Chapter 289

A smaller gate allowed them access to the third ring, and Max smiled under his hood.

The guards at this one apparently had gotten wind of their description and had not asked any more questions once Aimee identified herself and her master .

Each ring got progressively nicer. The buildings in this section occasionally had sculpted glass and stone statues. Different creatures, or Max finally realized, beings, were expertly crafted, and many looked better than statues he had seen back in his world.

Finally after another few hours they stood outside a large building with multiple statutes of beings posed in fighting positions. Some held weapons, and others were only using their hands.

“This is the place,” Aimee said as she pointed at the large wooden doors that waited beyond five stone steps.”

“Is it really that expensive to use stone?”

She nodded and pointed at the building in question.

“Each of those bricks cost more than most would hope to earn in ten years. Sand glass isn’t cheap, but even an average family can afford to hire and pay off the crafter in time. My village will need to seek a new Sand Master after you killed Kaurma. Of course, those who still owed her money are grateful for what you did.”

“Because their debts are gone?”

Chuckling, Aimee nodded and motioned for him to join her as they crossed the street.

“I know a few who probably rejoiced the moment we left town, and many most likely raced to her home, wanting to search it for valuables and tokens.”

“The strong take…” Max muttered.

“Yes! You are finally understanding! Now, come, it is time to meet with the master of this place.”

Two extremely large guards stood on the other side of the doors, and Max looked up at the pair, seeing the horn set on their noses and the thick skin that covered their body.

“Why are you here?” the one on the left asked, his voice not hiding his displeasure of their presence.

“My master has come to seek a place in the fights. He wants to test himself against whatever you might throw at him.”

Both guards started to laugh, their deep voices carrying across the room, and the one closest to Max reached for his hood.

“This tiny one? Who does he—”

Max slapped the guard’s hand away as it got close to his hood, hitting it so hard that a hiss of pain came from the one he struck.

“Why I’ll–”

“Let it go!”

Max heard the sound but knew there was no one else in the small entry room but the four of them.

A growl came from the one he had struck, but the other didn’t hesitate to act.

“You two. Go to the next door.”

“But he hit me!” bellowed the guard who was reaching for the club on his hip.

“The last person who pulled a weapon on him died a horrible death,” Aimee said, not flinching under the gaze of both guards. “I doubt your master would like this room to be covered with blood.”

“Let it go, or I shall put you in the cages myself!”

The voice came again, booming through the small room, and both guards didn’t hesitate to step aside, leaving a small path between them and through the empty glass room and toward the wooden doors beyond.

Without waiting, Max and Aimee moved, reaching the doors and watching as they opened up, each one held by a small servant with wings. Max studied them, seeing the multifaceted eyes, and wondered if they were like a moth of some kind.

This room was furnished with chairs and a few couches, cushions set on each of them. Weapons lined the wall, and at the end was a creature, which made Max wonder what kind of bug, insect, or monster it was.

A dark blue and purple carapace covered its body, and its hands were nothing more than hooked appendages. A mouthful of teeth extruded from both the top and bottom portion of its mouth, and somewhere two eyes were sunken in the protective layers of carapace.

It sat in a chair that was ornate, crafted of wood and decorated with carvings.

Even as it sat, Max could tell it was at least nine feet tall.

One of the moth attendants led them toward the one in charge, stopping about eight feet from him.

“Welcome… word travels fast about a pair like you, and seeing what you did to my guard has earned you the right to stand before me. I am Kauakan. Tell me, why do you want to fight?”

Aimee took a step forward and bent at her hip, bending slightly.

“Tokens and fame. One day, my master wishes to stand before Igarra herself and make her acquaintance.”

“Is it more for tokens or more for fame?” Kauakan asked as he picked at his teeth with his hooked claw.

“One needs tokens to progress in Quan Ma, and one also needs renown to be allowed deeper still. So it is both.”

A grunt came as Kauakan rose from his chair, towering over Max and her.

“What is in it for me?”

“You get to choose the fights,” Aimee replied. “He shall fight whatever you put before him. We shall take forty percent of all winnings.”

The room shook with a laughter that reminded Max of when a demon had laughed before him.

“Forty percent?! You expect me to give you forty percent?! ON what? A hooded figure? Bold claims? I won’t give you more than five percent!”

Max watched as Aimee motioned toward the door.

“Let’s go, master. This one is obviously not as smart as we were told. We shall check the other sides of the wall.”

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She turned and started walking across the room, and Max moved to follow her, keeping his head down and not saying a word.

She stopped a few feet before the closed doors where the attendant was standing, looking at Kauakan and waiting for what appeared permission to open the door.

“Fine, fifteen percent!”

The insect’s voice boomed at their backs, and Max paused as Aimee turned.

Her teeth showed as she shook her head.

“He would be willing to accept thirty percent, but we both know you stand to make quite a large amount of money, especially the more people he kills. Besides, eventually he will defeat the champions for your foes, and that alone is worth more than tokens.”

“Twenty percent, and no more!”

Max watched as Aimee looked at him and shook her head.

“He says twenty-five percent, or we’ll offer your competitors his service.”

A grunt came and turned into a growl.

Able to sense the movements of Kauakan, Max whirled around as the insect drew closer, causing him to pause his approach.

“I shall offer twenty percent for now. If he defeats the first two opponents, I shall give twenty-five percent.”

Raising one of his curved blades, Kauakan pointed at Max.

“If he defeats a champion, I will grant him half of whatever I make.”

“Done!” Aimee said, a little louder and faster than Max might have preferred, but it was obvious she was excited at the offer.

Grunting, clacking noises came, and Max sensed one of the moth attendants running off toward a door on the side of the room.

“I shall have the paperwork here in a moment, and a badge shall be given. Tell me, when do you two desire to fight.”

“How soon is the next one?”

“Tomorrow,” Kauakan replied with a grunt. “How shall I promote him, and what name shall I use for his moniker?”

Max already knew the name he wanted, and when Aimee paused, not answering the question, he finally spoke.

“Call me Ifrit.”

A cough came from Kauakan at that name, and he glanced at Aimee, who nodded.

“So you are fire based?”

Not moving at all, Max summoned a fireball and had it hover near him.

“That isn’t very impressive.”

“Would you like me to burn everything in here not made of glass?”

Kauakan snorted and shook his head.

“I would prefer you don’t. Very well, I shall start promoting you today. Be here four hours before the suns set. We shall travel to the arena and see just how strong you really are.”

***

Once they were on the road and a few streets away, Aimee let out a trill and shook Max’s arm.

“We did it! Twenty percent and more as you win!”

“You handled yourself well,” Max replied. “I’m almost certain Kauakan was scared of you more than he was me.”

He could sense the wave of excitement and joy coming off of Aimee as she almost skipped in the streets.

“Now then, I need a weapon. Where can we go to find one?”

She paused and glanced around.

“I’m not certain, but let me ask someone. There should be a trade area nearby.”

***

Max had inspected everything in both the shops Aimee had taken him to, and nothing fit what he wanted. Either it was too expensive, or Max knew it would break under the full weight of one of his attacks.

“What about an actual place where they make weapons? Do you have a crafting section nearby?”

The shopkeeper they were standing in didn’t seem excited when Aimee mentioned what Max was looking for.

“None of my items are worthy of you?” the tiny bearkin asked. “Surely, something must have caught your eye.”

“It has nothing to do with your items,” Max replied, finally speaking. “It is what I desire. Everything here is too grandiose. I need something like a simple staff. That way when I defeat my enemy, they know it had nothing to do with a powerful weapon but instead was because of what I possess.”

The shopkeeper grunted as he stroked his chin, nails running through the orange hair.

“Very well… I know of a few who might be interested in taking on a commission. I will show you where to find them.”

***

Aimee’s nostrils flared as she stood outside the shop they had been told to visit.

“This place is not worthy of your time,” she stated. “Look outside at the door. It is simple glass.”

“Which means?”

“That they make barely enough to stay here in this section. When they have earned a reputation and make enough money the door is the first thing to change. If this was metal or wood or stone, we would know for certain that we have come to a place of renown.”

Max shrugged and began moving up the stairs to the glass door, pushing it in as he studied the writing etched on the outside.

It had been painted with some orange color and looked to have been done in haste. He couldn’t read it, but Aimee had pointed out it said weapon maker .

As soon as he stepped inside, the sounds and smells brought him back to all those hours spent working in the Faction house.

Hunched over a table was a kemonomimi who had large chunks of orange fur missing from his arms. His hands were holding tools that painstakingly tapped the etching on an axe head.

Minutes passed before the weapon maker looked up and saw them, exclaiming at their appearance, setting down his tools, and moving to the counter that separated the area they stood in from his working section.

“Forgive me! I was working on an order and did not hear you come in! Tell me, how can I help you?”

“My master requires a weapon but something simple. A staff made of stonewood.”

Cocking his head to the side, the cat studied Max and chuckled.

“Why come here then? Surely a staff could be found anywhere in town. Why visit me?”

“What is your name?”

Startled by Max’s question, the man crossed his arms and stood tall.

“I am called Romandis. What is your name?”

Sliding his hood back, Max smiled as the yellow eyes grew upon seeing his face.

“I am called Max, and my friend here is Aimee.”

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