Chapter 19, Break

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

After checking the 46th Floor, Kousuke and his group returned to the guild base instead of continuing onward. Though they had been advancing at a brisk pace, they decided it was time to gauge how the locals perceived them. After all, their primary objective was not investigating Gazenran Tower, but establishing a Crown branch in this city.

 

The Tower exploration could wait. Increasing Wolf Fang’s popularity took priority.

 

It was just past noon when they arrived at the guild. Only Eku remained there; everyone else had gone out to fulfill requests.

 

Eku approached Kouhi immediately.

 

“Kouhi-sama, you’ve received correspondence from the Arena Guild,” She said, handing over an envelope.

 

Cory’s name was written on the front, with the Arena Guild’s seal stamped on the back. Kouhi opened it on the spot, though she could already guess its contents. After a brief glance, she passed it to Kousuke.

 

“The next match date and opponent have been decided.”

 

“May I?” Kousuke asked.

 

“Of course.”

 

Once Kouhi nodded her approval, Kousuke examined the document. The details were presented in standard format: the match was scheduled for three days later in the evening, and her opponent would be Peter Mazanek, currently ranked eighth.

 

Kousuke frowned. “It’s good that the opponent’s been decided, but isn’t three days from now too soon?”

 

If Kouhi had accepted a request that took her out of the city, she would have missed the match. Even forfeiting would affect her ranking, which meant fighters could not accept long-term requests under such scheduling.

 

Kouhi shook her head at Kousuke’s concern. “I believe it’s because I originally indicated any time would be acceptable. There was also an option for scheduling a month later.”

 

The one-month option could be extended further if she submitted another application during that time frame. This system allowed fighters to extend their available battle days, though it could not be used to avoid rank penalties. If a fighter received a long-term request that took them away from Seichun, they could submit an application for permission.

 

However, if a fighter went more than three months without battling and without applying for an extension, their ranking would drop. The Arena Guild had carefully considered these matters, since battles between top-ranked fighters significantly impacted betting revenue.

 

After Kouhi’s explanation, Kousuke nodded in understanding. “I see. It would be pointless if fighters did that and the audience forgot their names.”

 

“I wonder about that?” Mitsuki interjected. “I’m sure some people just want to brag about holding a rank.”

 

Neither Kousuke’s group nor Kouhi realized it, but Osmo had been in a similar situation. Kouhi had appeared just as the Arena Guild was about to issue him a warning.

 

“It’s still a business built on popularity,” Kousuke pointed out. “A fighter doing that wouldn’t last long.”

 

“That’s true,” Kouhi agreed.

 

Ironically, she had driven Osmo away for exactly that reason, though she remained completely unaware of it as she nodded in agreement with Kousuke.

 

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With Kouhi’s match set for three days later, Kousuke informed Lirica that they would postpone challenging the Tower until after that day. He wanted to watch Kouhi’s match, which naturally fired up Kouhi’s spirit when she heard Kousuke would be attending.

 

Everyone could easily see through her enthusiasm and chose to ignore it, though deep down they all felt sorry for her opponent.

 

Regardless, even if they devoted just two days to the Tower, they would not accomplish any meaningful investigation. There was no point restricting their actions in such a situation, so they decided to let Lirica do as she pleased until Kouhi’s match concluded.

 

With two free days, Kousuke decided to return to Amamiya Tower for the first time in a while. Though he had no specific business there, everyone would be delighted just to see him. Knowing this, he made a point of returning to the Administration Floor whenever time permitted.

 

It was difficult to manage his time while traveling, but during brief periods of downtime like this, he could use teleportation. Normally, traveling such distances—especially back into the Tower—would be impossible, but with Kousuke’s status as a living god, initially granted when he was sent back to Sanctuary, it was made possible. In many ways, this represented Kousuke’s true potential.

 

The next day, accompanied by Kouhi, Mitsuki, and Nana, Kousuke returned to the Amamiya Tower’s Administration Floor. The quickest route back was by transferring to the Yurino Shrine. The combined power of the Yurino Shrine and Kousuke’s divine abilities allowed him to instantly return to any continent in Earthgard.

 

From there, all he needed was to use the portal to reach the Administration Floor.

 

Upon their arrival, Kousuke encountered Shrein in the portal room.

 

“Kousuke?! You’re back?” Shrein exclaimed in surprise.

 

Kousuke waved casually. “Not permanently. I just came to rest during some downtime.”

 

“I see. Well, I’ll finish my business quickly!” Shrein said, activating the portal immediately.

 

She likely had matters to attend to at Vermilion Castle, judging by her hurried demeanor. Undoubtedly, she wanted to spend time with Kousuke after completing her tasks.

 

Peach and Collete reacted similarly to Shrein when they met Kousuke. Unable to remain idle, Collete headed for the teleportation gate to contact Floria and Sylvia about Kousuke’s temporary return.

 

The last time Kousuke had returned, Collete hadn’t notified them, and they had shown up with disappointed expressions.

 

“Experiencing that kind of disappointment once is enough.” Peach remarked as she watched Collete depart.

 

Wanri, somehow learning of Kousuke’s return, made her way to the Administration Floor. After being petted by Kousuke while in her fox form, Wanri played with Nana.

 

As Kousuke observed the two from the relaxation area, Floria and Sylvia—despite their supposedly busy schedules—arrived. Though they jad mpt brought their children, it had been a long time since everyone had gathered together.

 

Floria, true to her status as Queen, declared, ‘I’ll definitely return tonight,’ after making a brief appearance. As promised, she came back in the evening, and everyone decided to have dinner together.

 

During the meal, conversation turned to whether the Gods were involved with Gazenran Tower. All eyes focused on Sylvia, who shook her head, admitting she had never heard of such involvement either.

 

“If they were truly involved, it might be a tale dating back even further than the mythical era,” Sylvia concluded after some consideration. Ultimately, they agreed they would not know for certain until they investigated the Tower thoroughly.

 

Interestingly, even when speaking with Lirica and the others, no one suggested asking the Goddesses directly. It was better to investigate such matters independently and draw their own conclusions—asking the Goddesses directly seemed pointless. Of course, the Goddesses would answer if asked, but everyone considered that approach a last resort.