This story features the father of Sawadi-kun’s classmate, who appeared in 『Chapter 22 – Looks Weak, I Won’t Say Where, But Looks Weak』 and 『Chapters 101-102: Behind the Noble Lady’s Shadow, There’s Trouble』.
Baseball has now become a national pastime.
-0-
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of baseball’s inception, and its popularity shows no signs of waning.
Our magazine conducted a series of on-the-spot interviews with several passionate baseball enthusiasts in Torquiva, where the sport originated.
The first and second interviews feature none other than Count Ranza, a prominent noble residing in Torquiva.
As a manager, he led the Ranza White Eagles to the national tournament (the Kraunia Cup) just two years ago—a feat still fresh in memory.
Magic-image(magimage) (Count Ranza and the team members)
Since stepping down as an active player, Count Ranza has dedicated himself to promoting baseball. He runs a support fund to develop players from the commoner class.
Through his role as honorary advisor to the Torquiva Farmers’ Union (Farmer Boys), he has sent numerous talented players he discovered to the Winter Gemini. Truly, he is a man of discerning vision.
This time, Count Ranza will share his insights on the early days of baseball in Torquiva. Additionally, we will showcase part of his treasured collection using cutting-edge magic imagery technology.
Ballfriend Editorial Team – Bowman (hereafter, Ballfriend): 「Congratulations, Your Excellency, on the Torquiva Farmers’ Union (Farmer Boys) being recognized among the Ten Best Teams this year.」
Count Ranza (hereafter, Count): 「Thank you. It’s all thanks to the hard work of the coach and players.」
Ballfriend: 「Your Excellency, you are well known as one of the signatories to the original Noble Baseball Code (rulebook), which is said to be the beginning of it all. I’ve heard that you were involved with baseball even before the league was officially established, back when the rules weren’t yet standardized…」
Count: 「‘Involved’ is an exaggeration. At the time, I was merely a spectator.」
Ballfriend: 「Are you referring to the Torquiva Commoner League matches from that period?」
Count: 「No, to be precise, it was even before that—when only the Slayra family played baseball. In fact, the sport was originally invented solely for Lady Laura Slayra, the current ruler of Torquiva.」
Ballfriend: 「I’d heard rumors about that story, but it turns out it’s true.」
Count: 「The Slayra family’s son-in-law has a knack for inventing things like that. He’s also the one who came up with the Torquiva-yaki that’s recently become popular in the royal capital.」
Ballfriend: 「Really!?」
Count: 「He was always coming up with different ideas, so when baseball began, no one thought much of it. That’s why the first people to really take notice of baseball weren’t nobles but the commoner friends of the slaves owned by Slayra’s son-in-law.」
Ballfriend: 「The friends of… slaves?」
Count: 「They were called Schenker slaves in Torquiva, but it was a unique situation… well, they were practically commoners.」
Ballfriend: 「When you say were, you mean…?」
Count: 「They’ve all since been freed and are now officially commoners… but I digress. Anyway, those slave friends began participating in the matches, forming the early prototypes of commoner league baseball teams. Around that time, members of the Torquiva Knights approached the Slayra family, saying, 『We want to try baseball too.』」
Ballfriend: 「The Torquiva Knights’ baseball team—weren’t they the runners-up in the Kraunia Cup three years ago?」
Count: 「Exactly. If I recall correctly, the first noble to step up to the plate—aside from the Slayra family—was the daughter of House Tezion, who now bats fourth.」
Ballfriend: 「Oh! 『Stardust』Arcelica Tezion!」
Count: 「From there, the Noble Baseball Code was established, the noble league began, and that enthusiasm eventually spread to the royal capital.」
Ballfriend: 「When baseball first arrived in the capital, it was introduced through an opera performance. Now that I think about it, that opera was also based on the Slayra family. Truly, the margrave family has deep ties to the history of baseball.」
Count: 「Well, they’re not very good at it, though.」
—Omitted Section—
Ballfriend: 「Now, let’s take a look at a few pieces from Your Excellency’s treasured collection.」
Magimage (A room filled with various collectibles)
Count: 「Very well. Let’s start with something recognizable—how about this?」
Ballfriend: 「This is… the Scorpions jacket that Princess Kariya wore, which caused a sensation in the royal capital! Is this the real thing?」
Count: 「Indeed. This isn’t a replica; I bought it directly at the Gemini Stadium. There were three jackets, but my wife and daughter took two of them. The second production run has the Slayra tag sewn at the waist, but this is a first-run piece, so it has Schenker’s mark embroidered at the collar. Back then, Schenker had many skilled artisans who handled baseball equipment like gloves. Even so, there were inconsistencies in baseballs depending on the craftsman. Pitchers in those days all had their preferred ‘lucky ball.’ Amid all that, this jacket belonged to Tchi… (section omitted)」
Magimage (A Genuine Scorpions Jacket)
Ballfriend: 「Thank you for sharing these precious stories. This reminds me of the Scorpions jacket I wore as a student—a cheap knockoff. The scorpion on the back peeled off almost immediately.」
Count: 「Exactly. Speaking of the Scorpions, here’s something else you might appreciate.」
Ballfriend: 「Is this… a wristwatch? As expected of Your Excellency, you have a deep appreciation for modern timepieces as well.」
Count: 「Look closely. This isn’t just any wristwatch. See the engraving? It dates back twenty years. This was made to commemorate the founding of the noble league.」
Ballfriend: 「What!? Wristwatches existed twenty years ago?」
Count: 「Indeed. And this, my friend, was crafted by none other than Cassiopeia.」
Ballfriend: 「The Cassiopeia? The one the Crown Prince used on the Western Front?」
Count: 「Yes. This was made by Cassiopeia when he was still a boy. Look here—this certificate issued by Slayra’s son-in-law confirms its authenticity. Only three of these watches were ever made. Back then, my wife and daughter told me it was useless, a waste of money. But everything in life follows a current, whether it’s war, baseball, or life itself. In that sense, the wristwatch was clearly a product of its time—and Cassiopeia… (section omitted)」
Magimage (One of Cassiopeia’s Earliest Works. The Dial is Engraved with the Noble League’s Founding Date, the Back with a Scorpion Design)
Count: 「And now, the pièce de résistance.」
Ballfriend: 「These are… tickets? There are so many…」
Count: 「Betting slips. For baseball matches. There must be over two hundred here.」
Ballfriend: 「You mean…?」
Count: 「Yes, these are all winning slips.」
Ballfriend: 「But if you won, couldn’t you have cashed them in?」
Count: 「If I cashed them in, the slips would be gone, wouldn’t they? These are proof that my eye for matches was never wrong. I even have a slip from the match that inspired the opera Love Tied at the Ballpark. During that period, there was a duel scandal between the Slayra Margrave family’s retainers and the disciples of the Zarkudo School. The Slayra side didn’t fare well in that affair, so they must have hoped to defeat Zarkudo at least in baseball. They sent one of their faction members to their youngest daughter in Torquiva. That pitcher, I believe his name was Robos, had a wicked magic pitch. The moment I saw him throw in the bullpen, I knew that Slayra was different that day… (section omitted)」
Ballfriend: 「I-I see…」
-0-
An exhilarating on-the-spot interview! More of Count Ranza’s treasures will be unveiled in the second part, featured in Issue No. 52! Stay tuned!
Leave a Reply