*Today is an important day* Menno thought, getting out of bed, he looked out the window and today was an exceptionally beautiful day, one could say that it was perfect for a tournament, and when he turned towards Himmel, to his surprise he realized that he was already up.

— It's nice that this time I got up earlier than you. — He said with a smile.

— It happens. I preferred to sleep a little longer and gain strength, because we'll need it today. — Menno didn't care about Himmel's sarcasm, he rubbed his eyes, stretched and quickly got dressed.

— I know. I got up less than 5 minutes ago myself and I'm glad that this isn't my first such important mission, because I probably wouldn't be able to sleep from nerves.

— I'm not a novice either, and I get stressed because people like me don't tend to put everything on one card.

— It'll be fine, just don't think about the stakes and do your thing. — Himmel concluded.

Menno nodded and even though it was a trivial hint, it made sense, besides, he couldn't count on anything else except his skills and Himmel's, and luck would come in handy too.

When they both left the room Flamme and Fauna were also leaving.

— Good morning. — Himmel spoke.

— Good morning. — They leaned back almost simultaneously.

Fauna smiled warmly, but when she looked at Menno, her expression changed to a cold one like ice, while Flamme seemed to be in a very good mood.

— Let's go eat something, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I don't want you to lose your strength right at the start of the tournament. — She announced with almost motherly concern. Her advice was accurate, which even Menno couldn't argue with. As he went downstairs, he noticed that Fauna was very close to Flamme, he just wasn't sure why? Was it because Flamme had already "raised" one elven sorceress, or maybe Fauna felt safer with her, or maybe because they were both women and it was easier to reach an understanding than with warriors, and especially with Menno, whom she hated. Probably, as it usually happens, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Menno himself thought it was interesting, but not enough to bother his head about it, especially today, because today they had quite a challenge ahead of them, which required them to reach the heights of their skills and a lot of luck.

 When they sat down at the table, Sukrus brought them a tray full of warm fruit buns and apple compote.

— This is a light and healthy breakfast, all made with fresh local produce. — He said with pride in his voice, and a moment later he found himself at the table of another customer.

At that moment Milten entered, clearly excited, and when he sat down at the table where his friends were sitting, he reached out and took one of the buns.

— I see that Sukrus is spoiling you exceptionally, because it's not every day that he serves his famous fruit buns. — After these words he took a bite and for a moment savored the filling, in this case raspberries.

— You look excited. — Menno noticed, which wasn't particularly difficult. — Did something happen? — And he reached for one of the buns himself, to see for himself if they were really that good.

— In a way. — Replied Milten, who had swallowed the last bite. — Supposedly, before the finals, there will be a show fight by Prince Markus, and to make things more interesting, he will fight against two demons, and such specific ones.

— And they are not afraid that the demons will kill the prince and all the spectators in the process? — asked a disgusted Menno, who knew that using demons as animals in the arena was a bad idea. Especially since from what he had heard, the demons were much smarter these days.

— The prince is a good warrior. — Milten leaned in a little and said in a half-whisper. — Unofficially, I know that the demons are to be weakened a bit to increase the prince's chances, after all, if he defeats them, it will strengthen his prestige and the royal family.

— Clever, but risky. — Menno stated.

— Well, it's good that you'll be there, after all, adventurers like you would deal with the demons in no time if they got out of control.— Milten replied, reaching for another bun.

— Your faith in us is endearing. — Flamme chuckled. — We should be getting ready, though. — She added, licking her lips.

— In that case, let's get going. — Milten said, standing up from the table, and the others quickly finished their meals and followed him.

Some time later, the tournament grounds.

After reaching the venue, a real crowd appeared before their eyes, many wanted to see the tournament, after all, people love games that allow them to forget about their everyday problems for a moment.

— Himmel and Menno, you must go to that tent and make a formal registration — Milten pointed to the tent located right next to the entrance to the area where the tournament will be held. — And you, ladies, follow me.

Menno and Himmel, as instructed, went to the tent indicated by Milten, where an elderly man with glasses was waiting for them, sitting at a table full of papers.

— Hello. — Himmel spoke first. — We came to confirm our participation in the tournament.

The scribe looked them over and replied:— Naturally. Let's take care of the formalities first. — The scribe held out a contract. — Just sign here... and here... and here.

Menno, of course, read the contract carefully before signing, and it turned out that by signing it, they or their family waived any claims against the tournament organizers for injuries, disability, or death. There were also mentions of fair play rules and then some gibberish. Having no other choice, they signed, and they knew a talented healer, so the wounds wouldn't be a problem, and they didn't intend to die.

— Excellent.— The scribe was pleased.— I don't know if Sir Milten told you, but you represent his family, and that's because he arranged for you to be honorary knights in exchange for your services to the Ironfist family.

— We didn't know, but that's another reason to give it our all.— Menno stated, who despite how others perceived him, was a person who cared about his friends and tried not to let them down like in this case.

— A commendable attitude.— The scribe replied with appreciation.— Speaking informally, I know Sir Milten's family, specifically his grandfather, a good man, but he was unlucky and easily fooled, I trust Sir Milten told you about how your grandfather gambled away the family fortune?

Menno and Himmel nodded in agreement.

— It's a sad thing, but I'm glad his grandson got his lost fortune back, because between us Sir Milten and his family are exceptionally loyal to the king, perhaps only Sir Christian can boast of greater devotion to the crown. But time is running out and for your information, each competitor will get their own tents, the first competition will be in shooting. Good luck.

After saying goodbye, Menno and Himmel headed towards the tents, but on the way Himmel bumped into a vendor selling sweets, which he hadn't eaten since he was a child, so after a brief exchange of pros and cons Menno agreed, but warned him not to eat too much before the race, they agreed to meet just before the start of the competition, which was in less than an hour. Menno found their tent without any trouble and, having nothing better to do, decided to meditate a bit and calm his mind and racing thoughts.

At a certain moment Flamme entered the tent.

— Himmel is not here, I see, but that is fortunate, because I came to wish you luck.

Menno opened one eye and saw that Flamme was sending him a seductive kiss, and at the same time she cast a spell that created a cleavage through which her breasts were visible, and the second spell dissolved a piece of her toga so that her red underwear was visible.

— It's not my birthday today. — Menno stated, slightly confused, but maintaining a serious tone. — And I think we talked about similar actions, so I don't really understand what the point of this is? If you wanted to brag, then congratulations, because you have something to brag about. — He smiled broadly at the last words.

— So this sight caused some kind of reaction in you. — She replied with an equally broad smile. — Nice, getting back to your question, it supposedly brings luck.

— Oh, you mean Sukrus' story from last night, that in a certain city there is a statue of a woman who brings good luck when you grab her breast, but I still don't know what it has to do with this show?

— I combined two in one, a view of good luck and the ultimate seduction technique.

— The ultimate would be if all your clothes disappeared while you were blowing a kiss. — Menno chuckled quietly.

— The world isn't ready for something like that yet, but I'll remember your suggestion. Or maybe you want to touch one of these beauties for good luck. — Flamme pointed to her breasts.

— Yeah, so you could break my arms. No thanks, and the view you gave me will be more than enough. — He replied and nodded in thanks, trying to turn the whole thing into a joke.

— Always something. — She sighed and cast another spell that brought her outfit back to its original state. — I admire your self-control, I probably wouldn't resist if I were you. — Which was true, she knew Menno wouldn't be tempted, and would she let him touch her breasts? Yes, but only to remind him of it at every opportunity, that here such strong will, and all she had to do was expose her breasts and there you go. Despite that, she liked guys with character, and she couldn't deny that to Menno, and the only thing he lacked was a bit of ease.

— Awww! You called me beautiful! So my charm is working after all. — Flamme giggled triumphantly. — Feel free to keep complimenting me.

— Sigh. — He sighed resignedly. — If Frieren picked up on your style of dealing with men, then I'm not surprised Himmel is crazy about her. Women like you are crazy.

— I'll take that as a compliment, and as for your question, I rather doubt it, but she definitely picked up on something. Nevertheless, in these times, no one knows that I am me, so I can play the role of a silly and incredibly tempting sorceress, and most will see what I want them to see, and only a few know the truth.

— I'm not surprised, we both hide the truth of who we really are, but your way is more pleasing to the eye. — Menno said, realizing how clumsy the compliment was, but he had to say something nice, and it was the first thing that came to his mind, because such things are the most sincere.

Flamme smiled warmly, Menno's words were funny and quite nice for him, a man who has known pain, loss and loneliness for most of his life, and now he is learning how to function when he has companions he can count on.

— After all, we are still human, and in our existence there is no happy ending, there are only joyful moments worth remembering, and I thought I would give you one such moment. Why do you ask? Because I had such a whim, because I could choose. — She said with full seriousness and turned towards the exit. — Good luck. — She looked at him, sending him a warm, sincere smile and left.

Menno couldn't figure her out, he didn't know when she was telling the truth and when she was just playing with him, but he had to admit that Flamme was the type of woman whose mind went its own way and she did what she wanted.

*Such is fate.* He sighed and headed to the place where the archery tournament was to be held. Where 11 other competitors were waiting for him, including Christian. He consoled himself with the fact that he didn't have to take first place, but that didn't mean the task would be easier, on the contrary, he had to give it his all for the sake of the mission.