Seven races inhabit the vast continent.

These seven races are a classification of living beings capable of communication and exchange across that seemingly endless landmass: the continent’s intelligent beings, excluding mindless monsters, undead that hate the living unconditionally, and the like.

Orcs, a wandering race that loves struggle.

Elves, children of the forest who make their homes near the World Tree.

Beastfolk, clever beasts granted reason by the influence of Mana.

Dwarves, the short folk who live in the Sky Mountains as friends of fire and steel.

Demonkin, descendants of devils who guard the 「Wall of Despair」.

Dragons, masters of the skies and the greatest of all races.

Humans, a race of possibilities whose form most closely resembles God’s.

These seven races live intertwined across the vast continent. Throughout its long history, they have taken many different courses and left their marks upon the world.

There is even a field of study devoted to these seven races, and some wonder why God created races with such different traits and scattered them across the continent. This unfathomable continent still abounds in the arcane, and the origins of the 「seven races」 remain unknown.

But not everyone on this vast continent possesses such “beneficial curiosity.” Far more are childish little shits whose questions are simple and provocative, rather than the kind of curiosity that advances the world in a better direction.

Yes, for instance—

「Young descendant, which of the seven races do you think is strongest?」

People who ask childish questions like that.

“... Please try to act your age. Are you a child?”

「Ho ho, what does age have to do with a topic that sets the heart ablaze?」

I glared at Liam as he chuckled.

「The clowns at the fighting pit know exactly what draws the public’s interest. Had there been a duel like this when I was alive, I would have rushed over to watch.」

He wasn’t wrong.

Gathering the seven races in one place and making them fight to determine which was superior? You would be hard-pressed to find a duel so simple yet so provocative. Merely hearing about it made you curious about the outcome.

「People spend their days arguing over whether a lion or a tiger is stronger. Human nature is more childish than you might think. People want to establish a hierarchy even among the smallest things. Instinctively.」

“... I think the tiger would win. Lions travel in packs, but tigers—”

「Ho ho, young descendant. You’re an even bigger little brat.」

“I’m not even eighteen yet, so I am a little brat.”

「Ho ho ho.」

“Ha ha ha.”

Well, if I had been sitting in the stands, I would have happily watched while munching on snacks. But now that I was one of the actual participants, I couldn’t possibly be cheerful about it.

“Enough. Stop talking to me. Will you take responsibility if I die because we were chatting?”

「Ho ho, very well. Enough joking.」

I quieted my breathing and focused on the situation at hand.

But Liam didn’t stop talking.

「Remember just one thing, young descendant.」

This time, his voice was different from when he had been joking.

「There is no such thing as the strongest race on this continent.」

“...”

「There is no unconditional, absolute strength.」

His eyes turned toward me.

「Because I am not here in this era.」

“...”

「So no matter how many powerful opponents there are, don’t lose your nerve and run before you’ve even tried. If all you do is flee from great danger, you will become a halfwit who knows nothing but how to run away.」

His eyes were as sharp as a blade.

「Any being can die. And you have an exceptional talent for finding out how. Unceasing Suspicion.」

“...”

「Keep questioning this time as well. Even if you bend and break, meet your enemies head-on and fight. The blood of steel flowing through your body will grow stronger and harder through that process.」

“...”

「I guarantee it. There may be no strongest race, but there is a strongest blood. Search every kind of blood on this continent, and you will find none more powerful than the blood of steel.」

Yes, like a blade.

「I am proof of that fact. Therefore, do as I say.」

“...”

「Feel all the fear you need to, but do not flee.」

The pounding of my heart grew louder.

Liam’s words lodged in my mind.

「That arduous process will forge you anew into true steel.」

Master’s words were impressive.

「Besides, you didn’t come here to win and uphold humanity’s pride, did you?」

“Ah.”

「Strictly speaking, you’re half dwarf and half human. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you’re caught and eliminated without putting up a fight. Isn’t that wonderful? Pleasure without responsibility.」

“Please.”

... Or they would have been, if he hadn’t ruined the moment at the end.

Master always had trouble sticking the landing.

Well.

‘He’s right.’

Not that he was wrong.

* * *

As Liam said, I had entered the 「Endless Duel」 to gain experience so I could become a sword runner. I had no noble goal of representing humanity, winning at all costs, and upholding its pride.

But surely I ought to avoid an untimely death?

‘There’s no telling what will happen if anyone discovers I’m the king.’

There were far too many variables here.

Especially the orcs.

“Are you all frightened? I told you to come at the valiant orc Behera! Why have the fairy bastards and dwarf bastards who always looked down on us orcs gone silent? Bwahaha! What a pleasing sight, seeing you all cower like kitchen wenches! Even our women don’t shy away from struggle! That means orcs are greater than you vermin! Snort, snorrrt!”

I meant those green lumps of bastards who still wouldn’t stop provoking everyone.

‘Orcs aren’t the only ones I need to watch out for.’

It was only that the orc had done something insane right from the start, overshadowing the others. As I was now, every other race here posed a danger to me.

‘I can tell just by getting a rough read on their energy. Most of the people here are stronger than I am. Some are even powerful enough to cut someone like me down in an instant.’

Since the fighting pit had become the 「Arena」, a custom had arisen of sparing fighters’ lives whenever possible. But I doubted whether it would hold in an event of this scale. Besides, you never knew how things would turn out in actual combat. Would fighters that powerful really hold back without reliable information about one another?

I wouldn’t.

Having reached that conclusion about myself, I had to act on the assumption that others would behave the same way. That was how I could minimize the variables.

My Suspicion always began that way.

“Little Gladiator. Or should I call you Sword Demon now?”

“Call me whatever you like.”

As I watched events unfold amid the taut tension, Seolyun approached me. She was wearing the same helmet and equipment she had used while fighting as 「The Black Bride」, so I recognized her immediately.

“What are you going to do? Reveal who you are, or keep it hidden?”

“I’m not sure.”

She was asking whether I intended to reveal that I was the king or hide away. Without waiting for my answer, she continued.

“I think you should reveal it.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because you’re relatively weak compared to the fighters gathered here. I think you’d be better off revealing yourself early and receiving protection.”

“Ah, I can see why you’d think that.”

Seolyun’s argument was sound.

She seemed to think the correct answer was for me to reveal myself as king and receive the human fighters’ protection. If I moved around with my identity concealed, the human fighters wouldn’t protect me. Apparently, she considered the worst possible outcome to be my getting attacked at random by someone stronger than me.

My chances of winning against any fighter here were slim.

To her, that must have seemed the safest choice, and the one with the best chance of success.

But here was the thing.

“Seolyun, there’s no need for that.”

“Hm?”

“For now, the right move is to watch. Because...”

There was a better option.

That was the conclusion I had reached through Suspicion.

“Things are about to take a rather interesting turn.”

My purpose in entering the 「Racial Duels」 was to improve my skills. But not everyone would be like me. Those gathered from across the vast continent for the 「Endless Duel」 had all sorts of goals. Some would have come to uphold their race’s pride, others for the prize awarded to the winner, and still others to win renown as fighters.

And if I were someone with one of those goals, I wouldn’t sit idle at this moment. They had a better option than doing nothing.

“Did you say you were Behera, an orc elder? You really are the orcs’ king, aren’t you?”

To uphold your race’s pride, you had to aim to win the 「Racial Duels」. Winning was how you brought glory to your race. If you were after the prize, you naturally had to aim to win as well. And to win this particular contest, the most important things were protecting your king and finding the kings of the other races.

Identification tag number 444.

I had drawn the token of kingship.

Then what was the most rational choice for the other human fighters who hadn’t become king? It was very simple.

“I was chosen as the human king. I, the fighter Niel, who was fortunate enough to draw tag number 444, challenge you to a duel. An orc who never shies away from struggle will naturally accept, won’t he?”

Step forward and declare themselves king.

“Let’s not drag this out. Let the kings fight and see which race is superior, you ignorant, savage orc bastard.”

Even if your goal was honor and fame as a fighter, you would make this choice. To gain honor and fame, you first needed attention, didn’t you? And the quickest, easiest way for a fighter to claim the spotlight in these 「Racial Duels」 was to step forward and declare themselves king.

‘If I were a fighter who’d entered with a different goal, I would have done the same. If I wanted honor, fame, or victory for my race, that’s what I’d do. All the more eagerly if I had outstanding skills.’

My Suspicion had been right again.

As events took a strange turn, Seolyun spoke.

“What? Why is that man doing that when he isn’t even the king—”

“Because it’s the most rational choice for him.”

The reason I had been able to predict this was simple.

“Besides, there’s a good chance the orc fighter who stepped forward first to provoke everyone, Elder Behera, isn’t actually the king either. It looked as though he was deliberately exaggerating his behavior.”

I had noticed a subtle incongruity in the movements and speech of Elder Behera, the first to step forward. An awkwardness that wouldn’t have been present in an orc speaking the truth. He might fool the others, but not my eyes. My Suspicion never missed such small details.

And if my prediction was right, now—

“You dared call us dwarves crawling midgets? How laughable, coming from a halfwit orc who can’t even make a spoon with his own hands. You’d better fight me before the human! I am the dwarven king who drew tag number 444!”

“No, we go first. You called elves filthy fairies who stink of manure? The very idea of an orc calling an elf dirty is laughable. Aren’t you the filthiest, foulest-smelling of the continent’s seven races? As the elven king who drew tag number 444, I shall judge you on behalf of my kin, you ignorant orc.”

“You said we Demonkin were shat out by devils? How dare—”

“Halfwit beast bastards? You race of green turds has crossed the—”

It was going to become an absolute shitshow.

A truly deafening shitshow.

“What is this?”

As the fervor escalated in an instant, Seolyun murmured with a bewildered look.

I said,

“Let’s watch for now.”

Yes.

There was no need to join them.

“Snorrrt! Yes, come at me, all of you! Come at me together, you vermin bastards! I, Behera, will personally teach you the greatness of orcs!”

They would eagerly fight among themselves and reveal all the information I could want.

My fight would begin after that.

* * *

The vast 「Pitch-Black Forest」.

The melee sparked by Behera’s indiscriminate taunting the moment the Racial Duels began unfolded horrifically. To be honest, the battle exceeded my expectations.

「Now I see why the orcs have won nine times in a row.」

“Isn’t that a monster?”

「A subject the continent’s many scholars have gathered to debate in earnest time and again. Whether those green fellows should be classified as monsters or as intelligent beings.」

“...”

Fighters from each race had rushed at Elder Behera, who had declared himself king, claiming that they too were kings. And the whole thing ended in just two minutes and seventeen seconds.

The result?

“Snort! Pathetic!”

Total annihilation.

Elder Behera had kept his word.

“Why are all your teeth so small? At least the beastfolk’s teeth are best for wearing around my neck! Bwahaha!”

At the feet of the stupidly laughing orc elder lay the corpses of fighters who had died with their heads crushed. Behera personally pulled teeth from the bodies, threaded them onto a string, and hung them around his neck. The bloodstained teeth swung menacingly.

You couldn’t even call that a duel.

“More! Come at me! More! I haven’t had enough yet!”

As his feral roar echoed through the forest, orcs on every side stamped their feet and chanted Behera’s name with cries of “Hoo! Hoo!” Green madness filled the forest. In this pitch-dark wood, the orcs looked like outright evil spirits. Ghosts mad for battle.

‘There’s no need to examine the information they revealed.’

Facing that orc was madness. The battle I’d just witnessed was enough to tell me that. The human fighter who had unfurled two pairs of wings hadn’t lasted even ten seconds. His wings were broken, his neck snapped, and his crushed head rolled on the ground. Elder Behera was as powerful as the orc elder at the sacred ground I had visited to obtain 「Wildness」.

“Fuck. Crazy orc bastard! Those bastards don’t care about dueling customs!”

“Snorrrt! What are customs? For us orcs, a duel has only two outcomes! Victory or death! If we do not win, we die and join our ancestors!”

Looking sickened, countless fighters gave up on challenging him and scattered throughout the 「Pitch-Black Forest」. I scattered with them. Staying here any longer felt like a good way to get caught by those insane orcs, have my head burst open, and my teeth pulled out.

And then.

“Little Gladiator, where are you going?”

“Let’s move toward the outskirts for now.”

As we relocated, I learned one more thing.

“All right, got—”

“Seolyun, stop!”

「Orcs」 weren’t the only thing we needed to watch out for here.

“Hup!”

An arrow sliced through the air from the undergrowth. Having anticipated the attack through the 「path」 I had already extended, I grabbed Seolyun’s head and sharply tilted it backward. At the same moment, the arrow scraped across her helmet.

SCREECH!

The metallic sound rang out harshly.

“Damn.”

Seolyun sounded irritated.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

The moment I confirmed she was unharmed, I turned toward the direction the arrow had come from. Though the attacker was cloaked in darkness, my 「path」 had successfully pinpointed them. I could see the figure concealed amid the dense undergrowth in the pitch-black gloom.

「Oho.」

Hair that gleamed like silk. Ears jutting into points through that hair. Beautiful features that stood out even in the darkness. Ornaments woven from plants. Putting those many traits together, I knew what the attacker was.

「An elf. The children of the World Tree.」

“...”

「Even a country bumpkin like you must have heard, haven’t you? How terrifying elves are in the forest.」

“I know that much.”

The elf who emerged from the darkness was expressionless.

With an indifferent face, the elf reached for an arrow at their back, nocked it, and drew again. I steadied my breathing without taking my eyes off them.

「No race on this continent suits the word ‘hunter’ as well as they do.」

Indeed.

The very word “ranger,” someone who explores forests, had originated with elves. No race on this continent was more adept in the forest or more skilled at hunting. Those fairies were, quite literally, children of the forest.

“Seolyun, another one is coming.”

“I know. I’m watching too.”

The elf drew the enormous bow with astonishing ease. The moment it reached full draw, the Mana flowing around the elf’s body rippled. At the same time, peculiar things appeared on either side: something like a burning flame on the left, and something like a transparent drop of water on the right.

They looked wondrous and beautiful.

Was it magic?

It might have been. Of all seven races, elves were especially beloved by Mana, fairies adept in all manner of arcane arts. But this was not magic.

Liam answered my question.

「Spirits.」

“...”

「Young descendant, you cannot block that merely by swinging a sword. The arrowhead will become flame, become water, and pass through your steel sword to destroy your body.」

“Then what should I do?”

「You must wield the arcane as well.」

The arcane?

I didn’t understand what he meant.

When I looked at him, demanding an explanation with my eyes, Liam only smiled. Even as the elf released the bowstring and the arrow flew, Master gave me no answer.

The answer came from elsewhere.

『The wind never stays anywhere.』

My sword.

The memories of 「Gale」, which I had yet to fully digest, surged fiercely within me at that moment.

『It merely gets swept away, or sweeps all away.』

Fiercely indeed.

* * *

『Name: Elf』

『One of the seven races that inhabit the continent.』

『Children of the forest who make their homes near the World Tree in the Great Forest. They have nearly eternal lifespans and are beloved by Mana.』

『A race of master hunters adept in all manner of arcane arts.』