Chapter 20

The First Trial

He was like a nightmare that follows you into the waking world. No matter how matter times I blink, the scarred man never vanishes. Realizing he wasn’t going to go away, I decided to talk to him.

“Scar, what are you doing here?”

“Same reason as you. I’m interested in the tournament.”

“Interested?” I barely contain my laughter. I found it hard to believe that a guy with empty eyes could be interested in anything.

Crook definitely sent him after me. But how did he know I was coming here? I never told him I was participating in the tournament.

“Whatever thoughts are going through your head, abandon them. This trial has a time limit. You have don’t time to waste.”

“You keep mentioning a trial. What the hell are you talking about?”

“Right, not only is this your first time participating, but you have never seen The Rising Star tournament.” Scar turns his attention to the window near the entrance. Over a hundred people can easily be seen outside the guild going about their day.

“During this time of year, thousands of people come to the capital for the summer festival. And of those thousands, hundreds have come to enter in the tournament. Obviously, a tournament with hundreds of people isn’t practical. So, every year the King comes up with a trial that weed out the weak. And it seems this year's trial is to find where the real sign-in.”

“Is that true?” I look back at the receptionist who eyes were darting around rapidly like she was looking for someone to help.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She stammer.

“Shit.”

“You should be careful who you speak to from now on.” Scar said as he headed for the exit. People all over this city has been paid to mislead if you ask them about the tournament. Including officers and other officials.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Why?” Scar suddenly stopped. “Why am I doing this? Why does anyone do anything? Why?” Scar looked back at me. There was a glimmer emotion in his usual dead eyes. Maybe I’m going crazy, but it almost looked like he was coming to me for guidance.

My mind went blank, and I could feel my throat drying as I try to find an answer to Scar’s question.

“I guess…” Scar turns his back to me, perhaps disappointed I couldn’t answer him. “…I do it for the money. Isn’t that most people's motivation?”

A better person would’ve told Scar that money wasn’t everything or something like that, but all I did was watch as Scar left the guild with a heavy gait. After all, the shady and shameless things I did for money, I had no right to preach.

“Um, is there anything you need help with, miss?” the receptionist gave me a forced smile. The other people sitting in the dark corners continue to glare at me. At first, I thought that I might’ve wanted to pick a fight with me, but after listening to Scar. Now, it feels like they’re eavesdropping. They’re looking for whatever information to find where the real sign-in is.

“No thanks. I’m fine.”

“Good luck!” Was the last thing I heard before I left the guild.

If what Scar said is true, I’m going to need much more than luck to get through this so-called trial. I’m going need to be smart.

“First thing first. I need to get a better view of the town.” With all the people roaming the streets and the towering building, it was nearly impossible for me to see in front of me. I slip my way into a nearby alley. I grab onto one of the steel pipes that were connected to the building. Despite how tall the buildings were, I found myself on the roofs in a few seconds.

The clear view I was hoping for was obstructed by the cluster of buildings that seem to stretch past the sky.

“How the hell do people not get lost in this town? I’m going to need a map. Oh, a map!” I reach into my pocket and pull out the map the gate soldier gave me. I could feel a headache growing in the back of my head when I looked at the map.

“This city is too huge. There’s no way I could explore all of this in a day. Hell, not even in a week.” I reached into my pocket again and pulled out a sour. “Ugh.” The sourness from the seed made me want to rip my tongue out of my mouth. But I could feel the dark clouds brewing in my head clear away, thanks to the seed. Now that I could focus again, I took another look at the map.

From the looks of it, New Dawn can be broken down into eight districts. Each one is separated by rivers that flow through the city. The Tourist district, Royal District, Central District, Residential District, Air Dock District.

The tourist district is where I’m currently located. It’s also where the guild is at. So, I don’t think they hide the actual sign-in here. I can’t imagine it being at air docks since there are only warehouses located there. Maybe it’s at the Royal District that’s where the castle is located and where most noble mansions live. Or maybe the central district.

“Agh.” I rub my temple to calm my nerves. I’m not going to get anywhere if I sit here and play a guessing game all day. I need more information. Asking for help won’t get me anywhere, as the soldier will lie to me. But, if soldiers are ordered to lie to anyone asking about the tournament, then that means they know exactly where I need to go. I just need to eavesdrop until I get the information I need.

I walk towards the edge of the building. While I couldn’t see the whole city, I got a good view of the tourist district and the city's entrance.

“To think I have to have relied on another thief technique. I never going move past my thieving days at this rate I’m never going to move past my thieving days.” I sat down and listened to the cacophony below.

Simply straining your ears on the noise isn’t going to work here. The only way to any information out of this crowd is to focus on not focusing. I guess the best way to describe it's like forming a net in your mind. All the useless noise goes through the net while you piece together the important information that stuck.

“EuhjosnfkfmapsrknmfkdldlkfnjfTourmanetmflfphuhkdlaloopafpaloevejflnlflvnDisrtictkfaslButI’ve been there already!”

“That’s because you’re not looking hard enough.”

“What? I’ve been looking for around Central District for two days, and everyone I ask for direction keeps telling me to look somewhere else!”

My mind blocked out all the noise in the city, thus making it easy for me to find where the voice was coming from. Standing near the guild was a young kid around twelve years. The young boy wore worn farmer clothes with a long wooden bow strapped to his back. There was a strange symbol carved onto the bow. Even stranger, the kid didn’t possess a quiver or any arrows despite running around with a bow.

“You know, I think I heard that the tournament sign-in is in the royal district.”

“Are you sure?” The boy raised an eyebrow at the guard.

“Y-Yea, that’s what one of the higher-ups told me.”

“Hm, if one of your higher said it, then I guess it's true. Thank you!”

Kid not that smart, but thanks to him, I got some good information. The tournament sign-in location isn’t in the Central District, and it’s probably not at the Royal District. And I doubt it's here in the Tourist District. So, that’s three districts down, only five to go.

Still, given the size of this city, that’s still a lot of ground to cover. Maybe, if I- no, that’s a bad idea, this is a tournament, which means it's every man and woman for themselves. But still, unlike me, that boy didn’t receive any help. If Scar never informed me, I would’ve been running clueless just like him.

“At very least, I should give him a little hint. It’s painful seeing him walk around so oblivious.” The kid was leaving the city's entrance and was heading towards the main road that breaks off into multiple streets that leads to different parts of the city. If I don’t catch him now, I’ll lose him quickly.

“No choice but to use the buildings.” I took a step back from the edge.

It’s been a while since I’ve parkour. Thankfully, these buildings are cluster together, which will make it easier to get around.

“Here I go.” I ran towards the edge and then leaped. I easily clear the gap between the buildings. I grabbed the window ledge and quickly climbed the building. As soon as I reach the top, I immediately ran towards the next building. This time I manage to build enough momentum to reach the next building roof in one jump.

Once I reach the next building, I walk over to the ledge and jump down. Landing on the pole which held the flag of our country.

“Still light as a feather.” The thin pole didn’t even shake when I dropped on it. “I guess I still got it.”

A few people passing by stop and looked up at me. I normally don’t like standing out. However, acrobats were one of the few things I was proud of.

The people below gasped as I lean backward. I wrapped my legs around the flagpole before I could fall to the ground.

“Hey, kid with the bow up here!”

“Huh me?” The boy looked up at me, obviously confused as to why a girl hanging up upside down on a flag was talking to him.

“Whoa, a dark skin cat girl wants to talk to me?! Man, this city is so cool!”

“Catgirl?” I unwrap my legs from the pole fell to the ground. Calmly, I spun my body around, landing on my feet.

“Who are you calling a catgirl, monkey boy!”

“Huh, I’m not a monkey boy.”

“Are you sure? Humans share the same ancestor with monkeys, right? that makes you as much a monkey as I’m a cat.”

“I never thought about it that way. I guess I am a monkey.” The boy said with a beaming smile. I rub my temple to calm myself down. Getting angry at a kid isn’t very adultlike.

“Anyway, that soldier you talk to earlier lied to you. That’s all I wanted to say.”

“Wait, why would soldiers lie to me? Isn’t their job to help civilians out?”

“Normally, that’s their job. However, the king order every soldier to lie about the location of the tournament sign-in, apparently to weed out the weak.”

“So, where do we go?”

“I’m still trying to that out.” I pull my map out again. I groan silently when looked at the large labyrinth that is this city.

“Do you really understand all of that?” The boy hovers behind me, staring intently at the map in my hand.

“It looks overwhelming at first with all the names and intersecting lines, But, if you read it slowly, it’s easy to understand.”

“Read, huh?” A strained smile spread on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, nothing.” The kid awkwardly brushes his hair.

“Do you have a map? I can teach you how you read it.”

“No, it’s fine. I-I can’t read.” The boy’s face became flushed red.

“Oh.” I look back at the map, trying to find a way to cheer him up.”

I guess it isn’t that uncommon for kids to be illiterate. However, most usually attempt to learn, since you won’t get that far even as a thug if you don’t know how to read or write.

“My country doesn’t believe in education, or anything really.”

“What backwater country you come from?”

“Ath.”

“Ah, sorry for asking.”

Ath is one of Morningstar's neighboring countries. The government is ruled by a cult called the Church of the Ascendant, a bunch of idiots who believe that the only way to achieve godhood is through suffering. Because of this stupid ideology, the people never received help from their government.

Is your hometown getting raided by monsters or humans? You better know how to defend yourself. Some form of plague spreading across the country? Pray your body is immune to the disease. Your village suffering from famine? Have you ever heard of cannibalism?

It’s incredible that the government hasn’t been toppled yet. Then again, when you every day is a literal fight for survival, I guess you wouldn’t be time to overthrow a corrupt government.

“Hey, why are there areas on the map blank?” The boy point at one of the few areas on the map that didn’t have a name.

“Those are probably this city slums and the Pleasure District. Both are places guides wouldn’t want to show to visitors.”

“Pleasure District sounds like a fun place. Why don’t they want to show it?”

“It’s fun, alright, fun for criminals. The pleasure District is a lawless section of the city run by multiple powerful gangs whose influence stretches across the country and probably other nations. It’s basically a place you don’t want to go to unless you’re that desperate to add some spice in your life. Or… perhaps if you’re trying, sign up for the tournament.”

A lawless area where no one will save you if you're attacked. I can’t think of a better way to weed out the weak. Even if I’m wrong, I think it’s worth a look.

“We just need to find out which one of the area blank areas is the Pleasure District. I guess we should ask one of the soldiers passing by.”

“Aren’t they going to lie to us?”

“No, probably not. I think they’re only ordered to lie to anyone asking about the tournament. So, we should be fine as long as we don’t mention it.”

“Ah, that’s smart. Pretty smart, um…” The boy frowned while looking into my eyes like he forgot something.

“it’s Catherine. And I wouldn’t say I’m smart. I would’ve been running around in circles if it wasn’t for your help.”

“I’m Aaron.” He said with a beaming smile. “And I probably would’ve never figured out the guards were lying to me. I guess it’s a good thing we’re working together.”

I wonder how long this little partnership going to last. This is a tournament, after all, which we will eventually have to backstab or fight each other.

I shook that thought out of my head and focused on the main issue.

“By the way, Aaron, even though the guards probably won’t lie to us. We should still be careful about asking for Pleasure District. It’s pretty much the capital of the underworld. A kid asking about that place will be quite suspicious.

“Excuse me, can you tell me where the Pleasure District.”

At some point during my explanation, Aaron approached a guard and did exactly what I didn’t want him to do.

“You fucking idiot!” I quickly jumped in between the guard and Aaron. “Sorry about that. He’s new here, so please ignore him.”

The soldier looked down at me, clearly suspicious.

“And why are you kids interested in that filthy place?”

“Kid?” I grit my teeth to hold back my anger. “You see, my friend really admire you, soldier, and he’ll be joining the army in a week. So, I want a lot of memories before he leaves.”

“That’s not true! We’re- pfftpfft!” I slapped Aaron with my tail to shut him up. “Arrgh! I think some of your fur got in my mouth!”

“And-and. I was planning on… you know.” I took a deep breath to prepare myself for what I was going to say next. “I-I plan on making him a man tonight.”

“Oh.” The soldier back away from me. For the first time in my life, I was happy about my height. If I looked my actual age, I would’ve been arrested.

“It’s my job to keep kids like you out of trouble, but…” The soldier grabbed my map and scribbled something on it. “I believe kids should be reckless and enjoy their youth.

“Th-Thank you.” I took my map back, my cheeks burning red with embarrassment.

“Have fun, you two!” The soldier said as he waves goodbye.

“Catherine, what do you mean about making me into a man?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“Huh? Aren’t we the same-“

“No, no, we’re not.” I rubbed my temples to calm my nerves.

I knew when I set out on this journey. It wasn’t going to be easy. But I didn’t expect it to be this annoying. I haven’t even signed up for the tournament yet, but I’m already exhausted. And I doubt whatever is waiting for me in the Pleasure District is going to be pleasant.

“Ah, so that’s where it's at.” Aaron peers over my shoulder again, looking at the area the soldier mark on my map.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Wait!” Aaron ran off before I could say anything. “You don’t even know where to go.” I let out a weary sigh and slowly following him. “Yea, it’s definitely not going to get any easier.”