The courtyard gradually emptied as students finished registering for the tournament, the earlier tension dissolving into excited chatter that spilled across the academy grounds. Groups were already forming around benches and walkways, students loudly analyzing potential matchups, arguing over who would crack the top ten, and making grand declarations about their own chances of glory with the kind of confidence that only existed before the fighting actually started.
Meanwhile, Aaron and Rei walked slowly toward the academy gates, letting the crowd thin around them.
Rei finally released a long, defeated breath.
"…Brother Aaron."
Aaron glanced at him.
"Yes?"
Rei rubbed his face dramatically with both hands, as though trying to restore some color to it.
"My heart almost jumped out of my chest just now."
"Because of the tournament?"
"Because of Zheng!" Rei replied immediately. "That guy looked like he was already imagining your funeral." He said it with complete sincerity, which somehow made it worse.
Aaron chuckled.
"You're exaggerating."
"No, no, no. I'm serious." Rei leaned in slightly, dropping his voice. "Everyone knows Zheng hates losing. The kind of hate that follows a person home."
"Then he shouldn't lose."
Rei stared at him for a long, silent moment.
"…You're too calm."
Aaron stretched his arms lazily above his head as he walked, rolling the stiffness out of his shoulders.
"It's just a tournament."
Rei let out a low groan, dragging the sound out as though physically pained by the words.
"Just a tournament, he says…"
They continued walking until they passed through the academy gates and merged into the busy street beyond. The evening air carried the warm smell of grilled meat and spiced broth drifting from the restaurants lining the road, mixing with the noise of students celebrating around them. The whole district had taken on the restless, electric energy that always preceded a major academy event.
Then Rei's stomach announced itself with a long, resonant growl.
He froze mid-step.
Aaron looked at him.
"…Was that thunder?"
Rei straightened up with great dignity.
"That was… atmospheric pressure."
Aaron laughed.
"Let's eat."
The light that entered Rei's eyes at those two words was almost spiritual.
"You're treating?"
Aaron nodded casually.
Rei grabbed his shoulder with both hands, his expression radiating the kind of deep, heartfelt admiration usually reserved for legendary figures.
"Brother Aaron. You truly are a generous and righteous man!"
"You said the same thing last time."
Rei spoke with great solemnity.
"That was before I knew how rich you are."
They stopped in front of a lively tavern a short walk from the academy, its wooden sign swaying faintly above the entrance.
*The Iron Cup Tavern.*
Inside, the atmosphere was warm and unruly. Hunters packed the wooden tables, raising mugs and speaking loudly over each other, trading boastful accounts of monster hunts with the enthusiasm of men who had survived to tell them. The smell of roasted meat and woodsmoke hung thick in the air. Aaron and Rei found an empty table near the corner and settled in as a young waitress appeared beside them.
"What would you like?"
Rei leaned forward without hesitation. "Two bowls of roasted beast stew, five skewers of grilled meat, and two mugs of barley ale." He paused, then glanced at Aaron with a fraction of belated guilt. "…That's alright, right?"
"Sure."
Rei leaned back in his seat with the quiet satisfaction of a man who had ordered well.
"You see?" he said, almost to himself. "Confidence comes from financial strength."
Aaron set a small pouch on the table. The soft, familiar clinking of coins settled between them, drawing Rei's gaze downward immediately.
Rei opened the pouch just slightly and peered inside. The expression that crossed his face passed through surprise, then disbelief, then something close to reverence. He set it back down carefully, as though it were fragile.
"…Brother Aaron."
"Yes?"
Rei looked like he had just witnessed a miracle.
"You're so rich, like very rich!"
"Not really."
"No, no." Rei shook his head with great conviction. "In student terms, this is wealth beyond imagination." He was quiet for exactly one second before reaching across the table and grabbing Aaron's hand with both of his own. "From now on, I will follow you into the wilderness."
Aaron slowly retrieved his hand.
"That sounds dangerous."
"Yes." Rei nodded seriously, then broke into a grin. "But profitable."
The food arrived shortly after, and Rei immediately set upon the grilled skewers with the focused intensity of someone who had not eaten in days. He spoke between bites, gesturing with the skewer for emphasis.
"Brother Aaron… mmph… if you win the tournament…" He swallowed. "…you'll become even richer."
Aaron calmly sipped his ale, the noise of the tavern filling the comfortable silence around them.
"That's not why I joined."
Rei blinked, genuinely puzzled.
"Then why?"
Aaron smiled slightly, setting the mug down.
"Because it sounds fun."
Rei stared at him, skewer paused halfway to his mouth.
"Fun? You're about to fight the strongest students in the academy and you think it sounds fun?"
Aaron nodded.
Rei shook his head slowly, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"You know what? I believe you. And that's the scariest part."
The waitress passed by their table again and noticed the nearly empty plates. She raised an eyebrow at Rei.
"Another round already?"
Rei gave her his most charming smile.
"Only if my generous friend here approves."
Aaron simply nodded.
The waitress laughed softly.
"You two are quite the pair."
As she walked away, Rei leaned forward with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"See? Even the waitress thinks we make a good team. You handle the monsters, I handle the eating. Perfect division of labor."
Aaron chuckled.
"Keep talking and I might change my mind about treating you."
Rei gasped dramatically and clutched his chest.
"Betrayal! After everything we've been through today!"
The two of them shared a quiet laugh as the tavern noise swirled around them. For the first time in a long while, Aaron felt completely at ease.
Yet somewhere in the back of his mind, the image of Zheng Luic's calm, confident smile lingered.
Tomorrow the fighting would begin.
And Aaron was looking forward to it more than he cared to admit.