The Conditions for a Bride
[Come forth, new queen of Faloon!
Status, background, or criminal record doesn’t matter!
No etiquette required, no money necessary!
We seek only strength!
The King of Faloon awaits your application!]
This is the content of the bride candidate selection distributed domestically and abroad.
…Doesn’t it look more like a mercenary recruitment ad?
What exactly am I supposed to marry?
Even if it’s not the main queen, as a bride of the nation, we should at least check for criminal records.
At the very least, I would appreciate an age or appearance restriction. I am seriously worried about what kind of women will gather.
Though I’m not keen on this, if possible, I’d prefer a cute woman.
If another absurd character like the [Thunder Emperor] or the [Mad Princess] shows up, what will become of this country’s future?
Despite my worries, a few months after the recruitment, a report came from Gamaras.
“Your Majesty, bride candidates have been gathered smoothly from home and abroad. Therefore, we plan to hold a martial arts tournament under the title of [Bride Candidate Selection]. We hope for your approval.”
“Budokai (舞踏会/ dance ball)?”
“A Budokai (武闘会/martial arts tournament), Your Majesty.”
Oh my, it’s quite an elegant selection process to sift through. Gamaras must have had some thoughts on this. Surely, he realized that a bride candidate needs some noble qualities.
“Of course, I have no objections. It’s a good idea to select through such an event.”
“Thank you. We plan to use the coliseum as the venue.”
The coliseum? How appropriate is it to have a dance ball in a coliseum?
Well, this castle isn’t that big, and a coliseum might be more suitable to introduce new bride candidates to the public.
“Very well. Let’s hold the selection event at the coliseum.”
“Understood. I will proceed with the preparations.”
Thus, Gamaras prepared steadily, and the day of the bride candidate selection arrived.
I, Frau, and Carmilla watched from the VIP seats, with Gamaras, Ogma, and Yamato among other retainers by our side.
“It would be nice if there’s a lively one, sister.”
In high spirits, Carmilla spoke to Frau. Carmilla’s belly had grown, but it wasn’t very noticeable due to her loose clothing.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Frau was playing with our less-than-one-year-old son, Arthur.
…floating in midair.
Frau was using levitation magic on our child as part of her post-pregnancy rehabilitation.
It’s scary, but Arthur was giggling with joy, so I had to silently approve.
Several layers of magical barriers surrounded Arthur, making it quite safe, apparently.
“Gamaras, what kind of bride candidates are there?”
I wasn’t informed in detail about the bride candidates.
“Yes. We’ve gathered the best from all over the continent for your new bride, Your Majesty.”
The best… Could it be that there are incredibly beautiful maidens among them? Despite the odd recruitment notice, choosing a nation’s bride might attract high-level women.
“They’re just entering. Please have a look.”
From the entrance of the coliseum that Gamaras pointed out, dozens of women entered.
Almost all were fully armed.
Why are they armed for a dance ball?
“Leading the group is Minerva, who led the Dawn Thieves in the Caspar Mountains. Known as Scarface, she has fought against various countries’ subjugation armies and is highly skilled.”
Leading confidently was a large woman with a huge scar on her face.
With long, reddish hair and a fearless smile, she was beautiful but looked undoubtedly wicked.
“A thief gang? Is that safe?”
“She has a bounty of a thousand gold coins, so there’s no doubt about her strength. She reportedly boasts about ‘coming to steal the nation,’ so she’s mentally tough and should be fine.”
How is that fine at all? With a bounty of a thousand gold coins, adventurers would flood the castle for her. Claiming to steal the nation sounds like a mere dangerous individual.
“Behind her, carrying two swords on her back, is Sheila, an S-rank adventurer known as Twin Swords. She’s the favorite to win and the most popular.”
Behind Minerva was a woman who fit that description. Typically, A-rank is the highest for adventurers, but S-rank is a special rank given to those at the pinnacle, and there are very few of them.
Wait, is Sheila staring at Minerva? Is she aiming for the bounty as an adventurer?
“Wait, what do you mean by the most popular?”
“Yes, by most popular, I mean the odds. Besides the usual match bets, there’s also betting on who will win overall. Thanks to Your Majesty, this event is also a big hit, with significant amounts of money already in play. This will enrich the treasury again.”
Gamaras said happily.
Matches? Winning? Betting?
“A Budokai (舞踏会/dance ball), right?”
“A Budokai (武闘会/martial arts tournament), Your Majesty.”
Oh? Could it be that the characters are different?
Wait, which country decides its marriage partner by having bride candidates fight?
Are we some barbaric tribe from an unexplored land? This is why King Dorsen says we lack common sense.
“Other notable candidates include Leia, the leader of the Flame Fox Mercenaries, and Shirley, a renowned assassin.”
Gamaras listed more bride candidates. A mercenary and an assassin? No wonder those types gathered with such recruitment content.
“Your Majesty.”
Ogma called out.
“This time, we selected a representative from the Hundred. You might know her, Karen.”
Pointed out by Ogma, I saw a familiar face. Karen, who has been rising through the ranks in the Hundred since she joined at 16, had recently become a ranker, albeit in the lower tiers.
My acquaintance with Karen goes back a long way. When she was still little, she got lost in the Monster Forest and was attacked by monsters, and I rescued her.
Karen’s family was poor, and she had come to the forest searching for food. Feeling sorry for her due to our similar circumstances, I gave her some nuts and fruits I had gathered.
I was curious if the forest’s nuts and fruits were edible, but since I and the Hundred members had poison resistance, we couldn’t judge.
Karen ate them, confirming they were edible, which was useful when we later developed the forest.
Since then, Karen has clung to me. Calling me “big brother” was endearing, but after I became king, she started calling me “Lord Mars.”
For some reason, Karen joined the Hundred afterward, leading to the present.
“She was eager to fight Your Majesty, so she wanted to participate and not miss this chance.”
Why would she want to fight me to become my wife? Is she planning a marital spat?
As I held my head in confusion, one of the candidates caught my eye.
A red-haired woman wearing a plain white mask with a small white lizard-like creature on her shoulder.
The moment I saw her, a chill ran down my spine.
“Hey, who’s that masked woman?”
I asked Gamaras.
“The masked woman? She gave her name as Cassandra, but we don’t have much information on her…”
Isn’t that my master?! I hadn’t heard any rumors in the last ten years, and she was missing, so why is she here?
Having been out of the public eye for so long, Gamaras probably didn’t realize she was the Sword Saint.
The masked woman noticed me and lightly raised her hand.
…Yep, it’s definitely my master. No doubt about it.
I reluctantly raised my hand back.
“Your Majesty, do you know her?”
Gamaras looked at me in surprise.
“Gamaras, regarding the betting on the winner, I’m wagering my entire fortune on that masked woman.”
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The bride candidates gathered in the coliseum exuded a fierce atmosphere.
“Now, we’ll begin the bride candidate selection…”
“Hold on.”
A voice interrupted the announcement to start the selection. It was Minerva.
“Becoming a bride is fine, but can we challenge for the main queen’s position afterward? Like the [Mad Princess] did last year. I don’t like playing second fiddle. I want that clarified.”
Typical thief, making such blunt statements and freezing the atmosphere. But since most participants seemed to agree, no one objected. Only Karen from the Hundred looked flustered.
“Lively ones are welcome, but it’s important to mind the place.”
Carmilla stood up from her seat.
“You’re going to be a queen, so you should start by kneeling before His Majesty.”
Though I thought to myself, “You’ve never knelt either,” Carmilla’s blue eyes changed to a crimson hue.
It was the Magic Eyes of Gravity. Its power had significantly increased compared to a year ago. Not only had her magic and physical abilities improved, but the power of her Magic Eyes had also grown.
The candidates who looked into her eyes began to kneel one by one. Minerva and Sheila, who were among the top contenders, managed to resist, but they were visibly struggling.
As for Master, she watched Carmilla with interest, remaining completely unfazed.
“……You’re doing quite well. Very well. The match will continue with those who are still standing. The rest are disqualified. If you can’t withstand this level of power, you are unfit to be His Majesty’s partner. If you want to be queen, win this tournament first, then challenge me. You’re not ready to face my sister yet.”
Minerva couldn’t retort to Carmilla’s words. She must have realized the difference in their abilities after seeing the Magic Eyes.
There were about thirty queen candidates, but only eight were still standing.
Minerva, Sheila, Leia, Shirley, Karen, and of course, Master were among those who remained.
Gamaras, the organizer of the tournament, called the staff to make adjustments due to the significant changes caused by Carmilla. He was quite adept at adapting to unexpected situations.
After a while, an announcement echoed through the arena.
“……We will now proceed with a martial arts tournament among the eight remaining candidates. After drawing lots to determine the matchups, there will be a break, and the matches will start in the afternoon.”
The organizers were probably having a hard time dealing with the odds and other betting issues. They decided to take a short break before starting the matches.
The candidates drew lots, and the tournament bracket was created.
Honestly, I wasn’t interested in the matchups. The winner was already decided in my mind.
Master drew her lot and left the arena without even checking the bracket.
I also stood up from the VIP seat, saying, “I’ll be away for a while.”
“Just as I thought, you’re here.”
At the Beast Forest behind the castle, I found Master. It was the place we always met.
The forest was quite a distance from the arena, but it was no big deal for Master or me.
“You’ve grown, Mars.”
Master removed her mask. Her face hadn’t changed at all in the past ten years.
……No, hasn’t it changed too little?
“Master, you don’t look like you’ve aged at all?”
“Hmm? Oh, I was frozen for about ten years. My physical state hasn’t changed.”
Master answered nonchalantly.
“Frozen for ten years? Why?”
“After leaving this country, I headed north to defeat the White Dragon on a distant island.”
The Northern White Dragon. Said to have lived since the age of gods, it appeared in fairy tales and was almost considered a deity. It was known for its breath that could freeze everything.
“So, you were frozen because you lost?”
“No, I won. We fought for three days and nights, and I defeated it. But just before it fell, the White Dragon cast a powerful freezing curse. That’s why I was frozen.”
(If you were frozen for ten years, can you really say you won?)
I thought, but I didn’t voice it, fearing to upset her.
TLNOTE: While waiting for the next chapter , I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- Who killed the Hero?
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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