Chapter 225 (1/2)

Randidly’s first thought, when walking back into the underground, slightly stumped, was that Azriel must have done or said something on his behalf. But when he looked around, he couldn’t locate the girl. She must be currently fighting. So he begrudgingly sat back down.

It didn’t sit well with him to owe a debt to another, especially to a stranger from one of the larger Styles. His instincts twinged uncomfortably at the thought of oweing another. This effect was compounded after the 3rd round, and an hour or two of waiting, when the list of names was announced to be participating in the “playoff” to determine the final 32.

Randidly’s name wasn’t announced, but both Tertet and Dian’s were.

Due to the fact he wouldn’t be fighting in this round, he was freed with the seeded individuals. This playoff would occur one at a time, rather than 4 at once as it had been in the past. Members of the Tournament staff were currently taking down the 4 stages and setting up one, larger stage, near where the 1st and 2nd stage had been previously, delaying the 4th round of the day for a time.

So Randidly wandered off, wondering what his spear attendants had gotten themselves up to.

****

Helen looked with tired eyes at the back of the head of the woman who made her life absolutely miserable. Her mother was truly beautiful, which was where Helen got her own looks. Unfortunately for her mother, she was born to a poor family without any backing, and was snatched up by a greedy leatherworking family.

But that didn’t stop her mother. She swiftly tamed her new husband, his family, and led them to become the owners of the whole leatherworking district. She did this all on force of will and meanness, as far as Helen could tell.

“Fucking bitch,” Helen muttered, almost instinctively.

Her mother turned and looked at her coolly. “Hel, I’ve seen you’ve come wandering back. Just promise me your virtue is still intact.”

There were about 20 of her cousins and related family members who worked at the leather factory sitting around. All of the croniest fucking cronies, sitting in the stands towards the back, in front of the 3rd stage. The view here was absolutely horrible. But also present were all the young women of marriageable age, made up and in rather expensive dresses.

Candy, meant to lure in riffraff who had a chance of becoming something as a spear user. Her mother was always very clear that the thing that held back their family was the backing of a powerful Style, and it seemed her mother was out hunting for just such a patron.

“Just shut the fuck up.” Helen said irritably, but she still found herself moving to her mother’s side and sitting down next to her. At least if she had come here, she might as well clear some things up. “Mother, I-”

“Really? Who was it?” Her mother said, leaning forward towards her with a serious expression.

Helen’s eyelid twitched. This bitch would be so much easier to deal with if she was a fool. But not only was she so dismissive of Helen… in every other area of life, she had an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth. Not that Helen necessarily wanted to hide the fact she had sex… she didn’t see what all the fuss was about anyway when it came to virginity, but that subject would quickly derail the subject, and Helen had learned from experience to never let her mother dictate the course of a conversation.

“I became a spear attendant. I won’t be returning home.” Helen said, getting it out there.

Her mother ignored her. “Did you take… precautions? Or is there a chance you are pregnant? Don’t you know how this will look-”

“Mother, don’t be a fucking cunt. It’s fine. Everything’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you knew, I-”

“Helen, it’s been a while.”

Tiny bugs of creepiness crawled up and down her spine as she turned and saw Kanan waddle up, his arms wide for a hug. Kanan, more belly with arms and legs than person, who had it in his tiny little head that they would be married. The man who had been the first to feel her up when she was 11, and had been the first man ever to lick her ear in public.

The man who her mother had tacitly approved of as a match for her. Helen’s ears burned with fear, shame, and fury. But the fury was slowly growing. And in her heart, Helen knew that he wasn’t even that bad. There were a lot of men that did much more heinous and direct things to young women and girls, seeking to obtain them as one of their wives.

When men had power and women did not, it swiftly became about leveraging that power, and bullying the other party into submission through a show of dominance. With a spear, or without. And to his credit, Kanan was powerful. Rumor had it that he had recently reached Level 30, which was why he did not participate in the regional tournament.

Not that this greasy sleaze would have even made it. He was the type that relied on the move he had inherited from his Style, and a concentration of his statistics in Strength to win fights. In the past it had inspired some kind of dread inside her… but no longer. She had changed in the last month, experiencing a ridiculous level of growth in a short time, gaining at least 60 skill levels. And that was only on her own Skillset.

Some of Helen’s rapid thoughts of disgust and fury must have appeared on her face, because Kanan’s gaze swiftly turned cold. “I’ve been patient thus far, but if you continue like this-”