Interlude: The Supreme Warrior Festival
We lived in an age of treasure vaults, phantoms, and treasure hunters. An age where numerous champions were produced by the mana material that coursed through ley lines. Talent could create immense differences, even between members of the same race. The efficiency with which someone could absorb mana material was sometimes referred to as their “skill value.” A single hunter with a high skill value was far more powerful than one thousand mediocre hunters with no mana material.
I don’t know if it’s true or not, but supposedly there was once a period where the world was almost completely devoid of mana material. The creatures of that time had a set limit on their maximum strength and only small gaps in power existed among members of the same race.
But I lived in a different age, one where those who absorbed high amounts of mana material were strong and deft, and therefore lauded. It wasn’t effort that determined the extent of their strength. Those of the upper classes regularly paired with people of high skill values, so that they might be succeeded by stronger children. The prevalent demand for talent placed much more pressure on the upper classes than it did on commoners like us.
“Huh? How did this come about?”
Lucia’s eyes bulged. In an unusual turn for her, she had been distracted by the new Relic I had given her and had only been partially listening. I didn’t really know how to answer her question. Before I knew what was going on, I had been thrust into the position of guarding and mentoring the imperial princess.
I didn’t know how much truth there was to it, but according to the emperor, Princess Murina had very bad luck. To make things worse, she was also timid and didn’t easily get back up on her feet. And the emperor wanted me to do something about that. That was, if you ask me, a terrible idea. How the hell had he kept his position with such a bad eye for people? I, Krai Andrey, was a man who pushed the envelope of incompetency and misfortune. I was the wrong man for the job.
“I can’t imagine there’s anything you can teach her,” Lucia said.
“But I can’t just turn down a request from the emperor,” I replied. “And it can’t hurt to have him owing me a favor.”
While I might have been weak, Grieving Souls were anything but. They were also well connected. Finding the right people to protect and guide the imperial princess should be easy for them.
“But enough about that, I got something really neat from them. What could it be? A ticket to the Supreme Warrior Festival, that’s what.”
The Supreme Warrior Festival was one of the many combat tournaments out there. Just like the name suggested, warriors from around the world gathered to fight for the right to be called the strongest, to be called the Supreme Warrior. This ticket was probably so I could take Princess Murina to see true might up close.
The timing couldn’t have been better. My friends had all been interested in the tournament, and I had always wanted to spectate it. Tickets weren’t easy to come by, but things were different for the emperor. I was all pumped up, but I noticed Lucia was looking at me doubtfully.
Now it begins, the fight to be the best.
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