Vol 3 Ch. 12 – The Preliminaries Begin

TN: I have decided to pick this WN up as I really enjoy it, but it hasn’t had an update in over a year. However I decided to retranslate part of Volume 3, because I felt the Nattou’s translations had too many translation errors for my liking. I hope to be able to do at least 2 chapters per month (as each chapter is quite long). Once I’ve caught up to where the translations dropped off I will continue translating it (time willing of course).

One more thing, for what it’s worth, please keep in mind that Hiyuki always uses watashi when speaking (except in rare cases where she might use watakushi or something where the situation calls for it). However in her monologue she always uses boku. This has been consistent without fail up till now.

I hope you will enjoy my translation and will stick with me on this project 🙂

As always, you can mouseover the conversations to read the romaji!

AN: The first round begins.

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The battle to decide the next Beast King will take place over the next three days, starting with the preliminaries which are being held at a place called The 『Demon Wolf’s Feeding Grounds』, which is located at the foot of the Cress Kingdom’s holy site, The 『Sacred Beast’s Hill』.

Incidentally, on the other side of this hill is The 『 Earth Dragons’ Bed』, similar preliminary matches are also being held, and on the fourth day, the winners of both sets of preliminaries will clash in the final match which will be on The 『Sacred Beasts Hill』 itself.

For that reason, I’m currently at the 『Demon Wolf’s Feeding Grounds』where the first preliminary match is set to take place—specifically, I’m at the exclusive pavilion for VIPs, however…

「…this is just a fancy way of Isolating me, isn’t it?」…… Kore tte tai no ī kakurida yo nē

I have a complete, unobstructed view of the entire arena grounds from atop the specially built tower. On the opposite side of the arena was an area filled with tents— The many chiefs and elders of the various beastman tribes would surely be gathered together within those tents. Remembering how they all hunched over in fear, having instinctively sensed the sheer threat I posed, I let out a sigh.

Rather than the seat of honour, I’ve actually been seated in the gallery^[1] haven’t I?.

「Are you displeased, princess?」Go fukaidearimasu ka, hime?

Tengai asked, standing beside me dressed in a tuxedo. I thought for a moment before answering honestly.

「…. Yea, I am rather dissatisfied, but it can’t be helped I suppose. From their perspective, I’m an uninvited guest afterall.」―― Fukaidakedo shikatanai nē. Achira-san ni shite mireba manekarezarukyakuna ndashi

Actually, this tower had plenty of fruits, nuts, food and even drinks lined up, but there wasn’t a single person here to entertain us. They were basically saying “help yourself”.

「If you don’t mind waiting for but a moment, shall I go ahead and remove the cause right away?」Shōshō omachi itadakereba, ima sugu sono gen'in o torinozoite mairimasuga?
– suggests Tengai casually, as if he was going to clear some litter from the hallway, while lightly bowing.

Wait, are you going to crush them all before the tournament has even started?!

「There’s no need to do that, but since they’re telling me to do as I please, than I shall do just that.  —–And that’s why, could I ask you for a small favour, Tengai?」Sore wa yaranakute īkedo, mā katte ni shiro to iunara, katte ni sa sete morau yo.―― To, iu koto de. Chotto tanoma rete kureru ka na tengai

「Of course……?」Hā……?

◇◆◇◆◇

Tension was in the air inside the tent of the N-Gelb tribe as they were fighting in the first match of the preliminaries.

「Hey yo. How’re you both doing? Are you still affected by yesterday’s injuries?」Yā yā, chōshi wa dō dai futari tomo? Kinō no kega no eikyō wanai kai?

At the open space in front of the tent, was Revan who was warming up; and Asmina who wiped his sweat, gave him water to drink, and nonchalantly touched her (milk) brother’s body as she pleased. Both their jaws fell open simultaneously when they saw my face which is hidden under an inconspicuous robe.

「Eh…. Your Majesty….?」

Nande koko ni…… tte, are? ? Kihin seki ni imasu… yo ne?「What are you doing here…eh, huh?  But you’re at the VIP seat… right?」E...... heika.....?

Asmina pointed at a 5m tall stage-like tower made of logs, that can be seen from anywhere in the venue. Situated atop that tower is ‘me’….. Overlooking the surroundings with a placid expression.

「Ah, that’s a stand-in.」Ā, are kaedama

「S, Stand-in? As in a body double?」Ka, kaedama tte, kagemusha tte yatsudesu ka……?

With a face that screamed “I’d heard of such things, but this is the first time I’m seeing it for real”, Asmina looked at the ‘me’ over there with a curious expression.

「Well, to be precise, it’s a magic doll imitation of me, but unless you get up close, I don’t think you can tell the difference. 」Mā seikaku ni wa, watashi o mo shita madō ningyōna ndakedo, yohodo chikaku kara minai to kubetsu wa tsukanai to omou yo

By that I mean, if you get close you can tell by the feel of the skin, or the movement of the eyes, or the body temperature; all of which have an unmistakable doll-like feel to it. Only a moron wouldn’t be able to notice it. I won’t say who^[2] though.

Also, when he laid eyes on the real thing, Maroudo’s eyes lit up and he begged: 「Please give one of that!」Zehi ichi-tai yuzutte kudasai!^[3], so I beat him to a pulp.

And for the sake of camouflage, was Tengai, standing behind the doll while looking sullen. As expected, this sort of entertainment is only enjoyable when seen from ringside seats.

「Anyway, that’s how I snuck out, but you certainly seem to be in good shape. 」Sō iu koto de, kossori nukedashite kita ndakedo, chōshi no kata wa yo-sa-sōda ne

As if he’d just returned to his senses upon being spoken to, Revan’s mouth suddenly curled into a happy smile.

「Indeed, thanks to you.」Ee, okagesama de

Even though the match– no the deathmatch was just coming up, I sensed neither an enthusiastic fighting spirit, nor grim resolve coming from him. Rather, his smile was brilliant like a clear blue sky that had not a single blot.

—-My, my, it seems you’ve completely transformed in just one night.

In his current state, Revan would surely put up a good fight. That thought made me happy.

「I’m glad to hear that. —Yeah. You’ve got a good face on you today. Don’t worry, you can win this.」Sorya yokatta.―― Un. Kyō no kimi wa yoi kao o shi teru nē. Daijōbu, kateru yo

「Thank you. That said, the one who blew away the me, who was useless until yesterday, was none other than Your Majesty. Therefore, in gratitude for that I promise you that today you will not see me fight in an unsightly manner.」Arigatōgozaimasu. To wa ie, kinō made no damena ore o futtoba shite kureta no wa heikadesukara, kyō wa sono rei o komete, buzamana tatakai o shinai to yakusoku shimasu

「I see.」So ka

Regardless of whether you win or lose, you’re going to be giving it your all eh? Good, good. With this, he’s looking really promising.

「….. Umm, Your Majesty…?」…… Ano~, heika

From some reason Asmina’s voice was accompanied by a frightening aura.

「Oddly, you seem to be having a good mood with my brother. Surely you’re not trying to steal my brother from me… there’s no way right? 」Myōni ani to fun'iki ga yoi nodesuga, masaka watashi kara ani o ubau tsumori.....de wa arimasen yo nē

 Looking at me with eyes that were like bottomless caves, I hurriedly shook my head with all my might, to deny it.

「…Any…anyway, you’re awfully lightly dressed. Aren’t you going to wear some armour or something?」……-So, sore wa tomokaku, zuibun keisōdakedo, bōgu toka wa tsukenai no?

Revan wasn’t wearing his usual traditional clothing, but the only real difference in his current outfit was that it had no sleeves, to allow for easy movement.

「Haa? Unnecessary armour is only going to restrict my movement. – Is this no good?」Hā, yokeina bōgu wa ugoki no jama ni narimasushi.―― Mazuidesu ka?

「Ummm, Normally I think it’d be alright, but this time it seems that powerful weapons are making their rounds amongst your opponents. It’s probably better for you to at least use some minimal defensive equipment, don’t you think?  」U-n, futsūdattara mondainai to omoukedo, konkai wa aitegata ni kyōryokuna buki ga demawatteru tte iushi, saiteigen no bōgu kurai wa tsuketa kata ga ī n janai ka na?

At that moment, suddenly feeling playful, I took out some equipment from the storage bag on my waist and showed it to Revan.

「…Arm guards and leg guards? 」―― Tekkō to sokkōdesu ka
Seeing the plain, black equipment, Revan’s honest impression spilled out of his mouth.

「Yup. The arm guards are called ‘Kanshou’ and the leg guards ‘Bakuya’. Something as simple as this should at least be okay right?.」So~, tekkō no hō ga “kanshou” de, sokkō ga “bakuya” tte iu no. Kore kurainara daijōbukana?

Revan accepted the equipment and put them on. Kanshou were some sort of long fingerless gloves with sleeves that extended up the arm, whereas Bakuya had belts to adjust the fit, so he should at least be able to wear them, even if they don’t fit perfectly.

「They’re slightly big and heavy..… but, not so much that they get in the way.」Chotto ōkikute omoi ka na…… mā, jama ni naru hodode mo naidesu ne
Revan tried out some swift hand and leg movements, then gave his opinion of the equipment I gave him.

「That’s good to hear. Though, once you reach a level that’s suited to those, the size and weight will be just right, and they’ll adjust themselves to suit you, and their true abilities will finally manifest. 」Sorya yokatta. Kimi ga sore ni miau reberu ni nareba, omo-sa mo ōki-sa mo chōdo yoi guai ni, jidō de chōsei shite kurerushi, honrai no chikara mo hakki dekiru ndakedo

 —and with that, I shall recognise you, whom no one else yet acknowledges, as the ‘Beast King’^[4].
I added, in my heart.

「Well, for the time being, just think of them as ‘really solid armour’.」Mā, ima no tokoro wa “sugoku jōbuna bōgu” to dake omotte ireba ī yo

At words Revan bowed his head with admirable expression.

「Understood. I shall be borrowing these then.」Wakarimashita. Okarishimasu

「No, it’s fine. I’ll give them to you. There’s no point in holding on to them as I have a use for them.」

Yoi nodesu ka, kichōna monode wa?「Is it really okay? Aren’t these really valuable items?」Iya, ī yo. Ageru yo. Watashi ga mottete mo tsukaimichi ga naishi ne

「They’re just tools, and tool’s are meant to be used.」Dōgu wa dōgu sa

It’d be just like those players who finally got hold of the ultimate sword, and because its incredibly rare, they think it’d be a waste to use it and let endurance drop; so they store it away safely, and instead use inferior weapons to fight. For me however, I’d say “what’s the point of having something if you don’t use it?”, and would proceed to use it without hesitation, right until it was destroyed.

「Understood. I gratefully accept these.」Wakarimashita. Arigataku chōdai itashimasu
-said Revan, accepting my gift with a bow.

The equipment of the former Beast King ended up in my hands, which I’ve now passed on to the successor to current Beast King. I don’t believe in things like fate but perhaps this sort of connection could itself could be a form a destiny.

「….Well, as a matter of fact, these were the property of a pervert that groped my boobs, so you could say I don’t even want them.」―― Mā, jissai no tokoro, hito no oppai mon dari shita hentai no mochimononanode, motte itaku mo nai to iu ka

「Haa…」
 Revan’s looked upon Kanshou and Bakuya with a complicated expression.

◇◆◇◆◇

And with that, the first match of the preliminaries begins.
The next chief of the Lion tribe, Revan VS Chloe, an adventurer of the Rabbitman tribe.

The arena – though it’s called that, is actually just a cleared wasteland with a sumo-ring like 100m² of flattened, piled up dirt; – was surrounded by members of both tribes. Along with those with vested interests in upcoming matches, all manner of cheering and angry shouts emanated from around the arena, though unlike the Rabbitman tribe, the excitement amongst the Lion tribe appeared to be considerably more subdued. Not unlike Revan yesterday, they were no doubt looking down on their opponents, seeing that the opponent is from the weak rabbitman tribe, and a woman to boot.

Finally, at the signal of the referee, both candidates stepped up to the centre of the arena –

「…. I guess I was mistaken. She doesn’t seem to be a player. 」…… Chigaukana, Are wa. Purēyā janai ppoi ne
Seeing the female adventurer of the rabbitman tribe who was to be Revan’s opponent, I tilted my head.

On the other hand, Asmina who was sitting next to me grabbed and shook me with incredible force while frothing at the mouth, as she pressed me for answers.

「What the hell? What the hell is that?! Is that a rabbitman?! Do all female adventurers look like that?!!」Nan desuka~, Nan desuka, are? ! Are tte tojin-zokunan desu ka! ? Bōken-sha no on'na -tte minna, aa nan desu ka! ? 「…..No, that is probably one of a kind….」… Iya~a, Are wa tokubetsu janai ka nā

The ‘that’ being referred to is the opponent- the rabbitman tribe’s female adventurer, Chloe. If I had to describe her in one word, it’d be RIPPED.

With a height approaching 2 meters, sharp eyes that were topped by thick eyebrows, a square cleft chin, and a body full of muscles that seemed ready to burst. Each of her arms were about as thick as my breasts. Furthermore, she was wearing bikini armour that covered a huge bulge, though I wasn’t sure if they were breasts, or simply pectoral muscles that were full to the point of bursting; had 8 pack abs, and a muscular backside that was so lacking in femininity, it practically screamed “Aniki’s^[5] Butt!”. Also the bodyline from her backside to her feet were also just a mass of muscles, looking like the roots of giant trees intertwined.

On the top of her head, hung a pair of lop type rabbit ears that drooped down as if they were sorry to be there.

Yeah, for that to be a player character would be pushing the limits in more ways than one.

◇◆◇◆◇

Seeing the towering opponent before him, Revan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

—–Thank goodness. In this case I won’t need to hold back.

Just like that time he responded with a “Haa…” to Hiyuki, he felt that to raise a hand against a woman was rather shameful, even if she were an opponent. However the one currently in front of him was unmistakably a ‘warrior’. Therefore, it would be rude to hold back when fighting against her.

That’s why his feelings spilled out naturally.
「—-What a relief, that you《kijo》^[6] are my opponent for the first round.」―― Yokatta yo, kijo ga 1-kaisen no aite de

Hearing that, Chloe frowns, with clear displeasure on her face.

「Ah? ‘Zat cuz yer looking down on me?」An? Sorya atashi o name teru no kai?

「Not at all. You are without doubt a formidable opponent. So I won’t have to hold back, and can hit you with everything I’ve got. That’s why I’m glad.」Chigau yo. Kijo ga magire mo naku tomodakarada. Dakara ore mo jibun no chikara o enryonaku butsuke rareru. Sore ga ureshī nda

For just a moment, Chloe had a stunned look on her face; which then transformed into a bloodthirsty smile.

「Fufun, you sure say the nicest things eh? I thought you were a delicate little boy, but it turns out you’re a ‘so-so’ man huh. —-Plus I can see you have some really ‘fine women’ around ya.」Fu fun, ureshīkoto o itte kureru janai ka. Nayonayo shita bōya ka to omoeba, mā mā no otokoda ne.―― Satewa mawari ni yohodo ī on'na ga iru to mieru

Revan glanced back behind the field, noticing his younger (milk) sister who was anxiously watching him while biting her hands, along with Hiyuki; then answered with a bitter smile.

「That’s right. I’ve got women I’m not worthy of…. By the way, my rating in your eyes is only ‘so-so’ huh?」Sōda na. Ore ni wa mottainai on'na-tachi ga ite kureru.… Tokorode ore no hyōka wa,’mā-mā’ na no kai?

「—–Fun, if you can beat me, I’ll acknowledge you to be a ‘fine’ man!」―― Fun, atashi ni kattara “ī otoko” to mitomete yaru yo!

「In that case I won’t hold back!」Sō ka,de wa enryonaku!

At that moment, the word「Begin!」resounded, along with the beat of a Taiko drum to signal the start of the match. Both of them took their combat ready stance, with Revan raising his fists and Chloe holding out her 2m Kon^[7] – though usually a rod shaped striking weapon made of wood,  this staff seems to be made of metal.

「Fnn!」
  with a shout that reflected her fighting spirit, Chloe thrust the pointed end of her staff at Revan’s face.

And at the moment he thought he could comfortably dodge it-
「Extend!」Nobiro!

Sliding at a speed that far exceeded expectation, the staff smashed into Revan’s face faster than he predicted, and together with a loud sound, his body was blown away.

◇◆◇◆◇

「Revan nii-sama!」

I calmed down a panicking Asmina, whose face had distorted as she leaned forward, about to run out to Revan at any moment.

「Don’t worry. He was able to guard against it just in time, and even though it looked like he was sent flying, he actually jumped backwards himself, eliminating the force of the hit, so from what I can see, he didn’t actually take any damage.」Daijōbu, girigiri gādo ga maniattashi, hade ni ton deru yōde mo, jibun kara tonde iryoku o koroshite irukara, mitame hodo no damēji wa nai yo

Then, with a rather stern eyes, I looked at the red Kon Chloe was using.

「Isn’t that an E.H.O drop item^[8], The『NyoiBō』^[9]? It’s not something that would typically be available for sale. Yappari, there must be some conspiracy making its move behind the scenes… 」Are wa “E H O” no doroppu aitemu,“nyoi bō” janai ka. Futsū ni demawaru mono janaishi, yappari ura de nanika inbō ga ugoite iru no ka na

Hearing that, Asmina turns to me with a worried look on her face.
「Will everything be okay?」Daijōbu nandesu ka?

「I… think so.」To... omou yo

「Also, before the match started, Revan nii-sama was being real friendly when talking to that woman. Should I be worried that he’ll cheat on me?」Ato shiai mae ni, revu~an nīsama, ano on'na to shitashige ni hanashite imashitakedo, uwaki no shinpai wa nai to omoimasu ka?

「….. You never let up, do you?」…… Kimi mo bure nai nē

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TN: I’ve tried my best to keep the translation as accurate as possible, including reproducing the tone and humour, etc. How did you like my first go at this WN? Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Also, how do you prefer to refer to our best girl? Hiyuki-chan or Hiyuki-sama? Leave a comment below!

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[1] The gallery or the ‘cheap seats’ are the worst (and thus cheapest) seats you can get when you go to watch a play at the theatre. They are high above and you usually cant see very much at all. Often the gallery doesn’t even have seats and you’re just standing.

[2] Joey ^^ (see Interlude 4)

[3] Lol Maroudo wants a Hiyuki-sama sex doll…

[4] I’m not clear if Hiyuki means that she recognizes him as the Beast King now, or she will recognize him as such once he is able to manifest Kanshou and Bakuya’s true abilities. The line is そして、誰が認めなくてボクは君を『獣王』と認めるよ. If you know which one it is, please leave a comment to clarify.

[5] Aniki, while lit. meaning “big brother” is basically used to refer to the big boss of gangsters or to superior sportsmen you admire. edit: thanks to Rainbow Flavour for pointing out that aniki butt is most likely a reference to the Cho Aniki muscleman game series. Just see this google image search to get an idea of the kinda butt Chloe has ^^

[6] Revan uses kijo when speaking to Chloe. Kijo is an extremely polite and respectful way of saying “you” to a woman. It shows he is trying to show her the utmost respect.

[7] Kon (棍), also called Bō is a type of wooden pole or staff used for combat. You’ve probably seen it in kung-fu movies n stuff. See Wikipedia for more info.

[8] Japanese MMO term. In English we’d say ‘loot’. Basically what enemies leave behind when you kill them.

[9] 如意棒 (NyoiBō) is the mythical rod weapon used by Son Goku (Sun Wukong in Chinese) from Journey to the West. In Chinese this weapon is called the Rúyì Jīngū Bàng. The Japanese version most popularised is from Dragon Ball, so Chloe’s weapon probably looks like: