The sound of crying.
I realize that they were my cries. With tiny hands covered in blisters.
"It hurts mom!"
"Control your emotions. Do not let them control you. Do not be swayed by mere bursts of emotion that shake your heart. A steady heart makes wise decisions. Remember that."
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The next day, I made sure to put Dustan and Alva in the brackets for the matches at the beginner floors. Disregarding the headache I've been having due to another nightmare, I led them to the arena of the first floor.
The Sky Tower's first five floors are dedicated to introducing 'new meat' to the crowd. At these floors, newbies can get a feel of the Sky Tower's rules. It's also these stages where guilds recruit promising newbies. However, as Alva and Dustan are already affiliated with me, there's no need for them to enter the preliminary floors.
They could've had their debut match on my floor, as I could've arranged it so. Only, I didn't want to give them that privilege.
They had entered the Tower through the back door, even forcing Adelredus' hands to make them my disciples. I'm not going to let them look down on the process it takes to raise ranks in the Tower.
Nor will I allow them any respite for being my disciples and ride on my coattail.
Alva was scheduled an hour earlier than Dustan. And, it looks like their opponents are both older than they are. Of course, as his Master, I was given a free seat at the front rows with Dustan by my side. The matches on the lower floors are often quite boring. It's only so that the newbies can appeal to the crowd and the guilds.
Matches here are timed and weapons are not allowed. It all depends on physical abilities and techniques. As I explained this to Alva and Dustan, they were both calm.
Alva's match. As soon as the gong rang, Alva made a run for his opponent. With no hesitation, the teen demonstrated his physical prowess by a triangle choke out of nowhere. I whistled in awe. I guess kicking wasn't the only thing he can do.
Alva's opponent was too shocked to react.
Poor guy. He probably thought he had luck on his side when he first saw his opponent. I guess he never expected for it to be the opposite. The match was over in two seconds. The crowds cheered and the referee shouted Alva's name over and over, to market his value.
I smirked. Not bad for a disciple of the number one. Alva has what it takes to climb ranks.
The referee gave Alva a red ticket. That means he just jumped a few stages. I gather around five floors.
"That was some finesse, Alva. At least at the battlefield you aren't quick to lose your fuse." I teased.
Alva scoffed. "Of course. That's basic." He quickly turned his attention to Dustan. He bowed, as if to pay his respects. I couldn't help but feel irked.
"Hey, your Master is right here." I commented, pointing to myself.
"Oh really? I can't seem to see him." Alva squinted his eyes, as if blind. This cheeky brat.
Dustan merely chuckled. Alva smiled proudly, giving me a cocky look like he duped me. Jeez. I could almost see his tail wagging from behind him.
"Kari. It's so nice to have you here." An unfamiliar voice intruded. Looking at the direction of the source, I found the ugly mug of Jaeger.
"Who are you?" Alva asked, cautious. He stepped in front of Dustan, almost protectively.
"My apologies, my name is—"
"Jaeger. His guild is ranked fourth in the Tower. And, he's probably here to steal recruits like the hogger he is." I cut him off. The man glared at me, as if to depreciate me. I scoffed at his feeble attempt.
"Steal? Surely you jest, Mr. Number One. I'm just here to offer." He responded, smiling. "But, what about you Kari? Are you here to grace us with your holy presence?" He taunted.
"You know it." I played back.
"I heard a little birdie saying you recently took in disciples."
I frowned. Jaeger is famous for hogging all the promising newbies, regardless of whether they are already affiliated of not. He's the type of bastard that uses the wrong methods to fulfill his objectives.
"Do you know these two?" Jaeger asked, almost sarcastically.
"What else? They're my disciples. The very ones you've heard of." I smiled, playing his game better than him.
"Really?" Jaeger looked genuinely surprised. But then again, who could blame him? I just got these kids under my turf the other day.
"Yes. So, there's not use aiming for them, 'Hunter'." I called him by his alias. You would've thought that would make him back down. But, apparently, he looks dead-set on gobbling my 'cute' students.
"You don't know about that." He rasped, eying Alva like he was some piece of meat. Then, his eyes turned to Dustan. He obviously looked disinterested in the milder of the two. After all, Dustan gave off this non-combatant vibe—which he is, in fact.
Alva's overwhelming talent outshone Dustan's light. It was obvious that Jaeger holds Dustan with lower regards.
A scheme played in my mind.
"I'll tell you what, Jaeger. Let's make a bet." I offered.
"A bet? Doesn't sound like you, Kari." Jaeger tested the waters. However, I could see how eager he was to jump at the bet.
"You obviously want my disciple. And, I'm no stranger to your methods. Rather than have him be stolen right under my nose, why don't we do this fair? My disciple against your recruit. If your recruit wins, you can take both of my disciples. But, if my disciple wins, you'll have to swear off on laying your filthy hands on them."
"What?!" Alva exclaimed. "What are you doing?" He hissed at me. But, I decided to ignore him.
The bet is too good to be true in Jaeger's eyes. I could see the hesitation in his eyes. But, I knew he wouldn't let up on the chance to 'officially' dupe me. In fact, I can almost guarantee his word.
"Alright." Jaeger finally agreed. "But, to ensure the fairness of it all, we'll have the match on our turf." He added. Fair, my ass. I bet he just wants to have the upper hand for the environment.
I guess that one can't be helped. "Alright. If so, we're also going to officiate this bet, having signed a contract at the witness of a third party." Although Jaeger looked uncomfortable at the mention of a witness, he agreed.
Oddly, the center of this bet, Dustan, was silent during the whole exchange. I looked at him in query, trying to gouge his reaction. But, I saw nothing but serenity in his expression. I could only hope that means he steeled his resolve.
Let the wager start.