The Black Necromancer

After roughly half an hour of waiting in the line, it was finally their turn to undergo inspection before they could be granted access into Fort Bender. A well armored soldier walked up to Benny who was on the coachman's seat.

"A good day to you, sir. Seeking entrance into Fort Bender, do you possess any contraband items within your carriage?" The soldier was very formal as he spoke, not showing off any hints of friendliness of partiality.

"Hello." Benny greeted back with a polite smile. He got out a small plaque from his pocket and showed the soldier. "I am bringing the Heir of the Gladius Family to participate in Divinity's Bout." He explained.

The soldier took the plaque and examined it for a moment before handing it back. Such an item could not be faked, so he believed Benny.

"Alright, remember not to cause trouble, and you will not be evicted form Fort Bender." He nodded and waved at his colleagues to open up the city gates before allowing Benny to go forward.

Rumble...

Leon heard the low rumble of the gates as they were opened, allowing him to see the massive metal bars that were receding into the space above. Beyond that was a bustling city where the air was abuzz with livelihood and excitement.

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"This is nice." Curtis whistled and popped his head through the open window, taking in the sights.

When one heard the name Fort Bender, they would naturally imagine something glum and stiff like a massive fort that held military barracks all through its walls. In truth, it could not be any different. Unlike what people who were unaware thought, Fort Bender was a hub of life and culture that gathered all sorts of personalities from all around the world.

Its name was a keepsake from an ancient war in the past. Fort Bender had been the stronghold that weathered all the storms that had come its way in that ancient war, and had stood firm ever since. It became a very important sight, and also the location where Divinity's Bout was held every two hundred years.

"Look, it's those Wyverns!" Nedra exclaimed and pointed at one part of the wall that the others were not facing. Everyone's heads swiveled to the direction she had pointed in, and their eyes went round like saucers as they beheld an awe-inspiring scenery.

Over a dozen wyverns were lined up in a massive 'stable', with dozens of soldiers milling back and forth, catering to their needs. Two wyverns were being guided to the stable by a pair of soldiers that were happily chatting. Leon and the others recognized them to be the wyverns and their partners that had flown over the wall some time ago.

"Incredible..." Leon muttered under his breath before averting his gaze. All that was too far from him right now. He needed to focus on the present and figure out what to do. So far, from what Michael had told him, he was expected to participate in Divinity's Bout. But even then, he knew too little. So, he decided to subtly fish for information from Curtis. The boy seemed friendly enough and willing to share some information.

"So, Curtis. I never did ask about you. What's your story?" Leon smiled and leaned forward. His words instantly drew a frown from Damon and concerned looks from Corey and Maple.

"Oh, me?" Curtis was not surprised at Leon had asked. In fact, it would have been weird if he had not. "I am just a talented kid from a distant city. C rank at my age is quite good, so I thought I would try for the C rank bracket in Divinity's Bout. Perhaps if I can get a God's attention, then even if I do not get picked among the lucky ten, then I can still get some benefits at the very least." Leon smiled and spoke in a humble tone.

"A nameless 'young master'?" Leon quirked a brow, referring to the time when Benny had exclaimed after the trolls had run off.

A wry smile instantly bloomed on Curtis' face and he turned away. "Yeah, a lot of people refer to me like that. I've told them not to, but it's like it's baked into them." Leon laughed, easily bringing up another excuse.

'Uh-huh. I would have believed him if I had not heard Benny over there speaking to the soldier at the gate.' Nedra scoffed mentally, sharing her thoughts with Leon.

Earlier, her sensitive hearing had picked up the exchange between Benny and the soldier. She had heard him refer to Curtis as the heir of the Gladius Family, and had immediately shared that bit of information with Leon.

"What about you? I know nearly nothing about you, but here we are, conversing like good friends." Curtis smartly turned the question back on Leon.

"Oh, I am an orphan. No family or anything. I just happened to have a great affinity for magic, and decided to travel around. I only just recently heard of Divinity's Bout, and I honestly do not know much about it. Can you shed a bit of light on it for me?" Leon easily spun a story that he had prepared on the journey to Fort Bender and told it with a straight face.

"Ah." Curtis nodded his head in thought. From what he had personally observed, he would not have guessed that Leon had such a simple background, but then again, Leon could be lying, just like him. In any case, he chose to entertain Leon, and began explaining what he knew of the upcoming Divinity's Bout.

Leon listened intently as Curtis gave him a thorough rundown on what he needed to know. The rank brackets, and how the 10 people would be chosen from various brackets.

There would be two people from each bracket ranging from rank E to rank A. When they were chosen, Divinity's Bout would finally come to a close until the next time two hundred years later.