The Tournament Begins

Sunday, a sunny day.

The weather in Radiant City was incredibly beautiful. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the clouds, casting a golden sheen over the entire trial courtyard. The circular colosseum in the center of the courtyard was a structure built of giant stones, resembling an inverted giant bowl from the outside. It was said to have existed since the founding of the academy, and though it had undergone countless renovations, its overall silhouette had never changed.

At this moment, tens of thousands of people gathered here to witness the opening of the Freshman Ranking Tournament.

The circular stands were packed with people. Everyone from first-year freshmen to graduating seniors, and even various outside forces and scouts from other academies, had arrived. They wanted to see the caliber of this year's freshmen and see if they could scout out a few promising talents in advance.

Erich stood in the competitor's tunnel, holding the staff he had bought for one gold coin. He rubbed his fingers against the shaft. The staff was incredibly shabby, but fortunately, he didn't rely much on a staff to begin with. As long as his skill proficiency was high enough, the power wouldn't be too low even if he cast spells without one.

Outside the tunnel, the referee was announcing something, his voice drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. Erich could hear people shouting Alicia's name, as well as sporadic discussions about himself—mostly along the lines of “that trash who was kicked out of his family.”

He closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.

At the highest point of the colosseum was a ring of semi-open luxury private boxes. They offered an excellent view, allowing one to take in the entire arena at a glance, and were reserved exclusively for the high nobility. The young princess, Leonora, sat right in the center of one of these boxes, her right hand propping up her chin as her gaze swept aimlessly across the arena. Irene and Lorraine squeezed together to her left, while the Holy Maiden, Celine, sat quietly on her right, holding a steaming cup of herbal tea. The fragrant aroma of the tea curled upward, filling the entire room.

“Erich is on!” Lorraine suddenly cried out, startling the young princess, who had been daydreaming.

She quickly looked toward the arena. Sure enough, the silver-haired youth had emerged from the tunnel, dressed in the academy's uniform. He walked to the center of the arena, and then... closed his eyes to rest his mind.

With tens of thousands of eyes on him in the colosseum, he just stood there, as if the clamor of the crowd had absolutely nothing to do with him.

“So handsome!” a female student shrieked from somewhere nearby.

The young princess's lips curled upward unconsciously, but she quickly suppressed it. She coughed twice, pretending to be nonchalant.

“Who do you think will win this match between Alicia and Erich?” Lorraine was the first to ask.

The Holy Maiden set down her teacup, smiled slightly, and said, “Alicia's magic is incredibly exquisite. Surely everyone has seen how hard she has worked in the training rooms lately. The Wayne family's secret arts are indeed not to be underestimated.”

She didn't answer Lorraine's question directly, but her meaning was crystal clear.

Irene puffed out her cheeks and couldn't help but speak up. “Erich is really amazing too! His sword is very strong, his body is very tough, and he... he works very hard!”

Her voice grew softer and softer, and by the end, she had lost her own confidence. She had fought Alicia before and knew exactly how difficult she was to deal with. The Wine Magic cast from that man-sized staff carried a strange sense of oppression with every spell. Erich... Erich's sword was indeed very strong, but today, he couldn't even bring a sword onto the field.

Lorraine glanced at Irene. She didn't expose her lack of confidence, merely snorting. “Just wait and see. If that guy loses, I'll be the first to mock him.”

The young princess didn't say anything, silently spinning the teacup in her hands.

Of course, she didn't think her knight would lose. The man who had led her out of the Abyss possessed a power that gave her peace of mind. But she couldn't help but think of another possibility. If... if Erich really lost, according to their bet...

An image flashed through her mind: Erich was declared Alicia's servant, forced to follow behind the purple-haired girl with his head bowed, his silver hair obscuring his face. Then she, Her Highness Princess Leonora, dressed in magnificent attire, would stand up from the viewing stands, walk down the steps under the gaze of everyone, and rescue him from Alicia's clutches.

She would stand in front of him, blocking Alicia's gaze, and then look back at him, pretending to be angry as she said, “Why didn't you come to find me sooner?”

Then Erich would kneel down, fearfully admitting his mistake and saying that as long as she was willing to forgive him, he would do anything. She would generously wave her hand and say, “This princess pardons your crimes. The price is that your life belongs to me from this day forth.” Then Erich would be deeply moved, stand up, pull her into his arms, and whisper in her ear that he would spend the rest of his life repaying her.

The young princess's cheeks began to burn, and then... and then...

“Your Highness? Your face is so red.” Irene's voice dragged her out of her fantasy.

“No, it's not! I... I just feel a bit hot.” The young princess fanned herself with her hand, trying to hide her blushing cheeks, and quickly took a large gulp from her teacup.

Lorraine, whose face was just as red as the young princess's, changed the subject in a timely manner, gesturing toward the field. “Look, Alicia is coming out.”

Everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward the opposite tunnel.

The purple-haired girl appeared at the entrance of the tunnel, and the cheers were noticeably louder than before. The Wayne family's cheering squad shouted Alicia's name in unison. She wore a neat white robe that made her posture look exceptionally tall and straight. In her hand, she held a man-sized staff, its shaft pitch-black and its tip set with a deep blue gemstone.

Alicia walked into the center of the arena and came to a stop about twenty paces away from Erich.

Across from her, the silver-haired youth, who had been resting his mind with closed eyes, seemed to sense something and slowly opened them.

Their eyes met.

The private box fell silent. Lorraine instinctively sat up straight, while Irene nervously gripped the armrests. The young princess stared at the two figures in the arena, her palms sweating for some reason.

The clamor of the arena seemed to recede at this moment, with everyone watching intently.

Alicia spoke, her voice exceptionally clear in the suddenly quiet arena. “After saying those words, did you ever regret them?”

Erich didn't know what she was referring to. It could have been what his predecessor said when publicly calling off the engagement, or it could have been when he called her “Grape” not long ago. Erich didn't know if his predecessor regretted it, but he knew one thing...

Erich met the purple-haired girl's gaze. “Erich has no regrets.”

The corner of Alicia's mouth curved upward as she uttered a single word. “Good.”

The referee's signal fell in the next second.

Alicia raised her staff high, and the deep blue gemstone suddenly lit up. The temperature of the air changed abruptly as if stirred by some invisible force. She began to chant, every syllable carrying a unique rhythm.

A light red aura began to circulate around her, carrying a faint aroma of wine.