[Are you going to the tournament?]
Crucifix suddenly asked, and Meliora, who was stuffing her face with food, stopped in her tracks. Lucie bent forward, trying to catch her breath.
"What tournament?" she asked absentmindedly, her eyes twinkling when she saw a stall with beautiful dresses on full display. In her past life, she loved dresses but never got to wear them because she was always inside.
[Judging from what the commoners are saying, there seems to be some tournament going on. You could use that to know what exactly is happening.]
"And why would I care?" she kept on going as she finally unglued herself from the glass and continued walking. The shops around were not as advanced as in the modern world, but they still made everything beautiful. It was a sight to see.
[Master, remember you are no longer indoors, so be careful and focus on what we are here for.]
Meliora rolled her eyes, pissed off at Crucifix's nagging. "Am I the one who programmed you? You act like a different person," she drawled, kicking her feet.
Lucie, who followed behind, looked at her with curiosity, while looking around to check who Meliora was speaking with. There was no one around her, making her worry more.
'Was master crazy?' That was the first thing that came to her mind as they continued to walk. Suddenly, Meliora turned around, surprising them.
"Hey guys! Why don't we go watch the tournament?" she beamed at them, and they looked at her with raised brows. That was when she noticed that Kaid was in new clothes and the blood on his body had been wiped off.
She could not help but stare more intensely at him. She never knew someone could look so good to this extent. Johan could never compare to his beauty and power, even though she knew she had never seen Johan fight before.
"What are you up to now?" Kaid was the first to ask as he lazily drawled, crossing his arms and yawning.
The image of a handsome-looking knight in Meliora's mind was shattered in one sentence, and she went back to glaring at him. "Not everyone is unpredictable like you, Mr.," she snapped.
"But why do you want to go to such rowdy places, Princess?" The knight beside Kaid asked, breaking the sparks flying between Meliora and Kaid.
She turned her attention to the knight, crossing her arms and scanning him from head to toe.
"What's your name?" she asked him, her brows raised curiously, quite surprised that she hadn't asked him this before. She felt embarrassed.
"My name is Rylan, my esteemed princess," he introduced, his face brightened with joy knowing that Meliora had finally remembered to ask his name.
"Rylan, that's a nice name." She flashed a sweet smile at him, and his ears tinged red. "Now shall we go, and don't worry, we will be quick. After all, tomorrow is the registration," she cooed, trying to change his mind.
She wasn't scared of watching brawls because it was no different from the ones she normally watched. But she never knew that this wasn't like the game she always watched.
While she was trying to think of a way to enjoy the next big show, Kaid appeared behind her and draped his coat over her shoulders. Meliora flinched but cosied up in a second after feeling the warmth.
"Since you want to see some people get roughed up, you might need something to cover up so people don't feed their eyes on you," Kaid warned, his voice dripping into Meliora's ears.
Her face flushed red from the proximity, and she pushed herself away from him and got closer to Lucie, who was fixing her eyes on the road in deep thought.
"Don't you have any decency, Knight Kaid!" she snarled, crossing her arms defensively. He threw his head back and laughed before he continued walking.
"Come, I will show you the way," With that, the four of them started for the tournament, which was happening in the underground night market. People only went there to find smuggled goods or items that the government didn't approve of.
But everyone knew that the king himself knew about this. Meliora bought the tickets in excitement, but when she walked into the venue, she regretted it immediately.
It was bloody. Rowdy. Violent. Most of the time, Meliora would hide behind Kaid and Rylan, hoping they would block her from seeing everything unfold. There was no way for her to turn around because people were packed in there too.
It was like a football field, but even worse because they were all like chewing gum packed together. Meliora looked over to Lucie, who wasn't panicking like that, and saw that she was enjoying it.
She had this spark in her eyes that even the dim part they stood in couldn't hide. Another thing to note down for Meliora was that Lucie liked such places.
[It's because you are an introvert, which is why you can never enjoy such places.]
Crucifix commented. Meliora's lips lifted at the corner, revealing some of her teeth in a tch. She hated when Crucifix pointed out the obvious.
She thought this would be the same as the games she usually played, but this was more realistic—real blood splashed everywhere. That fact was the reason she chose to press against Kaid and Rylan.
Rylan was immersed in the game, but Kaid, from the corner of his eye, continued to observe Meliora. With each of her behaviors, he noticed he was interested in her more.
He knew he was meant to leave long ago, but he felt that if he continued following her, he would be in for real fun.
That was how the night ended quickly, and Meliora knew she was traumatized. Most of the men who went into the ring died, and they didn't even use fists.
Meliora thought that magic was only limited to the nobles, but the commoners also had magic. She put it at the back of her mind to ask Crucifix later on.
*****
The wind rustled through the window, and Meliora had to close the windows. Lucie was sleeping with a smile spread across her face. That was the most that Meliora had ever seen on her face, but it was a big step.
She was growing from a big robot to a bashful and cute one.
"Crucifix, My Information," Meliora started in a whisper as she sat in the corner of the bed. Soon, the translucent screen flashed before her eyes, revealing her information.
[Master, you're yet to heal your scars. Materialize me and then break the seal.]
Crucifix informed her of her tasks, but then Meliora mused in deep thought. The seal had been bothering her for a while now, and she needed more information about that.
"Do you think there is anyone I need to see who knows about this seal?" Meliora asked as she zoomed in on the seal information when she clicked the drop-down attached to the sentence.
[According to the information I have gathered, Meliora has a nanny who personally took care of her and breastfed her without anyone knowing. When the current queen found out about this, she immediately banished the lady. But right now, the lady is residing in this city with two kids and her husband.]
Crucifix narrated. Meliora could not help but be shocked. She was already brooding about the fact that the woman was banished but never knew it was so easy to find her.
"Where exactly is she in this imperial city?" she hurriedly asked, and the map information of the Clariant Empire appeared before her eyes. She zoomed in on the marked areas.
[Peach Blossom Alley. This place was packed with commoners, supported by the royal family.]
"Then that would be our next destination," Meliora decided, her resolve firm as she prepared for the next step in her quest.