Ed was somewhat surprised to see that almost everyone in the territory was here. Although there were less than a thousand people, it was still quite a sight to see them all gathered together.
The only thing that disappointed him was that the square wasn't big enough, and some people were standing on the outer edges, such as in the trees, on the rooftops, or in other high places.
This way, they can see the game in the middle of the square clearly. Of course, the Fir Tree Police Squad will be maintaining order. With so many people, there will always be some who don't follow the rules, so taking some precautions is very necessary.
A simple platform has been erected in the open space in the middle of the square, which can accommodate about ten people for a competition at a time.
The format for this tournament is quite simple: a single-elimination, best-of-three format, meaning that if you lose one match, you're out of the running.
This is also the first competition in the territory, and Ed doesn't want to make it too complicated. Other more complex rules can be discussed later when they have more experience.
From the high platform, Ed looked at the huge crowd and said loudly, "Villagers from all participating villages, please get ready. The competition is about to begin. This competition is just for fun, so please feel free to relax. If you all like this competition, we may hold other events in the future. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can talk to your village chief after the competition. If possible, future events can be modified according to your opinions."
Ed's words caused some villagers in the audience to start whispering among themselves. "I have no objection, my only objection is that this place is too small now."
"Yeah, yeah, some jerk stepped on my foot just now."
"What are you looking at? I'm standing on a stool, how am I going to step on your feet?"
"I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about which bastard. Are you the bastard?"
"Hey, stop arguing! Look, the lord is showing off the prizes."
"Ah! This is really good stuff. I must qualify for the competition next time."
Ed on the stage, of course, couldn't hear the villagers arguing below.
" Adelaide, bring all the prizes up and put them where everyone can see them."
Ed brought out all the prizes. Firstly, it would motivate participants to take the competition more seriously and encourage those who didn't participate to join next time. Secondly, the prizes could be awarded on the spot after the competition, preventing any unforeseen circumstances.
Adelaide quickly placed all the prizes in a prominent place on the platform, and the villagers below looked on with excitement.
"Now I'll explain the rules of the competition." Ed looked at the villagers below the stage, whose expressions varied, and he felt that the competition had been quite successful so far.
"There are thirty numbers in total. In the first round, each participant draws one number. The first fifteen numbers will compete against the last fifteen. It's best two out of three rounds; the winner continues the competition, and the loser is eliminated. The second round has the same fifteen numbers, but the number eight has no opponent and doesn't need to compete..."
"My lord, isn't it too good for the person who drew the number 8? They advanced to the next round without even having to compete. But isn't that a bit unfair to the others?"
Some astute villagers in the audience noticed some problems.
"Yes! I think he's right."
"Yes, I noticed that too."
Ed glanced at the whispering crowd and said, "Many times, luck is also a part of strength. If others are lucky, there's nothing you can do. It's like you're standing next to someone else, and bird droppings just happen to fall on your head."
"Ha ha!"
"The lord is right."
"I agree."
"I have no further comments."
...
Carly, sitting in the corner of the platform, agreed, saying that Lord Ed was the lucky guy.