(One week later)
Well, the festival finally ended. It was very fun, but now, things must go on. I made sure Shuna was getting as much rest as she could, and I was making all the food. I also gave her Avalon and put it in her. She said I was a bit overbearing, but I can't help it. I'm not taking any chances. Avalon will guarantee everything goes right, but to be sure, I'm still going to use magic. Doesn't matter if it's from me or someone else. There are good mages in our country, like Mjurran. I can just call her up to help if I want to.
But, this gives me an idea. These festivals bring almost everyone together, and I'm not just talking about Tempest; I mean most of the world. Well, mostly our allies, except for Guy, Leon, and whoever the big guy is who's a demon lord, who has that angel lazing around in his country. I forgot their names, so it's probably not important. Actually, maybe it is 'cause Feldway and Michael are dead, I mean, gone from reality.
Wait, so if they're gone from reality, does that mean it'll be like they were never there, or only from the point that I erased them? Ah, too much thinking. If something comes up, just Rhongomyniad or Excalibur it. That should take care of it.
Anyway, back to what I was talking about, the whole festival bringing a lot of people together thing. I want to establish an event, something that would spark unity through competition. Yeah, basically the Olympics. But there's a big challenge. What sports or events could be included? Something that comes to mind is just plain old fighting. Like what happened in the coliseum, but this would be more organized than that. Qualifying events and whatnot. But there can't be just fighting; there has to be more.
Which brings me to horses. You see, after Dun Stallion got Gazel's pegasus pregnant, who, by the way, is going to give birth at any moment from the progress I've seen, the idea of horse sports hit me. I mean, some sports involving horses are already part of the Olympics, but they're so boring. The best they got is show jumping and cross country, or endurance racing. But the show jumping isn't that fun to watch, and nobody wants to see endurance racing. When it comes to racing, everyone wants to see the sprints. Whether it's short like 440 yards or a bit longer, like three-fourths of a mile, or 1320 yards. Those are the sprints; the main races, from what I know, are 2200 yards, 2090 yards, and 2640 yards. Yeah, I'll just use those three distances for three main races, our own triple crown, with the last race taking place during our own version of the Olympics.
The scheduling can be figured out later, but as long as the idea is there. Okay, so classic flat racing is there. I can also include jump racing, but not the boring stuff from the Olympics on Earth, the cool things. A bunch of obstacles, like fences, ditches, water jumpers, and other stuff. I'll also throw in carriage racing, a team of horses pulling a cart. And to go very old, I'll also throw in chariot racing.
You know what? I'm going further. I'll throw in mounted shooting, barrel racing, cutting, ranch sorting, and roping. We've already done it, but this time it'll be more organized. Of course, I'll have to set up a governing body for horse sports, but that can be done later.
As for concerns for horses, that's easily solved. Just use magic or splash a potion on them to heal them. Unlike on Earth, where an injured horse is killed if it's too badly injured or forced to retire, here, we can just heal them instantly with magic as if nothing happened.
Alright, so a bunch of horse sports, but there has to be more. Oh, I know, shooting sports. Rifle shooting, pistol shooting, shotgun shooting, like skeet shooting, precision shooting, cowboy action shooting, and other multi-gun events. Okay, what else? That's already quite a big selection. I'll also have to make a governing body for shooting sports as well. Well, I might as well include archery in there with the shooting sports. Have the governing body take care of that as well.
Let's see…fencing? Well, I can probably do a blade-type sport. Fighting using only blades. Not fencing, I'm talking about actual fighting, but only with blades, to showcase how good your swordsmanship or other weapon skills are. Sounds good, could work on that.
I'm having a tough time here. I want to include things like track and field events, but there's too much of a difference in races here to make it fair and equal.
Wait a second…I can just use magic to solve that. Set up a kind of field that forcefully "equalizes" everyone to an even standard. No, that probably wouldn't work. If it forcefully equalizes everyone, then any training would be useless, since someone who didn't train would just be made equal to someone who did because of the magic.
This is harder than I thought.
Wait, I can also include artistic events. If artistic swimming and rhythmic gymnastics can be in the Olympics, then I can add more artistic-based events. I mean, it doesn't have to be a sport; it has to be a "discipline," which is a lot more of a loose definition. Now, they aren't exactly synonyms, but it's close enough. Maybe I can throw in an art competition, perhaps? Art is a discipline, after all.
Hmm, well, I have time to think about it, and I have already made good progress.
Now, I just need to wait seven months and a few weeks for seven bundles of joy to be in this world. I'll make sure nothing separates me from Shuna during this time. I want to be in the city while she's here. If anything happens, I can be there in an instant.
'Hey, Artoria! Big news!'
It was a thought communication from Rimuru. Great, now what?
'What is it, Rimuru? Did Gazel's pegasus give birth?'
'No, uh, bigger news. There's a call for a Walpurgis, and, uh, you're being asked for. Like, they're holding it because of you and something about what you did during the war. I don't know what you did, but I did remember seeing a giant mushroom cloud, or it might be something else. Things were intense, but yeah, they want you there.'
A Walpurgis? Now? Really? Why? They had enough time, in my opinion, to call one before I found out Shuna was pregnant. Yeah, no, I'm not going. I got way bigger and much more important things to focus on.
'I'm not going.'
'Huh? But you kind of have to.'
'I have to? Says who?'
'Uh, Guy Crimson.'
'Okay. And?'
'What? This is Guy Crimson! This guy's serious!'
'I'm still not going. I've already made my choice. I don't care who it is, I'm not going to be forced to do something.'
'Uh…there'll be a feast there.'
Ah, I expected this. I'll admit that the feast is the only reason I wanted to go to the first Walpurgis, but now, it'll take more than a feast to convince me.
'Still not going, Rimuru.'
.
.
.
Okay, that's weird. Why hasn't he said anything?
'Really? I'm talking about a feast! Like, a lot of food!'
'I know what a feast is, Rimuru. And I'm telling you that I'm still not going.'
'But…but Guy doesn't seem like the guy to be refused, though. Like, he's scary. And I also think he likes Leon. Like, a lot, like, he likes like Leon. He looks at Leon a bit too…much.'
'Well, you can tell Guy that I refused him.'
'What? Artoria, you're leaving me to hang here. What am I supposed to say?'
'Alright, you know what? Here's what you can tell him. Tell that ash-choked, sulfur-reeking, hell's whimpering, maggot-hearted, worm in a corpse-suit, pus-driping scab of creation, god-forsaken bastard of ash and bile that I'm not going and that's final.'
I waited and waited, but Rimuru stayed very quiet. Geez, why is he so silent?
'Uh…um…uh…w-what?'
'Do I need to repeat myself?'
'No, uh, it's just…that's…what you want to tell him?'
'You can quote me on that. Straight to his face.'
'Are you okay?'
'Yeah, I'm fine. Why? Did I say something?'
'Maybe. Just a bit. So, I'll, uh, I'll just tell him you had an emergency and couldn't make it.'
'Cool, 'cause I'm not going to a separate dimension or space, unless it's Avalon, while Shuna needs a lot of care and someone to watch over her.'
'But, uh, what if, uh…you know, he tries to, uh…'
Rimuru went silent before he could finish what he was going to say. I have an idea of where it's heading, but I want to hear it.
'Rimuru, finish your thought. Please, I want to hear it.'
'Well, you see, when I met him the first time, he basically threatened me if I couldn't come up with a new for the Demon Lords, and well, what if he does the same to you? Or, uh, targets…someone…close to you?'
Oh, I dare him to do it.
'You can tell Veldanava's festering, forgotten mistake of a draft, that if he does that, no matter how small, I'll raze and burn the entire Frozen Continent off the world. And make sure to quote me on that.'
'Okay, okay! I get it. Just relax. I can feel your presence from where I am. I can see, or feel, how much you care for Shuna right now, but chill a bit, okay?'
I took a little breath in and out.
'Okay. I'm a little calmer. Will this be all?'
'Yeah, that'll be all. I'll let you be. Also, you're, uh, conerningly too good at coming up with all the stuff you called Guy.'
'What do you mean?'
'Uh, nothing, never mind. See ya.'
With that, Rimuru ended the thought communication. Well, while he's gone, I need to see the progress on the train, the Eastern Empire, and come up with how to implement my ideas for our own version of the Olympics and the governing bodies that will oversee the different types of sports involved.