"No matter how much I tried, I couldn't hit you with a single spell, Maki." He surprised me for two reasons—he was no longer nervous, and he knew my name. His face really showed deep disappointment. It must have hurt his pride not to land a single hit.

"Cheer up, you're really strong." My words weren't empty; this boy was almost on Sol's level in offensive power. He truly was strong overall, deserving a solid 89 in my grading. "By the way, how do you know my name?" The second I asked, I realized how stupid that sounded—the card shows the name of your opponent.

"I saw you at Lady Arisa's party on the second day. Everyone was talking about you and your closeness to the Marquis and the Count. Now I understand why they hold you in such high regard." That answer surprised me again. I had thought it would be something simple. If I recall correctly, on the second day nearly all the nobles of the territory were invited to mingle and form connections.

"I see. What's your name?" Now I was more interested in him. If he was a noble like me, he hid it well. He dressed humbly and seemed genuinely kind.

"Ridon Moko. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm the son of a newly appointed knight. My family and name are unknown in the noble world." A knight's son? That explained it. His family hadn't yet had the chance to accumulate the wealth or recognition needed to make a name. Being the first generation of a new noble house is always hard.

"Likewise, Ridon, it's good to meet you. You don't seem as shy as before. Did something change during our match?" I tried to joke to lighten the mood. Ridon still seemed a little tense.

"Well… you're a well-known noble, surrounded by important people. I'm the opposite—the son of a newly minted noble. I was very nervous at first… but after fighting you, and hearing your encouragement, I gained a bit of confidence to speak with you." So that was it. I completely understood—when I first met Arisa, Marga, or Susan, I felt exactly the same way.

"Do you have any plans after this?" Ridon looked confused, his brown eyes hesitant. He brushed back his mushroom-shaped brown hair and finally admitted he didn't. Apparently, he had already finished all his duels for the day.

I invited him to our box. The girls were much better than me at judging people—if they thought he was dangerous or had ill intentions, they'd push him away immediately. I doubted they'd become friends, but at least acquaintances would be fine for this new noble. He tried to refuse several times, but I convinced him after much effort. I wanted to thank him somehow for helping me realize something important about my ice magic.

When I opened the door to the VIP box, the girls turned their eyes on him, scanning him from head to toe.

"Who are you?" Marga was the first to speak, her direct attitude unchanged.

"Um… I… my name is Ridon Moko. It's an honor to meet you, Lady Marga, Lady Arisa, and Lady Sol." The boy bowed deeply. His voice nearly broke with each word, but he managed to hold it together and finish his greeting. I explained who he was and why I invited him. The girls gave me a look, as if evaluating whether I'd done the right thing, then ultimately allowed him inside.

I felt bad for Ridon—the poor boy was being smothered with "friendly interrogation." The three bombarded him with questions about his life, his family, and everything in between. He answered as best he could, his nerves tying his tongue at times, his voice almost a whisper, though he managed to get through it all.

Thanks to their questions, we learned more about him. His father had been the head of a small village of about 4,000 people, responsible for its safety and management for years. The villagers already saw him as their protector and noble. Being Ruby rank, he had defended them from bandits and monster raids.

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When his father fought off a grade-3 monster horde a few months ago, the marquisate's council called on him and officially granted him the title of knight in recognition of his service. With the newfound funds that came with noble status, Ridon could now attend a high-ranking school. He planned to apply to the marquisate's academy this year.

The next part of his story startled me—the entire population of his village was to be relocated once studies and paperwork were finished. The marquisate had investigated the origin of the horde and discovered a dungeon deep in the forest, along with a cave containing a material similar to iron. The problem was the toxic gases. Relocation was safer than risking casualties.

That kind of material required specialized tools to extract. Outfitting an entire population was far too expensive; moving them was the only viable solution.

Ridon excused himself to return to his father, who had been visiting another knight's house. They had met during Arisa's party and become friends—though that family too was only in their first generation of nobility.

"Are you really planning to do it?" Arisa fixed her eyes on me. Her question confused me; I hadn't said a word aloud. I was just deep in thought.

She must have noticed my face because she sighed and continued, "You're planning to invite that whole village to your territory, aren't you?" How did she read my mind? That boy seemed like a good person, and by his story, I could guess his family and people were just as warm-hearted.

"Maki, you need to think carefully. Taking in 4,000 people is no small burden for a territory, and you haven't even confirmed whether his words are fully true." Sol's voice carried worry—she raised important points.

"Sol is right. I doubt he lied to us knowing who we are, but you should still investigate before making a decision." Marga also looked concerned.

"I know, girls. Thanks for worrying. I'll talk with Uncle Julio later and find out more about their background. If his story checks out, I'll do everything I can to recruit the whole village." The marquisate would cover the cost of new housing with profits from extracting that material. My family would only need to handle certain expenses and support, which seemed manageable.

The addition of a Ruby ranker was valuable for any territory. My family could gain another trustworthy ally—someone who had devoted his life to protecting his people. And those people, hardworking and kind, were exactly the kind I wanted for our lands, regardless of combat strength.

All three girls sighed at the same time. Every day they seemed to absorb more of each other's personalities, and a bit of mine as well. "If you think it's the right decision, I'll support you," Arisa said. I thanked her, and the other two agreed to help gather information.

On the way back to Sol's house, we stopped for popular street food. The training room there had been remodeled yesterday—four new areas added: two rooms (one large, one small), a spacious bath, and a small lounge.

One room was for the three of them, the other for me. They were simpler than what we were used to, but functional. Thankfully, the actual training hall wasn't touched; the additions were just alongside it with interior doors.

They trained with me until they were exhausted, then showered and sat in the corner in fresh clothes, eating snacks. I kept training for several more hours with the bracelets and my new ice magic idea, stopping only when I was nearly drained of mana.

"You're an addict for training," Arisa poked my cheek with her finger.

"That's why he's so strong. With his mana and stamina, he can train longer, and he doesn't waste time on social stuff like we do." Marga poked my biceps. My body was toned from relentless training—muscular but balanced, strong without sacrificing speed, agility, or flexibility.

"He's been like this since he was little, always training until exhaustion." Sol stroked my head like I was still a child. I let them tease me until they were satisfied, then we all ate peacefully.

The third day brought nothing special. My opponents were on par with those from the first day—most close to acquiring a pseudo Law. I didn't waste more than a minute defeating each one. Without a pseudo Law to enhance their attacks, there was little entertainment for me.

Was my sense of reality distorted? People my age were only now expected to reach for their first pseudo Law. Fighting monsters far above my grade, and meeting people of higher ranks, had changed how I saw the world.

The first stage ended with nine victories for me, not a scratch taken. I was satisfied. I bumped into Ridon again before leaving; he had qualified too. I was glad for him.

Now it was time to train hard during these two rest days and dig deeper into his family's story. If everything checked out, I would ask the marquis whether my plan was possible—or how to make it possible. These two days would be as busy as always. Sometimes I wished I could take a day off… maybe I would, once the second stage of the tournament ended.

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