1 Flame Heart Festival

Qin City, Eldora Kingdom

Qin City was located at the border of the Eldora kingdom and came under the duchy of Duke Huan. Due to its significant location as a city closer to two neighbouring kingdoms, a fortress had been built outside Qin to prevent the opposing army from taking control.

Huge walls made up of stones that reached up to 50 metres covered the outline of the city, and soldiers of the Qin army were stationed on them all the time.

The one in charge of this city was Lord Baren, Duke Huan's younger brother.

Tonight, in the city centre of Qin, a huge crowd had gathered around a makeshift platform filled with sand. Burning torches were lit across the platform, bathing the whole area in an orange hue. Huge banners were hung from the ropes that read "Flame Heart Festival."

In the middle of the platform, a beautiful young girl about the age of 16 stood while holding two torches burning with fire. She wore a long red gown, and her face and hair had been adorned with crimson-coloured jades, which made her resemble royalty.

For the people of Eldora, the "Flame Heart Festival" was a very joyous occasion. On this day, all the residents voted to choose a single contestant among all you young ladies whom they considered the most beautiful in the whole city.

This chosen girl would be given a chance to perform a fire dance in front of the crowd, which was a proud moment, and then, at the end of the dance, she would choose a youth among the crowd whom she wanted to marry.

For those young ladies hailing from modest backgrounds, the Fire Heart Festival presented an unprecedented opportunity. It afforded them the chance to propose marital unions to the youth of noble lineage—an endeavour traditionally proscribed by law.

Many young maidens eyed this festival to finally elevate themselves and their families from poverty and ascend to nobility.

"Wow, she is beautiful!" "Yes, it seems we voted for the right girl." "I wonder who she would choose?"

Voices echoed among the crowd from time to time.

Among the crowd, at the front stood all the youth from the city with empty torches in their hands. If they were to be chosen, then the lady would transfer the fire from her torch to theirs.

Looking at the beautiful lady standing in the middle of the platform, their eyes burned with fierce intensity.

If they were somehow chosen, then aside from being married to such beauty, they would also get monetary rewards from every citizen, which would make their lives far easier.

"Come on, Leo, the fire dance would begin at any second; we have to hurry," Mars spoke as he hurriedly pushed through the crowd to reach the front among the youths.

"Haff, I am trying Mars; I am not like you, who can plough the farm the whole day and still have energy left to sprint across the city!" The boy named Leo replied as he desperately tried to keep up with Mars.

Both boys were about 16 and had rough features. Mars had short dark hair and a sharp face, while Leo had curly brown hair with a tinge of fat on his cheeks. They wore shabby clothes filled with mud from the farm where they worked for the whole day.

"Besides, do you think Maia would choose a bumpkin like you?" Leo suddenly complained.

For the whole day, his friend Mars had been bickering about how the chosen girl, Maia, would pass the fire to him.

Listening to him, Mars paused for a moment and turned around to look at Leo with a firm expression. "Maia, you and I have been together since childhood; I love her and she loves me, then why won't she choose me?"

Seeing the firm determination on Mars's face, Leo sighed and nodded, then said, "Yeah, I know." but just don't raise your hopes too much. "I don't want you to be hurt; that's all Mars."

"Even if she chose me or not, it's very important for me to be here," Mars replied firmly, giving Leo's hand a reassuring squeeze before forging his way forward.

They eventually arrived at the front, where an old lady offered both of them empty torches. Mars accepted the torch, but Leo refused, saying, "No need, she isn't my type."

Eventually, Mars could see the young lady standing in the middle of the platform.

'Looking as breathtaking as you always do!' Mars thought in his heart; he still remembered meeting this girl 10 years ago on a farm, and he couldn't believe how she had grown into a ravishing beauty.

"Move aside!" "Get away, Lord Luther is coming!"

Suddenly, a commotion broke through the crowd, and a golden chariot pulled by two armoured war horses came forward.

Soon, a refined young man wearing luxurious clothes, and slick-back hair jumped down from the chariot and arrived in front.

In his hand was an empty torch.

"Oh, Young Master Luther is here!" "The City Lord's son is here too!" "So, he is interested in this lady too!"

"Haha, well, the outcome is already chosen; is there a better choice than the city lord's son?"

Upon the youth's arrival, the citizens immediately started giving their opinions; for most of them, the outcome was already set in stone by his presence.

The city lord, Lord Baren was the highest-ranked individual in charge of the Qin City. And being his only son, Lord Luther was quite popular among the common people. After all, he was next in line of succession in this city.

Any girl from a peasant family in their right mind wouldn't let go of the opportunity of proposing marriage to such a figure from a noble family, especially when Luther himself displayed his interest in her by joining the festival.

Realizing the reason for the commotion, Leo worriedly gazed at Mars and whispered, "Mars, are you sure about this?"

Mars also gazed at the City Lord's son, and a trace of worry flashed across his eyes, but he eventually gritted his teeth and muttered, "Let's see!"

Worry knitted Leo's brow as he regarded his friend. 'Mars, you're shouldering enough burdens already; don't let this decision add to your troubles.'

Mars belonged to a family of peasants who did not have any status in the city. Leo, on the other hand, was an orphan, his family had died from starvation. He too would have had a similar fate if Mars hadn't helped him with food and support at a critical time.

Ever since then, they have both lived together like brothers and experienced everything together.

And because of that, Leo understood Mars far more than anyone else did.

Unlike Leo, who only wanted a simple life where both of them could live happily, Mars had bigger dreams.

He wanted to fly to the heavens, above the lowly life of starvation and helplessness. But despite his big dreams, his heart was quite fragile, and the realisation that the wings he needed to rise above his circumstances were elusive could crumble his spirit.

It was the only thing Leo dreaded and never wished would happen to his friend.

Even though Maia and Mars had been together since they were children, Leo knew that in this world, when it came to choosing a marriage partner, feelings of heart were the last thing to be considered.

Mars knew this too, and that's what confused Leo: 'Is he hoping for a miracle to happen here?'

Mars's gaze was locked on the stage, where Maia stood, adorned in a flowing red gown that seemed to catch fire in the glow of the torches. Her eyes shone with determination as she held a torch of her own, its flame flickering and casting shadows on her face.

"It's beginning!" A cry broke through the crowd.

Dum! Dum!

Drum beats echoed.

With graceful movements, Maia began her dance, her body swaying and twirling to the hypnotic rhythm of the drums. The flames from the torches around her seemed to respond to her every motion, leaping and dancing in harmony.

Mars's heart raced as he watched her, captivated by her beauty and the intensity of her performance. It was as if he were looking at the same small, snorting girl who used to play with him.

As the dance progressed, Maia's movements grew more intricate, her body becoming a living extension of the flames.

"Wow, so gorgeous!" "Haha, truly befitting the title of No. 1 beauty."

The crowd watched in awe; their breaths were held in collective anticipation of when the dance would end.

Eventually, the drums turned louder than ever, and the dance reached its climax, with Maia's movement turning fiercer. The vicious flame threatened to burn her long gown, but at the last moment, it was always averted skillfully.

Dun!

The dancing came to an end. Maia's chest rose up and down from exhaustion, and with the flames in her hands, she started moving forward.

"Oh, it's time!" "Who will she choose!"

Almost every youth standing in the crowd felt their hearts constrict as Maia ran her gaze through them.

Then, it stopped on Mars.

Mars clenched his fists tightly until they turned white and gazed back at her eyes, expecting love and affection in them.

But,

He saw pity as if someone was looking at an abandoned pet.

Almost immediately, Maia gracefully turned her face and swiftly walked to the refined young man standing in front of a huge chariot.

She bowed her head while lifting her gown with one hand, and with the other, she transferred the flame into his empty torch.

"Lord Luther, please allow this lowly peasant to join your Claire family."

The young man named Luther smiled, his eyes roaming around Maia's graceful figure. Suddenly, he wrapped his hand around her thin waist and pulled Maia into a deep and passionate kiss.

"Yeah, it's agreed."

"Our young lord is finally getting married!"

"Haha, set a feast for every citizen tonight; we will drink to our contentment."

Immediately, cheers echoed through the main stage, and every man standing in the crowd ran towards the new couple. Even the youths forgot about their defeat and instead became excited about the feast.

Only Mars and Leo stood outside the crowd, alone.

Thud!

The empty torch fell from Mars's hands, and his head turned lower until he faced his ragged and muddy shoes.

"Mars…." Leo was about to say something... when suddenly Mars turned to face the sky.

"So, this is my reality," he muttered, the weight of disappointment heavy in his voice.

"Leo, I knew something like this would happen, there was no way Maia, the most beautiful girl in Qin, despite our immature love, would choose a bumpkin like me instead of that young lord."

"But I still came here to see this... "Do you know why?"

"Why...?" Leo asked softly.

Mars turned to face his dear friend Leo, but Leo involuntarily flinched at the sight of Mars's face. Mars's lips had curled into a wild sneer, an expression that sent a shiver down Leo's spine as if a demon had temporarily taken hold.

"Kekeke!" Mars chuckled in an unsettling manner, then explained, "I came here to make sure my resolve remains unshakeable." "To steel my heart for what I intend to do."

Mars pointed towards the couple at the centre of the crowd, their passionate kiss contrasting starkly with the turmoil in Mars's heart. "You see, this image will be seared into my memory forever."

"It will serve as a constant reminder of my reality."

"I was born into insignificance, rejected by my love for the allure of status and wealth."

"I am a lowly scum, meant to be forgotten if I don't carve my path in this ruthless world."

Leo's confusion deepened. "What do you mean?" "What are you planning?"

Mars remained silent; his gaze locked on the young couple for another long moment.

Then, he turned away and began walking, his voice carrying back to Leo through the murmurs of the crowd. "Let's head home, Leo."

"Mother is unwell; we need to be there for her."