Chapter 5 Fate is a Strange Thing

Lankster turned his head and saw a man in blue standing among the group of elders, some slumped, some seated. The man smiled faintly.

He was like a white lotus in a muddy swamp, strikingly conspicuous.

"Who are you?"

"I am a member of the Supreme Council, you may call me Manning. A pleasure to meet you."

Lankster sized up the man several times, finding it hard to believe he was part of the same crowd as the elders.

"How come we didn't see you earlier?" Zachary asked in confusion.

"I wasn't in the hall earlier, so I missed your grand arrival. Please, forgive me."

"Manning, Manning!" The elders, as if seeing a deity, swarmed toward him.

"I leave them to you," Elder Yan patted Manning's shoulder and quickly made his escape.

"Yes, I understand," Manning responded with respectful compliance.

As the elders left the forest, Manning's expression twisted with disdain. He sneered, "A bunch of fools!"

He turned around, "What do you two think?"

Even after witnessing Manning's drastically different demeanor, Lankster had no intention of commenting.

"The Knight Festival, huh..."

"What's that?" Zachary asked quietly.

"You're truly dumb, not knowing what the Knight Festival is!"

"Well, I was raised in Buciris, no one knows anything there, I never left the house, it's normal I don't know~~~"

"Allow me to explain," Manning said with a smile.

"Who wants to hear it from you!" Zachary turned away, not giving him face.

Lankster knocked him on the head, "The Knight Festival is a competition held every three years by the Free City Federation. Basically, knights from all over the continent come, so it's normal for the tournament to last a year or more. The final winner, after completing a task assigned by the Supreme Council, will earn the title of Free Knight!"

"Hmph, so it's not even worth it for us?"

"But this Free Knight title not only grants you unlimited access to the Free Federation's wealth, but also lets you represent the Supreme Council in every country across the continent," Manning, sitting on the side, added.

"You don't have any proof to show the public," Manning emphasized the word "proof."

"That sounds troublesome!" Zachary wrinkled his nose. "Why don't we skip the title then? It's not like we need money, right, my Queen?"

Lankster didn't miss the dark lines that flashed across Manning's face when he heard that title. His right hand drew a circle, "Rapid Growth."

The next second, where Zachary had been standing was replaced by a towering tree, its canopy so thick that a small, struggling figure could be vaguely seen through the leaves.

"My Queen, my Queen, let me down!"

"The view up there is nice, the air fresh. You stay there and clear your head!"

"No—way!" His wails were so sorrowful they scared the birds away.

Lankster remained unmoved. Manning glanced up at the sky, determined, "This seemingly naïve blond boy is definitely not to be trifled with."

"Elder Manning—"

"Just call me Manning!"

"Manning, your terms are a bit unfair, making things difficult for us."

"I know it's not ideal, but it's the only way."

"Then could you sweeten the deal?" Lankster tried his best to recall his mother's haggling at the market.

"How about this: Since you've already completed Buciris' commission, if you win the Knight Festival, you can receive the Free Knight title without completing another task. How does that sound?"

"That's what it should be," Lankster shook his head. "But add a little more, or we just won't participate!"

"Fine! I'll add 10,000 Brin as a reward, not a coin more," Manning's face showed great reluctance.

"Alright, deal!" Lankster acted very unwilling.

Reciting a counter-spell, the man atop the tree was flung to the ground.

Lankster pulled him up, "Let's go. If we're participating in the Knight Festival, we've got a lot to prepare."

"Wait," Manning called after them.

"What now?" Lankster turned back, not particularly fond of being around this man, especially with how strangely he looked at Zachary.

He didn't like the idea of someone eyeing what was his.

"I just wanted to ask if you know about the new rules for this year's Knight Festival."

"What new rules?"

"To speed up the competition, the first three rounds will be fought in teams, with groups of three or more. I wonder if you..."

Now, that was a bit tricky, Lankster thought. Finding a suitable partner on short notice wasn't easy.

"So, what do you suggest?" He tossed the question back to Manning.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to join you in the tournament," Manning offered straightforwardly.

"Oh?" Lankster didn't waste time asking why. He could tell that if Manning didn't want to answer, he had plenty of ways to avoid the question.

"Let's meet at the registration office in Naye City in three days. Goodbye!"

"My Queen, no, I don't want some extra person interrupting our time together, my Queen, please reconsider~~~"

"Shut up!"

Fate is a strange thing. Manning would regret extending the invitation nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine times, but there would always be that one time where he would smile faintly.