「Year 723」
『Velvana territory — Pantoran』
In North Pantoran, District Two.
Archibald and Lamperogue walked along the crowded road paved with cobblestones of different hues.
The scent of smoke and metal wafted through the air, emanating from the numerous dwarf blacksmiths and their forges lining the street.
As they passed by, the blacksmiths would occasionally wave at them or shout compliments about Archibald's new adventuring attire.
Elves, on the other hand, stood at their stalls selling a variety of magical items such as scrolls, wands, staves and precious gems, which sparkled enticingly in the bright sunlight.
Archibald couldn't resist the smell of freshly baked goods and had a fruitcake in hand.
After a big bite, he exclaimed, "This is so good!"
He savored the tangy taste.
Lamperogue glanced over and remarked, "Shouldn't you wait until after the battle to enjoy that treat?"
Archibald shrugged, "Nah, they taste better fresh out of the oven!" Offering Lamperogue a piece, he said, "Want a bite?"
Lamperogue declined, "No thanks. I don't feel like catching your germs."
"(Bruh..)" (Archibald)
Archibald laughed, "Suit yourself, you're missing out on a world of taste and flavor!"
Taking a moment to look around, Archibald couldn't believe how quickly time had flown by.
"It's been over two years since we saved Undine and stopped the Byzan Army, and no one even knows what we did!" (Archibald)
Lamperogue nodded and replied, "So much has happened since then, like what happened in Milford."
Archibald stopped eating his fruitcake, his mood darkening.
"We agreed never to talk about what happened in Milford." (Archibald)
Lamperogue reminded him, "But if Rumia ever hears even a hint of what happened, I'll be forced to tell her."
Archibald sighed, "Fine, I agree."
They continued walking down the busy road, eager to meet up with Rumia and Lutessa at the Nupokute Forest region.
...
In the Nupokute Forest.
They approached the Grimgar tree, Archibald gazed in awe at its immense size and beauty.
The leaves were a deep shade of green and seemed to glow with an otherworldly light.
The bark was rough, textured, and looked like it had been carved by a master artist.
A few adventurers were gathered around the tree, some were tending to their wounds while others were resting or preparing for their next battle.
The atmosphere was tense, and the air was thick with anticipation.
Just then, Rumia and Lutessa rushed up to Archibald and Lamperogue.
"Where have you two been? There's been so many people getting hurt!" exclaimed Rumia.
Archibald tried to play it cool, "Oh, just doing some image training before the match," he chuckled nervously.
Lamperogue sighed, "Don't listen to him, he stopped by the bakery to get some fruitcakes."
Rumia put her hands on her head and sighed, "Seriously Archibald, you can never take anything seriously."
Archibald finished the last bite of his fruitcake, "Hey, I was hungry, okay? Gotta eat before the fight starts."
Lutessa then noticed some cake on Archibald's face and helped him clean it off with her handkerchief. "You don't want to look like a slob during the fight," she teased.
Archibald grinned, "Thanks, I almost forgot about that."
Suddenly, Archibald's expression became serious, "So, where's Rachel? Is she ready for our fight?"
Rumia replied, "She's over there," pointing to a nearby clearing.
Archibald took a deep breath, "Alright then, let's do this."
As Archibald stepped into the clearing, he could see the betting tables set up on the sidelines, with people eagerly placing their wagers.
Some were confident of Rachel's victory and placed large sums of money on her.
Others believed in the underdog, placing bets on Archibald and his team.
"Archibald has a chance of going ten seconds against her.."
"Who the fuck is Archibald?"
"The guy with red hair.."
"Yeah, he's pretty good, but I don't think I'll stake my money on a kid."
"I'm telling you go big or go home."
"He has a point though, remember what that Lamper something guy did."
"Oh yeah, that guy... we all thought he'd last five seconds and he lasted twelve, I lost a lot of money cause of him!"
"Haha! Sucker!"
Additionally, there were higher stakes bets for those who believed Rachel would be defeated.
The betting system had added an extra layer of excitement to the match.
This ensured that everyone could participate and potentially profit while enjoying the spectacle.
These bets had a starting odd of 2, meaning for every second someone lasts against her, the odd increases by 0.5.
For example, if someone put 10,000 silver pieces on a challenger to defeat Rachel, they would get a payout of 24,000 silver pieces if the challenger lasted for 20 seconds.
If the challenger managed to beat Rachel, then the payout would be 50,000 silver pieces, meaning a gain of 40,000 silver pieces.
But, that was unlikely.
To prevent illegal actions and disputes, the betting was monitored by the guild.
They kept track of the bets and had their most trusted adventurers ensure that the results were fair.
If there was any suspicion of foul play, the guild would launch an investigation and take appropriate action.
Even if Ranker Season was an unofficial event, guilds took it seriously.
「One. They got a 25% of all the bets made throughout the season.
Two. It gives them a chance to evaluate their adventurers.
Three. They can rest seeing as adventurers will be more focused on it and less on quests.
Four. The guild with that has the highest success rate against a Ranker have the opportunity to advertise their guild and get more members.」
As the crowd of adventurers swarmed around Rachel, Rumia caught sight of Vesta and waved at him.
Vesta Darmadar.
A tall, muscular man with short brown hair and a matching beard, waved back and strode over to them.
His dark green armor encased him from head to toe, giving him an intimidating air.
He's a Rank A+ adventurer.
"Hey there, Rumia," Vesta greeted her with a warm smile. "What brings you guys here?"
Rumia grinned and gestured towards Archibald, who was busy registering his name as one of the participants.
"We're here to watch the show, though Archibald there seems to have other plans." (Rumia)
Vesta rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Archibald, huh? He doesn't strike me as the type to be interested in something like this." (Vesta)
Lamperogue piped up from beside Rumia. "That's because Rumia forced him to participate."
Vesta burst out laughing. "As expected from her. So when's Archibald's match?"
Rumia checked the schedule. "He's up against Rachel in about half an hour."
Vesta grinned widely.
"I can't wait to see what Archibald will do against her. He's a really good swordsman, but he's too lazy to bother with quests, which is why he's still Rank C." (Vesta)
The rest of the group nodded in agreement, and Rumia shot Archibald a teasing smirk.
"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, Archibald."
Of course, she knew he wouldn't hear her from where he was.
Nonetheless, she said it.