A Wager of Wits and Whips

“Hmph, fine. There’s no point in debating fashion with certain noblewomen whose tastes seem to be perpetually stuck in the age of kings.” Faein declared, turning away and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Hmph, indeed. It’s utterly futile to discuss what attire might appear more innocent or charming with a woman who is clearly seventeen but possesses the bust of someone twenty-seven.” Suriya retorted with a cold sneer.

Caught between them, I truly felt immense pressure. Both sisters, to my left and right, carried such heavy… *’Can’t they just get along?’* I wondered.

“Heavenly Glow Kiori!” Suriya exclaimed, pointing at Faein. “I hear you’re overestimating yourself, planning to enter tomorrow’s competition. I’ll show you the true abyss and terror of this dungeon! By then, I fear even your arrogance will crumble, and you’ll willingly grovel at my feet, ahahahahaha!”

Upon hearing such a humiliating provocation, Faein’s face flushed crimson. “I will return your words to you someday, exactly as they are!”

“Oh! What’s this? Our Holy Knight Lady is actually blushing? Ahahahahahahaha! Were you perhaps fantasizing just now?” Suriya’s gaze sharply swept over Faein.

“Do you think I’m Loynin? I can’t fantasize about such things!” Faein hastily denied, her face still red.

“Eh?” Loynin, who had been swaying beside us while commentating, turned around, jumping up in agitation. “President! Even you’re saying that about me! Wuwuwu, we’re all just unfortunate maidens who’ve fallen into the dungeon, aren’t we…?”

“Enough! Anyway, whether you’re fantasizing or not, tomorrow I’ll give you a proper, real-life ‘education’!” Suriya produced a whip, brandishing its handle end before Faein’s face.

“Do you feel uncomfortable if you don’t use such vulgar language? And take that ugly thing away from me!” Faein calmly retorted.

“What? You don’t like this?” Suriya smirked, her eyes sharp, as if intending to see right through Faein.

“Um… ladies,” Beth Daisy interjected. “According to our groupings, both of you are seeded players and have been placed in separate halves of the bracket. Therefore, you won’t meet tomorrow. If both of you advance successfully, you’ll only encounter each other in the finals the day after tomorrow.”

“Is that so? Hmph, then I’ll let you live one more day.” Suriya stated.

“Hmph, it seems you get to keep your undefeated title for one more day. But only one!” Faein declared.

“Well, how about this!” Suriya suddenly looked at me, sending an ominous premonition through my heart. She took Beth Daisy’s schedule and examined it. “Tomorrow night’s semifinals, let’s compete to see who can defeat their respective opponent in the shortest amount of time! How about it!? Of course, if you can’t even make it to the semifinals, then you might as well go back to the surface and be a lady marrying someone!”

“Excuse me, what is the meaning of such a challenge?” Faein countered.

“True, since you ask, let’s make a bet! Whoever defeats their semifinal opponent in less time tomorrow will win the right to have Princess Coolie give them a two-hour body massage tonight! If I win, the little princess must wear a bunny girl outfit to massage me, preparing me for the finals the day after tomorrow! What do you say, do you dare to bet?” Suriya asked.

“While your proposition is so vulgar that I don’t want to accept, if I refuse now, you’ll surely seize the opportunity to mock me for being afraid, won’t you?”

“Heh heh, Lady Faein, you are indeed as shrewd as you are beautiful.”

“Very well, I accept your wager.” Faein calmly stated.

“Good! It’s settled then!” Suriya agreed with a charming smile.

“Excellent! Then I’ll time you both for tomorrow’s semifinals!” Beth Daisy’s eyes curved into two smiling crescents.

“Hey, hey…” *’You two shouldn’t just decide to use me as a wager!’*

****

“Rumble—!!!” A tremendous commotion from the arena pulled the two sisters back from their confrontation.

A massive underground rock giant had collapsed with a thunderous crash.

“Such power! A single punch took down Bakrak, a Level 4 Rock Giant who was a contender for the Furnace Warden position! And they weren’t even listed as a seed, participating in the preliminaries instead?”

We looked towards the elder who had defeated the rock giant. He was a powerfully built old man, dressed in a black butler’s uniform and wearing a mask.

“…”

“Beth Daisy!” I said coldly.

“What is it, Princess?”

I pointed at the masked elder and said, “Can you disqualify him for me?!”

“Eh? This… Every participant has a fair chance; disqualifying him like this might not be appropriate! Although this unidentified elder is wearing a mask, I believe he must have a reason for doing so, ah hehehehe.” Beth Daisy chuckled mischievously again.

“Unidentified, my foot! Isn’t that Seth?! My head butler and the organizer of this competition! Secretly participating in a competition he himself planned, and with such a crude disguise—what exactly is he trying to do?!”

“This, Beth Daisy wouldn’t know. Besides, he might not necessarily be Uncle Seth.”

“He definitely is!”

After the commotion surrounding Seth subsided, the low-level qualifying matches resumed. They were quite exciting at first, but after watching for a while, they became somewhat tedious.

“I… I’m a bit tired. I’ll leave the supervision of the remaining matches to you, Beth Daisy.” I rose and told her. Then, I glanced at Faein. I had intended to ask her to return with me, but considering Suriya nearby would likely not let it go, I decided against it. I walked into the arena building behind the high platform, and with a flash, teleported back to my bedroom.

I lay weakly on my bed, staring at the ceiling. *’Why are Faein and Suriya always so energetic? Is a girl’s vitality related to her bust size?’*

*’Faein, you absolutely have to win tomorrow. I don’t like bunny girl outfits either.’*