The rest of Blue Dawn, alongside Tyrus, sat at a table with a clear view of the commotion happening downstairs. On the bottom floor, men and woman were laughing and drinking, singing and dancing, and eating like it was their last day alive. The place was lively and filled with excitement. Even the walls and tables seemed to vibrate from the intensity, and the windows rattled in their frames.

A silver glow filtered in through the windows downstairs, coating everything it touched. The mass of explorers clinked mugs with lively energy plastered on their faces. Some arm wrestled, a few watching with pouches filled with coin and yelling at the top of their lungs to motivate the men to win. Others stood around a woman sitting on a stool near the contract board, roving her hands on a stringed instrument. With every stroke, the woman’s fingers danced effortlessly in the air as she played a melody that set the fiery mood.

The air was ripe with the odor of ale, sweat, and meat, carrying a mixture of spiciness and sourness that swept across every corner. Everyone was enjoying their time, except for one.

“I heard it’s like this every month,” Reo shouted beside him, wearing simple garments. “They’re like this because the food and drinks are free, courtesy of the witc—I mean Selena.”

If it was like this every month, then Tyrus would make sure to steer clear of this place whenever the exams took place. The constant noise was irritating his keen ears. Any longer and he really might pull them out just to feel some kind of relief. Then again, he couldn’t say no to free food.

Tyrus unclamped one of his ears to pick up a stray cube of meat in a bowl and shoved it into his mouth as he glanced sideways. Fiona was clapping along with the music, her cheeks a tint of red while Grant sat in a relaxed position next to her, nodding his head to the rhythm.

“You only get one drink for tonight,” Grant warned.

Fiona rolled her eyes. “What are you, my mother? I can hold my liquor quite well, so don’t worry about me.”

“One drink,” he repeated, this time with more intensity.

Fiona groaned in annoyance. “Fine, you win. Don’t get your undergarments all riled up. Might as well make this count.”

She grumbled and took another swing, finishing the remainder of her cup with a grin. Grant eyed his friend warily, his jaw tense, and his mouth open as if to say something, but ultimately sighed in defeat. Was her tolerance to alcohol that low, to where Fiona had to be monitored like a dangerous beast? Now that he thought about it, Reo and Grant did mention Fiona burned down an establishment.

For the following hour, the group continued to converse. Tyrus shared his experiences during the exam—by virtue of Reo asking him about it—while Fiona traced her finger along the rim of her empty mug. Of course, Tyrus made sure to neglect mentioning the dark sorcerer, the artifact and all that. Selena made it clear that he and Igneal were to speak of these things to no one.

Naturally, he started with being teleported to the Wasteful Wetlands and mostly going after goblins to train his swordsmanship and magic. Though the landscape of the Wasteful Wetlands was hard to fight in, he got used to it over time.

Then, he recounted the encounter with a singular lizardman that proved to be tough. This reptilian creature emerged stealthily from the mist, effortlessly blending into the surroundings, and struck him unexpectedly, much like a skilled assassin lurking in the shadows. What made it even more formidable was its exceptional camouflage. Despite its slender physique, this creature possessed a cunning ability to make its presence subtly known, enough to create awareness, but not enough to trigger immediate caution. Only by relying on his senses and outsmarting the creature was he able to win.

Later, he recounted how he had encountered additional lizardmen, plunged into a lake teeming with crocodiles, and sought shelter in a temporary cave. During his journey, he crossed paths with Igneal, who was engaged in a battle against goblins. They joined forces temporarily and fought against various creatures, aided by two other applicants. While he omitted mentioning the village inhabited by Scourge members and the Beastfolk, Tyrus brought up Sir Geroth’s role in eliminating the corrupted mana. Selena informed him that Fiona was already aware of the issues in the Wasteful Wetlands, so he reassured her by addressing the matter. When Tyrus’s tale came to a conclusion, Reo was the first to speak up.

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“...You did all of that in three hours? Fighting beasts with little to no breaks sounds like a pain in the ass to experience. Fiona, your aunt really is crazy for setting such a difficult exam.”

Fiona opened her mouth, closed it, then sighed. “Yeah, I got nothing. Taking place in the Wasteful Wetlands is already crazy enough, but fighting there for three hours? With all of those goblins and lizardmen? Just listening to Tyrus talk about it made my skin crawl! Do you think we would’ve passed, Grant?”

Grant lightly pushed a cup to his mouth and took a sip. Eyes as hearty as an oak tree skimmed Tyrus, and his head tilted back for another, this time leaving the glass emptied and set aside.

“No, I don’t think so,” he confessed. “Three hours would be too much for us to handle. Fiona gets exhausted easily and would need a break every twenty minutes or even every ten minutes if we were constantly fighting. Reo and I could handle goblins and similar creatures, but dealing with swamp imps and lizardmen would be our biggest challenge. We lack the necessary equipment to fight against airborne enemies, and lizardmen are usually found in groups. Honestly, even one hour might be too much for us.”

Reo reclined in his chair, propping his feet up on the table with a resounding clank. “As much as I hate to admit it, Grant is right. When it comes to situations like these, being prepared is half the battle. Endurance, strength, and mana pool all play crucial roles in fighting. The Wasteful Wetlands are treacherous to navigate because of mud and water, so high endurance is essential. Strength and mana pool are self-explanatory. Without them, winning battles is out of the question. We might as well be easy prey for the inhabitants.”

“I think Tyrus had prepared well for the exam,” Fiona added. “He was already warmed up when he effortlessly defeated my annoying brother. He even got himself new gear. Plus, considering he has been living in the wild for who knows how long, his endurance is pretty high. And on top of that, he’s a skilled sorcerer. It seems like he traveled in groups of four instead of being all alone. Igneal may be irritating, but he’s actually quite intelligent and skilled in combat. Their group had two sorcerers capable of close-range combat, an archer, and a swordsman. Pretty solid group composition, if you ask me.”

Cheers from below broke out as a burly man raised his fist into the air with a triumphant smile. Men crowded around him, slapping the victor on the shoulders as if he just saved their lives. The loser hung their head in defeat and whipped out their own coin pouch, giving the burly man a few sil. More in the crowd began to exchange their coins, betting on the next contenders to see who the winner would be.

A sinister glint in Fiona's eyes flickered. "I just thought of an amazing idea!"

Reo smirked. "Heh, this should be good."

Fiona pointed at the arm-wrestling competition. "How about Tyrus challenges that guy down there? He seems like an unblessed to me, so it should be an easy win for him."

"You want Tyrus, a kid, to enter an arm wrestle competition full of grown men? And against the guy currently winning all of his matches? You just want to find an excuse to bet again."

"It worked last time," Fiona said. "And it'll work again. Those men are nothing compared to Tyrus. Isn't that right?"

Tyrus glanced at the crowd once more and shook his head. "If I go down there, my ears will definitely bleed. I also don't want that many eyes on me. Sorry..."

Grant leaned over and gently patted him on the shoulder. “Nobody is coercing you. Just take solace in the fact that you would have emerged victorious, regardless. If you weren’t careful, you could have easily crushed that man’s hand. As sorcerers, it is crucial for us to refrain from exploiting our power for the wrong intentions.”

"How honorable of you," Fiona said with a scowl. "There goes us making some easy sil. We'll get another chance down the road."

Another cheer reverberated across the walls, and Tyrus finally had enough. "I think it's time for me to leave. I can't handle this noise anymore."

"Where are you staying at?" Fiona asked, watching Tyrus get up. "If you need a place to stay, I can help with that."

"No, I'm fine, thank you. I have somewhere to be for the time being. I'll meet up with you guys tomorrow."

"...If you say so. Just be careful, alright?"

Tyrus nodded and sauntered away from the table. Instead of taking the busy route downstairs, Tyrus walked to one of the empty rooms and entered. The blaring noise outside grew more distant with each step he took, until the only thing he could hear was the steady thrum of his heartbeat. He reached out for the window at the end of the room and pried it open. A rush of cold air stung his face, yet his body welcomed the refreshing sensation.

Standing on the window, his knees were bent, and his mind eased. He jumped off and landed in the empty alley, sprinting toward the direction of the eastern gate.