When they got back to the mansion, Mash pulled aside his group, letting his siblings go their own ways. The lights were still on, the servants would be preparing dinner. He was unsurprised to see Arthur pick up on the privacy they wanted but expected Luna to be more nosy. Maybe Arthur had told her something, or maybe she just didn’t realize what Mash was doing.

“Follow me, I found a good place to relax at.”

They followed along, each of them seemed somewhat anxious about the coming conversation. Despite his growing excitement and curiosity, Mash managed to at least pretend to be patient. He did know of a pretty good place for discussions, though it wasn’t secret at all.

There was a small annex in the garden, just big enough for one small dining table. He had caught his sister out there a few times, mainly drinking tea or reading a book. It was quite nice, and the crystalline design of the top made it so that one could see clearly with only moonlight. They were cut much like gems of his mask and absorbed light to make it shine a little brighter. The annex was simple otherwise, a wooden platform that was elevated slightly, and four pillars supported the roof from the perimeter of the base. The design was especially good for days like this. With the rain no longer falling, the air was left with a cool breeze that felt pleasant as it washed over his face.

Before sitting down, he rubbed his hand against the chair to feel for the water. The wood felt cool, but not wet, and he happily took a seat. The others did likewise, checking their own seats before sitting down. Without asking for it, the head butler came out with a tray of different drinks. There were a few bottles of wine and two teapots.

“This tea will help you relax, and this other will do the opposite. Keeping you awake and refreshing you. Food will be out shortly, but your brother, the young lord, requested this be brought out immediately.”

As he spoke he waved his hands over the two teapots, indicating what each did. Furthermore, they were color-coded, the blue being the first, and the red being the second. Arthur had sent it out, though Mash didn’t think this discussion would be very stressful. This preparation would’ve been better for the previous one.

“Oh… I think Arthur thinks this will be like last time.”

When the realization hit him, Mash shared his thoughts with his friends. They nodded along, and Red thanked Alfred as he left.

“Well, I guess I owe you guys some explanation. Especially, since it got pushed back for so long.”

Jill still sounded a little reluctant, as if her family’s situation hadn’t just been fixed.

“You know, it really isn’t fair. I get to hear bits of exciting stories and mysterious families, but my parents are just leatherworkers. So please do share, let me partake in some more excitement, our lives are rather boring now.”

Luke was surprisingly apt at using sarcasm, breaking his usually more reserved nature. It had gotten worse after the stuff with Leah, and Mash was glad to see him relaxing more. While it didn’t do much to curb Mash’s excitement, it did seem to get Jill to relax. Mash guessed that she had been taking it too seriously and needed someone to remind her to act like she usually did.

“Fine, but I don’t think my family’s story is anywhere near as exciting as Mash’s dramatic revelation from before. Anyways it’s not such a big deal anymore, but when my mother was younger, she was a famous enchanter here in the capital. So famous in fact, that she got to work on one of the queen’s personal items.”

“Did she fail?”

Red’s question interrupted Jill’s story, though it seemed like an automatic response. Jill didn’t chastise her like she would Mash, and just continued her story.

“No, it was the opposite. She succeeded but ended up making a better version soon after. She wasn’t planning on selling it, instead, she used it on… me. Not much more to the story, the king found out that she used the leftover materials from the first item to make the second and heard that the result had been better. The queen felt cheated and slapped our family with the debt for all the items she used and exiled her from the city.”

Jill finished her story, and Mash wondered what exactly the item was. He didn’t pry about that, certain that Jill would’ve mentioned it if she wanted. Though there was something else that concerned him.

“Why doesn’t anyone know of your mother then?”

Mash thought that a famous enchanter, especially one as capable as her mother would be famous anywhere. Shouldn’t she have been able to clear the debt easily? Jill shook her head, a little more sadly than before, but responded to his question anyways.

“Part of the exile involved removing her name. She was also forbidden from selling her enchantments. It was a mock execution, and before you ask she was spared because the kingdom might need her later. That was the reason for the debt. If we failed to pay it off, then she would end up working for the king. Though, something must have changed for the king to be willing to drop the debt so easily.”

Considering Jill’s words, Mash was left stumped with what to say. A mock execution was something he had never heard of before. It got him thinking about who else received similar treatment. What kind of people deserved this treatment? He wasn’t particularly well versed in history but wanted to check later. If for nothing else, then to satisfy his curiosity. That was for later, he still wanted to ask Red about her fight.

“Are you seriously going to fight? What about your family?”

Mash was a bit perplexed, by the confusion he saw on Red’s face. It seemed like she was expecting something else. Though, she seemed relieved and answered his question.

“I decided that I would make a name for myself. After seeing your family, and what they have done, I grew a bit jealous. It made me want to try and do the same. So, I won’t hide my magic anymore, and work on making my own name define me.”

There was a glint to her eyes that she didn’t have before, a simple shift that defined the seemingly newfound hope. Mash agreed with her sentiment and felt like they were all walking down that path already. Red was separating from her family, and Jill was rebuilding hers. Mash and Luke started from scratch, well Luke did, Mash was building on what his siblings had already started. Though he wouldn’t be relying on and would add his own contribution soon enough. The tournament was only a few days away, and he was certain to make a splash there. He had been contemplating Red’s words and returned to the conversation when the food arrived.

They didn’t talk about anything important for the rest of the night, instead, they spent the time coming up with ways to make their first fights more exciting. Their plans weren’t very good, and despite nobody touching any alcohol, they were coming up with some crazy ideas. He was most excited for Jill’s fight, her plan being the most likely to fail. Mash’s next fight still wouldn’t be that exciting, especially since he still wanted to keep his lightning in reserve until the tournament. Well, he guessed that the excitement of the next fight would depend on what monsters the organizers prepared for him. There was not much night left when they went to bed. They would still need to get up early, otherwise, they would be late for training with Jack.

Mash woke up early, but not much earlier than the rest of his friends. They didn’t have time for a proper breakfast and needed to get to the guild soon. Mash grumbled something but didn’t mind too much. He had kept his ration stockpile full and grabbed some food to eat while he walked. They felt a little bland compared to the meals he was eating as of late and thought that he should consider upgrading his rations. What were fancy rations even going to be like?

He heard the whispers more easily now, they buzzed around him like bugs, and there was no rain to drown them out now. His friends didn’t seem bothered by it, but they had glared at some of the more unpleasant comments. Getting to the guild was a huge relief, but the whispers followed him inside. He had expected the other adventurers to be different, but he heard the same words thrown around in here. He even heard a few people talking about how the fight must have been rigged. That was clearly said so that it could be heard, meant to get under his skin. It succeeded, and he decided that he wouldn’t take it.

Within his mana territory, he could tell that the man who spoke was weaker than him, at least as far magic was concerned. So, Mash brazenly grabbed the man’s shoulder as he walked by, turning him roughly to face Mash. His friends seemed a little stunned, and he wished that he had given them some warning.

The man before him had oddly spikey yellow hair, and Mash wondered what the purpose of such ugly hair was. It stuck out more than his scales would’ve, and he felt somewhat bad for the man. That must have been the result of a class.

“Say that again.”

Mash had started the confrontation only to realize he didn’t know what to do. So, he gave him the best glare he could manage, but it did nothing as he was still wearing his mask. It wasn’t that he forgot the mask, he just kind of hoped it wouldn’t matter. The man’s nonchalant response made it clear that Mash’s intent didn’t get through to the man.

“What? You mean about how your fight was fixed. I mean it’s only fair, you really should tell us how you managed to bribe the organizers.”

The man spoke louder than before, some of the other adventurers started listening in with curiosity. Mash was more distracted by the man’s voice itself. It was a little nasally and extremely haughty, obviously trying to convey his arrogant superiority. Mash didn’t bother thinking about his words, instead of letting his lips loose.

“I’m in the tournament next week. Join if you can, back up that pathetic attitude. We will see just how fixed the fight really was.”

He managed to keep his voice contained. The anger was there, but he did not speak loudly, his voice contained a much colder fury. As he said the last part, he looked over the entire crowd, letting them know it was not meant only for this man. The guild wanted him to become a spectacle, and he wanted it too. Well, he was doing a good job at setting the stage. With his little tirade done, he pushed through the crowd, heading towards their usual training spot.

“Do you need a moment, or can we make fun of you now? I mean I don’t want you to explode like that on me.”

It was hard for her to speak; Jill was struggling to contain her laughter. She still managed a quip, and the others started chuckling too. At least she waited until they were out of earshot of the other adventurers. The color that was certainly touching Mash’s face was hidden behind his mask, but his friends seemed able to read his embarrassment anyways.

“It wasn’t that bad.”

He thought about what he said. Ok, so it was a little awkward, but it had worked well enough. Not to mention, he managed to play up the tournament significantly. The guild would be happy about that. Though Jill didn’t seem like she would let him live it down, and he paled a little at her next words.

“Just wait till Luna hears.”