“Pleasure, pleasure. My name’s Mirka Stein, I work for Babel Tower. Am I right to assume that boy is looking to register?”
“That’s right! Yuri Eniastar, here to register as a duelist!”
“My, my, what an energetic boy—can’t say I hate that.”
As Mirka licked her lips, her sharp, pointed canines caught the light. The sight caused Yuri to hit his hands together as if something had finally fallen into place.
“You’re from the Demon Tribe, Ms. Mirka! Do you really suck blood!?”
“Yes, that’s right. Why, I’d love to eat you up too, little Yuri.”
“Quit hitting on him and finish his registration, you pedo demon.”
“You’ve got me all wrong, Fram! I just happen to prefer the blood of younger men; there was no deeper meaning!!”
“Then Mirka, tell us what crossed your mind when you first looked at Yuri.”
“Why of course! In exchange for some blood, I want to support him for the rest of his life!”
“Don’t get any closer to this innocent child, and finish your work as swiftly as possible.”
“Oh, I was only joking. You shouldn’t take it so seriously.”
Firmly locked in Fram’s glare, Mirka pouted as she tapped against a gemstone in her hands. The next moment, a pale blue screen manifested in the air.
“This goes here, that goes there and... Yuri, was it? Before we begin registration, would you like an explanation on what it means to be a duelist?”
“Yes! Please guide me from the top!”
“Okay, okay. When you put it like that, it really makes my job feel worthwhile.”
She nodded firmly, her finger sliding over the pale screen. Eventually, she turned it to face Yuri.
“First, our duels go off what we call the Rate System. Your rate fluctuates based on the outcome of your duels. It’s pretty much a value that determines your ranking.”
The screen displayed eight differently-colored words in the common tongue. A bluish-gray, a green, a black, an orange, a white, a gold, a purple, and a red.
“The ranks are, from lowest to highest, Iron, Beryl, Chrome, Bronze, Silver, Gold...and then there’s Adamant and Orichalcum. Once your ranking reaches a certain value, this Proof here will change to the appropriate color, so it’s quite easy to tell.”
She handed over a bracelet equipped with a bluish-gray—Iron—gemstone. “This Proof is not only a duelist’s identification, it also signals an intent to duel and is used to deploy a Field. Please keep it on your left hand at all times.”
“Got it! Can this tell me the details of my ranking?”
“Of course. Just tap on your Proof like I did, and it will project a display to let you know your current status.”
After equipping the bracelet on his left arm, Yuri tapped on the jewel portion as he had seen Mirka do. Once he did—a pale screen floated above it, spelling out his present state.
Duelist Name: Yuri Eniastar
Tribe: Human
Rank: Iron
Rate Ranking: 61491st Place
Rate: 10000
With a quick look at the screen, Mirka continued with her explanation.
“That, my dear Yuri, is your current status. You’ve only just registered, so your rate is at exactly ten thousand. Your ranking is around sixty thousand.”
“Err... The fact that ten thousand puts me around sixty thousand means the people above me have a lot more rate, right?”
“Yes, yes. Just look at Athena and Fram. They’re both at Silver, so their ranking has to be within the top one thousand, and I’m guessing their rate should be over three million.”
“They have that much rate, and there’s still people ahead of them!?”
“That’s right. When you get to the top five hundred—the Gold Rank—the people there generally have over seven million. The top one hundred is Adamant, and even the lowest person there should have over ten million.”
Yuri currently possessed ten thousand, and the top was that over a thousand-fold. When he thought about it that way, he had to wonder just how many duels the higher ranking members had fought in.
“However, it’s possible for even a newbie to catch up!” Mirka exclaimed.
“You really think so!? What do I have to do!?”
“That’s easy, you just have to keep winning.”
“...Umm, is that it?”
“That’s it. More specifically, you’ll have to fight opponents stronger than yourself.”
Returning a sweet smile, Mirka fiddled with a gemstone on her desk.
“The amount of rate wagered on each duel is determined by rank. One thousand for Iron, two thousand for Beryl, and it just keeps going up from there. The winner makes off with the entire pot.”
“Meaning... What does that mean?”
“Well, to put it simply, if you win against a Silver like Athena, you’ll acquire a hundred thousand rate just like that. It’s what we in the business like to call ‘giant slaying.’”
Mirka continued smiling as she tapped away with her hands, but Yuri tilted his head in wonder.
“...In that case, is there any merit in fighting someone who ranks lower than you?”
“Well, first off, there’s proving your own strength. Your Proof broadcasts your duels all over the continent, and strong and interesting duelists can get sponsors. You can earn popularity from viewers who want to see your matches on a regular basis.”
“Ah, I’ve seen those match broadcasts! If you register your favorite duelists, you can see their duels whenever you want, right?”
“Yes, yes. Recording and broadcasting matches are standard functions of the Proof, so it will record your duels too. It also automatically archives past matches, so you could watch your old battles and work out where you went wrong.”
Mirka held up a finger to add to her explanation. “Another reason to fight a lower rank would be an easy victory. Your odds are around fifty-fifty going up against an equal, but you can earn rate more reliably against a lower-ranking opponent. This is also a chance for the lower ranker to earn a huge load of rate, so even with a difference in ranking, there are those who will assertively want you to challenge them.”
“Got it! Then I should go around challenging lots of people stronger than me!”
“Slow down there; if you don’t have the ability, you’ll ruin yourself. Do take care, okay?” Mirka calmly narrowed her eyes, her voice lowered into a remonstrative tone. “In this city, the victor is just, and the loser is worthless. If you pile up too many losses and lose all your rate—you won’t be able to become a duelist again. To a duelist, his rate is his strength, his worth, and his lifespan. To continue to fight without a thought to any of this is not strength, it is merely foolhardiness.”
Even if he didn’t die, if he repeated reckless battles, he would lose his life as a duelist. But Yuri gripped his fist, brimming with confidence.
“That’s alright! I’m not going to lose to anyone!”
He spoke out with unwavering confidence and enthusiasm. Upon seeing his sparkling expression, Mirka let out a languishing sigh.
“Mnnnnn! How honest and adorable! Want to do something nice with this lady after this!?”
“Mirka, not a step past the counter, or else.”
“You can’t! I won’t let you have Yuri!”
Mirka’s frenzied state prompted Athena and Fram to pull the boy back and out of the danger zone. Once Mirka returned to her senses, she gulped down her spit.
“Oh dear, I’m getting ahead of myself. By equipping your Proof, you have completed the provisional registration, so next, I’ll need your personal information for the city registry. This one will be a paper form, so if you would—”
“Ah, come to think of it, I’ve got a letter from my master!”
He fished through the contents of his rucksack, produced a letter and held it out to Mirka. But Mirka quizzically tilted her head.
“By letter, do you mean a recommendation? But generally anyone can become a duelist, so you don’t really need any recommendations.”
“Oh really? My master said I had to hand it in during registration no matter what.”
“Did he? I’m sure your master is a former duelist, but... Incidentally, might I ask what his name is?”
“Err... My master is called Reilly Malbork.”
“...Reilly Malbork?”
Mirka furrowed her brow as she carefully went over the contents of the letter. After she had looked it over...she slowly nodded.