BRAND NEW WORLD

What?! Four wives?! — I was shocked inwardly.

I turned to look at Lusserina, and she gave me a slight nod. So he's the one who keeps proposing to Rima and getting rejected every time…

"Lady Rima, there's no need to worry. I've already got the appro—ARGH!" Prince Hasby exclaimed, before being silenced by a swift elbow jab from his wife.

"Don't listen to him, Lady Rima. He's always saying nonsense," said the brown-haired woman in a red kebaya.

"Oh, Luna, let me introduce you—this is Zeba El Moesram, princess of the Moesram Kingdom and wife of Prince Hasby Al Moesram. And Princess Zeba, this is Lunaria Oberyth, my sister," said Rima.

"Oh! Is she the legendary sister you've mentioned? It's truly an honor to meet you, Lady Lunaria," replied Princess Zeba.

"N-nice to meet you too," I said with a nod.

"Shall we move to a more comfortable place to talk?" Princess Zeba asked.

Rima glanced at me in response to the question.

It's up to you—I answered telepathically.

"Alright," Rima replied.

"In that case, please follow me," said Princess Zeba.

We were led to a private room where only we were present, with just two guards standing outside the door.

The room was spacious, with two sofas and a glass table in the center. Most of the furnishings featured gold embellishments.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Zeba El-Moesram, princess of the Moesram Kingdom and first wife of that flirtatious prince. It's an honor to meet you, Lady Lunaria. Lady Rima often talks about you," said Princess Zeba.

She even knows my name. Rima must've told her.

"Nice to meet you, too. And you can call me Luna," I replied with a nod.

Princess Zeba looked at Rima briefly, as if seeking confirmation. Rima gave her a gentle nod.

"Very well, Lady Luna," Princess Zeba responded.

"Now that I look more closely, you two do resemble each other. Only your eye colors are different—otherwise, you're nearly indistinguishable," she added.

"We're identical twins. People often mistake me for Luna, and Luna for me," Rima explained.

"By the way, when did you arrive here?" asked Princess Zeba.

"We arrived yesterday afternoon," Rima answered.

"I see… Is this your first time visiting, Lady Luna?" Zeba asked me.

"Yes, this is my first time here," I replied.

"Oh, in that case, what places have you visited so far?" she asked.

"…"

We then chatted at length about the places we visited the day before. Time flew by as we talked. Suddenly, the door opened, and in came Prince Hasby.

"Sorry for leaving you two earlier. I had to welcome some guests and speak with them briefly," said Prince Hasby.

"No worries, Prince Hasby. Thank you to Princess Zeba for keeping us company," Rima replied.

"What were you talking about? It sounded lively," he asked.

"That's a secret. Just some private girl talk," Princess Zeba answered.

"Ehh…!" Prince Hasby groaned, looking disappointed.

Soon, a loud rumbling sound and an announcer's voice echoed throughout the venue.

"Looks like the event's about to start. Let me show you the way," said Prince Hasby.

We walked through a corridor adorned with portraits of past tournament champions. Before long, we arrived at the VIP stands. Since the only guests were Rima and I—and the attendants weren't granted seats—Lusserina stood behind us.

Upon arrival, the view was breathtaking. The colosseum was packed entirely—almost no empty seats in sight. Then, we heard the announcer begin the opening ceremony.

"So? Does it meet your expectations?" Rima whispered.

"Yes, this is my first time here—and it's amazing."

"I'm glad you like it," Rima replied.

Then, the announcer introduced the King of Moesram to give a speech. A large, muscular man—not quite as bulky as Prince Hasby—stopped up. Most of his hair had turned white. He wore a bright red robe with fur around the shoulders. His name was Armett Shadid Al-Moesram. After his speech, the three-day martial arts festival officially began. When he stepped down, King Sultan Armett came over to greet us.

"Lady Rima! It's a pleasure to see you again," said Sultan Armett.

"You're too kind, Sultan Armett. Thank you for inviting me," Rima replied.

"Looks like you didn't come alone this time," he said, glancing at me.

"This is my sister, Lunaria Oberyth," Rima introduced.

"Ah… It's truly an honor to meet the legendary Lady Lunaria," Sultan Armett said.

Again? Both father and son said the same thing. Now I'm curious—what has Rima been telling them?

"It's an honor to meet you as well," I replied.

"I'd love to chat more, but I must return to my duties. My apologies. I hope you enjoy the festival," said Sultan Armett.

"Thank you very much, Sultan Armett," Rima replied.

Sultan Armett left the VIP podium with the queen and his guards.

"The royal family usually only attends the opening and closing ceremonies," Rima whispered.

"Would you like to watch the matches? These are just the qualifiers," said Prince Hasby.

"Yes, I'd like to. I have some friends participating," I replied.

"Very well then, we'll take our leave. Hope you enjoy the matches," the prince said before departing with his four wives.

During the first few matches, I didn't see Elise or the others. Oh, right—killing is strictly forbidden in this tournament. Violators could face the death penalty. Matches end when an opponent surrenders or is knocked unconscious. To increase the challenge, participants aren't allowed to bring personal weapons—they must use only what is provided.

After a while, Kyle finally entered the arena. He wore silver armor and carried a sword and shield. His opponent was a large bald man wielding a massive sword. Once they exchanged bows, the referee signaled the start of the match.

The bald man charged at Kyle, swinging his greatsword. Kyle braced himself. As the man neared, Kyle raised his shield—collision was inevitable.

CLANG!

A loud clash of metal echoed. Kyle blocked the strike and immediately countered, slashing at the man's neck. The opponent bent backward at the last moment, narrowly dodging the blow, then leapt back to reset his stance.

A moment later, the man raised his sword high. It glowed faintly before he released a crescent-shaped energy slash at Kyle. Kyle crouched, shield at the ready. Just before impact, his shield glowed bright green. The energy slash hit, and a cloud of smoke erupted. When it cleared, Kyle stood unharmed. A glowing green hexagonal barrier hovered before him.

Auto-Guard Skill. A technique that neutralizes incoming attacks.

Frustrated, the man charged again, sword glowing once more.

"Let's see you block this one!" he shouted.

"…"

But before he could swing, Kyle was already in front of him, shield raised. His shield glowed gold before slamming into the man's chest.

Shield Bash?

The man couldn't react in time. He was sent flying several meters back and crashed to the ground. Staggered and unable to rise, he lost. Kyle was declared the winner, and the colosseum erupted in cheers.

He's grown so much… As a protector, he truly belongs in the arena.

"Your friend Kyle's not bad—even if his level is still low," Rima commented.

"That's true. Sixty-five is still considered low, but six months ago, he was only level fifty. This is great progress," I replied.

More matches followed. While we waited, I took out some snacks I'd prepared earlier. I also checked on Lusserina behind us.

"Lu, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, My Lady. I appreciate your concern," Lusserina replied.

Soon, it was Lynn's turn to fight. She entered the arena in her usual green outfit, a bow slung over her back.

Her opponent was a one-eyed man wielding a dagger.

"Just give up, miss. Archers can't win against close-range fighters," the man sneered.

"We'll see about that," Lynn replied.

"Don't blame me if I get rough," the one-eyed man said.

The match began.

The man charged at Lynn immediately. Lynn stood still for a moment, one hand behind her, her lips moving as she chanted. Then she leapt backward and readied her bow and arrow.

"You can't escape me, elf girl," he said.

Lynn stayed silent, aiming. When the man stepped on the spot she'd just vacated, a small green magic circle appeared underfoot. Vines shot out, binding him and tripping him to the ground. A faint smile appeared on Lynn's face as she released her arrow straight at him.

Vine Trap! This technique reminded me of my old adventuring days.

But the man's dagger turned dark green, and he slashed forward, sending a gust of wind that deflected the arrow. He quickly got up.

"Not bad, elf girl," he said.

He charged again. Lynn's lips moved again—Ice Needles. She fired them at him. He zigzagged forward, dodging the ice projectiles.

"You won't trick me with the same move twice!" he shouted.

But when he was just ten meters away, another magic circle lit up underfoot—this one icy blue. A thirty-centimeter patch of ice formed beneath him. He slipped and nearly slammed into the wall.

As he struggled to recover, Lynn fired a large ice arrow. Caught off guard, the man couldn't dodge. The arrow struck, and he was instantly frozen.

Lynn won. The colosseum roared once more.

Looks like she's mastered ice-element magic. She has grown in the past six months.