Chapter 43

"I'll begin first, I guess," the gunslinger said, standing as he removed his hat and placed it over his chest. "I'm Amos Sears—bounty hunter and gambler." He gave a small bow. "Nice to meet you all." With that, he slid his hat back on and took his seat.

"Come on, you can't just leave it at that," Calvinel interjected, leaning forward with a smirk. "You've got to tell us why you're here. What brings a bounty hunter to the Tournament of Greatness?"

Amos let out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "Not much to be honest. I wanted to test myself, see how good I really am and all that." He leaned back in his chair, resting an arm over the back. "And, well, the chance at making some coin definitely caught my interest too. Injuries at the price of potential riches? How could a gambler refuse?"

Calvinel nodded approvingly. "That's more like it. Alright—next!"

The white-clad man who had been seated beside Nori stood, adjusting the folds of his thick scarf. "I'm Edluar Iarna. I suppose you could call me a wandering swordsman... or a nomad. That's what most people do."

Before he could continue, Mae spoke up, her tone laced with amusement. "That's an interesting name."

Edluar turned to her sharply, surprise flashing in his green eyes. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." His words were quick—too quick. The uncertainty in his voice was clear.

The others, aside from Zee and Drack, exchanged glances, confused by the strange exchange.

"Oh~ playing pretend, are we?" Mae teased, a playful lilt in her voice. "Fine, I'll go first so you don't have to be shy~"

With that, she raised her hands, pushing her hair back to reveal her pointed elven ears.

Silence fell.

Then—panic.

A ripple of fear spread through the civilians and bystanders. Gasps, murmurs, shifting seats—some recoiled, others stiffened in place.

Among the fighters, reactions varied. Those who had known Mae and Zee's secret sat in stunned silence, caught off guard by her sudden reveal. Others, like Elsa, Bryanard, Amos, and even Calvinel, reacted with caution, their postures subtly shifting as they processed what they were seeing. Clara, Quincy, and another female fighter—one with vibrant purple hair, striking red eyes, and clothing as colorful as a peacock's plumage—reacted with excitement, eyes lighting up at the revelation.

Some, like Zeva, Roland, and a woman with long black hair and piercing dark eyes, clad in an outfit that practically screamed sorceress, watched with curiosity, heads tilting as they observed.

And then there were those like Gurion, Ulrich, Arnan, and the remaining fighters who simply... didn't react. Confusion flickered across their faces, but beyond that, they seemed utterly indifferent, more puzzled by everyone else's response than the reveal itself.

Zee, however, was not indifferent.

"What are you doing!?" she hissed, panic tightening her voice, her eyes darting around the room.

Mae, entirely unfazed, smirked. "I told you I was planning to reveal myself in the arena, didn't I? Since I didn't get the chance, this is the next best thing."

She leaned forward slightly, gaze locking onto Edluar. "Now... why don't you stop hiding as well?"

Edluar looked around, taking in the sea of eyes locked onto him. He let out a slow breath, then reached up, removing his wide-brimmed hat and pulling down his thick scarf.

His youthful face was fully revealed now—along with the pointed half-elven ears that had been hidden beneath.

"Another one?" Amos muttered, instinctively reaching for his steam-revolvers before catching himself. His hand froze just above the holster, and he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to relax.

"Is there anyone else that wants to reveal themselves?" Bryanard asked, standing up, his usual composure now edged with caution. His gaze swept the room, waiting for another surprise.

Nori was just going to keep his mouth shut, not that he could speak anyway, but you know what I mean.

"Do-don't be alarmed! We aren't going to do anything!" Zee blurted, urgency in her voice as she glanced around at the tense expressions.

"I-It's hard to stay calm when... you know... uh, you all," Calvinel admitted, gesturing vaguely toward Zee, Mae, and Edluar. His usual confidence wavered, his voice uncertain for the first time.

"Wow! Elves! I never thought I'd see one in person before, and now there's three!" Clara shot up from her seat, practically vibrating with excitement. She took a step forward, only to be halted by Elsa, who grabbed her wrist.

"Not now, Clara," Elsa said firmly, her gaze sharp.

Clara blinked in confusion but, after a moment, relented with a small pout.

"I've never seen this many elves in one place outside of Sylvanoria before," the dark-haired sorceress mused, resting her chin against her knuckles. Her black eyes gleamed with curiosity. "I hope you three have adjusted to our customs well." A smirk tugged at her lips.

"Seriously, what's the big deal?" Ulrich muttered, unimpressed. "They're elves. So what? Not that shocking that some would want to participate in the tournament."

Arnan, seated beside him, scoffed. "Hate agreeing with the bastard, but he's right. Stop making such a damn fuss over it."

Amos turned toward them, incredulous. "We have two and a half elves here. How are you all this calm?"

Ulrich and Arnan merely shrugged.

"Seen and done things way crazier than this," Ulrich said, making no effort to hide the innuendo in his tone.

"They're just people," Arnan added. "What's there to not be calm about?"

Before the discussion could spiral any further, Quincy stood up, her boots clicking lightly against the floor as she strode toward the center of the tables. She raised a hand, commanding attention.

"Alright, everyone, that's enough," she said, her tone firm yet even, meant to settle the growing tension. "You should stop with the judgmental looks. They're clearly not bad people, so calm down. I won't have any fighting outside of the tournament."

She let the words settle, then, in a deliberate motion, bared her fangs just enough to catch the light. A slow, knowing smile followed.

"Besides," she added smoothly, "there are worse things than them here. So let's not get hasty."

A visible shift rippled through the room. People didn't relax exactly, but they backed off. The tension lessened—not gone, but no longer on the verge of boiling over.

Quincy clapped her hands together. "Okay," she said, bringing the attention back to the introductions. "Let's continue. Who wants to introduce themselves next?"