The swordsmanship tournament officially opened amid the lengthy opening address delivered by the Speaker, Baron Atwood.
The temporary wooden stands were packed with wealthy citizens. They cheered and shouted at every move the swordsmen made in the arena, their spirits running high.
The morning chill had done nothing to dampen the spectators' enthusiasm. Of course, this had nothing to do with a love of swordsmanship itself, but rather the official betting pool. All it took was a small wager to get the spectators thoroughly invested.
Renato sat on a bench in the rest area, watching the match while Kira helped him put on his armor.
A cleric of Torm served as referee, reading the rules aloud:
"Each round will last one turn of the hourglass, for a total of three rounds. Whoever scores the most points within that time wins."
"Each valid hit scores one point. Valid targets include the head, chest, abdomen, and shoulders. A hit to the head scores two points, and tripping your opponent scores one. Hits to other areas, such as the legs or groin, do not count."
The cleric raised his Holy Symbol, his tone growing stern:
"All illegal hits will be recorded. A second offense earns a warning, and every subsequent offense costs one point. Any malicious attack, such as deliberately thrusting at the throat or using magic, will result in immediate disqualification."
"Now, both swordsmen, swear before the Hand of Justice and the gods of Mount Celestia that you will not fight with the intent to kill."
The Holy Symbol was a white right hand. Renato could not tell what it was made of.
Golden light appeared above the arena, only fading slowly once both contestants had finished their oaths.
He suspected the light was merely a visual effect from the cleric's spellcasting.