He stroked his chin as he stared blankly at the paper before him.
It was something he had bought for quite a high price from the Abyss Secret Guild.
The more he chewed over its contents, the more a bitter smile formed on his lips.
‘This… I don’t know if we can win at all.’
There was a reason the people from the Blade Association had so readily accepted their request.
There was also a reason why they were able to obtain this information so easily.
As they had said, this was tradition—summoning a sponsored fighter who had not met expectations and holding a duel to reassess their talent.
The difficulty varied according to the sponsorship amount.
And Cassian had ten thousand points per floor—the highest amount possible. So the fact that she had been eliminated on the third floor had given them the perfect excuse to drag her into this.
The highest difficulty… It certainly seemed that way.
Her first opponent had been from the same second floor, yet he was so skilled in dueling that it was hard to believe he had no magical power.
He was clearly someone with a wealth of experience.
The second opponent had been the same.
He had just reached the third floor, yet he was highly proficient in dueling.
No doubt the third opponent would be just as formidable.
‘And the fourth, the fifth… And what about the eighth and final one?’
According to this document, her last opponent would undoubtedly be someone from the fifth floor.
The higher one climbed, the harsher the path became.
On average, it took fifteen years to move from the second to the third floor, and thirty years to advance from the third to the fourth.
Graduating from the fourth floor took fifty years.
And if one chose to continue to the advanced course and ascend to the fifth floor, it required even more time than that.
‘Then, how vast was the difference in years between Cassian and her final opponent?’
There was no doubt that a time span exceeding multiple times her own age was contained within it.
And they had to overcome that.
Evan came to mind.
‘Did that bastard know about this?’
Given his sly personality, he surely did.
He had simply chosen not to tell Cassian.
And knowing Cassian’s personality, she probably hadn’t bothered to look into it any further.
He viewed the situation from Evan’s perspective.
Come to think of it, that guy had raised five swords.
Perhaps it didn’t even matter to him if Cassian lost all eight duels.
Sacrificing one of his swords would still secure Cassian’s place in the organization.
‘And if she won?’ Even better.
Having confirmed her talent, the association would continue its sponsorship.
The association was surely thinking along the same lines.
He calmly organized his thoughts.
Seeing all this, he felt a bit relieved.
It seemed unlikely that they would try to pull any dirty tricks in the upcoming duels.
He had worried that they might torment Cassian by manipulating time or changing the duel locations.
He had even considered using their remaining requests to counteract such interference.
But this tradition had persisted for a long time.
There were records of people who had successfully won and escaped the entire process.
There had been no trickery involved.
They were proud and upright, as swordsmen often were.
Then, all they needed to do was prove themselves through strength alone.
Though the difficulty was the problem.
But in the end, nothing changed.
‘If she lost, she would be forced to stay here.’
They had to prevent that.
So they had to make sure she won every single duel.
That was his goal.
***
He glanced at Cassian and Mira, who were picking out clothes.
Or rather, Mira was the one smiling.
Cassian was just being dragged around, clutching onto Mira’s hand as she was pulled in different directions.
An employee from Arcana General Trading Company stood nearby, recommending various outfits.
Mira eagerly pressed the clothes against Cassian, then selected a few and held them in her arms.
Just then, the mirror beetle in his pocket vibrated.
It was an alarm, signaling the appointed time.
“It’s time to leave,” he said, rising from his seat.
Cassian looked at him with a brightened expression.
Feeling a pang of guilt, he avoided her gaze.
After all, this whole thing had been his idea.
“I haven’t finished checking everything yet… What a shame.”
Mira sighed regretfully as she gathered up the clothes.
A mirror beetle emerged from her embrace and touched the employee’s ring, transferring points.
Then Mira handed the clothes to him.
He took them and stored them in his spatial pouch.
These were the outfits Cassian would be wearing daily from now on.
Feeling refreshed, Cassian clung to the stuffed bear.
She no longer carried the rugged, shabby air from before.
Instead, she simply looked like a delicate young woman.
It was the result of Mira’s handiwork.
He had asked her to make Cassian look as beautiful as possible, but he hadn’t expected such a transformation.
“Impressive.”
“It’s nothing. I merely brought out the potential she already had.”
Mira smiled calmly.
‘Her main body is a heart, so how is she even capable of something like this?’
Suppressing his curiosity, he signaled to the bear.
The creature obediently moved toward the building’s exit, carrying Cassian on its back.
The rest of them followed behind.
Not long after, they arrived at a spacious clearing that appeared to be the city center.
That was their destination.
“This way, please.”
They were currently on the third floor.
They had considered going higher, but Cassian couldn’t use magic right now, so they chose the third floor as their battleground.
People moved through the clearing, scattering blade-like magical energy.
Most of them were swordsmen.
And in the middle of that vast space, Cassian stood.
Her expression was incredibly awkward.
Mira carefully straightened her outfit.
“Are we… really doing this?” Cassian asked, looking displeased.
He nodded heavily.
She let out a sigh and hugged the stuffed bear.
“Then, let’s begin.”
Through the shadow tree, he sent his will to the puppets.
At his signal, they moved in unison.
The puppets surrounding them activated their prepared magic—illumination spells.
Bright spheres of light floated into the air, radiating a dazzling glow.
The mirror beetles caught the light and shimmered, drawing people’s attention.
Naturally, all eyes turned toward Cassian, standing at the center.
People began pausing in their tracks, their gazes fixed on her.
Dressing her up had been an effective decision.
If she had looked as she did before, they would have just walked past without a second glance.
Feeling embarrassed, Cassian subtly stepped back.
But Mira gently held her in place.
“Give up. You’ll have to keep coming out here from now on. It’s all for your sake.”
Mirror beetles flitted through the air, projecting Cassian’s image onto their surfaces.
Some displayed her current appearance, while others played edited footage from her past duels.
The spectators stopped and stared at the screens.
Then, the puppets moved and erected a large sign.
[Recruiting challengers for a duel of pure swordsmanship, no magic.
Entry fee: 100 points.
Victory reward: 1,000 points.]
He smiled as he read the sign.
To make her truly perfect, she needed more experience.
Simply controlling her movements had its limits.
She had to be pushed further through real battles and more duels, drawing out her full potential.
That was why they had requested permission to hold these fights in public.
Originally, they hadn’t planned to go this far.
He knew Cassian would feel burdened.
They had intended to hold the duels quietly.
But after reviewing the information, his mindset changed.
Now was not the time to be selective about methods.
They had to make her grow—no matter what it took.
After much consideration, he had come up with the most effective method—this duel business.
With a bright smile, he infused magic into his voice and shouted, “The greatest talent recognized by the Blade Association, Cassian, is waiting for you! We are looking for challengers willing to engage in a pure sword duel, with no magic allowed. The entry fee is only 100 points! If you manage to defeat her, you will receive a whopping 1,000 points!”
The two swordsmen who had been following them stared at him in disbelief.
But he paid them no mind.
‘Hadn’t that nameless young man said it himself?’ That they wouldn’t interfere with whatever happened in the city.
That meant no one could stop this duel.
He could feel the merchants next to them glaring.
They were disrupting their business, after all.
Yes, this was a business too.
This open space was something like a street vendor zone—a free trade area where anything could be sold.
As long as one understood the city’s rules, it was easy to take advantage of.
It was a place where all kinds of people gathered, and anything could be turned into a product.
‘So why not duels?’
They had come here to sell that very idea.
***
In the midst of the shimmering lights, Cassian stood still.
Her signature vacant eyes only added to her delicate appearance.
Of course, in reality, she was just half-resigned and dazed.
Still, no one approached her recklessly.
It was understandable.
Dueling was sacred to these people.
Swordsmen took immense pride in their blades.
Selling duels like a street performance was something they had likely never seen before, making them hesitant.
Time continued to pass.
But they didn’t give up, continuing to distribute flyers and radiate light, drawing more attention.
And then, finally, someone approached.
A burly man with a sword strapped to his back.
His weapon was just as massive as his frame.
“Who is this lady?”
The man asked, his interest seemingly more in Cassian than in the duel itself.
But that didn’t matter.
They had dressed her up precisely to attract such attention.
“She is Cassian. For training purposes, she has restricted her magic and is engaging in duels. Are you perhaps interested in facing her?”
The man hesitated for a moment before slowly shaking his head and starting to step back.
Seeing this, he quickly approached and whispered in his ear, “Do you see those two over there?”
He discreetly pointed at two individuals—the observers who had been following them.
Noticing him pointing, they stared at him intently.
“They are members of the Blade Association. Cassian is participating in these duels thanks to their sponsorship. If you manage to win here, you might just catch the association’s attention.”
He raised his voice slightly at the last part, ensuring those around them could hear.
The two observers scoffed lightly.
‘Of course, it was a lie.’
‘But it could also be true.’
‘If Cassian lost here, that alone would be remarkable.’
‘Even the association’s prepared fighters hadn’t been able to defeat her.’
‘If some wandering swordsman bested her, the association might indeed take notice.’
“Hmm… You said 100 points? I suppose I’ll give it a try.”
Intrigued, the man held out his ring.
One of the glowing mirror beetles hovered over it, transferring magic and deducting the points.
“Magic must be restricted. If you break that rule, there could be consequences. After all, the association members are watching.”
As he spoke, the man turned to face Cassian.
She stared at him blankly.
The burly man, a full three heads taller than her, looked down, his cheek twitching slightly.
There was no trace of carelessness in his expression.
If anything, he seemed a bit nervous.
It made sense—he had just heard that Cassian had the association’s attention.
He cautiously unsheathed his sword and carefully approached her.
And the moment he stepped within her reach—
Cassian cut him down in a single stroke.
The man collapsed instantly, losing consciousness.
The puppets swiftly checked on him.
The wound wasn’t severe.
He had simply been overwhelmed by her strength and fainted.
After some quick first aid, the puppets moved him to a corner of the clearing.
Looking down at his fallen form, he stepped forward once more.
Clearing his throat, he called out again, “The first challenger has stepped forward… only to be cut down by Cassian’s blade! But he was a brave warrior, for he dared to challenge someone recognized by the association. Does anyone else wish to take up the challenge? Time is running out!”
He quickly noticed a subtle shift in the atmosphere.
The swordsmen, who had previously regarded Cassian as nothing more than a puppet, now eyed her with a sharper gaze.
They had recognized her skill.
It was understandable.
Even to him, that previous strike had been exquisite.
And the challenger had not been weak.
Judging by his magic, he had been of considerable skill, even by third-floor standards.
“Just 100 points! If you win, you’ll walk away with 1,000 points and honor!”
More challengers stepped forward.
And all were cut down just as swiftly.
Watching this, he smiled in satisfaction.
As expected, none of these wandering swordsmen were able to properly counter Cassian’s blade.
Every duel was recorded by the mirror beetles.
“100 points! Win, and you’ll receive 1,000!”
He continued calling out, while the puppets used magic to spread the word.
But the number of challengers remained low.
Eventually, their allotted six hours ran out.
They packed up and followed the observers back to their quarters.
***
On Cassian’s first day in the city, she had faced a total of ten opponents.
After she collapsed onto her bed, he placed a table in front of her.
Then, he prepared tea—honey tea, sweetened just the way she liked it.
The scent alone made Cassian instinctively sit up.
“Here are today’s earnings.”
1,000 points.
He handed 800 of them to Cassian.
The remaining 200 were split between him and Mira.
It was only fair.
They had handled the promotion, but she was the one actually fighting.
“You could just take it all,” Cassian said, sipping her tea.
He shook his head.
A mirror beetle, containing the points, flew over to her.
As Cassian received it, he spoke, “Cassian, you need to value your points. You’re fighting these duels because of them. And this is only the beginning. You’ll be earning much more from now on.”
One had to be careful with points.
It was a lesson he had learned from experience.
Cassian nodded and took another sip of tea.
He, too, picked up his cup, closing his eyes to savor the aroma.
The beginning was always small.
But once accumulated, it became something no one could ignore.
***
Every day, for six hours, they went out during the evening—when the most people gathered.
As the daily duels continued, Cassian began to change.
Her skill.
Her presence.
Even her demeanor.
Word began to spread.
People started waiting for her.
As more and more challengers lined up, the crowd grew.
And so did their points.
100 points per challenger.
With no one able to surpass Cassian’s skill, the turnover rate was excellent.
The points kept piling up.
“I trust you’re not just doing this to farm points,” Mira teased, flashing a mischievous smile.
He frowned.
“Of course not. This is strictly for gathering experience and data. Besides, today’s outfit was a great choice. It’s drawing a lot of attention.”
It was their fifth day outside.
He watched Cassian fight.
Her flowing attire swayed with her movements, naturally guiding onlookers’ eyes toward her.
As their points accumulated, her movements became even smoother.
The duels were helping her body adapt to its newfound state.
And they were using those battles to push for even greater changes.
In this cycle, her blade grew ever sharper.
And with it, her third opponent of the day fell.