Time usually passed quickly.
Yet sometimes, when one awaited a particular moment…
it slowed to a crawl.
Fortunately, the wait did not last long this time.
— The Day of the Duel —
It was an ordinary day in Ashvarn, no different from any other.
Members of the Heart clan woke up that morning and went about their daily affairs, while the hunters either headed out to hunt or remained behind to train.
Everything appeared normal.
Everything—except for the duel that had recently been announced.
A Maria's reckoning Duel.
The first one in years.
When the news spread, many were surprised.
It had been a long time since the Hearts had been forced to resort to this ancient tradition.
In the past, Maria's Appraisal was only held under very serious circumstances—when a conflict arose that could not be resolved except through combat, or when disputes over authority emerged among the senior hunters.
Sometimes it was invoked when disagreements threatened the stability of the entire clan.
