“…What exactly is a Blood Challenge?” Alnea said, matching the guards in their solemness. After listening to the guards explain the rules of the Blood Arena, he thought that he had guessed why the mental patient had provoked him. But then, why had the man provoked only him? Did the mental patient think that he was the easiest of the three?

Recalling the look of hatred on the man’s face though, Alnea guessed that things might not be as simple as he had imagined. He had not thought about it earlier, taking the man’s reaction to be the norm, but from how solemn the guards were sounding, it looked like a Blood Challenge was not something that Wanderers issued so causally. Rather, nothing about the man was casual.

Following him from the gates of the city all the way to the Blood Hall, and from the Blood Hall all the way to his room, waiting for hours in the scorching heat of Enn, the mental patient’s goal should not be just earning some Blood Coins. There had to be some other reasons behind the man’s action. Or else, he would not have jumped out to provoke him the moment he had stepped out onto the street.

“…Blood Challenge is a right,” said the guard on his left. “A tradition as old as the Lost City itself, of betting everything you have in the battle. If you win, you will gain all the Arena Points and the Blood Coins of your opponent. But if you lose, you will lose everything you have. More importantly, a Blood Challenge cannot be refused. As long as someone challenges you, you will have to fight them, or face expulsion from the city.”

“…Regardless of the difference in strength?”

“Regardless of the difference in strength,” said the guard on his right. “Blood Challenge is a sacred tradition of the city, and cannot be refused. However, it cannot be misused either. Given how powerful the right of a Blood Challenge is, Wanderers can issue only one Blood Challenge in their life.

“Even if they leave the city, and come back with a new identity, if they have issued a Blood Challenge with their old identity, they will not be able to issue a Blood Challenge with their new identity. It is exactly because of this reason that, in general, the challenge is issued only between people who have some kind of grudge, and want to drive the other person out of the city.”

“…Drive me out of the city,” Alnea mumbled, glancing back towards the girls. After listening to the explanation of the guards, their faces had also turned solemn. And it was understandable. Things were truly not as simple as he had taken them to be. What kind of grudge did the mental patient have with him? Was he from a Heterodoxy? No, probably not. A Heterodox Wanderer would not roam in such a carefree manner. Then…

“So, instead of just ten Blood Coins, all my Blood Coins has been deducted?” Alnea said, staring at the symbols on his Blood Card representing how many Blood Coins he had. They were all the same, shaped like a twisted swirl, so it was not hard to guess what that symbol represented. The important thing was…

“And they will be returned to me, along with all the Blood Coins of my opponent, when I win the Blood Challenge?”

“…All, except for ten Blood Coins, which will be deducted as fees for using the Arena.”

“Is there anything else I need to know about the Blood Challenge?”

“…Since Blood Challenges involve grudges, they can be a little more bloody than the normal challenges. The Arena will naturally save your life, but like we said earlier, fights are prone to accidents. Losing a limb or two, and being beaten to the verge of death is not unheard of in Blood Challenges. Especially when a new Trialist is involved in such a challenge…”

“Don’t worry,” Alnea said, reassuring the guards with a confident grin. “I have no intentions of losing my limbs yet.”

“…We have told you everything you need to know. How you deal with the situation is up to yourself.”

Nodding to the guards to express his understanding, Alnea turned around to face the girls, and said, “Are you two also going to fight?”

“Since we are here already, we might as well give it a try,” Cecilia said. But instead of directly placing her Blood Card on the large box, she turned around, and yelled, “I thought that you cowards were dying to trick some Blood Coins from us. But why is it that not one of you is daring enough to challenge me?”

“…Have some humility, little girl. You may be a—

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“Cut the nonsense. Just tell me, which one of you dares to fight with me?”

For a moment, silence spread in front of the Arena as everyone digested Cecilia’s words. A girl, who should have just become a Wanderer, was taunting them for being cowards? A girl, who had yet to see the cruelty of the world, was looking down on them? Her arrogant tone, and the look of disdain on her face…

All the Wanderers in the crowd, or at least those who had followed Alnea and the girls to the Blood Arena, boiled in anger. They may not have achieved much in the Lost City, but all of them were considered to be the some of the most talented Wanderers in their clans. Though the city had humbled them a little, being insulted by a girl three to four years younger than them was beyond their limits.

“You want to fight? Then let’s fight!”

“A newborn cub who does not even know the…”

“Cretes’ beard, I will…”

“Don’t steal her from me! I am going to teach her…”

“Perdia have it! I am done! I was about to leave the city anyway. I might as well use my Blood Challenge…”

Seeing the ruckus unfolding before them, the guards looked at Cecilia with incredulous gazes, and said, “Is the girl with you?”

“…You can say that,” Alnea said, looking helplessly at Cecilia. At times like this, the confused cat, hissing, and purring at all the hostile gazes being directed at Cecilia seemed cute. “…Is this really fine?”

“…I guess you are right.”

Alnea relaxed when he saw Yuri move next to Cecilia, and put her hand on the latter’s shoulder. What she said though…

“Forget it, Cecilia,” Yuri said. “Just talking to cowards is an insult for us. Instead of wasting time on such incompetent people, who will never amount to anything in their lives, it would be better if—

“Hold it right there!”

“What did you just say?”

“Who is this girl?”

“White hair…”

“I don’t care who she is! Today, I am going to…”

“Optah’s stink! Where have these kids come from?”

“Which clan are they from?”

“I want to kill everyone in their clan!”

“Find…”

“…I know that we have to deter these Wanderers, but are you not going a little too overboard?”

“Hardly,” Yuri said, curving her lips up ever so slightly. “Since there are people who want to force you out of the city, then they should be ready to face our retribution.”

“But the person who wants to force me out is the one who challenged me. These people are here only to enjoy the show.”

“A person whom we have never even met before, and have no connection with whatsoever, suddenly starts doing his best to drive you out of the city, not even caring about the consequences of his actions… Do you truly think that he is an idiot?”

“…Fine. I admit that man’s actions were a little baffling. But even if there is someone directing his actions, that person will surely not be in the crowd.”

“I know.”

“Then why are provoking them?”

“Because I want everyone to know that these rag tag people are not enough to deal with us. If they wish to drive us out of the city, then they need to do it on their own. And if they dare to show themselves to us, then…”

“Antagonising hundreds of Wanderers just to vent your anger…”

“I am not venting my anger,” Yuri said with a snort. “And these people are not worthy enough to be antagonised by me. Cecilia may have been impulsive, but she is right. These people are just cowards, with no chance of ever reaching the True Rank. And even if they do, they will end up like Reinhart Whitebud. With a defect in their Heart. In either case, they will never amount to much in their lives.”

“Forget it. What am I worrying about anyways? You can even fight Peak Stage Wanderers, let alone these washouts.”

“…Don’t worry. I will be careful,” Yuri said, before directing her attention back to the crowd. “Did I say anything wrong? If you are not cowards, then why has none of you dared to accept our challenge?”

“You want us to accept your challenge?” said a yellow robed woman from the crowd. Probably because she was a girl, her opponents had enough decency to not reduce her robe to rags. Still, her state was only a little better than other people in the crowd. There were blood stains on many places on her robe, and her hair was cut in an uneven pattern. As if it was first cut, and then had its end burned off. Maybe that was why Alnea could see a light of jealousy in her eyes.

“Why don’t you just issue a Blood Challenge? Would we still dare to not accept your challenge then?”

“You want us to waste our Blood Challenge on you cowards?” Cecilia said with a scoff. “Go wash your face and look yourself in the mirror. Do you deserve something as precious as a Blood Challenge? What if you cowards decide to leave the city? You cannot enjoy much of the city’s benefits anyway. Be happy that we are even giving you a chance to fight against us.”

“What are you being so arrogant about? Is it not just a Blood Challenge?” the woman said with grin, as she turned towards Yuri. “If you are too afraid to use your Blood Challenge, then I will use mine, little girl. I just hope that you will last long enough for me to enjoy myself.”

“…I do not know whether you will enjoy yourself, but I am sure that I will last longer than you.”