Second World

Jack and Whisky followed Water Lily. Oddly, Water Lily continued walking toward the corner, where the crowd was gathering to watch the fistfight.

"Hey, don't tell me…" Jack said. But he didn't need to complete his question, he could see the two brawling people once they got closer. One of the participants was Four Winds.

Both Four Winds and his opponent weren't putting on any equipment or using any weapon. They fought almost naked wearing only leather pants. Since no weapon was used, no sides suffer any damage from the fisticuff.

Four Wind's opponent was good. From his pose and the way he fought, Jack believed he might be a professional boxer in his past life. He threw a few fast jabs before sending an accurate hook where Four Winds' head was swaying to.

But Four Winds' stats were obviously better. He was faster and also had good reflexes. He narrowly dodged the dangerous hook. He then targeted his opponent's lower body with low blows and kicks. Jack's belief that his opponent was a boxer was further reinforced because the opponent didn't seem to be experienced in dealing with these lower-body assaults.

Four Winds finished the round by ramming into his opponent's waist before lifting him up and throwing him onto the floor. He lifted his two hands up in a victory pose after his opponent hit the floor.

The crowd cheered.

"The loser is the one falling to the floor or thrown out of the arena," Water Lily explained.

The boxer struck his fist to the floor frustratingly. Jack noticed after using Inspect that he was a member of Warsong Rising.

"You have anyone else you want to pit against me?" Four Winds asked someone as he walked out. Jack realized he knew that person as well. It was the leader of Warsong Rising, Phithion, the poor guy whom he killed twice during the invasion war.

"Hmph! I admit none of us can beat you in this brutish contest," Phithion spat. "Do you dare to send your youngest members, instead? Each of us pick a member who had joined our guilds no more than one month ago to fight each other."

"Sure, but their memberships also have to be at least one week old," Four Winds added. "Otherwise, how can I know if you ask a veteran member to quit and rejoined again right now?"

"Do you think I will resort to such a petty trick to win?" Phithion asked.

"Yes," Four Winds didn't give him face.

"Hmph! Get your member ready! We will have another go one hour from now!" Phithion hissed at Four Winds who had walked away without bothering to look back.

"What was that all about?" Jack asked when Four Winds approached. "I thought it was just a common barfight. That fight is about something?"

"Most of the arranged fistfight here is a gamble. Each side makes a bet before the fight begins," Four Winds answered. "By the way, funny name."

"Try pronouncing it," Jack said with a grin.

"What's the point? I already said it's funny," Four Winds replied.

"Man, you are no fun," Jack said.

"Let's talk in a private room," Four Winds gestured for Jack to follow.

Jack turned to Whisky and said, "Thank you for showing me the way. We are having a private talk. You can go now. Let's add each other as friends. I will call you again if I need anything."

"Oh… Okay," Whisky said. He didn't mind adding a friend who befriended the leaders of the two biggest guilds.

After the exchange, Jack chased after Four Winds. The two of them and Water Lily went upstairs and went inside a closed room that had been reserved for them.

After closing the room, Four Winds said, "So, how are you doing, Your Majesty?"

"Haha, please just call me Jack. That's my real name, by the way. All my friends call me that," Jack said.

"Oh, so we are friends now?" Water Lily said sarcastically.

"Yeah, why are we not?" Jack asked back.

"Well, I don't know. Perhaps because most of the time we met, we fight each other?"

"It's just a friendly fight," Four Winds waved at Water Lily.

Water Lily gave Four Winds a weird face as if saying, 'The battle during the invasion war is a friendly fight?'

"How about we talk without a disguise?" Four Winds said. "Or this disguise is using a consumable item?"

"No, I can change between disguises any time I wish," Jack replied and returned to his original appearance.

"Hm… Neat gears," Four Winds commented on Jack's regal outfit. The crown was especially eye-catching.

"So, what can I help you with, Your Majesty?"

"I've heard about the election tourney. I heard that Cipher Flights had registered as a participant in this tourney," Jack said.

"Your intel is quite good," Four Winds remarked.

"We have you to thank for it," Water Lily said to Jack. "You showed us that a player can join the governing body of the natives. That's why we have participated in this tourney. In fact, not only us. Several other player guilds had fought and won the right to become one of the participants as well."

"Tell me more about this tourney. I have gotten the intel but I want to make sure it was correct," Jack said.

"You know that Verremor was governed by a council comprised of ten of the most prominent orc tribes, right?" Four Winds said.

Jack nodded.

"Well, one of those ten tribes just got expelled from the council not long ago."

"The raretooth tribe," Jack said.

Four Winds nodded. "They were the main reason Verremor invaded Themisphere. The invasion failure was also their failure. Hence, the punishment."

"But thanks to that, a spot was freed," Water Lily said. "Now, the council is hosting an election tourney. It's their traditional way of choosing the tribes worthy of sitting on the council. If we won this tourney, our guild will replace the Raretooh tribe as one of the governing voices in this country."

"That spot will be mine," Four Winds said as he gave Jack a stare. "At that time, we can see eye to eye as an equal again."