Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV

I sat upright in the chair and yawned. It wasn’t because I was tired or because last night was an absolute mess. It was just an involuntary early-morning yawn.

The sun was barely up, and today was going to be a long day that needed to start early. Yet, even though that was the case, I still found myself getting up earlier than anticipated and getting put through some early morning mental gymnastics.

This is not how I wanted to start the day.

I watched as the little girl in front of me, Cordelia Marinos, the nine-year-old of the Lord of Flumare, balled her fists up as she squeezed the top of her skirt as if she was about to curtsey. Tears dripped down her tired-looking face. The poor girl looked ready to break down at the drop of a hat.

It was just last night that she appeared prim and proper, greeting me like a noble young lady. But now, she just looked like a child that had been scolded. Her brother, Caspian, stood with a frustrated expression and clenched jaw.

These two, along with Lord Marinos, had come to meet me before the sun even rose in the sky. I’m sure today would be a busy day for them, so this was probably the only time they could come. It was also the earliest it could be without being completely rude.

Lord Marinos bowed his head and apologized profusely for the events that transpired last night, and now it was his children’s turn. I had assured him that it wasn’t his fault. In all honesty, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just a string of unfortunate events compounded by each other.

Dad happened to have left to fetch some water for the children while Cordelia opened the door the moment the cat got up. The animal bolted out of the room before any of the kids, or even the guard at the door could react.

Also, the sour mood I may or may not have been in at the time. Although I regret nothing.

I let out a deep breath and put on my best smile. “Cordelia, there is nothing to be sorry or regretful about. It was an accident.”

Cordelia’s tear-filled blue eyes looked up at me. “I—it—it…” She stammered over her words for a bit before her frown grew, and her emotions boiled over. It was a surprise she managed to hold them in for so long, and her crying was inevitable.

Lord Marinos looked beyond worried, but sadly, it seemed he was more worried about my reaction to his daughter crying during an apology than the fact she was crying. It was a noble way of thinking, something deeply ingrained into him from birth. But he appeared to be a good man, and according to Lin, he was a well-respected lord and father that valued his family. Perhaps he was afraid of angering me and what I would do in relation or something along those lines.

Even though I told him this wasn’t needed and it was all just one big accident.

I put up a hand to stop him and gave Cordelia a moment to herself. She wiped her tears with her long sleeves and finally managed to look me in the eyes. “But—I let the cat out an…, and you got hurt, and I’m—hic—I’m—”

Well, that was short-lived.

Cordelia cried again, and I showed her my hand, the one that had been stabbed with a sword a few hours ago. “See, nothing is wrong with me, and I’m already recovered. None of this is your fault, I swear to you, Cordelia. If anything, it’s our fault for bringing the animal, not for you accidentally letting it out or for your father allowing it to be there.” I looked Caspian directly in the face as well. “That goes for you as well, Caspian. You don’t need to apologize to me at all.”

Caspian looked surprised at my words. I got the feeling he was angry that he had to apologize despite not doing anything himself. He was a young boy, and I’m sure this was all just an annoying event for him that he would like to forget about. But maybe he was a bit on the prideful side so he struggled to apologize for something he felt was unnecessary.

And I understood that sentiment and agreed with it.

“But—Mila is—”

I shook my head at her concerns. “Mila will be fine. She just needs some time, that’s all. She may not look it, but she has been through much worse and was alone during those times. She has you and her family to look after her now. Mila is a tough little girl, so don’t worry.”

Cordelia still flapped her mouth despite no sensible words coming out. She cried some more, and eventually, I just stood up and rested a hand on their shoulders. “If it bothers you that much, then I accept your apology. And your punishment can be to root for me in the tournament. How about that?” I said while looking at Lord Marinos.

Lord Marinos’s worries were released in a flash. He grinned, and even though he didn’t say a word, his eyes thanked me. He rested a large palm atop his daughter’s head. “That doesn’t sound too bad, right? What do you have to say to Sir Dragonslayer, Cordelia?”

“Thank you…mister…” she said quietly.

Caspian gave me a quick nod of his head, and I returned it. “No problem, Cordelia. When Mila is feeling better, you should visit and talk with her. I’m sure she would like another friend even if you are older.”

Cordelia nodded meekly, and Lord Marinos excused his children. Both of them said their goodbyes, and Lord Marinos stood up with an extended hand. I shook his hand, and I could feel his firm grasp. He didn’t vocalize anything to me, yet I felt he was very thankful. Although I don’t think I should be thanked for being a half-decent person.

A maid opened the door for Lord Marinos and his family, and I sighed. I felt her intent gaze on me as she bent slightly at the waste to address me. “Sir Dragonslayer, you have another visitor.”

During the entire conversation with the Marinos's family, I heard someone shuffling outside. “Who is it to come this early in the morning?” I asked, partially knowing the answer.

“His name is Finian. We have already cross-checked his identity to his claims. He is a representative of Saber Academy and an assistant to their chancellor,” the maid informed me.

“Let him in.”

The maid bowed to me and guided the nervous man into the room. He was a surprisingly young half-Elf, maybe only a year or two older than me. His silver and turquoise suit was well-tailored, and his blonde hair was cut short. His nervousness was palpable as sweat dripped down his forehead.

The maid guided him to a seat and, unlike with my meeting with Lord Marinos, left the room, closing the door behind her. I watched Finian for a time, waiting for him to speak first, but no words left his mouth. He was like a mouse trapped by a cat.

Why did they send this kid to relay a message? Is this one of those cases in which they send someone incompetent because they couldn’t be bothered? What a petty way to go about things.

“Finian, right? I don’t believe I caught your last name,” I asked.

“Ah…it’s um…just Finnian, Sir Dragonslayer,” he mumbled nervously.

“I see. Well, there is nothing more that needs to be said or done, Mr. Finian. A punishment was dealt to all those that wronged me and my family. I would like to avoid any more unnecessary trouble,” I told him.

Finian nervously shifted in his seat, and his mouth slowly opened and closed as he tried to formulate a response. Instead, he just gave me a wry smile and used a handkerchief to wipe away his sweat. I just sighed audibly.

I’m just shooting the messenger at this point. I need to reign my emotions in and just get this over with.

“Please relay your message to me, Mr Finian.”

“It’s just that…uh…Her Highness, Princess Seraphina wishes you to formally and publicly apologize to her in front of everyone at the tournament,” Finian rattled off at lightning speed.

“That’s not going to happen.”

Finian’s jaw dropped, and his face turned sheet white as he blinked helplessly at me. I thought the man was going to vomit on me from pure nervousness.

“You can tell her that if she has any complaints, she can take it up with Her Highness, Arene Maxwell, as I am her knight. I have no intention of shaming her or the Maxwell family. You understand this, right?” I said firmly.

“I—uh—I—”

I rolled my neck and sighed. “Actually, I take that back. Just report back to her that I’ll send an official response in a few days. There’s no need for you to be involved in this anymore.”

For the first time, the nervousness dissipated somewhat. I wasn’t sure if Finian was afraid of me or his princess, but it seemed to have been a combination of both. Maybe he feared for his life.

Finian rolled off the couch onto his knees and bowed his forehead to the floorboards in a single, swift motion. “Thank you for your kindness, Sir Dragonslayer! I shall—no, my entire family shall know of this! Thank you so much!”

Uh…well, there’s my answer. This princess must be a real pain in the neck. Maybe that’s why the chancellor of Saber Academy didn’t come in person.

“Don’t mention it…” I mumbled.

Finian continued to thank me as I called for the maid to usher him out of the room. The maid from before gave me a short bow. “That is all the guests, Sir Dragonslayer.”

I gave my thanks to her and let out a deep yawn before walking back upstairs and to a room. I was on my way to a certain place when a small girl clutching a pillow stood quietly in the hallway.

“Rosemary?” I questioned.

The little girl turned her attention to me with sleepy blue eyes that screamed for the desperate need of some sleep. She rubbed the corners of her eyes. “Mila’s dad…”

I smiled softly at her. “Why don’t you go back to bed? I’m sure Mila will be better soon.”

Rosemary gave me a concerned look and slowly nodded her head. I watched as she waddled back down the hall dragging her pillow across the floor. Once she was around the corner, I quietly opened the door, and a pair of blood-red eyes stared at me from the darkness.

Why is she just sitting in the dark…doesn’t she…ah…I guess she doesn’t want to wake her.

“How did it go?” Sylvia whispered in Elvish.

“Just about how you would expect. The Marinos's family apologized needlessly, and that girl really is the second princess of Tel’an’duth. Her personality is as nasty as Lin’s information said she was,” I explained.

Sylvia clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. “What a whore…maybe I should have slapped her while I had the chance. What’s her deal anyway? Don’t tell me she wanted your head?”

I shook my head. “No, she wanted me to apologize at the tournament publicly. She probably planned on having me disgraced in front of thousands of people.”

“Maybe I should have just killed her…” Sylvia mumbled dangerously.

Scary.

“You should get ready. We need to leave soon,” I told her.

Sylvia sighed and ran a hand through her purple and black hair. She gave the bed a worried look but nodded slowly and stood up to leave.

Once Sylvia left and closed the door behind her, I stood over the bed and looked down at the pile of sheets. I knew she wasn’t asleep just by the sound of her breathing, so I sat on the bed. A small tuff of orange peeked out from the top of the covers.

“We are leaving soon…depending on how things go, we might be back this afternoon,” I told the empty air, speaking in the Human language. There was no response.

Mmm…this is…far worse a situation than I imagined. It’s one thing for her to clam up surrounded by people, but for her to get hit like that…

Damn, that princess; I won’t ever forgive her.

“Cordelia and her family came over. They apologized for the accident. She was also very worried about you, and so was Rosemary,” I explained to the silence that remained.

I scooted closer to the bundle. “I—dealt with the person that hurt you. I’m sorry that I let it happen…I didn’t keep my promise to you in the end.”

There was no response.

Sigh…this…was that the right thing to say? Was it okay for me to say that I punished that person? I mean, Mila saw it…and Mila isn’t a stranger to violence, even if she despises it. Is it genuinely naive of me to think she can ever live a normal life after everything that has happened? Is it wrong for me to wish that for her?

Just when I think I’m taking one step forward as a father, I end up finding myself ten steps backward. Does this ever get easier?

“Your mo—”

The words got caught in my throat. I was unsure of whether or not I should have finished that sentence or not. Was it wrong of me to capitalize on Mila’s trauma for Sylvia’s sake? Is it even that deep? Did Mila say what she said out of desperation and fear, or was it a genuine plea for help from the person she desperately wanted to be her mother…

I ran a hand through the small patch of soft orange hair. “Your mother and I are worried about you, Mila. And so is everyone else. You don’t have to be afraid anymore. That rude and heartless Elf won’t ever hurt you again, I promise.”

There was a tiny shift in the blankets, but once again, Mila didn’t even mumble a word to me. “If you are feeling better, Grandma and Grandpa will be here, and they can get you some food. I’ll come right back the moment my match ends, okay?” But once again, I was just talking to the silence.

I gently got off the bed and went to my room to change. My thoughts ran wild, and I wished for the chance to fight that princess today. I might do something drastic if it came to it.

Maybe.

—

We all hopped aboard the carriages provided by the royal family to the stadium grounds. The roads were left clear for our express travel, the perks of being close to royalty, so it didn’t take us long to reach the venue.

Varnir let out a low whistle as the guards guided us to the underbelly. “It’s pretty big. Not as big as the one in the capital, though,” he mused.

The towering walls of the black stone stadium loomed high in the sky, casting a shadow across the streets below. Giant red banners carrying the golden Gryphon insignia of Luminar flapped against the sides, accompanied by a handful of orange banners bearing the snake coiled around a chaff of wheat representing Sandervile.

There were also two different banners I had never seen before. One was a turquoise color and had two silver sabers crossed over a river. The second unfamiliar symbol on a silver banner was difficult to discern while cranking my neck up at it. Weirdly shaped geometric patterns surrounded a hooded figure carrying a wand in one hand.

I figured one represented Saber Academy while the other was unknown to me. I wasn’t aware of any other schools joining today’s event, which was troublesome as I should have been aware of it all…was this a surprise even to the queen or did she not tell me?

Well, either way, the atmosphere was abuzz with a mixture of excitement and stress as staff of all different races frantically guided students to their locations and unloaded cargo. Guards from Luminar, Sandervile, and Tel’an’duth jointly operated in the same, keeping a vigilant eye for any disturbances.

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“A lot more people than expected,” Ren muttered while looking over her shoulder and out the gate we had arrived at.

Even though the main tournament rounds didn’t officially start for three days, the grounds surrounding the stadium were filled to the brim with people. The streets were crowded as people walked elbow to elbow, moving about food or shopping stalls. They all watched live street performances that varied from mages controlling magic to party games and even a Beastmen woman doing acrobatics.

“It’s crazy to think most of those people won’t even be inside the stadium,” Varnir commented.

Varnir’s words were true. Tickets to watch the live battles were actually expensive, all things considered. The average family of four would be lucky to score tickets for a few large silver in an awful seat high up in the stadium. And those tickets would only be for a single day.

Tickets to watch the finals or attend every day skyrocketed in price.

“That’s because we lost over fifty thousand seats by moving to Flumare,” Ren added. “It’s unfortunate…in the capital, we would have entire sections dedicated to the lower class so they could buy cheap tickets to watch the battles.”

Mmm, whose idea was that? I can’t see Brax implementing that. And this stadium itself is still massive. I believe it can hold almost eighty thousand people at maximum capacity, which is a mind-boggling number when you think about what it took to create such a large structure. Magic was undoubtedly involved.

“You are all a bit late,” a friendly voice called out to us.

Professor Garrison moved through the crowd and pushed his glasses closer to his face with an expectant look. “Yeah, I wonder whose fault that is,” Sylvia growled quietly.

Varnir flinched and smiled wryly as he scratched the back of his head. “Sorry, Professor, I slept in a little too much today.”

Professor Garrison shrugged. “It’s fine, Vanrir, just be on time for the next few days. Today is probably the only day you can get away with it. But we need to hurry, you and Kaladin both have matches very early on, so you need to be prepared in less than thirty minutes. Let’s go. I’ll show you to our quarters.”

As a group, Varnir, Sylvia, Cerila, Ren, and I followed quietly behind him. We weren’t the only ones participating in the tournament from our class. Lin and Malachi also qualified for the tournament.

We passed teachers, staff, and guards from all the different schools until we reached a large chamber that split off into different directions. But this chamber’s purpose must have been altered…there were deep scratch marks set in the stone, and a stink of animals and blood lingered on the now cleaned floors. Sylvia gagged slightly, and Cerila looked less than pleased as well.

It must be ten times worse for them. This place should have been a room where they kept monsters or animals. They did a good job at cleaning it up, though…well, for ordinary people and non-Beastmen, that is.

On one side was a hallway guarded by High Elves in silver armor. Human knights guarded the opposite side in simple Dwarven Steel armor and a single tall man in full cobalt plate armor—his frigid gaze bore into me from across the room.

Yeah, Sir Bril still hates my guts. At least some things never change.

Another large hallway that a troll could pass through was open, and the shouts of the crowds made their way into the chamber. At the same time, our side was guarded by knights from Luminar, and Professor Garrison quickly guided us that way.

“This section is only for students or staff of Forward University. No one else is allowed in here, family and friends included. Whenever you aren’t being treated by the medical staff or preparing for your next match, you need to head down the big passage over there and wait to be called out in the staging area. Understood?” Professor Garrison explained.

We all nodded in unison, and the guards saluted us as we walked by. I couldn't be sure whether it was for Ren or for all of us. We passed by even more guards, staff, and some students but stopped at another checkpoint.

This one was manned by the Praetorian Guards, two out of the three were as usual with their masked faces and golden armor, but one stood in front of the others. His armor was of a slightly different build, and a blood-red cape was connected to his more prominent, even more, ostentatious pauldrons.

He was also the first unmasked Praetorian I had seen so far. He looked to be at the end of middle-aged with his gruff expression and graying black beard and hair. Regardless of his estimated age, he still held himself as a soldier and was very clearly still in tip-top shape. A quick peek at his soul using my Soul Sight told me he was also very strong. Perhaps not at the level of a War God, but damn close.

The guards immediately saluted us in a practiced and well-ordered fashion. The leader of the group bowed slightly as we passed him.

“Who was that?” Varnir asked.

“The new captain of the Praetorian Guards, Lord Alan Fairchild,” Ren told him.

I see…Aunt Illyssia and Parhen must have lost their job since I haven’t seen her in a long time.

The professor stopped us at another three-way intersection. “Straight ahead is for teachers and staff. If you need help or have something that needs to be requested, you can find me or another on-duty teacher there. The right is for you ladies. There are some more guards and staff there that will help you. Varnir, and Kaladin, you are on the left.”

The three girls nodded and left together to go to their private section of our personal area. Varnir and I followed the professor deep into the underbelly of the stadium. The roar and excitement of the crowd shook the stones around us.

We passed another checkpoint of Praetorian Guards, and Professor Garrison motioned us toward a door. “This section is a private area designated for…well, I guess it’s just for you, Kaladin. You can thank Her Majesty for this.”

Yeah…I’m nothing but thankful.

“I would rather not be alone in this room. Is it okay if Varnir joins me?” I said.

Varnir raised an eyebrow at me, and Professor Garrison grinned as he opened the door. “I had a feeling you would say that, so I set both of your gear in there beforehand.”

It wasn’t anything impressive. Just a stone room that was probably slightly more spacious than the surrounding rooms with the other students. This was perhaps just a storage room in the back that had been repurposed, as the smell of mildew was present, which was far better than feces and blood.

Two racks stood tall on opposite sides of the room. Both of them had identical clothing on them, the only difference being the two different-sized spears leaning against their sides. “Your gear was tailored to the changes you made at school. So if there are any problems we can alter them after your matches today. Varnir, since you are using your shield, we just made a spear for you. I hope it’s not a problem.”

Varnir shook his head with a grin as he walked over to his gear. “Not at all…this is really nice,” Varnir muttered as he picked up the Dwarven Steel spear and spun it around. “It’s a good weight, and the length is perfect.”

“As it should be. I personally saw to it that every student in Class Onward had weapons and gear that properly reflected their abilities. The armor itself is all sourced from high-quality monster material and metal. The school wasted no amount on procuring the best for all of you,” the professor said with a satisfied nod.

“Thanks, Professor,” Varnir said as he began to change.

The professor looked at me with an apologetic smile. “As for you, Kaladin, we apologize for not being able to give you a better weapon. This one was made before your most recent contact, and I’m sure it will be inferior in almost every way.”

I shook my head and spun the spear around. It was nothing more than a simple, well-made Dwarven Steel spear. “Not at all. I might actually use it for the time being. No reason to show my true power so early on.”

“A good idea. Then I’ll leave you two to change, but be quick about it. Report to the staging area the moment you are ready,” Professor Garrison told us.

—

Varnir and I quickly dressed into our brand-new tournament gear supplied by the school. And it was, as the professor said, of extremely high quality and tailored to each individual not only in your class but for the entire student body that qualified. The black-stained leather pieces were from some kind of monster, and the red hand-stitching looked terrific.

We were each given Dwarven Steel greaves, gauntlets, and a chest piece to match. It helped bring the entire uniform together. On our chest plates and shoulder pads was the Gryphon insignia of Luminar.

Varnir stretched his legs out to the side as he waddled down the hallway, adjusting his pants. “It’s a bit tight, but this might be some of the nicest clothes I own. The stuff is even better than my uniform.”

“It’s better for it to be snug than loose,” I commented.

“True,” Varnir muttered.

The stadium roared above us, but the hallway was otherwise quiet besides the occasional teacher or student passing us by. “Hey, are you nervous, Kal?”

“If I said no would you believe me?” I chuckled.

Varnir’s mouth curved up into a grin. “Well, I guess if it’s you, then that makes sense.”

“What about you? Are you nervous?” I asked him.

“Wouldn’t it be weird if I wasn’t nervous?” he questioned.

“…are you saying that I’m weird?”

Varnir’s laughter echoed off the walls, and he patted me on the shoulder. “Are you just now noticing?! I thought we established this ages ago! But you really have gotten quicker on the uptake.”

I grumbled at his joke, but I felt myself grinning nonetheless. The shouts of the crowd were deafening, and the sounds of battle could be heard from the door just in front of us. “We are here.”

Varnir let out a quick huff, pressed down his pants, and nodded his head repeatedly. “Alright…let’s do this…”

I let him open the door, and a rush of noise buffed against us. It was rather uncomfortable on the Elf ears and could really do with soundproofing.

Or maybe I’ve just gotten spoiled during my time at Forward University.

For a moment, all eyes turned to us. Most of the students from the various schools sitting on stone benches or watching the fights through a gap in the wall stopped their conversations, and I could feel the dozens of gazes as they carefully and quietly inspected Varnir and myself.

“Kaladin!” a tired yet happy voice called out to me.

Descending some of the small stairs from the arena side was Adria. Her orange and brown robes were that of a traveling wizard, and she held a bronze staff with a fist-sized blue dungeon shard at the end of it.

She ran straight over to me and gave me a hug. “Did your match go well?” I asked as she wiped the sweat off her face sheepishly with her sleeve.

“It did! My opponent fought hard, but I ended up winning,” she said with a grin.

I looked over her head but didn’t see another person walking behind her. Only the stares from those around us and the shouts from the stadium reached us.

“What happened to your opponent?” I asked her.

Adria chuckled awkwardly, and her face turned slightly red. “Ah…he had to be healed…I may have injured him a little.”

Adria? Injuring someone? That was a sentence I thought I would never hear for some reason.

“Kaladin Shadowheart! Varnir Shadowstone! Report to the front!” someone yelled out into the room.

“Oh…it seems like you are up,” Adria said with a hint of sadness.

“You can come to visit me since you are finished with your one match, right? I’ll be returning home the moment I’m done. I’m at the royal estate. I think the mayor’s daughter can find an invite,” I said with a smile.

A genuine smile bloomed on Adria’s face. “Yes! I definitely can! I’ll—” Adria trailed off as her eyes turned to Varnir, who was just standing at the side with a smug smile. “I’ll talk to you later, Kaladin.”

Adria escaped out the door, and Varnir chuckled to himself. “Another one, huh? Does Sylvia know?”

“It’s not like that. We are just friends,” I told him as we walked to the front.

“Wow, you actually picked up on something…good for you. But, yeah, I’m sure that’s the case,” Varnir said as he rolled his eyes.

A sweaty attendant looked up from her ledger a few times, probably checking our appearance. “Varnir Shadowstone, you are on platform six on the far right. Kaladin Shdowheart, you are on platform two on the left. Please head to your platforms immediately,” she rattled off.

Varnir and I climbed the stairs out to the arena floor. The sun had just barely peeked over the enormous stadium walls and shone brightly on our faces. The crowd quieted down, and I felt the thousands of eyes fall upon us. Even though the stadium was not at maximum capacity as one could see the emtpy spaces in between seats.

But that awkward silence only lasted a moment. The stadium exploded into cheers, and shouts of “Dragonslayer” boomed.

Varnir nervously wiped the sweat from his cheek. “I guess you’ve got some fans.”

“You could say that,” I said casually.

I put the shouts of the people into the back of my mind and focused on the task at hand. Today and for the next two days, the stadium would be split into multiple smaller areas to facilitate quicker matches. Students from all three nations would fight against each other with the goal of winning two of their three matches over those three days.

Those who lost two or more matches would not participate in the main bracket. This was a mandatory process because if every single student from every nation were in a single bracket, it would take months to get through matches if you only fought once or twice a day.

It was rather crude, but there was simply no other way to do it. At the end of the day, your three matches came down to the luck of the draw. You could get two matches of top contenders and be out in just two days, or you could get three opponents of middling skill and go onto the main event.

As for me, well, I plan on winning everything, so it doesn’t really matter who I’m up against today or tomorrow.

We reached a path that split into small raised platforms, and Varnir stopped and extended a fist. “Good luck.”

I bumped his fist and nodded firmly. “You too. Show them the fruits of your training.”

Varnir grinned, a bit of his nervousness washing away from his features. “I will. I’ll show you that your training wasn’t a waste of time.”

Never thought it was, Varnir.

—

Nathaniel Issack’s POV

I mindlessly watched the others fight on, waiting for my bastard of an opponent who had the gall to be late on the first day. It just went to show that you could have all the fame in the world, but you couldn’t change your nature.

How revolting.

Finally, after some time, the referee left and moved toward the stairs. He mumbled some things I couldn’t possibly make out with all the racket.

He nodded a few times and moved out of the way as a tall, dark-skinned High Elf casually walked onto the platform and to his side of the arena. I couldn’t lie, I was genuinely shocked at the night and day difference from the version of the person I once knew. The little gutter Elf was gone, and an utterly unrecognizable figure stood across from me.

Well, it doesn’t matter. Once a slave, always a slave.

As customary, the referee motioned for us to meet in the middle. The runaway slave bastard casually walked to the middle at his own pace, seemingly not caring about anything. He just moved forward with a blank expression.

“Please shake hands before the start of the match,” the referee said loud enough for us to hear over the explosion of a Fireball.

The Elf extended his hand, and although I was disgusted at the thought, I wouldn’t be the one to show such an uncouth side of me. The last thing I wanted was to make a fool of myself by not doing the simplest of greetings. After all, this was all under the pretense of mutual training and friendship.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Gutter Elf?” I spat in a voice just loud enough for him to hear as I gripped his hand with all my strength.

If he hurt his hand with a simple handshake, it was his fault, not mine. Everyone knew that a single man killing a Dragon was impossible. Why Luminar chose this filth to be their representative, I’ll never know. Had they genuinely run out of worthy nobles after all their sick purges?

But the Elf didn’t seem bothered at all as he firmly shook my hand back. He narrowed his eyes and showed his first bit of emotion. It seemed to be that of confusion.

“Do I know you? No…I don’t,” he said more to himself than me.

This…bastard… how dare he insult me!

I increased the pressure on his grip, hoping to goad even a bit of pain, but nothing flashed on his face. That only served to anger me even more. “Nathaniel of House Issack, you filthy rat.”

“Mmm, it doesn’t ring a bell. You must have been one of Dillian’s sycophants that got added on after I left,” he said indifferently.

Sicko—whats?

“Ah, it seems I used a word that was too big for you. I apologize. It means you are one of his dogs. Being a mutt suits you better since you bark louder than you bite,” he said in an even lower deep voice as he squeezed my hand.

When did this obedient little slave get so full of himself?! I’ll end his life right here!

I felt the bones in my hand creak with pain, and I quickly freed my hand from his grasp. A pain radiated at my arm, and I scowled at him. “I’ll kill you for this,” I hissed quietly.

“I’m sure you will try. Though trying is the only thing you will be able to do,” he said as he turned his back to me.

I glared at the referee, but he just shrugged and moved back to his position. With a slightly throbbing hand and my pride on the line, I unsheathed my sword and waited for the signal to start. I could feel the gazes of everyone here watching our platform. There may have been other fights going on around us, but this was the most important one.

My fight was.

The referee dropped a cloth to signal the match had started, and the moment it touched the ground, I raced forward, forcing mana into my legs. I was expecting an onslaught of magic, but nothing came my way. The Elf bastard just watched me with an unimpressed and smug look. One that I would wipe away.

Earth Spikes erupted from the ground and flew toward me at frightening speeds. Of course, they were nothing, and I quickly cut them in half with my sword. If this was all he could manage, then he truly was no better than an unshackled slave.

I closed the distance, and I could see the slit in his weird freaky-looking eye, and I swung horizontally across with my weapon. If I connected, I would lob his head off with ease, but…he took a single step back, the edge of my sword missing his face by a razor’s edge. When I blinked next, I saw a sharp spearhead coming straight for my stomach that had not been there before. I narrowly dodged to the side with everything I had, just barely avoiding the spear.

Where! Where did that spear even come from?! He didn’t even have a weapon in his hand!

Gah!

My thoughts blurred with pain as a foot embedded itself into my stomach. I felt my ribs crack and break as the air left my lungs. It felt like somebody had dropped an entire sack of grain from a roof onto my stomach.

I fell onto my back, and I felt a coldness reach my throat, and my hair stood straight up in fear. I felt like my heart was being gripped by a frigid hand of death itself. I opened my teary eyes slightly and looked up the length of the cold metal spear. The filthy gutter Elf stared down at me with a stern gaze.

“You’re not important enough,” he said in an eerily quiet voice as he retracted the spear from my throat, the referee ending the match.

Was he…going to kill me? I…I lost in just two moves…I…

The crowd burst into cheers as they called out the Dragonslayer’s name and title. I felt disgusted, defeated, and embarrassed all in one go. But oddly enough, I also felt that I had somehow barely managed to survive.