Straf and Cycelia leave behind the rotting slums, and return through the streets devoid of will to live back to the festive, colorful main street.

「Straf, why did you keep me in the dark about this?」

Cycelia asks as she walks alongside him, playing with her medallion in her fingers.

「If you tell anyone, they'll kick me out of the tournament for rigging the match.」

「But you didn't rig it, you just gave him a chance to lose and still get some money. You were toying with him from the start. You went easy on him.」

「Yeah, I doubt the organizers would be so understanding. Tell nobody.」

Ba-dump.

《What else is he hiding? What other good deeds can't he tell anyone about?》

Cycelia looks at Straf's face, thinking about him. Suddenly, he turns his face to her. Flustered, she quickly looks the other way.

「How'd you guess who she is, anyway?」

「Ah… House Ostris was known for their gold mines. Most of our kingdom's gold came from their land. But everyone thought they were dead.」

「How so?」

Straf raises his brow, and Cycelia's face grows sullen.

「The plague was over, but the problems it brought were not. Those rotten, abandoned buildings you could see there are the result of my father's quarantine policy. Entire neighborhoods were barricaded off, and were left to either die out or get better.」

「I can guess how that went.」

Straf shrugs. Cycelia only nods in silence before continuing.

「It was effective in dealing with the plague. The other kingdoms were much, much worse off. And since it was a royal edict, nobody could disobey it. I never met him, but I've heard Baron Ostris and his wife were very charitable. They constantly gave alms to the poor.」

「And? Then they died of the plague?」

「No. Not quite, at least… The quarantine districts frequently broke out into violent riots, which had to be quelled by force. I understand those people, they felt like they had no other choice but to break out. This caused a lot of resentment, even towards the Ostris family.」

Cycelia looks towards the arena as it appears from beyond the corner, continuing her story.

「One day, a band of bandits assembled. Most likely comprised of survivors of the quarantine, and other resentful people impoverished by the plague. At night they stormed the Ostris manor, robbed it, and set it on fire. We presumed entire Ostris family dead.」

「And then someone else took their land?」

「Yes. My father wasn't too concerned with the legitimacy of the claims, as long as the new land owners paid the taxes due and didn't cause issues. The legal claimants were dead, after all. I never knew the Ostris house survived, I suppose that was the intent.」

「That's a riveting backstory to characters we'll most likely never meet again-」

Straf stops short of walking into a woman with a large wizard hat, and breasts to match. She jumps away, the box of potions in her hands clatters.

「Watch where you're-! Straf?」

The woman squints very heavily at Straf from above her glasses, and below the rim of her huge hat.

「And there's one. Emilia. What are you doing here?」

Straf puts his fists on his hips, looking at her with a mildly disconcerted face.

「Hello again.」

Cycelia nods at Emilia, greeting her. Emilia nods back.

「I'm on my way to the mages' guild. I have to deliver them some potions, and while I'm at it, I'm also delivering them a copy of the new registrants and rank advances. You're on it, Straf! A rank higher than I expected!」

Emilia says, setting the crate aside on the floor. She tilts her hat up with the tip of her finger, and adjusts her glasses to stop her squinting.

「…Really? Can I see it?」

「Umm… Sure? Here it is-」

She pulls out a slip of paper listing a dozen or so names on it. She unfolds it, and shows it to Straf. Straf activates [Contextual Time Perception] and draws his sword.

《Where is it, where is it… There.》

He looks through the list, searching for his name. He then scratches the entire entry out with the tip of the sword, and sheathes it. He re-assumes his posture, and time returns to normal.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

「As you can see you're a rank higher than a novice.」

「Uh-huh…」

Straf nods along as she puts the paper away, without noticing that it's damaged. She pulls out a few potions from the box on the ground, and presents them to Straf.

「By the way, here. As a little thank-you for saving me back then.」

「I don't think I'll need these. Won't you get into trouble with the guild?」

Straf takes the blue-bottled potions, looking at them with a raised brow. Emilia clicks her tongue and waves her hand dismissively in front of her face.

「Ah, don't worry about it. I'll just make them some more while I'm there- Eh? What was that?」

She asks, after she catches a glimpse of [Portable Storage] when Straf throws the potions in.

「What?」

「A hole next to you…」

Emilia mutters out quietly, and adjusts her glasses.

「Wow. Rude. Women are vicious towards each other, huh?」

「What? I mean on your side- Ah, nevermind. Maybe I'm seeing things… I have to go. See you around, Straf. I'm sure I'll hear of you again.」

She says as she picks up the box of potions back up, and nods her hat at Straf and Cycelia.

「Oh yeah, you will.」

Straf smirks as Emilia walks away, looking over her shoulder back at them. She disappears in the crowd.

「Let's go, Lia. The next speed bump in our way is going to have a bad day.」

Straf nods at the arena ahead of them while looking at Cycelia, and heads towards it with a confident, wide-stepped, arm-swinging stride.

They arrive at the lobby, and Straf glances at the tournament bracket. Some names have moved up. The channels chiseled in the wall's stone glow orange, signifying that some contestants have advanced in the tournament.

「Lia, do you have any idea who Baldrick the Hedge Knight is?」

Straf asks as he and Cycelia look up at the wall.

「No- Ah, wait. I think I've heard a name like that. If I remember correctly, he travels the countryside and solves the commoners' problems for a drink.」

「All those problem solving skills, and he can't solve his drinking problem? Let's get a seat.」

Straf walks towards the stairs to the auditorium, still looking through the names on the wall. The spectators are starting to arrive to the lobby. In the auditorium, Straf secures a seat near the stairs to the betting tables again, and the empty seats fill up rapidly. After a brief wait, the announcer walks to his platform from the connecting hallway.

「Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first proper match of the quadrennial summer martial tournament, after the bout of eliminations yesterday!」

The announcer raises his arms at the audience as he speaks with showman's energy again.

「To remind you, ladies and gentlemen, and perhaps fill in those who were not with us yesterday… Klaw the Head-Taker has caused our first fatality of the tournament!」

「…Klaw? Seriously?」

「Hm?」

Straf holds out his palm at the announcer in disbelief, and glances at Cycelia. She blinks, unsure what Straf means.

「He was first contestant brave enough to face him! Will he be the last one!? Will Klaw win by default, or will his opponents dare to challenge him!?」

「Wait, seriously? We watched all that boring trash yesterday, and missed that?」

「Oh my…」

Straf throws his arms up, while Cycelia covers her mouth in shock. The arena is more blood-stained than yesterday, though the blood now turned dark red.

「Ladies and gentlemen, our matches will continue once again to the evening! Whoever remains, will move onto the quarter-finals and semi-finals tomorrow! And our first match of the day is… Straf Katastrof Vindict!」

「Welp. Let's get this over with.」

「Good luck Straf! Try to hold back, okay?」

Cycelia cheers on Straf, as he slips past her and up the stairs towards the betting tables.

「Versus! Baldrick the Hedge Knight! Contestant Straf has toyed with his opponent yesterday! He looked bored almost, ladies and gentlemen! Will the folk hero Baldrick make him sweat!? Will the humble knight take the cocky Straf down a notch!?」

Straf scoffs as he heads for the arena after betting…