From Trash to Villain Master of Card: With Harem of Evil women-Chapter 55: Preparations for the Contest

Main Plaza — Two Weeks Later

The plaza was more crowded than Kaito had seen it since the victory celebration against Eldric.

But this time it wasn’t a somber gathering. The atmosphere was almost festive—something the kingdom desperately needed after weeks of reconstruction and mourning.

Merchants had set up improvised stalls. Children ran between adults’ legs. The smell of freshly baked bread and roasted meat filled the air.

Kaito stood on the elevated platform they had built specifically for this. Beside him, a large board displayed the contest rules in letters large enough to be read from a distance.

The four queens stood behind him in a row. Each with a different expression.

Adelheid: perfect military posture despite needing a cane.

Lilith: an enigmatic smile that revealed nothing.

Naporia: arms crossed, scanning the crowd as if evaluating potential opponents.

Valeria: completely motionless, like a decorative statue.

Kaito raised his hands and the crowd gradually quieted down.

"Citizens of Neudämmerung."

His voice resonated well—Lilith had taught him techniques to project without shouting.

"Two weeks ago, I announced that we needed to choose an official Queen to represent our kingdom in the Council."

Murmurs of agreement.

"And that this choice would be made through a fair contest where each of our queens could demonstrate their qualities."

He pointed to the board.

"The Queen’s Contest will consist of four trials over four consecutive days."

The crowd collectively leaned forward.

"Day one: Combat. Individual elimination. Only the physically strongest can adequately represent us."

Applause. Neudämmerung appreciated strength.

"Day two: Oratory and Diplomacy. A public speech followed by debate. A Queen must be able to speak for the kingdom with words as powerful as her swords."

Less applause but understanding nods.

"Day three: Strategy. A complex battle simulation. A Queen must be able to think, not just fight."

More interest. People remembered how strategy had saved the kingdom against Eldric.

"And day four: Connection with the people. Each queen will complete a community project that directly benefits you."

This generated excited conversations.

"Whoever wins the majority of these trials will be named the official Queen of Neudämmerung."

Kaito paused to let the weight settle.

"And she will be the one to accompany me to the Council of Kingdoms to defend our right to exist."

Silence fell for three seconds.

Then the plaza exploded into cheers.

Kaito descended from the platform as the crowd dispersed, already beginning to discuss bets and favorites.

Gorman approached with an amused expression.

"The betting has already started. Naporia is the three-to-one favorite in combat."

"Predictable."

"Lilith five-to-one in oratory."

"Also predictable."

"Adelheid two-to-one in strategy."

"Makes sense."

"And Valeria..."

Kaito raised an eyebrow.

"What about Valeria?"

Gorman consulted his notes.

"Ten-to-one in everything. People don’t know what to think of her."

Kaito laughed despite himself.

"Neither do I, Gorman. Neither do I."

---

Training Field — That Day

The four queens had taken different sections of the field for their preparations.

And their approaches couldn’t have been more different.

Adelheid was in the eastern section with tactical maps spread out on an improvised table. She still used a wheelchair for long movements, but could stand with a cane for short periods now.

She studied historical strategies from famous battles. Took meticulous notes. Drew formations. Calculated odds.

A veteran soldier assisted her, playing the role of opponent in mental simulations.

"If the enemy flanks from here..."

"I reposition the cavalry here," Adelheid responded immediately. "Force a funnel. Use archers for pressure."

They repeated the exercise over and over. Different scenarios. Different terrains.

Lilith was in the improvised library they had established in a castle wing.

She wasn’t studying military tactics. She was studying rhetoric.

Speeches from famous kings. Persuasion techniques. Logical and emotional arguments.

But she was also preparing something more subtle.

In a private room, she practiced voice modulation—not using her power directly, but using tones and rhythms that naturally made people more receptive.

Aria had found her like that this afternoon.

"Practicing subtle mind tricks?"

Lilith didn’t deny it.

"Within the contest rules. No use of memory power. Just... natural optimization of communication."

Aria crossed her arms.

"That’s cheating with extra steps."

Lilith smiled.

"Dear Aria. Everything is cheating if you’re good enough at it."

Naporia was on the actual combat field.

Destroying practice dummies.

Just that.

She wasn’t practicing speeches. Wasn’t studying strategy. Wasn’t planning community projects.

Just combat.

Bram, her second-in-command, watched with a worried expression.

"Commander Naporia. Shouldn’t you prepare for the other trials?"

Naporia destroyed another dummy with a downward strike.

"What for?"

"Because they’re part of the contest."

"And I’ll lose those. Obviously."

She turned to Bram.

"But I’ll win combat by such a wide margin that the others will have to struggle to tie."

Bram sighed.

"That’s... a strategy, I suppose."

Valeria was in the northern section.

Training everything.

Methodically.

Two hours of combat. One hour of basic strategy study. One hour reading about oratory (though clearly not enjoying it). One hour considering ideas for a community project.

All with the same blank expression.

An engineer passing by commented to his companion:

"It’s like watching a machine trying to learn how to be human."

The companion nodded.

"Disturbing but also kind of sad."

Valeria heard them but didn’t react.

She just continued her routine.

---

Adelheid’s Room — Night

Kaito knocked on the door.

"Come in."

He entered to find Adelheid still over her maps, despite the late hour.

Candles illuminated the room with warm light.

"You should rest."

Adelheid didn’t look up.

"There are still scenarios to review."

Kaito approached, looking at the maps covered with annotations in small, precise handwriting.

"Will you be ready? For combat, I mean."

Adelheid finally looked up.

"Physically?"

She stood with the help of her cane, making a slight grimace she tried to hide.

"Maybe. But not at one hundred percent."

The physician who had been regularly checking on her had been honest: the wound in her abdomen had healed well, but the tissue was still fragile. Extreme exertion could re-open it.

Kaito frowned.

"You don’t have to push yourself. You can..."

"Yes, I do."

Adelheid interrupted him with a firm voice.

She set aside her cane and took two steps toward Kaito without support.

"Because I want to be by your side. Officially."

She reached him, close enough for Kaito to see how her eyes blazed with unusual intensity.

A deep red that wasn’t normal.

Iron Will activating subtly, perhaps without her fully realizing it.

Her hand touched Kaito’s chest, fingers spreading over his heart.

"And if I win..."

Her voice dropped, taking on a quality Kaito hadn’t heard before.

Seductive but also dangerous.

"...I can be the first woman to feel your entire body. Officially."

She leaned forward, her lips brushing Kaito’s ear.

"Every. Inch."

Her tongue touched his earlobe in a deliberate, slow movement.

Kaito froze completely.

His brain stopped processing coherent information.

Adelheid pulled back with a satisfied smile that was completely different from her usual military composure.

"Good night, Commander."

She left the room with a grace that belied her injury.

Leaving Kaito standing like a statue.

Red to the tips of his ears.

He finally managed to articulate a word.

"...what."

---

Library — That Same Night

Lilith found Aria organizing scrolls.

"Aria. I need your advice."

Aria looked at her with a skeptical expression.

"My advice? The great manipulator needs advice?"

Lilith sat with an elegance that made even simple chairs seem like thrones.

"Precisely because I’m a manipulator, I know when I need external perspective."

Aria set down the scrolls.

"About?"

"Kaito. You know him well. Better than us, probably."

She paused.

"What does he value most? What genuinely moves him?"

Aria studied Lilith for a long moment.

"Why would I tell you that? That information would give you an unfair advantage."

Lilith smiled.

"Because we both want him to choose well. For the Queen who accompanies him to the Council to be the right one for the situation."

Aria considered this.

She had a point.

Finally, she sighed. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"He values honesty. Above all else. He hates lies, even well-intentioned ones."

Lilith nodded, making a mental note.

"And?"

"Sacrifice for others. When someone puts others’ needs above their own, it affects him deeply."

Aria leaned forward.

"But he also values authenticity. He can tell when someone is performing versus when they’re being genuine."

She looked directly at Lilith.

"So if you plan to manipulate him with information I gave you... it won’t work. He’ll notice."

Lilith laughed softly.

"Dear Aria. I don’t plan to manipulate him."

She stood.

"I plan to be more honest than I’ve been in centuries."

She left before Aria could respond.

---

Combat Field — Night

Naporia and Valeria were the only ones still training at this hour.

The sound of steel clashing resonated in the darkness.

Naporia attacked with complex sequences.

Valeria blocked methodically.

It wasn’t real combat—controlled sparring. But the intensity was genuine.

Finally they separated, both breathing slightly heavier.

Naporia sat on a nearby rock, cleaning her sword.

"Question."

Valeria looked at her.

"Why are you participating if you don’t care about winning?"

Valeria considered the question for a full ten seconds.

"Because the commander ordered it. I must fulfill my function completely."

Naporia frowned.

"That’s... sad."

"Why?"

"Because it means you have no desires of your own. You only exist to serve."

Valeria tilted her head slightly.

"Purpose is purpose. Does it matter if it comes from within or without?"

Naporia opened her mouth.

Closed it.

She didn’t have an immediate answer for that.

Valeria continued.

"And you? Why are you participating?"

Naporia cleaned her sword with more force than necessary.

"Because I want to win. I want to stand beside Kaito at the Council."

"Why?"

The simplicity of the question disarmed her.

Naporia took time to answer.

"Because... it makes me feel like I’m more than just a sword. That I can be useful in ways that don’t involve killing."

She looked at Valeria.

"He sees me as a person. Not a weapon. And I want... to give that back to him."

Valeria processed this.

"Interesting."

She didn’t elaborate.

Naporia snorted.

"You’re impossible to read."

"It’s my function."

Naporia stood, sheathing her sword.

"Someday I’m going to make you show emotion."

Valeria looked at her with her empty eyes.

"Good luck with that."

But when Naporia walked away, something extremely subtle crossed Valeria’s face.

Not exactly a smile.

But not complete indifference either.

---

Arena Construction — Next Day

Drake supervised teams of workers building the combat arena.

It was an impressive structure—thirty meters in diameter, surrounded by stands that could accommodate five hundred people.

Kaito approached, inspecting the progress.

"Going well."

Drake nodded.

"It’ll be ready for tomorrow."

He paused.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

Drake set down the plans he was reviewing.

"Aren’t you afraid this will drive them further apart? The queens, I mean."

Kaito sighed.

"Terrified."

"Then why do it?"

Kaito looked at the arena under construction.

"Because they need to channel their competition somehow. If it’s not this, it’ll be something worse."

"At least this way it’s controlled. With rules. With witnesses."

Drake considered that.

"Or you could... just choose. Avoid the drama."

Kaito laughed without humor.

"And destroy my relationship with the other three. Create permanent resentment."

He shook his head.

"No. This way, when someone wins, the others will have to accept it. It wasn’t my arbitrary decision."

"It was a fair competition."

Drake nodded slowly.

"Smart. Although..."

"Although?"

"Although someone will still be angry anyway."

Kaito sighed.

"I know."

---

Aria’s Office — Afternoon

Aria was designing the fourth trial with help from various community leaders.

The Connection with the People trial.

"Each queen will receive a community project," she explained. "Something that directly benefits the people."

"No using supernatural powers. No commanding soldiers. Just them, their ingenuity, and their will."

A guild leader asked.

"What kind of projects?"

Aria pointed to a list.

"Rebuilding a house for a needy family. Resolving a complex commercial dispute. Organizing food distribution. Repairing critical infrastructure."

"Things that require more than strength. That require empathy, creativity, manual labor."

The leaders nodded with approval.

One commented.

"This will reveal more about them than any combat."

Aria smiled.

"Exactly."

---

Main Dining Hall — Group Dinner

Dinner was a tradition Kaito had insisted on maintaining whenever possible.

Everyone sitting together. Soldiers, leaders, queens.

But tonight, the tension was tangible.

The four queens were at the main table with Kaito.

Adelheid to his right. Lilith to his left. Naporia and Valeria across from him.

The meal began in tense silence.

Then Naporia spoke.

"Adelheid."

Adelheid looked up from her plate.

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow, I’m going to destroy you in combat."

It wasn’t a threat. It was a statement of fact.

Adelheid didn’t flinch.

"If you reach me. After Lilith manipulates you in the preliminary rounds."

Lilith laughed softly.

"Please. As if I needed tricks to defeat simple warriors."

Adelheid looked at her.

"Simple warriors?"

"Sorry. Singular warrior. Naporia doesn’t even qualify for plural in intelligence."

Naporia stood abruptly.

"Say that again."

Lilith looked at her with an expression of perfect innocence.

"Which part? The simple part or the singular part?"

Naporia opened her mouth to respond.

Valeria spoke in a flat voice.

"You will all lose to me eventually anyway."

The three looked at her.

Valeria continued eating as if she hadn’t said anything.

"What?" Naporia asked.

Valeria didn’t look up.

"Superior function. Inevitable victory."

Adelheid raised an eyebrow.

"Now you have an ego?"

"No. Just facts."

Lilith smiled with genuine amusement.

"Fascinating. The machine learned arrogance."

Kaito slammed the table.

"ENOUGH!"

The four stopped.

Kaito looked at all of them.

"Can we have ONE dinner in peace? Just one?"

Silence.

"Tomorrow you can kill each other in the arena. But for tonight, can you act like civilized adults?"

More silence.

Finally, Adelheid nodded.

"Apologies, Commander."

The others murmured similar agreements.

The meal continued in tense silence but at least without verbal hostilities.

When it ended, Kaito left first.

He needed air.

---

Balcony — Night Before the Contest

Kaito was alone, looking at the stars.

The kingdom slept below. Temporary peace before the storm that would come tomorrow.

He heard footsteps.

Adelheid appeared, walking with her cane.

"Commander."

"Adelheid."

She approached until she stood beside him.

"I’ll win tomorrow. For you."

It wasn’t boasting. It was a promise.

Kaito nodded.

"I know."

Adelheid left without further words.

Minutes later, Lilith appeared.

"My king."

"Lilith."

She leaned against the balcony railing with natural elegance.

"The outcome is already decided. It just needs confirmation."

Kaito looked at her.

"That confident?"

Lilith smiled.

"Always."

She left.

Naporia was next.

She said nothing for thirty seconds.

Then spoke with a voice more serious than usual.

"When I win, you’d better not regret it."

Kaito looked at her.

"Regret what?"

"Choosing me. Having someone like me representing your kingdom."

Kaito touched her shoulder.

"I would never regret that."

Naporia nodded and left quickly.

Finally, Valeria.

She arrived. Stood beside him.

"I will participate with excellence. The outcome is irrelevant."

Kaito smiled despite himself.

"Thank you, Valeria."

She nodded and left.

Kaito was alone again.

Aria appeared with two cups of tea.

"Full visitation."

Kaito accepted a cup.

"Yeah."

Aria leaned against the railing beside him.

"Nervous?"

"Absolutely terrified."

"Of what?"

Kaito sipped his tea.

"That no matter who wins, someone gets hurt. And I’m not talking physically."

Aria nodded.

"Probably."

"That doesn’t help."

"Wasn’t trying to help. Just being honest."

Kaito laughed despite everything.

"Thanks."

They remained there in comfortable silence.

Finally, Kaito spoke.

"Tomorrow... this is going to be a disaster."

Aria smiled.

"Probably."

"You’re still not helping."

"I know."

But she rested her head on Kaito’s shoulder.

"But I’ll be there. For when it blows up in your face."

Kaito smiled.

"Thanks, Aria."

"You’re welcome."

The stars shone above.

The kingdom slept below.

And tomorrow...

Tomorrow the Queen’s Contest would begin.