Chapter 12: The Tournament and the New Friend

The carriage stopped at the gates of the capital. Through the window, Leonhardt could see the enormous stone walls protecting the city, with banners waving high above. The capital was a vibrant place, full of commerce, nobility, and renowned warriors.

"Welcome to the capital, children," Garet said with a smile. "This will be your stage for the next few days."

Freya gazed out the window with excitement, while Saya maintained her calm expression, though her golden eyes reflected curiosity.

"What do we do now?" Leonhardt asked.

"First, we register for the tournament," his father replied. "Then, you'll meet your potential rivals."

Registration and Participants' Statistics

The group arrived at the capital's coliseum, a massive stone stadium where the tournament would take place. There were dozens of young participants, some accompanied by their masters or noble families.

Leonhardt approached the registration desk, where an elderly man with glasses looked at him over a parchment.

"Name."

"Leonhardt Eisenhart."

The old man wrote down his name and handed him a small magical plaque.

"Place your hand here. It will verify your information."

Leonhardt did as instructed, and a status window appeared before him.

[Participant: Leonhardt Eisenhart]

[Age: 12 years]

[Class: Blacksmith Apprentice | Swordsman | Mage]

[Strength: 42]

[Dexterity: 38]

[Endurance: 40]

[Intelligence: 45]

[Mana: 120/120]

[Skills:]

Intermediate Forging (Lv. 5)

Basic Swordsmanship (Lv. 4)

Fire Magic (Lv. 4)

Reinforcement Magic (Lv. 3)

Stat Vision (Lv. 1)

After verifying his information, he received a participant number.

"You are number 23. Good luck."

Leonhardt stepped away and rejoined his father and Freya.

"Now let's see who you'll be fighting against," Garet said.

Leonhardt used his "Stat Vision" ability to analyze some of the participants.

[Name: Reinhard von Hohenheim]

Age: 14 years

Class: Knight-in-Training

Strength: 60

Dexterity: 50

Endurance: 55

Intelligence: 40

Mana: 80/80

Skills:

Advanced Swordsmanship (Lv. 6)

Reinforcement Magic (Lv. 4)

Enhanced Defense (Lv. 5)

Leonhardt swallowed hard. This guy is strong.

He continued checking other participants.

[Name: Lilith Arvendale]

Age: 15 years

Class: Elemental Mage

Strength: 20

Dexterity: 30

Endurance: 25

Intelligence: 70

Mana: 200/200

Skills:

Ice Magic (Lv. 6)

Wind Magic (Lv. 5)

Magic Barrier (Lv. 3)

Leonhardt felt a chill. If she attacks me with ice magic, the fight will be tough.

Finally, his gaze settled on a young woman around 16 years old, with chestnut-colored hair and green eyes.

[Name: Evelyn Rosenthal]

Age: 16 years

Class: Expert Lancer

Strength: 50

Dexterity: 55

Endurance: 45

Intelligence: 38

Mana: 60/60

Skills:

Advanced Spear Techniques (Lv. 7)

Enhanced Agility (Lv. 6)

Piercing Technique (Lv. 5)

Just as he was examining her stats, the girl seemed to notice his gaze and approached.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked with a teasing smile.

Leonhardt flinched.

"Ah! No, that's not it, I was just..."

Evelyn chuckled softly.

"Relax, kid. Is this your first time in the tournament?"

"I'm Leonhardt Eisenhart, and yes, it is my first time."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"Eisenhart? Oh, now I remember. Your family is famous for forging, right?"

"Yes."

Evelyn looked at him with more interest.

"Well, if you're going to participate, you better put on a good show. I wouldn't like to see a rookie give up before it even starts."

Leonhardt felt his pride flare up.

"I'm not planning on giving up."

Evelyn smirked.

"Well said. See you in the tournament, rookie."

The young woman walked away, leaving him deep in thought. She's strong and experienced. If we end up facing each other, I'll have to use all my cunning.

Freya, who had been watching the conversation, crossed her arms with a frown.

"I don't like that girl."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I just… have a bad feeling about her."

Leonhardt had his suspicions. Freya got like this with any woman who approached him.

"We should rest," Garet intervened. "The preliminary rounds start tomorrow."

Leonhardt nodded. The tournament was about to begin, and he had no intention of falling behind.