“What in the name of the Lords!?”

“Is this real!?”

“What just happened?”

The crowd howled in shock. They all had no idea of what was going on. The whole thing was incomprehensible. Seifer, the supposed Champion who would shed blood to the weak-looking half-oni, had suddenly lost, just like that. Who would’ve known that Kane managed to win by simply throwing several weak punches?

They shredded their bet slips before crumpling and tossing them away in a rage. This match was supposed to be free money for them! With the odds of infinitely close to 1.0, many people had bet enough gold to buy a small house to get the same value of cheap jewelry. If only they bet on Kane instead, they would’ve been filthy rich.

Few people among the audience had made the correct decision. Alas, there were no other people who risked more than a meager 500 gold other than Sharon.

Amid an eruption of protest, Ral was still gawking at the scene. He creased his brows, recalling the match over and over again. Maybe his suspicion was true all along? So, he decided to ask her sister.

“Hey, Sharon—”

“Yes!” She screamed in a high pitch and punched upward. “Kane won!”

Seeing her celebrating, Ral couldn’t help but half-smiled. Her sister was always concerned about her image, so she rarely expressed herself. It was such a rare sight for him.

“35,000 gold times 58. How much is the total?” asked Sharon all of sudden. Her mouth was gaping and trembling at the same time as she stared at him.

“Whaddaya mean by ‘times’?”

She turned away. “Forget what I asked.”

“How did Kane win that anyway?”

“Does that matter? I’ve become rich, Ral! Can’t you see?”

“I don’t care about that!” Ral rolled his eyes. “So, what are you gonna do after this?”

In an instant, she stopped smiling as her eyes became cold. “I’ll do ‘that’, of course. As usual.”

“Heh, so that’s your plan from the start, huh?” He leaned back against the chair, grinning. A while later, he said, “What’s the plan again?”

“Ugh! Stop pretending that you understood, then!” Sharon stomped her foot. “Here’s my plan…”

While they were talking, Wadmar, the magus who owned Seifer, had descended from the highest audience seat and began clapping every two steps he took. The audience gradually became quieter.

He finally reached the arena. Staring at Kane with an incredulous look, he said in a loud voice, “Well done, Kane. I am Wadmar, a magus and the owner of this place. Before I properly praise your achievement, I must ask you a couple of questions. And speak loudly, please.”

“Alright.”

“How did you defeat him? Tell me the truth.”

“I don’t mean to disrespect, but perhaps your Champion is to blame here? Because he went down too easily after some hits. You can check him by yourself.”

Wadmar scratched his chin and approached the downed wildman. He kicked him to turn Seifer over. His body was stiff and no sign of injury. Nothing was particularly strange. After examining him, Wadmar called the wardens to carry Seifer out of the arena. He pondered about FR-14 injection. He asked himself: Was that truly the cause? Wadmar wouldn’t know until he performed a proper autopsy on Seifer.

“Please, let me examine your stomach.”

“Sure.” Kane pulled up his shirt, revealing the seal to everyone.

“It’s still intact. I…” Wadmar hesitated to speak. He understood that admitting his Champion lost was his fault would tarnish his reputation. Then again, he couldn’t find other good reasons. To him, Kane was a much weaker fighter than Seifer, no matter he looked at him. He doubted that Kane’s ring would damage Seifer since that wildman had the toughness of rank 2 monsters.

Wadmar also considered interrogating him, but that might cause damage to his relationship with Sharon’s family. It would be a different case if Kane displayed the actual cheating in the public eyes.

“This will be the first time I ever say this: congratulations to Kane for winning the tournament!” announced Wadmar.

Some were clapping while the rest were jeering and yelling: “Give back our money!” It was one thing if Kane had won fair and square; that wasn’t the case. Feeling cheated, they began throwing small objects toward the arena.

“Enough!”

Wadmar shouted and cast [Rank 2: Windblast]. A gust of wind swept from the center like a circle. All the thrown items flung back toward them.

“I am not responsible for your bets! Kane has earned the title with the odds stacked against him. You all were unlucky that Seifer had encountered some issues during the match!” he yelled at them.

After he finished ranting, it was time for the closing event. Kane along with Sharon was invited to the ruined arena to receive the grand prize. She received a rank 3 magic staff, which was priced at around 10,000 gold while Kane received a gold medal and his name recorded in the hall of fame.

Most people had left the arena except several Sharon’s hardcore fans — and Ral’s too. They merely cheered from distance, not brave enough to approach them.

---

Now that was all over, Kane followed both Sharon and Ral toward the exit. He had changed back into his uniform. His hands were shackled with her magic black chains to prevent any sudden movements. Kind of annoying but understandable, granted at least Sharon had removed the sealing spell. Both his vis and mana returned to him albeit slowly. He expected a complete recovery for two to three days without mana potions.

They traveled through the hallway, the main hall, and finally… a kitchen. The pleasant smell of broths and stews permeated the room, making Kane’s stomach growl. A couple of people wearing white aprons greeted them. They were the chefs who were cooking and preparing some dishes. Sharon responded with a gentle smile while Ral kept walking as though nobody’s around.

The restaurant was sparse with customers and worn furniture. A typical diner for middle to low-class citizens. It was also as small as Kane’s recently-bought shop. One of them — a middle-aged man — stood up and opened the door for those two.

Stepping outside, it was already dark. The countless stars were shimmering in the sky, the object he never saw during his time as a Champion. The breezy wind blew his face before being welcomed by a black carriage and a young man dressed in a long black tailcoat. Despite having the appearance of a humble peasant, he showed a graceful and proper bow akin to a seasoned butler. Sharon stepped inside first, followed by Ral, and lastly, Kane. Upon taking a closer look, the butler had a cold, emotionless face, similar to other Sharon’s henchmen and servants.

The dark purple double seats were installed. They looked comfortable, and as it turned out, his assumption was true. Kane sat beside Ral before shutting the door close. With a lash of a whip, the carriage began to move.

“Here’s your ring, Ral. And thanks.” Kane offered the said object while breaking the ice.

Ral took and returned the ring inside his pocket. “You did something to that Seifer guy, didn’t you?”

“I did some punchings. That’s all. Everything beyond that was just luck,” replied Kane immediately.

“Oh? Alright, then.” Ral opened the curtain beside him and gazed toward the outside.

Kane had prepared this answer to this very question, albeit he certainly expected the asker would be Sharon. Perhaps it was because of Ral’s honed battle instinct? Fortunately, he believed that half-baked answer.

Not to mention, saying ‘did some punchings’ would be oversimplifying Kane’s effort.

The moment before his fist struck Seifer’s chest, he projected vis in the form of a long needle from Ral’s ring — more precisely, the diamond gem, so the vis became as hard as diamond. No matter how resilient or thick the skin was, it was still vulnerable to sharp, pointy objects. And thus, through one of the skin pores, it penetrated deep, reaching the inside. Kane formed a sphere that enveloped Seifer’s heart, disrupting the blood flow. He had used a similar technique when defending from Giyori’s kick to his head.

Kane ran out of vis after using that due to his limited vis capacity and one of the laws of vis: the stronger the used material was, the more vis was required to materialize, extend, and prolong it. Due to the circumstances, he was forced to create vis as thin as possible, smaller than blood vessels. It required an unbelievable amount of concentration, however, a not-so-difficult feat for a former saint such as Kane.

Meanwhile, Sharon was closing her eyes. As for her earnings from betting, Wadmar told her to withdraw the money from some bank with a check he gave to her. The amount was too big to transport without encountering any hassle. If only she could give some of her earnings; but, there was a more important question to ask.

“Where are we going?”

“To my house. Don’t worry, Kane, I will give you your deserved reward there. Be patient until then, okay?” replied Sharon. She correctly guessed his unspoken intention.

“If you say so.” Contrary to what he said, Kane had expected a chance of betrayal. People often tossed others away when they outlived their usefulness. Never fond of that. When that happened, he would try to steal the Black Feather back, or escape as soon as his life was in danger. As for the time being, he continued to play pretend.

Later, the butler stopped the horses. Kane along with others got off the carriage. Rows of manors were built across the cobblestone street. Sharon’s was one of them. Not much he could see since everything was rather dark. A large building with four windows loomed over them as vines crept on the wall. The distance between the steel gate and the main antique double door was short due to the cramped land plot.

Unlocking the door, the butler pushed it open for them. The interior was pitch-black. Sharon chanted something, casting a spell. The magic candles lit the hanging chandelier first, then others one by one until each of them illuminated the whole manor. Thanks to her, Kane was able to see his surroundings.

Everything was made of wood, an expensive one — from the flooring, the walls, and the staircase leading toward the second floor. A combination of ornate wolf and plant motifs were carved into the wall and even the stair’s handles. On the part of the wall where the staircase was, a bunch of pictures hung close to each other. They came in various sizes and painting types.

Kane focused on three particular paintings. Two of them were Sharon’s portraits from afar and close-up with different poses. The most intriguing one, however, was a painting of a group of people consisting of six dressed in noble attire, standing in a row while the oldest man was sitting on a chair. Unfortunately, they were too far away to discern further — well, until Sharon told him to follow her upstairs.

He stopped midway and observed the picture. From left to right: a blonde girl around Kane’s age if not younger, presumably a twin of a blonde boy beside her since they resembled one another; Sharon, wearing a fine purple long dress, was depicted younger than currently; the same applied to Ral, grinning widely and maintaining it as the painter captured the moment — which was praiseworthy; a fierce muscular man whose his shoulders were broad, stood taller than anyone there; and a silver-haired man who donned a butler outfit and stood slightly away from the cast.

Finally, the dandy man seemed to be the head of the family. He didn’t strike as a family man at first glance. Rugged beard, stern gaze, and a long scar across his face contributed to that. And yet, his warm smile and refined appearance gave the opposite. He reminded Kane of himself, except that man took a different path at some point in his life.

“What are you looking at, Kane? Hurry up,” said Ral from above.

Kane turned around quickly and followed them. “Huh? Yes, I’ll be there!”

“Are you curious about our family?” asked Sharon while ascending.

“Can’t say I’m not.” He shrugged.

“It’d be best if you’re not. Because…” She halted her steps upon reaching the second floor and looked at him. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

“Luckily for me, I’m not a cat,” replied Kane. He had come up with this since the last time he heard it.

“Fufufu, you’re not wrong,” chuckled Sharon before resuming her walk.

Kane now arrived in some sort of a mix of reading and living room, where big, antique shelves full of books were lining up and facing four couches. When people sat there, they would face each other. Sharon and Ral passed through the section and went to the hallway. They wouldn’t lock him up again, would they? A few steps later, they stood in front of a door with a brass handle without a keyhole.

“Guess I’m done here. I’ll leave first.” Ral walked away and waved. “Bye, you two!”

“Where’s he going?”

“Ral has another matter that needs attending. Now, follow me into my room.” Sharon chanted another spell once more. A click sounded from the door, then it opened.

They entered the room. This marked the second time for him to be inside a girl’s bedroom. That aside, why did Sharon invite him to her private chamber? Why couldn’t she just give the reward and be done with it? She had no killing intent, yet his suspicion toward her had reached a high level. Nevertheless, he hadn’t got much choice other than to play along.

Fidgeting, he cast his gaze around him. Cupboards and dressers occupied more than half of the room. A large bed with four columns was half-curtained in velvet, the main interest of this room. However, to him, the thin shelf filled with apparatuses caught his attention more. Seemed like she was telling the truth about her hobby.

She placed the box inside that shelf, strode toward the bed, and stood facing him. “Thank you for your patience, Kane. As promised, that box — including the Black Feather — is free for your taking.”

The black chains that bind his hands broke, shattered into pieces. Before Kane could say anything, she spoke again, “But, I have another offer for you.”

Sharon’s hands reached for her back. Her intention was unclear… until her dress dropped on the floor. Her black, laced undergarments were exposed for him to feast upon. She then sat down, elongating her lean legs hid underneath the tight stockings and flaunting her assets.

Leering at Kane, she flirted with a coquettish voice, “You can have me instead. It’s a much more appropriate reward, no? I’ll give you the best moment you’ll ever experience in your entire life.”

Kane, now frozen stiff in place, had to decide. Between obtaining a clue to his goal that may or may not be useful and spending a night with the most popular girl in the school, which one should he pick?