The fresh cool air brushed against our faces as the sun beamed down on our backs. Ota and I walked out the mountainside gate up towards Uber Hill.
Instead of following the highway towards Nala, it forked off to a normal dirt road towards a flat hill, roughly a twenty minute walk from the gate. We agreed to leave earlier than normal so we could prepare for our matches.
In about half an hour connecting carriages would take people back and forth so everyone could enjoy the celebration, but I still didn't know much about it. We never celebrated much at the Orphanage, not even birthdays, because many of us didn't even know what week we were born, including me.
"So the tournament isn't even the main event?"
"No, why would it? The point of this whole thing is for bows and magic to go head to head, you know? It's kinda like a big celebration, or something... Just that this year it was pushed back so they added this whole tournament thing, with a sorta twist"
We wore our new dueling gear. Made with a completely modular design so none of the materials would go to waste. The version we wore now was nothing more than a full suit of gambeson, leather boots and gloves included.
While it looked rather plain, and the material was bleached, it was rather functional.
Enda picked out fabric that was breathable and wouldn't heat up easily, even going as far to write rune words on the inner layer that would cool us off naturally using our aura. I'd finally got the handle of controlling that thanks to Sister Naji's training.
"In other words, we're beating the hell out of each other for fun? You know, maybe I'm not so cut out for this job"
"Don't be such a bitch. You even get to fight all the other newbies... in E rank"
Ota was trying her best to hold her laughter in, to little success, while also attempting to get me motivated. It wasn't working.
"But why E! I'm on the same level as everyone else in our party!"
"Ya snooze ya lose. At least we can name it something now. You took so damn long getting a rank we gave up and used that big vortex thing as an excuse to fill that card"
"Wait, so they know about that?"
"Not the whole thing, just that you made that big fire swirly that could be seen from the city... And almost killed yourself in the process *chuckle* Oh, also without that rank, you wouldn't even be able to enter. So, you know, it should be fun at least?"
"How is any of this fun or funny! Weren't you worried about me just a few hours ago too? Anyway, what's the point in fighting someone weaker than you?"
"Well, think about it from the guild's perspective. You made a completely stupid uncalled for mistake, almost killed yourself in the process and a druid had to reveal herself to the entire city as something they once feared. If she wasn't known by half the city she'd probably run away you know?"
Great, so the fabricated story bit me in the ass. Couldn't Enda pull some strings or something? I'll have to thank Aoife later, and Arisa too.
Cryic had completely fallen through, and it was my fault. Dragon fire alone wouldn't be hot enough to melt the coins, it was Calegriss that did it.
In the letter Arisa and Hawk left me, it briefly touched on their plans while away as it boiled down to the consequences of my actions, and a delayed Heroes Giving present.
They didn't blame me, but it only stacked on top of the shame and doubt already growing in my heart.
Shouldn't I clean up my own mess?
They left a ring alongside the letter, and made a few modifications to my relic. Two enchanted metal strips had been clamped onto the grip, lining up with each hand. When I pour mana into the ring, it pulls the relic back to me, like it was attached by a fishing line.
A fairly common Adventurers enchantment, dubbed the 'Rec-Ring' for short. Normally such a thing would only be attached to Wands, Staffs, or anything built not to leave a nasty wound.
Ota insisted I wear it on my right hand, as putting it on my left would mean something, but she didn't elaborate further, only drilling in the symbolic importance.
Well I'm mostly right handed anyway, really should give my relic a name...
"So where does the 'twist' come in?"
"They spin a wheel, and whatever thing it lands on, you fight with"
"Ah, so it is basically a game, or entertainment for everyone else. Can we just go home instead?"
Ota wrapped her arm around my head in a joking manner, she knew I wouldn't run, but thought it would be funny to pretend either way.
"Nope! We're going straight to the top! Besides, if you show that your better than everyone, they miiiiight just up your rank, instead of going through those boring exams"
I wasn't sure if I should tell her I'd done them all before, to the point of surpassing the A rank requirement of the Adventures and Hunters guild, thanks to spending so much time in almost every profession my hometown had. Most of it felt like common sense once you knew the answers.
From tracking prey, survival without a weapon, all theory to do within each guild's common work. A surprising amount came down to equipment usage and maintenance. The only thing stopping me back then was a lack of said equipment, or a weapon, even armor, and my body.
Now that I had everything, I could only ask myself why haven't I pursued that dream I once had instead of all the extra training and lessons.
I've gained so much and done nothing... I-
"I'm such a fucking idiot"
"What's gotten into you?"
"That day we met, if I hadn't run into, well, you know, I had a plan"
"Yeah, I mean, you're an Orphan right? We both are, so what was it? Get money, start up a new clan, get a harem, kill an unkillable Witch?"
"What? No, it was to live on the road, be an Adventurer. Is that what you want?"
"Yeah, well, mostly"
Her head dipped for a second as when mentioned a harem. I got the feeling that was a complete lie to mask another goal, simply using her own lost clan's history mixed with her own goals. That of her curse and its effects.
Maybe she just wants someone to-
"Annnyway! You gotta win your fights ok?"
"Why? Wait, what weapons are on the wheel?"
I hadn't practiced a few weapons in a while, and even though I brought my relic, I knew E rank fought with wooden weapons anyway.
"Meh, who cares what's on it? Punching is always an option too, you remember that training you did, right? That Sister said your a really fast learner"
My training with Sister Naji taught me a ton I had no idea about, even if I was only able to pull off one offensive technique, her insight to defense was immeasurable. That was the secret to becoming a champion within a single season, her ability to redirect, dodge and defend.
That said, it wasn't like I was starting from zero either. After learning all I could with basic spells and common weapons, Naji ran me through some drills whenever she saw I had nothing to do. At the time I had no idea everything I did strengthened and increased my Aura.
I found out later that was what General Orth Dare could see through sheer experience, hence why he pitted Ota and I against each other.
"Most of the time people in E rank do it to find parties or get scouted, so, how about you handicap yourself or something?"
"Wouldn't that be kinda disrespectful?"
"The other option is to beat someone so hard they have to put you in a higher tier, oh! That reminds me! Enda wants at least one of us to meet the 'Mystery Man'"
"... Really? Mystery man?"
"Some sponsor or something, if you beat whoever for whatever bracket you get to go up a rank, so probably guild trainers in disguises maybe?"
"Wait, how far would they put me up if I beat someone really easily?"
"Probably... yeah nah only up to D now that I think about it"
The Guild ranking system always seemed strange until I saw the difference between A and S was quite a gap. Each rank is said to be able to take on five to ten of the rank underneath them, and fights could boil down to only a few seconds each.
From all the fights I've seen that was often the case if the goal was to get someone to stand down, even faster if the end result was death, then it became a fight no holds barred.
Slight differences in strength, power, speed, endurance and experience could easily determine a winner before a battle even began.
Well then, I guess there is a way to get to C with everyone else.
"So, if I pull off an easy win I should fight D rank at least?"
"Yeah probably... Oohhh I see what you're doing! Heh, there may be hope for you after all!"
"What the hell does that mean!"
"Who knows?"
She slapped my ass forward as we passed under the temporary celebration gates and gave a thumbs up.
You bet your ass I'll remember that one Ota.
Stalls, games and smaller competitions had been set up in a large circle creating a loop around a massive tent smack bang in the middle of the hill.
"Wait, where do I even go, and where is Fae and Adelard?"
"Fae's probably preparing in the med bay, it's the tent at the back. You should probably go in through the entrance there as well. I'm going to get some food. Ya want anything?"
"Not yet. What about Adelard?"
"Oh, you'll hear from him soon enough, catch ya later!"
She hurried off following her nose in search of something tasty. I still had almost an hour before my fight, but I got the feeling I should go prepare now. It wouldn't be long until a sea of people arrived either way.
Wait, what does she mean by 'hear'?