Reputation

Leon stood before the Arena, as he looked on in wonder. The closest thing he could think of from his world that would compare was the Roman Colosseum, but he had never experienced it himself. He couldn't help but be curious if the people who visited the Colosseum experienced the same emotions that he felt now. The different entrances were all busy and jam packed with people entering and exiting. He could also identify that the entrances were also separated based on the people who were going in.

He saw the relatively short line of people who belonged to more prestigious backgrounds and was tempted to go in himself. Sadly, there wasn't much of the day left and Leon didn't plan to spend the rest of his time at the Arena, at least for today. He also saw another line that didn't lead towards one of the different entrances, rather it formed off of a table. Leon walked near the table and learned that it was where people could sign up as a fighter and participate in the Arena.

Leon listened in due to interest and to learn what the requirements were to become a participant. While he was in no position to fight now nor did he have the need to do so, it was always a good option for training. He could have sworn there was a saying in his world that said something along the lines that real combat was the best teacher. Luckily, he also saw that some of the people who were signing up were disguised and some of the names they put down were so ridiculous that they could have only been aliases.

It would have been very troublesome trying to join the Arena as his current identity, he was half afraid that his opponent wouldn't fight seriously out of fear of the Rain Clan and the other was that they might try to beat him to death due to the actions of the original. However, the thought of fighting did kind of make him kind of nervous, he had never done such a thing in his own world.

He also heard conversations that were in line with what the boys back and the hideout had been saying, the fights that were going on now were pretty boring with none of the more famous fighters participating lately. However, that also meant that the current moment was the best time to sign up, since the competition was pretty lacking right now. As long as one could stand out and get good results, they would most likely be able to gain the attention and admiration of the audiences.

Leon believed that he had heard and experienced enough of the Arena, at least what was available to him without actually entering. Even though the next location wasn't as close to the border between the rich and poor parts of the Entertainment District and would have less of the commoner demographic, it was still somewhere that he deemed to be just as important as the last two. Leon was about to make his way towards the Music Hall, but as he went over the mental map in his head he found that there was another important location between the two.

In the Entertainment District, besides around the iconic establishments there were other locations where the quality would improve. There were streets that were just as glamorous, this was due to them having the backing of different Clans. The street he was heading towards was brought to such heights through the culmination of a few different Clans working together. Most of the popular streets in the district were like this; however, there were also streets that were supported by only one Clan, each one having the full support of a Major Clan.

The only reason Leon's underlings hadn't gone to that street and holed up in an establishment there was because it was actually even more cut throat. The different businesses there were all under the sponsorship or ownership of his fellow Clan members. The rivalry between the different establishments was intense due to the competitive nature of the Rain Clan. More than likely they would have been treated even harshly there than by Blaine's lackeys.

As Leon walked he glanced at how the businesses changed from the hodgepodge that it was into a more uniformed appearance. He no longer saw competitors next to each other and instead saw how they were positioned so that they meshed well with those around them. He could even see deals going on that connected the different places together. This street fully showed off how the different smaller Clan's had to coordinate if they wanted to stand up against the Major Clans.

He also saw an art gallery that was showing off the belongings of the different Clans. It appeared that such streets were also a method for the Clans to show off their prestige. He took a glance at a library he was passing by as he continued on his way through the street, he had to wonder if the books in there were just tales that embellished the feats of the Clans.

Leon could really see how much the Clans valued their reputation just by seeing how much they tried to make themselves look so impressive and hype themselves up. This also showed him that doing anything to damage that reputation would be taken seriously and treated harshly. It made more sense to Leon now why the original was such an outcast of the Rain Clan seeing how he probably touched the lifeblood of the Clan.

However, Leon also felt that he found an advantage over the people of this world. He truly didn't care for his reputation, especially since it wasn't even his own in the first place. To him it was just an aspect or tool of this world that could be exploited. His lack of care also allowed him to do things that others wouldn't dare to do, while also relieving him of doing things he didn't want to do to save face like others would.

Not long after he left the premises of the Clan sponsored street he was quickly closing in on the Music Hall. He could tell this due to the common occurrence of the improvement of the surroundings of the iconic landmarks in the district. However, this time the types of establishments were more connected to the different fine arts. He had already passed by several different art galleries. Like around the Arena he also saw a few shops in the vicinity, but instead of combat related stuff he found them to be full of instruments and art supplies.

It would appear that Leon had found the cultural center of Phoenix Cry City. He almost expected to see street performers as he was walking around, but it would appear that such an activity was not present in this world or at least in this city. However, he did hear music coming from several different restaurants that he had passed by. The reason that Leon deemed this place to be as important as the two locations that he had visited earlier even if it lacked the appeal to commoners was due to that famous Zither Player, Aria, who would be visiting in three weeks.

While the system did elude that most of the Heavens' Chosen were from a more impoverished background, he couldn't ignore the possibility that they might be a fan of Aria and came to Phoenix Cry City because of her. More than anything else Leon had to find out how long she would be in the city, it could give him hints how long the Chosen could be in the city. It would really suck if she were only here for a single day and the Chosen ended up leaving the very next day.

Leon finally made his way to the Music Hall and saw a banner hung up that announced Aria's coming. He could also see a portrait of her on display next to the banner, her beauty even astounded Leon who was used to seeing the beautiful celebrities of his world on tv. They must have really embellished her image in the portrait, Leon was even tempted to find the artist and have them make a portrait of himself. With his average looks and the slightly chubby body of the original, would he also be on the level of a celebrity?

Putting the matter of the advertisement aside, Leon was able to see how long Aria would be in the City. Thankfully it appeared that she would be here for three weeks and have 3 performances while she was here. The only reason she was probably here for so long was due to the Phoenix Cry City's status as one of the top ten cities of the Empire. Other cities might not even have her stay for a full week or have more than one performance. Hopefully, if the Heavens' Chosen did come to the city for the sake of seeing Aria, then he would stay for all of her performances.