"Well, fuck."

"I've heard rumors of places beyond those," muses the old woman.

"Actionable rumors? I have a magical medical condition that will - admittedly not kill me but not being able to treat it means I can't use my powers."

"Maybe."

"...do elaborate."

The old woman smiles but doesn't otherwise respond.

Why are people from this world besides the one who is ambiguously her magical slave so unhelpful. You'd think they'd at least be trying to curry favor for the magical powers she might have soon.

"What's the nature of the tournament besides that people die in it?" she asks Lianelle.

"Everyone gets a champion - there's a lot of variety in what sort of magical fighter a champion is. Summoners and their champions try to kill the other summoners, with groups preparing beforehand and supporting who they want to win. Sometimes monsters are attracted by the high concentration of power and kill people - usually unrelated people. It is not a good tournament and tends to bring out the worst in people."

"Are you a volunteer?"

"No. I might have been if that was an option." 

She does not look proud of herself about this.

"Can I - let you go - possibly not until after I am no longer in lethal danger but like in principle -"

"I - I don't actually know. I'd prefer you don't unless you turn out to be evil which I think you are probably not."

"Why would you prefer I didn't?"

"Uh, you wouldn't be able to win the tournament without me and you winning seems probably good? Champions tend to be appropriate for their summoners and in this case I am thinking that the appropriateness is in the having similar values sort of way."

"Also, if you managed to let me go I'd return to the spirit plane and I can't do anything there." 

"I mean, even if I could just let you go straightforwardly and you preferred this I might conceivably put it off till I was no longer dealing with" the Goblet of Fire having spat out my name "a battle royale I didn't want to enter, but if you prefer not being in the spirit plane that's legit. What... is the nature... of the thing that is making you be here and my champion instead of there and not?"

"There's a bond that gives you a magical boost and binds me to you and you can then allow me to manifest physically."

"Gives me a magical boost?"

"Yes, though it might not be useful for whatever type of magic you have."

"Well, it doesn't seem to be guiding away my backlash or anything, I guess the powers themselves could be a little amped up without my having noticed yet."

"If you don't know spells it might not be useful."

"I don't know spells, just my powers. I don't suppose these are quick and easy to learn."

"They are rather rare and closely guarded secrets."

"I'll trade you one," offers the other woman.

Both Lianelle and the scared guy look very surprised about this.

"For what?"

"Killing Ivan here."

Ivan does not approve of this offer at all and is glaring at the old woman about this.