I finished my training with Ren, which lasted until the sun began to set. I bid her goodnight and good luck as she wanted to continue to train a little longer, and I had plans to eat dinner with Cerila and Padraic tonight. She had a big fight coming up after the break with what should be her most formidable opponent yet.

But I was more focused on dinner tonight as the conflict of interest for that fight was just too much. I thought tonight’s dinner was an excellent opportunity to relax as the three of us hadn’t sat down like that in a long time, maybe since we were children.

The chilly breeze rolled in from the sea and around the outside hallway, wrapping around the pillars of the villa. I rolled my shoulders, enjoying the refreshing coldness, but was snapped of my reprieve. I looked toward a pillar and squinted slightly, only to let out a sigh.

“Should a person of such standing be hiding behind a pillar?” I asked out loud.

Long strawberry blonde hair flashed around the corner as a pair of swirling green eyes stared at me. “You are no fun…you could have just walked by and at least pretended to be surprised,” Lauren said with a pout.

I shook my head at her words but smiled at the same time. “You sound like Mila, you know? Why is the future queen of Luminar trying to surprise me in a hallway?”

Lauren revealed herself entirely and gave me a devilish smile. “Oh? Then that might be a good thing for me, right? And how would you prefer that I surprise you? I can think of a few ways if you allow me…”

“No, I’m good. Surprises really aren’t my thing,” I said with a wave of the hand.

Lauren stared at me deadpan and sighed. “Why do I even try…” she mumbled to herself as she began to turn around.

But unfortunately for her, there was something I needed to talk to her about. I closed the distance in a few quick steps, placed a hand on her shoulder, and leaned into her.

“I have a question for you, Your Highness, Princess Laurena.”

Lauren shivered and slowly looked over her shoulders. “Ah…yes? You—you never call me by my full name…please don’t do that….it makes us feel so distant. But, did I—did I say something to anger you by chance?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” I assured her. “I just had a question. You see, I ran into and even picked up a particular doll that just so happened to look like me. It’s being sold around Flumare, and I heard that the kingdom was supplying them…you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that?”

Lauren chuckled nervously. “Yes, that…I do know about it, mhm…surely it’s not a problem? You are a loyal knight of this kingdom, and we were just increasing your favorability with the populace, selling them a small token in your honor. You aren’t dissatisfied with the way it looks, right? Ren was very adamant that they did it correctly so as not to sully your appearance.”

So, Ren played a part in it as well? Well, to be honest, the appearance didn’t bother me at all…it was actually well made for being mass-produced for a large event.

I gripped her shoulder just a little tighter. Not enough to even hurt her or anything, and said, “But I don’t remember giving my approval for this….little project. There is no way you honestly believe that I shouldn’t have any input on things regarding myself. I find that hard to believe, Lauren.”

She faced forward and let her head drop in defeat. “Sorry…we should have asked for your opinion first. It was a mistake on my part. I was too hasty and approved it without much thought. I just thought it would have been a kind gesture and that you wouldn’t mind.”

I let go of her shoulder and flashed a smile at her. “That’s all I wanted to hear. Thank you, Lauren. And there is no need to stop the selling of the doll. You can also continue to manufacture them as you please.”

Frankly, I wasn’t angry about it all. What Lauren said was true. The doll served a great purpose to boost my image and earn money at the same time. I didn’t even care if the money went to Luminar or me, as I was getting direct funds with no strings attached from the queen for the Dragonheart Foundation.

It was just that they approved a project that directly affected me without my consent. This time, it was a benign thing. But if left unchecked, in the future, another project they approved without my knowledge could be a problem.

As long as they consulted me first, I won’t have a problem in the future.

I left the sighing Lauren and went to my appointed dinner with Cerila and Padraic. In the end, it was just us three, and it was a pleasant way to finish off the night. We ate good food and conversed with each other about random and unimportant things. We even brought up some fun things in the past, like studying together or how I fell out of a tree and broke my father’s knife.

The atmosphere was light-hearted and just what I wanted after a long day. It was something we should do more often in the future.

I watched Cerila giggle as Padraic set his face into a scowl and looked down at us from atop his chair, apparently imitating me during a time when I was teaching him Elvish. I didn’t quite remember the moment in great detail, but I could still recall that evening, and I definitely never stood on a chair. However, as time passed at that moment, I sort of tuned them out.

Not because I was bored or annoyed with them as I was laughing along with them, enjoying the moment the entire time. But I was struck with a deep feeling of profound sadness. I didn’t immediately know why I felt that way, but I realized it soon enough.

Not only was the world changing rapidly, but…times like this…no matter how sweet they were or are…. wouldn’t last, would they? That was what was so sad.

…

I wish…times like this would last forever.

No, it was just that when the time came, I would just have to make sure that they did. That I did everything in my power to continue to enjoy these moments for as long as we lived.

—

The week-long break from the tournament came and passed by in a flash. Despite the events that happened at the underground auction, there was still no news to be had, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Lin and her squad, with the full support of the Luminar crown, were investigating the incident. The preliminary report a day ago revealed that nothing was known about the crate with the brutalized Vampire. The surviving auction attendees and staff confirmed as much as well.

Basically, it was exactly what I knew before.

An autopsy of the body was performed by the Paine family, and outside of the obvious, anything suspicious was still waiting to be reported. But I didn’t have my hopes that they would find anything worthwhile. The only way to truly confirm anything would be to find the culprits, but that seemed like a pipe dream.

The reason for anyone doing something so heinous was unclear, but we also had our own thoughts. There were two likely cases. One of them suggested by King Maxwell was that something was special about maddened Vampires, and someone was attempting to study that. That made some sense, considering the lengths they went to to subdue the Vampire. And since Vampires were hard to come by…the only place to turn to was Artoal, and the only people willing to ship a dangerous Vampire over the sea was the Holy Kingdom.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Personally, Lin and I were of the mind that things were much more straightforward. Whoever had that Vampire locked up intended to unleash them upon the public, causing a massive terror event.

In the end, our speculation was all we had, and even though we had no definite proof, the main culprit was the Holy Kingdom or, at the very least, their shadow operation units and the Chapter of Despair. It was true it could have been a sickening noble’s delight, but…with the world as it was, it was better to assume it was the doing of an enemy nation.

Regardless, the only thing I could do for the time being was move around with my thoughts, spend time with my family and friends, and train. And that was what I did until the newest rounds of the tournament. The first two days were some open matches from the public, but I chose to ignore them as they had no actual bearing on the tournament and were pure entertainment for the masses.

From now on, there would also be two days in between everyone’s matches as we entered the final rounds. The two days were to give the stronger fighters time to rest in between matches, but once again, it was just so the city could milk more money out of people’s pockets. There were supposed to be gladiator fights showcasing adventures versus monsters, but I had no plans to take my family and watch those.

I think everyone’s getting enough violence in their diet as is…

“What are you thinking about?” Dallin asked me curiously from the seat next to me.

“This and that. Nothing to be concerned about,” I answered non-committedly.

I couldn’t exactly explain half of this to my seven-year-old brother. Or wait, was he still six? I think he is seven…yeah, he should be seven.

Dallin shifted in his seat nervously and asked me, “Do you think Big Sister is going to win?”

I put a finger to my chin and shrugged. “I think she has a good chance of winning, but her opponent won’t be an easy one. Princess Ren works very hard, so if Cerila doesn’t take her seriously, things might not go as planned.”

Dallin frowned as he looked out at the empty stadium floor. “Why do they have to fight? Princess Ren is so nice…”

I chuckled at his sincere honesty. “Because that is the way this tournament is set up, unfortunately. Perhaps in the future, you could make a type of tournament where people don’t have to,” I suggested.

“But do you like the princesses, Dallin?”

Dallin nodded his head meekly, but his eyes sparkled at the mention of forming his own tournament. If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a portion of the story that he likes so much that has a coliseum-type battle with a monster. It’s not strictly a tournament, but the same feeling was there.

“Princess Ren is always very nice to me, and I like talking to her. Princess Laurena…she umm…” he said, trailing off to a mumble at the end.

Ouch, sorry, Lauren.

“She can be a little too forward sometimes, right?” I finished for him.

“Yes! But she isn’t mean to me or anything!” he said quickly.

I smirked at that and looked up at the highest point where Lauren sat with her family. Dallin was far too kind, and honestly, I hoped he stayed that way forever.

“I never said she was mean to you,” I teased. “But since two people you like are about to go against each other, who do you want to win more?”

“Big sister,” Dallin said immediately with no hesitation. Then he looked up at me and asked, “Who do you want to win?”

Is there a way for both of them to win or lose? That would be the most ideal, considering whoever wins this has to face Sylvia.

I sighed to myself and gave Dallin a non-answer, “I just hope they don’t get hurt and that both of them have a good match. They are students of former rivals, so I know this match means a lot to them.”

The announcer began speaking into the voice amplification device, announcing the arrival of Ren first. But for some reason, Dallin remained silent until I looked back over at him.

“What’s the matter? Why are you looking at me that way?” I asked him.

“That’s not an answer, Big Brother. Who do you want to win?” Dallin asked with a slightly annoyed look in his golden eyes.

He’s too clever for his own good…

“I don’t know, Dallin. But if I had to pick…I would choose Cerila,” I told him honestly.

Dallin flashed me a bright smile and swung his legs over the seat. Perhaps he was just satisfied with an answer, or maybe he was pleased that I chose Cerila. And I didn’t pick her just to please him, either. I believed that Ren wasn’t ready to face Cerila quite yet. Not only that, my gut, despite the logic…did want to see her win, even if it meant that Ren lost.

I turned my attention back to the arena as Ren and Cerila met in the center. Unlike some of the fights, the two of them were on good terms, which, considering who their masters were and how they treated each other, made it a somewhat interesting sight. I’m sure if this tournament was forty years ago and it was Master Maran and Grandpa facing off, they would already be at each other’s throats.

But Cerila and Ren exchanged pleasantries, smiling and nodding at each other, communicating the best they could. One of these days, I would have to write a small guide to sign language for the others. I’m positive Ren, Tsarra, and even Varnir could pick up on it quickly if they had instructions and a teacher.

I’ve already taught it to a handful of people. A few more shouldn't hurt, and increasing the number of people who can converse with Cerila without that cumbersome tablet was the goal from the very beginning. It's incredible to see that number go into the double digits already.

The two of them split apart and took their stances, and I felt a stare reach me. Despite there being thousands of people in the stands, it felt like Cerila was looking directly at me. I thought our eyes met, but I wasn’t sure as she turned her sight back to Ren, who had a hand on her white and gold katana. Cerila closed her eyes and extended her empty hand into the air in front of her.

Was that her way of signaling to me? I…I might struggle to understand a lot of things, but I could tell that she wanted me to pay close attention to this match. Because I know it means a lot to her.

“It’s about time…I guess this is as good as it gets,” Padraic said to himself from a seat over.

Mmm?

From thin air, a large greatsword that was not the sword she had been using before appeared in Cerila’s hand with the point toward the ground. The blade was wrapped tightly with bandages and even had a spare piece of cloth over it. Even the handle wasn’t exposed in any way.

It was a weapon I had never seen Cerila use before, and we had been training together for quite some time since our reunion. Yet the shape of the sword was something I felt I had seen before. I started to recall it as the referee started the match.

The two swordswomen rushed to meet each other at the center of the arena and began to clash immediately. Ren swung her sword with deadly accuracy and speed, but Cerila seemed to have an edge. Her greatsword came down with tremendous power and weight behind it, and it was by no means inferior to the speed of Ren.

Cerila was also moving much faster than Ren. Her steps, her swings, all of it seemed to be a cut above Ren. But it was Ren’s technique that bridged the gap between the two. Her sword always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, parrying Cerila’s blade or deflecting it away.

Of course, that didn’t mean Cerila was just wildly swinging her sword without regard for technique. No, her moves were just as sharp as ever. But it was clear that Cerila’s style was more aggressive. She constantly pushed into Ren even when her blade was knocked to the side Cerila attempted a grab or kick, only for Ren to retreat to safety.

Ren went low to the ground and met Cerila’s blade with pinpoint accuracy. Sparks flicked off their weapons as the crowd roared in approval. For now, the match was a highly skilled and fast-paced battle of swords. Neither of them was using magic.

Maybe they are more like their masters than I initially thought. I could see Grandpa and Master Maran duking it out just like this. Trading blows against one another in an attempt to best each other with pure technique and physique.

The first to make a successful hit was Cerila. She brought a heavy swing onto Ren, who was not able to dodge or deflect properly. Ren’s sword was crushed to her side as she took the powerful blow directly.

Ren kicked forward, and instead of backing away from it, Cerila pushed forward, taking it straight to the lower part of her right leg. Cerila wobbled slightly, but she planted a firm knee into Ren’s midsection.

Either blow wasn’t enough to break bones or incapacitate Ren, but it was enough to send her back, nursing her stomach. Ren was seeing firsthand that she could not beat Cerila in a battle of strength like she was.

Cerila had the potential to be a War God and had been training with King Maxwell for a long time now. I could feel the difference emanating from her in my seat in the stadium. Cerila’s entire aura felt more dominating than when she faced me all those months ago. She felt closer to becoming a full-fledged War God.

Although she was still missing something…I just didn’t know what.

But as things continued, the bandages on Cerila’s sword were helplessly sliced apart by Ren’s sword and receptive trading of blows. The shiny gray metal was exposed for all to see, and many people began to go silent as the blade shone brightly in the light. Next came the gold handguard with green gems that pulsed with power, undoubtedly high-quality dungeon core shards embedded in the sword. It was then that the true identity of the blade was evident.

No way…Grandpa actually had it, and he gave it to Cerila? But why? Using it now of all times, I understand the desire, but…is that really wise?

Or is this her way of making a statement?