"Fina, it looks like it’s about to start." (Tirumina)
Tirumina-san says while looking at the venue.
On the ground, preparations for the fourth round were coming to an end.
"Yeah, then I'll go." (Fina)
"Please do your best." (Tirumina)
"Sister, do your best." (Shuri)
"Fina-chan, do your best." (Ellelaura)
"Fina-chan, I’m rooting for you." (Shia)
Each of them gave words to Fina.
I didn't want her to push herself too hard, but if the only thing they said is "do your best," it might just be a burden to Fina.
As I was thinking about what to say, Fina was waiting for my words.
"You've come this far, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about. You just have to show your strength." (Yuna)
"Yeah, I'll do my best." (Fina)
Although I couldn't say much, Fina nodded and went down to the grounds with Sanya-san.
"There are 20 people left! Only 10 can make it to the finals!" (Moderator)
When I saw the venue, I felt sad. There were only 20 people instead of nearly 100. There were three women including Fina.
There was a person named Eliza, an employee of the Adventurer's Guild, and a woman who raised her hand at the same time as Fina. Unfortunately, that female adventurer named Claire lost in the third round.
Fina who remained among them should be proud.
"Out of over 100 participants, if you make it this far, I hope you do your best and aim for the finals. However, there are only 10 participants left." (Moderator)
It's really a narrow gate. Even Wolf, Fina's specialty, couldn't make it into the top 10.
The one-horned rabbit in the second round fell further down the rankings, and since there were 40 participants, they were able to make it through to the second round.
From the third round onward, it became difficult to dismantle the monsters, some of them had never dismantled a Gator, and thanked to those who dismantled them in a hurry, she was able to get through to the third round.
Thinking about it that way, I didn't know what the situation would be depending on the monsters that appeared in the fourth round.
"Then, everyone should have calmed down. Now, please carry the monsters that will be dismantled in the fourth round." (Moderator)
As the moderator said, an attendant carried it out on a trolley.
Like the Gator, the top of the cart was covered with cloth.
It felt about the same size as the Gator, or maybe a little bigger.
If possible, I'd like to see a monster that Fina had dismantled. If it's a monster she'd dismantled before, there's no point in trying too hard to dismantle it and losing. If it was a monster that had never been dismantled, it would be frustrating.
Even if she lost, I hoped she would fight before losing.
There was nothing more painful than not being able to fight and having to admit defeat.
I hoped.
Even if it's just once, a monster that Fina had dismantled would come out.
"Then, I'll make an announcement. The fourth round is Scorpion! It's a monster that lives in the desert. It's a little rare monster in the royal capital, but it's a normal monster in the desert area. It's sometimes dismantled in the royal capital, so if you're a guild employee, you may have experienced one. You may have done it before. If there are any adventurers left this far, I'm sure you've defeated it." (Moderator)
However, the reactions varied.
Those with experience in dismantling were silent. However, there were some people who had never dismantled and were complaining.
"I don't have one. I don't go to the desert."
"Adventurers are free! You can go anywhere. If you're an adventurer, you should go there at least once. You'll expand your knowledge. Besides, those who remain in the fourth round should be highly skilled adventurers. Don't be satisfied with being a wolf or a one-horned rabbit, work hard every day and grow." (Moderator)
"......"
An adventurer who had made a complaint would be unable to say anything if someone called him a "competent person."
Maybe the fact that they stayed this far meant they were promising as a young adventurer. It meant that they had defeated and dismantled a certain number of monsters.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to acquire dismantling skills.
Besides, if they denied it here, they would also be denying the term "competent person." What they lack was dismantling experience.
However, Fina had dismantled Scorpion before.
Maybe, just maybe.
"Then, those who wish to decline, please apply." (Moderator)
At the word of the moderator, about three people asked to withdraw.
There were now 17 people. However, this did not mean that talented people had declined. Fina had to be among the 10 people based on her ability.
"Then you're ready. Let's start the fourth round." (Moderator)
When the moderator gave the signal for the fourth round to begin, they all began to move at once.
Fina also grabbed a knife and started dismantling it.
"Three people declined. A battle between 17 people has begun. As always, Dedd and Gard are deftly dismantling Scorpion. Is there no one who can stop these two!" (Moderator)
As expected, these two were the favorites to win.
It seemed that the veteran adventurer party and the promising party consisting only of young people had dismantled Scorpion before, and they dismantle it faster than anyone else.
All eyes from the audience seats were focused on the two, and voices of support for the two were heard, raising the excitement.
"Eliza-chan, who works at the adventurer's guild, is also dismantling. Is it better for the guild staff? No, the other remaining adventurers are also dismantling. As expected of these fierce warriors who have survived this far." (Moderator)
There were young people who said they were fierce, but there were no young people who felt bad about being called that word. Maybe they would continue to improve.
However, I didn't want them to fight recklessly.
Being an adventurer was a dangerous job.
"Meanwhile, surprisingly, the youngest girl, Fina-chan, is also dismantling Scorpion with skill. Has she ever dismantled a Scorpion before?" (Moderator)
"Sister, do your best!" (Shuri)
Shuri's cheered fly by, no less than the two winning candidates.
"There are three women left among the 20: Eliza, Amy, and Fina. It's sad to see the beautiful flowers fall. I hope they remain among the 10!" (Moderator)
However, these three had never finished in the top 10 until this third round. These were not the words of the moderator, but those who had remained so far were people with a certain level of ability. It might be difficult to think so.
"However, it is difficult or time-consuming for women to remove the Scorpion's shell. In particular, Fina-chan, who is small, seems to be having the most trouble." (Moderator)
Last time she dismantled it, Gentz-san helped her remove the shell. But for now, she had to do it alone.
"I want to extend my hand to Fina-chan." (Moderator)
The moderator made a gesture of extending his hand.
"Maybe everyone in the venue feels the same way." (Moderator)
"If she's small, she's at a disadvantage." (Moderator)
Shia looked at Fina who used her small body to remove the shell, and muttered.
Fina inserted a knife into the gap in the shell and tried to remove it.
"However, looking at Fina-chan's skill, I guess she has dismantled Scorpion before. What do you think about that, Guildmaster?" (Moderator)
The moderator turned the talk to Sanya-san who was in the commentary section.
"Actually, I'm surprised because I didn't know that Fina-chan could dismantle something like this. I also only heard about Fina-chan from other people." (Sanya)
She was talking about Ellelaura.
"I see. She recommended Fina-chan, so I thought she knew a lot. Fina-chan betrayed the Guildmaster for the better. However, now that we're here, the difference in our physique has become a handicap." (Moderator)
If the skill that could make Kumakyu and Kumakyu bigger or smaller could be used for Fina as well. Or if only she could use magic that adults could do.
"Mom, is sister okay?" (Shuri)
"It takes strength to lift heavy objects." (Tirumina)
"Yeah" ()
"Similarly, it takes strength to remove Scorpion's shell. That's why it's still difficult for the young Fina." ()
Even if they wanted to remove the shell, the more strength they had, the easier it would be. If you compare it to an adult man, Fina, a woman and a child, was at a disadvantage.
"Sister..." (Shuri)
Shuri looked at Fina with worry.
"But your sister is doing her best, so let’s support her." (Tirumina)
"Yeah! Good luck, big sister!" (Shuri)
"Fina-chan, do your best!" (Shia)
Shuri cheered, and Shia followed suit.
Even when it came to wielding swords, there was a big difference in physique. If the skills were the same, a larger physique would have an advantage.
If your arms are even 1cm longer, you could reach your opponent faster. The longer your legs were, the closer you would be to step into your opponent.
Even when running, if the speed of movement was the same, the difference increased each time the number of steps increased.
The difference in physique between children and adults could not be bridged.
I would like to supplement this with knowledge, but that was impossible. The people who had remained so far were all those who had acquired solid knowledge. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like Fina had no chance of winning.
However, Fina used her small body to work hard to remove the shell and dismantle the Scorpion.
Good luck, Fina.
Power was in my hands.
"Then let's take a look at the others." (Moderator)
The moderator excited the audience by talking about the progress of the event in turn.
As expected, these were the ones who stayed this far without even abstaining.
However, there were some who were struggling.
"Like Fina-chan, Eliza-chan is having a hard time. She has more strength than Fina-chan, but she is a woman. A woman has never won this tournament before. I want Eliza-chan to do her best. However, the two winning candidates are too strong!" (Moderator)
The two people in question were still fast. While everyone was struggling, Scorpion's shell was gradually being removed.
The words of the moderator sped up the dissolution of the other participants.
"Scorpion shells are used for armor. They are strong and lightweight, so they are popular as armor. Therefore, everyone, please dismantle them carefully. If you dismantle them in a hurry and it still looks dirty, points will be deducted." (Moderator)
The words of the moderator slowed down the speed with which they were trying to dismantle it. They're interesting to watch.
Even in the midst of all this, Fina maintained her own pace and steadily dismantled Scorpion.
By the time we entered the middle stages, there was a considerable gap between the top and Fina.
Author's Note
I am late.
Return to Yuna's perspective.
I apologize if I send you the next post.