"... You'll write me a recommendation?"

I questioned the news I had heard as soon as I woke in the 「Arena」 recovery room. It was a reasonable question. I did not even know why Tom, the Hall of Fame caretaker, was here, and now he was offering to write me a recommendation the moment we met. How could I not be curious?

"Yes. I certainly wouldn't begrudge you a recommendation, young lord."

"But why would you..."

Tom looked at me with his customary kindly smile.

Tom, caretaker of the Hall of Fame.

I had made a good impression on him several times. I had flattered him to obtain 「Fang」 through a little bending of the rules, and since he managed the Hall of Fame, which I would need to visit often, I had told him what he wanted to hear to win his favor.

But that was all. There was nothing special about our relationship.

Why was he offering to write me a recommendation?

My chronic affliction, suspicion, began creeping out once again.

Had my praise of the goddess Lepri to obtain 「Fang」 left a deep impression on him? Or had I stood out because few young people bothered to have a proper conversation with the old man who tended the Hall of Fame? All manner of doubts sprang up in my mind.

Then...

"Because I'm a fan."

Tom's answer was exceedingly simple.

"I enjoy watching you fight, young lord. That's all there is to it."

"..."

"Besides, a mere recommendation is nothing to this old man."

Tom smiled kindly.

"I may be a shabby old man now, but I was rather well regarded once. The 「Arena」 will accept a recommendation from me. Ho ho, surely you weren't wondering whether this old man was even qualified to write one?"

"Of course not! You tend a place as glorious as the Hall of Fame. Naturally, someone who does such wonderful work—"

Almost instinctively, I poured out honeyed words without a trace of shame. In the distance, Seolyun looked disgusted for some reason, but I paid her no mind. It was a habit, all right? A habit ingrained in my body...

「That old man's recommendation will certainly help. As I told you before, that caretaker is no ordinary old man.」

Yes, I did not doubt Tom's credentials.

From our very first visit to the 「Arena」, Liam had seen through Tom's true identity. Behind the guise of a kindly old caretaker was a powerful man who had actually reached the rank of 「sword expert」. A monster who could reign like a king anywhere on this continent. I could not imagine someone like that playing games over a mere recommendation.

But...

「Still, nothing in this world comes free.」

I agreed with Liam.

Even as I flattered Tom, I never stopped studying his face. He certainly felt kindly toward me, but his offer to write a recommendation was not entirely pure goodwill. My keen Suspicion detected a hidden intention.

We were still exchanging warm pleasantries when it happened.

"That said, I cannot simply give you the recommendation."

The words I had expected came from Tom's mouth.

The instant I heard them, I muttered inwardly.

"Would you do me one favor?"

Just as I thought.

My suspicions were never wrong.

At Tom's words, I smiled brightly without the slightest change in my expression. Then I nodded, wearing the face of an innocent young man.

"Of course. How could I simply accept something from you without giving anything in return, sir? I'll do whatever you ask."

"Ho ho, you certainly know how to make a person feel good, young lord."

Tom chuckled heartily.

Yes, I smiled too.

"It isn't a difficult favor. From what you told me last time, you have a fine appreciation for the magnificence of historic weapons. You even spoke so eloquently about how a blade is more than just a blade, how it holds the spirit of the warriors who wielded it. Hearing that, I thought you loved swords every bit as much as I do..."

"...?"

At least, I had been smiling until I learned what Tom was about to ask.

"So I would like you to invite me to your home once the Endless Duel is over. I'd like to see whether you're taking good care of the 「Fang」 you took last time. Ah, I'm not saying I want to keep an eye on you. You've never learned how to care for it, so naturally you won't be very practiced. I thought I could personally teach you how to keep it from rusting and preserve it like new even after decades have passed. This may sound boastful, but no caretaker in the Iron Kingdom tends swords as well as I do. Ho ho. I've grown so fond of you that, embarrassing as it is, I find myself asking—"

As Tom went on at length, my mind went blank for a moment.

In short, his request was this:

Let me see whether you're taking good care of that weapon.

"Ah, ha ha. Ha ha ha ha."

"Would that be a problem?"

As I laughed awkwardly, Tom's expression shifted ever so slightly. It was as though his face said, 'Was all that praise for the Hall of Fame a lie? Did you sell off the weapon you took from here?'

I hadn't sold the damn thing. I'd eaten it. But that amounted to the same thing.

Still, I could not tell him the truth.

My instincts screamed at me not to say it.

So I put on another innocent smile.

"Of course not! I'll absolutely invite you once the Endless Duel is over! Ho ho ho, I'm already looking forward to it!"

I was f***ed.

"Our estate is rather out of the way, though. I'm not sure you'd enjoy—"

"That's quite all right. At my age, I've come to appreciate the fresh air of the countryside."

"Ha ha ha! Then you'll love it!"

Whatever.

I decided to leave future problems to my future self.

「An excellent attitude.」

Right.

I'd learned all this from Master.

At any rate, I now had everything I needed to enter the 「Endless Duel」. Tom wrote me a recommendation, and the 「Arena」 accepted it. With both requirements fulfilled, all that remained was to wait for the day the Endless Duel began.

"Unlike me and my chronic suspicion, Tom really is a decent man."

「Tsk. Try seeing the world properly for once.」

"You're hardly one to talk, Master..."

Tom truly had written the recommendation out of kindness because he thought well of me as a young man. Making a mockery of all the suspicions I had conjured up, he had offered his goodwill while asking a favor that hardly deserved the name. An invitation to my home was merely an excuse; he genuinely wanted to teach me how to care for my weapons properly.

The situation had become a mess entirely because of me.

How could Tom possibly have imagined there was a lunatic who heated swords in a fire, shoved them into his mouth, and crunched them down?

Well, I decided not to dwell any further on how f***ed my future self was.

Anyway, looking only at the present, things had gone rather well considering how uncertain everything had been when I left the estate.

Yes.

Unsettlingly well.

'... Whenever things go like this, something always blows up.'

Nothing in my life ever went smoothly.

* * *

The Endless Duel.

An event with a long and proud tradition stretching back to Liam's era, when the Arena had been called the fighting pit. A grand event that brought together countless powerful fighters from across the continent.

「In my day, the Endless Duel was an excellent trial for testing one's limits. That is why I always told my descendants that every Caravan must enter it at least once.」

Liam told me that in his era, anyone could participate in the Endless Duel. It had been a slaughtering ground, held whenever enough people gathered. Amid battles reeking of blood, true warriors had been born.

But a great many years had passed since Liam's era.

"The Endless Duel is the Arena's main event."

Had things continued as they had back then, the fighting pit would never have become anything more. With the passage of time, the Endless Duel had changed as well. To entertain spectators, to satisfy the many aims of the participating warriors, and to ensure this enormous event endured for years to come.

"There are three types of duels in the Endless Duel."

"What three types?"

"The first is the Racial Duels."

With an indifferent expression, Seolyun explained the things I did not know.

"The seven races stake their pride on battles with specific victory conditions. At the last Endless Duel, it was a contest to capture flags. The one before that was a captain battle: each side sent out one fighter at a time, and the winner was whoever defeated the opposing captain, who fought last."

"Ah..."

"Well, really, it's more accurate to call it a duel between six races than seven. Dragons don't participate in events like the Endless Duel."

"That makes sense."

Dragons.

The greatest of the seven races on the continent. Their numbers were so few that even seeing one in a lifetime was difficult, and tales of them circulated like legends. Such a legendary race would never take part in games like these. They did not venture out into the world to begin with.

"You don't need to worry too much about the Racial Duels. They involve entire races, so they're held on a massive scale. More importantly, plenty of famous people compete, making it impossible to win the prizes."

"Ah..."

"Actually, winning prizes is a bit much to ask when we've only barely met the minimum requirements. The 「Endless Duel」 brings together all sorts of insanely powerful warriors."

Right.

I had not come expecting to distinguish myself in this event right away. Liam had said it would be a good experience, not that I absolutely had to prove something here.

"The second type is the War Duels."

"War Duels?"

"Duels that reenact wars recorded in history. They assemble lots of people, and huge teams clash against each other. They're held to teach people about the Iron Kingdom's history and keep its memory alive. They're pretty popular. Anyone from the Iron Kingdom is bound to get excited about them."

"..."

"Each team has different victory conditions, which makes for plenty of interesting moments. Victory doesn't come down to combat alone, so there are lots of variables. But, well... like I said, they're large-scale events, so we'll probably just be small fry. The ridiculously powerful fighters will be off having their own battles."

"I imagine so."

"If we want to gain some experience, the last type is probably our best bet."

The last type of duel.

Seolyun continued.

"The third type, the 「Endless Duel」. It takes its name directly from the main event and preserves the tradition of the distant past."

"What kind of duel is it?"

"It's simple."

Then Seolyun went on to explain.

"They conceal every fighter's name. Then they remove anything that could reveal who the fighters are, using masks and special outfits that completely hide their faces and bodies. Once they've made sure no one knows anything about anyone else, they shove all the volunteers into an enormous arena. All of them, whether there are a hundred or two hundred."

"..."

"Then a duel with no rules begins. Until only one person is left standing. No one interferes, whether the fighters inside live or die. Everyone just watches until there's only one left. Watches that brutal, unending duel."

Liam smiled in satisfaction.

In very, very great satisfaction.

"Just as the name says, it's an 「Endless Duel」."

The Endless Duel.

As those words were spoken once more, Liam said:

「Unlike those other trifling games, that last duel is exactly as I remember it. The same Endless Duel that reeked of blood, where we cast everything aside and pitted pure strength against pure strength.」

Liam's eyes turned toward me.

「I look forward to it, young descendant. You will enjoy it too.」

"..."

「If you survive it, you will become very tough indeed. Incomparably tougher than before.」

A subtle gleam of madness shone in Liam's eyes.

But I was not afraid.

Because...

"I'm looking forward to it."

My expression probably looked much the same.

Watching me, Seolyun spoke with concern.

"... That last duel, the Endless Duel, is truly brutal. If anything goes wrong, you have to surrender and get out immediately. If your life is in danger and you still refuse to leave, I'll force you out myself. That's part of why I came along."

"..."

"I won't accept you dying at this level. Like I told you before, I decided to stay with you so I could be there to see you go all the way. Understand?"

Instead of answering, I gave her a grin.

She said nothing more, heaved a deep sigh, and left.

After Seolyun left, I enjoyed the silence in the inn room for a moment. Then I gazed wordlessly out the window. Despite the late hour, the streets of the steel city of Perma were dazzling. People clinked glasses, others laughed uproariously at whatever amused them so much, and bright lights shone everywhere. Letting the cool air wash over me, I spent a moment looking at the stars studding the night sky.

There was not much time left before the Endless Duel began.

And before I truly joined that enormous event, there was something I had to do.

Master said:

「It is time to eat a new sword, young descendant.」

* * *

"Have you heard the news?"

Beneath the starry heavens, a man spoke with his hands clasped behind his back. His hair, stirred by the cool late-night breeze, was ash-gray. Others on the continent called that hair ashen or gray, but anyone from the Iron Kingdom of Chervil knew the true significance of its color.

"I hear there's some interesting entertainment to be had in the steel city."

"Do you mean the Endless Duel?"

In the Iron Kingdom of Chervil, that hair was known as the color of iron.

For ash-gray hair in Chervil symbolized the great bloodline that had long reigned over the kingdom.

The rulers of the Iron Kingdom.

The iron-blooded royal house, 「Chervil」.

"Yes, the Endless Duel."

"..."

"Wouldn't you like to go and watch? The air is particularly pleasant tonight. It makes me want to set off somewhere on a whim."

At his words, the man standing motionless in the deep shadows fell silent for a moment.

After an uncomfortable pause, an answer came.

"There are many more important matters at present."

"Is anything more important than my amusement?"

The man spoke as he slowly turned. In the starlight, his hair gleamed like a finely honed sword blade. A crooked crown sat upon the head of the softly smiling man. A gray iron crown crafted entirely from pure steel, without so much as a single ordinary jewel set into it.

"Did I not tell you? I wish to be entertained."

"..."

"I am not asking for your permission. Make preparations to leave."

The man.

The Iron Prince.

Ian Chervil gave that command.

Hearing the weighty command, the other man lowered his head and stepped out of the shadows. Revealed in the moonlight, his face was as emotionless as a doll's. He wore no steel armor. Instead, he was dressed in ceremonial garments of thin cloth. Standing before the Iron Prince, he answered:

"If that is your wish."

Watching the man bow in deference, Iron Prince Ian Chervil smiled in satisfaction. Then he turned back, taking in the stars shining in the night sky as he called the man's name.

"I really am fond of you."

The most powerful swordmaster.

The protector and great guardian of the Iron Kingdom.

The greatest swordsman on the continent.

And...

"Carlos."

The sworn enemy of Arhan Caravan, a boy dreaming of revenge in some remote backwater village of the Iron Kingdom of Chervil.

The name he called was that of Carlos, the swordmaster.