"Otherworld Scout: I'll Find You the Party Members You Want" Episode 3 [Creative Award 2024 Manga Original Work Category Entry]

"Hmm..."
Lute arrived at the venue and looked around.
"Lute-san!"
Iona called out to him.
"What is it?"
"I managed to secure seats near the front! Please come quickly!"
Iona pointed forward. Lute gave a bitter smile.
"...It's fine, I'm okay right here."
Lute sat down wherever.
"I-is it? Won't it be hard to see the match?"
"I'm wearing my glasses."
Lute pushed his glasses up.
"N-no, wouldn't it be better to watch from closer up?"
"Why?"
"I thought you'd be able to understand their fighting style better..."
"I can tell the skill of their swordsmanship from here, too."
"You can feel the players' breathing more realistically, you know?"
"I have no desire to feel such things."
Lute shook his head.
"The players' sweat will fly over here!"
"I don't have the fetish to be pleased by such things."
Lute shook his head even more.
"Muu..."
"There's no need for us to sit together; you can go watch from the front."
Lute pointed forward.
"No, I'm fine!"
Iona sat down heavily next to Lute.
"?"
"I'll be studying here!"
"Study what?"
"W-what do you mean what... I mean what kind of things you focus on!"
"Hmph..."
Lute rested his chin on his hand with a smile.
"What is it? Aren't you looking down on me a bit?"
"I'm looking down on you quite a bit."
"Q-quite a bit!?"
"Yeah."
"D-did I say something strange?"
"...It's the eyes."
Lute pointed to his own eyes.
"Eyes?"
"Yeah, you shouldn't rely on your vision."
"No, you can't tell if someone is skilled or not without looking, right?"
"That's not true."
"Eh?"
"Whether someone is an excellent swordsman... you feel it with your five senses."
"W-with your five senses?"
"Yeah."
"I-I don't understand what you mean..."
"On the battlefield, swordsmen and warriorsare always using their five senses to the fullest...to sense whether they are doing that properly, we must also use our own five senses."
"...F-for example?"
Lute pointed to his own ears.
"Judge by sound."
"Sound?"
Iona tilted her head.
"That's right. A good swordsman makes aclink-clink-clink-clink-clink!sound from the sword they wield."
"That's a lie!"
Iona raised her voice.
"It's not a lie."
"If swords hit each other, they'll make a sound!"
"It's proof that the sword is being swung well."
"You judge by such an obvious thing?"
"There are surprisingly many people who can't do the obvious things."
"W-well, that may be true, but..."
"Next is the smell."
Lute stroked his nose.
"Smell?"
"Yeah, there's a smell unique to the strong..."
"R-really? What kind of smell is it?"
"...Itsmells like sweat."
"That's just sweat!"
"You don't get it."
"Eh?"
"The strong never neglect their training and are constantly moving their bodies... there's a smell that only comes from that kind of thing."
"H-hmm..."
"Next is... taste."
Lute pointed to his tongue. Iona was confused.
"A-are you going to lick them?"
"It's a figure of speech...the stronger they are, the more flavorful their fighting style is."
"Huh..."
"Finally, it's the skin."
Lute rubbed his arm.
"Skin?"
"That's right. The stronger they become,the more they radiate a stinging sense of tension to their surroundings."
"...You're teasing me, aren't you?"
Iona gave him a cold look. Lute laughed.
"Hmph,you should have realized by the taste part at the latest."
"I knew it! Please talk seriously."
"...This is all about experience. You have to watch more matches."
Lute spoke with a serious expression.
"I-is that so..."
The participating athletes appeared at the venue.
"It's about to start... Who are the notable players?"
"Huh?"
"Don't 'huh' me. You were asking around enthusiastically earlier, weren't you?"
"Ah, yes... um... that large bald man is Galvez. His powerful sword is said to be called the 'Mighty Sword'. The small man near him is Suarez. Because of his blindingly fast sword speed, he is called the 'Fierce Sword'. The tall woman near them is Marcia. She is a master of excellent swordsmanship and is feared as the 'Magic Sword'. The man of average build near her is Gonzalez. He is known as the 'Secret Sword' and..."
"I get it, that's enough..."
"There are still more, the 'Furious Sword', the 'Heavenly Sword', the 'Beast Sword'..."
"Just adding 'sword' to the end doesn't make it good... Are those the favorites to win?"
"Yes... but it's surprising, I thought you wouldn't take in any information like that..."
"I'll use it as a basis for judgment... What about that thin young man?"
Lute pointed to a man who wasn't wearing armor.
"Eh? That man? Um, regarding him, nothing in particular..."
"That young man... he's going to win."
"Eh?"
"I'd even bet dinner on it."
"I-is that so? Then I'll bet on the 'Supreme Sword' Fernandez."
"It's settled. Let's see what happens."
The tournament progressed, and the thin young man and a slightly chubby female knight advanced to the finals.
"N-no way... to think it would be afinal between dark horses..."
Iona was stunned. In the final match, the chubby female knight launched quick and varied attacks despite her physique, but the young man easily parried them and defeated her with a single counterattack, winning the tournament.
"...Let's go to the waiting room."
"Ah, y-yes...!"
Lute and the others headed to the contestant waiting room.
"Excuse me while you're busy..."
"!"
When Lute entered the waiting room, attention gathered on him.
"H-hey, that's..."
"Yeah, thelegendary scout, Lute..."
"Is it the real deal?"
"Are you serious, I've never seen him before..."
"Who did he come to scout?"
The waiting room buzzed.
"You're really famous..."
"It would be bad if the mummy-catcher became a mummy..."
Lute gave a bitter smile as Iona was impressed.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Not here. They should have returned to the waiting room..."
Lute walked around looking at his surroundings.
"Hey, Lute-san."
"Hm?"
When Lute turned around, there was a large, bald man.
"I was caught off guard this time, but... my sword should be useful, right?"
"Galvez of the 'Mighty Sword'... unfortunately, I have no use for you."
"What!"
"You rely too much on brute force... You should improve the fact that you leave openings after your techniques."
"Muu..."
Galvez fell silent.
"I see, so you're looking for me, right?"
A small man spoke to Lute.
"Suarez of the 'Fierce Sword'... I have no use for you either."
"Wha!"
"Your sword speed is impressive, but your strikes are somehow light... I want you to have the mindset of a one-hit kill."
"Nuu..."
Suarez also fell silent.
"Haha, so that means you're inviting me, right?"
A tall woman spoke to Lute.
"Marcia of the 'Magic Sword'... I would have gladly invited you if it were for a drink, but it's not you either."
"What?"
"Your swordsmanship was brilliant, but you're drowning in it."
"Unu..."
Marcia also fell silent.
"Hmph, it seems my talent cannot be hidden..."
A man of average build spoke to Lute.
"Gonzalez of the 'Secret Sword', you hide your hand too much... I don't need someone who acts like the protagonist."
"What!?"
Gonzalez was stunned.
"My..."
"The 'Furious Sword', it wasn't as furious as you say."
"Nu!?"
"My..."
"The 'Heavenly Sword', you were just jumping around."
"Ugh!?"
"My..."
"The 'Beast Sword', it wasn't wild, just rough."
"Mu!?"
Lute gave simple critiques to those who spoke to him.
"...Hmph."
"Hm?"
A man with a sturdy build stood in front of Lute.
"As expected, you were attracted to me..."
"...Who are you?"
Lute tilted his head.
"What!?"
The man was stunned. Iona panicked.
"Lu, Lute-san! It's Fernandez of the 'Supreme Sword'!"
"Ah..."
Lute nodded as if he had remembered.
"H, hmph, how was it?"
Fernandez asked while running his hand through his hair.
"...Honestly, you were the most disappointing."
"What!?"
"Lute-san! How could you!"
"I just said what I thought."
"C, couldn't you have sugarcoated it more..."
"If you neglect your training because of that and get injured or lose your life in actual combat, that would be the worst... it's important to face your current situation firmly."
"T, that is..."
"Well, don't worry too much, it's common for people to not live up to their reputation..."
Lute patted Fernandez on the shoulder and walked past.
"N, not living up to my reputation..."
"W, wasn't that too much!?"
"I think it's more sincere to say it straight."
Lute stood in front of the thin young man.
"Congratulations on your victory. That was a brilliant performance."
"...Thank you very much."
The young man who was sitting stood up and bowed his head.
"I have a question... who is your master?"
"It was my grandfather, but he passed away when I was a child, so I've been mostly self-taught for about ten years since then."
"Hmm... is this your first time in a tournament?"
"Yes, since I'm from the countryside... this is almost my first match too..."
"What do you think about the result of your victory?"
"I think it might have been a fluke..."
"I see... Arv-san."
"Y, yes!?"
Lute called out to the chubby female knight who was near the young man.
"Congratulations on being the runner-up. That was close. But it was a great fight."
"Ah, thank you... but I still have a long way to go. My strength, speed, and technique..."
"I see... I'd like to scout you as a party member, what do you think?"
"Eh!?"
Arv was surprised by Lute's offer. Iona asked in a panic.
"W, wasn't the plan to invite him!?"
"Those who are not clearly aware of their own strength have no room for growth. In that respect, she is able to reflect on herself properly.... How about it, Arv-san, the pay is better than your current job?"
"P, please..."
"It's decided."
Seeing Arv bow her head, Lute smiled.