" 'You are lucky master is such a good person,' Mist finally let go. Amarok hesitated, then stared at Neo. 'It's your new master, Elder Calder. Be respectful to him as you are with me,' Neo said.

'Never! I have only one master, and it shall forever be you,' Amarok shook his head, refusing to bow.

'Insolent!' Mist forced Amarok to his knees with her palm pressing on his shoulder. She looked furious, her eyes burning with rage. 'If it wasn't for Master Calder, you wouldn't have been six feet underneath by now,' Mist said, her arms pressing even more.

'Little brat. Calder is much more experienced and has more to impart to you,' Neo felt the urge to hit him even more. Calder wasn't angered; he expected that.

'It's just a mere title, nothing to create a fuss about,' Calder waved, brushing the matter. 'Shall we go? It's just to take a look,' Calder asked once more.

'You will certainly learn a few things even if you don't participate,' Neo added. Although he was not particularly happy to attend it either, he felt it could be eye-opening for Amarok. Many talented people will be there, and due to the commotion of the past few days, even more people will be attending it.

'One last thing, where is Wisdom?' Amarok suddenly cried in shock.

'Here,' Neo pointed to a little figure charged, jumping into Neo's arms. 'With Calder's help, we could retrieve him from the school in time,' Neo said seriously.

'In time? What do you mean, and since when are you so close to Wisdom?' Amarok asked, speechless. Wisdom glared at him, seemingly asking how this bastard could let it alone for so long."

As the group of five departed towards Wandleaf arena, they couldn't help but notice the strange looks they received from the people around them. The city guards' eyes were sharp, but none dared to make a move against them. Amarok, feeling unsettled by the attention, asked, "Why do they keep looking at us that way?"

Mist, standing beside him, quipped, "With a head like yours, we ask ourselves why." Amarok replied nonchalantly, "You're right. My head is perfect. No wonder you keep sticking to me." Mist lifted an eye in shock, taken aback by his comment. "Shut up! Who would want to stick with you? The only reason I'm here is to bring you back to bed after," she spat out loudly.

The crowd around them faded into a strange silence as they overheard the duo. "What a defiant woman," their expressions seemed to say. Now it was Mist who received strange looks, and Amarok found it odd to hear such words coming from a girl as beautiful as her. Her frown deepened as she registered the awkwardness of her words, her face turning a slight shade of red.

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Amarok blinked and found himself admiring Mist's beauty despite her frown. "I would rather sleep with Wisdom than with you," he retorted, turning to his little friend in Neo's hands. Wisdom tilted his head, refusing to look at Amarok. Amarok was almost crying; he seemed to have held a grudge.

"Watch your words, lazy brat. She's your new master's disciple," Neo intervened sharply, his eyes piercing. Calder tried to diffuse the strange situation with a smile, saying,

"Let's forget about who wants to bring who to bed for now. The arena is right here." Calder hastened his steps before the arena appeared. It was an elevated platform made of stone at the center of the field. It had rows of chairs on one side; many were already filled. The chatter grew louder as the group approached.

"I hope I haven't paid for nothing," one commented. "Don't bother; there are a lot of talented people this year. Agris, the son of the Alden City Lord, notably," another continued. "Yeah, but I also heard about a boy who could fight Rune warriors with a normal sword. I'm eager to see him in action."

"You will have to wait long. Haven't you heard what happened?"

Amarok and his group found a seat around the arena, not too exposed but enough for them to see what was happening. At the center, a lady stood, dressed in a robe, pretty revealing to say the least, her eyes bright as she spoke.

"Welcome to the Golden Seasons Exam," her voice traveled through as if pushed by invisible winds. It was the familiar Echo Rune, a little symbol drawn in the air as she spoke.

"You have all been waiting in anticipation for this event. This year Wandleaf has the honor of hosting it here. It's all thanks to our City Lord," she said, pointing in his direction. He smiled in satisfaction, signaling her to continue.

"The Golden Seasons Exam has very simple rules: defeat all your opponents to reach the final," she explained. "Certain rules hold. No killing is allowed," she said after a pause. "The first three placed this year will have the chance of entering Alden Academy and earn a Düne weapon with the Fire Ember Rune. That's not all," her eyes brightened. The participants' eyes flashed with anticipation.

"The first place will get the chance to learn directly under Alden City Lord and choose a Rune weapon from his treasury," she shouted. The participants roared, their blood boiling with excitement.

"Without further ado, let it begin!" she spoke before running down the arena. Soon, two figures climbed up the arena. Amarok immediately recognized one of them; it was the boy who handed him the sword in the banquet. He looked like an adventurer, two swords sheathed diagonally on his back.

"Kinty the Invincible. Rune Warrior Initiate," he said with a smile, holding a piece of meat in his hand. Everyone was speechless; who was this guy? His opponent was fuming. "Foracht, Rune Sorcerer Apprentice," he said with a hint of annoyance. Kinty was just eating and had not even unsheathed his sword – what arrogance. A Rune Warrior Initiate was actually beneath the apprentice rank.

"A mere Rune warrior challenging a Rune sorcerer without even unsheathing his sword. How daring. Do you really think you can win??" Foracht said with a haughty tone. For him, it was like he had already won. A Rune warrior was always at a disadvantage against a Rune sorcerer.

It was common knowledge that most of the time, the Rune sorcerer won when they faced each other. For most people, the outcome of the fight was predictable. "I will defeat you in three moves," Kinty suddenly said, finishing his meat. Silence sliced through the arena; they were dumbfounded.