“Unnamed team! I challenge you to a duel!” Huntsman Damian said to a group of four adventurers. He had been searching for them ever since he heard about their temporary release before their trial. The team was enjoying a delicious lunch at a local tavern before this man showed up and started making ridiculous requests. They couldn’t even relax for five minutes without being bothered these days.

“Dude, take it down a notch you’re bothering the other customers,” Rex said with a look of concern. Everyone else in the tavern was staring daggers at them. Not only were they familiar with the paladin hero, but the team was also friends with a famous hunter. It was hard for any normal adventurer to not be jealous. Why would two high-ranking people associate themselves with these weaklings? Of course, the reason was obvious to most by now.

“Also, we refuse. In case that isn’t obvious enough.” Xander said, making sure to verbally express the team’s refusal. They’d been turning people like him away ever since they were released. Word about their recent actions must have gotten out, and who made that announcement was clear. No one was able to tell Damian to hide the truth before guards showed up to arrest the team.

“You must reconsider! I cannot think of a more worthy challenge.” Damian said. He wanted nothing more than to fight the four before him. He witnessed them defeat a sin, Pride. Such a beast flicked him away with a single attack. The attack itself didn’t damage his body nearly as much as it wounded his honor as a huntsman, so Damian yearned to test his mettle again. He was far from his prime, but the flame of passion continued to burn. He wanted to see the pinnacle of humanity, even if it meant fighting against the strongest team in the realm.

“Challenge accepted. I’d love to see what you can do.” Nicholas said before he could stop himself. Without a familiar to talk to, he was stuck to his previous lying self. He wanted to deny the hunter, but it was impossible in his current state. Thankfully, his team was willing to cover for him.

“What my friend means to say is, we’re just a bunch of new adventurers. We wouldn’t be much of a challenge for you.” Robyn said. This was the excuse they started giving everyone. They tried their best to convince everyone that conquering a sin was nothing more than a fluke. Truth be told, they weren’t lying. The error that secured the win didn’t come from any sort of planning or skill. Regardless, it was difficult to convince people of that reality.

“I think you four would be more than a simple challenge. You four defeated-” Damian started to say. He wasn’t sure why his target team was so indifferent about the win. They should be proud of their accomplishment. Everyone witnessed how powerful Envy was and the army she commanded. Since Pride was also a sin, the masses assumed both were of equal strength. This meant the team was perceivably equal to Paladin Rose in terms of sheer strength. Fortunately, the team was able to use that fact as their second excuse.

“If that’s why you want to fight us, why not challenge Paladin Rose? She beat Envy. Plus, a one-on-one duel would be better.” Robyn said. This was their best way to deflect any challenge. Adventurers who wanted to test their strength against an opponent would likely prefer single combat. As a team, the four were able to fall behind the excuse of ‘teamwork’ and ‘friendship’ until their aspiring opponent gave up. It was the perfect way to get rid of the lone huntsman…until a familiar, and unwanted, face appeared.

“I apologize, but I denied his request when he first proposed it. Even now, I can’t accept it.” Rose said as she walked over to the table. She had a grim look in her eyes like she just did something awful. A bad taste lingered in her mouth as if the words she said were poisoned. It felt awful to betray the trust of someone close, but she couldn’t lie to the huntsman’s earnest confrontation.

“Why not? You two are titans compared to us. Just fight with each other.” Xander said with a heavy sigh. He realized why the two wouldn’t fight. They both knew the truth. The bumbling team of four novices was one responsible for the defeat of both Pride and Envy. Rose must have told the truth to Damian, who also confessed about his attempted attack on the sin. There was no telling what these two must have been thinking. Fortunately, or unfortunately for the group of four, Damian was willing to elaborate on the matter.

“We’ve already talked to each other about this. Actually, we’d both like to fight you.” Damian said with a sincere smile. Of course, he didn’t mean they’d fight at the same time. That would have been a guaranteed victory and certainly no fun to participate in. He wanted to see how the team fared in both battles. The winners of each round would then fight to see who was the strongest among the three groups. The competition would be a sort of tournament between supposed champions. Coincidentally, this format worked thanks to an upcoming event.

“Autumn is around the corner. Meaning, the Autumn Festival Tournament will soon commence. I already expect that you four will participate. We will be entering as well. Face us there.” Rose said, giving her full proposal. She had no doubt that the group would enter. The tournament’s prize pool grew every year, and these four were always eager to earn extra gold. All Rose and Damian needed to do was win enough matches to encounter their targets. This, however, hinged on the fact that everyone present made it far enough in the tournament.

“Out of the question,” Rex said on behalf of the team. It is true that they were planning on entering, but that depended on who else was joining the fray and the rank given to the team. Since the tournament couldn’t be completely one-sided, different ranks were used to separate participants of varying skill levels. Normally, Rex and his party would receive bronze and fight against other low-leveled combatants. However, as the team that defeated Pride, they’d be more likely to obtain the rank gold or platinum. This meant that their desire to fight dropped to less than zero, but a newcomer brought an ace to force the team’s hand.

“You will swear your participation upon a holy relic, or the three of us will revoke our assistance towards your upcoming trial.”