By Zephyria “Please read through it and sign in the blank spaces here. Or, since there’s not much time left, would you like me to quickly explain the procedures?”
The member standing next to him pointed to the signature field with his fingertip. He had already looked at the League’s promotional leaflets so much for the past five days that he had memorized most of the general content. Even if he looked at the outline again now, nothing would change, but he aimlessly scanned the black letters with his eyes. It was like his last psychological line of resistance….
Leonardo shifted his gaze to the waiting member and nodded. It wasn’t that he needed an explanation, but rather an action to buy time internally.
The member turned the desk calendar on the table without showing any signs of annoyance and began to explain.
“There are a few tests before the preliminaries. Please check the dates carefully and mark the dates you can participate. Once you pass the tests, your name will be on the preliminary bracket, and you won’t be able to choose dates after that. Oh, of course, you’ll receive participation prizes just for participating in the tests, so don’t worry.”
Since the League charged admission fees to the audience watching the matches, it was necessary to show a composition of matches that matched the admission fee. In other words, it meant that they would appropriately filter out trivial matches to the extent that local thugs were fighting. Of course, it didn’t mean they would block participation, but it seemed they were trying to select people who could show appropriately interesting performance through tests before the preliminaries.
There were between five and seven test items. They were mostly related to basic physical fitness, and the specific evaluation items were, in principle, to be revealed on the day. The member cautiously added that once they got to the preliminaries, their appearance could inevitably be exposed to the audience, so they had to sign a consent form for this to participate.
It seemed that the member thought that the person who had come to apply for participation was obviously wrapped up tightly, so he was reluctant to be exposed to the outside.
As the member’s intuition suggested, that was the most concerning point for Leonardo, so he hesitated and opened his mouth.
“Um, can I cover my face with a hat or a mask during the match? …I think it was allowed.”
“Ah, yes. Of course! The Council, the League’s organizing body, basically protects the privacy of the participants.”
Among the participants, there were those who were skilled but uncomfortable appearing in public places, so it was not a problem to cover parts that could identify an individual, such as scars on the face or hands. Thanks to this, the use of aliases was also possible.
Just as he was thinking it was fortunate, the member continued his explanation.
“However, the participant must apply for participation in person, and the operating side will check the identity before each match to prevent proxy participation. Originally, the procedure wasn’t this cumbersome, but about five years ago… there was a case where two people who looked similar took turns participating in the match and were caught. Please think of it as a policy for fair League operation and cooperate with us.”
Humans are animals that find loopholes in any way if there are no tight regulations. Those two were also very devoted.
The fact that he had to expose his face before every match was uncomfortable, but since he only had to be verified by the Council, Leonardo nodded in agreement.
“To add briefly to that, headscarves, hats, gloves, or accessories are allowed, but clothing that is against the ideology of the Empire or the Council, or that is obscene or contains hateful phrases that cause discomfort, is restricted. Also, you can only possess one Magic Tool with magical functions or weapons that directly affect your performance per person.”
‘Weapons?’
“Blades such as swords, axes, hammers, and maces. Magic Tools such as Teleportation Devices, staffs, Amulets, and Amplifiers can also be used. However, weapons and Magic Tools are subject to balance adjustments through ability verification during the test process before the preliminaries, and may affect the bracket. Oh, but you know that Artifacts are not allowed to be brought in during the match, right? There are so many exceptions regarding items, so you should read the list of prohibited items separately later.”
He hadn’t even thought about using weapons, so it was quite a shocking rule. The leaflet stated that one ‘match auxiliary item excluding clothing’ could be possessed, so he had only thought of things to cover his face, such as masks or glasses with dark lenses.
But when he thought about it, it was known that many non-Mages who didn’t possess Magic Power also participated in the League hosted by the Council. Mages were generally much more advantageous in matches than them, but that alone wouldn’t make the ‘battle’ so easy that it would determine victory or defeat.
Individual experience and combat abilities were all different, and there were definitely people in the world who were called strong even without Magic Power by training their bodies to the limit. If weapon utilization ability was added to that, it would be difficult to predict victory or defeat easily, even if the match opponent was a Mage.
He knew that the Council sold betting rights for the League, so he wondered if they had created these rules for the diversity of the matches, but he understood it to some extent when he judged that this was close to the ‘fairness’ they were pursuing.
Unlike him, who was lucky enough to be born with powerful Magic Power, the majority of people in the world were constantly struggling to overcome the limits of their abilities. Shouldn’t they also be given the opportunity to go higher with additional efforts?
Somehow, Agrizendro would say that.
“Yes, I understand.”
Leonardo answered that way and quickly scanned the rest of the outline.
The preliminaries were held not only in individual matches, but also in team matches with various personnel and abilities appropriately distributed. Someone would argue that this was against fairness, but it seemed that a method was needed to eliminate and select a large number of people at once because there were quite a few people who advanced to the preliminaries.
“If you pass the preliminaries safely, you will then enter the round of 32 of the main tournament, and the match method will be changed to a 1-on-1 tournament format. The restrictions on rules and weapon use are greatly lifted in the main tournament compared to the preliminaries, so the probability of injury is much higher. In severe cases, you can be fatally injured or even die in the worst case.”
“Death?”
“Yes. Of course, the Council always has a medical team on standby to respond immediately to injuries. Also, if it is judged that one of the participants has suffered a fatal injury, the match will be stopped immediately, and the decision on whether to proceed will be made after comprehensively considering the participant’s condition, recovery period, and personal intentions.”
That was why there were so many consent forms with tiny letters. The member emphasized that although there had been no deaths in the nearly 20 years since the League was held, it was necessary to obtain consent regarding the notification and awareness of risk factors in preparation for any eventuality.
Some people gave up and went back because of this word ‘death.’ Leonardo was also a little surprised, but he had nothing to worry about in that regard.
‘I’m more worried about me killing them.’
“Consent for this will be reconfirmed just before the main tournament, so you can withdraw your consent and forfeit at that time. Oh, but if a person voluntarily forfeits from the quarterfinals onwards, the League will be completely suspended, so you must be careful.”
“It will be completely suspended just by forfeiting?”
“Yes, we have a surveillance system in place throughout the League period, but in fact, there are often attempts to approach other participants and manipulate the outcome from the main tournament onwards. This is also a structure that earns revenue from betting rights, so the operating side is paying special attention because financial issues are also involved.”
The member added that the amount of betting rights was larger from the quarterfinals onwards, and the participants’ skills and willingness to participate were firm, so there were almost no cases of voluntary forfeiture.
“We would appreciate it if you would think of it as a minimal device to prevent unsavory transactions. Well, I haven’t explained everything, but have you understood the major points to some extent?”
The member’s words were getting faster and faster, and he glanced at the watch on his wrist. Leonardo’s gaze also turned to the watch he was wearing. It was already 5 minutes before the registration deadline.
Just then, a participant who had been running breathlessly from behind slammed the application and consent form he had prepared in advance on the table. Another member approached and collected the documents he had submitted. Listening to the two of them, it seemed that the participant had also been contemplating until the last minute and had returned just before the deadline.
Leonardo, who was also shaken, clenched the pen he was holding tightly. His inner self still hadn’t made a decision. He was honestly afraid.
Even if you cover your face during the match, unexpected situations arise in battle. Besides, if identity verification is done right before the match, you can’t use magic to change your appearance. Even if you subtly change your face after entering the arena, it was questionable whether you could firmly maintain that high-level Illusion magic in front of thousands of spectators during intense combat.
However, the member’s last explanation meant that you could freely forfeit the matches below the semi-finals, even if you participated. If a problem arises, you can quit midway. Isn’t that better than blocking the path from the beginning?
“Now, please give me your ID… and can you show me your face for a moment?”
Since the person who came to participate was standing like a stone statue, the member peered at the eyes revealed under the hat. Most people fill out the application form lightly because they are eliminated before the preliminary round anyway. But somehow, this participant seemed very cautious and troubled, as if going to a battlefield. The expression seen only with the eyes was even resolute.
Around that time, Leonardo Blaine, who had made up his mind, floated the pen he was holding in the air. The pen, which had been floating leisurely, landed on the table and scribbled his signature on the consent form in order.
At the same time, Leonardo Blaine took out his ID from his inner pocket. It was the registration card that the Legion Commander had given him directly before.
He opened the blue cover, handed it to the member, and took off the hat he had pulled down low. He pulled the turtleneck, which had been pulled up to the tip of his nose, down to below his chin.
The eyes of the members who were looking at him widened for a moment.
Just in time, behind the blond handsome man who revealed his face, splendid fireworks announcing the beginning of the new year decorated the evening sky.