The weather was clear, and sunlight intruded through the small window of the local library. It was a quiet place, rarely visited lately. But that day, the sound of pages flipping echoed for the first time in a long time.

  “Isn’t she…?” the librarian asked.

  “I’m not even sure,” the volunteer replied.

  “She’s one of the twins,” the librarian stated. “I’m pretty sure. That white hair and those unusual eyes.”

  “Who are they?” the volunteer inquired.

  “One of the most talented magicians,” the librarian answered. “Both of them developed their abilities unconsciously.”

  “Unconsciously?” the volunteer asked, shocked.

  “Nicky and Picky,” the librarian said. “Nicky has anger issues, and Picky is lovely, but I’m not sure which one she is.”

  “I wonder why she even needs to read a book?” the volunteer said.

  Meanwhile, she had her own struggles.

  (Shit, I only have enough money for a snack, and worse, I don’t have a place to stay,) Picky thought, clutching her stomach. (I think I’ll pretend to read some books until sunset.)

  Afterward, she looked around. Her eyes met those of both the librarian and the volunteer, then she blushed and looked away. As she turned, her eyes fell upon a sticker on the wall.

  The sticker:

  We're back again this year!

  The Julius Arena is opening next Sunday (Oh, that's tomorrow!), and it's doubled in both rewards and size.

  To all Julius Village villagers, we invite you to fight or watch! And don't forget to bring enough money for our special potatoes that will have you licking the stick clean. (How much are they? Wait, why am I even falling for this silly advertisement?)

  All participants will receive a reward based on their rank among the overall participants. You're guaranteed to receive no less than 50 pennies. (Wow, that's equal to a week's stay at the inn!)

  Rank One: $1000

  Rank Two: $500

  Rank Three: $250

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Rank Four: $125

  Rank Five and below: $50

  Picky was determined to participate in the tournament. She went directly from the library to the registration location and added her name to the participants' list.

  The Julius Arena is located in the center of Julius Village. It's a legacy of the hero Julius, who once fought there and etched his name into the arena's history. The villagers consider this arena a part of their culture, and each year, they invite neighboring villages to join and participate in this cultural event.

  As she was leaving, a boy caught her attention. He was looking for a job to earn some money and offered to sweep the benches every day after the matches finished.

  The aura around him was unusual, unlike anything she had seen before. However, on the back of his shirt, there was a mark of a heavy weight, and it was actually the cleanest part of his worn shirt, indicating he had been carrying something in his back all the way there.

  (That’s weird, he could easily be one of the top five, is he even aware of it.) Picky thought.

  “Where did you come from?” the man asked him.

  “The Abyss Village,” he answered.

  (I better go and check out the arena,) Picky thought.

  At night, Picky sat under the street torches, holding what she spent her last few coins on, two crispy honey chili potatoes she had bought from a local store.

  “Young girl,” a deep voice called from behind.

  Startled, she jumped from the bench and asked, “Who’s there?”

  It was the librarian, who lived nearby.

  “You?” she asked.

  “What a coincidence,” he said. “But it’s a small village, after all.”

  “Can I help you, sir?” she asked.

  “Sir? Oh, I’m pretty sure you’re Picky,” he said. “Please come, you can stay at my house tonight.”

  (Everyone knows how rude my sister is; I’m not missing her at all,) she thought. “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Yes, it’s dangerous for you to stay outside these days,” he said. “Many foreigners are arriving for tomorrow’s tournament.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” she said.

  He was very welcoming and respected her long day by not asking too many questions.

  The inn beside the librarian’s house was noisy. A girl’s scream echoed across the street; she said, “This baby is so annoying.”

  Saint, who had escaped the Abyss Village, was on the run with the baby they found being cared for by the old goblin. He was searching for a more peaceful place and started in this village, where he would temporarily work as a sanitation worker during the tournament season.

  “Please be quiet, Nicky,” Saint said. “The neighbors will complain if you keep screaming like that.”

  “You, deal with this baby,” Nicky said. “I’m not paying to stay awake all night.”

  “Okay, okay, calm down,” Saint said. He took the baby and began calming him down in the hallway. “I haven’t named you yet, but we have to be thankful to Nicky for letting us stay with her tonight.”

  (What made him leave his village alone with a baby? He seems kinder than anyone I’ve met before, I mean this brat doesn't even look like him. I bet they’re not brothers.) Nicky thought.

  The inn room was cramped, barely large enough for a bed and a table. It was one of those hastily built structures villagers had erected to accommodate the increased number of customers.

  As the day drew to a close, the village had spent the last few days preparing the arena for the upcoming tournament. Many foreigners flooded into the village, and those who couldn’t find lodging stayed in nearby villages. A promising day was dawning for all the awaiting people.