“Contestant Igni, congratulations for winning the tournament!!”
Igni is handed the Tournament Champion Ring and the prize money.
Igni: “What does this ‘ring’ do?”
Igni asks the question to the cute woman in front of him. This is the same girl that has been doing the broadcast announcements at the Gladiator Colosseum.
“This ring is a [CATALYST]! If you have it on, it will help support the activation of spells. This “ring” is made ONLY for this tournament, and as long as you have it equipped, it will raise your spell activation by at least 3 times!”
Igni: “3 times?! Thank you so much!”
Igni respectfully shows his gratitude.
Fray received a different reward as the runner-up.
He was treated by the Healers on standby after their battle was over and has recovered from all his wounds.
But his face is still full of discontent.
Fray: “...............Igni……...you…….”
Igni: “Hm?”
With still a darkened expression, Fray speaks to Igni. Fray: “You’re strong.”
Igni: “Yup.”
Fray: “I’m………..weak, huh……”
He looks pretty shocked and depressed from the realization.
Igni: (........what should I do?)
Igni: “You’re still the runner-up. You should be proud.”
Fray: “........but…..but if I can’t win the tournament……..”
Igni: “Was it that important to you to win?”
Fray: “.........yeah, it’s important. I……...I need to become the next ‘Extreme’.”
Igni: “You don’t have to win a tournament like this to become an ‘Extreme’ you know.”
Fray: “.......but……”
Igni: “Why do you want to become an ‘Extreme’ so bad?”
Fray: “What do you mean, why……? It’s because Father wants it so badly…”
Igni: “I see.”
Igni pondered for a second about what he should say to Fray.
Igni: “You should be more honest about what you want.”
And that was the advice that came out.
<<<<>>>>
Yoori: “Igni!! Congratulations on winning the tournament!!”
Iris: “Sir Igni!! What was the last spell you used?! The one that went ‘POOOOW!!’ Like that! It went ‘POOOW!!’”
Alicia: “I knew you could do it! Way to go!!”
Edward: “Ha! I expected as much from you!”
As soon as the “Tournament” was over, Igni returned to his audience seat and was immediately surrounded by his friends.
Erumi: “I knew you were something special, Igni. I can’t believe you won though.”
Igni: “Erumi! You were here too?!”
Erumi: “Yeah, I lost to Fray.”
That’s right. I remember hearing her name in Block B.
Erumi: “I think....for a time, I want to postpone our practice sessions….”
Igni: (I can’t believe a masochist like Erumi just said that…….?!?!)
In many ways, what Erumi just said startled Igni.
Elenoir: “Then should we have a celebration party~~~?”
Elenoir asks the group with her head tilted.
Iris: “Are you paying, Ms. Elenoir?!”
Iris follows up quickly with her question.
Igni: (Oh, but Ms. Elenoir is broke, isn’t she….?)
Igni: “Hey, let’s use this prize money to buy food.”
Iris: “Sir Igni, are you really okay with that?!”
Alicia: “Wow, that’s very gracious of you. Is everything okay?”
Igni: “I wouldn’t know what to do with this money anyways. I rather use it for something everyone can enjoy.”
Edward: “Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll pay today!!”
But Edward immediately steps in.
Igni: “um....huh….?”
Edward: “Igni, you just won the ‘Tournament.’ To make the winner pay for our meals like that would damage my reputation! So I’ll pay today!”
Igni: “W--wait, are you sure, Edward?”
“Hey! You should graciously accept anything from Sir Edward, Igni!”
“That’s right! Can’t you understand how kind he’s being right now, Igni?!”
Igni: “I see. Thank you so much, Edward.”
Edward: “Hmph. Don’t worry about it.”
Elenoir: “But in that case~~~ where should we go~~~?”
Edward: “I know of a good place to eat! Everyone, follow me!”
Yoori: “A restaurant recommended by a noble?! This’ll be amazing! I want to go!!”
Edward: “Of course! I’m a regular there so there’s no way they’ll turn me down!”
A huge, prideful smile spreads across Edward’s face.
Today, Edward is more dependable than usual.
“Igni! I finally found you!!”
But a voice suddenly interrupts their conversation.
Igni: “...........father.”
Aurelio: “I’m so glad I found you here.”
Aurelio lets out a small sigh of relief.
In other words, Igni’s father arrived at the scene.
Igni tells his group to wait for him and changes locations with his father.
Aurelio: “I saw your match with Fray.” Igni: “........thanks.”
Since their parting, these two no longer have anything in common and lived as complete strangers.
When Igni tries to leave with just that, Aurelio grabs Igni by the arm.
Igni: “.......huh?” Aurelio: “Igni….Igni, if it’s you, you’ll be able to reach the ‘Extreme’ some day!!”
Igni: “........................HUH???????”
For a moment, Igni couldn’t understand what was being said.
And he couldn’t foresee what was about to be said either.
Aurelio: “That spell you used that defeated Fray’s spell, that spell was amazing! What kind of spell was that?! Could you please tell me?!”
Igni: “Uh…..what? It’s [FIREBALL] but…”
Auerlio: “I…..I see…so you’ll just keep it secret………”
Igni: (UH, NO. It’s not a secret but……….)
Igni: (Are we just going to keep talking past each other……?)
Aurelio: “Igni. If it’s you, I know that YOU can become an ‘EXTREME’ some day! Come back, Igni!”
Igni: “Come back…..where?”
Igni couldn’t understand where this conversation was going and tilted his head with confusion.
He could not understand a smidge of what his father was trying to tell him.
Aurelio: “To Talcoyz, Igni! If you come back, our household will have an ‘Extreme’ be our legacy!”
Igni: “...........Ohhhhh….”
As realization began to seep into Igni’s brain, his voice also began to cringe at where this was going.
Igni: “You mean, you want me to go back being….a noble?”
Aurelio: “That’s right.”
Igni: “NOPE. No thanks.”
Aurelio: “..............................b--but why?”
Igni rejected the offer so quickly, Aurelio could barely manage to follow-up with a whisper after Igni’s reply.
Igni: “Why? Because I can’t be popular being a noble.”
Aurelio: “.........you…..”
Now it was Aurelio’s turn to tilt his head in confusion.
Aurelio: “Wait, what are you saying…..?”
The man who seeks ‘Extreme’ and the man who seeks ‘Popularity’.
There is no universe where these two would understand and accept one another.
Igni: “If that’s all, see ya.”
Aurelio: “W--wait….. Wait, Igni! Please wait!!”
Aurelio reaches his hand towards Igni who is walking away.
But someone else grabs Aurelio’s hand.
“That’s enough, Aurelio.”
Igni: “Grandpa?!”
Igni suddenly turns around on the spot.
Lucas: “This is why you’re not popular with the women.”
Aurelio: “Don’t get in my way, Lucas!!”
Lucas: “The rules of popularity are rules of human relationships. Igni, what is Popularity Rule 15?”
Igni: “...........[Don’t push your agenda on women].”
Lucas: “That’s right. Ign’s able to do that, but what about you, Aurelio?”
Aurelio: “......URGH!! What does any of that have to do with anything?! Igni, please! Please come back to us!!”
Aurelio releases himself from Lucas’ grip and walks towards Igni.
Lucas: “See? All you do is push your agenda on others.”
Lucas laughs heartily.
Igni didn’t miss a word of what Lucas was saying to his father.
Aurelio: “Igni! You could become an ‘Extreme’! Why won’t you come back to the family with me?!”
Lucas: “You make it sound like it’s for Igni, yet in reality, it’s all about you. Igni, Popularity Rule 12?”
Igni: “---------[Learn to like the other person first and foremost].”
Lucas: “That’s right. If you learn to like the other person, you won’t do anything to them that they’ll hate. At the very least, you won’t seek that other person for your own selfish gains.”
Igni: “I…..I see….”
Having someone exemplify these principles really helps.
Aurelio: “SHUT UP, SHUT UP!! I’m talking to Igni right now!!”
Lucas: “Igni, Ultimate Secret to Popularity No. 2?”
Igni: “[Women love a man with confidence].”
Lucas: “And No. 5?”
Igni: “[Women love a man with a core and foundation].”
After Igni finished saying this, Lucas could not help but laugh harder.
Lucas: “You haven’t followed any of this, Aurelio.”
Aurelio: “.......!!”
Aurelio’s face burns bright red.
Igni thought for a moment before opening his mouth to speak.
Igni: “Don’t be so mad, Father. I’m really <THANK•FUL> to you.”
Aurelio: “Then...then in that case…!”
Igni: “I’m really thankful you kicked me out of being a nobility. No really, I’m thanking you from the bottom of my heart for that.”
Aurelio: “......wh---what are you saying?! Can’t you see that I’m…..!!”
Igni: “<TH•ANK YOU VE•RY MU•CH>, father for setting me free.”
How did Igni look to Aurelio at this moment?
Igni: “So that’s why it’s goodbye, father.”
Aurelio: “W--wait!! Please wait!! I beg you!!”
Igni spins on his heels and turns around.
Igni: “I’ll see you later, Grandpa.”
Lucas: “Of course.”
Igni greets his one and only family member and leaves.
Aurelio: “PLEASE!! I WAS WRONG!! PLEASE, IGNI!! PLEASE COME BACK!!”
But from that point on, Igni never once looked back.
