I had been talking with... David! Just a few minutes before we said goodbye. I really need to start memorizing names before each encounter. The boy is quite mature in accepting defeat—I've been noticing that lately. People in this world seem to mature faster. I wouldn't be surprised if nobles are forced to marry young to preserve legacies and for political reasons... Wait, I'm a noble. I'll ask my uncle about this.

With an uncomfortable feeling in my heart, I walk quickly to the place where we usually sit with the Solar family. I only see Camux and Cris; both are focused on some screens suspended above the arena. Since when have those been there?

They're quite useful for people sitting far from the action who still want a good view. They even show different camera angles of the battle. I sit beside them quietly and start watching Sol's match with them.

Sol ends up winning her match thanks to a clever strategy. She had been aiming at her opponent's chest the whole time. Throughout the fight, she never changed her arrow's trajectory. Her opponent kept summoning wooden shields. In the final moments, she abruptly shifted her aim to his thigh, throwing off his concentration, and unleashed her full arsenal. Although she took a hit near the end, it wasn't enough to make her lose. She managed to land an arrow to her opponent's head, earning a hard-fought victory. Both of us are starting this second phase with wins.

The three of us let out a sigh of relief and applaud Sol. It's an excellent start for both of us.

"Congratulations on your victory, Maki." My uncle ruffles my hair with his hand.

"Congrats! You really gave your opponent a beating," Cris says with a laugh and gives me a thumbs-up.

"Thanks." I bow my head in gratitude. "Uncle, I had some questions on my way here." Both of them look at me with questioning expressions, waiting for me to continue.

"I was thinking about something odd. Are there forced marriages among nobles? And at what age do nobles usually marry?" Their expressions are mixed—laughter, confusion, surprise.

My uncle leans back and laughs first. "I see you're taking the wedding with Sol seriously. I'll only give you my blessing if you win the tournament." I roll my eyes. He's obviously still teasing me, taking every chance to mess with me about this.

He must've noticed my serious expression, realizing my question was genuine. "It still happens in some noble families with multiple children. They do it to strengthen alliances and gain allies in case of future conflicts. But it's become less common in the last decade. As for marriage age, it varies. Some marry as early as fifteen, others around thirty. It depends on the situation, but that's the general range."

Will they force me to marry? My family wouldn't do that... right? Knowing them, the chances are low—almost none. Fifteen, though? That's so young. At that age, you're barely starting to understand who you are and how hard life is.

"I understand, Uncle. Thanks for clearing that up." My mind starts drifting to unnecessary thoughts and hypothetical situations. I wave my hand in front of my face to shake them off.

Camux looks very pleased. I don't know why. The problem is Cris. He keeps staring at me intensely, shifting his gaze between me and his father.

"Cris, are you okay?" His intense gaze worries me. I think I know why, and it's best to clear up this misunderstanding—especially since Camux has clearly noticed but is letting his son's imagination run wild while enjoying the moment.

"Are you going to marry Sol? Do you like my sister? That's impossible." His confused face almost makes me laugh. He must really believe his father's words or completely missed the tone of the conversation.

"No, I'm not marrying Sol. Your dad and my parents have been joking about that for a while now. We're just kids to even be thinking about marriage." I shut the topic down completely. Now his face looks a bit annoyed.

"Why not? Sol might be young, but she's really pretty and will be gorgeous in the future. I'd be fine with you as my brother-in-law." What? Did I hear that right? What did he just say?

As I search for words to respond, Sol arrives. The baron pats his son's leg and congratulates Sol. The boy, understanding the moment, refrains from asking more questions and also congratulates his younger sister on her first victory of this phase.

I congratulate Sol as well. My mind is happy we both won, but once again, hypothetical wedding scenarios with Sol sneak into my thoughts. This isn't heading in a good direction.

After lunch, the baron leaves for work matters, and we're accompanied by our quiet and loyal bodyguard.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Sol had her second match against the son of another baronet, which she ended up losing. Her opponent had a style that was difficult for Sol to handle. The boy had ridiculous stamina for his age and was incredibly fast with sharp reflexes.

Sol seemed a bit down, but she took it better than I expected. It must be because it was only her second loss. I know she'll bounce back and give it her all tomorrow.

My second match was just as easy as the first, against a young spear user. His stats were well-balanced, but not enough to make me feel anything during the fight. I tried to shake his hand, but this time, I got slapped instead. He stood up and walked off angrily.

"Stupid brat." The words slipped out in my old language, so no one could understand me. People might think I'm crazy for speaking in a different language while alone. I don't care. It's better this way—I can say what I think freely.

We returned home and followed our usual routines. Sol is training with Cris to improve her defense. She's trying to use her sand affinity to reduce the force of incoming hits by cushioning them with sand. Her constructs are completely different from mine. She's simply trying to form a large sand wall just inches from her body to cover as much area as possible.

I head to my own training room, working on my Imra to reinforce my sword and my glacial focus. I'm trying to make my Imra as sharp and concentrated as possible. It's very unstable, but my mental skill helps me maintain it. Thanks to these training days, it's been leveling up daily.

Just five more levels, and I'll be able to evolve my sword reinforcement to Tier III. It'll be the first skill I've upgraded on my own—since Fortified Construction came from a fusion.

After a good rest, I'm ready to head to the coliseum with the Solar family. I feel so comfortable with them—I really enjoy spending time together.

Today, the coliseum is much more crowded. Judging by the filled seats, it's about 70% full. People are excited because today, the top 64 rookies of the Timal Marquessate will be determined.

My match is already scheduled, and so is Sol's—they're happening at the same time. We head in opposite directions, each to our respective entrances. Our arenas are pretty far apart. This coliseum is huge; it's easy to get lost without following the signs.

I arrive with less than a minute to spare and rush into the arena. The referee is waiting to explain the rules and start the match.

"Maki, you're a noble, right?" My opponent's voice surprises me. He's about my size, carrying a large axe over his shoulder, with serious features, a well-trained body, green eyes and hair, and slightly dark skin.

"Yes, why?" I've never hidden that fact, but no one's ever asked me during a match before.

"I am too. I'm Matt, first son of Baronet Zumis. Nice to meet you." His sharp features stand out even more with that half-smile.

"Nice to meet you, Matt Zumis. My full name is Maki Vichag."

"Let's have a good match. Use your twin swords from the start." I nod at his suggestion. I don't want to disappoint his expectations.

Once we finish talking, the judge gives the signal to begin. Matt launches forward. Is his body and weapon strengthened by mana? I do the same with my Imra. Thanks to my pseudo-dominion, I catch his first feint and block his axe. His strike is heavy—almost made me take a step back.

A smile forms on his face for winning the first exchange. I increase my Imra to match him. I'm much faster and more skilled than Matt. He's reacting mostly on reflex and using his axe as a giant shield. We trade blows. This is fun. I haven't enjoyed a fight this much since facing Arisa.

Blows and slashes go back and forth. So far, I've only managed to land a small cut on his left arm. Matt doesn't even flinch. He backs off for a moment. I don't chase him—I want to see what he'll do next.

His axe begins to spark. Lightning mana? He has the same affinity as me. He vanishes using a movement skill and reappears near me. His vertical slash looks different now. I block it with both swords. I was right—it's stronger. A small jolt runs through my body, though it barely affects me thanks to my electric resistance.

"You're pretty good at blocking that without stumbling or falling." His smile grows wider, and we begin the second round of exchanges.

I'm gradually pushed onto the defensive. I have the better weapon mastery, but his speed has increased—probably due to his affinity. This is getting complicated. I don't want a war of attrition. I took a cut on my leg and two on my chest—the difference is the raw power of his axe. I use my movement skill to back off.

Matt is strong. A step below Arisa, I'd rate him a solid 16. I've learned something about lightning mana, so now it's my turn to teach him something. Is this my first time using mana in the tournament?

"Matt, that was fun. Let me show you something." His smiling face shifts to pure focus. Before he can react, I appear beside him with my Lightning Step. His eyes widen as he sees me so close. Though he manages to block my blades at the last second, I've already summoned two standard orbs by my side. Both shoot out and strike his leg and face.

Matt is caught off guard and loses balance from the impact. I don't waste the chance—I slash him across the chest again with my swords. That's enough to trigger his collar and end the match.

I could've won just with my blades—but I wanted to show off a little against the first noble I've faced in this tournament.

"That was really fun. You're strong, Matt." The boy accepts my hand, stands up, and picks up his axe.

"Those mana orbs are powerful. I thought you were just a close-combat fighter. I never expected a mana attack like that—those orbs came out of nowhere." He shows me his fist with a smile, and we bump fists before walking off the stage.

We couldn't talk more since his dad was waiting. After a quick farewell, he left with them.

The day flew by. I won another match against a girl. Sol also won hers. We check the board to see the rankings—we're both moving on to the next round. Time to celebrate at their house.

As I walk toward the exit, I hear people whispering about us—talking about our rankings and last matches.

Baron Camux starts drinking beer to celebrate. Tonight, we're all taking a break from training. We have a great dinner, just the four of us, and then head to our rooms.

I never thought I'd feel this excited about all this. I'M MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PHASE!

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