"The Tribute tournament?"
Ikasa uttered the unfamiliar words aloud, trying to remember if his predecessor had any memories of this event. He drew a blank.
Xue Mi took a seat on one of the planks beside Ikasa as the wobbly ship restarted its journey.
"To explain the origin of this tournament, you should understand the recent history of powers in Birch City."
She began explaining when she noticed Ikasa was unfamiliar with the mentioned tournament. He paid rapt attention to her words. When she stopped to see if Ikasa followed, he signaled her to go on.
"As you know, there are two major powers in Birch City. The City Lord and the Hu Clan. However, these are politically active powers. The economy of the City is controlled by another power in the dark. That power is the Monstrous Flame Sect."
Xue Mi paused to let her words sink in. She observed Ikasa's frown. The lines on his forehead had bunched together.
