#675 To Avoid an Unavoidable Fight

A shock like never before hits me, the Prime Minister of the Demon Kingdom, Lucife Focale!

Who is that woman?!

“It’s the girl who holds a thousand beans and leads to a thousand strengths! The masked royal, Miss Bean Crush, makes her guest appearance!!!”

The audience roars loudly. 

Oh, yes. There are quite a number of spectators in this event, and they have been watching and cheering for the previous snowball fights.

But now, the atmosphere is at its highest since the masked woman appeared!

“That’s right! The wrestler, Miss Bean Crush, who is currently touring various parts of the world and is the top star of women’s professional wrestling, has joined the snowball fight thanks to our farm’s connectionsssss!!!”

Even the woman holding the baby I met at the reception is riled up. 

What is this wildly enthusiastic atmosphere?!

“That princess is all the craze everywhere.”

Even our team has people who know the mysterious masked woman.

“She’s the star player of an event run by our adventurers. She’s certainly receiving the farm’s full support, but who’d have thought she’d link both parties under such circumstances...!”

You know her too, Lord Silver Wolf?!

Does everyone know her except for me? 

If that’s the case, I’ll look like an old man who can’t keep up with the times!

“The final match of the snowball tournament’s Best Four will be led by the masked wrestler, Miss Bean Crush’s seeded team! Will our powerhouse challengers who made it to the semifinals be able to stand against this attack from the organizers?!”

“The bean kiosk was bustling during the tournament’s first half, so I couldn’t participate early! But now that it’s past noon and things have calmed down, I decided to join in the snowball fight!!!” says the masked girl. “Of course, I can’t do this alone, so let me introduce you to my cool teammates who will throw snowballs with me! Come on, guys!!!”

And then, people surround the masked woman.

“I am Pops Edward Smith, also known as the Dwarf King. A master in blacksmithing and architecture. Only a genius craftsman like myself can lead the battle-hardened dwarves!”

“I am Horkosfon, also known as the Emissary of Natto. Anyone who eats my prideful natto becomes an instant fan. From sticky whole beans to finely mashed natto, I have it all.”

“Hold it! I am Aileron, also known as the Crazy Plate Baker! My pottery skills are unmatched! Eccentric? Philosophical? So what!”

“I am the mermaid Garra Rufa, also known as the Witch of the Plague. A mad genius, I am not afraid to punch even the leader of the Medical Association! But please, no battles!”

All sorts of characters appear.

“Now, the Best Four who will compete in the semifinals have been decided! Enjoy the bloodbath of snowball throwing to your heart’s content!!!”

The audience is in a frenzy.

Seeing this, that elegant woman who worked at the reception may be a master at manipulating the crowd.

Perhaps she’s the one in charge of this tournament.

To successfully whip up this kind of excitement, she’s a talented individual that cannot be underestimated...!

“Her skills in manipulating people’s hearts are truly befitting of a princess. It’s no wonder, she’s Sis Mahi’s daughter, after all.”

However...

My surprise, as the Prime Minister of the Demon Kingdom, was focused on another aspect.

That masked woman... 

I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before...!

“Isn’t that...the princess of the Human Kingdom?”

“Oh, you noticed.”

Don’t underestimate the Demon Kingdom’s Prime Minister!

As an essential figure of the enemy force, we gathered as much personal data as possible on the royal family of the Human Kingdom, our former archenemy!

When our longstanding desire to overthrow the Human Kingdom was realized, the royal family who had been apprehended as war prisoners were interrogated one by one upon their arrival in our homeland.

So there’s no mistaking it. 

I’m not one to be fooled by a flimsy mask.

The true identity of that masked woman is Princess Letasreit from the fallen Human Kingdom!

“As expected from your remarkable memory and insight.”

“But Her Highness was in her natural guise when she was selling beans at her kiosk, you know?”

Ngh...!

The royal family of a fallen kingdom is nothing but a spark that ignites a great calamity, okay...?!

The moment the Human Kingdom fell, I repeatedly urged His Majesty to exterminate the human royal family, yet he did not listen to me.

And now I find myself confronting someone I once feared would become the root source of evil in the future!

“Workaholics tend to notice things that regular folks wouldn’t and end up taking on more unnecessary stress.”

“You end up knowing things you don’t need to know.”

Gahhhhhh...!

Putting aside how to deal with Princess Letasreit, the problem at hand is the current situation.

Among the Best Four that have advanced are the Demon King and the former princess of the Human Kingdom—the heads of the two nations that once fought a major war.

Even though this is just a game, it makes me feel uneasy to see them clash again!

“He’s already imagining the worst-case scenario and getting flustered.”

“Always anticipating the worst and stressing oneself out is proof of a true hard worker.”

Two semifinal matches and one final match are left in this snowball fight tournament.

The Demon King and Princess Letasreit could clash in any of these matches. If, by some chance, His Majesty loses...!

...It could mean the collapse of the authority the Demon Kingdom has built up until now!

Unacceptable; that cannot be allowed to happen!

If so, all we can do is leave it up to fate! We’ll face off against Princess Letasreit’s team in the semifinals and beat them!

And then, in the final match, we’ll go up against His Majesty and let him win!

That’s the best course of events!

Gods, let the matchups be in our favor!

“All right, it’s time to announce the semifinal matchupsss!”

First match: Selfless Workaholics Nouveau vs. The Demon King and His Merry Companions

Second match: The 2,000 Bean Powers vs. Geezer Camping Enthusiasts

This is a disasteeeeer! 

Lady Luck has betrayed us! 

You can tell just from the team names that we’re facing His Majesty in the semifinalssssssss!

The team likely to face off against Princess Letasreit in the semi-finals is that mid-ranking team!

Though it pains me to say it, they have little chance of winning. The snowball fight team led by the princess is clearly composed of peerless players!

Even if we were to concede our victory, they would still face each other in the finals! 

What should we do....?! They’re opponents not meant to clash!

“Prime Minister... there’s no way we can come out of this unscathed.”

The person who says that as he puts his hand on my shoulder is...

Mamoru of the Heavenly Four?! 

“Our duty as loyal subjects is to protect our lord, both symbolically and literally. To ensure the Demon King’s reign over all demonkind, some injuries to himself may be inevitable.”

What are you trying to say...?

No, I already sense what Mamoru is getting at.

The only way to prevent the Demon King and Princess Letasreit from fighting in the finals is to defeat the Demon King in the semifinals!

That way, we’ll be the ones fighting in the finals and not His Majesty.

“Sure, it’ll be a humiliation for the Demon King to lose once, but it’s better than being avenged by the royal family he once destroyed. Plus, His Majesty’s reputation will take a smaller hit this way.”

“Count us in on this plan, Lord Lucife Focale!”

“We’re all comrades bound together by our hardships!”

Lord Silver Wolf, Lady Zoth Syra!

I can’t believe I’ve found such great comrades. Today really is a good day. 

Please, lend us your strength!

Gather under the banner of our struggles, fellow brethren!

* * *

And then, when the first match of the semifinals began...

“Uguooooooohhhhhhhh?!”

It was over in an instant.

We, the Selfless Workaholics, and our barrage of snowballs pushed His Majesty’s team and their fortress away with the force of an avalanche.

It was the Snowball Annihilation Technique!

“The winners are Mr. Lucife Focale and his teammm!”

We won...

But it was a hollow victory with nothing to show for it...!

“Hahaha...! We lost. As I thought, the Demon Kingdom’s Prime Minister is merciless even when it comes to entertainment...!”

After the battle, His Majesty approaches us with a smile, covered in snow from head to toe.

“But I never expected you to take snowball fighting so seriously. I thought our prime minister was a cold-hearted person, but it seems you have a childish side to yourself.”

“My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty...!”

“No, I’m not reproaching you. I’m just happy to see you enjoying the Snow Festival. I hope you’ll win the championship now that you’ve defeated me!”

Incidentally, in the second semifinal match, one of Princess Letasreit’s members tried to feed the opposing team rotten beans and was disqualified, resulting in a forfeit loss.

And then, the finals came down to the mid-ranking team and us, and we won.

We are the champions of the snowball fighting tournament!

...The Selfless...Workaholics...!

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its my last stretch in uni! that being said, ill be busy shedding blood over my thesis and finals in the upcoming 2 weeks, so chapters will be, ahem, spotty again. everything ends on the 4th of may though, and any catching-up will be done from that date onwards :)