The festival was already in full swing by the time morning arrived. Anthanasia had mentioned that the celebrations would continue from dawn to dusk for seven days straight.

It was also a time when many people took a break from work to join their families in the festivities. The huntress seized the opportunity to show Hael and Loki around the city's most popular spots, while they sampled the street foods that seemed to capture the bird's attention. The trio soaked in the cheerful, vibrant atmosphere surrounding them.

Hael was in awe of the sights before him— the burst of colors and, more strikingly, the people. Dressed in bright tunics and formal robes, they laughed and chatted joyfully. He noticed a few humans exchanging hugs and kisses in public, carefree and unbothered by the world around them.

His eyes grew wide and he wondered how they were doing such intimate acts in public. Hael lived in the forest most of his life, but he was familiar with a few things, mostly because he would see the animals engage in such acts during mating season. They wouldn’t do it out in the open like these humans would, but would often find hidden or secluded spots to do their business. 

Anthanasia laughed softly as she watched Hael turn red. Despite his imposing appearance, he was clearly an innocent man, and she found his embarrassment both endearing and oddly refreshing.

As they continued along the path, Hael began to sense several pairs of eyes on him. At first, he dismissed it, thinking he was imagining things, but soon realized how wrong he was. Everywhere they went, people stopped and stared, captivated by his towering presence. At one point, a child froze in place, wide-eyed, staring up at him. Hael, standing at seven feet tall, loomed over the small figure. The child tugged at his mother's clothes, pointing at Hael in awe.

“Mommy, look at that beautiful giant!” He exclaimed. 

The woman who was busy looking at the array of scarves being displayed in front of her frowned as she looked down at her child. “What is it sweetie, mommy is busy right now.” 

The child was unrelenting as he kept tugging at his mother trying to get her attention. The mother sighed as she looked to where her child was pointing, and a gasp escaped from her lips as she stood frozen in place. 

People started whispering around them as they wondered who the mysterious man was. 

“Is he from this land?” One of the passersby asked their friend. 

“Maybe he’s here for the Battle Olympia.” The friend replied. 

“Just look at those sculpted muscles, and those hands! They could destroy any foe in his path.” 

With her sharp hearing, Anthanasia overheard the whispers of the crowd, and an idea quickly formed in her mind. She had never had the chance to spar with Hael, but now seemed like the perfect opportunity to observe his skills. This would allow her to assess whether he could execute the plans she had in mind. The Battle Olympia could serve as the ideal excuse to evaluate his strength and determine if he might stand a chance against the King.

She scanned the area for a place to sit and rest, spotting a small tent next to one of the stalls. It was empty, so she grabbed Hael by the arm and led him over to it. They took a seat, and as she settled in, Anthanasia began explaining the Battle Olympia to him.

“It’s essentially a tournament where warriors face off against each other. The winner of each round moves on until only two remain. The reigning champion of the Olympia gets to claim any reward they desire."

Hael listened closely to Anthanasia’s explanation, and while the idea of a fight intrigued him, it wasn’t enough to spark his desire to join. He wasn’t motivated by material gain, so the reward held little appeal to him. Noticing his lack of interest, Anthanasia suggested that he could challenge the strongest man in Trojas. She deliberately left out the detail that the strongest person in Trojas was, in fact, the King.

The prospect of fighting someone that powerful seemed to catch Hael’s interest. "Alright then, I’ll participate," he said, prompting a wide smile from Anthanasia.

Meanwhile, Loki, who had been pecking at the potato sticks Hael had bought for him, watched the huntress with suspicion. He wasn’t sure what she was up to, but he had a feeling it wasn’t anything good.

“The Battle Olympia will take place on the last day of the festival,” Anthanasia continued. “It’s meant to serve as a sort of closing ceremony.”

Hael nodded, his thoughts already focused on the upcoming battle. Over the next few days, his anticipation only grew, and Loki, ever watchful, noticed the shift in his mood. 

“Why is she so insistent on making you participate in this battle?” the bird asked, eyeing Hael with a mix of curiosity and caution.

Hael glanced at Loki before turning his gaze toward the crowd of joyful faces around them. Anthanasia had gone off to gather some supplies and had left them by the large fountain in the center of the plaza. A group of children were gathered there, tossing gold and silver coins into the fountain while offering prayers to the goddess Aria.

Hael wore a pensive expression as he considered Loki’s words. Though his innocence might lead some to believe he was naive, he wasn’t a fool. He, too, found it odd that Anthanasia was so determined to have him participate in the fight, but he couldn’t sense any ill intentions from her. 

In addition to his immense strength and the ability to communicate with animals, Hael was blessed with a gift of discernment—particularly when it came to reading people’s emotions and understanding their true character.

From the moment he had met the huntress, Hael had sensed no ill will from her. He could tell she wasn’t someone with a bad character. Although he knew she had a motive for encouraging him to join the battle, he was confident it wasn’t for selfish reasons. Whatever her true intent was, it didn’t feel harmful, so he had agreed. However, it was largely due to the fact that he would have the opportunity to fight someone strong. As far as he was concerned, there wasn’t a single being out there stronger than him. 

His curiosity as well as his fighting spirit propelled him to agree. 

Loki was surprised that Hael had actually thought it through, believing him to be a simpleton but it seemed like his friend had a surprising amount of insight. 

“Alright, I’ll let things go for now since you clearly seem excited about all of this.” He said. 

Hael furrowed his brows. “I seem excited?” He asked. 

“Yeah, you’re practically glowing. Whoever it is you’ll be fighting, may the gods have mercy on his soul.” He sighed. 

Hael smiled at this. As Anthanasia approached them, Loki still felt wary about the woman, but decided not to press the matter any further. Once Hael made up his mind about something, it was hard to convince him otherwise. The bird decided to let his friend do what he wanted. 

He’s a grown man capable of making his own decisions I guess. 

The day of the Battle Olympia had finally arrived, and the coliseum was filled to the brim with spectators itching to see a good fight. It was an event most people looked forward to whenever the Novas Festival came around. The best warriors in the country were gathered here, making the people of Trojas enraptured. But what livened the people up the most was having their King in attendance. 

Though the people feared their ferocious King, there was still a certain thrill in knowing he would be attending the event. 

As Ceremus entered the coliseum and took his seat in the designated area for royalty and nobles, the spectators couldn’t help but stare, caught between awe, admiration, and fear. He looked magnificent in his formal robes, his long, wavy hair flowing gracefully in the wind, each thick strand catching the light. His presence was both imposing and magnetic, exuding a terrifying charm that made onlookers both want to gaze at him and look away. Standing beside him was his advisor, Anemone—an elegant, reserved beauty with the body of a seasoned warrior and the mind of a brilliant strategist. The two painted a beautiful picture making the woman watching want to swoon. 

The announcer took to the stage, giving his respect to the king before explaining the rules.