Chapter 1

And with that, the Eniastar Team was formed. A team barreling full throttle towards the goal of becoming the strongest. The three of them had taken the first step, and—

“They’re not coming... are they,” muttered a certain boy.

“Yeah... It’s been a week already...” groaned a fox.

“...Right.” a spirit dispiritedly sighed.

The team was already faced with a crisis.

“Ah... Even after I begged Eli to let me hand out fliers...”

“I thought we’d get at least one person after all those posts I put on the bulletin...”

On the terrace of Café Argent, Athena and Fram exchanged a deep sigh.

The upper limit on a team was eight members. There was no lower limit, so even if a team had only a single person registered, they were allowed to take part in the Roulette.

Unfortunately, as one might expect, this was not very realistic.

There was a limit to what someone could accomplish on their own, and greater numbers increased the breadth of tactics that could be employed. No matter how strong an individual was, it was difficult to take on multiple attackers, and these would be no ordinary attackers either. The Babel Roulette was where the mighty joined hands, so gathering the appropriate personnel could be called an absolute necessity.

However, in the week since they began, not a single hopeful applicant showed up.

“This is a bother... Given Yuri’s popularity, I thought we’d have our pick of candidates.”

Yuri defeated Elias despite his rare lineage as a mix-blood. He was a shining rookie bathing in attention. With such hopes placed on him, surely an interested duelist would at least want to hear what he had to say... But as of yet, even that was a pipe dream.

Additionally, this wealth of attention had turned into a large shackle of its own.

“I tried asking some of our regulars, but they all got cold feet...”

“There’s not much we can do about that. Having hopes placed on us means we’re expected to perform considerably well. It won’t be possible for anyone who isn’t confident in their ability.”

From the reactions they had seen over the past week, there was actually an exceedingly high number of interested duelists, but...the threshold was seen as too high for anyone to actually try and join.

“Too much for my shoulders.”

“If I’m unable to do anything, I’m not sure what people will say about me.”

“With all that attention, defeat will leave a much larger impact on my life as a duelist.”

These were generally the opinions posted on the city bulletin. Gazing at these depressing reactions, Yuri pressed his face to the table, his lips pursed in a pout.

“Mhm...why don’t they just try it out before they read too deeply...” he said.

“I know, right... With all the races together, sure, there are a few who don’t think they’ll fit the team affinity-wise, but there are lotsa things you don’t know until you’re actually fighting together.”

“Not everyone can be as thoughtless as you two. It’s nothing to complain about.” Fram tapped the two heads planted flat against the table. “And it looks like there was another reason.”

“Hm? What sort of reason?” asked Athena.

“And I quote, ‘Yuri’s fighting style is so grotesque, it will be harsh on my sanity.’”

“So you mean I’m the problem!?”

“Ah... Right, it took a while for us to get used to it.” The fox-girl’s ears drooped like dying saplings as she recalled the scenes from their training together.

The Tribe Skill of a mix-blood that Yuri had worked out—Tribal Armament—allowed him to exhibit tremendous power in exchange for massive damage to himself. That power was what gave him the edge to triumph over Elias, but many were rather shocked by the sight of him blowing off his own arms and ultimately ending up without a limb left to stand on.

It should also be noted that this fighting style was generally disliked. At the end of the day, duels were a form of entertainment. While duelists shared a general understanding that Yuri had fought to the best of his abilities, the viewers from around the world saw him as a “guy who throws down disgustingly,” performing acts that they “can’t really show to the kids.”

As the viewing count and general popularity of one’s duels affected income, then considering their future prospects, it was impossible to join the team without due concern.

When the three shared yet another terribly heavy sigh, something cast a shadow over their table.

“...If you’re going to be taking up seats, at least order something.”

Yuri slowly raised his face to the ice-cold voice. There was Elias lording over them, a fed-up look on his face.

“I can put up with you using this store as a meeting spot, but if you set up camp with our seats, I will treat you as customers.”

“Oh, then one coffee please!”

“I’ll have a meat sandwich!”

“The dessert of the day.”

“Meaning you’re going to be here for a while,” Elias puffed before listing out the order on his memo pad.

After taking a better look at him, Yuri noticed he wasn’t wearing his usual outfit.

“Mr. Elias, you’re wearing the waiter uniform today?”

“Yeah. My employee is running late on personal business, so I’m standing in.”

“Huh? But Eli, don’t you usually just wear your casual clothes?”

“I am the owner of this shop, so to distinguish my position, I purposely opt not to wear a uniform but—” Cutting himself off, Elias turned his face. From the depths of the terrace rose the shrill cheers of several women. “Lately, we’ve been getting more female customers, so I’ve begun dressing like this.”

“Why, Mr. Elias, your merchant spirit is surprisingly strong...”

“This shop’s proceeds are just as important as my duels. If the shop goes under, my comrades and I will be forced to find new work. And you three wouldn’t want to have to job hunt on top of searching for members, would you?”

“Before that, I question whether there’s anywhere that will hire me at all!”

“I’m confident I’d be fired within a day!!”

“I’m not going to go work for someone I don’t know at this point.”

“Let me correct myself. If I throw you out onto the streets, I would be doing a disservice to the world.”

With a miserable shake of his head, Elias returned to the hall. But it wasn’t long before he was back on the terrace.

“So what’s troubling you, anyway?”

“Oh? You just couldn’t leave us be, could you! I love you, Eli!”

“Thank you. Well, I already have a general grasp of what’s going on.” He picked up one of the fliers stacked beside Athena and nodded. “I see. There’s no way you’ll get anyone with these.”

“You’re always so quick to put me down! I hate you!”

“My sister’s emotions are far too unstable.”

“That’s just the usual. So what’s wrong with it?” Fram quickly asked, sensing that the conversation was about to derail.

“First off,” Elias indifferently replied as he swung the paper around, “you haven’t set any conditions for Rank or Tribe.”

“Eh? That’s no good?” Yuri cocked his head quizzically.

“It won’t say it’s bad. These would be the appropriate conditions if this were your first time and you just wanted to get a grasp on what the Babel Roulette is... The real problem is the next portion.”

He thwacked a finger against the next item on the list.

“The stated goal is to ‘Win the Babel Roulette’... This may come naturally to you people, but it completely contradicts the first point I brought up. At the very least, you won’t get anyone Chrome or below with that condition.”

“But...we’re not getting anyone above that either.”

“I should think not. They’re being put off by the lack of professionalism in the criteria,” Elias said as he circled the criteria entry with the pen he took their order with.

“To win the Babel Roulette, tactics and strategy are more important than pure strength. That’s why you need to select races that match your strategy.”

“...Err, what do you mean?” asked Yuri.

“In a nutshell, you need the right person in the right place. The eight tribes all have their own characteristics, and naturally they have their strong and weak points. Saying anyone will do essentially means you have yet to decide on your strategy. You’ll make the high rankers lose confidence in your prospects of victory.”

He wrote the word “strategy” on the flier, and then went on to write “role.”

“First off, you should choose what roles you will fill in battle. Then decide whether you need to strengthen your strong points, or cover for your weak points. Narrowing down your subject pool will actually be a blessing to your applicants.”

“...Yeah, I see?” Try as he might to understand, Yuri found himself feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

“I get what you want to say,” said Elias with a wry smile. “What I’ve just said was based solely on the principle of ‘aiming to win.’ It was an opinion completely ignoring the thought process of ‘enjoying our fights.’ Ultimately, you need to find a balance you can accept... That’s how we won our way through the Roulette.”

If victory had been their only objective, Elias would have asked Reilly, Yuri’s master, to retire and replaced her with a stronger combatant. Despite this, they still managed to remain to the end. While Reilly was a mix-blood, she managed to contribute to the team in areas outside of pure combat.

“There’s really no telling how high each decision will raise your chances of victory. Your best bet is to form a team you know you won’t regret.”

“I see! That definitely does sound like a good idea!” Yuri jubilantly smiled, and Elias calmly nodded back.

“But I meant it when I said you should decide your roles in the team. If you decide on what tribes you need, I can talk to some people. Don’t forget there’s always new things to discover in the midst of battle—”

Just as it seemed he was going to start droning on again, a hand snaked out from behind to lock his shoulder in a firm grasp. He turned smack-dab into the smile of a young demon man in the clothes of a cook.

“Boss...how many times do I have to call you... The food was done ages ago...!”

“Oh, it’s just Frevo. My apologies, I’m occupied at the moment.”

“Really, well, it looks like you’re having a fun little chat, eh! Our tardy’s still not in, so if you don’t do your work right, I can’t clock out on time!”

“But I need to teach the Eniastar Team what exactly the Babel—”

“Athena, missy, can I drag off this stupid brother of yours?”

“Aye sir!”

“Thanks, miss. Look, if you wanna talk that bad, then do your work first.”

Frevo grabbed Elias by the collar and dragged him back into the shop. The way he was pulled away without any expression or motion made for a somewhat surreal sight.

Once Elias was gone, the party of three leaned in once again.

“Roles, eh... I’m not too good at thinking before moving,” Yuri glumly admitted.

Fram replied, “Roles are important, but we will have to find what we’re lacking as a team. If we’re hoping for around five people, for now, I’d say we need one extra backline and frontline.”

“There are tribal strengths and weaknesses to consider, right?” he asked.

“That’s right. I’m sure there are tribes you haven’t fought yet, Yuri, so let me give a simple explanation.” Picking up a flier, Fram listed out the eight tribes with fluid pen strokes. “The Beast Tribe, Dragon Tribe, and Dwarf Tribe are the ones most suited for the front line. They’re all tribes centered around close-quarters combat. Beastmen for offense, dragonkin for defense, and dwarves for burst damage. Generally speaking, of course.”

“Wait, the Human Tribe isn’t fit for the front line?”

“If I had to say, the Human Tribe are what I would classify as midliners. There are people like you who mainly fight hand-to-hand, and there are those who compose their skills around magic.”

“Ah, right, right. An angel’s Divine Might blessings can also be divided between physical and magic, so wouldn’t you say they’re midliners too?” Athena chimed in. The pen went round and round as she circled the Human and Angel Tribes.

“And the remaining three— demons, elves, and spirits— are suited for the backline. Spirits boast massive firepower, demons are good at stalling, and elves can snipe, launch surprise attacks, set traps, well, let’s just say they can pick up a wide breadth of positions.”

“I see... So right now, we have a frontliner, a midliner, and a backliner.”

“Correct. If I could pick and choose, I would prioritize getting a dragon or demon.” Fram wrapped those two names in a double circle. “You and Athena are both the all-out-offensive types, so if you have a dragon on the front lines with you, you won’t have to worry about defense. In my case, I might have the firepower, but I expend stamina quickly. I think I can fight better if we have a demon to stall and let me recharge.”

And after saying that, Fram hit her hands together to bring the discussion to a close.

“Alright. Anyone who knows a promising dragon or demon, please raise your hand.”

“Nope!”

“I already asked and they said no!”

“I hardly know anyone apart from you people.”

For the following while, the three looked at one another in complete silence.

“Hey, we’re back to the starting line!” Athena cried.

“No, no! We narrowed down what we need, so let’s just call that progress!”

“...Well, it’s a little progress. I’ll rewrite the recruitment ad on the city bulletin.”

“Then I’ll add the details on the fliers!”

As the two of them got to their own jobs, Yuri was about to step in to help when—

A familiar figure entered the edge of his line of sight. A large body towered a head over the people coming and going, characteristic curved horns sprouting from his head.

The moment he realized who it was, Yuri leapt to his feet.

The first duelist Yuri ever conversed with upon coming to the dueling city. The first opponent he faced.

“That’s right... I do know a promising dragon!” Yuri informed his two companions before dashing into the streets of the sightseeing district.

◇

“—And that’s why I called out to you, Mr. Haring!”

Yuri explained the course of events with a beaming smile as he trailed Haring down the road. Haring, meanwhile, kept his irritation rather blatant.

“Not my problem. Get lost.”

“Oh, I can’t quite do that!”

“Yeah, well, you know what you can do? Learn to listen to what people are sayin’!”

Haring stamped his foot to the ground, earning a few looks from the surrounding pedestrians before they went back on their way.

“And wait, what could possibly make you think I’d say yes?”

“Well Mr. Haring, you look like you don’t have many friends, so I just thought you’d come along if I asked!”

“Okay, I get it now. Here comes the fist. Grit your teeth.”

“Oh, so you’re going to join if I beat you in a duel!?”

“Hell no! I just want to knock your friggin’ lights out!”

A vein popped up on Haring’s forehead as he watched Yuri enter a fighting stance. However, it only took a few deep breaths for him to contain his anger.

“Aight, listen here, kid. I don’t plan on entering the Babel Roulette.”

“Oh... I’m so sorry, you really didn’t have anyone to...”

“Lemme stop you right there. I’m just not interested.”

Haring painstakingly grunted. From what Yuri could see, he really was just simply uninterested.

“Fightin’ alongside someone else just ain’t my style, and I don’t give a hoot about bein’ strongest or comin’ out on top.”

“Then...why did you become a duelist, Mr. Haring?”

“I don’t got a reason. It just worked out that way.”

His expression looked genuine, and his words sounded completely sincere. However, Yuri couldn’t help but feel like something was off.

“Way I see it, anything’s fine, s’long as it brings in the dough. It’s not like joinin’ the Babel Roulette earns me anything. In fact, I’ll be earnin’ more money just doin’ other things.”

“By other things...you mean you’re going to do a normal job?”

“What else can it mean?”

“No, it’s just...I can’t imagine you actually working, Mr. Haring.”

“Are you not satisfied until you piss me off every time we meet...!?”

His body quivered in wrath once again, but after sensing that Yuri truly didn’t know, he ultimately sighed and continued.

“There are all sortsa jobs a duelist can do, you get me? Simple jobs give small rewards, and you get more money the more work required. Collectin’ materials in the purgatory district is an especially lucrative business.”

“The purgatory district... I haven’t been there yet.”

The purgatory district was a region to the west. Yuri regularly dropped by the residential district to eat and sleep, and the sightseeing district to visit Elias’s shop, but he had yet to so much as set foot in the northern artisanal or western purgatory districts.

“Well, you’d better get a good look while you still can. During the entry period, the other folks are all busy gatherin’ members and practicin’ coordination. It’s rare to see the place so deserted.”

“I see, meaning you’re aiming for when no one’s there to make a killing in the dungeon!”

“...So you can be perceptive when you wanna be.” Haring grimaced. He hadn’t meant to explain that part. “Anyway, you see how it is. I’m busy scourin’ the dungeon and I don’t plan on enterin’ the Roulette. Go bother someone else.”

“Eeeh...but if you don’t join us, Mr. Haring, we won’t be able to finish gathering members, so we won’t be able to join you in the dungeon...”

“Not my problem. In the first place, why are you even invitin’ me?” Unlike before, Haring seemed genuinely curious when he asked this. “You know how that stupid fox and shrimp spirit react to me. If I say I’m gonna join, they’ll definitely be against it. Worst case scenario, your team could fall apart.”

“Yeah...that’s because those two don’t know too much about you, Mr. Haring.”

“You don’t know jack about me either.”

“Oh no, oh no. I do know you’re a good person, Mr. Haring,” Yuri declared, his teeth glistening in a radiant smile. “I mean, you happily taught me the rules of the duel city when we first met, didn’t you!?”

“The hell...? That was just me shakin’ you down for loose change.”

“But it’s the most important thing to know here. It’s why I knew I had to fight Mr. Elias and prove I wasn’t wrong.”

No matter the details, it could be said that Haring was the first duelist to teach him the rules of the duel city. And that wasn’t all.

“You also refused to duel me.”

When Haring closed in on him, threatening a duel, Yuri readily accepted. But strangely, after seeing this reaction, Haring obstinately declined. While Athena stepped in right after, Haring had been trying to tell him something.

“I didn’t know until Ms. Mirka explained it to me, but in the duel city, ‘any fights outside of duels are heavily punished.’ If we fought then and there, I would have been kicked out of the city before even becoming a duelist.”

Indeed, the duel city imposed a heavy punishment for any fist thrown outside of the official dueling system. This rule was applied not only to duelists but to tourists and anyone taking a temporary stay, with the first one to raise a hand considered at fault and given the heavier sentence.

Of course, extenuating circumstances could be taken into account, but if Haring hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve at best had to pay a fine and at worst been forcefully deported back to the human continent.

“When I saw you were trying to tell me something, I got the feeling you weren’t a bad person... And when I heard about the rules, I was certain of it!”

In contrast to Yuri’s sprightly tone, Haring’s eyes widened, befuddled. Eventually, he nodded, a meek look on his face.

“...Nah, that was just me tryna run because it seemed like a pain.”

“Please don’t make it sound like I’m a pain to deal with!”

“A pain’s an understatement... Just look at how you’re hauntin’ me now.”

After scratching up his hair, Haring sighed for the umpteenth time.

“Also, I’m not lyin’ when I say I mistook you for some rich kid and tried to shake you down. Whatever the case, I’m not a good guy.”

“If you really were a bad person, you wouldn’t have stopped me there. The way I see it, a bad person would have been happy seeing me fall down on my luck, and at the very least, you’re not one of them.”

Regardless of the man’s obstinate denial, Yuri continued repeating the same words again and again with a smile on his face.

“That’s why, to me, you’re a good person, Haring.”

By this point, Haring had realized there was no winning this argument. He clicked his tongue and turned the other way.

“Tsk...see? You really are a pain.”

“You don’t have to keep saying it, you know!”

“Shut it. It’s true, goddammit.” He cursed, violently ruffling Yuri’s hair any which way. “Anyway, I’m not enterin’ the Roulette. If you wanna win, find someone decent.”

And with those parting words, Haring turned and left.

Yuri saw him off with a deep, weary sigh. “Mnnh... I thought Mr. Haring would accept the offer.”

Attitude-wise, he did shun Yuri, but despite all he said, he still stopped to chat. Those parts of him made it hard for Yuri to believe he was the villain everyone described him as. This all led Yuri to try inviting him, but...it seemed he wasn’t the right person to ask.

Yuri had run off earlier after making a bold declaration, so he reluctantly placed a hand on his Proof to report his failing to the other two when—

“Hey, Yuri. What are you doing here?”

He heard a languid voice from the bustling crowd and reflexively turned. Mirka was standing there in her casual clothes, tilting her head.

“Err... You’re...Ms. Mirka?”

“Stop right there. Why did you phrase that as a question?”

“Err, you’re not wearing your uniform, so I thought I might have the wrong person...”

“Please don’t make it sound like my true essence is my uniform!”

Mirka grabbed Yuri by the collar, half in tears as she swung his head to and fro. They saw each other practically every day, and yet the impression left by her uniform was so strong he really did stop and wonder if she was someone else.

“I’ll admit, I rarely get to wear my own clothes, but that reaction is terrible...”

“I-I’m sorry...but you’ve been somewhat strange today. Your clothes as well, but don’t you usually wake up at the same time as us?”

The Demon Tribe was primarily nocturnal. This trait hardly seemed to bother Mirka who effectively followed the same biological rhythm as the Human Tribe and got up at the same time as Yuri.

However, this morning she was nowhere to be found, having left behind a note stating: “I’m off today, so I’m going for a bit of a morning walk.”

“We were waiting for you to return from your walk, up to the last second.”

“I’m sorry. I was dropping by an acquaintance’s.”

Yuri had a vague idea of why Mirka was dressed so casually. Her uniform did attract some attention, so if she wanted to meet a friend on an off day, perhaps this way was far more convenient.

“Even so...that’s quite a load you’re carrying there.”

“Ah, right, my acquaintance always says, ‘this stuff’s just in the way, can you take it off of me?’ and loads me up.” Brandishing the large sack under her arm, Mirka let out a tired sigh. “But, well, they’re materials from the depths of the dungeon, and I find something I like from time to time... It’s just, don’t you think they could at least go out and sell them on their own?”

“Hmm... So these are materials from the dungeon?”

With Mirka’s permission, he tried fishing through the large sack. There was little he could say about the colorful ores and pelts, but there were a few medicinal herbs so rare he had only ever seen them in a picture book. Just the herbs alone would fetch a considerable price; he couldn’t even begin to estimate how much the contents of the entire sack were worth.

“Still, we were in quite a pickle there. This month, you came to the city, and the opening of the Roulette’s kept me so busy at work, I nearly missed my chance to drop by.”

“You have been pretty busy lately. In that case, couldn’t you just explain the situation and have them come and see you?”

“No way, no how. That person’s not just eager to fight, they’re a battle-crazed lunatic. Not to mention, if I don’t go see them, I feel like the city-mandated duel quota will just slip by before I know it.”

“Battle-crazed lunatic... Why, I’d love to meet them!!”

“Yeah, I think you’d get along...”

As Mirka smiled bitterly, Yuri suddenly realized something and immediately asked, “But if you just wanted to remind them about the quota, couldn’t you just place a call through your Proof? Why do you have to meet face-to-face?”

“Why? Well I mean, we can’t duel if we don’t meet, right?”

She dismissively waved her hand, saying it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. But Yuri was petrified, his eyes open wide.

“Err... Duel? Who’s dueling who?”

“Well, me and my friend.”

“Ms. Mirka...have you stayed in the duel city so long you’ve convinced yourself you’re a duelist...”

“Oh come on, what’s with that pitying look on your face?” Mirka’s black wings flapped out in discontentment. “I’m a duelist too, so of course, I have to get my duels in,” she said, flashing her sharp, pointed fangs.

◇

Leading Mirka along, Yuri returned to Café Argent.

“—And so it turns out, Mirka is actually a duelist!!”

Athena and Fram were waiting for him, and he quickly informed them of this shocking fact, however—

“...Mirka, I think lying is bad.”

“No matter how gullible Yuri is, you shouldn’t just lie to him like that.”

He received exactly the reactions he expected, which caused Mirka to throw herself over the table.

“Urgh... Why won’t either of you believe me...”

“I mean, I’ve never seen you duel before,” Athena plainly stated.

Fram pointed to her own left arm and said, “In the first place, you never even wear a Proof.”

On any outing, a duelist was required to wear their Proof on their left hand. Yuri had lived with her for a month, the others even longer than that, and none of them had ever seen her wearing a Proof.

Mirka glumly lifted her head ever so slightly. “If it’s my Proof you’re looking for, I always have it on, don’t I?” She off-handedly gestured toward the gem hanging on her neck.

“...Err, that’s a staff badge, isn’t it?” asked Yuri.

“Yes, yes. Its main purpose is to access the terminals in Babel Tower, but there’s nothing preventing me from using it to duel, you know.”

“Then what happens to your rate when you duel?”

“Back when I first got the staff-member Proof, I synced it to my duelist one, so it properly gets recorded under my name. Well, I see no real reason to carry two of them around, but people don’t often try to duel the receptionists, so I can understand why a majority don’t know.”

After she finished her explanation, Mirka took a calculated look back at Yuri, Athena, and Fram.

“So, do you believe I’m a duelist yet?”

“...Sorry,” they replied in chorus.

“Good, of course I’ll forgive such an honest apology.” Finally back in high spirits, Mirka drank a mouthful of coffee. “On another note, how goes the member search?”

“It’s been a stormy voyage, to be perfectly honest,” Yuri replied.

“As I thought. I saw you with Haring a minute ago, but by the look of things, he turned you down.”

The moment Mirka mouthed the name, both Athena and Fram’s faces warped into frowns.

“...Yuri, your dragon friend was Haring?”

“Hmm? I mean, we dueled, so that makes us friends.”

“He definitely is from the Dragon Tribe, and in light of our current situation, he’s not a terrible choice, but...”

“Of course he’s a bad choice! I mean, it’s Haring we’re talking about!” Athena screamed, her voice clearly frenzied as she loudly rose to her feet. Her expression was, for once, filled with blatant disgust, the hair on her ears and tail standing on end.

“C-Calm down, Athena!”

“No way! I can’t fight alongside people who do bad things!”

“I get where you’re coming from, Yuri, but I have to side with Athena on this one.”

Fram offered a small nod in her favor. However, Yuri couldn’t accept this.

“...I don’t think Mr. Haring is a bad person.”

“Likely because you haven’t been in the duel city for long. I’ve never fought him personally, but the fact stands that the rumors around him are never good.” Smoothing over her expression, Fram went into the rumors surrounding the Dragon Tribe man. “In his duels, he specifically targets newbies to take their money; he steals other peoples’ prey in the dungeon; he blackmails outside merchants into unfair trades... Even ignoring these rumors, his standard violent behavior stands out, so if you stick around him, you could get dragged into all manner of unnecessary trouble.”

“But those are just rumors, aren’t they? It’s not like—”

“They’re not rumors, I’ve seen it firsthand,” Athena interrupted. She was in a sharp, seething rage, just like when he first met her on the docks. She refused to say a word after that, so Mirka picked up where Athena left off.

“It happened shortly before you got here, Yuri. He was the suspect of a certain incident.”

“...An incident?”

“Remember how I told you about newcomers being tricked into contractual duels?”

While the principle of “the loser must obey the winner” was a tacit understanding, a contractual duel was where it was made into an official contract. According to Mirka, it was now mandatory to explain at registration how this system could be misused for evil.

“It’s mainly abused for money, but lately, we’ve been running into other sorts of issues. Those who use malicious contracts to effectively treat new kids like slaves.”

“...But then wouldn’t they be fine as long as they could run away and report the matter to city hall?”

“And what if they couldn’t?” Mirka calmly narrowed her eyes. “I’ll kill you if you run away... That threat is about death in a duel, but even if it is artificial, experiencing death is enough to instill primordial fear. Then what would happen to someone who only just came to the duel city and wasn’t even accustomed to the pain from a duel?”

Once the duel was over, their injured body would be reverted as if nothing had happened at all. But during the duel, the pain and anguish would be real. At its extreme, the sensation of death could carve an instinctual fear into the bearer.

“From what I heard from a victim, a contract stating, ‘Duels can only and will always be initiated by someone of higher ranking,’ was imposed on the newcomers. Yuri, what do you think about those terms?”

“...It’s to make sure the newcomers couldn’t duel each other?”

“Correct. As outsiders cannot intervene in any way during a duel, the newcomers might use this to escape their surveillance. And of course, they wouldn’t want that. A Proof will reject a contract that obstructs its primary functions, so they got around that by making it not so they couldn’t duel but that they needed permission.”

While her tone didn’t change, there was a sense of repugnance seeping into the air around Mirka.

“A situation that can’t be escaped so easily. If anyone tries, they’ll be forced into a duel and instilled with the pain and fear of death... The children we rescued were all so fearful, so broken down and weakened.”

Those newcomers were probably the same as Yuri. Charmed by the prospect of duels, they ventured out to the city of their dreams, their hearts racing at the fun days of battle that awaited them.

Yuri understood the feeling well; that was precisely why he clenched his fist tightly.

“The matter came to light when one of the victims finally made it to city hall... And at the time, the one with them was Haring—”

“You mean—”

“It means he was involved with the incident,” Athena frigidly explained. “They were there when I happened to drop by Babel Tower. I saw him trying to drag away a beaten, crying child by the arm.”

The flames of rage seethed in her turquoise eyes.

“I tried asking what was going on, but he started screaming and suddenly challenged me to a duel. I immediately reported it and Haring was taken in.” Athena practically spat out the man’s name. “But there was no evidence, so he got off with a slap on the wrist. The victim kid left the city without testifying.”

This wasn’t her usual radiant air. She gave off an ice-cold, murderous intent, similar to her brother Elias.

“That’s why I hate Haring. I hate that he can still be a duelist after everything he’s done.”

Fram tapped her on the side of the head.

“Well, you see how it is. Just give up on getting him on the team.”

Now that Fram had said that, Yuri lifted his hanging head. “—Then the problem will be resolved if I can just prove Mr. Haring is a good person!” he declared, his smiling face a bottomless pit of cheer.

As the other three were taken aback, he continued on.

“I haven’t been here for long, and I don’t know about Mr. Haring’s past. But the Haring I know isn’t the bad guy you say he is.”

Anyone who heard that would think it was a completely baseless assumption. Still, Yuri said it with conviction.

“The first time I fought him was really fun. We clashed head-on, and I did my best thinking about what I could do to win. For the first time, I felt, ‘oh, so this is a duel.’”

Finally, firsthand, he experienced the image of a duelist’s battle he had drawn up as a child. Haring was the sort of opponent who could bring his dreams to life.

“I want an opportunity to fight him again and—if possible—I do want to fight alongside him. That’s why I want to invite him.”

Seeing him confidently force his way through the argument, Fram sighed lightly. “...You heard the leader. What are you going to do?” she asked Athena, who was folding her arms in thought.

For a while, Athena kept silent with a sour look on her face. Then she breathed a long, slow breath as if to release the tension in her shoulders.

“...Mn, fine, I get it,” she answered, before raising a firm finger, “but you have to convince me he’s a good guy! If you can’t do that, your Big Sis won’t allow it!”

“Alright! I’ll definitely prove it!”

Athena regarded his enthusiasm with a troubled smile. But, for now, the matter was settled.

Fram hit her hands together. “That being said, we can’t spend all our time on Haring. We have to find other members... And Yuri, there’s something else I need you to do.”

“Hmm? Me?”

“Yes, it’s about your Tribal Armament.”

A Tribe Skill only a mix-blood human could use. An ability born of sheer effort and madness.

“There’s no doubt your Tribal Armament is a powerful skill. Considering how you managed to defeat Elias with it, it could possibly become the trump card of our team. If you’re able to draw out the abilities of your other tribes too, you’ll greatly expand the tactics at our disposal.”

“Meaning, you want me to train to use other tribal traits too!”

“Precisely. But...before that, we’ll have to draft up some countermeasures for the recoil.”

Though she was the one who proposed it, Fram’s expression took a grim turn. Yuri needed to pay a heavy cost to use Tribal Armament. In exchange for drawing out extraordinary power, his Human Tribe body would suffer immense damage.

“To be blunt, Yuri, your Tribal Armament is unsuited for going up against multiple opponents. It isn’t often you’ll be fighting one-on-one in a team battle, and if you’re injured too badly, we may have to retire.”

“D-Don’t worry about that! No matter what happens to me, I’ll endu—”

“Nope! Your Big Sis won’t allow it!”

“Yes, you can endure it. I can’t.”

The two of them smacked him on the head, causing him to inadvertently shrink back. But Fram had a point. His duel with Elias was one-on-one, allowing him to give it his all without paying mind to anything else. Precisely because he knew he would win as long as he could defeat a single person, he was able to move beyond his limits.

This wouldn’t be the case in a team battle. The battle wouldn’t end by taking one person out. If that wasn’t bad enough, his own injuries would place a large burden on the other members. All things considered, improving his Tribal Armament was probably the top priority. But...

“But what am I supposed to do?”

“No clue!”

“...There’s no precedent. You’re the first one to use it.”

The three of them tilted their heads, groaning without any ideas on how to improve. Yuri never neglected to train his own body, and he had grasped the knack of moving without breaking himself. He knew how to divert impacts from his vitals. Even so, he couldn’t use Tribal Armament without hurting himself.

“There is one thing that comes to mind,” Mirka finally spoke up. “Please remember what happened after he fought Elias. Yuri couldn’t control his strength for a while, right?”

“Erk... Really, I’m sorry for breaking everything...”

As a result of removing his limiter time and again, Yuri could no longer restrict himself in daily life either. When he tried to open the door, it snapped. When he tried to take a seat, the chair was pulverized. When he tripped and caught himself against the wall, he created a large hole in the same shape as his body. There were plenty more examples to list, and he didn’t know how to apologize.

But Mirka shook her head. “The point that I must emphasize is not what you broke, but what you didn’t.”

“...What do you mean?”

“You see, dear Yuri. Your brain’s limiter was off, but you never once broke yourself, did you?”

Yuri tried thinking back to the days in question. Sure enough, he didn’t remember hurting himself. If he had removed his restrictions and was using power beyond his physical limit, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to take damage from the backlash. But forget his usual broken bones, he didn’t even come down with minor injuries.

“The price of Tribal Armament is so large it can put you right at death’s door. That’s why I think your body might be instinctively trying to adapt to it.”

“Err, meaning as long as I can adapt—”

“It might be possible for you to use it for less of a cost. However,” Mirka groaned, her arms crossed, “that will be difficult to accomplish in the duel city.”

“Mnn? You mean normal duels won’t be enough?”

“The way you’re putting it, it sounds like he could just keep fighting with Tribal Armament like he did against Elias.”

The girls looked at her quizzically, prompting Mirka to stick up a finger.

“I do think it would be possible with duels, but a brutal battle where Yuri would have to keep using Tribal Armament in succession will be a heavy burden on him. Not only that, it will be hard to hold a duel where he’ll have to keep surpassing his limits.”

His duel with Elias placed both sides in utter desperation. It was a battle on which both Yuri and Elias had staked emotions they would never concede, and even if he was told to experience it again, it would be difficult to reproduce.

“So, while simple repetition might prove effective...finding an opponent during entry season will be quite difficult. Additionally, battling in the Field dulls one’s awareness of actual death. I’m not sure he’ll adapt while knowing he’ll be just fine in the end. It would have to be a situation where he would be constantly reminded of his impending doom—”

Cutting herself off, Mirka rang the bell on the table to summon a waiter. Elias immediately glided out from the store.

“You’re still here— Oh, and Stein is with you?”

“Yes, yes, pleasure. I just wanted to ask your opinion on something.”

“Is this about the male uniform I had you make for Eniastar?”

“Oh no, I firmly believe a female uniform would suit him better, so I’m taking that project in a more interesting direction.”

“Hold up! I think you just brought up something I shouldn’t ignore!”

He had inadvertently interrupted because of her unsettling admission, but Mirka simply pressed forward without paying him any mind.

“Elias, you have to restock your shop’s ingredients in the dungeon, right?”

“To be more precise, we gather herbs for tea and medicinal cooking, and certain plants used in desserts. But the main event is the coffee. I have an exclusive contract for the land I’m cultivating the beans on, and I personally head out at regular intervals to check on their growth and make sure that—”

“Oh, this sounds like it will be a long story. Another time, okay?” She cut down the monologue with one fell swoop before giving Yuri a pat on the back. “Why not ask Yuri to do the restocking?”

“...You want me to leave it to Eniastar?”

“Yep. Exploring the dungeon always comes with its share of danger, and I thought he would feel the dangers of death there more than in a duel. Don’t you think it’s the perfect place for dear Yuri here to take the next step up?”

“I see... But the items he collects will be served to customers. He’ll need the knowledge to distinguish between different plants, and he might need to know how to remove toxins after harvest—”

“Ah, that’s something I know how to do!”

Seeing Yuri readily raise his hand, Elias firmly locked eyes with him.

“...How do you tell dandelia from false-dandelia?”

“The petals open differently, and dandelia only grows on high ground!”

“Tell me, what part of the licor radiata do you harvest, and how do you remove the poison?”

“Grate the plant bulb, boil, drain, dry then grind to a fine powder!”

“How do you preserve alphinam petals?”

“They require a lot of moisture, so after plucking, put them in your canteen, and keep it airtight!”

“Alright, off you go.”

After Elias gave Yuri’s shoulder a pat of approval, Athena energetically rose up. “Aight! Then it’s dungeon-crawling time!!”

“Athena and Aizberg, stay in the shop,” Elias immediately replied.

“But why!?” she protested.

“I happened to catch what Stein said earlier. You’re trying to give Eniastar combat experience outside of dueling. There is no point if you tag along.”

“But if we don’t keep an eye on him,” noted Fram, “there’s no telling what crazy thing Yuri will do next.”

“She’s right! She’s right!”

Before he knew it, Athena and Fram had positioned themselves in a tight-knit formation to protect Yuri.

Elias held his head and sighed. “...Stein, you say something to them.”

“Right you are. This time, Yuri should go alone.”

Just when the girls were certain she would side with them, Mirka smiled and shook her head.

“Having you two follow along will lessen his sense of danger. This time, we have to corner Yuri into an extreme pinch. Can the two of you watch and let that happen?”

“I’ll definitely save Yuri!”

“I...well, I might raise a hand if it gets too dangerous.”

“Yes, there you go. You’re staying home.” Grabbing the two of them by the scruff of the neck, she smoothly ripped them away from the boy. “And, that being the case, starting tomorrow, Yuri is going to spend a week holed up in the purgatory district.”

“A week... Then I’ll need supplies and equipment, won’t I?”

Once again, Mirka dismissively waved him off as he was about to stand. “Oh no, oh no, why Yuri, you don’t need anything at all.”

“But I’ll need the proper tools to harvest herbs, won’t I?”

“I’ll arrange a guide for you who will carry them. As I told you a moment ago, Yuri, we need you to fall into a life-or-death predicament.”

Mirka’s canines gleamed as she lifted the ends of her lips.

“You’re going to survive the dungeon—completely empty-handed.”

She smiled assuredly, as if she was expecting great things from him.