming his aunt than dating him!" Leona angrily reply Alvera's words as she throws some water bullet in Alvera's direction.
"What a rude newbie. I need to defeat you so you won't act arrogant again like a spoiled child. Although I admit that you are quite talented in magic, but you still need to train for another hundred years if you want to fight me, newbie!" Alvera used her magic to make her move faster and as if she had suddenly disappeared from her sight, she suddenly appeared above her and attacked with her wind magic, Air Hammer.
Although Leona's reaction was a bit late, she was able to prevent herself from getting knocked down by Alvera's magic. Alvera's magic attack is quite rough because she is the opposite of Elviira's sophisticated magic because she have difficulty focusing her magic on the results that she wants. But she hides what she lacks by putting more power in it.
It might be dangerous to other but after she meets with Ludger and listen to his words, she is able to control a bit of her power until she is able to instinctively feel how much power she need to reach some result. For example, currently in that match, she was using power to knock down or push her opponent out of the ring.
"What? Are you looking down at me? Why don't you use your full power in your attack? Stop playing and use all of your power if you want to defeat me!" Leona seems to feel angry because Alvera did not use her real power and attacked with water spears.
"Well, I won't use it because it might kill you. Besides you are also someone important to him, right? And I, the Leader of Lord Ludger fan club will always protect everyone who is important to him but because you at my opponent, I will have to knock you down or make you fall out of the ring." Alvera arrogantly declared and controlled the wind to fly freely avoiding Leona's attacks.
"Then how about making a bet with me? If you lose to me, you will give your position as Leader of the fan club to me. And if I lose, I will treat you respectfully and listen to your words later." Leona said as she made a water whip that tried to hit Alvera.
It was an intense battle between both of them but it ended when Alvera attacked with a whirlwind that got larger as time passed by and pushed Leona out of the ring.