[Even though it was her own doing, she looks mildly surprised at the sudden change of heart. Somehow, she had expected it to be more obvious, maybe somewhat upsettingly so, that his decision to stop running hadn't been entirely his own.]

[It's only somewhat at him that she breathes a relieved:] Thank you.

I need someone to help me in one of the upcoming competitions. An assistant, you might say. Someone who can complete an obstacle course while I magically provide them with directions from a remote location.

[That is essentially what the structure of the event is, right? And it sounds a lot more more palatable than calling it hypnosis.]

You seem more than equipped for the task. And I'm prepared to offer you the entire 50,000 gold prize if we win. I'm more interested in the victory itself... well, that and the other half of the prize, the enchanted item recipe.

What do you say?