Chapter 58: Too Nice
The Solaris Empire buzzed with fervor, its streets alive with the clamor of anticipation as preparations for the "Rising Star" tournament swept through Darkos, the capital of the Darkan lands.
The city’s cobblestone paths thronged with merchants hawking wares, blacksmiths forging ceremonial blades, and citizens stringing banners of crimson and gold across the avenues.
For the Darkan family’s people, the event was a source of pride, and they threw themselves into the preparations with unbridled enthusiasm, polishing arenas and erecting viewing platforms under the radiant spring sun.
The influx of visitors was staggering. Young warriors, their eyes gleaming with ambition, poured into the city, their armor clinking and their voices filling the air with tales of prowess and dreams of glory.
Amid the excitement, articles flooded the empire’s broadsheets, each speculating on the tournament’s true purpose. The sharpest minds connected the event to Jin, the enigmatic hero of the Darkan lands, whose meteoric rise had drawn the empire’s scrutiny.
The rewards: 10,000 gold, first-grade armor, and the coveted Sun Pill for the victor only fueled the speculation.
Whispers of controversy swirled like wildfire: some claimed the winner would be conscripted into the Imperial Army, others insisted the tournament was crafted to showcase Jin’s dominance, and a few daring voices suggested it was a ploy by the imperial successors to secure their influence.
Yet, these rumors did nothing to slow the preparations; if anything, they hastened the city’s fervor, as all eagerly awaited the tournament’s commencement.
Unfazed by the chaos, Baines followed Smallfoot toward the Dragon’s Pit, his scarf draped loosely over his shoulders, shielding his face from curious gazes.
Smallfoot, in her human form, moved with confidence, her fiery red hair, a hallmark of the Darkan bloodline granted her unquestioned passage through the bustling streets.
The tournament’s distractions ensured no one stopped to question the pair, their steps purposeful under the blazing midday sun.