After our return from the dungeon to the Mage Guild building, we set off on our way back to Ortas. Azura didn't need to transform this time, and I still didn't have a chance to ask if she had leveled up.

  The exploration itself was boring, but we achieved what I wanted, at least to some degree — Zoe gained one level, while I leveled up two of my csses. It didn't seem like a lot, but it was just one trip, and we were only killing the weakest monsters.

  “Tori, would you have time to train me how to fight with a spear or sword?” I asked. We could delve into deeper levels and gain levels faster if I could actually use my weapon.

  “I’m not good enough to train someone,” she replied. “You’d be better off finding someone else in Ortas for that.”

  “Any ideas where?” I didn't want to pressure her — she had already helped me a lot, and I didn't want to push the limits of her patience.

  “Arena,” Tori replied, shrugging. “I’m sure you will find someone there. I don't know if you can afford that.”

  That was a problem that had been chasing me since the day I had left Zoe’s cave. Still, I decided to head there when we returned to Ortas to see if there were any opportunities.

  When we got close to Ortas, Azura shifted into her human form and put her clothes on reluctantly.

  “Did you level up?” I asked as we were approaching the city’s gate.

  “Yes.”

  “What skill did you get?”

  “Increased Dexterity,” Azura replied quietly, observing people around us with her head lowered.

  It wasn't anything special, but at least it gave her stats. I wasn't sure if she would really need them, as it didn't seem safe for her to fight in her wolf form against monsters that wielded weapons.

  Overall, I wasn't sure what to do with Azura. She had just joined us and was tagging along, but we should probably have a more serious conversation about her future.

  When we reached the tavern, it was te afternoon. There were a few customers sitting inside, but it was peaceful. The woman, who I assumed was the bouncer, was back at the bar and scanned over the room.

  We sat at the same table as the previous day and ordered food for ourselves and Mari, who was upstairs — at least I hoped she was still there. I wanted to ask Julia, the waitress, if she had seen Mari, but she wasn't in the main room, and only the second waitress was serving.

  After our meal, Tori expined how to get to the arena and left us to take care of her business, not bothering to expin what exactly she was doing.

  “Wait here. I’ll be back soon,” I said to Azura and Zoe, picking up the bowl for the kitsune upstairs.

  I opened the door carefully and walked in quietly. Mari was curled up in a bnket on one of the beds. I only saw her face peek out from under the covers when I set the food on the table.

  She was clean from her bath, but the wound trailing across her cheek still looked bad. The skin around it was reddened, it was starting to heal, but it must have opened during her bath — just as the wounds on top of her head, where she’d had ears before.

  I knew how important the ck of her horns was for Zoe, so I suspected that it hurt Mari deeply when she was mutited. It was part of her identity, and they stripped her of it. Yet she didn't give up or relent to them. She kept fighting and resisting.

  In all of Andrew’s convincing talk as he tried to sell her to me, he was right that, with her character, she might actually be really useful in the dungeon. I just needed to steer her onto the right path so she’d start cooperating with us.

  I didn't want to carry my spear and shield across the city, but I hesitated, wondering if it was safe to leave a weapon with Mari. But it wouldn't make sense for her to attack me, so in the end, I left it by the door and left the room.

  Together with Zoe and Azura, we first went to the market, where I found a stall with all sorts of potions, herbs, and healing salves. I didn't have much money, but I bought a cheap ointment that was supposed to help wounds heal, prevent infection, and ease pain.

  Only then did we head toward the arena — the building had emerged from between the houses several minutes before we actually reached it. It loomed over all the other buildings nearby: a massive stone structure with tall guard towers and soaring arches.

  It took us a moment to find the entrance and step into a spacious chamber where suits of armor gleamed on racks. On the left, behind a wooden counter, sat an older man. I approached him, having no idea where else to start looking for someone to train me.

  “Where can I find someone who teaches weapon combat?” I asked, after a short greeting.

  “I handle the tournament sign-ups, but there’s a notice board there, you can check it,” the man replied, pointing at the opposite wall.

  “Tournament?” I asked, intrigued.

  “The preliminary round for the Guild Tournament.”

  “I’ve never heard of it,” I said.

  “Ah, you’re not from around here?”

  I just shook my head without expining, hoping the man would continue.

  “Every year, the guilds hold a series of tournaments, putting forward their candidates. First, there are local qualifiers. About a month ago, they were held in the capital, and now, in four days, there’ll be an extra one here in Ortas. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it. Many excellent teams still haven’t secured a spot, so the level will be really high.”

  “I’ll see if I have time, thanks,” I said, walking toward the notice board. I was curious to watch such a spectacle — teams fighting each other using magic — but the entrance fee was sure to cost something, and right now I couldn’t afford entertainment just to satisfy my curiosity.

  There were a few notices on the board, including exactly what I needed — offers for combat lessons. But as I suspected, I couldn't afford them. Perhaps for an hour or two, but I needed much more for myself and Zoe.

  There were also posts from people looking for teams, describing their roles and the kind of parties they were seeking. But we didn’t meet their requirements; they all listed dungeon exploration experience as a must-have, which we didn’t have.

  Then my eyes nded on one notice:

  Warrior WITHOUT A CLASS seeking party!Several years of experience up to the eighth dungeon level.Looking for a long-term team. Equal loot split.Interested parties, ask for Cassia in room 237.

  Cassia sounded like a woman’s name, and she was a warrior, so she should know how to handle weapons. Maybe she wasn’t offering lessons, but she could still teach me some basics. Plus, she had experience delving into dungeons, so she could join us, make our trips safer, and help us reach lower levels. And most importantly, she didn’t have high requirements — or at least, she hadn’t mentioned any.

  It was an opportunity worth checking out. After a quick tip from the man at the counter, we learned that the arena rented out rooms, and he pointed us in the right direction.

  When I knocked, a young woman opened the door after a moment — tall, chestnut hair, brown eyes, and a charming face.

  “Cassia?” I asked with a smile.

  “Oh, no. Pat, her roommate. You saw the notice?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” I mumbled in confirmation.

  “You’ll find her in the training yard, she’s practicing.”

  “How do I get there?”

  “Take those stairs all the way down,” Pat said, pointing the way. “To the right, there’ll be big doors. Cassia’s tall, muscur, with blonde hair tied in a ponytail. There shouldn’t be too many people there at this hour.”

  “Thanks,” I said, heading toward the stairs.

  “Wait,” Pat called out after a few steps. “Cassia… She really needs a party. She’ll probably compin and come up with reasons why you’re not right for her, but if you’re persistent, she’ll join you. And trust me, she’s worth it — she’s hardworking, determined, and a fantastic fighter.”

  “Alright,” I replied, then continued on toward the training yard.

  I was curious — though at the same time, I wondered why someone like her didn’t already have a team. If she had experience, that meant she must’ve had one in the past.

  We had no trouble finding the exit to the training yard — a wide, packed-dirt area, with wooden dummies set up in several spots. For the most part, though, it was an open space where a few people were practicing swordpy. Some were sparring with wooden weapons, while others repeated strike combinations, hitting the dummies or slicing through the air.

  “Over there, Master,” Zoe said, pointing to a lone woman off to the side, delivering steady, rhythmic strikes to a dummy.

  We headed her way. I gnced around the yard, but no one else matched the description her roommate had given us. Cassia was tall — about my height, by the looks of it. She had broad shoulders, medium-sized breasts, and her waist narrowed slightly before widening into strong hips and muscur thighs.

  Her light blonde hair, tied in a ponytail, bounced with each strike, and the bare muscles of her arms shifted under sun-kissed skin. She must’ve spent a lot of time in the sun, probably right here, where there was no shade over the yard.

  She was standing almost with her back to me, so I couldn’t see her face until we got closer.

  “Cassia?” I asked.

  She made one st blow before she turned toward us, brushing the hair sticking to her sweaty forehead. Her flushed face, the sweat, and her heavy breathing from exertion certainly didn’t add to her charm. She wasn't as pretty as Tori or Azura — not even mentioning Zoe and Gemma. And Cassia’s strong, muscur body, cking pronounced feminine curves, didn't help her at all in that regard.

  “Yes,” she replied, still panting, lowering her sword and approaching us. Her gaze shifted over us before she focused on me.

  “I saw your notice. You’re looking for a party?” I asked.

  “That’s right. How many people do you have?” Cassia asked.

  “Five.”

  “Who?”

  “I’m Tobias, this is Zoe, and that’s Azura. Plus—”

  Cassia let out a loud sigh, interrupting me as she wiped a hand over her face.

  “I mean, what roles?” she said.

  “Ah, right. We’re just getting started, so we’re still figuring that out.”

  “Have you at least been in a dungeon before?” she asked, frowning.

  “The three of us went today for the first time, but the other two people had more experience.”

  “So most of your team are complete amateurs?”

  “If you join us, then only half,” I replied, smiling.

  Cassia grimaced, thinking it over.

  “Actually,” I continued when she stayed silent, “I came here looking for someone who could teach me and Zoe how to fight with weapons. But when we saw your notice, I thought maybe you could join us and train us so we’d handle the dungeon better together.”

  “So not only are you inexperienced, you don’t even know how to fight with weapons — and you want me to train you on top of that?”

  “Then we wouldn't be amateurs and would manage better in the dungeon,” I replied.

  “Not interested,” Cassia said, turning back toward the dummy and lifting her sword.

  “What about you? What happened with your team?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You mentioned that you have experience. You didn't get it alone, so you must have a team, but you are no longer part of it. So what happened?”

  “It’s not your business,” Cassia snapped back.

  “I need someone who would train me. And if you would join my party in the dungeon, we would be safer. So, yeah, it is my business.”

  Cassia gred at me for a brief moment before she replied. “Long story short, they kicked me out.”

  “And the long version?” I asked.

  Cassia sighed. “I started a team with a group of friends. We all basically started from scratch — we explored together, learned, grew stronger. But there was one problem: they all had csses, and I didn’t. We reached a point where… how did they put it? ‘It’s not your fault, but without a css, you’ve become a burden.’ They wanted to go deeper, to harder dungeon levels, and I wouldn’t be able to keep up. So — for my safety, as they nicely put it — they kicked me out.” Her clenched jaw and sharp tone made it clear the wound still hadn’t healed.

  “When was that?” I asked.

  Cassia grimaced slightly. “Over seven months ago.”

  “And you haven’t found a new team since then?”

  “No one worth my time showed up. Just amateurs like you.”

  “And you haven’t tried looking for a team yourself?”

  “Sometimes I filled in as a substitute or went on one or two runs, but whenever the topic of forming a longer-term party came up… my ck of css came back. From a certain level onward, they don’t want anyone without one.”

  “So, no stronger team will take you, and you’ve limited yourself by refusing to join less experienced groups. Like us — people who don’t care that you don’t have a css. Looks to me like you don’t have many options: you can join us, or keep spending your days pounding that wooden post.” I gestured toward the training dummy. “Besides, we’re not complete amateurs. We have two people who’ve already explored dungeons.”

  Cassia clenched her jaw, thinking for a moment. “Do you have a healer and a mage?” she asked.

  “Actually… I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I still need to talk with one of the experienced ones to find out exactly what abilities she has.”

  Cassia sighed, closing her eyes. “You don’t even know what skills someone in your own team has?”

  “It’s a bit complicated. She only joined us today, and we haven’t gone into a dungeon with her yet. I’ll be talking with her this evening.”

  Cassia sighed again, rubbing her face with her hand. “I’ll have to think about it. But I need to know what roles all your members have. You’ll also need a healer. And who exactly am I supposed to train?”

  “Me and Zoe.”

  “Zoe, do you have a combat css?”

  Zoe looked at me questioningly, and after a brief moment, I nodded to confirm.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “What level are you?”

  “For someone who hasn’t explored before, she’s got a pretty decent level,” I answered for Zoe. “But she cks combat experience — both with weapons and with monsters.”

  “Can you come here tomorrow? I’ll test you. And by then, find out what roles the experienced members of your team have,” she said.

  “Alright. Here, right after sunrise?” I asked. If Tori wanted to go exploring again, we’d handle that first.

  “Yes.”

  “Thanks,” I said with a smile. “You’ll see — you won’t regret this.”

  “I haven’t agreed yet,” Cassia muttered, turning back toward the dummy and lifting her sword.

  “Yet,” I repeated, smiling, before Zoe, Azura, and I turned and headed back toward the exit, leaving Cassia to her training. We still had one more conversation ahead — with Mari — to find out what she was truly capable of.