Episode 2: With a Feast, and with Trust
Announcer
The race has reached Ward 2! The racers must pass through both of the marked checkpoints here.
Announcer
It'll take more than just raw speed and stamina to win... But that's what makes this a race! In first place currently, we have race Christina. In second is racer Monika. In third, racer Akino! And the other guilds are following behind them!
Christina
Thank you for the kind overview! Look here, spectators, for I am Christina! First place, Christina Morgan!
Akino
How boorish it is for you to boast repeatedly in such a loud voice! I shall dethrone you for first place at once!
Monika
(I'm not sure which of them has the louder voice... Huh? Over there...)
Announcer
The first three racers appear to have arrived at the first checkpoint! What could the theme of this checkpoint be!?
Monika
What, what...? "Come to the checkpoint with the feast of your dreams in hand."
Christina
Oho, the feast of my dreams... That's a simple affair. Let's summon the royal chef to prepare a full-course meal!
Tomo
Wha!? We don't have time for something that decadent! Don't put my hard work to waste!
Matsuri
Aunty Christina! One order of Tora Tiger Chips, please!
Christina
I've told you to knock it off with the "aunty" bit, young lady! But I'll add that to the menu.
Akino
The royal chef!? I cannot allow myself to be outdone... I shall match you with the House Wisteria's private chef!
Christina
Hmph. You think a chef from a merchant house can match us? Knights! Have the chef prepare a full-course meal at once! It'll be your heads if we lose!
Announcer
What's this!? This wasn't meant to be a cooking competition, but that's exactly what it's come to! In the meantime, the racers who were farther behind are also arriving at the checkpoint!
Kyouka
The feast of my dreams? ... Well...
Announcer
Oh, my! Racer Kyouka from Little Lyrical is hurrying to the checkpoint with something in hand!
Kyouka
Um, this... These are cupcakes that my mom packed for me as snacks. Cupcakes from shops are tasty, too, but the ones I like the most are the ones made for me by my mom...
Announcer
This is, without a doubt, an undeniable feast! Incredibly, racer Kyouka has come from behind to reach first place!
Shiori
What to do... If it were about my favorite book, I could produce it right away...
Mahiru
Shioshio! What about this? Our special cheese from the farm! I'd bet that practically everyone in Landsol has at least had a taste of the cheese we worked so hard to make!
Shiori
Mahiru!! I-It's true, our cheese is the richest and most nourishing there is... Just a little bit fills me with energy. One could only describe that as a feast.
Shiori
One reason my health has gotten better recently has been because of all the fresh food I've been eating... For my feast, I present the farm's cheese!
Announcer
I see! Indeed, this is a feast that is familiar to all! Racer Shiori is the second to pass the checkpoint!
Monika
Hmm, I just need the feast of my personal dreams, right? Then, how about these biscuits -- I'm officially sharing them with all the members of Weissflugel!
Ninon
Those are emergency rations...
Yuki
My throat will be screeching in pain if those desiccated things ever approaches my mouth.
Kuuka
Eeep. I can't put something that jagged and pointy in my mouth.
Monika
I-I see... So this won't count as a feast, then... Even though I prepared them because I thought it'd make everyone happy...
Kuuka
... H-Huh? For whatever reason, I've kind of started wanting to eat that jagged, pointy thing. I might just be turning into a bad girl.
Yuki
I-Indeed. With how beautiful I am, anything that I eat would have to be considered a feast.
Ninon
Munch! Ooh! This is in fact quite good!
Monika
R-Really!? I'm glad... I tried really hard to make them easy to eat...
Yuki
You can save the explanation for later -- just hurry on. Your legs must be feeling rejuvenated after witnessing my beauty once more, yes?
Monika
Ah! R-Right! I've got to catch up to those first two!
Announcer
Meanwhile, racers Christina and Akino are waiting for their full-course meals! What will become of these two!?
Kyaru
Hey, Pecorine! What on earth are you thinking!?
Announcer
Oh, it looks like there's a disturbance coming from Gourmet Palace!
Pecorine
The best feast of all is monster cuisine, of course! I'm just going to make a fire and whip some up really quickly!
Suzume
Could you really have hunted down a monster in this field, just like that...?
Pecorine
We can't let any part of the monster go to waste, after all! Okay, it's done! Ah, audience members, you can have some too!
Kyaru
Don't just offer that slop to the masses! You're done making it, so hurry and run, idiot!
Pecorine
It's only a feast if everyone gets to have some!
Announcer
I've received some monster cuisine prepared live by racer Pecorine... For some reason, it's glowing... Chomp!
Announcer
T-T-T-T-This is... DELICIOUS!! It has a crispy texture on the outside, but it's overflowing with juices within! The spectators are all munching on it as well!
Christina
House Wisteria's full-course meal was surprisingly not bad... In particular, the ossobuco was stewed quite well.
Akino
The royal full-course was also quite excellent. This galantine... Its flavor is simply flawless.
Announcer
These two are sampling each other's full-course meals. This is no longer a race -- it's just lunch time!
Announcer
But there's no doubt that this has been a feast! All racers have cleared the first checkpoint! We'll just have to wait to find out what the theme of the next checkpoint is!
Announcer
Oh? Racers Shiori and Kyouka, who had already cleared the checkpoint earlier, have now returned.
Shiori
Um, Yuuki... Do you have a moment?
Kyouka
......
Yuuki
1. "What's the matter?"
Shiori
The truth is, the two of us had already reached the next checkpoint, but the theme was, "Bring someone of the opposite gender who you trust..." So, could we have you come with us?
Kyouka
I-It's not like you're the only one it could be, but there aren't any other boys who I know here, so... It's the only thing I can do, okay!?
Monika
Wait!! Yuuki, if you're going there, then come with me!
Pecorine
Ah! If I need someone of the opposite gender who I trust, then I'm picking him too!
Monika
Hey, don't you interfere!
Kyouka
You're interfering, too! Yuuki is coming with me and Shiori!
Akino
Why are you talking as though the rest of us aren't here!?
Christina
If that's theme of the next checkpoint, then you're going to have to turn that kid over to me.
Announcer
This has become a battlefield!!
Announcer
The racers are all fighting over this one man! A scene of rampant jealousy is unfolding before our eyes!
Announcer
There are people in the audience whose blood is boiling, whose teeth are gritting! As a man myself, I feel the same!!
Christina
Very well, then! It looks like we will have to duel to the death for this young man!
Pecorine
W-W-Wait, we can resolve this peacefully...
Christina
Die!
Pecorine
Whoa! This lady always swings to kill!
Akino
What a savage... Yuuki, come, we must take this moment to...
Monika
Don't you try to run off with him, coward!
Akino
My! What a rude child you are!
Monika
Child!? I am an aduuuult!
Shiori
U-Um... Everyone, calm down...
Kyouka
There are so many girls fighting over you... You must really be a weird pervert!
Shiori
Um... I think you're going to have to pick somebody...
Yuuki
1. "I can't pick anyone."
2. "You're all important to me."
Option 1.
Kyouka
You're just the worst...
Option 2.
Kyouka
So you really are a pervert...
End of branches.
Announcer
Uh, well, in the interest of avoiding actual bloodshed at this event, we'll say that you can all bring that person to the next checkpoint together!
Announcer
Unbelievably, by the power of this one man, all of the standings have been leveled! The runners in Ward 3 will have a difficult time ahead of them indeed!
As that was happening, Saren was on her way to the market district for business negotiations.
Saren
(Whew... I haven't gotten the chance to talk to Suzume lately at all... I wonder if she's been okay -- she's seemed out of sorts lately...)
Announcer
My goodness, all sorts of drama unfolded during the Ward 1 leg of the race! Racer Kyaru extended her aid to the fallen racer Kurumi... What a pure display of sportsmanship!
Announcer
Incidentally, though she comes from the same guild as racer Kurumi, racer Suzume of the Sarendia Orphanage is schedule to run in Ward 4 for the Gourmet Palace team!
Saren
... Huh?