See the sights.

"There's so much I want to say," Niki says softly as she looks to her parents. "I'm not sure where to start."

Hedi pats you gently on the shoulder. "Hey. I've got an idea, sister. How about you stay here and chat with mother and father, make sure they're safe, and me and Kyle can go for a walk in the meantime. I can show him the sights, and you'll have the opportunity to cry all you'd like without him seeing."

"I'm not gonna cry!"

He chuckles. "Of course not."

"I don't know... Kyle and I--"

"Don't worry, sister." Hedi grins. "I know you want a chance to be alone with him. But the tournament hasn't even started yet, so you'll have plenty of time together. Let me chat up your companion for now. Sometimes it's nice to have some guy-time."

"When did I say I wanted to be alone with him? F-Fine. You both hang out for a bit while I catch up with mom and dad." She crosses her arms. "But you better stay out of trouble."

It's weird to think about, but I really haven't hung out with any guys since I came to this world. I'm always with those girls. Either way, Niki really should be alone with her parents for awhile. This town doesn't seem all that big either. Maybe Hedi and I can find some clues while we're out too.

"Well?" Hedi looks to you." The tournament begins in two days. Let's have some fun this afternoon. Plus, you might be able to scout out some of the competition. Everyone else has a similar idea."

"That sounds fine," you say. "Word might get out that I'm here, but maybe that's what we want."

"And if they attack here, they'll get their butts kicked I'm sure."

"You're damn right!" Niki says.

He gestures to the front door. For now, you wave goodbye to Niki, though not for long. Just like he said, you still have all of tomorrow, and then the whole tournament to go. There shouldn't be anything wrong with spending one afternoon away from her. She may be reckless, but you don't think she'd do anything to put her family in even more danger. Also, Hedi is going to be fighting. You're curious as to what he's capable of, just in case you end up matching up with him before the end of the Golden Sword.

As he closes the door and takes a deep breath, he swings open his arms and laughs. "Welcome to Althudiyu, Kyle. A simple town, though once a year, it becomes what it is today. For about a week or two, it's as bustling as a city. People come to watch or to fight. Though I've heard there haven't been as many entries this year, I'm sure it'll be fun. I've never entered before."

"I don't know how I feel about everything yet, but I haven't been able to have even a relatively fair fight in a long time." There's always something. With these skills I've been gifted since coming to this world, fighting has been a little exciting. Though I'd still rather not die to something stupid like a tournament I didn't even say I wanted to sign up for.

"What kind of man are you, I wonder. It feels like you've been with Niki for some time now. Who exactly are you, Kyle?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that. I'm just an adventurer I guess. Niki and the rest of our party have been through a lot. We've fought succubi, goblins, and even a cyclops. Though we still somehow survive each time, to come back to our manor in Avana."

"Succubi? A manor? Damn..."

"Is something wrong?"

Hedi turns to you. He places a hang on your shoulder. In many ways, he resembles Niki, though definitely missing a couple assets. The biggest difference is that his grip isn't cracking your bones. "Thank you, Kyle. For taking care of her. I can already tell she's been a handful."

"You're not wrong..."

"Come on. Take a load off. If anything's true, it's that Hedi knows how to have a fun time. Follow me."