It was the first time for our team to participate in the Flying Board competition, and we won the championship. While Hina-chan was excited and Aoi-chan, even though she looked happy, was acting cool, Black Muscat and Scarlet Blueās members finally arrived.
[It was a great match, it was our complete defeat. Especially that moment where you rushed into the last big right curve, we were completely taken by surprise.]
[Thank you very much. It was also thanks to luck being on our side.]
When I thanked Black Muscat, who praised me in a polite tone, not with the character they were playing, Scarlet Blue also came and lightly applauded with a smile.
[Luck is also a skill. With how quickly you reacted to our attack and assessed the situation, itās hard to believe that this would be your first time participating.]
[Ummm, we were also surprised when you made that attack before.]
[Fufu, I thought we would settle the race at that moment thoughā¦ā¦ What a shame.]
Unnn. How should I say thisā¦ā¦ This feels really refreshingā¦ā¦ Or rather, I think they really are good people. Giving praise to the winner at the end of the race as if such is a matter of course, it was truly wonderful.
Aoi-chan and Hina-chan are also talking with the members of Black Muscat and Scarlet Blue, looking like they had fun.
[Ahh, thatās right. Since itās your first time participating, I donāt think youād know about this, but after every yearās race, the management prepares a location for an afterparty. Participation is free for everyone, but participants in the final race have all-you-can-drink and all-you-can-eat, so if you donāt mind, participate in it too.]
[Yes, the awards ceremony will take place in an hour. We hope to see you not only at the awards ceremony, but at the location of the afterparty later.]
Leaving those words, Black Muscat and Scarlet Blue left, lightly waving their hands goodbye. After that, we asked the management for an explanation about this matter, but since the award ceremony will apparently be after the collection of the magic crystals at the checkpoint is finished, it seems like the award ceremony will be an hour later.
After the awards ceremony, the afterparty will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, where mainly regional cuisines and local alcohol will be served. It seems that the food and alcohol are provided by the locals, and this has somehow been going on for 40 years, so this competition may be rooted in this region.
[Ahh~~ That was fun!]
[Indeed, I first thought it was a strange competitionā¦ā¦ but things got passionate and I enjoyed myself. I guess itās thanks to Hina-chan inviting us huh.]
[Iām looking forward to the afterparty afterwards. Even though Hina-chan and I canāt drink, Iām looking forward to the food.]
After being briefed by the management, in order to pass the time until the award ceremony and relieve the fatigue from the race, I walked with them to have something to drink.
As expected, having won the race, they were both cheerful and seemed to be feeling quite happy.
Buying some drinks at a stall, I then moved to a place with benches where the three of us sat down side by side to take a rest.
[Itās nice and peaceful around here, isnāt it?]
[Indeed, this place is flourishing because the Flying Board competition is being held, but this place doesnāt feel like a tourist spot, so the atmosphere here is peaceful.]
Just as Hina-chan said, the atmosphere around here feels like a country town with a thriving farming industry, and it doesnāt feel like a tourist spot. Well, even if thatās the case, thereās a tranquil-looking naturally-formed lake and a clocktower in this town, so this seems like a good place to spend time leisurely.
I personally like this kind of atmosphere. I feel like leisurely fishing in the lake or something like that could be relaxing.
As I was thinking about this, I suddenly heard a voice I didnāt recognize.
[ā¦ā¦Yo, sorry to interrupt your break. Do you have a moment?]
[Eh? Ah, yes? Can I help you?]
Turning my head in the direction of the voice, I found an elderly man with a solid build. He looked to be in his 60s or so, but he looked quite well-trained, tall, bearded and how should I say thisā¦ā¦ He somehow has this military veteran feel about him.
He doesnāt seem to be someone I had ever seen before, but did he have some business with me?
[Youāre him, right? The one named Miyama Kaito?]
[Thatās rightā¦ā¦ You are?]
[Ahh, my name is Okura Shigenobu. Well, long story short, I used to play the role of Hero.]
[ā¦ā¦Eh? Then, youāre the Shige-san Kaori-san was talking about huhā¦ā¦]
[Yeah, thatās me. I also heard about you from Kaori-chan and a couple of old friends of mine. Iāve always wanted to meet you, but I didnāt think weād run into each other by chance here, so I just came to say hello.]
This was really an unexpected encounter. I never thought that I would run into Okura Shigenobu, one of the former Hero actors who decided to emigrate that I had heard about from Kaori-san and Alice, and whom I had not yet met, at a place like thisā¦ā¦
Come to think of it, I remember hearing briefly that he was living in a remote region of the Hydra Kingdomā¦ā¦ but I didnāt think it would be in this vicinity.
Iāve been looking forward to meeting him, so Iām very lucky to have met him like this.