An hour later, the three boys headed out, accompanied by a married couple who were both top-tier bodyguards Tarquin had arranged beforehand. During their time in Thyania, they would stay with Elliot, Evan, and Elijah twenty-four-seven, pretending to be their guardians. Before leaving, the female bodyguard even gave the three boys a bit of a disguise so no one would connect them to Tarquin.
There were several registration desks for the martial arts tournament, and the closest one was only a ten-minute drive away. The check-in was to finalize the list of competitors, since not everyone who registered online would actually show up.
The bodyguard couple took the three boys to the registration area. After a short wait in line, they let Evan go up to sign in and get his competitor's pass himself.
When the Thyanian staff member saw Evan, he immediately stopped him, speaking to them in halting English, "He wants to compete?!"
The female bodyguard nodded. "Yes, he does."
The staff member frowned. "What's his name?"
Evan jumped in. "My name is Mr. Gage! I registered online! You can check!"
Mr. Gage?
The staff member pursed his lips and searched on the computer. Sure enough, his registration info was there.
Name: Mr. Gage
Gender: Male
Age: 5
Nationality: Zhinora
Noticing the man's expression, Evan asked, "What's the problem? You don't want me to compete? Your announcement didn't have an age limit! And what does martial arts have to do with age, anyway?"
"This is an official competition, not a playground," the man said dismissively.
"I'm not playing around," Evan shot back. "I'm here to compete with a very serious attitude."
"Step aside," the staff member said rudely. "Next!"
"I did. Is there a problem?" Evan said.
The supervisor gave a strained laugh. "No problem. Uh, Mr. Gage, who is your master? Which school are you from?"
"I'm an independent competitor. I don't have a school," Evan said.
The supervisor looked at the female bodyguard behind him. "Is this your child?"
"Just register him under the independent competitor category," the female bodyguard said. "The other information is optional, isn't it? The registration fee was already paid online."
The supervisor had wanted to get more information on Evan, but hearing this, he had no choice but to drop it. They completed the process and gave Evan his pass.
As soon as the group left, the supervisor's face darkened. "That kid is no joke."
Another staff member commented, "The East is a powerhouse of martial arts. A lot of kids start training from a young age. It's normal for a prodigy or two to emerge. But no matter how good he is, he's no match for our Amoh!"

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem