The rainy weather hadn't left Tries by dawn, which allowed Talia to let me out of her shop unnoticed by her neighbors. Not that she was overly concerned about what they might think, but the young woman adhered to a rather wise principle: if you can avoid negativity, then do so. And neighborhood gossip was not something that decent citizens aspired to.

Before literally pushing me out the door, Talia made it clear that she wouldn't mind if I dropped in "for a chat" again, maybe more than once. She only asked that I notify her in advance of my visit by sending someone to buy chamomile tea on my behalf, which cost just a handful of coppers. This way, she would know to expect me that same evening.

From the ease with which she bid me farewell and suggested such an arrangement, I guessed she had other lovers who also forewarned her of their visits. This conjecture was also supported by the fact that the young widow was quite uninhibited in bed, allowing herself liberties that would make the respectable women of Tries blush to the roots of their hair at the mere thought of them. Of course, I appreciated it and had a very pleasant night without closing my eyes at all. The "Mithril Body" achievement does boost overall stamina, including endurance in bed. So, when she saw me off, Talia was standing, leaning against the wall with her palm, and her knees were slightly trembling. When a woman sends you off in such a state, with a tired but satisfied smile on her face, it's a nice compliment to a man's ego.

You could say that I got a lot more out of this visit than I expected. This young woman was full of pleasant surprises. I had hoped to just relieve some tension, but instead, I had a real pleasure, for which I was grateful to the owner of the herb shop. Therefore, I readily agreed to her request to leave her house as unnoticed as possible.

Having wrapped myself in a cloak and pulled the hood over my eyes, I waited until there were as few passersby on the street as possible, then slipped out of the shop and hurried in the direction of Aun's house under the drizzling rain. Before turning the corner, I turned around, intending to wave goodbye to the widow, but to my surprise, she wasn't standing at the window, watching my back. This minor detail slightly scratched my male pride, but after passing half a block, I realized it was even better this way. The fact that Talia so easily becomes close and then parts is only to my advantage.

As I was nearing Aun's house, the rain stopped for a while, and I, throwing off my hood, enjoyed the morning sun that had appeared between the clouds for a moment. All the passersby coming towards me could see a satisfied smile on my face, somewhat crumpled because of the sleepless night. However, this smile of mine disappeared when I noticed a stranger in quite poor clothes and a peasant wide-brimmed woven hat that hid his whole face, sitting right on the steps of the house where I was temporarily living. I didn't miss a step or turn aside, but my right hand slid under my cloak and found the handle of my dagger.

Drawing closer, I noticed that the stranger was just of the Iron rank. This meant he posed no threat to me, but it was too early to let my guard down. He could have been part of some cunning diversion. But even this assumption was probably wrong because when I approached quite closely, I saw that the stranger was simply dozing off, leaning against the door and hiding from the rain under the awning.

Stopping in front of the porch, I activated the Aura of Acceleration and sharply waved the edge of my cloak at the limit of my available speed so that the stream of air caused by this movement knocked the wide-brimmed hat off the sleeping stranger's head. The headdress sent flying woke the uninvited guest instantly. An already not young man with greasy, long unwashed hair and callused palms waved his hands, catching his hat before it rolled down the street, and only then noticed me. He instantly recoiled, tensing as if scared that I would hit him.

"You don't look like a beggar. Your hands are used to work," I said, nodding towards his palms.

"Ma-a-a-aster Ra-a-a-aven?" The stranger asked, stammering a bit as he quickly got to his feet and bowed deeply.

"Yes," I answered briefly, meanwhile shifting to keep the whole street within my field of vision, with my back covered by the house wall.

"I'm a servant of Senator Varti," the stranger said - now without stuttering, seeming to realize that no one was going to hit him. "I have a message for Master Raven." He then stretched out his hand with a small scroll toward me.

"Put it on the porch," I nodded, taking a step back, still suspecting some kind of cunning trap.

After following my instruction, the self-proclaimed servant of Senator Varti looked around fearfully - as if he didn't know what to do next - and then, after nearly a minute of silence, asked:

"Am I free? Can I go?"

"Go," I answered briefly.

The man, clearly past his prime, bowing deeply and constantly backing away, moved about five meters from me before turning his back and hurrying towards the city gates. It seemed there was no trap this time.

Picking up the postal scroll, I unrolled it right on the porch and immediately recognized Aun's handwriting from the first few lines. It was a message from that unbearable boy, who reported that he had been invited to stay at Senator Varti's suburban villa, and he couldn't refuse, so he won't be back until tomorrow morning. If Aun thought this news would upset me, he was gravely mistaken. No matter how well I treated this young man, he had thoroughly tired me out with his chatter over the past few days. So, I entered the house in even better spirits than before.

Having removed my cloak and hung it to dry, I started a fire in the fireplace. Then I quickly prepared myself an omelet from five eggs, grabbed a decent piece of hard cheese, and had a hearty breakfast. The food was simple and without any frills, but both the eggs and cheese were already in the house, and I didn't have to go to the market for them. After extinguishing the fire, I stretched as much as I could and sat down in an old wicker chair. I needed to decide what to do today.

The first option is the simplest one - to get some sleep. I can easily go several days without sleep. Yes, it's true. But tomorrow, I have another battle in the Arena. And no matter how confident I am of my victory, laxity and cockiness could lead to my defeat. So sleeping at least for three hours might be a good choice.

The second option is also self-evident. Today is the first round of the Steel grid, and going to the Arena to watch the fights wouldn't be superfluous. This could also be useful and interesting. I could try to evaluate the fighters and then make a few bets. Risky, of course, but I shouldn't discount such an opportunity. I can always use more money, that's for sure.

The third option is not as obvious and has only become viable because I don't need to look after Aun. Namely, finding out where the dojo of the "Rising Dragon" school is located and paying a visit to Ronin. Yes, we are not acquainted in this Cycle yet, but I can tell him that I recognized him as an earthling and start a conversation that way. I'm sure I've piqued his interest with my tournament performances, and he would be happy to engage in such an acquaintance.

It's a very appealing idea. But, having weighed this thought from all sides, I nevertheless decided against this possibility. It is quite likely that Ronin and I will cross paths in the final, and in that case, our personal meeting during the tournament might not be well-received by the organizers. And if I don't want to get disqualified for some bureaucratic reason, it would be better to refrain from acquainting myself with an "old comrade" for now. It's a pity; I am genuinely interested in knowing how the life of the fencing master unfolded in Ain. I would have loved to hear his story. And as soon as I caught myself thinking this, I realized that my interaction with Larindel hadn't gone in vain.

The fourth option is to try to figure out what exactly the champion of Cisto hit me so hard with. It's clear that at its core, it was a well-executed Discharge, most likely, at three full Stars of Talent in Lightning. I can't do that yet, since my Talent barely has one and a half stars filled. But the Discharge itself isn't as interesting as the flash of light that was integrated with it.

Light magic in Ain is not as straightforward as elemental magic. This Power is considered "exclusive" to the followers of Antares, and the Sun god's servants know how to keep their secrets. No one will teach the basics of Light to those who haven't sworn to serve Antares. But how did Shiin Karim learn a blinding spell, given that the champion of Cisto is definitely not a priest or a paladin of the Sun? The simplest possibility is that he acquired the skill at a true Altar. Yes, that could be. The echo of Antares, of course, responds to prayers hundreds of times less often than Seguna, who, by the way, is prayed to tens of thousands of times less, but still, it happens sometimes. There's also a chance that Shiin Karim, like me, has an Affinity with Light, and then his chance to be "heard" by the Shard of the solar deity was quite large. Moreover, the flash was so bright that even I, prepared for almost anything, was disoriented. And most likely, the backlash also hit the one who applied the spell, momentarily blinding him too, which is why he ran into my set spear.

My palms itched with the desire to study a Light spell, but I checked myself in time. In Tries, there is a true Altar of Antares, located in the Main Temple of the city, which I even saw during my visit. But, it seems to me that after what happened to me at the Altar of Shadow, praying to Light in front of many people will not be the best idea. If the echo of Antares hits me with its "displeasure," the local priests will immediately turn their attention to me. Do I need that? Definitely not! Until I sort out the conflict between Shadow and Light within me, I better not approach the true altars of these Powers. It'll be safer that way.

I'm not even sure I should resort to Light. Yes, undoubtedly, it is one of the most potent Powers, one of the primary ones, more powerful than Shadow. All true. But it's the Shadow that is more familiar to me; I know how to utilize it fully, while Light is an unexplored path. Moreover, the only option I have come up with so far to earn Seguna's forgiveness is to deliver an offense to Antares. Not a physical offense, but a formal-symbolic one. Because in the confrontation of Powers, meanings play a significant role. If the gods of Ain were alive, I wouldn't risk using this method, but at the moment, the Echoes only react to what they are, so to speak, "nose-dipped" in. The Echo of Seguna has already noticed me, while the Echo of Antares probably doesn't care about someone named Raven. And if I don't change this, it will most likely remain that way for a long time. But if I start studying Light, take the necessary vows for it, and then formally offend Antares, it will definitely not be without consequences. And then I won't get away with just the "displeasure" of an Echo.

So should I risk so much now to study Light magic? Or should I put this opportunity "on hold" and come back to it when I'm better prepared? I really want to grab everything available to me with both hands right now, but I admit that such greed isn't always appropriate. The longer I think, the clearer I realize that I should hold off studying Light at this stage. As much as I want to get stronger here and now with new magic, it's just not the time. Having made this tough decision, I washed the dishes and went to bed, setting myself to wake up in three hours.

A noisy crowd of children chose to play on the street right under my windows and woke me up about an hour earlier than the time I had designated for my morning sleep. Despite that, when I opened my eyes, I felt much more vigorous and even rested than before I lay down to sleep. After all, the "Mithril Body" is a real miracle.

Having quickly washed my face with cold water, I drove off the remnants of sleepiness and, looking out the window, estimated the time pretty accurately based on Dairin's position relative to the sun. Essentially, the day was just beginning, and I still had time to watch the Steel grid tournament fights. After a bit of thought, out of three options: training, Arena, and seeking adventures for new Achievements – I, after a short contemplation, still chose the second. Because my training won't run away, and I don't need additional core saturation. As the tournament win, combined with what I already have at the moment, will already give me enough energy to transition to Steel. Of course, I should warm up and prepare for tomorrow's fight, but I can do that in the evening as well.

Before getting out of bed, I brought my hands to my face and created a cartoon illusion on my palms. After the largely schematic drawing fully formed, I tried to make it three-dimensional, but, like all the previous times, I failed. Never mind, someday my brain will restructure, grow new neural connections, and I will be able to step onto a new level in understanding Illusion magic. But for now, I should keep practicing, so, having formed a new drawing, a very simple, banal daisy flower, I mentally moved it onto my shoulder and "fixed" it there. Every day I manage to maintain such an illusion longer and longer, sometimes for a minute, sometimes for three, but this is still progress. Though slow, barely noticeable steps, it's there, and that's the main thing.

Before leaving the house, I examined the sky, it was still gray, but I didn't see any dark clouds like yesterday. So, most likely, if it starts to rain again, it will be light, not a tropical downpour. With this thought, I decided not to take my cloak with me, changed into city clothes, fixed my new hairstyle, and went out onto the street.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Having locked the house, I shook my head and caught my reflection in the window of the neighboring house from the corner of my eye. And I liked this reflection. There was something unusual and, at the same time, appealing in my new hairstyle. I always wanted to try long hair, but I never thought it would suit me so much. This hairstyle, however, had its own downside - I had to get used to it so that the long braid wouldn't play a cruel joke on me in a fight. But anyway, the long hair was temporary. When I need to go to the dungeon, I'll have to cut off all this magnificence. As painful as it will be, I'll have to do it to avoid trouble. Because when choosing between beauty and additional risk to life, I would rather give up this "beauty." But that will come later; for now, I was enjoying my new appearance.

I've long been accustomed to drawing the attention of local passers-by. At first, it was most likely due to my unusual looks in this area and my sharp facial features. Then many began to recognize me as a participant in the Alchemists' Tournament. With the new hairstyle, the number of curious glances, one might say, doubled. But today, something changed in those looks. This change became particularly noticeable to me when I entered the central city square. However, I couldn't understand exactly what this change was, but there were significantly fewer displeased, aggressive, and irritated looks directed at me than yesterday morning.

Taking my time, I walked at a steady pace, cutting through the crowd like an icebreaker through small ice floes. From the outside, it probably seemed like I was going to my destination without paying any attention to anything, but this was only an illusion. In reality, I was closely tracking everything around me. Therefore, I immediately noticed a figure that stood out from the general city mass.

A young girl was sitting on the steps of the main Arena staircase. She was dressed like middle-class townsfolk; externally, she also almost did not stand out from the crowd. Eastern delicate facial features, black hair laid as is customary, typical Southeastern physique. It might seem that the townswoman was waiting for someone. But the locals don't sit on the steps of this staircase; in Tries, it is considered a bad omen bringing bad luck. You can sit on the stairs of the Senate or the Temple as much as you want, but for some reason, do it on the Arena steps - and you "won't see luck for a week." Even Aun couldn't remember where such a belief came from in the city, but it existed, which meant this girl was definitely not local, even though she wanted to appear to be.

When she noticed me, she immediately got to her feet, shook her clothes, and tried to blend into the crowd. Her movements were quite strange; she went down, passed about forty meters to my left, and then positioned herself a little behind and to the side. She kept walking like this until I stepped on the first stair step, and as soon as I began to ascend, the girl quickly closed the distance, adjusted her stride to mine, and started approaching me.

Watching her, I barely held back a smile. The girl made so many mistakes and blunders that it immediately became clear to me that she was not a local. To help her, I slowed down a bit. And when she ended up close, I adjusted my pace to match hers. A stranger's swift, agile, thin hand slipped under my elbow, and the unfamiliar woman practically hung on me as if we were a couple. Cheeky, of course, but I didn't show I disliked it; instead, I didn't even raise an eyebrow - as if it should be this way.

"What's the weather like in Washington, Raven?" The stranger chirped, so only I could hear her.

"I'm not there, so it must be awful." I smile in response. "And where you're from, what's the forecast?"

"Oh!" She laughed lightly and, it seemed to me, quite naturally. "Then it's any forecast - I've lived everywhere on our globe! And yes, I call myself Ye Lan."

"Nice to meet you." I nod, keeping pace.

"Do you have time to talk about our affairs?" Asking, she tries to look into my eyes.

"There's time to talk," I reply cheerfully and, without changing the tone, continue, "but we don't have any affairs."

"I thought we, earthlings, should help each other." The girl said disappointedly.

"Goodbye," I answered sharply, pulling my hand from hers.

"I get it!!" She reacted immediately and clung to me tighter. "Just talk!"

"Alright." I agreed to that.

Silence lingered for a while, but when Ye Lan was ready to say something, I gestured that it wasn't time yet. We were just approaching the service entrance, guarded today by two mercenaries from the Alchemists' Guild, both of Wootz rank. Drawing closer to them, I nodded at the girl beside me and uttered one short phrase:

"With me."

The senior guard silently nodded and gave way. As soon as we climbed to the stands and sat away from others, I signaled that she could speak, and Ye Lan asked:

"Where did I mess up?"

"First," I pointed at the edge of the "guest ribbon" sticking out from her belt.

"Oh, I thought I'd hidden it better." She immediately adjusted the fabric so that the ribbon was out of sight.

"Second. Locals don't sit on these steps."

"You're kidding, 'they don't sit'!" The girl exclaimed in bewilderment. "I've seen it: people sit on the steps like pigeons at Montmartre."

"On the Senate steps, yes. On the Temple steps, yes. On the municipality steps, yes. But no one sits on the Arena steps... It's a bad omen."

"Damn! Just my luck..." She grimaced as if scolding herself mentally.

"Shall I continue?"

At that moment, the announcer had just declared the start of a new tournament day. We briefly paused our conversation, watching the contestants' introduction. And only when the announcer finished his speech Ye Lan turned to me and asked:

"Yes, what were my other mistakes? I thought I had perfectly copied the behavior of the locals. The walk, posture, even the manner of moving in a crowd."

"Well, you're quite the professional spy," I grinned.

"No," she waved it off, "On Earth, I was an actress. No, not famous, forever stuck in second or third roles. But I thought my skills would suffice to pass for a local."

"You almost succeeded. If not for the first two mistakes, I might not have noticed your overly direct gaze."

"What's wrong with my gaze?" My new acquaintance asked curiously.

"The locals glance at me as if by chance, shy of their own curiosity, but you looked differently."

As she mulled over my words, I unabashedly examined her. Initially, she appeared neither beautiful nor attractive to me. Just an ordinary gray mouse that nobody would turn their heads to on the street. But everything changed the moment she started speaking. She had an amazingly pleasant voice. Not sexual, not seductive, but simply very pleasing. It was as if it caressed your ears with its unique overtones. And, when she spoke, her face lit up, and her expressions compensated for the outward "grayness." No, she didn't transform into beauty when she opened her mouth, but she became cute. Very cute. I don't think it's a result of her acting skills; rather, it was a manifestation of her natural charisma. Catching my gaze, she playfully winked:

"Do you think with my unremarkable appearance, I could never land leading roles?" There was not a hint of irritation or offense in her voice.

"You're cute," I responded directly, not breaking eye contact. "And if you had chosen to become a voice actress, you would have been priceless."

"So, you liked my unusual little voice?" Ye Lan cooed and pressed herself against me.

She pressed herself so blatantly that I could feel the firmness of her bust against my bicep. I had already sensed from the first glance that she wanted something from me, and now I was a hundred percent sure of it. And just at that moment, the first pair of Steel fighters stepped onto the arena's sand. Ye Lan immediately moved away from me and turned towards the beginning duel.

"Conversation doesn't stop me from watching," I nodded to the girl with a slight smile, who was obviously silent out of politeness.

"Really?" She immediately perked up and pressed herself against me again.

"I had a wild night," I silently chuckled. "So these kinds of supposedly accidental gestures won't work on me."

"Really?" She raised her gaze to me, in which a slight feeling flashed, and the girl didn't hesitate to voice it out loud: "Envy..." She sighed, moving away.

"Why envy? There are plenty of free men around. Take your pick," I pretended not to understand her.

"It's easy for you men," she waved her hand. "But for us, girls from Earth, it's a problem here in Ain."

"What problem?" I must have misunderstood something; a girl can't be so open with the first stranger she meets, can she?

Turns out, she can.

"The same old thing," she shrugged, "Sex, of course."

"You don't say!" I chuckled, "Ain is quite progressive, and if a woman makes the first move, it doesn't surprise anyone, so if you really wanted to..."

"That's not the point!" Ye Lan interrupted me with what seemed like real, not feigned, irritation. "The first move is not the problem." She gave me a playful wink, and then her tone turned melancholy. "But what comes later is the real trouble and sorrow..."

I was curious, so I didn't interrupt her. Almost half a minute of silence passed before she continued.

"Take the locals, for example," the girl's hand made a sweeping gesture as if pointing to all the male spectators in the stands at once. "All these men don't understand the concept of pleasing a woman. They don't even think about it. All local sexual practices and treatises are dedicated only to one thing: giving more pleasure to men, while no one considers the needs of women. Therefore, sex with the locals is, well, mediocre." The girl shrugged irritably. "A vibrator is better... No, I'm not blaming anyone." She waved her hand in the air. "I understand them; it's the level of societal development." Ye Lan looked at me and asked with a mischievous squint, "Do you think it's better with earthlings?"

"Isn't it?" I was surprised by her question.

"Ha-ha-ha!" She laughed in a forced and not at all joyful way. "We all have achieved the 'Mithril Body'." She looked up to the sky. "And now, every guy, even those who were impotent on Earth, can go at least three or even five times a night."

"What's wrong with that?" I didn't understand.

"The fact that this ability drives you guys crazy," she squinted at me again. "Almost everyone imagines themselves as a sexual titan." She sighed regretfully. "And most don't realize that two hours of non-stop pounding is not always what a woman needs. They're so absorbed in their own self-love!" She faltered, looked around, then her gaze settled on me, and she spoke more calmly. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. It's personal."

"And here I was hoping that you were looking for a lover for tonight." If I had correctly understood her character, she wouldn't take offense at this but would laugh instead.

And laugh she did. Her sincere laughter was even more pleasant than her voice.

"I'll consider it," she chuckled and pressed herself against me again.

And I felt that spending a night with a passionate widow was far from a panacea for such manipulations. What's more inconvenient, Ye Lan noticed my reaction. But to my surprise, she didn't pursue her advantage, didn't tease me more, but rather distanced herself and adopted a serious expression.

"You know," I leaned forward as if I was captivated by the duel happening in the arena, "I would have never thought that someone from Earth would find me just to talk about sex."

"It's two nil in your favor." Ye Lan humbly conceded. "First point for spotting me in the crowd. And the second one for not being as bashful as the others." Squinting, she added with a hint of amusement in her voice: "Usually, when you start talking about sex with men at the very first meeting, they get lost. They blush, pale, don't know how to behave."

"And while they're in that state, you can get a lot of interesting information out of them, right..." I winked.

"It worked on Earth, and it works flawlessly on Ain... or rather, it used to work flawlessly, until now." She easily acknowledged.

"So, you didn't find me just to talk about sex and give me a few live proofs of your point?" There is so much hurt and disappointment in my voice, almost sincere.

"Oh!" Ye Lan's eyes widened. "A colleague!"

"Ahem." I instantly understood what she meant and honestly replied: "No, I'm not an actor."

"Really? It's a pity." She pouted her lips. "These emotions, this hurt, this disappointment. I almost believed you for a moment."

"So maybe I wasn't acting." I shrugged.

"You're interesting." This time, there was no hint of a sexual undertone in her voice. "And yet, there is a plus in talking about sex."

"And what is that?"

"You immediately understand how open you can be with your interlocutor." All the while she's talking, the girl doesn't take her eyes off me.

"But one mistake - and someone local may misunderstand you..."

"Pf-f-f." Ye Lan dismisses my words. "I'm here, aren't I? I'm alive. You should understand what that means." There's a fleeting glimpse of hidden pain in her eyes, and I don't have time to figure out if it's a genuine emotion or good acting.

"It only means that your survival skills have been enough so far." I retorted sharply. "But it doesn't guarantee that you'll have enough of them tomorrow!"

She flinched at my words; it was clear that she wanted to respond sharply at first but then changed her mind and pondered.

I stay silent; there's no rush.

Ye Lan thought for almost ten minutes, then gathered her thoughts and said very quietly:

"I don't want to die..."