Viscount

"You're recording again?"

Big Guy looked at her from the side.

"I've been recording since the first match," Aria said without looking back. "This might be useful later."

"How so?"

"I don't know, but better safe than sorry."

The three elves sat in the designated area for entourage members.

Fenrir was uncharacteristically not eating today. He sat with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the ring.

Alicia was still in her silver-gray leather armor. The rapier at her waist glinted coldly in the sunlight, and a hint of expectation flickered in her pale gold eyes.

Elune sat quietly on the far inner side, wearing a light blue dress with her silver-purple hair tied in a loose side braid draped over her chest.

She held a cup of flower tea, her lavender eyes watching the silver-white figure on the ring through the rising steam.

The opponent for the finals walked up from the passage on the opposite side.

He was a tall youth of about seventeen with fiery red hair that stood straight up, looking like a burning flame atop his head.

He wore dark red light armor engraved with intricate fire runes.

On his back was a greatsword nearly as tall as he was, its blade pulsing with the same dark red light.

He was Cassius, the top student of the sixth year at the Royal Academy and the champion of the previous national competition—a fire magic swordsman.

4th-rank early stage.

Among all the contestants, he was the only one besides Jiang Lin to have reached the 4th-rank.

He had won the last competition as a peak 3rd-rank, and after a year of cultivation, he had finally broken through to the 4th-rank.

In the previous rounds of this year's tournament, he had similarly defeated all his opponents with overwhelming superiority, earning titles from the media like "the defending champion" and "the strongest of this year."

Now, as he stood on the ring looking at the silver-white figure opposite him, his expression was more solemn than it had ever been in any previous match.

"I've finally been waiting for you."

His voice was low and steady. Unlike previous opponents, he showed no nervousness or unease; instead, there was a trace of excitement.

"I've been watching you since the first round. I've seen every one of your matches."

Jiang Lin looked at him and nodded slightly.

"Then are you ready to forfeit?"

Cassius was stunned, not expecting Jiang Lin to be so confident.

However, considering the other's track record of instant victories, he certainly had the right to be.

"Previously, you crushed your opponents with your superior rank. Now that we are in the same realm, you won't have such a massive advantage."

Hearing this, Jiang Lin said no more. He raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together.

Cassius's smile froze for a moment before he regained his composure. He gripped the hilt of the greatsword on his back and slowly drew it.

The blade erupted with a dazzling dark red light in the sun. Layer after layer of fire runes lit up, and a scorching aura radiated from the sword, sending waves of heat even to the spectators at the edge of the ring.

"Begin!"

The host gave the order.

Cassius did not rush to attack. Instead, he held his greatsword horizontally in front of him as the flames on the blade suddenly surged, forming a scorching fire shield around his body.

At the same time, his feet began to move rapidly across the ring—not in a straight line, but in a zigzag pattern.

He flickered left and right, attempting to disrupt Jiang Lin's anticipation.

This was the tactic he had devised after studying all the recordings of Jiang Lin's matches.

He wouldn't give him the chance to lock onto a target, using the double interference of high-speed movement and a fire shield before looking for an opportunity to launch a fatal strike.

Jiang Lin watched him, then took a single step forward.

Instant Light Flash.

Cassius felt his vision blur as the silver-white figure vanished from its original spot.

His pupils shrank. Instinctively, he held his greatsword across his side while boosting the fire shield to its maximum power.

A hand reached out from the void and pressed lightly against his fire shield.

It was a slender, well-defined hand with skin as fair as jade, and its fingertips carried a faint silver glow.

The moment that hand touched the fire shield, the dark red flames suddenly dimmed as if doused by a bucket of cold water.

The structure of the flames themselves experienced an indescribable disturbance.

Some parts burned even more fiercely, while others were completely extinguished. The entire shield became riddled with holes, looking like a tattered garment eaten by moths.

Cassius had no time to think about what had happened. His battle instincts drove him to swing his sword in a wide arc, the greatsword carrying scorching flames toward where the hand had appeared.

But no one was there anymore.

Jiang Lin stood three steps behind him, his two fingers pressed lightly against the back of Cassius's neck.

"You lose."

His voice was as calm as water.

Cassius froze in place, his greatsword held mid-air. The flames on the blade were still burning, but they had lost their direction.

The entire arena fell silent.

Then, a roar of cheers from fifty thousand people erupted like a tsunami.

"What happened?! Who saw that?!"

"Did he teleport?! That was teleportation, right?!"

"A 4th-rank early stage lost just like that? He couldn't even last one move?!"

"No, what happened to that fire shield? Why did it suddenly go out?"

No one could answer these questions, but no one cared about the answers.

They only saw one thing.

The golden figure had won. He won cleanly, decisively, and without any suspense.

"The winner of the finals... from Saint Brilliance Magic Academy, Contestant Jiang Lin!"

The host's voice echoed through the arena, amplified by runes to every corner.

Jiang Lin withdrew his hand and turned to walk off the ring.

Behind him, Cassius stood still. His greatsword slowly lowered, and the flames on the blade extinguished bit by bit.

He looked down at his now-dimmed light armor and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he let out a long sigh and gave a bitter smile.

"As expected... I still couldn't do it..."

He sheathed his sword and turned toward the contestant passage on the other side.

His steps were steady, but his back carried a trace of loneliness.

Meanwhile, the cheers of fifty thousand people converged into a deafening wall of sound, making even the skylights in the dome tremble slightly.

It stood in stark contrast to his lonely figure.

As Jiang Lin walked off the ring, the cheers from the stands reached their peak.

The wave of sound from fifty thousand people felt like a physical weight under the dome, making the skylights at the top of the arena rattle.

The girls holding support signs had completely lost control. Some threw bouquets into the air, while several tried to break through the security line into the contestant passage, only to be turned back by the silver-armored knights with a mix of coaxing and warnings.

"Jiang Lin! Jiang Lin! Jiang Lin!"

The rhythmic chanting continued for a full thirty seconds until the host shouted "Silence, please" three times to finally suppress it slightly.

"Contestant Jiang Lin! Please wait!"

"What was that teleportation skill you just used? Was it spatial magic?"

"Are you satisfied with your performance in the finals? What do you think of Contestant Cassius's strength?"

Reporters swarmed forward like sharks scenting blood, aiming recording crystals, shorthand pads, and brushes at him all at once.

Jiang Lin stopped and glanced at them.

"When does the award ceremony start?"

The reporters were stunned.

"It should... it should be in two hours."

A young reporter wearing glasses was the first to react and answer.

"Then ask me in two hours."

He turned and continued deeper into the passage, his golden hair cutting a sharp arc in the play of light and shadow at the entrance.

Several reporters tried to give chase but were blocked by the knights.

"Contestant resting area. No unauthorized entry."

They could only stand there, staring at the disappearing back and looking at each other.

"This kid... he's got quite a temper."

"He just can't be bothered with us," an old reporter said, putting away his shorthand pad with a sigh. "I've covered the national competition for twenty years, and this is the first time I've seen a contestant like this. He won the championship as if it were just a warm-up match, without even a smile."

"If you won the national championship at sixteen, you'd put on airs too."

"It's not that he's putting on airs; he genuinely doesn't look happy. Look at his face—does that look like a happy person to you?"

The group fell silent.

That face indeed didn't look happy, nor did it look unhappy.

There was simply no expression on that face at all.

"Stone-faced," another reporter concluded, then looked down and wrote a line in his pad: "The interview subject's facial expression management is extremely thorough, making it difficult to judge his true emotions through micro-expressions."

"...Are you writing a news story or a criminal investigation report?"

"...I feel like he thinks this national competition wasn't difficult at all, so there's nothing worth being happy about."

"...It seems the other contestants should apologize for not making Lord Jiang Lin use his full strength..."

...

In the contestant passage, several participants who hadn't left yet leaned against the walls, watching Jiang Lin walk past with various expressions.

Some were in awe, some were resentful, and some were purely curious.

"How exactly did he do it?" a short youth whispered to his companion. "Cassius is a 4th-rank early stage and the previous champion. How could he not even last one move?"

"How should I know?" the companion rolled his eyes. "I didn't understand it either. The moves that guy uses are completely different from what we've learned."

Jiang Lin didn't care about the gossip. His figure soon disappeared around the corner at the end of the passage.

In the contestant resting area, in the small cubicle marked "Number 17."

When Jiang Lin pushed the door open, the three elves had already returned from the observation platform and were waiting for him.

Fenrir sat on the incredibly narrow bench with his greatsword across his knees, holding a skewer of roast meat and eating until his face was greasy.

Seeing Jiang Lin enter, he waved the skewer.

"Congratulations, Teacher Jiang Lin! I knew it would be an instant win!"

"Where did you get the meat skewer?"

"I bought it outside. There were vendors hawking them near the entourage passage earlier, so I grabbed a few." Fenrir pulled another handful from his coat and handed them to Jiang Lin. "Want one? It's mutton, and they didn't skimp on the cumin."

Jiang Lin took a skewer and took a bite.

The mutton was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the aroma of cumin and chili exploding in his mouth. It was indeed quite good.

"The award ceremony is in two hours." He sat down next to Fenrir and finished the skewer in a few bites. "Are you coming to the podium with me, or going back to the stands?"

"Of course we're going with you." Alicia leaned against the wall, her pale gold eyes watching him. "We're your entourage. It shouldn't be a problem for us to stand nearby, right?"

"It shouldn't be."

Elune sat quietly in the corner, holding her now-cold cup of flower tea and watching Jiang Lin over the rim.

She hadn't spoken much today. From morning until now, she hadn't said a single word besides "good morning."

Jiang Lin noticed her silence but didn't ask.

He leaned against the cubicle wall and closed his eyes, beginning his breathing technique.

Although the final match had only taken two breaths of time, the burden of the Instant Light Flash on his body was greater than he had anticipated.

His bones and meridians had endured significant impact during the process of forcibly tearing through space, and he needed time to recover.

The small cubicle fell silent.

There was only the faint sound of Fenrir chewing on his meat and the occasional rustle of Alicia's light armor as she adjusted her stance.

Two hours later, someone knocked on the cubicle door.

"Contestant Jiang Lin, the award ceremony is about to begin. Please follow me to the podium."

Jiang Lin opened his eyes and stood up, straightening his collar which had been ruffled by the wind.

"Let's go."

He walked out of the cubicle, the three elves following behind him.

The four of them passed through the contestant passage and walked up a ramp covered in a deep red carpet.

At the end of the ramp was a half-open wooden door, through which dazzling light and deafening cheers poured.

Jiang Lin pushed the door open and stepped onto the podium.

Sunlight poured down from the dome, illuminating the entire arena.

The gazes of fifty thousand people converged on him like an invisible tsunami, pressing down from all directions.

The girls holding support signs went nearly insane. Screams rose one after another; some shook their signs over their heads with all their might, some covered their mouths as tears flowed, and a few fainted outright, held up by their companions.

"Jiang Lin! Jiang Lin! Jiang Lin!"

The rhythmic chanting rose from every corner of the stands, converging into a massive wave of sound that echoed continuously under the dome.

The host stood in the center of the podium, holding a roll of gilded parchment, his voice amplified by runes to every corner of the arena:

"In this year's national competition, the champion is... from Saint Brilliance Magic Academy, Contestant Jiang Lin!"

He paused, his voice rising a pitch:

"Sixteen years old, 4th-rank mid-stage, an undefeated record, zero points conceded, and zero injuries sustained!"

"Let us give our warmest applause to congratulate this young champion!"

The applause rang out like thunder.

Fifty thousand people clapped simultaneously, the sound making the skylights in the dome tremble.

Jiang Lin stood at the highest point of the podium, his golden eyes scanning the surroundings.

He looked like a powerful lion surveying his territory.

The award presenter walked onto the podium.

He was a white-haired elderly man wearing a deep purple formal suit with a Golden Tassel Flower medal pinned to his chest.

He was the Chief of the Saintas Kingdom Education Bureau and the chairman of this year's national competition organizing committee.

The old man walked up to Jiang Lin and looked him up and down, a trace of a smile appearing on his wrinkled face.

"The younger generation is truly formidable," he said softly. Then, he took a gold medal and a roll of gilded parchment from the attendant behind him and presented them to Jiang Lin with both hands.

"The champion's medal, and... the conferment documents for the title of Viscount of the Saintas Kingdom."

His voice was amplified by the runes to the entire arena, and the cheers from the stands rose even higher.

...