In a Civilized Manner

Time passed quickly, and it was soon the day of the tournament.

Despite the morning rays that warmed the outdoor patio, Edris was shivering nonstop. His hands were wrapped around a cup of steaming milk. Pouring spoonfuls of sugar into his milk, he was unaware of Ace's invisible judgement as he mixed the drink with the spoon in one hand, fiddling with the pendant around his neck with the other.

The Sacrificial Hourglass.

Despite its horrible name, Ace had told him that the Sacrificial Hourglass was a sacred artifact that originated from the Wendimore Kingdom.

Once something's classified as a sacred artifact, it would be claimed by a kingdom's Resource Faction in the respective location of its discovery. He was surprised that Alan had managed to give him such an important item without the administrators catching on.

— It's an unwanted artifact.

Hm?

Edris blinked twice after hearing Ace's statement.

Sacred artifacts were expert-class items known for their unique powers, so it was only expected that they were sought out by all types of people. But he was saying that this sacred item was unwanted?

— Sacrificial Hourglass. This item gives specific enhancements and skills to its user, but the effectiveness and type of power will vary based on the degree of sacrifice. However, the sacrifice's specifics were unknown, and none of the previous owners for this artifact was found in records.

"How fascinating."

Edris felt the hourglass necklace under his clothes, its cool surface touching his collarbones. Indeed, it was a renowned artifact, but also one with controversies.

People sought out the unknown. People feared the unknown.

Although sacred artifacts were highly chased after items, no one wanted to use one where the consequences of which were unrecorded. It was even stranger knowing that the item's previous users were nameless.

Was it on purpose? Or was it because they simply couldn't live to tell their tales?

Just thinking about this information gave Edris shivers. He recalled how the store owner, Alan, had given him the item for free and held back a sigh.

"...Is Alan trying to tell me to go die?"

— ...

“Hold on.” Edris turned his body, whispering into the air. "How do you know all this? I thought you lost your memories?"

Ace's response was curt and stoic.

— I am amnesiac, not illiterate.

During the nights when Edris was asleep, Ace would go to the Nolmes Grand Library. It was the most extensive library in the entire kingdom. There, he would skim through the contents of their books, recording everything in his memories to relearn the world. Surprisingly, it was quite easy to accustom himself to the materials.

Ace thought he had likely been well-informed of the worldly events even before losing his memories. Perhaps he was a historian?

Edris stared dumbfounded as the voice in his head mentioned memorizing hundreds of books in the library as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Wasn't the entity a whole portable database at this point?

The corner of Edris's lips curled up.

He made the right choice to keep him by his side.

As the dark-haired man expressed his satisfaction, someone behind him was rushing past the patio. Before Edris could move out of the way, he was shoved from behind as the person crashed into his chair.

A bag dropped to the ground with a heavy clink.

"S-sorry!" A frantic but youthful voice escaped from the hooded individual.

Edris picked up the bag on the ground, handing it back with a smile. "Your bag."

With his face entirely concealed by the brown hood, the tall man before him quickly bowed in response as he received the bag from his hands. As he leaned forward, Edris managed to see a strand of golden hair fly out from the hood.

— He's not from around here.

"Just like us." Edris shrugged a smile.

Gold-coloured hair was rare in the Zacriya Kingdom, where most citizens had warmer hair colours. He recalled the leather bag that the boy had dropped on the ground.

It was a huge money pouch. One filled with gold yones, too.

The tall youth with golden hair hastily thanked him while maintaining a grimace as he disappeared into the streets. Anyone could tell he was running from someone.

— Was he being pursued?

"Probably," Edris answered, "but he's not in danger."

From the first-rate clothing to his spotless hands, he could tell that the youth—from a wealthy family or at least a middle-upper class society—was not someone who lived a life of harshness.

Either way, it wasn't his problem. Edris saw no incentive in helping a kid running away from home.

He moved the cup to his lips, taking a sip of the warm milk.

The Wulin Tournament would start in a few hours. Despite the Zacriya Kingdom's emphasis on magic, this competition had a longstanding history as it was held annually for the past few decades.

Originating from the Adalan Kingdom, the Wulin Tournament was one of the more traditional competitions. The only rule to win was to make your opponent step out of the arena stage, and to achieve this goal, the competitors were free to resort to any methods.

While Edris calmly drank his sugar-saturated milk, the entity inside his head observed him with wariness.

Ace was apprehensive about the man's choice of participating in a strength-focused tournament despite being combatively incompetent.

Although Edris was a traveller, Ace could tell he was not strong. His tall but slim physique gave him a demeanour more scholarly than one belonging to a warrior. What's more, he had never seen Edris train or hold a sword once during the time they were together.

Did he even know how to use one?

The only items Edris had prepared for the tournament were the Sacrificial Hourglass and a crap ton of enhancement potions from Alan's Mercenary Corner, so it was pretty likely that he would get beaten up.

— Why would you do this to yourself?

Edris flinched as the voice in his head suddenly paused, the silence indicating that he seemed to have figured out the answer to his own question.

— ...

"What?" Edris grew scared after hearing Ace's long-held silence.

— ...You have quite the hobby.

"Whatever you're thinking, isn't it."

Edris couldn't help but sigh at the voice that seemed to know all sorts of information, yet could not piece them together in a reasonable manner.

— You're weak.

"But I am not going to get beaten up."

At his short but firm answer, Ace's mind cleared with a realization. He thought of the items Edris carried at the moment, then of his contemplative gaze from earlier.

The Sacrificial Hourglass.

— In your current state, using the sacred artifact is dangerous. You don't know what will happen to your body.

Using the Sacrificial Hourglass would considerably raise Edris's chances of winning. However, the risk would be too great. There had to be a reason why despite the popularity of sacred items, no one sought out this one.

Ace thought it would be quite annoying if something were to happen to his contract partner, the only person who could hear him in this world. At least for now.

"...What are you saying?"

Contrary to his expectations, however, Edris stared into the air with shock. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would I?"

Edris hated pain and trouble, and the Sacrificial Hourglass sounded like an item that would hit the bullseye on both. He had held on to the necklace due to its sacred nature, but he was definitely not planning to experiment with it himself. Letting out a shiver, he subconsciously straightened the necklace around his neck.

Edris was here to get rich—not throw his life away.

Having experienced all types of hardships when he was younger, Edris was set on living a comfortable and free life. That said, he was going to work hard when needed to make that happen.

The Wulin Tournament was an excellent place to start.

"The three reward options this year are all quite amazing."

Although the specifics of the rewards were kept confidential, he was certain that of the three, at least one was going to be a monetary reward. After all, money was a central foundation of societal connections.

Recalling the receptionist's words, Edris nodded to himself. His eyes glimmered.

It was time to make some money.