The Governor of Battle

Cozy was sipping on a cup of tea as Ed and her wound down for tonight. They both had successfully surpassed their matches on the first day, so a well-deserved rest was in order for the both of them. As a result, they decided to have a nice cafe trip before the next day. Cozy had ordered one of her favorites, Silverbloom Tea. It had a nice tangy flavor that she liked, with a little bit of caffeine to keep her moving. It also looked pretty. Per the normal standard, a silver flower glowed a nice white on the cup, providing a slight fragrance to the drink overall.

“So, who’s next in your bracket path?” Ed asked.

“Not too many people I recognize, it should be fine. I have to fight Elaina in the quarterfinals and then you in the semi-finals though if we make it that far,” Cozy said. “That one is gonna be tough.”

“Hey, that means we win either way,” Ed responded. “Think of that match as sparring, basically.”

“How about you?” Cozy questioned.

“Girl named Katie,” Ed said. “Then I’ll need to fight you afterwards, as you said.”

“Really? You think you can take me? I’m pretty strong, you know.”

“Well, I need to try my best, don’t I?”

“I suppose that’s fair.”

Cozy got a refill of her tea. The future was looking bright for her and her party at the very least. The only unknown was the cheater, which they haven’t resolved yet. But, they have all been keeping an eye out, so it’s only a matter of time until they get caught.

“I think Adelyn has to fight Wendy, and seeing her power that could be an issue for her. As a result, it might be an issue for me as well,” Ed said.

“I guess,” Cozy said. “But she just seems to be a big blaster. Not a lot of tactics in there.”

“Don’t get overconfident. We both can get seriously upset if we get overconfident.”

“Pffft,” Cozy stifled a laugh. “Me? By who? Elaina? Yeah right.”

“Didn’t she beat you in sparring?”

“Yeah? That doesn’t mean anything,” Cozy crossed her arms. “I was still learning her, but now I know what she can do. It’s easy from there.”

Cozy was not worried about her matches before Ed. Even if Elaina beat her in sparring, she was in her element in a tournament. High stakes, everything was on the line for her victory. This was her comfort zone, and she wasn’t going to stop here.

“Well, I’m glad you’re confident then,” Ed sighed. Cozy thought that Ed could use a little bit more confidence. But, that was besides the point.

He was doing well, and she was happy about that. She was glad that she picked such competent teammates at the very least. A good judge of character, she patted herself on the back.

“Regardless, you do well and I’ll do well. And maybe we’ll meet in the semis,” Cozy crossed her arms. As she finished her second cup of tea, she paused for a second. She noticed someone behind Edward.

They were also dining at the cafe, but Cozy noticed her beige jacket, her tired baggy eyes, and finally the familiar double sword-crossed logo.

“Hey, is that the governor?” Cozy asked, pointing behind Ed.

“Huh?” Ed turned around, and saw her too. She seemed to be enjoying a very light meal and a coffee. “Oh, cool.”

Ed then turned back around to focus on his food.

Cozy immediately grabbed Ed by the cheek for his mistake.

“What do you mean, ‘oh cool’? The literal governor is sitting right behind us and you’re going to ignore her? What kind of merchant are you?”

“I’m not a merchant-”

“This is an opportunity to form another great impression. We already have the favor of one, but two? You have to see what I’m getting at!”

“I dunno, she seems to be busy. I don’t want to bother her,” Ed responded.

“What do you mean, don’t bother her? We already know her! Let me just strike up a conversation,” Cozy said before beginning to head towards the governor.

“Wait, Cozy-!”

“Hello, Governor Knox, yes?” Cozy said. The girl dusted herself off and did a curtsy in front of the tired governor, who looked up from her coffee. “My name is Cosette, do you remember me from tryouts?”

“Yes, you’re in the tournament aren’t you? I watched one of your matches,” Knox responded. Cozy shot a look back at Ed, shooting him a smile before turning back to the governor.

“Really? Which one did you watch?”

The governor put her coffee down for a moment to think, before she responded.

“It was your first one, against Luka. I wasn’t expecting you to win that one with how the seeding was set up. So congratulations on surpassing my expectations,” Knox responded.

“That’s not the only surprise you’ll see. Especially when I win this whole thing!” Cozy said, capitalizing on the governor’s compliments. “When I win the tournament, then you will really be impressed.”

“I do like confident kids,” Knox said. “I suppose that is necessary for your desired profession. A merchant cannot ever second guess themselves.”

“Hmhm!” Cozy laughed a bit. “I hope that I can see you as a customer after all of this.”

“It is admittedly a little bit odd for a merchant to compete in a fighting tournament, but you do have skills. I am not one to judge based on anything else,” Knox said. “As long as you are talented, then you can participate in my tournament.”

“Thank you for giving me the chance to shine! You won’t regret it!” Cozy bowed. It was obvious to show some due respect to such a person after all.

“I saw you talking with your friend earlier too. Does he wish to say anything? He is also in the tournament after all,” Knox said, looking over Cozy’s shoulder and at Edward who was awkwardly prodding at his food.

“Oh, Ed? Sure. Hey, Ed!” Cozy called him over, and that seemed to get his attention. Ed began to get up and walk on over towards the governor, shuffling his feet a little bit awkwardly.

“Yo.”

“This is Ed, I’m sure you know him.”

“Well,” Knox said. “He didn’t explain much regarding his past. But I watched his second match. He did well, considering he won.”

“Yeah, that's me. It’s good to meet you… governor,” Ed said. “I’m trying to win this tournament too.”

“So is everyone,” Knox responded. “Though, you do seem to be a bit of a special one. Considering your light magic.”

“Yes. I’ve been told that a lot,” Ed said.

“You have to tell me your history. It is such a rare magic for people to have talent for, with how old it is,” Knox smiled.

Cozy let Ed have the spotlight for a bit. After all, a good teammate reflected well on herself. There was a shared opportunity investment for the both of them.

“Uh… it’s just an ancient art I’m good at,” Ed said. “Not much at others. It took a while to… find my craft.”

That introduction was awful! Cozy thought. There was so many things she had to teach Ed. First the stuff at the tryouts, and now this.

“Really now?” Knox responded. “Why did you even try such an ancient art as pure light magic? Surely, you must know the risks of forming yellow light as an adventurer.”

Ed looked to the side, and nodded before looking back at the governor.

“I know. I’m ready for that challenge.”

“Interesting.”

Cozy breathed a quick sigh of relief. Ed did manage to slightly recover the fumble and make a good statement at least. However, Cozy decided to retake control of the driver’s seat now.

“So, out of curiosity…” Cozy said. “Did our friend, Teddie, ever come to you or your staff and ask about a potential cheater? The one with vampiric strength.”

“Hm,” Knox seemed to pause for a moment. It was as if she was considering what she would have to say for a moment. Whenever a government bureaucrat did this, good news never came out of their mouth. “We have heard the rumors, yes. But both without evidence or a perpetrator, it is difficult to take action.”

“Don’t you screen your contestants?” Ed asked.

“We do,” Knox said. “But firstly, it is a rumor. Second, it is also hard to detect vampiric mimicry due to the inconsistent nature of the effect.”

“But what if it is true? Then multiple young promising minds might have gotten robbed because of a bad actor!” Cozy said.

“Oh? Weren’t you going to rob those promising minds? Or are you just referring to yourself?” Knox replied with a smirk.

“Tch,” Cozy gave a tut of annoyance at the response. “I’m saying that maybe you should take the claims more seriously.”

“I do not see what gives you the idea that we are not. As said, it is more difficult than you think,” Knox said once more. “You must also realize that this tournament is more than winning. It is about a showcase and demonstration.”

Knox took another sip of her coffee.

“There are always more opportunities than hitting the goal. Even your failures are opportunities. As a merchant, you should know this. You should thrive on this. If you are worried about one opportunity being ruined, then you might be missing another one that is right before your eyes.”

“Mm,” Cozy was still dissatisfied with this response. There is still one massive opportunity in this, and she did not want to waste it. However, she felt as if arguing with the governor was a waste of time. They were looking out, at the very least. Cozy didn’t need to expect more.

“We still appreciate the opportunity, governor,” Ed said. “We’ll see more as they come. Even if it’s not the best opportunity… things are always looking up.”

“Both of you are quite bright for your ages,” Knox said. “I hope to see you both do well in the tournament, and if I see the cheater then you won’t have to worry about them anymore.”

With that, the governor got up from her seat and adjusted her coat.

“Thank you both for the chat, though. Most people would be intimidated. If you need me to pay for you, I’d be willing to.”

Cozy’s eyes lit up at that. Both the show of good will and the savings were something she was looking for.

“Yes!” Cozy said. “Thank you so much.”

Governor Knox nodded back. She headed to one of the servers and began to talk to them about paying their bills. As she did that, Cozy nudged Ed a little bit.

“See, I told you it wouldn’t be that bad,” Cozy said.

“I suppose you were right. I just didn’t want to bother her. Some people do want some alone time too, you know?” Ed responded.

“You need to get a good read on people. It’s something you’ll get used to with time, like I have.”

“Yeah. Of course you’d say that.”

“I only say it because I’m right.”

They both had a long day ahead of them tomorrow. With their newfound favor though, victory in the tournament felt ever closer within their reach.