"Is this Green Hill Village?"
"Had it not been for the incident, I wouldn't have heard of this place."
The tall young man with short black hair spoke from atop his horse, his sharp eyes scanning the passersby with a sense of disdain. His elderly companion answered calmly, "Investigating such matters is the responsibility of the main family. Besides, there's no harm in checking out the local youth. We might find a talent or two to enroll in the institute."
The young man with sharp eyes gave a forced smile, "Do you really think you'll find talents in a place like this? You're quite the optimist."
The village locals were abuzz, as news of a member from the Blackstone family, which ruled this village and its surrounding cities, reached them. However, the youth were excited, as they might get a chance to move to the city, opening up new opportunities for them. Throughout the morning hours, they prepared for the competition, except for Alex, who sat, unaffected, eating his seventh plate of noodles. "The bill, please."
"A hundred and twenty silvers, sir," the waiter replied, as though expecting the question.
"A hundred and twenty? Did I eat roast fear and not know it?"
"Sir, this is the bill for the third day in a row, and frankly, you have quite the appetite," the waiter gestured to the piled-up plates.
"And, Doctor, don't forget to pay my bill as well; it's a hundred silvers." Alex looked at the waiter and pointed his finger towards the doctor, "He'll pay."
The doctor's food dropped from his mouth as soon as he heard the word "compensation." 'Enough is enough. I'm leaving this village,' he thought. Of course, he didn't dare say it openly; he just cursed the white-haired devil in his head.
Alex hadn't set foot outside the restaurant when he encountered someone blocking his path, anger evident in their eyes. "Where do you think you're going without fulfilling your promise?"
"Hey, youngster, don't meddle in matters that don't concern you."
The young man with sharp eyes answered calmly, taking a deep breath. "I apologize if I misinterpreted you. I've come to this village to pursue a certain matter, and I won't stop until it's done."
The anger was palpable in the eyes of the other young man, and before he continued his aggressive actions, his elderly companion intervened to calm the situation. "I advise you to remain calm, sir. There's no need for public arguments."
The young man with sharp eyes glanced at the elderly companion and then looked away from the other young man. "I'll continue my mission, and no one will hinder me. If you have something urgent to do, then do it."
After a tense silence that lasted for moments, the angry young man moved aside, expressing his surrender to the situation.
As the young man with sharp eyes continued walking outside, the doctor smiled with a pretentious smile and said loudly to the waiter, "I think it's a hundred silvers, right?"
The waiter replied hesitantly, "Yes, sir."
Once the young man with sharp eyes and his elderly companion were outside, the elderly man smiled that forced smile and said, "I hope this will be enough to settle his bill. We must proceed and not dwell on this matter."
"Certainly, sir."
They continued walking through the streets, leaving a trail of controversy and annoyance behind them.
A girl with two braids stood in the middle of the road, her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out. Her action made her look cuter and more charming.
"Brother, didn't you promise me you'd defeat Luna's brother? All you do is eat and wander around all the time."
Alex bent down, and in a single motion, Angela was on his shoulders. "Dear princess, wandering outside isn't advisable. You'll only make your mother worry about you."
The girl ignored his warning and pointed with her finger towards the gathering crowd. "Luna's brother is there. Hurry up and go defeat him."
"As you wish, Your Highness. Let's go."
He mimicked the sound of a horse and rushed towards the arena, while his sister cheered excitedly.
In the center of the village square, a rectangular platform had been set up for the young contestants. The first and second-ranked fighters would be selected by the noble Blackstone family to join the external branch of the Martial Arts Institute.
All eyes were on Steve, a dark-skinned young boy with blond hair, thirteen years old. He was undoubtedly the top contender as he had won two matches and was preparing for his third, against a girl this time. The tension was palpable on the girl, but somehow she managed to gather her courage and prepare for the fight.
"Step back a little."
A strange hand pushed the girl aside, and a young man with white hair stepped forward towards Steve, asking, "Are you Luna's brother? I must defeat you as I promised my sister."
Steve was surprised, as was everyone else here, for Alex hadn't signed up for the competition and showed no interest in joining the institute. Since he had been absent for years, it was natural for him not to be taken into consideration. Finally, the blond boy snapped out of his shock and smiled, saying, "So you're Luna's little brother. Listen, I know the whole story. My mischievous sister always tries to provoke her peers. But as you can see, I'm busy today."
Steve stepped towards Alex and whispered, "Don't you see the beautiful girl behind you? She's my chance to impress her. What do you say we postpone the fight to tomorrow, and I promise I'll pretend to lose in front of your sister?"
"No need for postponement or pretense. The matter ends here and now," Alex said, rolling up his sleeves, his actions bordering on audacity, especially with representatives from the Blackstone family present. The village leader wiped his sweat and forced a smile, trying to justify Alex's behavior to the guests. "He's a reckless young man, formerly a prisoner of the Inka. Nobody taught him the proper manners to interact with nobles. I'll intervene to stop him."
The elder stroked his beard, and the mention of the Inka drew attention. "Isn't he the boy who reported Monroe's murder?"
The village leader nodded. "Let's see what he's capable of."
Steve sighed and declined to take a fighting stance. "Listen, I'm three ranks above you, about to break into the Spirit rank. It'll only be embarrassing for you in front of your sister and all these people. Why not leave this for when we're alone?"
Alex wanted to wrap up the matter. He wouldn't escape his sister's anger if he withdrew, so he turned to the girl who had taken her role and said, "Cover your ears for a moment; you shouldn't hear this. Hey, blond son of a b*tch!"
Despite lowering his voice, those outside the arena couldn't hear anything, but the girl was close enough. She dashed out of the ring, her face red like a tomato.
"I'm going to shut that cursed mouth up." Steve's eyes turned red with anger as he unleashed his power. A crimson energy gathered around his body, and he launched a heavy punch towards Alex's face. Even from a distance, you could see ripples in the air due to the strength of his blows. The elder chuckled to himself, thinking, 'The blond isn't bad. He's on the brink of entering the Spirit realm. Based on those ripples in the air, I can say his strength has surpassed his level. He seems to be in a state of excitement.'
The village leader widened his eyes, shocked, and his gaze halted the approaching descent into the ring. He signaled to wait. "Impossible. The Autumn Leaf skill!"
Amidst the arena, a torrent of fast punches and kicks sliced through the air, aimed at Alex's body. However, it was all in vain. All those powerful and rapid attacks ended up in thin air. Alex moved with astonishing agility and grace, effortlessly avoiding everything thrown at him.
After a while of disarray, Steve figured out his opponent's pattern. He realized that he couldn't touch him with such an attack, and his opponent did nothing but maneuver and smile. In the midst of all this tension, his moves became clear and anticipated.
'What's going on exactly? How is it possible that I can't... What's this blue color? What's happening as I stare at the sky?'
Silence engulfed the area as nobody precisely understood what had happened. In a single moment, the roles had flipped, and the attacker was thrown out of the ring. Angela's cheers and joyful jump served as the cue for everyone to snap out of their shock.
"He's won! My brother has won! You're the best, my brother!" Due to Angela's exuberant cheers and jumping, everyone was jolted out of their disbelief.
He had won simply by evading a punch, then catching Steve's arm and tossing him off his shoulder outside the ring. "He's out of the ring, and according to the fight's rules, Steve has lost the match," one of the spectators commented.
No one had expected such an outcome. Even though they witnessed the battle, they were still having trouble believing it.