The Alitia Kingdom.
One of the three kingdoms on the continent, it was famous for its lawlessness and debauchery.
Just how lawless was it? As you saw earlier, it was a place where an innkeeper and the locals would team up to take out a single tourist.
Terrifying, isn't it?
How did a place that called itself a kingdom become such a den of thugs?
To understand that, one must look back at the history of the Alitia Kingdom. Not too far back, though. You only need to look at the actions of the former king.
The former king of Alitia was neither particularly great nor incompetent. He was the kind of king who might merit five lines in a history book and nothing more. However, his love for his wife, the beautiful queen, was incredibly deep.
You can easily imagine the depth of his affection, given that he, the king of a nation, never took a single one of the common concubines.
Then one day, the queen he loved was assassinated.
The king was enraged. He scoured the kingdom in search of the culprit. The search ended anticlimactically after just two days, and the killer was executed in the most gruesome manner in the history of the Alitia Kingdom.
But even though the queen's killer was caught, the dead queen did not return.
The king, lost in grief, completely abandoned his duties to the state.
As if waiting for that very moment, criminals began to run rampant across the kingdom under the banner of an organization called the Snake Venom Society.
Eventually, the situation deteriorated to a point where the current king, who inherited the throne, could do little to fix it. As a result, the current king is said to be just as neglectful as his predecessor.
Recently, rumors have begun to circulate that the Snake Venom Society was behind the former queen's assassination, but...
That's not what's important right now.
What's important is this.
"It means I can cause a scene like this without any real problems. Isn't that right?"
I looked at the waitress sitting next to me. It was the same girl who had locked the inn door earlier. Instead of answering, she just stared at the floor, her face pale.
What's so interesting down there for her to keep staring?
Looking at it will only make you lose your appetite.
"G-Guest. Here is the tomato soup you ordered..."
The innkeeper placed a steaming bowl of freshly made tomato soup on the table.
Ugh, it smells like shit right off the bat.
Still, maybe it tastes better than it smells...
I scooped up a large spoonful of the tomato soup and put it in my mouth. After chewing a few times, I spat it out onto the floor. The blood that had pooled there splattered slightly.
"Eek..!"
The waitress shrieked in terror as the blood spattered on her. I slung an arm around her shoulder.
"Annie, let me ask you one thing."
Annie was the waitress's name.
"Y-Yes?"
"You recommended the tomato soup to me... you were just trying to get rid of leftovers, weren't you?"
"What..?"
"You were trying to pawn off an unpopular menu item on an unsuspecting tourist, weren't you!"
"Heek..! I-I'm sorry..!"
Annie slammed her head back toward the floor and trembled violently. I glanced at the innkeeper; his reaction was much the same.
Ripping off tourists is the same everywhere you go.
I sighed and said, "The Quadrennial Contest."
"...What?"
"Tell me everything you know about the Quadrennial Contest. Where it's held, when it's held. I'll let one of you live—whoever gives me the most useful information."
At that, the innkeeper and the waitress began to exchange nervous glances.
I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword, and the innkeeper was the first to speak.
The words poured out of him like a torrent.
The waitress, her face trembling with a look of betrayal, refused to be outdone and started talking frantically as well.
I just listened with my arms crossed.
A moment later, having spilled everything they knew, both of them fell silent.
Now, it was time to choose.
As I drew my sword, tension filled the faces of the innkeeper and the waitress. Neither of them was foolish enough to beg pathetically for their lives. It seemed they knew that such an act would only count against them.
The Alitia Kingdom, indeed.
Even in a common inn, people knew how to survive.
I smirked and swung my sword.
Schlick—
A head went flying, and blood that should have gone to it gushed out like a fountain.
The middle-aged corpse collapsed with a thud.
A deep sense of relief was etched on Annie's face as she watched.
"Annie, as of today, you're the innkeeper."
"W-What..?"
"I'm going up to bed, so have all of this cleaned up by morning."
I pointed to the dozens of corpses scattered across the floor. Annie's eyes went wide.
"All of this, by tomorrow? By myself?"
"Yes. Can't you do it?"
"Of course I can't! I'm a delicate woman! How am I supposed to move all these bodies by myself..."
"Then I guess I'll have to find a sturdy man to be the innkeeper."
"...I think I can handle it..!" Annie said, clenching her fists with a spirited voice.
Look at her, full of energy again now that the threat of death has passed, even though she was trembling just moments ago.
The Alitia Kingdom, indeed.
How many times was I going to be impressed?
"Anyway, have it all cleaned up by tomorrow. And while I'm staying here, I'm booking the entire inn. Don't let any guests in. The moment anyone sets foot in this inn is the day the innkeeper changes."
"...Yes."
I took the key and walked up the stairs.
I heard the sound of someone collapsing to the floor below but ignored it.
The Quadrennial Contest.
A tournament held once every four years in the capital of the Alitia Kingdom, it attracted countless warriors confident in their skills.
While some participated to make a name for themselves, the main draw was, of course, the lavish prize for winning.
There are a lot of people here.
Was this what the Roman Colosseum was like?
The area around the massive circular arena was bustling with people. Most of them were likely spectators, with only a few being participants.
I heard that in the preliminaries, only 16 out of 100 participants would be chosen to advance to the main event.
Speaking of preliminaries...
There was nothing like this in the game.
Is this also because I haven't revealed my identity as the Hero?
As I pondered this while waiting in line, it was finally my turn.
"Welcome to the Quadrennial Contest. Are you here as a spectator or a participant?"
"A participant."
I showed him my A-rank Adventurer's Pass and the Quadrennial Contest participant's pass I had received a while ago.
He examined both passes for a moment, confirmed they were genuine, and nodded.
"Very well, Participant Cloud. Would you like to place a bet before entering? Or will you head straight in?"
"A bet?"
"Ah, perhaps you are unaware?"
"No... I knew."
Annie had told me about it a while ago, but I'd forgotten. It was a system that didn't exist in the game.
Betting, huh...
I took out my money pouch.
7,000 gold.
My entire fortune at the moment.
When you bet, you bet on the underdog.
I might just be able to make a pretty penny.
The stands of the Quadrennial Contest were buzzing with excitement.
It was only natural for such a massive event held once every four years.
Although it was an event where people got hurt and died, this was the capital of the Alitia Kingdom.
No one cared about the lives of the participants.
Ah.
Actually, some people did care.
Those in the audience clutching small slips of paper.
Written on those slips was who they had bet on and for how much.
The bettors were divided into two types:
Those who bet small amounts or bet on famous fighters, and those who dreamed of turning their lives around by betting large sums on relatively unknown individuals.
And Annie, who had recently been promoted from waitress to innkeeper, was in the latter group.
Unlike those who played it safe, she was on the edge of her seat as she watched the arena.
"Oh... please... please... please...."
She clutched the slip of paper and prayed to the gods. Haven't I lived a hard enough life? Just grant me this one stroke of luck.
That was the gist of it.
"Little lady, just how much did you bet to be fidgeting like that?"
A voice came from her side.
Annie jumped in surprise and turned her head. An elderly man was sitting next to her, watching her.
"Oh, you scared me! Who are you, old man, to just..."
Her voice trailed off as she saw the guards sitting behind the old man, glaring at her with menacing eyes.
Ah... he must be someone important...
Annie's demeanor naturally became more polite.
"Ahem, hello, sir. My name is Annie."
"Ho ho, unlike you, little lady, I'm an old man who can't easily reveal his name. Just call me old man. In any case, how much did you wager to be so on edge?"
At his words, Annie's expression fell.
"...My entire fortune."
"Hoh... you don't look it, but you're a natural-born gambler, aren't you?"
"I'm not that kind of person. For your information, I've lived an honest life."
"Then why would a girl who has lived honestly until now suddenly bet her entire fortune?"
"...It felt like an opportunity had come. And when one comes, you have to seize it."
Annie gripped the slip of paper tightly.
"Hoh... and who, I wonder, gave this young lady such conviction? I'm curious. Could you tell an old man?"
"It's fine. I'm only betting on the preliminaries anyway. See him? The one with the red hair over there."
"Hmm... where... oh?"
The old man looked in the direction Annie pointed and showed a hint of surprise. Soon, he began to laugh heartily as if he found it amusing.
Is this old man crazy? Annie thought to herself as she spoke.
"Wh-What's so funny?"
"Oh, I was just thinking what a coincidence this is. As it happens, this old man also bet on that young man."
"Really?"
"Of course. Why would an old man like me lie about something like that?"
The old man's words brought a flush of color to Annie's face.
Hearing that someone who looked so important had bet on the same person as her was reassuring.
I was right to bet my entire fortune!
She had even put up the inn as collateral to borrow money for this bet. If she lost, she would have been forced to live a life on the run from debt collectors...
I made the right choice!
Just as she was sighing in relief, the preliminary round began.
Annie smiled and looked at Cloud. He was terrifying, but he was also incredibly skilled. Come on, show them what you've got and make it rain money on me!
...However, her smile soon shattered.
"Hieeeek!!!"
The moment the preliminary round began, Cloud started rolling pathetically on the ground, trying to run away.
The muscles in Annie's face froze and began to twitch.
"Th-That guy, what is he..."
In contrast, the old man sitting next to her burst out laughing at the sight of Cloud. Wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, he said,
"Just as I thought, a complete madman."