“What? Kukuri was such a good wrestler! You mean she was a spy from the demonic realm?”
“Yes, and because she’s such a good wrestler, I want her back in Aryakan Grand Sumo. She was one of the strongest female wrestlers too.”
“No argument there.”
In the meantime, we had reached Clifton’s stable. I recalled that this place housed the spider goddess Arachne, though due to a dearth of believers in Aryagard, her form was that of a small spider. Anyway...
“Excuse me!”
“Coming! Oh, Lady Floortje, Yustin, Phalaris. What’s the matter?”
Opening the sliding door at the entrance was Edgar, a slender, black-haired rikishi, second-in-command at Clifton’s stable. His slender appearance might have made you think he was weak, but he was the type who fought with speed and technique. He was also extremely knowledgeable about sumo—so knowledgeable, in fact, you could even say he had a PhD in sumo.
“Where’s Clifton?”
“He doesn’t leave his bed much these days.”
“Why not?”
“It seems he only realized his feelings for Kukuri after she left, and now he’s depressed.”
How effeminate of you, Clifton! I burst into his room—I knew where the coach’s room was in every stable, of course. Opening the sliding screen, I saw Clifton curled up in his bed.
Incidentally, these sumo stables had Japanese designs. We imported tatami and sliding screens from the sumo Valhalla for them. This was a little expensive, but you couldn’t call it a sumo stable without those things. Then, nobles who saw this Japanese design grew quite fond of it, and it became a very popular trend—many high-ranking nobles with good taste ended up with Japanese-style rooms in their manors.
“How long are you going to stay in bed, Clifton?! Get up!”
“Ah, Floortje... What is it...?”
As he turned his head my way, I could clearly see dark circles under his eyes.
“How do you end up like this just because the girl you like went missing?!”
“I don’t think she’s coming back... I’ll never get to see her again.”
“If you love her so much, go bring her back!”
“But I don’t know where she is...”
“I do.”
“You do?!”
Clifton jumped out of his bed.
“See her in person and tell her yourself you want her back.”
“I will! Where is she?!”
“The Town of Yggdrasil, capital of the Elven Forest Republic. We’re assembling a team of strong rikishi to bring down those who fight with Demonic Sumo. Come, Clifton!”
“Demonic Sumo! So that’s why you have Phalaris and Master with you!”
“That’s right. It’s a team competition: five representatives of Aryakan Sumo will go against five of Demonic Sumo, headed by the Demon Lord!”
“Now I’m fired up! Wait, does that mean Kukuri...?”
“She’s a mainstay of the opponents’ team. You can be sure they will field her in the upcoming tournament.”
“Kukuri...was a monster...”
A small spider descended from the ceiling.
I apologize for keeping it from you, Clifton. Kukuri is an arachne—my disciple and kin.
This spider was Arachne, the guardian deity of the arachne species. It appeared she had come to Aryaka and made this stable her home after developing an interest in sumo.
“So that’s how it is...”
“Kukuri faced Prince Richie in the ring.”
“H-How did it go?”
“She won.”
“What?!”
“She was strong even as a human. In her monster form, she has six spider legs, and her weight is doubled. You know what that means, right?”
Clifton raised his face.
“If you add a monster’s body to the skill she already had... That makes her really strong!”
The fight had returned to Clifton’s eyes. Indeed, the prospect of facing a mighty opponent was exciting for a sumo wrestler.
“Communicate your feelings on the dohyō like a proper rikishi. With your technique and your spirit.”
“I will! Thank you for inviting me. I’m in!”
“All right!”
With Yustin and Clifton joining my team, my search was done for the moment. We would look for General Maurilio during our march. I was looking forward to the tournament at the elven capital.
“Edgar, Arachne, I’m off to the Town of Yggdrasil. Have to bring Kukuri back.”
“Thought that’s what you’d do, Coach. Take care.”
Well said, Clifton, said Arachne. Go bring her back. You have to push forward in both love and sumo!
Wait, isn’t Arachne the same kind of character as the mizuchi? I just realized.
Clifton gathered his things and left his room. It was time to head to the palace and have the king give us troops. Now a party of five, we briskly walked to the palace.
“Ah, Lady Floortje. Please, do come in.”
At the palace gate, a rikishi of the royal guard let us through. The guards knew my face as I was a crown princess candidate. And a yokozuna.
“Where are His Majesty and the fairy king?”
“They’re having a discussion at the reception hall, together with Prince Richie.”
“Thank you.”
We entered the palace. After ascending the imperial staircase, the reception hall was to the east. The grand chamberlain opened the door upon seeing me. The three inside looked over our way in the midst of their friendly conversation.
“Oh, there you are, Floortje. We’ve heard the story. Let us board the Magic Train immediately and head to the Dwarven Great Caves!”
“What about the troops, Your Majesty?”
“We’re sending twenty thousand, under General Boccolini.”
“There’s a big difference in speed between using the Magic Train and having soldiers march all the way.”
“Well, we shall send a forward unit, and the rest will catch up at some point. We wish to board the Magic Train and pay a visit to the Dwarven Great Caves.”
Though the king was a wise monarch, his love for new things sometimes made him hasty in his decisions.
It was decided we would reach the border station in a high-speed coach, which would take us a day. The troops would march on foot, poor things. With there being twenty thousand of them, it would no doubt be difficult to provide food and shelter for everyone. General Boccolini was General Maurilio’s successor, and he was faultless in his work. Even as a rikishi he was capable, and was gradually climbing the rankings, helped by his large and muscular build.
By the king’s estimations, either way we would end up at a standstill at some point, which would allow the troops to eventually catch up. I was sure he just wanted to go on a pleasure trip to the Dwarven Great Caves, though. Apparently he also planned to ask the dwarves to lend us some of their troops in exchange for laying the rail tracks all the way to Aryagard. Politics...
After speaking with the king, I returned to my stable in order to feed my wrestlers my best chanko before they had to march on the elven lands. Getting to eat chanko and white rice after such a long time was reinvigorating—and you could hardly call it chanko without white rice. A bath and a good night’s sleep in a tatami room wiped away the fatigue from my whole recent ordeal.
“All right!”
“I can’t believe how energetic you are, milady.”
“I’m a yokozuna!”
Adela was dumbfounded, but I took her attitude as praise. It was time for us to go on the offensive. And reunite with General Maurilio.
As we made our way to the palace—Adela, Phalaris, and I—we saw three eight-horse high-speed coaches standing at the entrance.
“Floortje! Have you been able to rest?”
“Yes, Your Highness. It has been a while since I’ve had such a good sleep.”
“Get in. Father is already inside.”
King Arvi reminded me of a child going on an excursion.
“Good morning, Floortje. And it is truly a fine morning, perfect for an outing.”
“Oh, Your Majesty!”
“We’re taking that Magic Train, after all. It’ll get us to the Dwarven Great Caves in a day, will it not? Such a fine project organized by Jonas.”
“Yes, my brother was very competent...”
“Don’t let it get to you, Richie. He might do something outstanding yet again.”
“Yes, father.”
How had Jonas, a member of the royal family, ever let himself fall for Jaromíra’s charms? He had been so talented...
“Morning, Floortje. You’re as beautiful as always. Looks like you and I are taking the same coach to the border station, and I simply cannot contain my excitement at that fact.” The flirt was saying something. “Ah—I’m quite fond of that look of contempt too!”
Not only was he a shallow flirt, but also a pervert. Ugh... Even King Arvi’s brows were knitted.
The coaches sped through the main street, passed through the east gate, and raced along the eastern mountain highway. The highway was well maintained, as it was actively used for trade with the mountainous region. We were certain to arrive at the border town by sunset.
I contemplated how convenient it would be to have the rail tracks run all the way to Aryagard and be able to go to the Dwarven Great Caves and back in a day. It would no doubt have a major positive impact on our economy as well. Just like my previous world, this one too seemed to be leaving the Middle Ages with the advent of the railway, and entering a modern period of history. And since tracks could even be laid to the demonic realm, the world was beginning to feel quite a bit smaller. I looked forward to going on a sumo tour there too.
Riding the high-speed coach for a long time was unexpectedly exhausting. I went outside and did some sumo practice at a posting station as we changed horses, but that was over before I could break a sweat, and the flirt was annoying me with his passionate look the whole time.
“Women who are good at sports are simply wonderful. You are so full of energy!”
“Oh, really.”
“Heh heh, how cold. But that’s what I like about you!”
Why did this flirt only ever seem to speak nonsense when he opened his mouth?
“Sumo has the power to change the world, does it not? Even demons and monsters seem to have grown very fond of it.”
“Yes, it really surprised me. Thought they were too undisciplined for something like sumo.”
“I was told the demonic realm was a hellish place where the strong preyed upon the weak day and night, but seeing how we’ve met an intelligent goblin, perhaps it’s undergoing some changes.”
“Maybe they’ve developed a culture of noble warriors from all the unending fighting?”
Just like the Japanese samurai from my past life. Just like the knights of medieval Europe. Perhaps, just like white lotuses growing in a contaminated pond, noble warriors could only be born in a melting pot of constant deception and murder, a true hell on earth. Perhaps a land of high intelligence and reason could only give birth to dastards like Chancellor Mickaël. Although there could be wiser and more prudent elves deeper in the forest, such as the elven elders from Hufton. I was pretty sure, however, that the flirt in front of my eyes was not one of them.