Investment
As soon as they entered a quiet, secluded alley, Lia bowed her head deeply.
"I am so, so, so sorry. Even if it takes me years, I will definitely pay you back..."
"I'm leaving in a week, so I can't wait years."
At my flat refusal, Lia’s face instantly fell.
"Th-then, if you could at least give me your address, I can contact your family..."
That was even more troublesome. The only people I could call family in this world were currently residing in the Imperial Palace in the capital.
"Forget it. I didn't pay that money expecting to get it back."
"Th-that much money? Why on earth..." Lia tilted her head, utterly bewildered.
"Well, think of it as an investment. If you're really grateful, just guide me."
Relieved that there was a way she could repay him, Lia nodded eagerly.
"Of course! You can think of me as your personal guide for the rest of the day!"
There was no need to go that far.
"Then please take me the fastest way to the Temple."
Lia's face darkened briefly at my request, but she quickly composed her expression.
"Just follow me. The Temple is that beautiful building over there."
She pointed to a high tower. It was indeed a beautiful structure, fully deserving of her description. In a modest place like Lucha, where small, cramped buildings huddled together, no other structure felt quite as out of place as that grand tower.
I casually followed behind Lia as she led the way. Remembering the wooden stall that had just been obliterated, I shifted my gaze down to her knee. Despite taking an impact violent enough to reduce a stall to splinters, she was walking as if nothing had happened. She seemed to have already forgotten that she had even crashed into it.
"So it wasn't a bluff when you said you had a sturdy body."
At my words, Lia recalled her conversation with Jing yesterday and nodded.
"Everyone in my family is like that. But I'm nothing compared to Ethan."
"When someone who can shatter a wooden stall says that, I have no choice but to believe it."
Perhaps remembering the disaster from earlier, Lia hung her head and mumbled, "...I didn't do it on purpose."
"I know. If it were on purpose, why would you smash the stall? You would have broken the shopkeeper's leg instead."
Lia stared at me blankly for a moment, then turned her gaze back to the road ahead.
"...You're a strange person."
"The people I'm with are even stranger. I'm nothing compared to them."
Lia let out a small laugh, her tension finally easing. She hesitated for a moment as the Temple drew closer, then looked at me.
"Are you going to the Temple because of the Lucha Tournament?"
"Yes. I heard the prize money and rewards are incredible."
At my confirmation, Lia's expression stiffened subtly.
"I saw the three of you yesterday. You must have found another person quickly."
"Found another person?"
Instead of telling her we were still looking, I chose to play dumb. At my naive question, Lia's already stiff face hardened completely.
"Didn't you know? The minimum requirement is four people. The three of you aren't even qualified to register."
"Ah, is that so? That was close. I guess we'll have to come back tomorrow."
Lia stopped dead in her tracks. She opened and closed her mouth like someone desperately trying to hold back a scream.
"Th-the registration deadline is today!"
I knew that. I had run like hell to make it on time.
"Well, that is a problem," I said, putting on the most serious face I could muster.
At my nonchalant response, Lia stomped her feet anxiously, looking back and forth between the Temple and the sky. The registration deadline was sunset. There was barely any time left.
"Th-then hire someone right now! There must be someone among the villagers who would lend their name... right...?"
Lia's frantic shouting slowly trailed off. She seemed to have finally realized where all my money had gone.
I did tell her it was an investment, after all.
I looked down at her guilt-ridden face and spoke slowly.
"Well, it can't be helped. If we can't register, the two back at the tavern will have to wait another year, but that's just how life goes. Things rarely go as planned."
"Um, excuse me..."
She tried to apologize in a panic, but I didn't give her the chance.
"We just need one person to lend us their name, but it's not like someone like that will suddenly appear out of nowhere."
"..."
"Let's head back to the tavern. On the way, I should think of a way to break the news gently to Jing and Ratel so they can accept it more easily."
"Wait...!"
As I turned around as if to actually head back, Lia desperately grabbed my sleeve. When I looked at her inquisitively, she closed her eyes tight and squeezed out the words.
"I-if it's just lending my name... I'll do it."
At her kindness, won over by a guilty conscience, the corners of my mouth curled upward.
The closer they got to the tavern, the slower Lia's steps became. Her face grew paler by the second.
"If you don't want to go home, we can part ways here," I said, turning back to look at her as she lagged behind.
Lia let out a heavy sigh.
"My brother can't find out."
"Find out what? That you're not going home today?"
"No! That I'm entering the tournament!"
"The whole village will find out anyway once the tournament starts."
"I suppose so," Lia mumbled, clutching her head. "But for now, please keep it a secret today. If he finds out I'm entering the Lucha, there will be chaos."
"I'll explain it well to the tavern keeper. You won't have to lift a single finger, Lia. The other two are absolute monsters."
If those two fought properly, neither of us would have to do anything. Of course, if one of them slacked off, it meant one of us might actually have to fight.
Despite my attempts to reassure her, Lia's expression remained tense.
"That's not the problem. My brother just hates the Lucha Tournament itself."
"Why? It seemed like plenty of people wanted to enter the tournament with him."
When I asked, playing dumb, Lia's face hardened.
"That's why. That's why he hates it even more."
"Do you hate it too, Lia?"
"What?"
Lia, who had been mumbling to herself, looked up in surprise at my sudden question.
"Do you hate the Lucha Tournament too? Did you not want to enter?"
Lia's lips parted slightly, hesitating. "...Yes. I really hate the Lucha Tournament too."
Her answer, given after a brief hesitation, didn't sound entirely convincing, but I didn't press. There was no need to pry. She would end up entering with Ratel anyway.
When we entered the tavern, Ethan, who was serving food, set down a plate and glanced at Lia.
"The bookstore owner must have been very angry."
Lia, still clutching the book tightly, quickly hid it behind her back. "Oh? Oh! He said since it's torn like this, he can't sell it anyway, so I should just keep it."
As Lia replied awkwardly, Ethan let out a deep sigh. Lia's head dropped in response.
"You paid for the book properly, right? It's never good to owe people favors," Ethan said in a lecturing tone.
Lia nodded quickly. "Yeah! I paid him just like you said. I'm sorry... I'll definitely pay you back once I earn some money."
Ethan frowned slightly, looking down at her. "Forget it. Just help out around the tavern. This is our busiest season."
Lia answered brightly and ran upstairs. A loud thud echoed as she tripped on her way up.
As I also started to head to my room, Ethan stopped me.
"Hey."
I turned around. Ethan was glaring at me with deep displeasure.
"If you're a traveler, you'd better stay quiet and leave quietly. Don't do anything unnecessary."
It seemed he already knew what had happened in the village.
"Usually, a thank you comes first, doesn't it? I helped your sister out of a tight spot."
Ethan's brow furrows. "I take care of my own family. There's no need for you to interfere. I'll pay you back for the damages you covered today."
If I just told him the amount I paid the shopkeeper, this bickering would end. It might not be peaceful, but it would avoid conflict. But looking at Ethan's disapproving face, I decided there was no need to be nice.
"No need. Lia has already paid me back."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Where would she get that kind of money?"
I tilted my head, looking at his confident face. "She's an adult well over twenty. Can't she earn her own money?"
"There's no way anyone in this village would give Lia a job..." Ethan mumbled in frustration, then shut his mouth as he realized I was staring at him silently.
I smiled at the sight. "Don't worry about my dinner. I already ate out."
I turned and headed up to the second floor. I felt his glare burning into the back of my head until I reached the top, but I didn't look back.
Ratel was right. Ethan was an unpleasant guy. There was no better way to describe him.
Ran, Ratel, Jing, and Lia gathered in a corner of the smallest, most run-down shop in the village—specifically, Lia's favorite bookstore.
"Damn it, this place is cramped enough as it is. What's with these giants?" the bookstore owner grumbled in the background.
"Ah, mister...! We'll leave soon," Lia whispered desperately, but the owner's harsh expression didn't soften.
"You get out too! Stop bringing your bad luck here!" he yelled, dusting the bookshelves.
Ratel, suddenly caught in a cloud of dust, stared at him. Jing quickly stepped between the owner and Ratel to block his view.
"I-I'm sorry. But there's really no other place where the villagers don't come..." Lia's voice trailed off.
From behind, the man's voice grumbled, "Yeah! This shop is practically dead anyway!"
Jing ignored him and spoke. "So, Miss Lia, was it? Can you tell us what you know about the Lucha Tournament?"
Lia, flustered by Jing's polite demeanor, calmed down and nodded. "The Lucha Tournament isn't that complicated. It takes place over a week, and the rules are very simple. You just have to win, no matter what."
Simple? More like brutal.
"Are there no other rules?" Jing asked, taken aback.
Lia shook her head. "No, you really just have to win. It's a bare-fisted tournament of strength without weapons. Especially in tomorrow's preliminaries."
"What do you mean, especially in the preliminaries?" Ratel asked this time.
"The preliminaries are... well, it might sound a bit savage, but they pit four teams against each other in a group. The first team to knock down an opponent wins."
"So everyone will target the weakest-looking person," I said.
Lia nodded. "Yes. That's why the match is decided in an instant. It saves time."
Lia awkwardly looked between Ratel, Jing, and me. But I was the only one who noticed her awkwardness, because Ratel and Jing immediately turned their gazes toward me.
Their looks were not very reassuring.
Jing spoke cautiously. "Lord Ran, if you don't mind me asking... are you fast on your feet?"
Ratel shook his head at Jing's cautious question. "It's fine. As long as he doesn't fall, right? You, just take a few hits and hold on."
For a guy who acted like he didn't care about the tournament, he was being quite cheeky.
It wasn't hard to guess who they deemed the weakest link.
"The ones who need to be fast aren't me, but you two. If you two defeat the opponents before I get attacked, won't that solve it?"
Of course, I agreed. Ran Abaran's body was quite sturdy, but I didn't think I could easily take down several grown men rushing at me. Besides, this body was still at an awkward, not-fully-grown age.
While Jing and Ratel discussed various strategies—like me needing running practice, or them quickly taking down other contestants while I got beaten up—Lia cautiously approached me.
"Um, Ran. I don't know how weak you are, but you don't need to worry too much. It'll probably be fine. Besides, even if we lose once, there's a losers' bracket before the finals."
I nodded at her whisper. Remembering her role in the original novel, I knew there was really no need to worry.
Lia of Lucha Village.
In the original novel, she becomes Ratel's companion right after Jing. Of course, the Lia in the novel is the Lia of one year from now.
The Lia in the novel was more confident, stronger, and fiercer than she was now.
And above all, the Lia in the novel no longer had a family member named Ethan.