Harem Tournament of Champions

Their gazes had followed him till the gates.

'Am I screwed?' Hisha thought in a panic, flashing a grin at them to lighten the mood.

All he had hoped was for the knights to have anyone with whom they could have formed a bond to know personally as they stared at him.

[There is nothing wrong with your disguise, host. Maintain your confidence and all should be well]

Exhaling and nodding, Hisha raises his head high and holds their gaze.

In an instant, his body language showed no fear nor did it show aggression. It just oozes confidence and dominance like a predator stalking prey.

As if sensing something about to happen, both Knights turned away looking elsewhere leaving only one standing still staring right past Hisha. His face remained expressionless until finally turning to follow suit after seeing the others turn their attention somewhere else. He then turns back to see what caught their interest.

After taking another step forward, Hishsa sees someone approaching wearing robes similar to those worn by the knights. A hood covers her entire upper half hiding everything below the neckline. She wears gloves covering most parts of her hands apart from her fingers. Her lower legs are also concealed under thick cloths held tightly against her ankles. Only the tips of pale toes peek out between folds of fabric.

She has a slender build and appears voluptuous enough to make even men drool. Many would mistake her for some sort of succubus given how seductive she appeared with little to see.

However, the woman's beauty wasn't limited to external appearance alone. There was a hint of intelligence within her features, almost reminding him of a young girl playing dress up pretending to be royalty.

Her pale skin tone matched hers, yet unlike the rest of the tribe members, she didn't appear scary. Instead, her figure showed curves in places women normally wouldn't possess unless they worked hard to achieve such form.

'HTC, are vampiress these tempting?' Hisha questions with keen curiosity.

[Recalling the first fight, you would see that is far from the case]

Hisha stares at her, wondering why the silence between the lady and the knights was prolonged.

She gives a signal to both guards and they nod their heads in response. Raising her head to give a glimpse of her red eyes glowing beneath the veil, a mischievous grin flashed by.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Hisha raises a brow at her odd behavior.

[The vampires are an unpredictable tribe. Although the mask would fool them, they are smart enough to sense something off only if you show it]

Hisha nods his head and puts up an expressionless face before subconsciously pointing a finger at the female.

She nods and transforms into a bat to fly towards the castle.

The knights share a knowing look, they finally parted ways after seeing no threat.

'Could this have been as a result of that lady's presence?'

As soon as Hisha entered the city, he sees several vampires roaming about carrying loads of goods that dripped with dark brown blood and mold growing on its body.

Cringing to the disgusting sight, Hisha tries to distract himself and look the other way.

'Could that have been what Vanas mentioned about them rejecting the meat?' Hisha wonders as his eyes follow suit of those passing by.

Some even stopped mid-stride staring at him like a piece of prey caught between predator and hunter. Others walked past not sparing another glance. Those who did stop stared at him intently until eventually moved away once again.

'They might be wondering why I look like someone they know but it appears they can't say.' Hisha jokes but to avoid more stares, he pulls on his hood.

He noticed many different genders and age groups mingling among themselves.

The vampires carried weapons strapped onto their backs or arms. Many held daggers tucked under armpits or worn openly dangling from waist belt loops. While others used knives attached to chains wrapped tightly around wrists. Several wielded bows strung tight enough to draw arrows within seconds.

Amazed by how the vampires freely moved with weapons, he couldn't help but ask, 'Is there some sort of battle I'm not aware of?'

[They are defensive creatures, it's fairly natural, host]

There were also several females dressed similarly to males wearing chain mail underneath skirts made of cloth. All of whom appeared well-trained in combat.

There was activity going on inside the streets as it was night hours. People rushed here and there doing whatever business needed to be done during such times. It wasn't uncommon to hear loud voices filled with anger echoing throughout the area.

Walking through the streets without a purpose wasn't what he had planned and needed a place where people could gather so he decided to find a tavern. The closest ones are located near the gate leading outside the walls.

[Do you remember what happened the last time you went to a tavern?]

'Don't bring that up, besides it was all Kritz and that silly mistake.'

[Of course, host]

HTC sarcastically replies with a rolling eyes emoji.

'Before I begin with my plans, I need a place to lay my head and can regroup.'

[48:24:00]

It took less than ten minutes to walk down the street when he saw a signboard hanging above a building with words written across its surface.

"Torture Tavern - Open 24/7".

A smile forms upon his lips as he reads aloud: "Open all day long."

His mind wanders while reading further down the signboard;

– We serve food and drinks!

– Come enjoy our delicious meals prepared daily using fresh ingredients sourced locally!

'Let me guess, the majority would be seasoned with blood.' Hisha deadpans sarcastically. He then looks back at the entrance, noticing two figures standing side by side looking outwards.

Both wore black cloaks over their shoulders making it difficult to tell them apart. One stood slightly taller compared to the other, however, neither looked old nor young–as expected of vampires. Their faces remained hidden behind masks adorned with intricate designs painted along their surfaces.

One of the cloaked individuals turns to stare straight ahead, revealing half of his face covered in white hair. His mouth opens wide showing sharp teeth protruding from his gums. A pair of large fangs jutting forth from the lower jaw line.

While the second one has short cropped blonde locks covering most of his skull except for the sides of his forehead which show signs of baldness.

Unlike the first figure whose features remain concealed beneath the mask, the latter reveals his entire visage – a handsome man sporting facial tattoos. Both men wear leather armor decorated heavily with gold trimmings. Each holding swords slanted downwards resting against hips. They both carry bags containing various items tied together by rope.

After observing them closely, Hisha notices something odd about these two strangers. There isn't any trace of a sinister aura emanating from either of them despite having just met. In fact, they don't seem bothered at all.

'Are they also here just to pass a day or two?'

[The majority sleep during the day and are up during the evening till the night]

'I see… So this must mean I'm safe since they aren't hostile towards us. It's best not to draw their attention.' Hisha nods and forces a smile.

With no better options available, he decides to enter the tavern hoping to get answers regarding the rumors he had heard from Vanas.

As soon as he steps foot inside, several patrons turn heads toward him causing everyone else present to do likewise. Some of them whispered amongst themselves before returning to their conversations.

Tugging at his hood, he lowers his head and whispers to himself. 'Lay low and investigate, they aren't your target.'

Once seated at a table close to the door, he orders himself a drink.

Slamming two copper coins on the counter, he pushes it forward and points at a glass of wine above, eagerly awaiting someone to fetch his order.

Making circles with his fingers, he glances left and right seeing nothing unusual happening among those gathered.

He continues making the circles until he gets served. By now, many more customers have entered the establishment including women who look like prostitutes.

Most of them were sitting alone sipping away at what he considered alcohol. Others engaged in conversation with companions. No doubt discussing matters concerning work and life.

Taking note of everything surrounding him, he observes every detail trying hard to keep calm even though he feels nervous due to lack of information and is prone to switching his power rank as per how he would be seen.

"Here you go, Mr." A soothing female's voice calls out after some moments.

*****

A/N

Thank you [Abner_Monero] for the GT!

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