After a night of rest, I was back at training.

There were only a few more days before the first battles started. No matter how sure I was in my ability to take out a knight, in the event something didn’t work out, I would need to have some insurance. That wasn’t even accounting for Ponteck. Worryingly, I didn’t know exactly how developed Ponteck’s Aura was, but I couldn’t bank on it being worse than mine.

Thankfully, it would at most be even, if not a little better. Any more developed and he would be able to project Vigor, which would complicate matters far more. I at least had assurance from the Puppet Master that he most likely hadn’t reached that level yet.

So for the rest of my training days, I simply focused on fighting knights and utilizing my Illusory Aura.

I no longer pushed myself as hard against the knight puppets, preserving more energy for training my Aura. The additional time I managed to put in let me eventually play the game of tag with both Vetsmon and Feiden at once. However, that seemed to be the limit. I could make two illusions of myself indistinguishable from reality, but any more than that and the once subtle differences in Aura between a clone and the original became painfully obvious. Not only that, the act itself of maintaining the facade took quite a lot of concentration. I had to devote my entire Spark to maintaining one, and my mind to the other; I didn’t have another Spark yet to control a third.

That was fine though, because I only really needed one for the tournament. Two was just good insurance in case I was in a really sticky situation. However, utilizing two illusions also made them both less real. The more mind power I could devote to one, the better.

I also used my guns in tandem, which worked shockingly well. Nobody would know where the shot would come from until it was made. And since I had really good control over my Intent and how much it leaked, it was impossible to tell which one was real even while I attacked.

This was all to say that I was very prepared, and I still had more time to refine all my techniques. My illusions would only get better, to say nothing of my Aura overall.

And so, the last few days of training passed. I didn’t bother going to the arena because nobody I knew was fighting. But that changed at the beginning of the next week.

All of us received our letters the day before telling us when and where to meet for our matches. And so we went, all of us with our own battles to fight.

Funnily enough, because nobody cared about the summoners, we had our own arena in one of the training fields. It usually wasn’t a popular arena.

However, this time, it was much more crowded. I had a feeling that was because of me.

After entering the field I made my way over to a check-in. From there I just waited in the staging area, watching some of the battles before me.

Sure enough, as was expected by literally all of humanity, there were no cold summoners fighting. Only hot summoners even had a chance since they actually summoned beasts and the like, so they didn’t have to do any fighting themselves, or risk much of anything. Perhaps that was why it was also on the field instead of the arena.

I didn’t have any clue what these summons looked like, but I relaxed as I watched the beasts fight. Most of them seemed like normal animals. None of them were exotic like Flickers or vicious like Scourge beasts. Then again, they were all foreign in some way.

If cold summons came from other worlds, then these animals probably did too. That meant it wouldn’t look anything like normal animals from this world.

Still, nothing particularly caught my eye. The main issue with summoners wasn’t actually their summons, but their advancement formations. Each advancement was mediocre at best and made them all pitifully weak for their level. It simply wasn’t on the level of Maxwell’s, which was designed to push a summoner to Authority 12 like the advancement paths for knights and warlocks.

So these battles were really only cage fights. When one side's beasts lost, that was game. The goal wasn’t actually to harm the other summoner.

Things would be far too easy for me.

Though, I didn’t expect what happened a bit before my turn came.

A young man approached me with an entourage trailing behind, hesitantly walking over until he stood before me.

I kept my relaxed posture as he spoke.

“John Cooper? My name is Max Tenne. A pleasure to meet the most powerful summoner in the Magisterium.”

“Hello, Max.”

I shook his hand. This Max was naturally a summoner as well, so his Psyka made his thoughts a bit more difficult to read. But it wasn’t enough to really stifle my own Aura, so I could tell that he came here with a certain level of determination. This obviously wasn’t just a spur of the moment meeting.

Sure enough, he sat down next to me.

“I’d like to extend a proposition to you. You see, we summoners within the Magisterium tend to stick together, being an oppressed minority. We have something like a club that focuses on our intellectual standing, which also provides many opportunities through our connections with a variety of businesses within the Capitol. First, I’d like to extend an invitation. We’re called the Psykic Conference. I’d like to make you a member.”

“You do understand that I’ll be leaving when the year is over, right?”

My brows raised. I wasn’t being rude. It was just that I had no more than a couple months left here. If I had started from the first or even third year, they might be worth checking out, and I might be worth something to them.

Max smiled.

“Yes, I do understand that. However, I still extend the invitation because the Conference can provide you with many valuable connections. We’re all aware that a summoner’s place is really only behind a desk as the thinker of many businesses. I also know that you’re an exception who’s exceptional at combat, so that might not be for you. But the battlefield is dangerous, so I’d like to offer this to you. Take it as an olive branch.”

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“Hm, that’s generous. Well, I appreciate the offer. I might drop by later and take a look. But if I may ask, why now all of a sudden?”

“Well, this tournament is the main reason. I didn’t actually come here just to extend an invitation. Allow me to lay forth my second proposition.”

Max glanced out toward the arena before looking back into my eyes.

“We at the conference have decided to forfeit all matches against you. This means you’ll have no issue simply climbing to the top and taking the title of Summoner Champion.”

“Oh yeah? Why?”

“Heh…” He looked down with an aura of self-disappointment. “Sir Cooper, we have no illusions about our power. You are currently the Rank 1 Elite, even over Ponteck Gulliard, someone who was supposed to be the most powerful person of our generation. The only other summoner within the Elites is currently at the very bottom, and he doesn’t even worry about combat anymore as he recently started working with a company. So it’s not hard to realize that you would easily kill all of us if you wanted to, let alone win the summoner tournament. So, instead of competing against you, we want to support you. With our forfeitures, you won’t be bored with these battles and can focus on training for what really matters. I’d even tell you not to show up at all, but the judges are sticklers and you’ll have to at least show your face in the arena.”

“Hm.”

I nodded, looking out to where the last battle was finishing.

I was next.

“Well Max, I have three battles today and some friends to watch later. If you all really are doing this for me, then I’ll take it with thanks.”

“Of course. Please, go ahead. Rodern here is your opponent for your first match. After that, you’ll have an hour to yourself.”

He motioned over to one of those within his entourage, Rodern nodding at me when I saw him.

Sure enough, I was soon called. We both walked up onto the arena.

Then…

“I forfeit this match.”

“Hm…”

The judge looked between us before sighing.

“Very well. Match forfeit. John Cooper is the winner. Your next match is in an hour.”

“How convenient.”

I smiled a bit, walking back to the seats where Max was standing.

He smiled back at me as we shook hands.

“You know, I’d like to fight at least one of you. I’ve never fought a summoner before.”

“If you’d like, then we can figure something out for the championship battle. Nonetheless, all of us summoners have been fans of your achievements this year. The pride you’ve brought to the summoner class can’t be understated. So we want nothing more than to help you succeed in the upcoming tournament. If this eases your burden even a little and helps increase the chances of your victory, then it’ll be worth it.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about my victory. I’ll be taking first place.”

“Your confidence is quite inspiring. Then I look forward to witnessing the first summoner to be Crowned Champion.”

Our hands separated, and with that, we said our goodbyes.

I left the arena, and since I had plenty of time, went over to the actual arena to find my squad. All of them had battles today.

There were tons of people in the stands watching. It wasn’t just students that were able to watch, but outsiders as well. The stadium was huge and handily accommodated everyone.

Thankfully, there was a reserved spot specifically for the Elites.

I found the Puppet Master and Tana there.

I went to her first.

“Hi John!”

“Hey, Tana.”

We shared a quick hug before focusing back down below.

Right now, Feiden was on stage about to start his battle while Vetsmon was in staging. Umara was also in staging.

“How was your battle? I can’t imagine those summoners made you break a sweat.”

“No. In fact, they forfeited against me.”

“Ah, no wonder you were so quick.”

She nodded, looking back down.

The battle between Feiden and his opponent started, but just as soon, it ended.

Feiden dashed across the arena and simply overpowered his opponent. He didn’t even have to try. His opponent wasn’t even an Elite.

It took all of 10 seconds for the battle to end, and he walked right back into staging.

Then, Vetsmon went up, but that ended just like Feiden’s. Nobody could match Vetsmon’s strength.

As for Umara, although warlock battles were different, she couldn't possibly lose either.

It took about a minute for her opponent to finally buckle. Unlike knights who could just overpower and put their enemy in checkmate with a blade to the neck, warlocks had to break through each other’s barriers to eventually decide a winner. It took longer and required more energy, even if the enemy was weaker than you.

But it was uneventful. Umara knew plenty of powerful spells and her precision was unmatched. She and Tana had the best Auras on the team as well, so that only widened the gap. She didn’t really have to try.

Like that, all three of them came back to staging. That’s when I went over to the Puppet Master.

He scrutinized me.

“You arrived quickly. Were they that weak?”

“They were, but that’s not why. How come you never told me about the Psykic Conference?”

“Because they aren’t worth your time. You already know Sawn of Sawn Industries. That’s about the best possible opportunity any summoner could ever pray for. So besides that, they have nothing else for you.”

“Hm, I guess.”

“Why? Did they approach you?”

“They did. And they said they would forfeit all matches against me, letting me just take the championship.”

“Hm, how generous of them not to waste your time.”

He nodded, making me smile a bit.

“You don’t speak very highly of them.”

“Of course not. Ever since you arrived I can’t seem to think highly of any summoner. It almost feels like they’re making excuses. I mean, they’re the smartest, and yet the weakest. How does that work?”

“Yeah, I asked the same thing. But you know better than I do about all that crap. I just do what Maxwell tells me to.”

“And you’ll continue to do that. Another reason I didn’t want you to go to that stupid conference was because, in all honesty, I want you to continue fighting. It’s dangerous for you and I know that, but even among the knights and warlocks, you’re incredibly lethal. I’m pretty sure you were born to be a Scourge Hunter, and if you do things right, along with a little help, you’ll do great things for humanity. So I can’t let you get distracted by all that other crap like being a thinker behind a desk. That would be a terrible waste of your talent.”

“Hm, I appreciate the praise, but I don’t think I’m going to be that great. I’ll do what I can but I don’t know if affecting all of humanity is in the cards. At least not in the realm of combat.”

I shrugged. If I really put my mind to it, I could bring about an industrial revolution. That would surely affect all of humanity, and I wouldn’t actually have to do too much.

But affecting all of humanity in regard to fighting the Scourge? I would have to be an Authority 12 for that. I wasn’t sure if I had it in me.

But the Puppet Master just scoffed.

“Please. Sometimes I’m not sure if you’re narcissistic or not. Just pick one please, because you seem to choose to be humble at all the wrong times.”

“What? I’m just being realistic.”

“Well stop. Humility doesn’t suit you. Now go play with your friends.”

He waved me off, and just at that moment, Umara, Vetsmon, and Feiden entered the suite.

I clicked my tongue and just walked off, going to greet them and watch some more matches before the time came for my next battle. If it could even be called that.