[Lord of Abundance] Chapter 51 — The Anime Convention

 

Chapter 51 — The Anime Convention

"Hahahaha..."

"What is up with those two cosplayers? They're so unprofessional! Gilgamesh doesn't even have abs and looks half-dead, while that Million Bride Saber is actually wearing a cloak over her outfit? The Excalibur she's holding looks ridiculously plastic. The only thing that seems to have any craftsmanship is that completely mismatched crimson cape. And worst of all—our glorious King of Knights doesn't even have her signature ahoge! One-star review!"

"Bro... hey, bro, stop looking so stiff. Come on, look at the camera. Smile!"

Li Xiaoyu happily snapped photo after photo with her camera while her friend Tu Xiao stood nearby, covering her mouth as she tried—and failed—not to laugh.

With a forced smile plastered on his face, Kun listened to the tourists point at and comment on him.

He was seriously tempted to pull out his Coral Staff and wipe everyone's memories clean.

Unfortunately...

There were simply too many people around.

Li Tianyun wasn't faring much better.

His face was covered in black lines.

His sister had sworn she'd prepared him a perfectly normal costume.

Instead...

He'd ended up with the most revealing outfit imaginable.

A headpiece.

A pair of shorts.

A few plastic straps wrapped around his body.

What a wonderful little sister he had.

Not everyone taking pictures was Li Xiaoyu.

A short distance away stood a chubby man wearing a press badge.

"Brother Liao, there are so many amazing cosplayers here. Why are you so focused on photographing these two? They don't even look that accurate."

Liao Sanjin adjusted his camera before carefully focusing the lens.

"The costumes aren't perfect."

"But the aura is."

"Especially that Saber."

"There's a genuine sense of nobility and leadership about her."

"Just standing there makes you feel like she'd lead the charge through any battlefield."

"It's funny."

"The anime never fully captured the dignity of a king..."

"...yet somehow this cosplayer did."

His assistant blinked.

"Really?"

"I don't see it at all."

"That's why you're the assistant."

"And I'm the photographer."

"Understand?"

As the surrounding crowd grew larger and larger, Li Tianyun finally asked impatiently,

"Li Xiaoyu."

"Are you done yet?"

"Yep!"

She lowered her camera with complete satisfaction and pointed toward the northern side of the convention hall.

"Xiaoxiao and I are heading to the doujin area to buy some books."

"You guys coming?"

Kun looked genuinely curious.

"What are 'books'?"

Tu Xiao's eyes rolled mischievously.

She grinned.

"They're books that record forbidden knowledge."

"If you're lucky..."

"...the authors will even be there signing copies."

"You can ask them questions face-to-face."

"It's a rare opportunity."

"Forbidden knowledge?"

"And I can meet the authors?"

Kun's eyes lit up instantly.

He had only come to celebrate a festival.

Who knew there would be such an incredible opportunity?

Before he could get too excited, Li Tianyun grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.

"Don't listen to them."

"They just want someone to carry their books."

"And trust me..."

"The 'forbidden knowledge' they're talking about has absolutely nothing to do with the kind you're imagining."

"Come with me."

"Let's check out the model figure section instead."

If Li Xiaoyu and Tu Xiao kept messing around...

And Kun actually encountered their so-called "forbidden knowledge"...

Who knew what terrifying consequences might follow?

A perfectly ordinary anime convention might suddenly flood.

Or become overrun by gigantic tree roots.

Or turn into a full-blown supernatural disaster.

How would anyone explain that?

---

Before sneaking into Eternal Dawn and entering the Fengrao Territory, Li Tianyun had only possessed a vague understanding of Kun's strength.

Aside from flying...

And occasionally creating poisonous mushrooms out of thin air...

He'd seemed little different from an ordinary person.

That illusion shattered completely after Li Tianyun learned battle qi...

And witnessed Kun's casual snap of a finger in the logging camp.

In an instant...

An enormous stretch of ancient forest collapsed.

Far more trees fell than their entire logging crew could chop down in a whole morning.

Li Tianyun still remembered Kun smiling afterward.

"You amateurs only saw the spectacle."

At the time...

Li Tianyun had been the biggest amateur of them all.

He only knew that Kun had expended almost negligible mana...

Yet achieved destruction comparable to Dawn unleashing his full power.

He had no idea how powerful Kun truly was.

But he had sparred with Dawn before.

Even under the restrictive condition that Dawn wasn't allowed to use battle qi...

Dawn could effortlessly defeat ten versions of him with a single hand.

Which meant...

Li Tianyun understood something very clearly.

Kun might appear harmless...

But he was essentially a walking nuclear weapon.

Stories of Hero-class warriors leveling cities and destroying kingdoms were commonplace in Eternal Dawn.

Even if that nuclear bomb was unlikely to explode...

Its mere existence was a deterrent enough.

Being cautious around it was only common sense.

---

"Wow!"

"This model is huge!"

"Who's this character?"

"I don't think I've ever seen it before."

Li Tianyun noticed that compared to mage figures...

Kun seemed much more interested in giant robots.

"That's Unit-01 from Evangelion."

"It's technically science fiction, but it incorporates a lot of religious mythology."

"It's considered a masterpiece."

"Though it's an older series."

"It wasn't on Li Xiaoyu's watch list."

"So naturally you've never seen it."

Kun admired the towering figure with sparkling eyes.

"So that's what it is."

"What magnificent craftsmanship."

"If only I could bring a real one back to the Fengrao Territory..."

Li Tianyun stared at him speechlessly.

Bringing back axes or tires was one thing.

Now he wanted to transport an Evangelion?

You evil mage...

Were you actually planning to destroy the world?

Human technology on Blue Star probably couldn't build something like this even after another three to five hundred years.

As for Eternal Dawn...

They'd better spend a thousand years climbing the technology tree first.

---

"I'll buy this."

"I want this one too."

Kun looked up toward the girl who had spoken at exactly the same moment.

She wore a pink ribbon dress and held a conductor's baton.

Standing beside her was...

A winged man?

...A birdman?

Trying to steal his purchase?

Kun narrowed his eyes.

The girl glared back without yielding an inch.

"I'll pay more."

"So will I."

The tall young man dressed as Reisen sighed helplessly.

"You're a girl."

"You don't even like science fiction."

"Why are you buying a giant robot?"

The girl puffed up indignantly.

"That's discrimination!"

"You get to put a life-sized dinosaur in the living room."

"So why can't I buy a robot?"

"I'll buy it."

"And I'm putting it right next to your dinosaur."

Meanwhile, Li Tianyun quietly pulled Kun aside.

"Even if you buy it..."

"...where exactly are you planning to put a three-meter-tall model?"

"My house certainly can't fit it."

"And can you even carry it back to Eternal Dawn?"

Kun waved dismissively.

"Don't worry."

"If I'm buying it..."

"...I naturally have a way to transport it."

Worst case...

He could dismantle it first...

Then stick it back together with magic.

The staff member watching over the display apologized politely.

"I'm terribly sorry."

"This model isn't for sale."

"I'll pay triple."

"No..."

"Five times the listed price."

"Call your supervisor."

"I'll negotiate personally."

The girl, Si Shixiu, shot Kun a smug look.

Kun simply turned around.

"Forget it."

"Let's go."

It wasn't that he couldn't afford it.

Nor was he unwilling to bid.

But if he started throwing out outrageous prices...

How would he be any different from those fools in the royal capital who solved everything with money?

Face mattered little.

Principles mattered far more.

---

After leaving the model section...

Kun wandered through the performance area...

The gaming booths...

He even watched a parade where countless characters from the same anime and games marched together.

The convention was livelier than anything he had ever imagined.

Holding a jianbing in one hand...

And takoyaki in the other...

He mumbled through a full mouth.

"Mmm..."

"I've decided."

"Future festivals in the Fengrao Territory..."

"...will be organized exactly like this."

A magical world...

Combined with all these monsters and strange creatures...

What kind of chaotic carnival would that become?

Just imagining it gave Li Tianyun a headache.

It would probably resemble one of those bizarre Western adaptations of Journey to the West.

Cultural symbols weren't things you could simply copy wholesale.

Take the giant robots, for example.

How exactly would people in Eternal Dawn interpret them?

Sentient steel?

"...Forget it."

"Do whatever you want."

"Just don't involve me."

"I'm staying out of it."

"Hm?"

"Why's there such a huge crowd over there?"

"...Isn't that Xiaoyu?"

Li Tianyun focused his gaze.

His expression changed instantly.

He rushed toward the commotion.

"What happened?"

As soon as she saw her brother...

The composure Li Xiaoyu had been forcing herself to maintain instantly crumbled.

Her voice trembled.

"Xiaoxiao and I were just looking around..."

"Then these guys insisted on asking for her contact information."

"She refused..."

"So they started yelling at us."

"And they even beat up a visitor who tried to help us."

"Did anyone call security?"

"I don't know..."

"They surrounded us..."

Li Tianyun nodded.

"Alright."

"Stop crying."

"I'll handle this."

One of the thugs sneered.

"And who the hell are you?"

"You think you can interfere?"

"Didn't you see someone already lying on the ground?"

"Or do you think you're tougher?"

Li Tianyun stared coldly at him.

"She's my sister."

"So who do you think I am?"

The leader stepped forward...

Only to have one of his companions stop him.

"Brother Ma..."

"Look at this guy."

"He's skinny as a stick."

"If you hit him too hard and he collapses..."

"...what if he sues you?"

"You scared?"

"Then get lost."

Ma Dengwei threw a punch.

Li Tianyun calmly sidestepped it...

And countered with a clean punch to the face.

Blood immediately poured from Ma Dengwei's nose.

"Damn it!"

"Get him!"

"Beat the crap out of him!"

All six men charged at once.

Although Li Tianyun had already become an apprentice warrior in Eternal Dawn...

Here on Blue Star, he possessed neither battle qi nor a healthy body.

His combat instincts allowed him to evade several attacks.

But his stamina quickly failed.

Someone landed a sneak attack.

One punch sent him crashing to the ground.

"Brother!"

Li Xiaoyu screamed.

---

"Oh?"

"Is this some kind of martial arts event for the festival?"

Having finally squeezed through the crowd...

Kun stared coldly at the men who were kicking Li Tianyun on the ground.

He was just about to teach them a lesson himself...

When someone moved even faster.

"You call yourselves men?"

"Bullying two girls?"

"Shameless!"

"Big brother!"

"Beat them to death!"

The girl dressed as a witch, whom they had met in the model section, planted her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly domineering.

The young man with white wings on his back instantly charged into the middle of the group.

One straight punch knocked the thug standing on Li Tianyun, staggering backward until he landed flat on his backside.

A textbook shoulder throw immediately sent another charging accomplice crashing into the ground.

His movements were even cleaner than Li Tianyun's...

Despite the heavy wings attached to his costume.

Within moments...

All six hooligans had swollen faces and bleeding noses.

"Security!"

"The troublemakers are over here!"

"The guards are coming, Brother Ma!"

"Damn it!"

"You people just wait!"

After throwing one final vicious glare at Li Tianyun...

The humiliated gang fled before security arrived.

Kun was just about to quietly cast a little spell on them...

When the bruised Li Tianyun struggled to his feet and grabbed his arm.

"I'm fine."

"Don't make things worse."

"It'll become impossible to clean up."

"..."

Unable to argue with him...

Kun simply shrugged.

"When in Rome..."

"Your territory."

"Your rules."

"Brother..."

"Are you alright?"

"You're bleeding..."

Li Xiaoyu stared anxiously at the blood trickling from the corner of Li Tianyun's mouth.

He gave a weak smile.

"I'm fine."

"Just bleeding from my gums."

"It's nothing serious."

Then he turned toward the siblings who had stepped in to help.

"Thank you."

"You saved us from a huge problem."

"My name is Li Tianyun."

"This is my younger sister, Li Xiaoyu."

"I won't insult your kindness with empty thanks."

"If the opportunity ever arises..."

"I'll repay today's favor many times over."

The tall young man dressed as Reisen smiled warmly.

"My name is Si Shiming."

"I'm an older brother too."

"It's nice meeting you."

"I saw those guys hit you pretty hard."

"You should still go to the hospital."

"Your health doesn't look very good."

"You don't want hidden internal injuries."

Li Xiaoyu immediately nodded.

"Brother..."

"Let's go to the hospital first."

Knowing perfectly well that Kun wouldn't let anything happen to him...

Yet unable to explain that...

Li Tianyun could only smile bitterly.

"...Alright."

---

After Li Xiaoyu helped her brother away...

Kun remained where he was.

Without blinking...

He stared directly at Si Shixiu's face.

Si Shiming frowned slightly.

"Brother."

"Do you need something?"

Kun pointed toward the left side of his own chest before looking at the girl dressed as a witch.

"Does it hurt..."

"...right here?"

"Pervert!"

Startled, Si Shixiu immediately covered her chest.

Then her eyes widened.

"W-Wait..."

"How did you know my heart hasn't been feeling well?"

Si Shiming's expression changed drastically.

He gritted his teeth.

"Si Shixiu!"

"What did you promise me before we came?"

"The moment you felt even a little uncomfortable..."

"...we were supposed to go home!"

"Are you trying to get Dad to beat me to death?"

Looking embarrassed, she hurriedly explained,

"I only started feeling uncomfortable just now!"

"Really!"

"He was the one who pointed it out."

"Don't be mad, okay?"

"We'll go home."

"We've already seen most of the convention anyway."

Even as she spoke...

She shot Kun an irritated glare.

She had finally managed to come out and have fun...

And now he'd ruined everything.

What an annoying guy.

Kun didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

He spoke leisurely.

"I've always had a terrible memory."

"I might not even remember who you are tomorrow."

"So whether it's repaying kindness..."

"...or settling grudges..."

"...I always do it on the spot."

"The condition you're suffering from..."

"...is congenital."

"Diseases like yours aren't easy to treat in this world."

"But..."

"I'm an exception."

"...Huh?"

The brother and sister looked at him as though he were speaking another language.

Si Shixiu's face practically dripped with disbelief.

Her congenital heart defect was extraordinarily complicated.

Even the nation's top cardiologists had no effective solution.

The success rate of surgery was so low that her parents had never dared take the risk.

And now...

This guy was saying he could cure it?

Just because he said so?

Who did he think he was?

A god?

Or...

A magician?