I walked into the access halls and abruptly stopped in surprise. Standing right next to the weapons rack was Hadrian. He sported a large grin, which, coupled with his massive frame, made him an imposing sight.

"Congratulations on making it to the top three, kid," he beamed. He followed the congratulations with a hefty slap on my shoulder and deep bellied laugh.

"Uh, thanks," I managed to reply sheepishly. "Did you come down here just for that?"

"Why not? That's what friends do!"

"I guess."

I wouldn't actually know. It had been a long time since I had anyone I considered a friend. With being so out of practice, I decided to go with it for now. Although, I decided to be wary of my new friend. I secured my spear from the rack, turned to leave, and that was when I noticed the presence of my usual attendant for the tournament.

"Sir, if you could follow me? Your presence is required in the Grand Box Suite."

"Mr. Brahmar can come as well since we are headed to the same area," he added before moving.

"We aren't going to the lockers? What are we doing then?" I asked. I was skeptical that things had changed, which gave me a bad feeling. However, I was relieved to know that Hadrian was also coming along."

"No, sir. We are heading to another area where we will await the results of the final match of your class. There we will give information about the next phase of the contest."

"Great, I was just wondering about that." I was anxious to get to the capital, and the next step was always in the back of my mind.

"Lead the way," Hadrian boomed. I jumped at the sound of his loud voice right beside my ear.

Hadrian apologized awkwardly, and I waved off the instance. The attendant led us through the hallways and up a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, we were led through another short hallway with a singular turn that ended in a set of closed double doors. On the right was a weapons rack, and the guide indicated we should place our equipment there.

Our guide opened the door to the right and stepped inward with it. Past the door, the area opened into a sizeable space. At the far end were windows looking down, presumably into the arena, but from my angle, I could only see the white gleam of the stadium's lights. In front of the windows was a row of comfortable-looking seats with a few people sitting in them looking down into the arena.

At the right of the room was a long table covered with a plentiful assortment of food and other refreshments. As we walked in, the attendant informed us that we could help ourselves to anything in there and that we would be waiting for the final matches to finish before being briefed on the additional details.

Hadrian made a straight line to the table of food. I was curious to see what match was happening, but my stomach suddenly grumbled loudly. I realized I hadn't eaten since the morning, and it had been challenging to keep my food down due to worry. I decided to follow Hadrian in filling my empty stomach.

I filled my plate and then sat at the large table on the other side of the room. I planned on finishing my meal and then moving to the seats closer to the window to watch the final matches of the evening.

I underestimated how hungry I was and ended up going back to the table for a second round. I also wanted to take advantage of the opportunity for free food. Hadrian had already finished his plate and was standing by the window. I heard a few grunts of surprise and excitement. I was curious about what was happening but thought it rude to stand there and eat. It wasn't just Hadrian up there, but a couple of other people I assumed were fighters from the different compatibility bracket.

Before I could finish my second plate, the door to the conference room opened again. Two people stepped in. One was a man I didn't recognize, but he looked like a fighter, so I figured he was the final winner of the lower bracket. As soon I realized that I shoved some more food in my mouth and made to move toward the window. The next fight was sure to be Arthur Pistons.

Then the next person stepped inside the room, and it was Arthur Piston. If he was already there, then that meant he had finished and won his final match. All in the time it took me to eat two plates of food. The lower-bracketed winner must have been fast too. Even though it took us a few minutes to walk upstairs to the suite, I assumed the fight was still going on.

That means the fight now is the final match with the higher compatibility, and I'm missing it!

I jumped, leaped up and rushed to the window, ignoring the look of affronted incredulity emanating from Arthur. I practically mushed my face against the glass to witness what I thought would be a grand spectacle of two superior fighters. Unfortunately, I was too late.

The winner of the match was already in discussion with the ring announcer, whose name I learned was Ioan Nogar. I also learned that he was a fixture in the tournament world and would also be at the next stage of the competition.

"Damn," I exclaimed. "How fast was the fight?" I wasn't expecting a response, but Hadrian, standing beside me, obliged my curiosity.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"I was only a few seconds, unfortunately. I was looking forward to it, too."

"Why didn't you tell me it was starting?"

Hadrian face fell at my statement.

"Ah…By the Orb, I'm sorry. I totally forgot." His shoulders seemed to slump. "Some friend I am."

I hadn't realized he would take my question so hard, so I moved to console him. However, I had no idea how to do so. I wasn't used to thinking of others' feelings, and Jonas and I never discussed them much.

"I'm not upset. Don't be so down on yourself," I said while awkwardly - at least to me - placing my hand on his shoulder. It must not have been too weird for him because he seemed to perk up at my words.

Before any other words could be exchanged, the door to the suite opened again, and two more people entered. The first person to enter was the man who was apparently running the tournament and whom I had seen numerous times. He was the person who always gave us the required information for the matches and the one who didn't like all my questions.

The second person was a chic woman with a black and white patterned dress that fell slightly above the floor. Her dark hair was streaked with purple and flowed just below her shoulders. While her hair was loose, not a single strand looked out of place. Following behind the woman was a little metal humanoid. It meant that she was a Technician Class robot wielder.

"Everyone, please gather around and give me your full attention," the man said after loudly clearing his throat. Since he was ostensibly the man in charge, we all did as he requested. "Firstly, I would like to congratulate all of you for making the top three in your division. With me," he pointed to the woman, "is the financier and benefactor of the tournament, Lady Silver Kuper. She is here to-."

"Enough with all the formality Edward." Lady Silver said with a wave of her hand. "I wanted to take a moment to panegyrize you all on your superb matches. As the champions of the tournaments here in Crescent City, it is my delectation to sponsor all of you to the next stage of the contest, and I hope that you continue to shine. As your patron, I would also like to interpose the perspicacity that your acts will reflect the magnanimity of our city. I sincerely desire that your activities dare not sully its prestige."

She nodded to Edward, and he produced a small stack of envelopes.

"As defined in the contract," Edward said as he handed the envelopes out, "your envelopes possess the stipend and tickets to the next tournament. It also has some additional details for when you get to Ruu. Make sure you keep those secure. Once again, congratulations on your wins, and I look forward to seeing all of you perform in the capital."

Lady Silver Kuper left with a swirl of her dress while her robot and Edward plodded behind her. Everyone was left standing there, staring at their envelopes. I turned to Hadrian.

"What is magnanimity?"

Hadrian shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't understand any of that."

Putting the question out of my mind - I would look it up later - I turned to the large envelope. I opened it to see what was inside. There wasn't much to the envelope, but what was there made my emotions soar into the sky.

One item was another check. It had a note stating that it was for pay, travel per diem and incidentals. I checked the time quickly. I would have to hustle to the bank to make it before it closed to deposit the money into my account.

I needed to make it to the bank that day because a train ticket was another item in the envelope. When I looked at the ticket, it was scheduled for the following morning. I thought others might not appreciate the short notice, but it was exactly what I wanted. The faster I could get to the capital, the better.

I bade my new friend, Hadrian, goodbye, with an additional promise to meet him at the train station the next morning. He looked sad that I was leaving, but I explained that I had to go to the bank to deposit my money, which was on the other side of the city.

With that, I rushed out the door to my destination. I had to run to make it on time before the business closed. Night had fallen, and lamps had become alight along the streets. The De-powered light posts were still a sight I wasn't used to, and they amazed me with their brilliance. Still, I wasn't distracted enough to miss my window for depositing my money. I didn't want to wait until I reached the capital.

After depositing the money, I felt terrific, and my mood soared. I felt so good, in fact, that I decided to treat myself to a large dinner at a restaurant I found along the way. I barely looked at the prices of food. Everything I ate was delicious, and by the end, I could feel my eyes drooping in fatigue.

What was also interesting was that I could tell people thought they knew who I was. Although, it was clear that they weren't entirely convinced that I was the fighter in the tournament. The longer I stayed there, the more people began to glance my way. I decided not to linger much longer as I was still averse to too much attention.

When I returned to the hotel and into my room, I felt like I could pass out on the floor. So much stress that I hadn't realized I had was lifted from my shoulders when I won my final match. With the added bonus of, at least in the short-term, financial stability and my belly full of good food, I hadn't felt so content in a long time.

I still worried about what happened with my father. The guards could have my name on a list, but hopefully not. I worried that if they did, my name being plastered all around due to the tournament would cause me serious trouble. Still, I was on the right track to reach the capital and find my mother. I had a lot of questions for her.

I didn't pass out on the floor. Instead, I took a long hot bath, then went to sleep on my nice comfy bed. Waking up in the morning, I felt renewed in body and mind. I packed up what minimal gear I had and walked to the hotel lobby to check out.

The clerk was as friendly as always when I checked out.

"Just so you are aware, sir," the clerk mentioned after we were done. "There are members from the Monster Hunter's Guild waiting to speak with you in the dining area. They asked that you be told about them once you come down."

"Thanks," I responded simply.

The clerk didn't notice as my body broke out in tingles of worry. I wondered why the guild members were there. I was sure they were there to take me to the guards for my incident. Scalping from the guild must have been a more severe offense than I assumed.

I turned and walked to the edge of the dining area. I peeked slightly around the edge of the wall before quickly pulling my head back. I clearly recognized the four people sitting at a table in the middle of the area.

Of course, it would be the same people from the village that were sent to apprehend me.

I cursed inwardly as I desperately looked around for the best escape route. Thankfully, the group didn't see me, but unfortunately, I didn't see any other way out of the hotel that didn't pass by the open area between the dining room and the door. I decided to risk it and just walk out calmly.

I took a deep breath and calmly walked out from behind the wall. I made sure to turn my face away from the dining room so it would be harder for them to notice. I was almost all the way to the door and safe from being seen when a shout rose up.

"There he is!"

I bolted to the door and out into the street, not waiting to see if they were after me.