“Hey Sophia, what day is today?” I ask somewhat light-headed.

“It’s the 16th of Leo. Also it’s strange that you of all people forgot the date.” She says to me a little surprised.

“Too much on my mind.”

“Like what?”

“I don't know… Maybe the fact that 200 people just appeared here two days ago.” More of the migrants just appeared here and none of them could actually tell why. Not in the sense that they won’t but in the sense that they can’t. They just woke up a few kilometers away from the city with their belongings. It still is quite the problem.

“Yeah, that is a problem.”

“You are too relaxed with this.” I say somewhat angrily.

“I have you, so I can relax a little.”

“I was supposed to be your accountant. I want a raise.” I say half-joking.

“We both know that it isn’t possible at the moment.”

“I know, I know…” We finally managed to get numbers on how much we need to get good cows and bulls and they are not cheap. 60% of the taxes we get are all being and going to be used for cattle raising.

We continue for a few minutes until Maxia arrives and drops dead on the sofa of the office.

“Are you alright?” both me and Sophia ask.

“People are dumb.” She says in an almost sad tone.

“Nothing new.” I say.

“It’s like they are doing it on purpose. I healed so many broken bones today that an army healer would have died trying to keep up with me.” She says really angrily.

“Maxia, do you have to touch people to heal them?”

“Yes?”

“And most of the people you healed were young men, isn’t that right?”

“... Yes.”

“Well, it took a while but people are finally starting to see your beauty.”

“What do you mean!?” She says, really flustered.

“What I said. They just want to get near you.” Maxia is by no means ugly. She is strange going by this world standards but not ugly.

“What should I do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe get a boyfriend. You could always try to heal from a distance or just say that since everyone is getting hurt for no reason you will stop helping as much as you are.”

“Aren’t I supposed to say those things?” Sophia asks.

“No.” I answered her in a very clear voice..

“I probably have a fiance lined up for me.” Maxia says as she sits up.

“Then just comment about it while doing your rounds. After a while things should go back to normal.” I wish I could just say that she should marry who she wants but the world isn’t in a state where most people can choose if they will get married or not. For most normal people marrying is something they need to do for survival. Maxia is not normal in any way but she isn’t strong like me or Sophia. If things got bad we could survive on our own with just our strength. Besides being able to heal others, Maxia is pretty much a normal girl.

“Where are the other two?” Sophia asks.

“Alfina is playing with Ice Cream and a bunch of other kids since Lucia didn’t open the school today and Zelfina is helping with the construction of the houses.”

“If you go out again, remember to tell them to come back to eat lunch in time. You three live here.”

“Ok ma’am.” She says as she lies down again.

Me and Sophia continue working for a while. Maxia leaves after an hour, more or less, and we continue until lunch.

“Lucia, are you sure you didn’t find anything on them?” Zelfina asks me as we eat.

“Yes, besides their natural mana, I found nothing. I also know they are not lying about just appearing there before you ask.”

“I find that really strange. Did you know that among that group there are some people who couldn’t walk?”

“Really?” That takes me by surprise. Me, Sophia and the guards scanned every single one of the migrants and not a single one of them showed any signs of being affected by spells.

“Yeah, I heard it while helping. There is also the fact that they came all the way from Bazin. Shouldn’t we look into this?” Bazin is one of the few cities where the underground river that feeds the entire north of the continent surfaces. It’s the 7th city to the east of Sagrada and the only place on the south part of the kingdom where you can get freshwater fish. Not really a fan of fish so I never even wanted to go there.

“I already sent a letter to the governor of the city. We should get a response in a few days.” Sophia says in a very calm tone, trying to calm down Zelfina who is a little too energetic.

“Hey, I also heard something.” Alfina says, trying to get some attention too.

“What?” I ask.

“A caravan is coming. A big one.”

“Now that is a surprise.” Sophia says.

“I am familiar with the term, but what is it?” I ask.

“To keep it simple, they are traveling merchants who travel in really big numbers. They also bring entertainment like music, theater performances, dances and even competitions of strength to entertain and gather people”

“So a circus and a market that go around.”

“Pretty much.”

“Let’s take a look when it comes then. Shame Mess isn’t here. He would probably like the place.”

“What makes you think that?” Monica asks.

“It’s something different from the normal we have here at least.”

“...”

After this we don’t talk too much and soon we continue with our lives. Me and Sophia spend the rest of the day all the way into the night preparing and checking the documents we will need to have for the new migrants such as documents to identify them if needed.

Following our non-stop work in the office we worked two days non-stop making sure that the new migrants weren’t up to anything bad as well as teaching them on how the city works. It wasn’t an easy task. In just two days more than 50 people tried to start farms around the city. Under normal circumstances that would be ok but we literally live little more than an hour away from Degrada. It’s cheaper and healthier to just work for one of the farmers there than trying to farm your own food around our city.

I also didn’t teach during these last few days but something positive came out of all this. Some of the kids actually are trying to study on their own and look for me if needed. I couldn’t really help much but seeing that they want to learn is a ray of hope in this world for me.

It also looks like Maxia did something as the men are now trying their best to not get hurt. On the other hand Zelfina is pretty much whipping people to work in some places. As for Alfina I don’t see her besides when we eat but I don’t need to worry too much since Ice Cream is now her bodyguard 24/7.

After those two days enough emergency housing was made so that everyone who needed to have a roof over their heads had one. Also those houses could be reinforced later without the need to demolish them.

During the night, since I can’t sleep, as I do what is pretty much yoga, I hear a knock on my door.

“Come in” I say as I unlock it.

“Thanks.” I hear Alfina saying in a somewhat sleepy voice as she enters.

“Did something happen?”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Is there something wrong?”

“... I can’t remember things.” She says in a somewhat sad tone. Following this I sat with her on my bed.

“You don’t remember what exactly?”

“... Everyone. My friends, school, anything I can think of… I just realized that today.”

“I wish I could say it’s temporary but it isn’t. We are all in the same boat. I also don’t remember any of those things.” I say as I hug her.

“Do you think they remember me?” She asks me with puppy eyes.

“They do. Everyone who cares about you, remember you.”

“... What did you do?”

“I was a bad person.” Objectively speaking, I was a bad person.

“How?” She asks me, surprised.

“I did bad stuff with other people.”

“Did you steal from people?”

“You have no idea how much.” I usually stole from people who owed me money, but I still stole money nonetheless.

“Mom said that you shouldn’t steal…” She says to me, somewhat sad.

“Not everyone’s mom is as nice as yours.” I say, somewhat sad, faking a smile.

“Are you still a bad person?”

“I don’t know. I hope not.”

“Everyone says you are really cool, and smart, and strong, and nice and beautiful…” She tries to tell me but little by little she begins to fall asleep.

I tuck her in my bed but just before she falls asleep she says something to me.

“I hope I can become like you.”

I feel somewhat happy but also sad with this. I am not a good person. I do good things but I am prepared to do atrocities just for self-satisfaction. I hope she doesn’t become like me, the world already has too many people like me.

Our lives continue like normal until the 25th of Leo where the caravan that arrived the day before finally finished getting ready and is opening.

“Well, besides a giant tent, this place really is a circus with shops.” I say to the girls as we walk past the makeshift frontgate that was made for the area. There are various stalls with either games or shops scattered around the north of the city with enough space for people to walk around and performers like clowns, jugglers, bards and dancers to have space for their art.

It doesn’t take even a minute for Alfina to begin to pull us towards something that caught her attention. We spent the entire morning all the way to noon going around, playing various games and enjoying the entertainment available at the place. Besides common carnival games known even to me, like throwing balls, disks or darts at targets, there were also other less common games to see in stalls like memory games with cards, untangling of knots, even a strength based game where you had to bend a metal plate.

There were some stalls where you just played the games for fun but some had prizes, we won a few, although small, ones. We got 5 dolls, one of them really realistic for a cloth doll, it looks like it could come alive at any moment and just begin to talk with us. We also got a few cheap jewelry, mostly rings but the best thing was my prize on one of the target games. I received the information that the best products would actually be sold only at the middle of the afternoon forward. With that information I managed to hold myself and the girls from buying anything in the numerous shops we saw and just focus on food for the most part.

Speaking of food, I wonder how these people conserve meat. There were too many different types of meat around this place, as well as vegetables, that you can’t grow on this continent. Magic is always an option but in case it isn’t I hope I find out.

Besides the occasional fruit as a snack, we actually ate a full meal if we put together everything we bought from the stalls. I don’t know if reptile meat tasted like it tasted here in my old world but I feel like I missed something after eating lizard tails from one of the stalls here.

During the first half of the afternoon all of us went to see a play in one of the makeshift theaters made at the place. It was a long play, more than two hours long. It was an epic comedy about a merchant trying to keep up with a generic hero as he tries to save the princess from an evil dragon.

Comedy was done mostly via slapstick. There was some word play and simple jokes but I didn’t really understand any of them. This shows how detached from normal people I really am. Even Alfina managed to get more jokes than me.

After the play we quickly go back to the mansion to use the bathroom and clean ourselves for our possible shopping spree. I took more money from my reserves as I spent a little more than what I would like and went back to the caravan area.

As we arrive at the place, again, less people are walking around and the shops are restocking their displays. I can see some nice weapons, armor and clothes that weren’t there before that look powerful.

We go around looking at the things. The girls each buy something with their own money. Alfina bought a collection of rings. They are all simply rings with gems the size of a pea in them. There are some gems I can’t identify and it doesn’t look like any of those rings are actually enchanted in any way.

Maxia bought a golden club. She was a little too happy when she managed to lift it up and the merchant told her that the club was enchanted to let anyone lift it.

Zelfina bought a lot of dresses and clothes of different colors. Most of those dresses are clearly not for her but she wouldn’t explain to me where all this is going. One dress that I am sure it’s hers is a dress similar to my battle dress. I guess she wanted something similar.

As the night begins to hit we reach a stall full of really expensive stuff that gets my full attention.

“Girls, I found it.” I say with the most confident tone I can muster.

“What?” Maxia asks.

“Your presents.”

“Here?” Alfina asks while pointing to the stall.

“These look expensive.” Zelfina comments.

“I can assure you the price is a reflection of the quality.” The man in charge of the stall says in a cheerful tone after hearing us.

“I can feel it. You have some really good stuff here.”

“Then what will it be? I don’t think any of the ladies here need armor or weapons from what I can see. Are you interested in any of the jewelry?” He asks us.

The girls started to take a look around as the man was talking.

“Look, this one looks like a bird.” Alfina says as she points to a pair of earrings made entirely out of emeralds in the shape of a generic bird. Like everything in this stall, I can feel magic coming from it.

“What are these eyeglasses for?” Maxia asks as she points to a collection of glasses with big round lenses made out of various precious gems.

“And this necklace? I feel a strange energy coming from it that is somewhat nice.” Zelfina asks while pointing to a necklace with black gemstone in the shape of what looks like a bat head.

“The earrings will help the user hear better using the wind as a medium if one has some affinity with wind magic. The glasses are made to help the user see better. Each eyeglass has a spell with different potency on it. The most powerful one will make you able to see long distances while the most basic ones will help people who have damaged eyes see normally or just enhance the normal vision of a person a little. As for the necklace, it will boost the user's ability to sense things around himself. These items, like most of the items in my humble shop, require some mana from the user.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“What about the things you have in the back?” I ask.

“I thought you didn’t need any more weapons…” He says while pointing at my weapons.

“No! I am not talking about the weapons on your display. I am talking about the things on the back of the stall.”

“That is just stock my lady.” The man says in a somewhat distraught tone.

“Look old man, I know you are not doing this on purpose but don’t insult me. I can feel something really powerful there. If you are not going to sell it just say.”

“...Sorry if I offended you but the circumstances are a little more complicated than me not being able to sell it.”

Everyone there, including me, looked in confusion at the man and waited for an explanation.

“You see, the items that you are sensing are probably one of the prizes for the fights that will happen later on the main ring.” There were a few rings scattered around the area where people were showing spell and weapon techniques but not really any fighting.

“Can I ask what they are at least?”

“Well, the items in my possession are a collection of ancient jewelry.”

“They do anything?”

“You have to enter the fight to find out but I don’t think you will be able to.”

“What do you mean by that?” I say, a little annoyed.

“You can’t use weapons or magic. You don’t look like the type who is ready for a bare knuckle fight.”

“Where do I sign up?”

“Lucia!?” Zelfina suddenly calls me out.

“What?” I ask.

“Just buy something, you don’t need to do it.” She says as she realizes why I am doing this.

“If everything else in this place is on the level of what he described before, I don’t think I can consider it a worthy present.”

“Are you saying that my products are bad?” he says, a little angry.

“No, I am saying that they don’t do what I need.”

“Then what do you need?”

“Something that strengthens magic.”

“... You can’t sell that normally.”

“So you have something like that?”

“...No.”

“Then where do I sign up?”

“... The middle of the festival. There is a ring surrounded by chairs.” The man says in a tone of defeat. We quickly left the place.

“Are you really going to fight?” Alfina asks.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Didn’t you hear? I want to give something that is actually good to all of you.”

“But aren’t those things good enough?”

“If Mess can probably do it, It ain’t enough.” I say as I pat her head.

“I wonder how you will fight. I never imagined you fighting seriously without your swords.” Maxia says.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.” Which is to fight like in my old life. Even if I use weapons now, my mind will never forget how to fight with just my body.

We walked towards the place that the shopkeeper said. Lots of people are gathering here, there is even a fight happening but I can really see it. After a quick look around I see a small booth where you can register to fight. I leave the girls for a moment and make my way there.

“I would like to register.” I say to the woman there.

“If you are here I assume you know what this place is. Do you want to pick a blind blacked or you want to see the prizes?”

“I would like to see the prizes.”

“It will be 200 Kir, also sign this.” She gives me a magical contract that says that I can’t tell what the prizes are to other people unless I win them. I sign it after paying and take a look.

There is some interesting stuff but I can probably only fight once so I look for those jewelry that the man was putting as a prize. In its description it says that any mage would like to have them, more information will be given to the winner. They are also expensive, they are prizes for one the hardest fights.

“I will fight in this one.” I say to the woman as I point to the prize I want.

“I suggest you don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because you would have to fight her and you don't look like you can handle it.” She says as she points to the ring. There is a barbarian woman, 2 meters tall, full of muscle and in the bare minimum clothing to not be naked is throwing a man bigger than me out of the ring like a ball.

“I will go for it anyway.”

“It will be 5000 Kir then.”

“... Can I sign a contract saying that I will pay it later? I don’t have that much with me now.” I have around 1000 kir left with me.

“Sure, sure…” She says as she gives me another magic contract. This one can locate me.

After paying what I could I receive a wood piece with a number. It's number 25.

“You will be called by your number so stay near the ring.” She explained it to me.

“NUMBER 20!” I hear a shout coming from near the ring. My turn will come soon. I go back to the girls.

“Girls, I will be near the ring so I came back to tell you something important.”

“What?” They ask me.

“Take care of Alfina. There is a chance things might not go as smoothly as I want.”

They just look confused at me.

“That’s all I had to say. I will be going now.” I say as I leave.

Takes a few moments but I manage to get near the ring. As the numbers are called the fighters change on both sides. Each bracket has fighters for the defending side and the people who paid to fight them. The bracket I am in only has that giant woman so they must have some confidence in her.

After a few minutes I heard my number.

“Number 25! To the ring.”

As I enter the ring, something similar to a boxing ring but instead of rope around it has wooden planks, the barbarian woman also enters along with the judge of our fight and begins to make its way to the center of the ring. I leave my weapons on the side of the ring and give a deathglare to the audience near it so they don’t even think about touching it.

“Aren’t you a little too pretty to be here, girl?” The barbarian woman says to me. Her voice is loud but at least she sounds like a woman.

“Don’t get jealous of me just because you look like a man.” I snarkily say to her.

“These are the muscles I grew myself to fight and show the world how strong I can be even if I can’t use magic.” She says angrily.

“I don’t believe in that one bit.” Her body is too masculine for that to be natural. Not once have I seen a woman with that much muscle including Sophia. She exercises every day and she isn’t as bulk as this woman.If not for her clothing she could pass as a man in some places. There is also the fact I faintly feel mana on her and not the type you get just because someone used a spell near you. It’s the kind that are around mages everywhere if they constantly use magic like me.

“Are you two ready?” The judge asks after our little exchange.

“Let’s start this!” I say confidently as I tie my hair.

“That’s what I want to hear.” The barbarian woman says to me as we go back to our corners.

“To my left, as you are all familiar, is Maryad, The Giganta. To my right, the challenger, Lucia, the flying swordswoman of Sagrada.” The judge announces with a sound charm. The people in the crowd go wild for some reason. I hear some shouts for me and for Maryad from there.

The judge gives the signal that we can start as he leaves the ring to not get in the way.

She begins to charge at me like a bull as soon as the judge leaves. I take my battle stance. I put my left arm in front of me like I was holding a shield, my right arm goes to my side with my hands near my hip already in the form of a fist ready to give a hook. My legs are just a little bent, with my left leg forward, making me almost sideways from the point of view of my opponent.

I begin to run towards Maryad too. She really just wants to tackle me as she doesn’t stop for a moment, which is good for me.

As we are ready to collide I step to the side and kick her knee with all the force I can muster at that moment and turn around to face her again. She felt that but I also did it. My right foot is a little hurt now but nothing serious.

She also turns around after stopping her charge and now is slowly walking towards me with her hands forward, probably trying to grab me. I take this chance and run towards her.

As we approach each other she accelerates at the last moment to try and grab me but I side-step to my left and do a spin kick on her left knee again using the momentum of my dodge. She is unable to stop immediately like before so she takes a step using her left leg and her knee gives in making her kneel for a moment.

I take this chance and hit the back of her head with three punches using all the strength I can muster at the moment before she lets out a scream of what I think is pain and twists her body to hit me with her arms. I guard myself using both of my arms but the impact sends me back a few meters giving her time to get her footing again.

At this point I am not hearing the crowd anymore and almost not seeing it. I don’t think I had a fight in this world where I could just ignore my surroundings like this one. It kinda refreshes me a little or maybe I am just feeling nostalgic about beating people up for prizes. Either way the fight continues.

That giant of a woman looks to have some brains as it looks like she gave up on the idea of just trying to grab me and is in a brawling stance similar to what boxers would use. She is also slowly approaching me instead of running full speed ahead. I respond in kind, getting back into my stance and also slowly approaching her.

We meet at the center of the ring where as soon as I am in the range of her punches she tries to hit me with a right hook. I take this opportunity and dash forward getting really close to her and throw a uppercut with my right hand straight at her jaw as her punch misses, for the most part, as her biceps hit me but I protect myself with my left hand so I don’t receive any damage.

The moment after I connect my uppercut, as if by instinct, she tries to punch me with her left arm using a motion that would also manage to grab me if I don’t get away from her. I quickly duck and roll between her legs before standing up and jump back to the corner as I face her. She got confused for a second or two so I managed to escape without her being able to pursue me.

As soon as we are facing each other again I dash towards her. She takes two steps forwards before she starts to drop on her knees. I guess my punch on her jaw did some damage.

Her guard is down and her head is unprotected. I take my chance and with all my power I throw a right hook on the left of her head, going more precisely on the area just on the side of the eyes. No matter your size, if you are human, hitting you there with some amount of force will make you a ragdoll for at least a few seconds.

As my punch connects the world goes silent and the only thing I hear is a very loud ‘thud’ and the sound of my bones cracking a little. In my panic and also to confirm what just happened I punched her head again with my left hand but not putting as much force as before, getting pretty much the same sound and sensation.

In that brief moment me and my opponent look at each other and she is smiling like I was caught in a trap. The damage I gave her was real, she really did fall because of it, I could see it, but I fell for this. Her head is made out of metal somehow. I know this sound and sensation. This is unnatural and she is taking full advantage of it now. I went in with the intention of finishing this but looks like I fucked up.

With a loud scream she uses all her power to punch me in the chest as she stands up, sending me flying to the corner where I only stop because the wood didn’t break completely. Everything hurts and I am 100% sure some important bones are broken. At least my spine looks intact. I get up as fast as I can only to see my opponent basking in the glory of the crowd.

“Little girl, surrender. You can't defeat me!” She says smugly to me. I don’t have the energy to answer her.

I tried to do this cleanly but if that is how we are playing, then that's how we will be playing.

I scream at the top of my lungs to get everyone’s attention and also to pump some more adrenaline on myself. My mana begins to flow as my emotions start to surface and my blue hair starts to become red. Everyone can see it as the impact with the ring cut the string I was using to tie it. I make sure to compress all my mana. Not a single bit will flow outside. I will win this using only my strength.

I run full speed toward my opponent who puts her guard up. I run as low to the ground as I can, preparing to do an uppercut. She sees this and as I begin the motion to hit her in the space between her arms she puts her arms sideways to guard her chin. I guess there really isn’t any metal there but that's exactly what I wanted.

I change my uppercut into a hook going for her face but she doesn’t move her guard. A moment later my entire hand is inside her skull.

I can feel her and the crowd go silent for a moment as I remove her eyeball in a single motion. She lets out a scream but I don’t give her the chance to do much. I Side step to my left and begin the same motion I used when I got to her skull. She quickly moves her guard up to protect her eye but it was all in vain as I use the momentum of the hook to do an upward reverse spin kick with my left leg on her chin. This one damaged her way more than my last punch.

Her guard drops as she begins to fall on her knees again and in a swiftly motion I pierce her face again removing the other eyeball.

Probably due to fear and adrenaline she doesn’t completely fall to the ground and begin to flail around.

“I haven't lost yet!” She starts to scream repeatedly. The judge also didn't stop the fight.

“You should have finished me off when you could!” I say to her even if I think she can’t hear me.

I run around the ring, towards her back, and with a simple kick on her knee and a push backwards she falls on her back. Before she can do anything else I begin to kick her chin and throat as fast and with as much power as I can. I don’t know how long this goes on as my mind goes blank for a few moments before I feel 3 people trying to stop me, one of them being the judge from before.

“Did I win?” I say as I look at him.

“Yes, you won, now stop!” he screams at me as he looks down. There is a puddle of blood below the head of my opponent. I move away to the corner where I put my sword and tie them to myself again as I sit on the ground to recover.

Three more people jump on the ring and begin to cast healing magic on Maryad but things don't seem to be going smoothly. I signal to the judge to come near me as I still can’t shout since my injuries are still being healed by my own magic.

“Can you give me your sound charm? I know someone who can help with the situation.” The judge gives me a sideways look but gives me one anyway.

“Be quick.” he says to me before going back.

“Maxia, come to the ring right now!” I say, using the charm. After a few seconds someone helps her go up the ring and I take a look at her face. It’s not good.

“I’m here.” She says to me, trembling a little.

“That’s life. You can either accept it and grow or give up and run.” I say as I give a small slap on both of her cheeks with both of my hands, snapping her of her shocking state. I guess not everyone, even her, is ready to see what I just did. The crowd still is mostly silent.

“What do I need to do?” She asks me.

“Go and heal that woman. If possible, reconnect her eyes, they should be around somewhere.” I have no idea where I threw them.

She nods and goes around looking for them. A few minutes later her and the other mages there manage to heal her but she isn’t waking up so we don’t know if she is completely healed or not.

“Ladies and gentlemen! This was an unusual end but we have a winner. Lucia!” One of the judges says using a sound charm. A small number of people clap and cheer but they mostly stay silent as I wave at them before leaving the ring and going in the direction that the judge is pointing me to go. Maxia follows me.

We go towards the tent near the ring that the judge was pointing to. Some merchants are waiting for me there along with what I think are the owners of this caravan going by their more fancy clothes.

“Don’t you know how to hold back girl? Do you have any idea how much money I put on that woman?” One of the men says to me, really angrily. He is wearing the most generic rich merchant clothes you can imagine and has a big white mustache, almost out of a cartoon character.

“You should calm down sir. That is no way to talk to a lady, especially one that could rip your heart out with her bare hands.” The only woman there says in an almost taunting tone to the first man. She looks to be 30 years old at least, around 160 cm high, long straight black hair and wearing an oriental dress with her left leg out. She is ozzing sexy appeal. I guess that's how she does business.

“... I am just here for my prize.” I am not exactly in the mood to fight more so I ignore the rage of the merchant.

“They are getting it for you. Just wait a few minutes.” Another man there says to me, I just nod in response.

“Since you have to wait, why not hear me out?” The woman there says to me.

“What?”

“Why don’t you work for me? I promise a good pay and some bonuses.” She says suggestively.

”Shut up woman! She is going to pay me for the damages she inflicted on my fighter.” The first merchant angrily shouts.

“Listen up you dumb angry little man. If not for my dear friend and apprentice here your fighter would be dead right now. If anything you should be paying her.” I say while pointing to Maxia who is still not all here.

“Who are you calling a little man!?” The merchant shouts back at me more angrily.

“Not seeing anyone here angrily talking to me that is a man and shorter than me.”

“YOU! This is not over!” he says to me as he storms out of there. Alfina and Zelfina arrive on the scene just to see the end of the scene. Zelfina looks shaky like Maxia and Alfina looks alright to my surprise.

“So, I didn’t hear a response.” The woman merchant says to me.

“Sorry but I have my hands full already.” I say while pointing to the three girls there.

“I see… Well, I hope we can do business in the future then.” She says as she leaves. She gave up a little too fast and I don’t even know her name, but let's leave things at that.

“Are you ok?” I ask the girls.

“You were… Intense.” Zelfina says to me.

“What did she do? Everyone was in the way.” Alfina asks.

“She won…” Maxia says.

“But how?”

“I punched the inside of her head.” I say in a somewhat cheerful tone to see if I can change this mood.

Maxia and Zelfina take me to the side while Alfina seems to be trying to imagine what I did.

“I don’t think anyone was ready for what you did.” Zelfina says.

“If they were, we would have bigger problems.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Anything else?”

“How did you do all that without magic? One moment you were losing and a few seconds later you were killing that woman.”

“I also would like to know.” Maxia says.

“... Survival instinct, pride and experience?” Just did what was necessary at the time to win and survive. Also didn’t want to lose the first real fight I had in a long time.

“For a second we thought that you were a demon or something if nothing worse. Ice Cream would have looked more human than you were during the end of that fight if he was there.” I remember some people saying that I became some kind of monster during some of my fights in my older world but I always thought that it was hyperbole. I guess I went too deep in this part of the abyss.

“I don’t usually go into fist fights so you don’t have to worry about this too much.”

“We hope so.” Both of them say.

We spent a few more minutes waiting there. The fights continue and the crowd seems to forget a little about me and start to get happier again for lack of a better word. Then as one of the fights is finishing a merchant arrives with a judge and gives me a wooden box.

“Here is your prize and the appraisal report as well this letter of thanks.” The merchant says to me.

“Why the letter?”

“You just saved someone from a really big debt by winning that fight. He wanted to at least thank you.”

“There was gambling? If I knew I would have bet on myself.”

“Please don’t bankrupt us.” He talks to me in a way that implies that he knows that I have a good amount of money. Also implies that no one believed that I would win that fight. Bunch of stupid people.

“Not like I can do it now anyway and thanks for the delivery.”

“Is that the present?” Alfina asks all excited as soon as she sees the fancy wooden box in my hand. It has the size of a medium suitcase that you would expect a lawyer to have in my old world.

“Yes, let’s go back home and check them. It’s starting to get late.”

“Ok.”

We begin to make our way back to the mansion. There are less and less people the closer we get to it. As we start to enter the mansion I hear a voice.

“It’s her.” The angry merchant says.

At that exact moment time stops for everyone except me. Everything turns gray as I look around and then out of nowhere a goblin appears in front of me. It’s not any goblin, it’s the one that I received a letter about sometime ago. He has death tattooed on his forehead.

I quickly get Mira in my panic as I can feel a dreadful aura coming from him but to my surprise he puts his hands up and begins to talk to me.

“Look, you are above my pay grade and my boss is a prick. I am also leaving the kingdom in a few hours so can we leave things at that?”

“Get rid of him.”

“Can’t do that lady. Would be bad for my resume if someone found out.”

“Then make sure he doesn’t do anything like this again. I don’t know exactly how you do things but I don’t think you can stop the damage we would cause in a fight, right?”

“You are correct. Also that isn’t my style, I also have my limits.” I don’t know exactly what he has done but he is not that weaker than me, at least magic wise.

“That can be done. In about 30 seconds everything will go back to normal. I suggest you don't tell anyone about this. You probably don’t believe me but I am not as bad as people say I am but I will do what is necessary to live.” He doesn’t seem to be lying about this.

“I will believe in you for now.”

The goblin vanishes along with the merchant and like he said time goes back to normal. I enter the mansion with the girls with heavy thoughts on my mind that I try to push back at least for now.