"It isn't?" Luka asks coyly. "All of this monster battling is just fanfare, isn't it? The monsters don't really die, and the act of defeating them is just some elaborate ritual the Wizard and Protector arranged. Only the vote matters. Sounds like a game to me, even if the stakes are incredibly high."

He continues, his voice growing serious.

"There are plenty of heroes with blood on their hands. Being too soft is what gets you killed."