After the tournament ended, Eugene walked over to Kai, whose body was battered and bruised from the fight. Eugene gave a wide smile and lightly patted his close friend on the shoulder.
"That was amazing, Kai. You really did it."
Kai gave only a faint smile, replying weakly,
"I still can't believe it myself…"
The two of them walked out of the arena, through the bustling city streets, past countless people, and made their way to the building where Ren was waiting. They climbed up to the rooftop to meet him.
Ren, sitting back in a chair and gazing at the beautiful cityscape, greeted them.
"Back already? How was the fight… I watched it, you know. Looks like tomorrow's match will be your turn, Eugene."
Eugene twisted his arms and shoulders as he replied,
"The first day wasn't too bad, but it was thrilling. Tomorrow's fight against that mysterious girl… I've seen her power, and she seems incredibly strong."
Kai and Eugene took their seats on the chairs as Ren continued.
"That mysterious girl… she's strange. Her power is far beyond ordinary people, almost on par with the highest-ranking powers in the universe."
Kai frowned in confusion.
"You mean like the influential nobles or big shots, right?"
Ren nodded.
"Yes, the most influential and powerful families in the universe. There are three major families in total. Most of them hold positions as rulers of the Eight Great Continents. For example, Ezev of the Northern Continent also came from one of the great families, succeeding Eufatia, the former Northern ruler."
Eugene listened intently, clearly interested.
Kai looked puzzled and asked,
"So why hasn't anyone from the three major families taken over the Eastern Continent?"
Ren replied,
"Some rise to power through their own strength, not bloodline. The Eastern ruler, for instance, doesn't have an easy successor because of her—Lucia, the Right Hand of the Eastern Continent."
Kai's curiosity deepened.
"This… Right Hand, Left Hand, Front, Back thing… what does it even mean? On my journey, I met Meyrin, the Left Hand of Ezev. Are they really that strong? I don't get it."
Eugene, listening, also asked,
"Yeah, I want to know too. What exactly are these Left Hand and Right Hand positions?"
Ren, reclining between them, explained,
"The Left Hand is a title for a loyal servant of a female ruler of a continent. The Right Hand serves a male ruler. There is only one Left Hand and one Right Hand per continent. They follow the ruler's commands and are chosen by the ruler themselves."
After a pause, Ren continued,
"As for strength… well, it depends on the ruler. Usually, the selection isn't just about raw power but loyalty and overall compatibility. Sometimes it's also because they were already close friends with the ruler, which earns them the position."
Ren stood up and added,
"I'm going to sleep now. You two should rest too. Tomorrow is the finals. Save your strength."
With that, Kai and Eugene followed Ren to rest. They boarded a carriage and arrived at a large, beautiful building—like a medieval castle fused with a modern fantasy vibe.
"This is our base. Go rest. I've asked Anthea to prepare your rooms."
Anthea stepped out to greet them.
"Perfect timing! I've been waiting here for a while."
Ren smirked mischievously, taking a step away.
"Take care of them for me, Anthea."
Anthea led the two of them up the stairs to a large room and stopped. Kai and Eugene paused as well.
"This will be your room."
Kai, standing in front of the spacious room, asked with curiosity,
"And what about Ruby, Rese, and Septa? How are they?"
Anthea smiled as she answered,
"No need to worry. All three are fine and went out for a walk together. They seem to have grown closer. And Ruby has started smiling again… soon, she'll be able to move on from Mas."
Kai and Eugene entered the room, took turns bathing, and prepared to sleep to regain energy for tomorrow's battle.
"Wait, Eugene… why are you sleeping on the same bed as me?"
"Why? What are you thinking? There's only one bed, Kai. What else can we do?"
"Aren't you embarrassed? You're a guy… and yet you're sharing a bed with me?"
Eugene turned to Kai with a small smile.
"You're thinking it, right? That you like me… Well, I like you too."
Kai blushed and quickly turned his back to lie down.
"Let's just sleep. It's your problem, Eugene."