“Dalis. Cold feet is the last thing I would expect from you. Come on, where is your energy? This is the finals! You made it there! You need to proudly walk out there and show them what you are made of!”

“Understood, but Sister Edna . . .”

“Dalis? Why are you here?” Noticing Dalis, Silla briskly approached him. “We just sent you off!! They are going to be calling everyone up soon. You’re not causing trouble again are you?”

Returning her displeased, untrusting gaze, he shook his head. “There was something I needed to discuss with Sister Edna. That is all.”

“Hmmm . . .” Her eyes narrowed further and moved to Sister Edna. “Okay!” She clapped her balled hand on top of her open palm. Since time was of essence, she did not pursue the matter. 

“Stilla. Let’s escort this troublemaker. He’s a little cold on his feet having managed to reach into the finals.”

“Ah? So that’s why! Dalis, don’t be nervous. If it’s you, I’m sure you can pull off a victory. You are my little brother after all.” With a reassuring smile, she skipped on the soles of her feet.

“That’s right. If it’s Dalis, I’m sure he can give us a big surprise,” Sister Edna chimed in. 

Dalis’s steps came to a stop, and he affectionately turned to Sister Edna. “Sister Edna, you are expecting too much from me.” His countenance sharpened. “But I will fulfill your expectation.”

Sister Edna gave a light sigh. “Not just mine. Think about the others.”

“*Cough* Yes, I will not let the rest down.” Dalis peered over to the pouting Stilla.

As the three walked down the steps, their ears caught wind of the chatting crowd. While most of the talk was about the upcoming contestants, some of them having noticed Dalis began to speak about him.

“That child from the Orphanage. There’s a rumor right now about how he has a deformed mana seed,” a woman spoke.

“To make it this far at such a young age, he definitely is a prodigy,” a travelling merchant replied.

“Prodigy??? Pfft. Don’t make me laugh merchant. He’s just a rookie with insane luck. Haven’t you seen or heard about his matches? They were all no names besides the final matches,” a middle-aged retired knight rebuked.

“That’s right. It would be a different story if it was one of those internship students or the Commerce Apostle’s son but him?! What a fucking joke. He actually managed to get two skips after *cough* “defeating” a calvary knight,” another person followed up.

“Two skippies in a row. Ah so that’s the lucky kid who got a free skip in his arena and then skipped Tristen Harding at the end. After those blood boiling battles, to think that bloke had to retire and let some kid be placed above him. Must’ve been humiliating.”

“Such a shameless and powerless child will become a Vanquisher in the future? How worrying . . .”

The ill comments continued to pile up.

Stilla was on the verge of lashing out in a fuss, but Dalis stopped her before she could.

“I am fine Stilla. There is no falsehood in their words. It was all luck. That’s all it came to,” Dalis said in monotone. 

He really didn’t seem to be fazed and accepted the treatment.

“But—”

“Stilla, Dalis. Let’s not dally and move ahead,” Sister Edna ushered, cutting Stilla’s words short. 

Dalis thoughts drifted to yesterday.

*Flashback*

“Dalis you managed to make in the final thirty. Congratulations!” Allen huddled an arm on his back.

“Honestly, I still find it unbelievable that you managed to get that far,” Jessica gasped out.

“Your luck . . . is simply too good.”

“Hmph insect it is as Koji states. I am compelled to ask, are you proud of yourself?” Melvin asked with a voice full of mockery. 

“Melvin. Don’t be a douche about it. He made it to the finals we should be congratulating him,” Sienna intervened. 

“Oh? And are you going to congratulate him? Aren’t you Dalis’s number 1 admirer?” Melvin shot back, words tinged with poison.

A pregnant tension descended.

Sienna with an unsightly look worn on her face froze for a moment. She faced Dalis, but her movements were slow and felt heavy. 

Living under the same roof, they all knew that she was put on the spot.

“There’s no need to congratulate me.” Dalis interjected Sienna before she could speak.

“I achieved to this point through sheer luck. My last actual opponent even gave the victory to me.” He paused and let the words sink in. “Thus, I am undeserving of praise,” he added.

From then on, an awkward atmosphere was met between Dalis and his roommates. 

*Present*

They have arrived at the end of the steps. Some of the children were present there, seemingly worried.

“Don’t worry guys! I found Dalis,” Stilla called out.

“There you are Dalis! You had us worried there. I thought you retired,” Allen said.

“I was worried too,” Sun Hee spoke up. 

“Yup. I thought yesterday’s stuff got to your head. Where’d you go?” Jessica asked.

“I had something to discuss with Sister Edna. That is all.”

“Sister Edna? Well you’re here now.” Sienna chuckled though a little awkwardly.

“Eh? Where’s the rest?” Stilla quizzically enquired.

“Ah they said that Dalis would probably come back so there was no need to send him off a second time,” Allen replied.

“Oh okay. Jeez at least Melvin should have come here too,” Stilla muttered. 

“There’s a lot of movement beginning to go on right now. I think it’s about to start any minute.” Jessica pointed to the Stage of Knights. 

Dalis nodded in assent. “I will be going.”

“Good luck!” Sun Hee, Jessica, and Sienna blessed in tandem.

“Dalis we will be cheering for you!” Allen declared, filled with motivation.

Dalis turned to Stilla. 

Stilla walked up to Dalis and took his arm.

“Woaaaahhh!!” She heaved it straight up in the air. Their eyes crossed with one another. One eyes wide open, and the other eyes sparkling. 

Dalis was momentarily speechless. Stilla laughed as she saw Dalis’s dumbfounded expression. She continued to heave his arm up and down. 

“Woaaaahhh!!”

“Woaaaahhh!!”

“Woaaaahhh!!”

By the fourth “Woaaaahhh!!”, Dalis regained his senses. Naturally his available hand moved to deliver a karate chop to Stilla’s forehead. 

“Woaaatt are you doing?” Seemingly infected, Dalis questions her. 

“Cheering you on and getting your fighting spirit back! You can’t hide your feelings from your Big Sister!” 

“. . .”

“Looks like there’s not enough spirit.” Stilla readied her arms.

“Wait hol—”

“Woaaaahhh!!”

“Woaaaahhh!!”

“Woaaaahhh!!”

“Enough.”

“Owwiie!” She rubbed her poor forehead. But Dalis knew that, she practically took no damage. It wasn’t that she was trying to act cute: it was only a natural reaction. 

Dalis released the grip on his arm. Exhaling deeply, he gazed at Stilla in the eye.

“Thanks.”

“Hehe~ No biggie~”

Dalis found her adorable. Shaking his thoughts to the side, he turned back and moved to meet his real big sister. 

She had a really wide and lovely smile on her face. 

Caught off guard, Dalis’s heart was sent aflutter. 

“Will Sister Edna do something similar?” Dalis teased her.

Sister Edna flushed red, but it gradually faded in no time, replaced with a profound but caring look. 

“Dalis.” 

With a call, she approached him. 

“Yes?” 

“*Ahem*” In Dalis’s eyes, she looked hesitant to speak.

(Perhaps she’s searching for the right words?) “Don’t worry, please speak your mind Sister Edna.

Dalis’s utterance caused Sister Edna’s words to be stuck in her throat. (I have to keep this brief.) Changing her mind, she let out another harrumph. Then, she spoke:

“Whether you win or lose doesn’t matter. Whatever the minds of others may think, you’ve become someone Big Sister can boast and be proud of. Now go on and keep your chest up high! Win!” 

 

***

 

“ . . . Now to our nation’s powerful courageous warriors.” Richard Relza’s turn in the conversation caused everyone to turn their attention to today’s stars.

“To you thirty, I must first congratulate you all for reaching this far. Although our strength has heavily diminished since the Great War, I sincerely believe that each of your prowesses, in highlight to strength, are no different from those of the past. —Even if this may not be so as of present, in the boundless future, your limitless potential will certainly and I say certainly!” With a clap of solemn thunder, he resumed and roared,

 “Will uphold the strength worthy of the knights—the knights of the Cresuilge Kingdom!!!”

"WOOOOOOOOOAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The crowd was thrown to a mad fit of cheers. All of the people from the Cresuilge Kingdom were burning with undying fiery spirit. Even if they were not a knight they themselves felt as though they too should become knights. 

Once the noise drowned down, the King swept his almighty gaze to the thirty surviving warriors. 

“Now, I ask of you. Are you willing to dive into the final trial?”

“Henry Raymond!”

Having all the attention focused on him, he was startled from the sudden call. But, as expected from a knight who had survived to this point, it only took a moment for him to recover.

“Yes, my King!”

“Olivia Damcott!”

“If that is what your Majesty seeks, then I humbly accept. I shall take on the trial!” She saluted.

“Aaron Malconburn!”

“Of course! Your Majesty!” He swung his huge aggressive-looking heavy machete and returned it to his back, ignoring the incredulous onlookers. 

When people looked to the King for his reaction, they found that he was quite pleased from Aaron’s actions.

Inevitably, a domino effect was created. At least half of them understood the importance of this implication. Olivia Damcott was one as well, and she appeared to be quite bitter.

(Although I heard that the current Cresuilge Kingdom’s King was lacking compared to the previous rulers, he doubtlessly is a King.) Dalis silently chucked. (With his words and this momentum, nobody will reject participating in the final trial. That will taint the honour of not just themselves, but also the Cresuilge Kingdom itself. How shrewd.)

“And lastly—you Dalis, young boy from the Caleyar Orphanage. Though many question your rising, none can dispute you too have become one of the top thirty. For someone as young as you and not from our country’s origin, it is not strange if you exempt yourself here.”

The King stared at Dalis eye to eye.

A reigning invisible pressure can be felt in the air. 

Many understood. He was testing the boy. 

Regardless of his background and age, the sheer luck he had in this tournament was unprecedented. Almost all of the people could not accept it.

Being a tournament that tested one’s power, only strength can allow people to come to terms with his outcome.

However, that was impossible. To those that know Dalis, they knew he had no such power. Thus, there was a need to show him off in another light. 

While it was unclear of the King’s intention behind this or whether he had any in the beginning, there was one sole answer that Dalis had to abide. 

Seeing Dalis’s composure, unfazed by the pressure, the King gently nodded. He had a better impression of the boy. (I will not make things too difficult for him then.)

The King went straight to the point.

“I ask of you, Dalis. Are you willing to dive into the final trial?”

 . . .

 . . .

 . . .

“Yes. Your Majesty.”