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Her gaze seemed to glimmer a little intrigue. "You know… I'm starting to get why she has taken a great liking to you in the first place."

"Amanda?" I asked, raising my brows.

"Who else could I be talking about?" The Witch said, her stare, in a blink, abruptly turning to an impish leer. "And you know something? Maybe, just maybe, I could too…"

I stared at her dully. "Please don't."

"Just a joke, don't worry," She said, cracking a smirk. "Truth be told, I wasn't the only one that was supposed to be seeing you. Amanda, and that girl Ash… they wanted to come with me too."

"Did they now?" My head veered left, then glanced a little right, before finding myself staring back front and center. "So what, are you gonna pull them out of your hat now or something?" 

The Witch had to stifle a giggle after that one. "No, nothing of the sort. They're the princesses', the prizes, what kind of prize walks away? I managed to convince them to stay behind, that you'd be seeing them really soon anyway."

I nodded thinking that she had finished, until she continued on, her tone growing significantly sharper.

'That is if… you do decide to continue on with the finals, that is..." 

"Of course I'm continuing," came my immediate reply. "I'm a champion, a Knight of Astra… What kind of knight abandons his duties? Besides, I'd look like a total idiot if I backed out now." 

"Just for the sake of redundancy, I'll just remind you that you're fighting for both princesses. Meaning to say, the odds are stacked double against you."

"Huh… and all this time I thought I've been having it easy so far," I said, lining the tip of my tongue with sarcasm. 

She ignored that.

"Leon's a guaranteed win, and he'll be the first one you'll face. He's never lost a swordfight, and by the looks of things, he doesn't intend to lose one now. And plus even if you do beat him, IF you do beat him… then next is my idiot little brother, and trust me when I say that he doesn't need a sword to be dangerous. You'll be fighting them back-to-back. What makes you think you'll win that?"

"Because if I don't, then that means that they'll get to have them," I told her, stared at her, gone with the sarcasm. "And even if it's for a single minute, even if it's for a fraction of a second, I am not going to let them have them." 

"That… that doesn't really explain how you're so sure." 

"That's the thing, I'm not sure," said I, forcing through the sharp twinges, a small smile. "But you don't have to be sure of something to try, do you? You fall in love… how sure do you want to be about it before you start doing something about it? Fifty percent? Sixty percent? When is sure enough?"

"That just sounds like a bunch of overthinking."

"Exactly. Right. That is just a bunch of overthinking," I nodded my head.  "Thinking about if I win, what happens if I lose, if I do or don't do - it's the same thing. Overthinking… you'll never be sure enough. So, rather than sit here and just think about it, wouldn't it be better to just go ahead and do something about it?"

"Even if it means losing?"

"When you try there's always an 'if' to it," I said. "But you don't try, then you lose that 'if' entirely. I made it this far… how many 'ifs' do you think I went through just getting here? What's one more?" 

Another long pause. I never knew the Witch to be one caught speechless, to contemplate but never say. She used to be so much of a wisecrack, and her eyes before were never one to stare so long and hard.

"Good ones are always already spoken for, sad to say..." She muttered in a hush.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, I just think maybe that Leon would have to exert himself for once… and that perhaps my brother would finally get some sense knocked into him."

"Ah, don't worry," I raised my hands. "I'll try not to hit him too hard, for your sake." 

She cracked another smile. "If it's for my sake, then I ask that you better do. Get one in for me too." 

Suddenly, in the distance beyond, came the sound of boisterous cheers… and the parade of instruments harmonized in the distinct melody of victory. Then came Tyler, louder than ever, announcing what everybody already knew -

Leon has won his duel.

Which means…

"That's your cue, dear Jester," spoke the Witch, her gaze to the outside. "Your final fight. I'll ask again, just to be certain, are you ready?"

I stood up to my feet, tucked my helmet propped atop a box beneath my arm. "Is he?"

"The best 'yes' you could ever give," She said, then extended a hand. "Come then, dear Knight of Astra, show them all the best 'if' of them all."

On her insistence, and apparently as per custom tradition, I locked my right arm to her left as we made our way back to the battle ring. It was on the way there that she made me aware of the more recent happenings that happened along the way in the wake of my absence.

It seems that the unknown Jester hailing from unknown origins was garnering himself notoriety in abundance. Popularity was the name of the game, and according to the leaderboards, I was rising through the ranks at neck break speeds. 

"You're a folk hero, a rising legend… an inspiration to many if you want to call it that," She said with a simper. "Everybody loves a good underdog story… and it seems you have become Astra's best tale yet."

"Please…" I waved her off, thinking I was simply indulging a statement greatly exaggerated. "Do I really look the kind of guy a tale like that would revolve around?"

Then as if the universe itself was trying to tell me otherwise, out of nowhere I was then showered with a thunderous applause from random passersby that littered the path forward - one even came up to me to ask for a quick photoshoot that I was too stunned to even refuse. 

That guy's boldness must have sparked everyone else's confidence 'cause after him came another request one after the other. An autograph here, a handshake there, it was to the point that every few feet we were getting interrupted. 

The latest being a candid shot with a pair of girls that looked strikingly familiar - and it was only after I heard one of them bashfully giggle that I finally recognized them as the former Team Wit way back when at the Library. When I pointed it out, they both doubled down on the giggles… even giving a squeal that nearly bursts my ears. 

Thankfully the Witch with years of experience under her belt was more than capable of circumventing us through the growing swarm of admirers and aspire-ers alike, and it wasn't long before we finally made our way back to the Arena gates… with both my palms still buzzing with the warmth of a dozen others, and both my eyes glossed over with white from all the bright flashing smartphone lights.

"Well?" The Witch asked, smirking her most playful yet. "Do you believe me now?" 

"All I did was ride a horse, and beat up a guy," I said, rubbing my eyes. "If that's enough to get celebrity status, I'm surprised there aren't more people making the headlines."

"It's a small tight-knit community. News travels fast."

I scoffed. "Doesn't look that small."

"Mmm, I suppose not," She mused. "Besides, you're putting your actions too superficially. It's not what you did that's got people raving, it's why you did it - the no one from nowhere that defied the odds, that went beyond the distance, facing peril and hardships unprecedented all for the chance, for the sake, of pure and simple love - well, doesn't that just strike a chord in your soul?" 

I ponded on it for a while, finally responding with a shrug. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"I didn't put it like that," She corrected lightly, prodding a slender finger squarely at my chest. "You put it like that." 

It didn't take long for someone somewhere in the stands to take notice of my abrupt return. Tyler was in the middle of a serious speech about upholding standards when the sudden eruption of cheers broke out. 

I've never heard them more fervent, screaming with such passion for someone other than Leon before. Tyler too, supposedly the most renowned here apart from Amanda, had become nothing more than just another yell amidst the hundreds, and the loudest, most enthusiastic one there. 

"Oh shit, dudes! If it isn't the man of the hour himself!" He shouted, already forgetting about his previous speech. "Took him long enough, wouldn't you say folks?! I'd say 'welcome back' but I think everyone already did it for me, am I right?!"

A rippling wave of deafening shouts affirmed him definitely right. I recalled back to when I first arrived here, nobody anywhere wanted anything to do with me. Any attention, any sliver of recognition would usually find its way to Ash or Amanda… pretty much anybody else worthy of that level of that regard. 

Never in my life did I think I'd be worthy of anyone's regard… I still don't… let alone a good few hundreds. Guess that just goes to show, doesn't it?

"Alright then, dear Knight of Astra, this is where I'll leave you be now," spoke the Witch, her smile and herself gradually growing more distant with every step back. "You have a duty to uphold, after all. Your sword and shield should be leaning on a fence somewhere. I suggest you make haste. Everyone's eager to see how your hero's tale would come to an end, so don't disappoint them, alright? Most importantly, don't disappoint yourself."

Leon was already there standing on his side of the ring... I had a sneaking suspicion he hasn't left that spot since his matchup. He looked no worse for wear, his silver armor gleaming untarnished, with a magnificent red cape draped over his shoulders - just smiling there, just staring there... and just as eager there.

"Well, so long as there's no pressure…" I took a step forward, smiling back as I donned on my helmet once more. "Easy-peasy…"