Even while tears still clung to her lashes, Vigdís clenched her fists and declared her resolve with a surprisingly determined expression.

Good.

That was exactly the conclusion I had wanted her to reach.

People grew stronger by overcoming regret.

Not by sinking into it.

I nodded in satisfaction.

"If that's how you feel, then today's events weren't meaningless."

"Hic... yes."

Vigdís lowered her head and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief I had given her.

Just then—

"How touching."

A familiar voice drifted over from nearby.

The atmosphere around us instantly cooled.

I turned my head.

Nidr was walking toward us.

The victor of the match.

The man who had defeated Ríolíkin after being knocked down by him.

His expression looked relaxed, but there was a sharpness hidden beneath the smile.

Naturally.

A person like Nidr would never forget the humiliation of being knocked to the ground.

Especially not when everyone had witnessed it.

"Congratulations on your victory."

I spoke first.

There was no reason to provoke him unnecessarily.

Nidr laughed.

"Victory?"

His gaze shifted toward Ríolíkin.

The latter instinctively stiffened.

"What a strange thing to say."

The smile remained on Nidr's face.

"But I suppose I should be grateful."

"...Grateful?"

"Yes."

Nidr folded his arms.

"Thanks to him, I was reminded not to underestimate people."

Ríolíkin blinked.

He looked as though he couldn't tell whether this was praise or mockery.

To be fair, neither could I.

"The fact remains that he knocked me down."

Nidr's eyes narrowed slightly.

"For the first time in a very long while."

Ríolíkin's shoulders trembled.

Not with fear.

With excitement.

The reaction was so obvious that even Nidr seemed momentarily taken aback.

"I-I did, didn't I...?"

"Yes."

Nidr answered immediately.

"You did."

For a brief moment, silence fell.

An awkward silence.

One that felt entirely foreign coming from Nidr.

Then he clicked his tongue.

"As much as I dislike admitting it."

The words sounded almost forced.

"As a warrior, that achievement deserves recognition."

Ríolíkin looked ready to burst.

The expression on his face was absurdly bright.

It was probably the first compliment Nidr had ever given him.

Or anyone, for that matter.

"Th-thank you!"

"Hmph."

Nidr looked away as though embarrassed by the exchange.

Then his gaze settled on me.

"As for you, Karvaldr."

I had been wondering when the conversation would reach its actual destination.

Nidr hadn't come all the way over here to praise Ríolíkin.

"What is it?"

"Your companions are quite unusual."

His eyes briefly moved between Reisir in the distance, Vigdís, Ríolíkin, and Yor.

Particularly Yor.

Yor stared back without the slightest intention of hiding her hostility.

"Myang."

Nidr's eyebrow twitched.

I almost laughed.

Even after witnessing everything today, Yor still treated him like a suspicious stranger.

"They are merely acquaintances."

"Is that so?"

Nidr clearly didn't believe me.

Not that it mattered.

He could believe whatever he wanted.

After all, I had no intention of explaining our relationships to him.

For a moment, Nidr studied my face.

Then he spoke again.

"The Tournament is becoming more interesting than I expected."

"I see."

"Especially because of people who continue to exceed expectations."

His gaze lingered on Ríolíkin.

Then shifted briefly toward where Reisir was.

Finally, it returned to me.

There was meaning hidden there.

Calculation.

Evaluation.

The look of someone reorganizing information inside his head.

Nidr had come here intending to place everyone into neat categories.

Useful.

Worthless.

Threat.

Tool.

But today's events had disrupted that process.

Good.

The more difficult he found us to understand, the better.

At last, Nidr turned away.

"I'll see you all in the next round."

With those words, he departed without waiting for a response.

Silence remained behind.

A long silence.

Then—

"Was he... complimenting me?"

Ríolíkin asked in disbelief.

I sighed.

"That seems to be the case."

"He complimented me."

"Apparently."

"He complimented me."

"Yes."

Ríolíkin suddenly looked as though he might cry again.

This time from happiness.

Watching him, I found myself wondering whether Nidr would regret that brief moment of honesty once he realized the effect it had produced.

Probably.

Very much so.