Chapter 12

"Aw, I feel bad for your friend," Clara said after Xain and Zee finished telling the three of them about Larkin.

"Should I go get him? If you tell me what he looks like, I'm sure I can find him quickly enough," Elsa offered, already starting to rise from her seat.

Xain lifted a hand to stop her. "No, don't worry about it. We'll just get some food packaged and bring it to him later," he said, not wanting to trouble her. He gestured toward her bowl of soup. "Besides, your food's gonna get cold if you leave."

Elsa hesitated for a moment, then sat back down. "If you say so," she replied, picking up her spoon.

Ercale's voice echoed in Xain's head, dry and unimpressed. *Damn. You're really gonna let that old man stand out in the sun while the rest of you eat?*

His tone made it clear he didn't actually care.

*Well, I'm kinda annoyed at him right now,* Xain shot back, spearing a piece of fish with his fork. *If he hadn't wasted so much coin on alcohol, I wouldn't have had to try and pickpocket Elsa in the first place. He's only sitting out because of his own darn choices.*

He felt Ercale nod in agreement. *Good point.*

"By the way," Elsa spoke up, turning her attention to Zee. "Are you sure you're okay with just eating that?" She gestured at Zee's plate—nothing but salad and fruit, an order that had even made the waitstaff confused.

"It's fine," Zee answered, plucking a ripe strawberry from her plate and popping it into her mouth. Her expression brightened instantly, eyes practically glowing in delight. "They're so fresh," she murmured, savoring the taste.

Roland raised a brow, watching her. "You know, I like fruit too—'cause it's a damn rarity for me—but I don't think I like it as much as her from what I'm seeing," he remarked before tearing off a bite of the roasted sheep meat on his plate.

Xain forced a casual shrug, trying not to let his unease show. "She just really likes fruit and veggies, you know?" he said, hoping to steer the conversation away.

*Crap. Will they start suspecting she's an elf because of this?* The thought made his heart race slightly as he stabbed at his food a little harder than necessary.

"Heh, I feel a little out of place," Clara admitted with a sheepish chuckle, poking at the flaky pastry on her plate. "I'm the only one not eating healthy," she added, looking just the slightest bit flustered.

Seeing Clara feel a bit self conscious, Xain decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "By the way, I think I saw you getting tickets earlier. Are you planning to watch the Tournament of Greatness?" he asked, carefully keeping to himself the fact that he'd been watching them.

"Oh!" Clara's eyes lit up in excitement. "You're right! I bought two tickets for me and Elsa—front row seats, in fact! And I did it all by myself!" she added, sounding immensely proud.

Roland, however, nearly choked on his food. "Tw-two front row s-s-seats? Tha-that's four-hundred gold," he stammered, his face twisting in disbelief.

Xain and Zee both turned to Clara, their eyes widening. "You—you spent that much just like that?" Xain asked, his voice caught somewhere between shock and bewilderment.

"That's s-so much coin," Zee added, mirroring his reaction.

Clara blinked, glancing between the three of them as if just now realizing the issue. "I-is it?" she murmured, tapping the tips of her index fingers together in uncertainty. "I didn't know that... I thought I wasn't spending too much," she admitted, suddenly looking embarrassed.

Xain rubbed his temple before asking, "Just out of curiosity… how much coin was in that purse of yours, Clara?"

She tilted her head slightly in thought. "I think… about a thousand gold?"

The moment she said it, their jaws collectively dropped.

"You have to realize that Clara's father is the Margrave of Veridiania," Elsa explained calmly, as though the number meant little to her. She took another sip of her soup before adding, "For someone like her, that's not a lot of coin."

Xain blinked, convinced he must have misheard. "Her father's the what of where now?"

"I hope this doesn't change how you all look at me," Clara said, her voice soft and uncertain.

Xain and Zee exchanged glances before Xain quickly reassured her, "It—it won't. Don't worry about it."

"Mmm, we were just surprised, is all," Zee added.

Clara brightened at their words, though Roland didn't share the same reaction. How could he? Clara wasn't just wealthy—she was the daughter of one of the most powerful men in Veridiania. Meanwhile, he was scraping by with whatever scraps he could get his hands on.

"Well," Roland muttered, rubbing his temples, "I guess the two of you will have a pretty good view of me trying to survive in the tournament."

Clara and Elsa immediately turned to him in alarm.

"You're participating? In your condition?" Elsa asked, her tone sharp with surprise and concern.

"You shouldn't! That would be really dangerous!" Clara added, her worry evident.

Roland clicked his tongue. "I have to. I don't have a choice." His grip tightened around his fork, bitterness seeping into his words. "Not everyone has as much coin as you do."

Clara flinched, her expression falling. An awkward silence settled over the table.

*Should I…?* The thought crept into Xain's mind, gnawing at the edges of his hesitation.

And like a devil on his shoulder—or more accurately, the Demon Lord in his head—Ercale's voice slithered into his thoughts. *You should do it.*

*You can't be serious?* Xain asked, shocked at what Ercale was suggesting.

*Oh, but I am, ape.* Ercale's amusement dripped from every word. *Take his place in the tournament. Or are you not going to help the man who saved your life?*

Xain's stomach twisted. *Why don't you just heal him? You can do that, can't you?*

Ercale let out a long, exaggerated sigh. *Was it me who he saved, ape? Or was it you?*

Xain grit his teeth.

*That's the only way you can help him now, ape. Unless you plan on stealing five-hundred gold, taking his place in the tournament is the only option.*

His fists clenched. He exhaled sharply, then opened his mouth.