[ First Day of the Love Contest
Round 1
D1 - Veinham’s Estate Courtyard
Year 0 ]

Normally, the perfumes of the roses that reside in the Veinham’s Estate Courtyard garden would ease his worries. Not today. Master Edwards sat on a wooden bench and forced himself to read his notes. This is unbelievable, I should take more care to-

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Jamie said and bowed her head to greet Master Edwards. She looked around. Where is Benny and Henry?

Master Edwards looked up from his notes to see his cute disciple dressed in white, symbolic of purity in a battle that could scar her for the rest of her life. She is probably the most innocent and pure-hearted he has seen in a while. Then again, she did come from a peaceful world, the world before the merge.

Should I have had her practice killing someone? But it isn’t that simple. What if they practiced and she lost her sanity? There goes her opportunity to return home and that is what Jamie really wants.

“Master?”

“We have a few minutes before the portal opens. Let’s warm up,” Master Edwards said. He remained seated.

“Use a rose plant, that beautiful tangerine-colored one there will work,” he said and pointed, “yes that one, the one with the yellow-orange outer petals. That’s Lady Emma Hamilton, an antique rose from before the merge.”

“You’re so knowledgeable about my world,” Emma said as she held her hand up and used her mana to instantaneously pluck around 100 rose petals. The rose petals twirled in the air, and its strong fruity scent of citrus, pears, and grapes enveloped the garden. She focused and using mana rolled them into a ball, a slightly misshapen one.

“Tighter on the bottom,” Master Edwards said, he watched the ball of rose petals closely. The ball gradually became perfectly circular. “You crushed….one, two, three…four, five petals.”

Jamie nodded and continued to focus.

“Now pass it to me,” Master Edwards said. The two started to pass the mana ball of roses back and forth.

“In Mander, we don't typically don't have sexual assault incidents,” Master Edwards said and glanced down at his notes written on a scroll while the mana ball continued to be effortlessly caught and tossed back on his end. “Tell me, why do you think I'm bringing this up to you?

"It is because I fear the monster, while none of the other contestants do," she said as her focus wavered slightly, a dozen rose petals fell to the ground. “

“Very good and what can fear do to oneself?”

“Irrational thinking. Loss of control. Immobility.”

“Remember Jamie,” Master Edwards said as he stood up. “Fear can drive you or it can cripple you. Crippling fear kills you before the enemy does."

Master Edwards started to twirl the mana rose ball with incredible speed. Jamie felt the wind pressure and held down her daisy flower crown to prevent it from flying off.

“Almost there,” Master Edwards said and then, a tangerine-colored rose petal bracelet delicately flowed to his hand.

He turned to Jamie. “But remember this, when you face them, you are no longer simply Jamie. You are Jamie of Pure Earth, the 6th disciple of the Great Master Edwards. I will not have you tarnish my good name. Do you understand?” Master Edwards said as he put the tangerine-colored bracelet on her wrist.

He looked at Jamie with the utmost seriousness, his green eyes beaming into hers as if to weed out her insecurities and fears.

“Yes.” Her heart started to race, her adrenaline was starting to kick in.

“Regardless of what happened, I will always be your Master of Magic and Combat Jamie.”

Jamie looked at the striking Master Edwards. "The three months had been nothing short of hell, but she felt his genuine sincerity in helping her increase her odds of survival. She is forever in his debt," she thought.

The two sat down on a wooden bench and watched as bees buzzed and butterflies fluttered around the rose bushes.

“How important is it that you exterminate the monster, should you be assaulted?”

"Crucial. They're almost like golems. These monsters do not have females to procreate with; thus, they evolved to have a very special spell, more like a curse, that ensures pregnancy in one go," Jamie answered.

“Jamie, that sleeping bee there.”

"Yes, Master Edwards," Jamie said as she raised her palm, forming a mana sphere around the sleeping bee and lifting it into the air.

“You’ve made much progress, very good. Come here, I almost forgot about this.”

Jamie walked closer to him. His heart started to beat faster. "What is this feeling? Stop, focus. She needs Master Edwards, the Great Destroyer, not a man trying to sort out his emotions regarding his female disciple," he thought.

Master Edwards raised his hand and with his palm to her, healed her of her bruises. “Your body can now absorb more mana, so no more bruises. Now we can see your pretty face," he said sweetly. Jamie looked down at the floor to blush.

“General Ames will be there, it is in your interest to seduce him,” Master Edwards advised. What am I saying? Stop it, this needs to be done. You are her Master.

Jamie nodded at his advice. Not sure how I'll seduce the manwhore, she thought.

“Look, you are more attractive than you think,” Master Edwards said.

She looked at him surprised. “Looks aren’t everything,” Master Edwards continued, “Wait, that isn’t what I meant, you are beautiful in your own way.”

Jamie had already walked away and was heading toward the small podium they had set up for her. My face won't make people look away, but does he need to say it like that? I get it though, in this world, everyone looks like Gods and Goddesses, she thought.

“Tell Benny and Henry, I’m sorry I missed them, but I’ll be back,” Jamie said with her back still turned. Come on, don’t cry.

Then Jamie stood at the podium awkwardly for a minute or so, while she avoided looking at Master Edwards and looked straight ahead. She had assumed it was a transport portal and would’ve whisked her away already. “Umm, how do we know when it starts?” she asked.

“They’ll send a message using telepathy,” Master Edwards said, as he tried to hold in his laughter.

At this moment, Jamie heard a feminine voice say, “Contestant #79, please place both hands on the podium stand. If both hands are not firmly touching the stand, you might lose a hand in transit."

Jamie waved goodbye to Master Edwards, who responded by blowing dramatic kisses. She couldn't help but laugh. WHoooSH!

“Stop her!” a woman’s voice cried out as the portal closed.

Master Edwards turned to see Henry and Benny's nanny in despair. She fell to her knees and sobbed hysterically.

“What is the matter?”

“I can’t find the boys,” she said.

Master Edwards' face turned blue as he looked at where Jamie stood a few milliseconds ago. No, it can’t be, he thought.