The sight sent shivers down Lin Ran’s spine.
The Japanese officials and nobles who had come to watch, for some unknown reason, looked at him with an intense fervor. It was as if a person who hadn’t eaten for three days and nights had suddenly spotted a table laden with delicious delicacies, their eyes practically green.
This was truly a strange and bizarre situation.
If he were being looked at by a group of cute young girls, Lin Ran wouldn’t have minded at all. But to be surrounded and watched by a throng of old men made him feel quite uncomfortable.
On the spectator stands, officials and nobles began to whisper amongst themselves.
“Is that the so-called Lin Ran? He doesn’t seem particularly outstanding.”
“Indeed, he’s just a head, two arms, and two legs. I thought he’d have three heads and six arms!”
“And judging by his careless demeanor, I can’t find where this heroic aura of his lies…”
“However, his combat record is quite impressive. With just two people, they easily eliminated the ace teams from the Red Leaf Kingdom and the Kimchi Country.”
“And during the tough fight against the Red Leaf Kingdom, he even pulled off an impressive streak of seven.”
“That’s right… What’s even more outrageous is that he’s reportedly still in a weakened state from a backlash of a secret technique…”
“When they were traveling to Kyushu Island on the Amakusa Taro, he activated a secret technique and forcefully killed the Sea-Capricious Demon Whale that we were… [text truncated, likely refers to a past event]”
“Judging by how he needed to be carried that day, his consumption was clearly immense.”
“Yet, even now, he remains so powerful…”
“Shh, shh, shh! Are you still daring to mention the Sea-Capricious Demon Whale and the Amakusa Taro? Have you forgotten what happened in the Imperial Palace that day?”
“I heard His Majesty is also observing from afar. Such forbidden topics should just be let go…”
“But doesn’t this also prove that the Tanaka family head’s judgment was sound?”
“It seems we truly need to make plans regarding Lin Ran’s existence.”
“…”
Just as they said, the current Kannai Palace Governor was not idly waiting in his Imperial City. He had secretly arrived here with a group of bodyguards. However, to avoid suspicion and conceal his movements, Kannai Palace Governor did not appear at the scene but hid in another area of the resort villa, watching through a magic prism provided by the organizers.
“I want to see just how powerful this man is, whose heroic aura is said to be dozens of times stronger than mine!”
Kannai Palace Governor sat on a lounge chair, propping his chin with his hand, and stared intently at Lin Ran projected in the prism. Clearly, although he hadn’t reacted when Tanaka Kenji mentioned this yesterday, he was still very bothered by it. After all, it was difficult for an ordinary person to admit they were inferior to others, let alone the ruler of the Sakura Nation.
…
“Alright, as of now, all the drawing has been completed. Let’s see who the opposing teams are!”
Chizuru Ginshiro excitedly waved his hands, holding the list and looking eager, though it was unclear what he was so excited about.
“Due to the Dragon Country representative team being ranked first in the previous draw, their opponent drawn is the Roost Country representative team!”
“Therefore, the two teams facing each other in this match will be these two representative teams!”
“Now, let us heartily welcome them as the opposing sides of the match to enter and proceed to their respective sides of the arena to prepare!”
Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan already knew their opponents and had discussed their strategy, walking towards one of the preparation areas. To their surprise, however, the captain of the Roost Country, Petrie, inexplicably waddled over.
“Huh?”
Lin Ran looked at Petrie strangely. What was this guy doing? Did he not know north from south? Based on the draw’s passive and active roles, they should be on this side… Could this guy be trying to deliver some taunts and create a spectacle? Or perhaps he was here to scout and gather intelligence? But could such things really be obtained through conversation?
Petrie also noticed Lin Ran’s confusion. He grinned, first performing a respectful gentleman’s bow, and then said:
“Don’t worry, Captain Lin Ran. I’m not like those rude barbarians; I’m not here to cause trouble.”
“I’ve come this time mainly to discuss a matter with you.”
“This matter will slightly affect the flow of the match, but not much. After all, your country only has two members…”
“The order of appearance shouldn’t be too important, right?”
Order of appearance? Lin Ran stroked his chin and nodded:
“Captain Petrie, please speak.”
Petrie nodded:
“Then I’ll be blunt?”
“After watching so many of Captain Lin Ran’s matches, I was filled with admiration.”
“So, I’ve been pondering about wanting to have a 1v1 battle with Captain Lin Ran. Would Captain Lin Ran agree?”
“Of course, if Captain Lin Ran agrees, I will fight according to our agreement, betting the honor of my family’s reputation!”
Oh, he’s throwing himself at me? Looking at the smiling Petrie, Lin Ran couldn’t help but feel amused.
Good! Very good! Excellent! Lin Ran had already wanted to use Petrie’s impenetrable turtle formation to test his offensive capabilities. Now, he was unexpectedly coming to him. To counter him, Lin Ran had initially planned for Luo Qingyan to go first, to take down some of the Roost Country’s weaker players. Then, when Petrie entered the arena, he would forfeit and let Lin Ran handle him. But now, it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary.
“Since Captain Petrie has put it this way, if I refused, it would seem too ungracious!”
“So, we have an agreement then?”
Lin Ran tentatively extended his hand towards Petrie.
Petrie burst into laughter and also reached out, shaking Lin Ran’s outstretched hand:
“Agreed, Captain Lin Ran, you’re truly a straightforward person!”
“Then let’s both be the lead fighters for our teams and go at it right from the start!”
“Based on the performances on the arena so far, after careful consideration, Captain Lin Ran is undoubtedly among the top in offensive power!”
“My Maginot Line is quite looking forward to your unrivaled destructive power!”
Lin Ran also smiled:
“The feeling is mutual…”
“I am also extremely in awe of Captain Petrie’s almost invincible defense!”
“Let alone this match, even worldwide, it is the most solid defense line!”
“Let this pair of spear and shield have a good contest!”