Anwar Faris Nur's reputation spread after he won that one-against-three battle.
People always admire brave and powerful warriors, and it was no different in Rus'; weren't so many heroic sagas sung in praise of such warriors?
As Anwar subsequently joined the tournament, and with the help of that long spear, achieved victory after victory, the rumors became even more exaggerated.
Some even claimed he was a descendant of Alexander, which Anwar himself found both amusing and frustrating. Many comedic actors even performed stories of Anwar and his defeated opponents, earning peals of laughter from the audience.
However, what everyone didn't know was that Rostislav had orchestrated all these rumors himself; how else could he stir up excitement and encourage people to place bets?
And indeed, in these past few days, just as Rostislav had planned, the casino's turnover had been rising year after year.
However, although the casino's turnover increased, there was one person who was unhappy, and that was Zoe.
Zoe was very displeased with Rostislav. Wasn't this supposed to be a celebration of their child's birth? Why had so many chaotic things emerged? Did he even care about his son anymore? Was he going to drag out the time by organizing other events?
Zoe was very unhappy with the commotion in Moscow during this period. She wanted a quiet environment to raise her child, not the omnipresent noise that currently surrounded them.
Moreover, Rostislav had abandoned his usual routine during this time. During the day, he was either watching matches or hunting, occasionally reading or writing books. At night, he wouldn't return home, drinking with his friends all night and sleeping outside the city.
Zoe was furious about this. 'I'm so exhausted taking care of our son, and you're here indulging in wild pleasure!'
Under his wife's questioning and accusations, Rostislav Vladimirovich had no choice but to agree to cease all other activities. Once the current events concluded, they would be over, and he would no longer go out reveling with his friends.
Later, the Prince also thought that if he squeezed out all the profits by dragging it on for too long, there would be nothing left to squeeze in the future. It was better to have a long-term perspective and pursue a sustainable path of profit extraction.
Thus, Rostislav made a series of arrangements: first, he suspended registration for the tournament, then he began to accelerate the pace of the matches by scheduling more bouts each day.
For the spectators, this meant they could enjoy more matches daily, while for the contestants, with the cessation of registration, the battle for the top three spots truly began.
The atmosphere at the racetrack immediately became more intense. Every day, people were carried away, and the doctors' tents were always filled with screams.
Ibn was overwhelmed by the immense workload and repeatedly reported his struggles to Rostislav.
In response, the Prince could only assign his group of amateur doctors to assist Ibn. These individuals ranged from apprentices who had started halfway through their training to rural herbalists, and the Prince hoped they could learn something from Ibn.
Ibn also had educational resources; he had memorized that massive set of 'The Canon of Medicine,' which was the essence of medical art in the Arab world.
As for the arena, the Moscow Prince ordered the staff not to clean up the traces left by the battles, as their presence helped to stir up the atmosphere.
However, it was unfortunate that the Moscow Prince could not watch the fierce tournament every day. Due to his wife's demands, he could only dutifully stay in the palace, playing with his son and writing books.
Initially, Rostislav found it quite difficult to adjust, but people adapt quickly. He soon returned to his usual rhythm, chatting with his wife every day, watching his lively son, and experiencing the warmth of family.
Meanwhile, at the competition, although the Moscow Prince was absent, the excitement remained undiminished, as his absence did not affect people's ability to place bets and watch the matches.
In the competition, the Christian warrior from Persia could be said to be unstoppable; few could withstand more than a few moves against him, and he became the top favorite to win the championship.
Following him was a Norseman named Sogier.
This man had many acquaintances in Moscow, as he had once served as a mercenary with his Jomsvikings in Northeast Rus' for a year. Those mead-loving Jomsvikings had visited every brothel and tavern in Moscow.
However, during that period, Sogier's martial prowess was not particularly evident. The leader of the Jomsvikings never stepped onto the front lines, or rather, the battles he encountered were not severe enough to require him to do so.
But now, Sogier proved his ability; few in the entire North could compare to his skill with sword and shield.
After Sogier was a man named John Sokar. Although he had a completely Rus' face, he was dressed as a Nomad, and in contrast, he displayed skilled mastery of the scimitar.
Sokar would often swing his scimitar like a windmill, launching a storm of attacks.
This was a common use of the scimitar, but this young man had clearly pushed this ordinary technique to its extreme. Few could keep up with Sokar's speed in wielding the scimitar, and they often fell in battle in short order.
These three formed the dark horses of this tournament. Their opponents were easily defeated, and discussions about who among these three would win the championship grew increasingly heated.
At this stage of the competition, all those who had been defeated were skilled fighters. After their losses, they received invitations from various parties, as nobles always sought excellent warriors. This was precisely what the contestants hoped for, as they participated in this competition precisely to gain patronage and end their wandering lives, wasn't it?
The day of the finals arrived quickly, and Rostislav left the palace for the Prince's box. Even Zoe came with their son, as today was also the conclusion of the ceremony, and the Prince's family had to attend in person.
The fighting on that day was intense, both in group combat and individual duels. In the group combat, the contestants who had emerged from the fierce preliminary matches fought particularly fiercely.
Ibn later said that on that day, he treated three broken legs, two shattered collarbones, a dozen smashed fingers, two horses that had to be put down, and too many cuts, sprains, and abrasions to count. Ibn felt utterly exhausted after that day.
In the individual duels, Anwar won the championship, Sogier was the runner-up, and Sokar was the second runner-up. All three were covered in bruises and stood there barely conscious.
To Rostislav's delight, both the runner-up and the second runner-up declared their allegiance to the Moscow Prince during the award ceremony, and Rostislav naturally accepted their fealty with great pleasure and offered them protection.
The most gentle event was archery. A commoner from Novgorod won the championship and a huge prize, but this person did not accept the Prince's patronage and instead used his prize money to indulge in revelry.