Setting The Stage

The tournament is one of the most popular events during the Giora Festival. As the tournament was about to start, many people were entering the colosseum.

Giora’s very own adventurer school owns the colosseum. Their students would usually do battle classes there, but during the festival, it was time for the experienced adventurers to take the stage. The four of Kaito, Rina, Khrom, and Evona are amongst the crowd, just having finished registering for the tournament.

“I hope you don’t get stage fright, Kaito,” Khrom asked, alluding to the crowd they had to maneuver through.

“I don’t, but this is still way more people than I expected,” answered Kaito, surprised by the large crowd.

Evona, being frustrated, started to grab Khrom’s face from her regular spot in Khrom’s shield.

“Khrom, let’s move from here. It’s too noisy,” Evona complained.

“Sure thing, let’s head to the waiting room,” Khrom suggested as the group made their way to the more peaceful waiting rooms.

The noise quickly dispersed as the group entered the waiting rooms, allowing everyone to relax. Evona, being more comfortable in the waiting rooms, finally came out from underneath Khrom’s shield. Sitting on a bench, she stretched and yawned in a tone resembling a cat.

“I wonder how many of those people are also participating in the tournament?” wondered Kaito as he sat down to relax beside Evona.

“The number of competitors is usually around one hundred,” stated Rina as she glanced around the waiting room to look at the competition.

“Wait a hundred!?” Kaito shouted, putting his thoughts into words. “I was hoping the number was smaller so I could maybe win…”

“Sorry to say, but as you’re only level 33, there’s no way you had a chance of winning this tournament,” Rina said sternly, crushing Kaito’s dreams. “Your participation is mainly for some experience fighting other adventurers.”

Kaito’s disappointment was apparent as his whole body drooped to face the floor. Evona, finding entertainment in Kaito’s state, started poking at him to see if he would react.

“Oh, you’re just around Evona’s level,” Khrom informed the group. “I’m level 62 if you were wondering.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t do an appraisal for her to clarify what exact level she is,” analyzed Rina.

Khrom awkwardly scratched his head and explained, “That was the plan, but getting Evona appraised is always more difficult than it needs to be. She often gets riled up by the glowing magic circles the guilds use, so I usually try to reassess her at one of the churches.”

The official guilds and holy churches are the main places adventurers go for a reassessment. The guilds usually use a magic circle for their appraisal, while the churches have a qualified priest, who has been trained to do appraisals, to do them.

“So that’s why you didn’t do a reassessment,” Rina said, understanding Khrom’s reasoning.

As more adventurers filled the waiting room area, one of them approached the group.

The man approaching them announced in a pompous voice, “Rina dear, it looks like we're meeting once again.”

Hearing this phrase, Kaito was flabbergasted that someone had the gall to speak to Rina that way. He immediately snapped out of his disappointed state and stood between Rina and the man.

The man was pretty slim and tall. He wore regal blue clothing accompanied by his vibrant, shining armor. His weapon was a thin, needle-like sword, likely a rapier. Everything about him shouted ‘overconfident rich guy’, and Kaito hated everything about it.

“I’m surprised a pretty boy like you even took the time to come to a place way out here,” Kaito mocked, aiming to knock the man down a few pegs, but it was unsuccessful.

The man completely ignored Kaito and walked right past him. Approaching Rina, he grabbed her chin and pointed her face towards his as he looked down at hers.

“You’re as beautiful as ever, I see,” the man said as he stared into Rina’s eyes.

“Knock it off, Francis,” Rina retaliated, knocking his hand away from her chin.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t start associating yourself with these commoners, as it fouls your beautiful aura,” the man, Rina referred to as Francis, ordered.

“I can choose to associate with anyone I want,” Rina responded, not obeying his order.

Kaito, Khrom, and Evona were all present watching the situation go down, but the man refusing to acknowledge their presence made them feel invisible. This pissed off Kaito, especially as he didn’t like how he was treating Rina. Even the smallest things were getting on his nerves, like his name being Francis, which sounded overly posh.

“Oh, please,” Francis continues. “You didn’t garner the name ‘Lonely Queen’ for nothing now. Just live up to your name until I can claim you for my own.”

“You’ve never beaten me before in the tournament, and it’s never going to happen,” Rina stated, showing determination.

The two stared at each other as if they were fighting then and there. Kaito wanted to interrupt, but couldn’t muster anything that could get on Francis’s nerves.

“Who is this weirdo, and why does he reek of something out of a Dung Golem?” Evona blurted out, breaking the tension.

“D-Dung Golem!?” Francis was blatantly offended.

Kaito, Khrom, and Rina couldn’t hold back from giggling at Francis.

“It’s not my fault you can’t appreciate the smell of the oiled perfumes I use!” Francis stated in disarray, aiming to redeem himself, but the damage was already done.

Having had enough of being humiliated, Francis walked away from the group, while Rina, being proud of Evona’s comment, decided to give her another head pat.

“It’s about time you got out of these ‘boonies’. Rina, you will be mine.” Francis whispered to himself as he walked away.

With Francis now gone, Kaito was finally able to muster something out. “Hmph, what’s his deal acting all high and mighty like that? How does he have the nerve to treat you like that, Rina?”

“Ugh, it’s a long story,” answered Rina, who visibly looked annoyed by Francis’s existence.

“He'd better hope he doesn’t run into any of us, cause we’ll make sure to beat that dainty armor off him!” Kaito announced.

Rina tried to adjust Kaito’s plan, but she was cut off, “It’s not going to be that eas—”

“YEAH!!!” Evona yelled in agreement with Kaito’s plan.

“Let’s give it our all, everyone,” Khrom concluded as he readied his fist for a four-way fist bump.

Rina didn’t want to repeat what she started saying, as it would dampen their enthusiasm, so she went with the flow. Kaito, Rina, and Evona joined Khrom in his four-way fist bump, solidifying their readiness for the tournament.

After a bit of waiting, magic screens utilizing some magic started appearing in the waiting room. A voice, likely one of the tournament staff, announced that the screen would show the first-round matchups.

As the screens started showing the various matchups, the group of four started looking for their opponents. Kaito, Rina, and Khrom were all to face someone they didn’t recognize, but Evona was matched up with Francis. The matchup of one of the four facing Francis came earlier than expected, but it was welcomed.

“Go get him, Evona!” Kaito amped up Evona.

“Yeah!” Evona yelled back, receiving Kaito’s encouragement.

The stage has been set. All that’s left is for the battles to commence. Let the Giora Tournament begin!