As Hikaru anticipated the start of the first match, a silent realization dawned on him: ‘Looks like my speculation is correct. Despite my masked guise, Prince Clay’s awareness of my presence and seating position hinted at potential surveillance. Without a word spoken, the fact the prince directly recognized me left me somewhat unsettled. It appeared that Lydia’s vigilant gaze served not only for my safety but also as a means to relay my every move to the prince.’
The crowd fell into a hushed silence as the first match was about to begin. Sarya, adorned in thick green leather armor, gracefully unsheathed her rapier. Across from her, Goun stood, donning a set of heavy armor minus the helmet, shield raised, and broadsword poised for action. With a solemn nod, the referee raised his hand, signaling the imminent start of the first match, and then dropped it to commence the bout.
*Swooosh* Sarya dashed toward Goun, swiftly closing the gap, while Goun raised his shield in anticipation.
*Cling –Clang –Clang* Sarya thrust her rapier three times, targeting the vulnerable gap in Goun's armor, only to have her strikes deftly parried by Goun's shield.
Goun channeled his mana into the shield, causing it to briefly glow with a soft blue light. In an instant, frost began to crystallize, shaping into an icicle, which he then aimed towards Sarya. He cast this icicle spell three times, each aimed at a different spot as he tried to predict where she would evade them.
Upon spotting the soft blue glow radiating from Goun's shield, Sarya swiftly backed away, a flicker of caution igniting in her eyes.
*Swish –Clang –Swish –Swish* With deft movements, Sarya parried one of the icicles, feeling a sharp sting as it nicked her hand in the process, then skillfully evaded the other two with agile grace as she gained enough distance.
Although energy is typically invisible within our bodies, it manifests and becomes visible when utilized in abilities, spells, or techniques. As Goun channeled his mana to the Outer Magic Diagram etched on the inner part of his shield, it briefly glowed in a soft blue light. The diagram was positioned on the inner part of the shield to protect it from damage, inadvertently concealing its enchanted nature while ensuring its effectiveness.
Meanwhile inside the Royal Seating Box, Clay commented: “Crafty move! If Goun were a Suncian wielding a shield enchanted with a firebolt spell instead of an icicle spell, things might have played out quite differently. HAHAHA...” Clay laughed out loud.
Hikaru then curiously asked while looking at Clay: “Forgive my impertinence, your highness, but if Suncians are stronger, why do most of your subordinates consist of Frostfolks instead of Suncians or even us Bamboreans?”
Clay’s brows furrowed in contemplation as he replied with a thoughtful tone: “Ah, that's a whole other matter altogether. Suncians are like blazing swords, while Frostfolks are akin to a soothing band-aids. I don’t really use swords, so I prefer to bring band-aids with me. And Lydia...” His voice softened, a hint of fondness touching his features. “I entrusted her as your bodyguard not only for her prowess in combat but also for her healing abilities.”
Fire magic specializes in destruction, while water magic excels in support. Therefore, Suncians are generally more effective as offensive mages due to their higher base fire attribute, while Frostfolks are better suited for support roles thanks to their higher base water attribute.
Satisfied with Clay’s answer, Hikaru didn’t ask further and simply continued to watch the match with him, while Lydia stood beside him as there weren’t any seats left for her.
Realizing the danger posed by Goun’s shield, Sarya opted to attack him from a distance.
*Swish –Swish –Swish –Swish –Swish* She channeled her chi, causing the tip of her rapier to glow with a soft green light, and then launched five [Flying Thrust] attacks.
*Cling –Clang –Clang –Clang –Clang* Sarya’s attacks were blocked by Goun’s shield, but due to the destructive power of the attacks, the shield started to dent all over the place.
*Swish –Swish –Swish -Swish* Realizing his shield wouldn’t last much longer if he continued taking her barrage of attacks, Goun retaliated by using his icicle spell more intensely than before.
*Swish –Swish* Sarya continued to avoid all the incoming icicles with a bit of labored breath, while once in a while countering them with [Flying Thrust] attacks.
*Clang –Thud* After receiving two of Sarya’s counterattacks, Goun’s shield finally cracked, rendering its enchantment useless.
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Seeing Goun’s countenance changing, Sarya knew she successfully damaged the shield. She slowly regulated her labored breath as she slowly walked toward Goun.
Unexpectedly, Goun also took the initiative to get closer, as his movements suddenly got a bit faster.
*Swish –Swish –Swish* Closing the gap with remarkable swiftness, he unleashed three [Flying Slash] sword attacks, each strike aimed at her vitals.
*Snip* Sarya’s senses jolted as the unexpected sound sliced through the air. Her surprise turned to astonishment when she realized Goun wielded yet another long-distance attack. Thanks to her high wits attribute and sharp instinct, she managed to avoid the attacks, which only sheared her long locks into shorter ones with a decisive snip.
*Swish –Swish –Swish* Sarya got mad and unleashing another barrage of [Flying Thrust] sword attacks immediately.
*Clang –Thud – Slice -Clink* Goun's shield cracked further, and three of his right fingers were severed as his broadsword was involuntarily thrown to the side, hitting the far back of the stone platform.
*TWEEEET* The referee sounded the whistle to indicate the match was over.
*Swish* But as Sarya was already in the middle of launching her attack, and her anger hadn’t subsided, she proceeded to launch another [Flying Thrust] sword attack at Goun's mutilated fingers on the floor.
Goun’s mutilated fingers were mangled beyond repair. He glared daggers at Sarya, who had just realized her mistake. The murmurs of the spectators in the area grew louder, with some cursing Sarya for her ruthlessness, while others applauded her for various reasons. Sensing the gravity of the situation, the referee halted announcing the winner as Sarya’s intent to inflict lasting harm could result in disqualification.
The medics swiftly arrived, escorting Goun to the Healing Formation to mend his wounds. Meanwhile, the referee instructed Sarya to step off the platform and take a seat on the nearby bench. With a solemn tone, the referee then announced a brief recess of the tournament, intending to consult the principal regarding the outcome of the match.
Meanwhile, inside the Royal Seating box, after watching how the whole situation unfolded, Clay could only sigh and say: “What a shame,” he lamented with a sigh.
Hikaru suddenly became curious and respectfully interrupted: “Apologies for the interruption, Your Highness, but may I ask why it’s such a big deal? Couldn’t the medics simply heal Goun’s wound in the healing formation?”
Clay patiently clarified: “You seem to misunderstand something. The healing formation is primarily designed to address life-threatening injuries. In cases where fingers are cleanly severed in two places, the formation can effectively halt bleeding, allowing for subsequent hospital treatment and multiple healing sessions to facilitate full recovery. As a medical practitioner himself, Goun could also use his own healing technique instead of going to the hospital. However, because Goun’s mutilated fingers were badly mangled, there is no way to reattach them, rendering him permanently disabled. I had initially planned to hire him as a royal guard, but now, due to his condition, I change my mind.”
After hearing Clay’s explanations, Hikaru nervously gulped but continued to inquire further. “Your Highness, during the competition, Sarya utilized [Flying Thrust], a level 2 technique, and Goun employed [Flying Slash], also a level 2 technique. According to the criteria, they should already be qualified to graduate from Bailey University. Why did they choose to pay an additional 50 gold coins to continue their study?”
Clay then turned to Lydia, who stood silently beside Hikaru, and asked: “Well, Lydia, you probably know more. Would you care to explain?”
Lydia nodded and then explained her thought process to Hikaru: “Well, most of the participants here want to be hired by nobles or royalty. Many of them could already graduate but choose not to in order to participate in this competition. I never told you before, Hikaru, but I was a Bailey University alumna. Your Highness hired me because he took an interest in me when I participated in this competition years ago. Otherwise, I would probably have become a mercenary.”
Hikaru then inquired further, addressing Lydia: “But you need to pay an additional 50 gold coins to continue your studies! Isn’t that just too wasteful? Besides, if you become a mercenary, you would have more time and earn more money?”
Lydia explained: “Well, the winner does get 10 platinum coins, while all other participants receive 50 gold coins, equivalent to waiving their annual tuition fees. Besides, you seem to underestimate the risks of being adventurers and what it means to have an annual mortality rate of 20%. Conversely, the mortality rate of royal guards or knights is much lower, to the point of being negligible.”
Clay then added: “Hikaru, you seem to underestimate the perks of being a royal guard. First, you receive a monthly salary along with bonuses for missions. Second, you have numerous subordinates whom you can assign tasks, including adventures. Third, knights and royal guards seldom embark on missions, so they devote most of their time to training. For instance, Lydia has been by my side for several years now, yet the missions she has undertaken can be counted on two hands.”
While Clay tried to entice Hikaru with the perks of being a royal guard, Hikaru’s mind was preoccupied with his little sister, Masaki. He silently mused to himself: ‘Lydia, I think my definition of “fine” and your definition of “fine” are totally different! If all the other participants are as strong and as ruthless as Sarya, how could Masaki survive?’
As the tournament resumed, the referee’s voice reverberated, announcing Sarya’s victory. With sincerity, Sarya extended a heartfelt apology for her blunder, promising reparation to Goun. In a generous act of goodwill, she offered him 100 gold coins as immediate compensation and pledged an additional 5 platinum coins if she wins the tournament.
The second match was between a male Suncian named Audellis from class 3-B and a male Firefang Wolfman named Cresser from class 5-B. Audellis is a huge human standing at 2 meters tall, while Cresser is an average-sized Wolfman of the same height.
After the announcement, Clay once again asked Hikaru: “So, who do you think will win this second match, Hikaru?”
Hikaru replied: “Well, people seem to be favoring Audellis over Cresser in their bets, and since they were right about Sarya winning the last match, I’ll go with the crowd and pick Audellis.”
Clay then commented: “Ah, interesting choice. Then I’ll go against the grain and choose Cresser. Remember what I mentioned earlier about Goun losing his fingers permanently? That’s because he is human, which has a moderate cell regeneration rate. But Cresser is a Wolfman, with a fast cell regeneration rate. A Wolfman can regrow his limbs with the help of healing formation or even just by using healing chi.”
Hearing Clay’s insight, Hikaru got excited as the second match was about to begin. He watched as Audellis and Cresser slowly walked toward the battle platform.