Charlemagne, Phatagin, and their Attendant Josephine watched as the massive Elite Royal Knights marched down the center of the hall and fanned out to form a row as they reached the bottom of the dais. Once they were all in place, the Knights turned to face the crowd before dropping to one knee. A defensive field snapped into place, its power so intense that it made the rooster’s beak ache for a moment.

  “Hush now, the queen gets really cranky if you interrupt her speech,” Josephine cautioned as she turned toward the dais and bowed from the waist with a grace that seemed out of place given her laid back persona and strange accent. As she did, the crowd moved as one, mirroring her actions.

  Charlemagne was confused for a moment, as he saw no apparent leader among the assembled humans. Then a flash of light filled the hall, so strong that it made the rooster see spots despite his enhanced vision. An aura of majestic power, rich in mana and some other energies that Charlemagne couldn’t quite identify, filled the hall. The throne was now occupied by a wizened figure.

  “The Sun Queen,” the Attendant murmured. “It is expected that you bow to her.”

  Phatagin, who generally propped himself up on his hind limbs when he wasn’t emulating a reptilian cannonball, bent awkwardly at the waist. Charlemagne remained upright, examining the queen.

  Her tanned skin contrasted starkly with the yellow robe that covered her torso, midsection, and upper legs, although her arms and lower legs were completely bare. A crown of pure gold rested gently above her blond hair, which was so fair that it looked almost like a bed of thin straw. Dark glasses covered her eyes, making it impossible to tell what color they were. He continued to focus his intent on the woman, willing his Monocle to once again activate, but there was some sort of strange resistance. He pushed harder.

  The Sun Queen suddenly reached her arms toward the ceiling, straining for a few moments before relaxing again. Then she pressed a small button built into the armrest of her throne. The gentle buzz of a small electric motor echoed through the otherwise silent hall as the throne began to change shape.

  I do wonder what she is doing, Phatagin mused through the Party chat.

  Bawk! the rooster responded.

  No, I do not believe that she is going to attack everyone here. Why would the System bring us here just to instantly be slaughtered? It’s not that unfair.

  The rooster, neither fully comprehending the concept of fairness nor trusting that the Squiggles possessed it, remained silent. Still, he acknowledged that Phatagin’s assessment was correct. It did seem like a strange way to die, but he still did not understand the true purpose of the Squiggles. He had originally thought that the Squiggles were some sort of intermediary between him and his Patron. The overwhelmingly powerful predator must have other servants, but he had yet to meet another Champion that served Grimfalk. If the Squiggles did not work for Grimfalk, then they must be working for someone or something else, Charlemagne realized with a stunning mental leap that left him in dangerous, uncharted mental territory. But just as the rooster began to explore the vast wasteland of his own ignorance, his mental energies were steered back to current events. A melodious voice, as soft as cotton, wove an irresistible web that immediately captured Charlemagne’s attention.

  “Now that everyone’s situated, we might as well get started,” the Sun Queen announced. Her chair had completed its transformation while Charlemagne had been deep in thought. The queen’s overly groomed (at least from Charlemagne’s perspective) feet were now pointing toward the audience as she reclined in place, her face barely visible above the rest of her body. A device attached to the roof suddenly activated, drenching the Sun Queen in warm, rich light. She sighed in contentment.

  “Sorry, where was I?” she asked. “Oh yes, now that everyone’s situated, let’s get started. I apologize for all the pomp and circumstance here, but the System gets the strangest ideas sometimes. This is supposed to be based on an amalgamation of your world’s history, told from the point of view of the dominant group of sapient beings. But, if my information is accurate, neither you, Ser Charlemagne, nor your Squire are what is known as ‘human’? Because, as per custom, the entire setup of the Elite Systemic Games was based on Earth’s culture, as it is the most recently integrated planet represented here.”

  “Bawk,” the rooster answered boldly.

  “Well, that is going to make things a bit more difficult for you. But, thankfully, it’s not my job to explain the nuance of everything that has been decided upon by the System. What is my job is to explain to you the format and essential rules of the three main events that make up the Elite System Games. Your Attendant may be able to provide additional details, or not, I really don’t know.

  Anyways, before I tell you about the events, let’s go over the essential rules really quickly. You cannot die during the events, at least not permanently, but you can die between events. You cannot die permanently in the Battle Simulation, either, but I imagine you already know that. Knights will not be allowed contact with each other outside of sanctioned events, including the three main events and several optional events. You also may not receive outside assistance from your Patron deity or communicate with anyone who is not a part of the Elite Systemic Games. You will be notified by your Attendant if and when you are eligible to compete in the optional events, as not all are open to everyone. Because of this, I will leave those details to her.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  During the events, you will be scored not only based on your combat performance but also on several other factors. These are chivalry, ingenuity, and perseverance. Displaying these three qualities will increase the rewards that you earn. Those Contenders that best display these attributes will be rewarded regardless of their overall performance. That being said, a Knight who does not display these qualities will not face disqualification, but their actions may affect event-level awards. In particular, sending the Squire that faithfully serves you to certain, if temporary, death will result in significant penalties.

  The first event will be attempting to complete the Delve, which is a special Dungeon that has been carefully designed to provide a balanced and fair challenge for each Knight and their Squire, regardless of level. Since you are…wow only level 49, that’s gotta be some sort of record. Okay, well, you’ll be starting on floor one of the Delve, which is appropriate for Knights under level seventy. Entirely clearing each level will earn you sufficient levels to tackle the next level, providing, of course, that your Skills are up to the task. You may encounter other Knights during the event, and you are free to collaborate with or duel against them as you wish. I wish to note, before there are any complaints, that higher level Knights will start further along in the Delve, so any Knights that you encounter should be relatively close to your own power. There will be opportunities to display your chivalry, ingenuity, and perseverance during the event, allowing you to succeed in encounters that you could not otherwise complete through sheer strength alone.

  For those who successfully complete the Delve, the second event will be the tourney, in which Knights will compete in a number of contests such as a melee, jousting, passage of arms, target shooting, and competitive eating. Some of the contests will be in a team, while others will be solo. There will be a separate competition for the Squires, which include arming your Knight, steed management, meal service, and combat support. The Squire’s score will be equally weighted in this event, so it behooves each Knight to mentor and train their Squires appropriately.

  Those who score sufficiently well in the tourney will move on to the final event, which will be one-on-one combat between Knights. The format will be double-elimination, meaning that one loss will not disqualify you. Each Knight will temporarily receive their Squire’s best Skill to use during these fights, giving each Knight yet another incentive to protect their Squires during the Delve. These fights will take place on a raised platform similar to the one you undoubtedly encountered in the kiddie version of the Systemic Games. Falling from the platform with no means of returning, dying, or surrendering will result in a loss for each round.

  Now, I’ve talked for quite a while and I really need to get back to tanning. Your Attendant will provide you more information during your orientation tour and then show you to your quarters. There are twelve hours until the commencement of the first event. You will not see me again until the tourney, assuming that you make it that far. But something makes me think that you’ll be all right. Level 49, indeed.”

  The Sun Queen lazily waved one hand, and the room was suddenly empty save for Charlemagne, Phatagin, and Josephine.

  “Well, you heard the lady, sugar. What are you in the mood to see first? We’ve got the Battle Simulations in the western wing of the castle. On the eastern side there are workshops for practicing trade skills, a forge, a training room, and a chapel where you can meditate. Outside in the courtyard are the shops and an auction house. Your chambers are in the southern tower, and I can show you them when you’re ready to rest. So, where are we headed?”

  “Charlemagne, might we take a gander at the forge first?” Phatagin requested. “I’ve heard of them before, but I have not yet seen one. And, if we’re going to be traipsing through a dungeon in twelve hours, I really would like to do something relaxing first. Please don’t force me to die in the Individual Combat Simulation over and over to grind my Skill levels, I beg you.”

  The rooster thought for a moment. After the incredible power upgrade that he just received from evolving Inferno’s Embrace, he was feeling rather generous. And, for some reason, the idea of a forge appealed to the young rooster. All that heat and metal in one place...

  Phatagin, taking the pause for hesitation on the rooster’s part, moved quickly to strengthen his hand.

  “And, before you answer, might I raise the point that you are the sole reason I am here…against my will I might add. Why didn’t you pick Ndiogou or Sirius instead of me, or just bring all of us?”

  “Bawk,” Charlemagne answered without hesitation.

  “Aww, how sweet,” Josephine cooed. “That was an answer becoming of a knight if there ever was one.”

  “Well, flattery aside, I desperately would like to visit the forge before seeing anything else. Will you let Josephine show us there?”

  Charlemagne bawked his assent and the trio set off. Josephine led the Knight and his Squire through narrow hallways, up several flights of stairs, down another set, and finally through a heavy wooden door that seemed overly large when compared to the cramped castle corridors. As the door creaked open, a wave of light and heat emerged to greet the visitors, carrying the scent of heated metal and charcoal.

  “Well, here we are,” Josephine declared as the two animals squeezed past her to get a good look at the surprisingly spacious area. A broad hearth made of a hard stone was set into the far wall, its coals glowing with a rich orange glow that waxed and waned with the rhythmic pulse of an enormous bellows that seemingly moved up and down of its own volition. Three anvils were spaced evenly throughout the room, their shining faces as fresh as the day they were forged. Next to each anvil were rough tables strewn with implements such as hammers, tongs, chisels, shaping tools, files, scrapers, brushes, and a hundred other odds and ends. There was only one thing missing.

  “Where are the workers?” Phatagin asked as he looked around. “I have no idea what any of this stuff is for, and I was expecting the forge to be rather busy.”

  “Oh, I thought that you had a Skill like Blacksmithing, Forge Weapon, Repair Weapon, Goldsmithing, or something like that. Maybe even Wainwrighting, although I’ve never met someone with that Skill. But I’m sorry, I went off on a bit of a tangent there. If you want lessons, you’ll have to pay for them.”

  Phatagin looked at Charlemagne, who was already giving the pangolin an expectant look.

  “Fine…”