The festive atmosphere had somewhat receded, and some people were already starting to leave the stands. After all, not everyone held the same level of excitement about seeing the contestants receive their prizes, and some were only interested in the main show, which was now over.

Among those who were heading home were a few of the extravagant members of the VIP balcony. Credence got up from his seat and walked away at a slow and tired pace, only acknowledging Urvan with a brief nod as he left. He didn’t seem fond of people in general.

Urvan himself stood tall and stretched his huge arms above his head, his jaw opening wide as he yawned.

“See you around Jay, Calista.” Said the man in a cheery voice, ignoring Ascalon completely. He was either still offended or simply didn’t care much about him—whatever the case, Ascalon felt like he was at fault.

The humongous bear figure swayed from side to side and the ground trembled slightly as he vanished into the corridor, crouching for a bit as he crossed the door.

Jay and Calista remained in their seats, waving away at Urvan while conversing among themselves, probably about the matches’ outcomes. Some of the individuals who hadn’t interacted at all with the rest of the room also left; others remained, but kept to themselves still.

Ascalon pondered about the events, but ultimately decided to pay attention to his friends and the prizes they were going to receive. He smiled softly, feeling happy about them. They deserved a reward, after all.

In the arena, the Casanova group advanced toward the podium. Lilithra walked alongside Selorien, who helped her along with her arm around his shoulder. She seemed moments away from collapsing under the exhaustion. As they approached the items, J-Rider’s voice boomed through the colosseum once more.

“Now then! Before everyone leaves the stands, our staff members will give out the prizes one by one!”

He exclaimed as the two attendants bowed deeply. They were the pair Ascalon had seen before, the ones that showed him to the VIP balcony. They seemed ecstatic about their role, going by the huge smiles on both their faces.

“Go on, don’t be shy!”

J-Rider’s voice urged the group to step forward, and while Lilithra and Selorien hesitated, not knowing how to proceed, Richard advanced toward the podium without a care in the world. His eyebrows were angled sharply, his expression giving away his annoyance. He was feeling impatient and wanted to be done with the pleasantries.

The girl attendant approached him shyly, and presented to him a long, decorated sword. The blade had what appeared to be various runes engraved across the middle, from the hilt to the pointy end, and the handle looked masterfully crafted. He picked it up with a disappointed expression, the prize seemingly not to his liking.

“Oh wow! We’re starting with a big one! Anyone remember Edgar, the lone blacksmith?! He only ever made six swords of epic quality, and this, everyone, is one of them! But the most interesting detail: it has never been appraised! I wonder what kind of effect it will have!”

The crowd let out collective gasps and whispers of curiosity and awe, as Richard clicked his tongue. While to the average person it sounded cool, the sword being unappraised meant it could end up being complete garbage. Even Ascalon wondered if it was truly a worthy prize, especially when Richard didn’t seem to use that type of weapon at all.

The Felinae sighed and bowed slightly, showing minimal manners, and walked back with his prize in paw. Lilithra looked amazed, and Selorien had a troubled look on his face, as he also realized the sword was kind of a gamble. Lucio was smiling from ear to ear, enjoying the situation, and Lucretia played with her phone in total disinterest. They were a peculiar bunch, to say the least.

Then, Lucio stepped forward, bowing deeply at the female attendant in a flamboyant display. To his dismay, she bowed back and left as his partner approached with the next prize. He held in his hands, and with great effort, a huge brown box, and he placed it before Lucio as he smiled with satisfaction. The Guildmaster leaned forward, peering inside the box.

“Whoa, Lucio sure is lucky today! First he gets to avoid fighting Bob, now he receives an entire collection of crafting blueprints! Seems like it’s time to grab some tools and get to work, Lucio!”

The audience laughed at the remark, and Lucio raised an eyebrow in suspicion. But he didn’t dwell much on it, beaming at the stands as he made exaggerated reverences.

“My, my, that’s quite the prize! Thank you, everyone!” Lucio’s voice, amplified by J-Rider’s skill, reached everyone’s ears and left them confused. What was he even thanking them for? With the doubt plaguing their minds, Lucio picked up the huge box effortlessly, and retreated from the podium while nodding at Selorien.

The elf assumed that he could take the next one, so he gently pried Lilithra’s arm from around his neck and stepped forward, his friend silently cheering for him. The staff girl appeared once more, carrying a small, round shield, which she extended toward Selorien.

It gave off an unremarkable feel, with the edges showing splintered ends from continuous use. The front part had a metal circle in the center, and the back had a handle in the same position. Even though it was quite small, it was way heavier than it looked.

“Not quite what a rogue would want, but here we have the Buckler of Shielding! What a redundant name haha! It has a nice bonus to blocking and even bolsters strength slightly!”

The spectators sounded more impressed this time around, maybe due to the shield’s effects. But most of the voices heard were coming from women across the stands, so perhaps it was just Selorien’s presence that had sparked the clamoring.

As for Selorien, he accepted the prize and nodded slightly. He walked back with his eyes narrowed in irritation, as he had no real use for that shield. Thinking about it, all of the prizes so far seemed pretty lame, to say the least. He was surely going to visit Claude soon, and sell it to him without remorse.

It was now down to two prizes, and Lilithra looked back at Lucretia, her sparkly eyes inviting her to be next. Lucretia sighed and put away her phone before slowly making her way to the podium. There, the male attendant handed her a small ring. She eyed it with curiosity, studying its engravings and a decorative blue jewel.

“As for the next prize, we have the Ring of Underwater Breathing! Nice and to the point, huh? It lets the wearer breathe underwater for a couple of minutes!”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

That actually seemed pretty handy. Even Lilithra felt a bit jealous, thinking how she could’ve used it to dive into the ocean and explore the mystic depths… for a couple of minutes, at least! Lucretia seemed content and smiled softly as she walked back, the crowd clapping in celebration. At least someone was finally happy about their award.

Lilithra gulped, knowing it was now her turn, and approached the couple of staff members with uneasy steps. She was nervous about what she would get, but her feeling of tiredness was overwhelming her senses. Oh how she longed for a nice, long bath, and a plate full of tasty delicacies cooked up by her uncle!

But this time, both attendants stepped forward as the crowd murmured among themselves. The lights shining on the podium started to move around, and a fanfare could be heard echoing all around the colosseum.

“Huh? Huh?!” Muttered Lilithra with complete uneasiness, confusion taking over her weary face as she looked around with nervousness.

“Surprise, surprise! As for the last prize we have a veeeeeeery special item!“

At his words, the staff members presented Lilithra with a purple pendant, dangling from both their hands on a gray chain. The accessory itself looked intricately crafted, shaped in the form of a teardrop with two small ornaments protruding to its sides, resembling small wings.

image [https://i.imgur.com/1W1n5ID.png]

On the center was a purple amethyst, embedded in a silver socket engraved with elaborate symbols. The gem itself shimmered with an almost mystical light, and reflected the astonished expression of her new owner. Lilithra carefully picked it up by the chain, letting it dangle in front of her as she peered at it with great interest.

“For the girl that surprised us all, the winged tear of fear! As its name implies, it can inflict the fear status on low-level creatures! Forget about dealing with rats, bats, and other critters hovering around you while exploring the dungeons!”

At his words, the spectators reacted with a mix of surprise and amusement, since it seemed like a handy item for some, and just a pest repellant for others. Lilithra, however, looked incredibly impressed and pleased, her face beaming as she clutched the pendant and bowed deeply to the attendants.

Seeing her heartfelt actions, amidst the pain and exhaustion she was feeling, the staff members gently patted her on the shoulders. Ascalon felt in tune with them, knowing that Lilithra had that effect on people. She smiled shyly and went back to her group, as the crowd started clapping.

Selorien looked really happy for her, and Lucretia clapped softly with a soft smile on her lips. Lucio was more interested in the crowd, as per usual, and Richard was already gone!

“Aaaaaaaaaaand that’s it, everyone! Thanks for coming, and bearing with me haha! I hope you enjoyed the matches! Now scram, we gotta prepare for the next Guild war… someday!”

The stands erupted with chuckles and comments after J-Rider’s parting words, and the many visitors started to head toward the exits, amidst echoing ads and shows of gratitude toward sponsors and other such boring matters. The clapping and cheering slowly subdued, and the last people on the VIP balcony started to leave too.

Meanwhile, Jay and Calista approached Ascalon. He got up and met them head-on, bowing slightly.

“Hey, man! We’re gonna hit a cool bar nearby, wanna come?!” Asked Jay effusively, his smile shining bright. Calista peeked from behind him, her face wearing a similar, but more mischievous expression, her eyes were narrowed and her lips curled into a grin.

“I am deeply sorry, but I want to meet my friends. I am grateful for the invitation, nonetheless… and I apologize once again for my earlier behavior…” Ascalon replied with clear regret in his voice, leaning forward into a more respectful bow.

The couple looked a bit disappointed, but understood his motives. Then, seemingly in sync, they both extended their hands forward and presented Ascalon with two small cards. They looked at each other and chuckled, as Ascalon peered at the objects with utmost curiosity. Among the various words, what struck out were the Guild names: ‘Whaleyard’ and ‘Cranium Pirates’. Curious, to say the least.

Ascalon hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed one with each hand. Both Calista and Jay nodded at him, pleased, and while the first turned around and began to leave, Jay gave Ascalon a thumbs up.

“If you wanna join a Guild, join mine okay?! Don’t be lured by her looks! See you around, buddy!” He exclaimed as he laughed heartily, following after Calista who shook her head as she walked.

“Join mine instead, I’ll make it worth your while~.” Said the girl without turning back, her words ringing with an alluring feel. But Ascalon simply sighed, watching them depart, and looked back at the arena.

He tried to locate his friends, to no avail. It seemed they had already left, so he resigned himself and decided to also head out. Thankfully, he only had to go back the same corridor as he arrived, and had no way of getting lost if he followed the crowds… right? With eager steps, he left the VIP balcony behind and made his way outside.

A couple of minutes later, he found himself outside the entrance to the colosseum. His head moved from side to side as he scanned the area, trying to spot his friend’s visages without having to rely on sensing their presences. After all, the surroundings were packed with a myriad of auras, and it was going to be a difficult task to discern his friends among them.

It was then that he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned back to witness a sleekly dressed Raphael, wearing a white suit from head to toe, making for an unusual and peculiar sight.

“Hey, Ascalon! Did you enjoy the match? Lil was incredible!”He exclaimed with cheerfulness, his face beaming with delight. Ascalon was about to respond, when a womanly, soft voice came from behind the gentleman.

“Oh? Is this the one you’ve been talking about, Raphy?” Raphael turned back, and Ascalon gazed upon the woman who had just spoken.

She was tall, with long blonde hair cascading to her hips. Her red one-piece clung tightly to her curvy figure, and she wore lengthy, white gloves that went up and past her elbow. On one hand, she had a lit cigarette in a long holder, and an expensive-looking purse on the other. Her neck was adorned by a shimmering, gold necklace, and her hands sported a variety of rings over the gloves.

Her face showed a bold smile, her lipstick a deep red. Her green eyes seemed to stare right at his soul, and were highlighted by red eyeliner. Below her right eye rested a small mole that added to her beauty, and she exuded a confident, almost regal presence.

“Oh right! Ascalon, meet Marygold!” Exclaimed Raphael with a half smile, presenting the woman with both his arms in a gesture of reverence.

Marygold stood tall, holding the cigarette to her lips with one hand while supporting her arm with the other, her posture elegant and firm. She took a slow drag from her cigarette, clearly an avid smoker, and gently released a gray cloud to her side as her eyes studied Ascalon.

“Nice to meet you, handsome.” She purred, her gaze resting on his good eye. Ascalon bowed courteously, and returned the greeting in kind.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Marygold.” His respectful tone made her arch an eyebrow, while her half-smile deepened into an amused grin.

Raphael chuckled at her side, while peering at the many faces in the crowd. “Don’t be getting any funny ideas, Marygold. You can’t gobble this one up.” He said in a mischievous voice, his eyes darting in search of her niece.

Ascalon was slightly taken aback by Raphael’s attitude. It was an interesting side of him. While he pondered about that, Marygold’s voice cut through the air again. “What a shame! I’m sure the girls back at the brothel would drool at the sight of him.” She added playfully, puffing on her cigarette. Raphael laughed as he raised his hand and waved animatedly.

Noticing the gesture, Ascalon followed the gentleman’s gaze and finally saw his two friends approaching amidst the multitude of people. He smiled with glee, though his enthusiasm was short-lived. Lilithra smiled nervously as she made her way toward them, clearly doing her best to put on a brave face, while Selorien’s irritation was clearly palpable even from a distance.

Just what could have happened to sour their mood right after winning the Guild war? Well, it was, as per usual, Lucio’s fault.