Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World

Abel decided on a compromise.

"Okay. Then how about mercenaries?" he suggested.

"Mercenaries? Most of them can't handle Aura, right?" Shuguri asked, confused.

"There will be some among the higher ranks who have awakened, even if only slightly. They don't need to reach the level of manifesting Aura. Soccer is a sport played solely with the body," Abel explained.

"Even if you're not an expert, you should be able to perform well enough. Because strengthening your body is possible even at the beginner level. Soccer players are different from judges, after all."

Abel understood the situation and decided to take action. He would go first, even though he couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"This damn senior..."

Ping! Ping!

The half-demons, as if realizing something, vanished in an instant. It looked like animals running wild in an old American cartoon.

Watching them disappear, Abel immediately called Butler Chase.

"Is there any empty land near Gongbang Street?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The land is abundant."

"Choose a flat, grassy area and put a fence around it. It would be nice if it were a bit high so the ball doesn't escape."

"How much area will it cover?"

"It should be as wide as a mansion wall."

"All right."

After giving his instructions to the butler, Abel headed straight to Vargas' laboratory.

He was curious about the progress of the experiment, especially since he had been hearing some unusual sounds lately. The frequency of explosive sounds had increased recently. Abel was becoming increasingly suspicious of the study Vargas had insisted on.

No, it seemed more like Abel would do nothing while Vargas focused on useless things. As expected, he was right.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Huh? You've arrived, Your Majesty?"

"I think this needs some explanation. No matter how I look at it, the object in your hand doesn't look like a soccer ball."

"Ahahaha! This is it! It's Spike!"

Vargas was holding a sheet of iron, dotted with sharp spikes. Abel had no idea who would use something like that, and then an ominous feeling started to rise.

"It won't explode, right?"

"How could that be? It's just something you put on the sole of your soccer shoes. It makes you hit faster and shortens your braking distance."

"But why is there black smoke coming out of it?"

"That can't be..."

Cheeeeeeek! Pfft!

As soon as Vargas finished speaking, the test bench was engulfed in flames with a small explosion. Abel let out a small sigh and tapped the red device next to him.

Vargas hurriedly picked up the sphere that had rolled around. Soon, a cold air spread out, accompanied by pure white gas. The rising flames were extinguished in an instant.

"Fortunately, it wasn't a big deal. Haha!"

Vargas laughed awkwardly and pulled the spike out of the ashes. The process had been a bit strange, but it seemed to indicate success. However, things took a completely different turn than he had expected.

Passs...

The spikes scattered into powder. The experiment ended in miserable failure.

"I'm glad it just broke. Why do you keep talking about blowing things up these days?"

"I had no choice. It would have been absurd to skip the safety inspection. So in the end, I ended up making what you wanted, Your Majesty."

"So where is the finished product?"

"Voila! This is it."

Vargas pulled hard at the cloth covering one corner. Then, something round came rolling toward Abel with a bounce. It was a soccer ball made by joining pentagonal and hexagonal leather pieces. Seeing it completed just as Abel had requested gave him a different feeling.

Wasn't this something that only existed in his memories?

Knock, knock. Knock, knock.

Abel dribbled the ball a few times with his toes, and the old feeling rushed back.

'Wow! I never thought I'd do something like this again.'

More than half of Korean men enjoyed playing soccer during their school days. It was the same when they went to the military. Even after becoming working adults, people often played on social teams. Abel liked soccer quite a bit.

"Good. What is it made of?"

"The inside is ogre sinew. It's processed by spreading it thinly and pasting it into a round shape. The outside is drake belly leather. It's soft and tough, which is nice."

"Is that why it's sturdier than I thought?"

"Of course. I've done so many strength tests."

"Was this the sound of popping pop?"

"Haha! That's right."

Vargas' soccer ball was of very good quality. It was comparable to modern items, or in some ways, it felt much better. It fit Abel's feet well and felt really good to play with.

"The soccer shoes will be finished soon. But I don't think I need to do this, right?"

The ball had passed through Vargas' hands to be shaped and glued into a potion. But when it came to soccer shoes, it was a different story. All they had to do was add spikes to shoes made from monster leather. It seemed that assembly would require a separate factory.

"Okay. Leave the rest to me."

Abel had already instructed Martin to make the uniforms. Now, all that was left was to build the football field. Of course, that would take at least several months. In the meantime, he planned to go on vacation.

What about player training?

'I've prepared a set of rules and tactics, so I'll tell them to learn on their own.'

Actually, it would have been okay to handle the rest after going to the South and coming back. Time was running out until the soccer field was completed.

"Just do your experiments properly. Besides, you can leave Spike to Theo."

"I told you, it can't just be made out of a lump of iron. It has to be light, strong, rust-proof, and not cause people to get hurt. And it needs enough propulsion power..."

"Oh, I get it. Do whatever you want."

"Hehehe! Thank you!"

Vargas smiled broadly, perhaps because there was more to experiment with. Abel shook his head and tried to leave the lab. But then, Vargas suddenly followed him to the entrance.

"Isn't it necessary to see you off?"

"How could I possibly miss this? It's a prototype made exclusively for His Highness the Duke. Please try it on."

A pair of soccer cleats appeared before Abel. Judging by the family seal engraved on the instep, it seemed that considerable effort had been put into them.

"Huh! When did you prepare all this?"

"In that sense, if you could increase the amount of Cordyceps sinensis extract just a little bit…"

"Okay. I'll buy some on my way back from vacation."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Vargas bowed so deeply that his forehead almost touched the floor.

Abel tried on his soccer shoes with a sly smile. They fit perfectly from toe to heel. The shape seemed tailored to his feet, and despite being stiff, the soccer shoes were quite comfortable. They were good enough that he could go out onto the field and play without any issues.

'It's been a while since I've played for myself. Should I just go out and play?'

The balance might be a bit disrupted, but so what? As long as it was fun, that was fine.

Abel thought about it for a while, but then decided against it. If he, who was on par with the Grand Masters, entered the match, what would happen? It would be better to leave it to others and occasionally participate in event matches. They couldn't be destroyers of the ecosystem.

"Okay, so you understand everything?"

"Hmm."

"Euum!"

Shuguri and Peltron were drooling with serious expressions. Abel had been studying the rules and tactics book he wrote, but it seemed they didn't understand it at all. Well, that couldn't be helped. It was their first time learning about soccer. Besides, they had never seen a proper game. Still, it was quite cute to see them working hard on their plan.

'Is this because they formed their own team? It's kind of funny.'

Wouldn't it be the first time in history that a half-demon would hire humans to participate in a soccer league? Originally, half-demons had little contact with humans and were merely objects of fear. If they caused a natural disaster or made unnecessary threats, it was all because of a lack of social skills.

Look at Shuguri and Peltron. How were they living so well?

"Get the team ready while I'm out. I'll take care of the training later."

"Yeah. Yeah. Don't worry."

Shuguri mumbled something vaguely and answered gruffly. Judging by the fact that he was buried deep in a tactic book larger than his body, it seemed like he absolutely did not want to lose.

On the other hand, Peltron stretched his body like a meerkat and looked at Abel.

"Captain. Captain!"

"Why?"

"Buy some melon when you come back."

A few innocent words. Abel almost started playing whack-a-mole. This kid only called him captain, but he always crossed the line with his requests.

Yet, it seemed to be said with pure intentions.

Peltron stared intently at the rule book.

Abel shook his head and pulled his hand out of his bosom. It was time to leave. Finally, he got on the carriage. Uncle Brandon greeted him warmly.

"It has been a long time since you last traveled, Your Majesty."

"I hope this time you can rest comfortably without any incidents or accidents."

"Haha! What could happen at a resort?"

A warm, hearty laugh sounded pleasant. In the southern part of the empire, there was a sea made up of numerous archipelagos. It was an area where small countries were crowded together, and pirates often appeared. But the resort was under the strict control of the Imperial Navy, so there was no danger whatsoever. Everyone visited the south during the dry season.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Abel lay down for a long time, feeling the rattling movement of the carriage.