"Ouch," Miriam rose in our bed, holding onto the scorched spot on her abdomen.
"Let me see," Feris quickly unfastened the girl's dress and lifted the thin chainmail protecting her torso. Alfred's staff strike landed just below the solar plexus. Red marks from the chainmail imprinted on her skin: "What a 'noble knight,' is it really acceptable to strike a girl like this?" The healer swiftly began treating the girl's wounds.
"Well, what can you do? I knew who I was fighting, and it's inevitable in such battles," the pain gradually subsided, and the girl relaxed, reclining on a chair.
"But that's another matter; he clearly anticipated your attack and could have countered with a weaker spell. A strike of that force to the chest would have knocked you out, regardless."
"Well, then he wanted her not only to lose but also to remember how foolish it is to engage in combat with mages," I said with indifference, turning my gaze to the arena. "A magical strike of sufficient power, even if he had simply gathered mana at the tip of his staff, but he chose to gather fire mana and created a sufficiently scorching flame. He wanted to leave a reminder of his victory on Miriam, some kind of mark of the defeated." Everyone looked at the archer's belly, a perfectly round scar about ten centimeters in diameter adorned with a chainmail pattern.
"If her body hadn't been covered by the chainmail, the mark would have been just a small round spot no larger than the tip of his staff. But knowing that you wear the chainmail your father gave you, he calculated the flame's temperature so that it would evenly heat the impact area and brand you," Seleria, the master of fire magic, offered a little consultation. "What a scoundrel to mock a girl's body like this!"
"Well, I don't really care. As a warrior, I'm prepared to have a couple of scars on my body, although I'd prefer them to be smaller. But what did I do to deserve this from him?"
"It's simple. You were the first one to challenge his divine protection, and by doing so in front of his father and the king, you greatly disgraced him," I said, in a matter-of-fact tone, turning to the arena. "His shield couldn't stop such an attack, so he had to block the arrow with his staff. If it weren't for the shield, the arrow would have pierced him through. HOWEVER, your attack managed to break through his divine protection, and that's why your last strike, if it had succeeded, could have reached him. So he decided to end the fight before you surrendered."
"So, he's not as invincible as he claims to be? But for someone so confident in his victory, he calculated my moves quite well. Maybe if I had started with that attack, I could have achieved something."
"Doubtful," I pondered the arrangement of arrows reflected by Alfred's shield, still remaining on the arena. "I don't yet know his secret, but it seems that the shield's strength is supported by his confidence, and the more he tires, the weaker his defense becomes. By the way, Aileen, if you plan to win in the first round, the next opponent will be him. Will you try to break his shield?"
Everyone turned their gaze towards the engineer.
"Of course, I plan to win, and I'm already considering tactics. Although I doubt I can make such a powerful attack as Miri did, I'll try to bypass his defense."
"Hold on, hold on, hold on!! No need to share your plans with your opponents!" A high-pitched voice interrupted us from the door frame. In the doorway stood a proud merchant accompanied by the other commentators. "No need to spoil the intrigue! Besides, the bets on your victory and Alfred's are quite high! Let everything remain a secret." The delegation of commentators proceeded to the box.
"Oh, who do we have here? 'Aren't we going to earn some money on our comrades?'" I made a sarcastic remark towards Vina.
"Hehehe, well, what are friends for if not to help a loyal comrade earn some quick cash," Vina smirked happily and spread her hands. "Besides, I promise to donate a small portion of the profit to the guild's general fund." The girl with a devilish smile sneaked up behind Vivien and hugged her from the back.
"Hee-hee, it's unexpected dark horses like our Vivi that bring me unprecedented profits. No one doubted Miguel's victory, so I made a fortune on the losing bets." While Vina bragged about the benefits of weak defeating strong, Rector quietly approached Miriam and began the treatment. I noticed how the golden light emanating from his hands literally evaporated the burn marks, and in just a couple of minutes, all traces of the branding disappeared.
"So fight with all your might, amaze the audience, and it wouldn't hurt if someone with a low rating wins. Then my profit will be enormous. Wahahaha."
"And who are the favorites for victory?"
"Hmmm, well, I actually can't tell you that," Vina replied.
"Then why did you come here at all?"
"Okay, okay," Vina took out a small notebook from her belt pouch. "The most bets are placed on Katrina and Alfred's victory. But most likely, it's because the majority of the audience are residents of Verania. Though many bet on Ragni and Seleria; apparently, all the guests from Nordrune bet on Hilda's victory, although many of them spat on the ground at the brokers, which can be interpreted as a refusal to bet. Many students from the Martial Arts Faculty bet on our warriors, especially on Asura."
"Well, and on whom did the fewest people place their bets?" I tried to peek into the merchant's notebook, but she skillfully hid it.
"Krito, why do you care about this? Don't worry about trifles."
"So, is it me?" I looked into Vina's eyes, and she guiltily looked away.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Maybe it's because of how I introduced you, but you know what, I just didn't know what to say about you!"
"Well, okay, just tell me how many people support me then?"
Vina fell silent and tried to turn away, pretending not to hear the question.
"Well, how many?" I nudged the merchant's hand and peered into the notebook. On the last line next to my name was the number two. "Just two? Didn't think I was that unpopular. One of them must be Kurone, but who's the second?"
"I don't know, he wished to remain anonymous."
"Hmm, didn't think it was that bad. Should I drop out of this tournament?"
"Hey, hey! Don't you dare! If you win, I'll make a fortune from the losing bets, so don't even think about it!" Vina tried to encourage me as best she could, and that was enough for me.
"All right, Krito. Don't worry so much. You defeated me, even though it seems more people bet on my victory," Algo patted my shoulder and looked pensively at the sky. "I wonder who bet on me."
"Well, I got invitations for your relatives from Renerim, and I also managed to get a dozen invitations for Koroldayne. So, there are people who can bet on you."
"Ah," a necromancer standing behind us gasped quietly and tried to spot them in the stands. "So, who came?"
"Hoho, all your students are here, Madam Teacher," Vina walked up to Rizel and poked her in the side teasingly. Shyly fiddling with her fingers, the girl turned to the wall.
"Well... I... am glad, of course. But I'm not sure if I should meet with them."
"Didn't one of the girls recognize you when we were leaving?"
"Right, I need to do something else. I'll join you later!" Rizel quickly retreated before we could even blink.
"Leira, I'll give you a thousand gold if you manage to snatch her cloak in the battle. I'm just dying of curiosity about how our shy girl looks."
"Are you that interested?"
"Aren't you?" Leira scratched her chin thoughtfully.
"Alright, I'll try, although I'm not very confident in my victory." Rector, who had finished treating Miriam, returned to us.
"Now, now, young lady, no need to despair before the battle even begins. Although I admit that Rizel's power as a mage and as a warrior is probably the greatest among all of you."
"WHAT? Even more than Katrina?" Leira raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Yes, you've never seen her fight at full strength before, so you can't compare. But I personally conducted her entrance exam, in which she obtained the fifth level. Besides, necromancers have a special system of inheriting combat skills from their predecessors, and I think she'll be no weaker than Asura in close combat."
"Oh-oh, Rector!! You just declared her the main contender for victory!" I protested, pulling the old man away before he completely shattered the fighting spirit of the noble lady.
"Now, now, don't be alarmed! Rizel's problem lies in her modesty and some awkwardness, so you can lure her into a trap. Just like Katrina had no chance of defeating Grain, none of you have a chance of beating Rizel."
"But Kat..." Leira suddenly realized something important and bowed to Rector. "Thank you for the hint, even if I can't win this match, I'll do my best!"
"Great fighting spirit," Vina rubbed her hands with satisfaction. "Colorful battles, that's what makes a true show. Moreover, by the will of the draw, the battle on which the most bets have been placed will be the last one. Many people can't wait to see who deserves the title of the Fire Princess the most. Hehehe."
Vina smiled slyly, exchanging glances with Seleria and Ragni.
"Well, that's great. I've been wanting to find out for a while too," Seleria smiled back at Ragni, and the dark princess returned the smile.
"And I'm so glad the tournament for me starts with this battle."
"Enough of the banter, it's time to have lunch before the upcoming fights. By the way, Asura, I reserved a spot for your cafe. If you leave the tournament, you can still make good money with it. I think many people would love to see the participants as waiters."
"Vina, the embodiment of greed, do you ever think about anything other than money?" I gazed at her in horror, and she responded with eyes full of childlike innocence.
"Why should I? Making money everywhere, anytime - that's MY MOTTO!" Vina proudly thumped her chest and led us to the right stand.
"Well then, Levris, please stay here. We need to fix everything," Rector bid us farewell and remained in the lodge, while we followed the girl in the golden outfit.
Not far from the entrance, one could say in the best place from a trade perspective, there was a modest stall with five tables in front of it.
"Our brave warriors need to rest, and I'll prepare something," Werner quickly hopped behind the counter, and we settled at the tables.
"I'll help too," Kurone followed suit. We moved a couple of tables together and sat together. Passersby were clearly interested in the presence of most tournament participants in one place, so suspicious glances surrounded us from all sides.
"We came here to have lunch, but it might seem like we're discussing plans for the upcoming fights," I glanced at everyone in turn, and tension at the table only increased.
"Indeed, it does look that way," a familiar cheeky voice sounded from the passage. The trio, dressed in the uniforms of mages with church attributes, leisurely approached the cafe. "Just the fact that more than half of the participants are from the same guild and their treasurer has set up a massive betting system for this tournament raises significant suspicions." No one could argue, and therefore, Alfred could freely throw accusations at us.
"I wouldn't be surprised if most of the matches between you were fixed," Alfred disdainfully shrugged his shoulders. "I think you're arranging them to make more profit. After all, part of your trading income will go into the guild's budget. I wonder if the battle with the most bets today will also go according to plan?"
Seleria and Ragni clenched their fists but didn't know how to respond. I noticed Vivien slowly reaching for her spear and decided to speak up first.
"Bravo, bravo, you've exposed us!" Without turning to the rude man, I theatrically began applauding his speech.
"What?" Alfred clearly didn't expect such audacity from me, and after my words, the crowd started gathering around, waiting to hear more. "So, you do admit it."
"Of course," with a devilish smile, I turned to the trio and glanced at the burly man, "Isn't that right, Miguel?"
"What do you mean?" Miguel never excelled in mental abilities, making it easy to provoke him.
"Well, think about it," I leisurely sipped the tea just brought by Kurone, "How could an ordinary, unremarkable fighter like her defeat a powerful fire mage, the son of high-ranking parents, known for his incredible strength and determination?"
"What are you implying?!" The mage stepped forward threateningly but was stopped by his guild-master.
"I'm not implying anything; I'm saying it openly. You could only lose if you let her win. But what's wrong with that? A few minutes of shame, but you can make good money."
"Go to hell! I don't need money; if I have the opportunity, I'll crush any enemy in the dirt!"
"But still, you lost," I smirked, "Now I'm curious, will the next round between Milena and Alfred be equally fair?" I gave a menacing look at the two mages, and Milena looked away.
"Looks like the girl isn't sure she should fight at her full strength. What a surprise," Alfred turned to the sorceress, but she didn't meet his gaze, "It's convenient for you, Mr. Inquisitor when your subordinates act as opponents; then you don't have to worry about winning."
"And after your previous words, you dare accuse me of rigging the results?!"
"Why not? Or did something in the previous battles indicate that we didn't fight at our full strength? Oh, I think I understand. To avoid suspicion, maybe your protege will deliberately lose the next battle? What do you say?" I disdainfully pointed at Milena and grinned.
"None of my comrades are planning to lose to you in any fights, so don't even hope for it!"
"Oh, it's such a shame one of them already lost," I faked surprise, "but thank you. If Milena threw the match, it would be so boring."
"I know how to make her a bit more serious," Aileen quietly approached the temple mages during the conversation, "I think I should provoke her a little." With those words, the guardian poured her cup of tea over the water mage's head. The tea wasn't too hot, but the feeling must have been unpleasant.
"Yes, that will make it even more interesting."
"Filthy commoners," Alfred gave me and Aileen a disgusted look and turned away, "I hope I'll have the chance to teach you some manners. Let's go; it's not worth wasting time on this rabble." The group turned around and prepared to leave when I called out to their leader.
"You know what, I wasn't particularly interested in participating in the tournament, but I think I've found a goal."
"Do you want fame and money? You lowborns always want more."
"Oh no, I don't really care about money. I just want to beat one despicable scoundrel to instill a little respect for women," casting a quick glance at Miriam, I looked back at Alfred, "Some 'nobles' think that because of their high status, they can do anything they want. But once you put their face in the dirt, they all become the same. Just human, with all the necessary flaws."
I grinned, but Alfred didn't say a word and walked away. As Milena left, she ran her hand through her hair and clothes and, with a swift motion, extracted all the moisture from them, pouring it onto the floor.
After the brief altercation, the people gathered around us lost interest and dispersed.
"Well, the defender of the oppressed, I've never seen anyone put the inquisitors in their place so skillfully," Vina playfully tousled my hair and turned to Aileen, "Oh, Lady Guardian, did you purposely try to provoke that silent sorceress? As for me, it seems like you didn't succeed."
"Heh-heh," a malicious grin slowly spread across the warrior's face, "Did you all think I just wanted to anger her? Well, then, I succeeded."
"It seems you wanted to see her magic in action?" I remarked.
"Hmm, Krito, as always, you're perceptive. And I've already come up with a few tricks for that," she replied.
Nothing else of interest happened during lunch, but when we returned to the balcony, the names of new participants greeted us.
"Milena Warden against Aileen Draglein."
"Aileen, it seems you'll get to showcase your skills sooner than we thought."