Chapter 624: Miss Chelsea Has a Bold Idea

「Besides, there's another capture target inside this main venue. 」

「Who? 」

「Someone named Chelsea. 」

「Where? 」

「I only know she's in the audience seats over there, but I haven't figured out exactly which person she is yet. 」

Broly answered honestly.

「Then Broly-san, what do you think? 」

Main asked, twirling her pink hair around her finger.

「I lean toward increasing the number of Crystal Palace members, but this is your world, so I'll consider your thoughts too. 」

Unlike inviting Medea, where Medea already knew Sakura and the others, these two newly discovered capture targets in this world—one might have ideas conflicting with the existing Wife Group members, and the other is someone they don't know at all.

Although increasing the number of Crystal Palace members was something he hoped to see, he also had to consider the relationships between the wives from the same world.

The phrase "liking the new and tiring of the old" didn't apply to Broly; compared to Akame, Esdeath, and others, the newly discovered capture targets didn't carry much weight in his heart.

If it didn't affect the harmony of this world's Wife Group, Broly was more than happy to increase the number of wives, but if it would affect the harmony of the existing Wife Group, or even cause ideological conflicts, then losing a few strange capture targets with single-digit Happiness Values wasn't a big deal.

Broly didn't hide anything and told Main, Akame, and the others his true thoughts. After hearing this, Main and the others each generated some Happiness Points; apparently, words showing he cared about their opinions made them happy.

「I personally have no objection to adding more members, but if possible, we should wait until we see the situation of the two new capture targets before deciding. 」

Merad expressed his stance.

「As for Najenda, no need to say much—I've dealt with her before. She's a bit of an idealist; joining us shouldn't create contradictions and schemes among us. 」

Esdeath seemed willing to vouch for Najenda, a former Imperial Major General, later a Revolutionary Army general who rebelled against the Empire, and now preparing to defect to the Great Western Nation—a three-surnamed slave.

「So, the capture target we actually need to investigate is the other one, right? 」

Main took over the conversation.

「Can't the Crystal Palace precisely pinpoint that person's location? 」

Black Pupil asked while licking a milk ice cream.

「It can only remind me whether a new capture target is within my perception; it seems to lack that kind of precise guidance function. 」

Broly answered Black Pupil's question, opened his mouth, and took the ice cream Black Pupil had licked, accepting the sweet food feeding in an indirect kiss between girls.

「Then we can only send someone to investigate carefully. 」

Merad ordered the two maids beside him, and the two quickly went out to instruct their subordinates to search the audience seats for a woman named Chelsea.

Below, one match on the Main Stage had already ended; the winner was a blonde woman wearing a white bikini with healthy wheat-colored skin.

「Horse Head, a reserve member of the Rakshasa Four Ghosts, but before she could take up the executioner position, the Imperial regime was overthrown, so she never officially assumed the post.

This time, her purpose in participating in the Martial Arts Tournament is to join our Assassin Alliance. She might be a contact sent by the exiled Imperial regime, seeking our Great Western Nation's support……」

「But we can't rule out the possibility that she genuinely wants to defect to us. After the Imperial regime was overthrown, quite a few former Imperial officials defected to our Great Western Nation and served wholeheartedly. 」

Leone reminded him that after the Imperial regime was overthrown and fell, the Great Western Nation benefited the most. If the Assassin Alliance hadn't had no intention of expanding outward, probably quite a few City Lords of central cities would have secretly contacted them before this, willing to open the city gates and welcome the Western King's army.

「That's also a possibility. 」

Nahashu nodded. For capable people willing to change allegiances who weren't evildoers, the Assassin Alliance was relatively tolerant.

The youth drew a circle with a red pen on the registration form of the woman named Horse Head, meaning he needed to contact her, interview her to understand her situation, and then consider whether to accept such a person.

The contestants who advanced to the top thirty-two all had decent martial arts. On the ring that gathered most of the Great Western Nation's nobles and citizens' attention, they fully displayed their sharpness, while also showing their own value.

In past years, it was often heard that some City Lord or wealthy merchant, promising high-ranking military officer positions or high salaries, recruited someone as a strategist or subordinate—things like that.

【The Martial Arts Tournament is also a recruitment conference. Capable martial artists on this ring can obtain wealth, fame, status, and even opportunities to realize their own ideals and ambitions.】

Najenda thought so, and soon it was her turn to compete. Her strength had improved greatly after obtaining the Qi Fist. Even though she wasn't a Teigu User, her strength was still a cut above the other contestants.

After going on stage, in less than two minutes, Najenda used the long whip in her hand to tie up a burly male contestant holding a giant axe and wearing a new sand-proof mask launched by a certain Merchant Guild this year, threw him off the ring, and easily won this match advancing from the top thirty-two to the top sixteen.

「Take my heavy fist, forged by pounding the Giant Tree in the Gifnora Sea Tree Forest! 」

Samba-san soon appeared on stage too, and he defeated the opponent in front of him with just one move.

「Eh, this uncle actually got stronger too. It seems he really has been working hard on his martial arts. 」

On the viewing platform, Broly recognized Samba-san. He was somewhat surprised that this bearded uncle, to whom he had once yielded the championship, had improved so much in strength.

Although this degree of improvement was as good as nothing compared to him, for that uncle below who used to boast in the past, he probably had to put in countless efforts and sweat to possess such strength.

「That guy Samba-san is a bit slippery. Back then, the Imperial Assassination Unit once bribed him to deal with us Assassin Alliance, but he turned around and sold out the Imperial Assassination Unit people—and sold them to us.

Then, fearing the Empire would settle accounts with him afterward, he sneaked into the Giant Tree Forest full of Danger Beasts to lay low. Only recently did he come out and contact the Jitu Chamber of Commerce, which has close ties with our Assassin Alliance, reaching a cooperation.

And judging from his performance, the other side focuses on being pragmatic and is completely willing to follow our pace. 」

Another match ended. Under the intentionally arranged strong-versus-weak situation, the top thirty-two to top sixteen advancement matches of the Martial Arts Tournament went quickly.

However, in the second-to-last match, a dark horse emerged. A boy shouted【So that everyone in the village can have enough to eat this year】and defeated an opponent who should have been somewhat stronger than him.

Tatsumi, covered in wounds, panted heavily. On his abdomen was a deep wound, cut to the bone by the opponent's curved blade as a final strike.

If no one helped treat it, with such injuries he had a high probability of dying, but a rain of sweet dew falling from the sky healed him up.

Combining life energy, the elementary healing magic of the Six-Faced World, and Broly's pure numerical bonus, it performed almost like advanced healing magic.

「My stamina is recovering, my injuries are recovering. This is truly a divine miracle! 」

The boy was excited and made up his mind that when he earned enough money to return to the village, he would invite a divine statue of the Saiyan God Religion, the true leader of the Assassin Alliance, back to be worshipped, asking the other party to bless the village with favorable weather and the safety and smoothness of everyone in the village.

……。

「Chelsea, is there anyone named Chelsea? An adult wants to summon Miss Chelsea. Any woman named Chelsea can step forward. Even if you're not the person the adult wants to summon, going to meet the adult will earn you a certain reward. 」

The people of the Assassin Alliance had already started searching in the audience seats.

Chelsea naturally heard these people's shouts, but she didn't think she was the one being summoned by some big shot.

The girl had no interest in the so-called certain reward. In her understanding, at most it would be giving her some small change.

Having this idle time to go see some big shot was not as good as selling a few more hamburgers and drinks in the audience seats. Maybe the money earned this time would allow her to open a few more hamburger shops in Daxi City.

Chelsea, immersed in her catering business, fantasized about becoming the future Great Western Nation's Hamburger Queen, unable to pull herself away.

The matches from thirty-two to sixteen ended quickly, and thanks to Broly's methods of restoring the participants' stamina and injuries, the matches from sixteen to eight also started an hour early.

Powerful participants like Ma Tou, Najenda, and Samba-san won again without taking much time.

There was nothing worth watching in these three's matches; they were simply far stronger than their opponents and easily won to advance.

In contrast, the matches of other participants of similar strength were evenly matched and looked more exciting.

Among them, two people caught Nahashu's attention: "Will and Tatsumi? Two boys from remote countryside villages, both joining the Martial Arts Tournament to earn money and ease their village's burden."

"Although their strength is weaker than their opponents, their conviction to win is stronger, and with their young age, Lord Nahashu, they have great potential to become the backbone of the Assassin Alliance!"

When the handsome Clerk Official named Lan handed the two's files to Nahashu, he also gave his own evaluation of the two boys.

Even though their strength isn't the strongest among the competitors present, their records are the cleanest, and their potential is immense.

And based on their purpose for participating, their character is also highly malleable; I fear that with just a little education, they could become qualified patrol officers for the Assassin Alliance.

"Mm."

Nahashu nodded, acknowledging the opinion proposed by this Clerk Official who had joined the Assassin Alliance.

After the sixteen-to-eight matches finished, since the progress was too fast, the Martial Arts Tournament organizers, after asking the Assassin Alliance's opinion and receiving an answer that they didn't care how it was arranged, decided to also schedule the eight-to-four matches for today.

The audience cheered, not caring about injuries and stamina consumption in the battles; they swore this was the most exciting Martial Arts Tournament they had seen until now.

Of course, perhaps audience members who had seen the tournament eight years ago had different opinions, but it didn't affect the heated atmosphere of this year's tournament continuing.

The three championship favorites, Ma Tou began unable to easily defeat opponents, Samba-san was the same, only Najenda relying on the strength gained from Qi Refining Fist still won within two minutes.

However, although they couldn't win easily, when fighting for seven or eight minutes, they both also seized their opponents' openings and won.

The last match was the duel between the two village boys, Tatsumi and Will; they shared the same reason for fighting, both coming here to join the Martial Arts Tournament so their village could live better.

"I have a reason I cannot lose."

"I'm the same."

"As long as I win, the village can pay this year's taxes, and no longer need to risk going out to sea to hunt dangerous aquatic Danger Beasts during breeding season."

"As long as I win, no one will starve or freeze to death in the winter next quarter."

At dusk, on the ring, two boys holding the conviction that they must win, dueled with swords.

They may not be the strongest, but they received the most enthusiastic cheers from the Main Venue audience.

Only because their reason for fighting was more noble than other participants seeking fame, status, and wealth.

Although both came for the prize money, wanting the prize money was for their own hometowns.

The people of the Great Western Nation greatly admired participants who fought for their hometowns.

The two boys' battle, from start to finish, lasted nearly a full hour.

Only when the sun was about to set was it announced to end.

"Sorry, I don't want to do this, but my hometown needs money."

Will from the southern coastal village defeated Tatsumi from the remote northern village in the central region.

The key to victory was the Teigu in his hand shaped like a great blade—Noble Chariot.

The Main Venue erupted in enthusiastic applause; although Will used a Teigu, the Martial Arts Tournament didn't say Teigu couldn't be used.

Weapons are also part of one's strength; in the rules for the thirty-two strong of the Martial Arts Tournament, it's all written clearly.

"Although stopped at the Eight Strong, there is still one million prize money to be had."

Iyeas and Sayu comforted the defeated Tatsumi, his injuries and stamina restored.

"If I could make it to the Top Four, the prize money would double."

The boy was somewhat unwilling, but could only accept this result.

But before leaving the Venue, people from the Assassin Alliance sought him out.

"Eh, you want to invite me to join the Assassin Alliance?"

"Yes, Lord Tatsumi, you have the qualification, and as long as you join the Assassin Alliance and show sufficient ability, even helping your village migrate to settle on this side of the Great Western Nation, such things can be done."

Facing the job offer handed over by the Assassin Alliance office staff, the country boy had no resistance at all; this was far better than simply earning money to return to the village and improve the villagers' lives.

"I join."

"Ah, I'm exhausted~"

At night, back at the hamburger shop, Chelsea felt very tired.

But thinking of today's earnings from selling hamburgers and drinks, the tiredness seemed to disappear.

And just as she was happily settling the exact amount of money for today with the maid shop assistant following her.

The door of the hamburger shop was pushed open, a girl in white training clothes stood at the front door.

"Eh, Mio, why did you come?"

Seeing the girl, Chelsea's eyes lit up, she stepped forward and asked.

"I'm looking for someone."

Mio said.

"Looking for who, do you need my help?"

Chelsea was very enthusiastic; if not for eating the hamburger the assassin girl gave her, she herself couldn't have become the boss of a hamburger shop, now having over ten shop assistants under her.

"I'm looking for Chelsea."

"Eh, you're looking for me?"

"Just looking for a female named Chelsea; she might be you, but might not be you."

Mio looked at Miss Chelsea and answered seriously.

"Ah, Miss Mio, you speak in riddles like that; can you give me a hint and tell me why your Assassin Alliance wants to find a person named Chelsea?"

Chelsea was actually just asking casually, not thinking she'd get an answer from the assassin young lady, but unexpectedly Mio readily nodded and answered her question: "Yes, the woman we're looking for named 【Chelsea】 is because our Leader Broli-sama wants to invite the other party to become a top-level member of the Assassin Alliance."

Chelsea fell silent for a moment, then asked: "Does that guy with the same name as me have some powerful capability?"

"I don't know, just are you willing or not to go see the Leader together with me?"

Mio shook her head, then asked again.

"Then can I bring a hamburger from our shop to present to that Broly-sama?"

Chelsea thought for a bit, and suddenly had a bold idea.