“This is a fine sword! It sure has remarkable craftsmanship!” Bruce exclaimed. Although the sword bore no special likeness, Bruce Starr could tell it was of divine make. As he inspected the blade, Bruce sent some of his energy into the weapon, hoping to test its power. In an instant, the blade roared, and almost immediately started to violently shake in his hand.

The resistance from the blade caught Bruce off guard, and it shattered his defenses. “Sh*t! This sword… it broke through my guard!” It took a lot to tilt someone like Bruce, but from his sudden burst of vulgarity, one could tell that this sword had deeply impressed him. “Ha! Among all the things that I’ve made, this sword has been the finest thus far! Aside from Zephyr, none may wield it!” boasted the master smith beside him. He knew that word of such a fine blade would no doubt bring fame to his name.

“Impressive, this is most impressive! With this blade, Zephyr is sure to have a winning hand in the upcoming Tournament!” Bruce said, his excitement was hard to hide. “Oh? This kid is joining the Tournament?” the master smith asked, his expression changed. “Indeed, have you heard of the upcoming Tournament as well?” Bruce asked. “Indeed I have! Before I came to Starlight, I had heard from a friend that the rules of this Tournament have somewhat changed!” The smith continued on, “According to my friend, it would seem that some royals may be joining this time too!”

“Royals?” Bruce said, his expression changed slightly from the new information. “Indeed, I suppose you know what that means,” the smith pressed on, “There are many strong fighters in the Ahi Dynasty, yet not many of them have ever made it into any of the academies! It’s because it’s just too competitive!” Zephyr started to realize why the inclusion of the royals would bother Bruce. “For the royals to participate, that would mean the Ahi themselves would be present. Who’d dare go against our ruling dynasty?” the smith carried on with what he knew, “So, to avoid p*ssing off the royals, no one, not even the best fighters would dare go up against them! This once ‘fair’ fight has now been soiled!”

‘What if someone were to defeat the royal representative?” Zephyr asked, frowning. The smith chuckled, “Who’d want to make an enemy of the Ahi? Once you p*ss them off, not only would your clan suffer, so too would your city! Although the Dynasty themselves would write you off, I doubt the princes would. Were you to actually do it, you’ll have to sleep with one eye open for the rest of your life, son!”

“He’s right. Our fighters would never dare go against the royals,” Bruce said, decimated from the news. He knew that this was all just an elaborate ploy to enroll more princes into the academies. “However, Zephyr, worry not. No matter how powerful the princes may be, they would never find their way into the academies! If you were to win the Tournament, you’d have the academies’ protection. I doubt even the royals would dare make any sudden moves!” Bruce quickly steered the conversation.

“Yes, I’ve thought about that! There are many risks one would face when walking this path. If everyone were to cower at each challenge, how else would they reach the top? So what if they’re royals? I’m not scared!” Zephyr replied confidently. He knew only through enrollment would his path to power be able to flourish. Even if it takes p*ssing off the royals to reach it, Zephyr would not back off. Even if the Ahi princes do give him trouble, he still has his pill-making skills. That alone is enough to guarantee the academies’ protection.

Suddenly, a great roar shook the mayoral office, its origin came from the city itself. “What’s going on?!” Everyone quickly gathered themselves once the trembling passed, then they quickly ran out. What greeted them was a great shadow in the air as it spun on an axis. “What?!” These were the only words the many onlookers could gasp at as they realized what the shadow was; a great vessel in the sky.

The bow of the ship was carved into a dragon figurehead, its carvings were intricate, it was likely that it was done by a masterful woodworker. Scales covered the entirety of the vessel, each one were equally lifelike, yet the most intriguing part of the ship was the constant low growl that came from the figurehead, with smoke that billowed out its nostrils.