Lezner glared at Lilia while the latter merely rolled her eyes at him.

"Sigh... Little girl, why did you have to stir up trouble for me...?"

He could already see trouble coming right at him later when his superior would question him.

"Who asked you to appear half-naked behind me? If I didn't think you're some pervert with ill intentions then I'd be a dunce now, wouldn't I?"

This beautiful logic left the former speechless.

"What's wrong with showing off my manliness to the world?"

He spoke with self-righteousness.

"Reveal those disgusting muscles to the world? Only nudists have that kind of logic! And we don’t take kindly to nudists!"

Luisa interjected.

"That's true. Anyone would freak out when a brute appears behind them half-naked."

Serra spoke with conviction.

"To my memory, only rapists and the like did such a thing."

Seileen added with words of contempt

"Especially highway bandits."

Aies added thoughtfully.

Lezner stared at the five of them looking rather dumbfounded.

This always happens... But why... My brothers always say that this is the way of men. Could it be that I was mistaken?

He fell into deep thought.

"Senior, that kind of thinking and logic is meant for barbarians. Not cultured people. If you're in your tribe then this is acceptable as it is the custom but not in the city. Please follow our customs."

Lilia spoke respectfully.

Lezner had a blank look in his face.

"Great... I've heard all sorts of words and experienced all sorts of treatment but being treated as a pervert then a barbarian is a first even for me..."

If you've experienced this so many times before then why didn't you listen to them and start wearing proper clothes...

They all thought in their hearts quietly.

Even the bystanders who were just listening in felt the same way.

They all stared at Lezner with a weird expression on their faces.

Lezner felt very uncomfortable and began coughing.

The stares of so many people hurt.

He thought he's used to it but apparently not.

He'll have to start wearing them properly later on and only show off his manliness in crucial times.

...

"So, senior, why were you looking for us?"

Lilia spoke as the leader of the group.

"I became a supervisor of the event and came to do my job."

Lezner explained.

Although he was a muscle freak and had many perverse hobbies, he was a good and smart person.

He was also quite magnanimous.

As a man, he could easily brush aside this treatment and misunderstanding and not let it affect him.

"I was an elder handling the trials or tests but now that the tournament officially started, my duties were finished. Anyways... Your number drawn was #436 correct?"

Lezner asked Lilia.

"Yes, senior."

She bowed respectfully.

Although she did act a bit disrespectful earlier, that was his main fault and elders were not allowed to make trouble for the participants to ensure fairness.

Anyone who violated this rule was severely punished.

"Good. Here. Take this."

He passed a blue ball to Lilia.

"Senior, this is?"

It was a blue crystal ball that shined blue.

Lilia accepted it and asked politely.

"This blue ball is known as the Participant's Crystal. It functions as the ID identifying your team as legitimate participants. You need this to enter the arena afterwards."

He explained it's functions.

"The important thing is, that blue ball would shine brightly for a bit soon and a number would appear in your crystal. This number is the opposing team's ID number. Vice versa, their crystal would show your number as well. Thus, both teams know who they face."

This made Luisa and Lilia feel thoughtful.

"I never heard about this from my sect master."

Lilia spoke.

"That's natural. This was recently created and this is the first time it's being used. It's natural you don't know."

The others felt a bit apprehensive hearing that.

Seeing their doubtful faces, Lezner hurriedly assured them.

"Don't worry. It's been tested perfectly well and it's certain that there would be no mishaps or cheating involved."

At that, their faces lit up.

"I see... So, when would the match start?"

Lilia asked.

"Hm. About that, the time when the arena would be open would be morning until night falls. Therefore, in that time, you should be prepared for battle. When you're ball shines, you have to head to the arena before an hour passes or you're disqualified. There are only two battles maximum per team. You're given an hour before the time comes that your match starts so that's plenty time to prepare and get ready."

He explained things further.

Luisa felt silent.

She was contemplating something.

"Then senior... what if some team attacks us or hires someone to make trouble with us?"

"Any team who does so will be disqualified. However, you need to be a bit more prepared. There are some teams who simply sow some chaos and ensure that other team fails to arrive by some disturbance but can't be blamed for it. It's not really that surprising."

Lezner told them.

Indeed, there are some vile schemers in their teams or old folks behind some teams who wish for their victory.

"The best precaution is to be careful and wary of others. You also need to arrive very early to avoid the worst-case scenario."

Lezner warned them.

If someone pays someone to attack them, simply capture those fellows and the guards will interrogate them and ensure the punishment of the team responsible.

Of course, you have to ensure that they're still alive.

Some assassins prepare means to take their own life and ensure the secret of their clients.

The worst cases are those who simply make disturbances that delay teams.

Because of their nature, it's hard to pinpoint a crime on them and have them disqualified.

Helpless, the management can only advise the other teams.

After all, if they fail to prepare even after all that, they're simply too careless and stupid.

"Since that's all. I'll go now."

Lezner waved at them and left quickly.

Most likely to get some proper clothing.

Not paying that much attention to him, Luisa gathered the group together.

“Those warnings aren’t there for show. We should gather intelligence later. Which teams hold which number and which teams are prone to use such tactics.”

She said.

“Eh. That’s a pain. Can’t we report those who do such things?”

Aies complained.

“That won’t work.”

Lilia said with a bitter smile.

“The really crafty ones would simply pay people to delay you or such things. As for physically harming you or poisons… They’re the ones that would infuriate the guards. So, they won’t use it. Rather, would the guards detain someone simply because they made a road jam and delayed a certain team?”

Of course not.

“It would be the fault of that team for not arriving early. Tardiness is a sin here.”

Lilia concluded.

“On a side note, let’s also study the kind of tricks other teams pulled here.”

Aies said thoughtfully.

“That won’t work. This is the first time this was tried so there are no precedents.”

Serra rejected such a thought.

“…Let’s just prepare everything we could to prevent such a thing.”

Lilia said.

The rest agreed then left.

There are matches to be fought presently but they’re not too interested.

They still stayed for a bit though in case they would get called but when night began to fall and the crystal failed to glow, they all went back to the inn.