Tars had no desire to invite the constant prying eyes of strangers, so he had donned a face covering before heading out today. Below them, the fierce combat in the pit continued to draw waves of cheers from the audience.

  "I'll find a way to secure a blank passage ticket for you. In truth, there are people over there who make a decent business out of selling them," Young Master Rodrigo said after a moment of thought. "But I need time. There are many Cavern Cities, and in each one, there are practitioners who wish to go there without being shackled by a servant's contract."

  As Rodrigo spoke, he noticed Tars shift his posture and caught the brewing argument behind them.

  "Then I shall look forward to your good news," Tars replied with a smile, slowly rising to his feet.

  By now, the red-nosed man was glancing toward them repeatedly. Though he hadn't said it aloud, he had successfully directed the group's attention their way. Naturally, most of those gazes converged on Young Master Rodrigo.

  The red-nosed manager felt trapped. The Starry Family were the masters of this city; however, while the second young master wasn't known for being forceful, the other young nobles present were also people he couldn't afford to offend.

  Watching the man's predicament, Tars lamented the eroding power of time. Hundreds of years after the founding of the city, the Starry Family was clearly no longer as dominant as it once was. Otherwise, a mere Arena manager wouldn't be this conflicted.

  The man named Edgar looked at Rodrigo with a smile. "Respected Young Master Rodrigo Starry, I've heard from your brother that you are a generous soul," Edgar said in his deep, hearty voice. "Our guest of the Fendis family, this wizard from the Upper Domain, wishes to purchase those two large kobolds. I wonder if Young Master Rodrigo would be willing to part with them?"

  The surrounding nobles finally understood what was happening. Meanwhile, a shriek erupted from the stands—the once-dominant subterranean beast had finally been beaten to the ground.

  Rodrigo didn't answer immediately; he instinctively looked at Tars. This gesture successfully shifted the spotlight onto the mysterious, masked caster.

  Tars chuckled. Despite the mask, the crinkle at the corners of his eyes made his amusement clear. A visiting wizard apprentice's sudden desire to buy was being leveraged by Edgar Fendis into a pressure tactic against Rodrigo, or rather, a probe against the Starry Family.

  This guy is a waste of a trustworthy voice, Tars thought.

  The nobles on the balcony were mostly young. Not only were they delighted by this subtle challenge to the Starry Family, but they were also busy gossiping about the Fendis family's foreign guest. Many were already planning how to introduce themselves.

  "Are you their master?"

  The woman's voice, cold and slightly raspy, cut straight to the heart of the matter. She looked directly at Tars, clearly having no patience for the nobles' political games.

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  Tars nodded.

  "I heard that when Young Master Rodrigo returned to Starry City, he brought back a powerful caster," Edgar said with a grin. "Could that be you, Excellency? Since we've met at the Arena, perhaps we should follow the Arena's rules."

  Though Rodrigo maintained his smile, his already pale face grew darker. The surrounding young nobles began to jeer and egg them on.

  "Lord Tars is a guest of the Starry Family, Edgar. Do not commit a discourtesy that would bring shame upon the Fendis name; you are in no position to challenge a guest of our house," Rodrigo said slowly. He then turned to the female wizard. "My Lady, if there is something you require, I can arrange to procure it for you."

  the apprentice from the distant domain did not reply immediately. She stared intently at Tars for a long moment, her brow furrowing occasionally, before turning back to Rodrigo.

  "Starry Family? Who is Dasoya Starry to you?" she asked softly.

  "She is my sister," Rodrigo replied.

  The woman nodded and shifted her gaze back to Tars. Tars chuckled, patted Rodrigo on the shoulder, and stepped forward.

  "Do you wish to duel as well?" Tars asked.

  "I simply didn't expect to encounter a wizard apprentice proficient in biological modification here. With the level of modification I see, you shouldn't be a wild wizard, should you? Are those two kobolds below your handiwork?" the woman asked.

  "If I say they are my creations, will you give up on them?" Tars said with a laugh.

  The woman shook her head slowly.

  "I apologize for my rudeness. Trying to buy a wizard apprentice's life's work with a few Sun Coins is an insult to the craft," she said in her raspy voice, giving a slight bow of apology. "However, I am fascinated by those two kobolds. Seeing them has sparked my inspiration. Why don't we let our respective modified creatures duel?"

  Tars shook his head.

  "I will not use them to duel you. If you want a duel, offer a stake that interests me, and I shall face you myself," Tars said with a smile.

  Hearing this, Rodrigo looked at Tars. Beneath his thinly veiled calm, Tars could read an unspeakable tension. The woman's words had left the others unable to discern Tars's true status, and they no longer dared to jeer. Edgar's face, in particular, paled at Tars's firm stance.

  The red-nosed man stood by, afraid to leave or move, repeatedly wiping sweat from his brow.

  "Since it is a piece of research you are unwilling to part with easily, then a bottle of 'Soul-Heart Elixir' as a wager seems only fitting," the female apprentice said.

  "Fine. I accept your sincerity."

  Tars turned to the red-nosed manager. The man nodded frantically. "I'll arrange it at once. Please follow me, Excellencies; I'll have everything ready immediately." He began scurrying down the stone steps.

  Tars glanced back, gave a slight nod to Rodrigo and Myrtle, and followed the manager. The woman simply walked to the edge of the balcony and didn't follow. Tars ignored her, following the manager down the long stairs and into the Arena's backstage area.

  At one of the tunnel entrances, Big Dumb Hum and Aiskin were walking toward him, looking triumphant. Seeing Tars, they quickened their pace.

  "Brother Tars! That beast was so strong! I think it was even tougher than the Black-Claw Lord. If I were alone, I wouldn't have been a match. If we met one while hunting, hundreds of our tribe couldn't take it down—lots of stupid fellows would have died..." Aiskin began to chatter excitedly around Tars.

  Tars scanned their wounds. In the short walk from the pit, the major tears had already scabbed over. Only a puncture wound on Big Dumb Hum's arm was still bleeding slightly.

  "Go back and rest for now."

  With a wave of his hand, Tars sent them back to the Abyssal Bedroom space. This was a new application of his power he had discovered through constant practice: as long as a target bore his arcane mark and was not mentally resistant, he could store living beings in the Bedroom as easily as items.

  "My Lord, everything is prepared. You may enter the arena..." the red-nosed man said cautiously. "But... that lady... she..."

  "It's fine," Tars said with a smile, walking slowly toward the other end of the tunnel. "She's not very bright—she doesn't know how to use the stairs."