I'm not the only one surprised by the view—Cris and Sol are also looking around with astonished expressions. Comparing this city to ours makes no sense. This is truly a proper city: the buildings are taller, the streets wider, and the flow of people and carriages is comparable to a modern city in my old world. There aren't as many visible technological devices, but there are some similar ones serving the same functions.

After a few seconds of taking in the grand city, a chuckle snaps us out of our thoughts. "I must've had the same expression my first time here," the Baron says. We all feel a bit embarrassed for getting so caught up in the moment. "Follow me. Our coachman should be nearby." The Baron starts walking toward a group of waiting carriages, and we follow closely behind.

We quickly find the coachman, and we're soon on our way to the Baron's city residence. "Some people might think our home here is relatively small, since a Baron only gets a modest plot of land in the capital. But I consider it a great privilege, especially being only the third rank of noble houses." Camux begins to tell us about the small advantages his father received when he earned the title of Baron, just before Camux inherited House Solar.

A teleportation portal, a small plot of land in the marquisate's capital city, the honor of granting one noble title of the lowest rank every three years, and a few other perks. I need to become stronger soon. I have to help Ritmo elevate our house to the rank of Baron—it would bring many benefits to our territory. A new goal appears on my path. Maybe it'll take me... ten years?

We'll explore the city a bit after breakfast, but first, we'll go register for the tournament, which starts early tomorrow. The Baron mentions the ridiculous number of people who usually register for this tournament—it's often in the thousands. They hold elimination rounds until only 64 are left, who are then placed into a bracket. He doesn't know the exact numbers for this year, but we'll get more details later.

I watch the city scenery through the carriage window—people walking briskly, many trying to attract customers to seal deals, and some impressive buildings towering around 20 meters high. Eventually, we arrive at a security checkpoint.

I see a massive inner wall within the city. After checking Baron Camux's identification, we're allowed to pass without much hassle. This area looks entirely different from outside the walls: much cleaner streets, luxurious shops with fewer people, and the most notable features are the grand entrances leading to what I assume are noble estates—each guarded with high security.

The coachman turns right, and the plot sizes begin to shrink until we reach House Solar's property. I see a fairly large two-story house and a smaller one-story house nearby—one for the family and the other for the staff. It's true the house is small if you compare it to the massive mansions we passed, but it has everything you need: a beautiful little garden, a training area, the two houses, and even some extra space to build something else—currently just well-kept grass.

"Here are your room keys. Get comfortable and come down in ten minutes to eat, kids." He hands each of us our key and heads to his room first. I leave all my luggage in the room, even though it's not really necessary thanks to my storage bracelet. I do it just in case I ever need an empty space for an emergency.

I lie down on the bed for a few minutes with my eyes closed, then head down for breakfast with the others. Scrambled eggs and bacon—nicely prepared. Re-energized, we hop back into the carriage.

"The trip will take around 30 minutes. Feel free to do as you like during that time." Thirty minutes? That's quite long. I spend the whole ride talking with Cris and Sol about our tournament predictions. Sol aims to reach the top 64, just like Cris did two years ago.

"Maki, are you thinking of winning this tournament? You're really strong; I doubt you'd have much trouble reaching the top four." Cris and his whole family have a pretty high opinion of my strength.

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

"I'm seriously considering winning it. Though second place isn't bad either—it depends on the rewards." According to the Baron, the rewards for first and second place are quite similar. There's hardly a difference. Usually, second-place winners are quickly forgotten, which helps me stay anonymous while still honoring my family's name—two birds with one stone.

"I like the confidence. You're making it to the finals for sure," Cris says with a thumbs-up in support.

Time flies between laughter and conversation. I stay alert to both the city sights and the chat—I don't want to miss anything. We've arrived in front of a massive coliseum—no, calling it massive is an understatement. It's gigantic. Compared to my old world, it's easily twice the size of Camp Nou. From the outside, it's just immense. We're located near another set of city walls, which the coachman says are the outer walls of the city.

We walk toward the registration area, which is quick—noble lines are way shorter than the regular ones. What surprises me most is how easy it is to register. They only ask for a name and age—you could probably fake your name if you wanted to.

They hand us a pamphlet with the tournament details. According to the receptionist, the rewards will be announced tomorrow during the opening ceremony.

First Phase:

Participants are divided into groups of 10. Each one fights the other 9 in one-on-one matches. A win earns 2 points, a loss earns 0. The time spent fighting is added as positive or negative depending on whether you win or lose.

If a match lasts more than 5 minutes, each participant earns 1 point.

There will be 3 matches per day, for 3 days.

The top 160 participants advance, based on points. If there's a tie, total time is used as the tiebreaker.

Second Phase:

New groups of 5 participants are formed. Same point and time system. Each participant fights the other 4.

Two matches per day, for 2 days.

The top 2 of each group move on to the final round.

Final Phase:

The remaining 64 are arranged in a bracket at random. Single elimination.

No draws allowed.

Additional Rules:

Any weapon can be used in combat.

Each participant will wear a training collar; there will be no real injuries during matches.

Magic and Imra are fully allowed.

Participants must be 11 or younger.

One rest day follows the first phase, and two rest days before the finals.

That's all that really matters from the pamphlet. There are other minor rules, but they're pretty obvious and didn't interest me.

The receptionist explained the collars. I couldn't resist asking. They're products from the previous generation, still quite new and packed with interesting features: – You won't feel any pain after losing. – They simulate the damage you would receive almost perfectly. For example, if a hit should break your arm, you'll feel the pain and be unable to move it—very realistic. – The collar activates after a certain amount of damage to end the match.

Some features aren't disclosed for confidentiality. You only learn them if you buy the design, which is very expensive and only sold to certain people.

We're now heading back to the Baron's house for a training session and a well-deserved rest. We need to be in top condition for tomorrow.

"Tomorrow I'll only be able to be with you for a little while in the morning, kids. As head of House Solar, I've got to visit a ton of nobles and businesses in the big city." The Baron must make the most of his time in Primaver—he'll be moving all day, greeting old friends, closing deals, visiting other families to maintain relations, and countless other tasks.

Being head of a noble house seems very stressful. I can see the disappointment and sadness in his face—he clearly wants to support his daughter emotionally and witness her progress in her first tournament.

We'll be accompanied by a sapphire-ranked guard, a trusted servant of the Baron. According to him, our escort doesn't like to talk much but is very dedicated to his job. The Baron says we probably won't need him, since the tournament area will be crawling with patrols and security to prevent trouble from other nobles' children. It's just a precaution.

Apparently, it's not uncommon for attempts at kidnapping or theft to occur during tournaments—at least once per tournament. But none have ever succeeded. Each year they increase the number of guards and implement new technologies.

I train for a while with the others, then excuse myself to rest early, while the others stay behind to give Sol some tips and help her refine her arrows. I haven't seen much of her progress, but her father believes she has a good chance of making the top 64.

Resting early is a lie—I want to practice my Imra and Fortified Constructions in the privacy of my room. Pleased after a solid training session, I eat a light dinner I had stored in my bracelet and go to sleep. TOMORROW IS THE START OF MY FIRST TOURNAMENT!

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