The stands were gradually filling up.

  The battle between the two mercenary captains had reached a fever pitch. Both appeared to follow the path of the Astral Knight; one favored a heavy war-axe, while the other wielded a standard two-handed sword. In a duel to the death, they had long since abandoned the pretenses of "honorable" combat. Underhanded tactics were frequent, and both took every opportunity to down various combat elixirs. In such a stalemate, the decisive moment often arrives in a flash—and usually when least expected.

  A collective gasp swept through the stands.

  Tars watched the arena floor with surprise. The two captains had driven their weapons into each other simultaneously. One was run through the chest; the other had a shoulder nearly sheared off by the axe. Drenched in blood, they collapsed into a tangled heap, their movements slowing until both grew still.

  A wave of noise erupted from the spectators—not out of sympathy for the fallen, but because the draw had cost many people their wagers.

  Tars contemplated the scene for a moment.

  "Find two opponents for my companions based on the strength of those two," Tars instructed the red-nosed man nearby. "If you can only find someone stronger, make it a two-on-one. A match to the decision, not to the death."

  The man bowed deeply, scurrying off to fulfill the order. "My Lord, where are your two friends? When will they arrive?" he asked curiously.

  "Right now," Tars replied.

  With a wave of his hand, Aiskin and Big Dumb Hum appeared beside him. He had informed them of the plan before leaving the manor; both kobolds were ecstatic, having spent the morning clutching their weapons in anticipation.

  The sudden appearance of the two figures made the red-nosed man jump. His attitude became even more reverent, bowing repeatedly to the kobolds.

  "Go with him. I'll be watching you from here," Tars said with a smile.

  As a strange-looking subterranean beast that had just entered the pit was driven back into its cage, the crowd grew restless with excitement. Regulars knew this signaled a last-minute challenge—the kind that usually promised a good show. In the noble stands, some speculated it was a duel between rival suitors.

  "Rodrigo? Young Master Rodrigo, it's been quite a while since we've seen you here."

  A deep, hearty voice came from the side. A group of elegantly dressed men and women ascended the stairs to the noble balcony.

  "Oh? Edgar! Long time no see," Rodrigo greeted them, turning around.

  Tars gave the newcomers a brief glance. The red-nosed man was efficient; even now, a larger subterranean beast was being driven into the pit, while Aiskin and Big Dumb Hum emerged from the gladiators' tunnel.

  As the fight began, a new roar of approval shook the Arena.

  "How dull. I thought it was those two boys fighting over Lena..."

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  "Seems they've lost their nerve."

  Some of the nobles expressed their disappointment, but Tars watched with wide, unblinking eyes. Aiskin and Big Dumb Hum had clearly coordinated beforehand—or perhaps practiced in private—as their teamwork was far superior to their last battle.

  The beast was a grotesque creature with thick spikes along its spine and three pairs of claws beneath its belly. It moved with incredible agility, aided by a long, whip-like tail tipped with a stinger. That tail gave Big Dumb Hum considerable trouble, causing Tars to break into a cold sweat. It wasn't until the two kobolds adjusted to the beast's attack patterns that the situation became less precarious.

  Tars relaxed, but he soon noticed the atmosphere around him shifting. He looked left and right. There were two centers of conversation: Rodrigo beside him, and the group that had just arrived.

  He overheard something particularly interesting. "That man who greeted you... does his family have someone going to the Wizard Domain?" he asked Rodrigo.

  "Yes. Apparently, the child has great talent and has already been accepted by a wizard organization," Rodrigo said with a trace of envy. "Most major noble families in the city have kin over there, but many eventually lose contact. There's nothing those of us here can do about it. Their family currently has one relative over there—someone of Edgar's uncle's generation. They sent a representative back to collect some items and perform talent tests on the younger generation, which is how the child was discovered."

  Tars nodded. Perhaps some things are better addressed directly, he thought.

  "Do you have a way for someone to go to the Wizard Domain... through the proper channels?" Tars turned his head to look at Rodrigo.

  In the pit, Big Dumb Hum suddenly bit down on the beast's lashing tail and swung his hammer, shattering several of the creature's spinal spikes. The beast's momentum stalled under the heavy blow, creating an opening for Aiskin. Blood sprayed across the sand.

  The crowd howled. Young Master Rodrigo froze for a moment.

  "You... you didn't come from there?" The handsome youth spoke, then immediately forced his usual smile back onto his face.

  Tars caught the reaction and understood the implication. The subtext was: So you really are just a wild wizard!

  Because of his previous displays of power and rare techniques, Rodrigo had assumed Tars had a prestigious background. Tars had sensed the misunderstanding but hadn't corrected it. He had always considered himself a wild wizard and never claimed a grand origin; it had simply been a convenient misunderstanding.

  "Every Cavern City receives help from wizards during its founding. Providing them with talented candidates is one of our duties. Wizards visit the cities every ten years to conduct talent tests," Rodrigo explained. "Each qualified individual is allowed to bring five followers when they travel to the Wizard Domain. Every city has a teleportation array maintained by the City Lord; our array is within the family castle."

  "But we are merely the maintainers; we have no right to use it at will," Rodrigo leaned in and whispered. "Wizards don't like ordinary people wandering into their lands. It's said that living near powerful wizards makes commoners ill. Thus, the arrays are strictly restricted. To go there, you don't just need a recognized identity—you need specific teleportation coordinates depending on which wizard organization is receiving you."

  For the wizards, the ones left behind are just the rejects of the decennial test. There's no reason for them to leave the door open, Tars thought.

  This was bad news. It felt like every road was blocked. He was a "missed genius"—after all, no one was going to visit a kobold den to test for magic talent. It was an ironic thought, yet he knew that even in the Cavern Domains, talented individuals were bound to be overlooked.

  "Stop the fight. Those two exceptionally large kobolds—I'm buying them. Don't let my new pets get hurt," a raspy female voice commanded.

  Tars snapped his head around. Unnoticed, the red-nosed man had returned to the balcony, though this time he stood deferentially among the other group of nobles.

  The group was gathered around a woman in a long robe. Among them was Edgar, the man whose family had discovered the talented child. The woman's identity was easy to guess: she was the representative sent from the Wizard Domain.

  She seemed to sense his mental energy and looked toward him. Meanwhile, the red-nosed man was frantically explaining to Edgar's group that the two fighters were not the property of the Arena.