Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 59: Opening Ceremony and the Chaotic Preliminaries Begin!

Four days have passed since my birthday. I spent most of that time leisurely with my family and friends.

But now, the time for leisure has finally come to an end…

"Everyone! As the current headmistress of the Blaise Academy, I officially welcome you all to this year's tournament!" Ophelia's voice echoed in the distance.

Loud thundering cheers immediately followed after Ophelia welcomed the masses…

"That's a lot of people…" Mia said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" She looked at me with a worried expression.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. This is not the first time I have had to stand before thousands of people. In this life, at least." I said with a playful grin as I adjusted the sleeves of my new uniform.

Just a few minutes ago, I was given a uniform of the Blaise Academy by Eliana and Marie, her maid.

Since Eliana couldn't be away from the rest of the royals for too long, she quickly left but told Marie to remain here and help me out with the uniform and make me look my best.

The uniform in question consists of a white shirt, a dark blue blazer with the crest of the academy which is an eagle standing proudly above an ancient castle filled with books, a pair of blue pants that match the blazer, and finally, a pair of black shoes. I could also wear a red tie, but I was told by Marie that it was entirely optional, so I am not wearing one right now.

Though it is a good thing that other small accessories like rings, bracelets, and necklaces are allowed, otherwise, I’d have been in trouble… In case it is not clear, I am wearing one of the rings to change my hair color. My hair color is currently light brown, just like my sisters’ and my mom’s.

I don't want to sound too vain, but I gotta say that the uniform suits me quite a lot. Thanks to Marie's and my mom's help, I look remarkably stylish.

I would have liked to thank Marie personally, but she left as quickly as she arrived saying that she needed to be by Eliana's side…

"Now, now… I know that we have all been waiting for this tournament specifically since it is clearly a special one! Today is such an auspicious and important day that will be written down in the history books!" Ophelia matched the enthusiasm of the crowd. "As you all must know by now, two of the princesses of our realm are graduating this year from our esteemed institution. Both of them are graduating with perfect grades in most subjects, I might add. I personally believe that both princesses are model students and that our current and future alumni should aspire to follow their example of excellence.” Ophelia praised the two royals.

More cheers immediately followed after Ophelia made a brief pause.

“Now, without further ado, please stand up and salute the First Princess of our Empire and heir of the Crown… A warrior without equal and a direct descendant of the Hero Rokkshar! The one that will eventually wield the Demon Killing Blade from the Hero, just like her ancestors had done in the past… Her Highness, Marina Aranela Marcel!" Ophelia shouted as she called Marina to the front stage.

Even more cheers, louder than ever before, thundering all over the coliseum followed immediately after Marina’s name was pronounced… A sign of how much the people loved their Crown Princess.

Although we were all in a changing room below the arena and couldn’t see a thing of what was happening, I could imagine what was going on up there. It was easy to tell considering that the cheers were getting louder and louder… Marina had just come up on stage.

“Weird… Neris said that Ophelia was planning to give a very long speech before calling Marina… I hope she’s alright up there.” Luna said with worry as she looked at the stairs that lead to the arena.

“I’m sure that she should be more than used to this by now. She’s a princess after all.” Liliana nodded to herself. “Heh, but aren’t you two closer now than before? Did something happen when we were not looking?” Liliana asked with a teasing tone.

“Nothing in particular… We just played around and had a few competitions here and there… I hate to admit it, but she’s really tough at chess…” Luna immediately frowned.

“Those matches were fun to watch. Bit of a shame that you two were so immersed in your game that you didn’t even give me a chance to play…” I said with some fake crocodile tears.

“S-Sorry… You know how competitive Marina and I can get, so…” Luna said awkwardly.

“I’m just messing with you, Luna. It was really entertaining to see you two playing against each other. I came up with some interesting strategies that I can use to beat you after all.” I smiled from ear to ear while patting Luna’s head.

“Meanie… You almost made me feel like a bad guy…” In response, Luna started pouting but she didn’t stop me from patting her head. In fact, she was encouraging me to continue.

Sheesh… This older sister of mine really likes to be pampered, doesn’t she?

“It seems that you’re already lively enough for a fight, aren’t you?” A delicate hand was suddenly placed on top of my head. It was my mom’s “How are you feeling? Ready to kick everyone’s butts?” My mom asked as she started ruffling my hair.

“Of course I am.” I smiled fearlessly.

“Good answer!” My mom seemed pleased. “Well, it makes sense that you’d say that since you’re here looking quite relaxed and spending quality time with your loving sisters.” A grin suddenly appeared on her as she started to wink her eye at me repeatedly…

Goddammit, mom! Why do you have to remind me of that possibility just now of all times!?

Before I could even say anything back or even send an awkward glare to my adoptive mother, Ophelia decided to continue the opening ceremony of the tournament.

“We have given the Crown Princess the greeting that she deserves as the future leader and protector of our country… I believe that we must give the same courtesy to her younger sister, the Ninth Princess! The one that will become the youngest person to graduate from the Blaise Academy. A true genius in all senses of the word just like her older sister! Please welcome Her Highness, Alicia Nianym Marcel!” Ophelia yelled with the same enthusiasm as she had before.

The echoes of Ophelia’s shouts were obviously followed by loud cheers and screams of excitement from both nobles and commoners alike, which were equally as intense as they had been when Marina seemingly went up to the stage.

“Umm… Juli… Are you sure you wanna go up there…?” Leaf looked at me with increasing worry as she was spooked by the constant loud cheers. 

"I think we are already past the point of backing out of this, don't you think?"I laughed in order to reassure her. "But don't worry Leaf. As I said before, I'll be alright." I immediately started scratching below Leaf's chin with my finger, something that usually tickles her.

Victim of my sudden ticklish onslaught, Leaf started laughing uncontrollably as I pressed the attack.

"Jeez! You're pampering Luna and Leaf, but what about me and your cute fiancée? Are we painted on a wall or something!?" Liliana said with a little bit of jealousy on her face, something which was definitely very unusual.

Mia nodded in agreement very vigorously while she was staring at me very intently…

"Sorry, mom… It seems that I've spoiled them all way too much." I couldn't help but joke around while looking at my mom. "But since you want to be pampered, you could have said so from the beginning." I said with a playful smile.

I beckoned the two of them to come closer to me, something which they did without delay…

As soon as they arrived, I started to pamper the two by patting their heads, just like did with Luna.

"See? It wasn't so difficult!" Despite her words, Liliana looked very happy to be pampered.

"Ehehehe…~" Mia, on the other hand, was completely speechless as had decided to attack her weak point… I was scratching the area at the base of her rabbit ears, which only made her have a pleased expression while drooling a little. All because I knew exactly the place that made her happy.

Because I was able to spend time like this with the ones I cared about, I didn't feel nervous in the slightest about the tournament. On the contrary… My blood was boiling with excitement. I wanted to make my family proud and show everyone what I was made of… To show myself just how strong I've grown in the last few years.

"Hehehe~. You really love all of them quite a lot, don't you?" My mom said as she looked at me with a gentle smile on her face.

"That goes without saying." I replied without thinking too much, which in hindsight, could've been a mistake on my part.

"Of course you do! I wouldn't expect any other answer from you~." My mom spoke with amusement as a teasing smile formed on her face.

She seemed to really enjoy messing with me about that possibility that she mentioned when we had that talk back home…

It didn't help in the slightest that Liliana, Luna, and Mia were all blushing… Even Leaf seemed a little flustered.

"I hate to interrupt you when you're having fun and all, but it is almost time kid." My dad spoke to me as he stood by the end of the stairs.

"Already? That was fast…" I was a little surprised, but I quickly recovered. "Well, time to surprise everyone in the capital, I suppose." I said as I pampered the girls a little more before walking toward my dad.

Sure enough, just as I reached my dad, Ophelia's shouts became louder than before. I was able to hear her next announcement clearly…

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! I'm going to announce the identities of those who will represent the princesses! The champions that will defend their honor and will bring glory to their names in this tournament!" Ophelia's excitement had peaked. She was shouting as loud as she could to reach the audience.

Naturally, because of the mystery behind the princesses' champions, the audience quickly matched Ophelia's excitement as they cheered louder than ever before.

"Nervous?" My father asked me while patting my shoulder.

"Not at all." I said with unbreakable confidence.

"That's the spirit." My father said proudly.

"Written on this letter I have in my hand, there are the names of this year's champions! It is time to reveal who they are!" Ophelia shouted yet again, but… "Ehh…? Wait… Is this real…? It can't be… There's no way that… But then that would explain why… Huh… I see… I understand now…" Ophelia was completely caught off guard as she opened the letter that contained my name in it. She was so shocked that she couldn't even finish her sentences.

"I gotta admit that you were right about it mom, that was really funny." I looked back and smiled at my adoptive mother.

"It's a shame that we couldn't see her reaction. Though, hearing her confused shouts from here is plenty enough for me." My mom looked extremely amused.

Even though we couldn't see her live reaction, just imagining Ophelia's shocked face in front of thousands of people was way funnier than it should have been for me. The confusion of the audience about her reaction was clearly the cherry on top.

"My apologies! I was really caught off guard since I didn't expect this at all… I am beyond shocked everyone!" Ophelia quickly composed herself and continued the show.

"Well, you should get going. She will announce your name any second now." My mom said as she walked up to me and hugged me tightly.

"Juli, you have to win, okay? You're my humie and plenty strong, so show them who's boss!" Leaf excitedly flew around me and encouraged me.

"We'll be cheering for you from the stands! So please make sure to give your all! You can't lose in front of your cute fiancée, you hear me!" Mia run up to me and joined in the hug.

"Don't forget about us! I'll shout louder than anyone!" Liliana started to ruffle my hair and patted my back with excitement.

"Julius, I know that you don't need it, but good luck… I know that you're going to win this!" Luna spoke to me with a serious and determined expression as she hugged me as well. "Please give everything you've got!" She smiled confidently at me.

Their words of encouragement made my heart beat faster than ever and filled my chest with a pleasant warmness…

"Well, I guess I have no other choice but to win now when you all put it like that." I smiled back at them. "You should definitely watch closely, as I'll make sure to not disappoint you!" I hugged all of them tightly one last time before I left their loving embrace. Immediately after, I took one step forward.

Another step forward toward the future. A test for my wits, strength, and the skills I have cultivated and mastered ever since I was reborn.

As I walked up the stairs, I didn’t feel anything in particular. I was not afraid, I was not nervous, and I wasn’t too excited either… It was a weird sensation too difficult to describe…

But, at some point, I decided to stop and look back… There I saw them, the people that were so important to me, all showing me encouraging smiles and rooting for me… The people that took me in and treated me as one of their own even though they didn’t know anything about me and the danger my existence and my objectives entail… The people that I owe this life of mine… I will be forever grateful to them, both in this life and in the next.

“I’ll be going then.” I gave them the thumbs-up and showed them a confident grin, right before I continued my path upstairs toward the arena.

I said before that I wasn’t feeling anything in particular, but that was a lie… I do feel one burning desire that doesn’t seem like it will go away any time soon. 

I want to win so I can make everyone proud. I want to win so I can justify this second life of mine. I want to win so I can test my determination to get revenge for all the transgressions of Agmos… I want to win!

“Ladies and gentlemen! I apologize profusely for the sudden pause, but I will announce the champion of the princesses now.” Ophelia’s voice was somehow filled with even more excitement than before after she had recovered from the shock.

As I kept walking forward, a few rays of sunlight began hitting my face as I approached the exit of the changing room… The echoing roars and cheers from the audience were all I could hear the closer I got to the exit.

“The special participant of this year is not like most students of this academy, as he was not born into the aristocracy of our Empire. On the contrary, he is part of the common folk.” Ophelia for some reason decided to make the announcement more dramatic than it needed to be.

That announcement was received with mixed reactions from the public… The previously echoing cheers decreased in intensity for a moment, as a great deal of the audience became silent from the baffling announcement. It didn’t take too long for that part of the audience to become outraged. That outrage obviously came from the noble audience that was attending to watch…

I couldn’t help but stop dead in my tracks as half of the audience started booing the idea of me joining the tournament because of my supposed origin…

“They don’t seem too keen on me participating, are they?” I muttered with an awkward tone.

(Don’t pay them any attention. They are fools for booing you before hearing the full announcement or witnessing your prowess!) I suddenly heard Catris’s voice in the back of my mind.

(Julius, you need to remember that you’re a prince. You have a higher standing than pretty much everyone there, so don’t let a bunch of idiots like them discourage you!) Thiasis also joined in to encourage me as she usually does.

(Indeed. Don’t let their useless prejudice affect you.) The logical part of Lia also joined, encouraging me as well with her usual cold tone of voice. (I believe in you and all of them who love you also believe in you. That is more than enough for you, isn’t that right?) Lia asked even though she already knew the answer.

Although her tone was cold as usual, the motivation that her words provided was more than enough for me.

“You should already know how I am by now.” I smiled playfully at the empty air.

(Of course I do. I am the one that knows you better than anyone in this world and I will always be the first to stand by your side. I will always be your biggest supporter.) Lia’s encouraging words filled my chest with even more warmth than before. In fact, it was almost like she was physically here with me, physically pushing me forward toward the future.

After that interaction with the three goddesses, I knew… I was fully ready for what was to come, whether I was hated or loved by the audience, I was going to aim for victory no matter what. Anything less than that was simply unacceptable. 

“The special participant might not be of noble origin, but he is still special in his own way…” Ophelia made a brief pause. “That’s right! He is so special that he gained the right to represent both princesses in this sacred tournament! I have witnessed with my own eyes his power and abilities, so I am convinced that he is, without a doubt, the best candidate to carry out such an important task!” Ophelia suddenly became even more dramatic as she decided to hype up my introduction…

I guess I might have to treat her to a meal if she keeps praising me so much…

I kept those thoughts to myself as I climbed the last steps of the long flight of stairs… The entrance to the arena was right in front of me… My test was right in front of me. The blinding light of the sun and the gentle spring breeze both hit my face as I kept walking forward.

“Ladies and gentlemen! This year’s special participant is no one other than the adoptive son and apprentice of that legendary knight whose sole mention of his name causes dread upon enemy and foe alike!” The introduction Ophelia had come up with for me was about to reach its climax. “There’s not a single soul in this stadium who has not heard of him… You know who I’m talking about! I am talking about the legendary Skull Crusher!” Ophelia shouted at the top of her lungs…

It is time… No hesitation… I’ve got this.

After taking a deep breath, I finally crossed the entrance of the arena as Ophelia was about to end my introduction.

“Please give a warm welcome to the son of the Skull Crusher… Julius Navar!” Ophelia finally announced my name to the impatient audience.

Just as she announced my name, the view of an ancient coliseum whose all of its seats were filled to the brim with thousands of people both commoners and nobles alike… It was such a sight to behold…

Of course, as soon as I came out to the arena, those thousands of eyes were soon laid on me, including the ones belonging to those who were down here in the arena with me… The students of the Blaise Academy, or in other words, my competition.

“Talk about impeccable timing! There you have him, the one who was chosen to represent the princesses!” I quickly spotted Ophelia who was standing with both Marina and Alicia on top of a platform a few meters above the arena. She was pointing at me while smiling from ear to ear.

At that moment, the whole world around me fell silent. The students in front of me, teachers, nobles, commoners, Alicia, and even Marina… All of them were silently staring at me, almost as if they were waiting to see what I would do.

Hmm… Well, this is a bit awkward…

Still, I did not let the awkwardness of the situation get to me… I decided to act confidently and raised my right hand to salute everyone as I walked away from the gate I came from.

After a few moments, That single action triggered the loudest roar I had ever heard from the audience today… Excitement beyond belief… That was the only way I could describe it.

Now that’s a relief… I can’t wait for the real fight to begin already!

-----Marina’s POV-----

“Dear aunt, please forgive my manners but… What the hell!?” I said as I turned around and looked at my aunt Eliana who was leaning against a wall, far from the public eye. Her maid and lover, Marie, stood closely by her side.

I was experiencing a myriad of emotions that were difficult to describe… Most of those were shock, confusion, pride, and rage…

“Are you surprised? That’s exactly the face I was waiting to see!” My dear aunt looked amused beyond belief. “I bet you didn’t expect that you and Alicia would be sharing the same champion, eh?” She immediately started laughing so hard that she almost fell to the ground.

“Umm… Older sister, are we really sharing the same champion? I-I-I had no idea…” Alicia, my younger sister, said with a mix of shock and a bit of fear on her face… 

Was she afraid of my reaction? I didn't really know… I never have done anything to my little sister to make her afraid of me, so I was a little hurt that she looked at me like that…

“So it would seem...” I nodded before letting out the heaviest sigh of my life. “If I had to guess, our aunt dearest asked you not to say anything to me, didn’t she?” I asked Alicia as I patted her shoulder.

The shy Alicia simply nodded in response. Those green eyes of hers were still filled with confusion because of the sudden revelation.

“Sigh… When are you going to stop with these schemes? First, you didn’t tell me that the tournament was going to be held early, then you keep quiet about Julius, my champion, coming to the city, and now this!? In case it is unclear, I am beyond angry at you dear aunt…” I frowned as I looked at my aunt.

“Jeez, it was just a harmless prank! All is going well so far despite everything, right? You managed to see your dear best friend again, you had fun with him on his birthday, and he also became Alicia’s first friend. It was a win-win for everyone involved!” My aunt immediately tried to justify herself… "And besides, the two of you having the same champion is an essential part of the plan I told you the other day. You want to be together with him forever, don't you?" She said with a smile on her face. She had no remorse at all…

Naturally, because of her finishing words, I blushed as I was still unsure of what my feelings were…

"Heh, that look on your face says it all~." My aunt quickly walked forward toward Alicia and me. "Alicia, I'm sorry that I made you a part of my little prank… Still, you don't need to worry, Julius is just as much your champion as he is Marina's. He promised to represent you out of his own volition, so don't feel bad okay?" My aunt comforted Alicia.

He knew about this and he didn't tell me…? I believe my best friend has some explaining to do when the tournament is over…

"Marina, don't look so pissed off… This little prank of mine came at a price… I was forced into another one of your dear Julius's famous deals for all this to happen, you know…" My aunt had an awkward look on his face while looking at me.

Well, that does sound like him. While I'm a bit hurt and annoyed that he didn't tell me anything regarding this, I can imagine him being way more enraged than me…

"How much did it cost you this time? Was she involved…?" I asked.

"Pretty much a Red Gold coin in rare books…  The right to come and go into the National Library as pleases… For me to go on a date with his adoptive grandfather as a way to punish me for my schemes… Among a few other small things." A defeated expression appeared on my aunt's face. "But no, thankfully she was not involved this time, but I'd rather not push my luck any further." My aunt nodded to herself rather awkwardly.

R-R-Red gold!? And all of it in books!? What is he planning to do with that many books!?

"Still, despite the heavy economic price I had to pay, it was all more than worth it." My aunt suddenly smiled before walking toward the edge of the platform and then looked at the participants below. "After all, your own father agreed to have Julius represent the two of you. He was a tough nut to crack this time, but since he developed an interest in the son of the Skull Crusher, I managed to convince him in the end. So, the plan I told you about the other day is going fine, my dear niece." She looked over her shoulder and grinned from ear to ear.

Naturally, after hearing such a thing, I was shocked… I couldn't help but stare at the private box reserved for my family right above the platform I was standing on…

My father, my mother, my father's other wives, and the rest of my sisters were all in there, watching everything from above.

Father actually agreed to have Julius represent not only me but Alicia as well… Am I dreaming? I can’t believe it…

My father's overprotective nature and his disposition to distrust most men were things I had been familiar with for a long time, so hearing that he had agreed to my aunt's proposal was something truly unexpected…

"I have a question… How did you manage to convince our father?" Alicia asked our aunt with a troubled look on her face.

"I obviously nagged him until he caved in just like I used to do when we were kids." My aunt giggled in response.

"I see…" Alicia replied before changing her focus toward me. "Umm… Older Sister… I'm sorry for asking Julius to represent me as well… I didn't know he was your champion already…" Alicia looked really nervous as she apologized to me.

Sheesh… My stubborn little sister can be a handful sometimes… She's an actual genius and still can't figure out that I'm not angry at her about this. In fact, I never was, not even for a moment…

"Alicia, do I look like I'm mad at you?" I asked her with an innocent smile.

"No..." Alicia immediately shook her head.

"Then you have nothing to apologize for. Everything is our dear aunt's fault, so you don't need to feel bad about this. In fact, I would bet that even Julius didn't have much of a choice on the matter because of a certain despicable woman." I quickly grabbed the hand of my sister and pulled her closer to me to comfort her.

"Despicable huh… Well, you're not entirely wrong about that, but to have my dear niece call me that… I'm hurt, you know?" My aunt said with an awkward look on her face.

"You'll have to endure it until I forget about your transgressions. And trust me, that won't happen any time soon." I spoke coldly to my aunt.

"I imagined that would be the case…" My aunt let out an awkward laugh. "But jeez… You and Julius are more alike than I thought. You both like to hold grudges…" Her awkwardness turned into amusement as she looked below at a certain someone.

“I hope that you are aware that your lack of remorse makes me feel even angrier at you, my dear aunt…” I frowned as I looked at my aunt who still looked quite amused.

“Are you really? I thought that you would be happy to hear that my plan was going well... Oh well… Either way, it is fine if you want to be angry about it, but I’m sure that you know that keeping that grudge won’t do you any good right now. After all, what’s done is done, and wouldn’t you rather enjoy yourself watching your champion doing his best for your sake rather than stand there and look at me with that cold gaze until the end of the tournament~?” A grin immediately appeared on my aunt’s face in response to my frown…

“I’m pretty sure I can do both.” Even though I knew what she was saying was true, I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that. After all, there was no way I wouldn’t be pissed off after being lied to again… 

“Yep, the two of you are truly alike… I think I could pass down the mantle to you and retire at this point so I can dedicate what remains of my life to being a matchmaker.” My aunt said while rubbing her chin. “You know, it actually doesn’t sound half bad. What do you think?” She asked me while grinning.

“If it makes you stop lying and scheming completely, then go ahead!” I replied with a great deal of sarcasm.

Was this what Julius had to deal with since he met us for the first time…? Was I really that much of a brat? Ugh… I don’t know if I should feel guilty or sorry for my best friend…

With that heavy revelation that just had just dawned upon me, the first battles of the tournament were just moments away from their beginning…

-----Julius’s POV-----

I couldn’t help but watch with amusement at the platform where the princesses were currently overlooking the arena.

It seems like Marina and Alicia were quite surprised to find out that I’m representing both of them in the tournament… Marina doesn’t look exactly happy with Eliana at the moment, so I have to assume that she might want to have a talk with me in the future…

Yep, it is decided… I must bribe her with food to gain her forgiveness… I guess since she loved pancakes so much, the only natural course of action is to introduce her to waffles. Yeah, that will be my only salvation…

I was already counting on Eliana conveniently forgetting about telling either of the princesses that I was going to be their shared champion, so I was already expecting this kind of development because of her annoying schemes.

Hmm? My excuse for not telling Marina or Alicia that I was going to represent both? I’ll be frank, it just kinda slipped my mind… With Alicia, I was quite busy thinking about how I could punish Eliana as much as humanly possible without resorting to actual torture.

I actually came up with something so horrifying that for a moment I doubted my own morality, but it is certainly perfect to punish someone like her. 

More news on that later… Nah, just kidding! I was planning to infuse one of the accessories I got from Urfathy with wind magic to reproduce a certain song from earth about a certain infant shark, give it to Eliana, and make her listen to it endlessly until she loses her mind or I feel satisfied.

Hehehe! I can’t wait to punish her with that!

Anyway, as for Marina… I was actually planning to tell her during my birthday, but we weren’t precisely quiet as we were pretty much playing around all the time and by the time she left to go home, it had also slipped my mind to tell her about it, hence causing this situation… 

And by the looks of it, she’s not exactly happy with either Eliana or me right now, so I can only hope my bribery can save me from this predicament…

“Is he really the son of the Skull Crusher? The Skull Crusher?” A girl wearing plate armor over her uniform murmured to the people beside her.

“The Headmistress said that he was adopted by him… For him to be the son of that legendary knight, he doesn’t appear to be that strong… Will he be fine?” A soft-spoken girl looked at me with a worried expression. 

“Seriously, nobody told me that we would be helping some kid with his basic training! Everyone, it seems like this tournament will be the easiest one in the history of the academy!” A boy loudly tried to ridicule me while looking at me with contempt.

“The Headmistress seemingly wants to make us fight training dummies instead of each other apparently!” Another boy seemed to agree with his contemptuous friend.

“What are the princesses even thinking? To throw a snotty brat into this sacred tournament when they could have chosen any of us to represent them… I find their whole decision preposterous!” A girl who didn’t seem much older than me complained as well.

Ah… Right… I forgot to mention this, but I’m currently in the middle of the arena, surrounded by exactly ninety-nine people. All of them which are fellow participants in this tournament and noble-born students of this very academy, who don’t seem to be too keen on my participating alongside them.

From the moment I set foot in the arena, I was able to hear countless whispers coming from the other participants. Some of them were filled with worry about my well-being because of my apparent lack of strength, some others were filled with contempt and disdain because I am representing the princesses, and some others were full of envy, pretty much because of the previous reason.

I mean, I can understand their point of view… I am not that oblivious. I know that commoners are not exactly welcomed in this tournament and that some nobles can be despicable just like a certain former princess I know, so I was also expecting something like this to happen one way or another.

Not gonna say that their words don’t get to me, because they do and they piss me off a little, but they won’t discourage me in the slightest. Of course, I don’t plan to answer their mockery right now… I prefer to let my fists do the talking when the match begins.

“Ahem! I know that Julius’s inclusion in this tournament as the representative of the soon-to-be graduating princesses is quite a shocker for everyone present in this arena myself included, but I believe we should continue. After all, how are we to judge the abilities and strength of the one chosen by the princesses if the tournament doesn’t start?” Ophelia suddenly spoke up after spending a bit of her time witnessing the argument between Eliana and Marina. “So for that purpose, I ask of everyone that all of you remain silent so I can explain some things and the rules.” Ophelia said in a very polite tone.

Because of Ophelia’s earnest request, everyone in the coliseum, including those who openly spoke about me with scorn, fell silent.

“Alright, as you all know we have quite a lot of our dear students participating this year as well as quite the number of the citizens of Mutm attending to watch this very tournament… Because of that, it was decided that in order to reduce the number of participants to a more manageable amount, the preliminaries would be held at the same time on all three coliseums of the Entertainment District.” Ophelia explained. “So as you may have guessed, the three hundred confirmed participants were split into three groups, which would leave one group per stadium. In short, they will all have to fight against each other in a battle royale! This means that only a handful of students that manage to remain standing after the coming battle will classify to the actual main tournament. It sounds exciting, doesn’t it?” Ophelia seemed like she was enjoying herself as the announcer of the tournament.

Three hundred participants huh… That’s really impressive… No wonder they chose a battle royale to reduce our numbers… It is the quickest way after all.

Speaking of three hundred… I haven’t been able to spot Neris nor can I feel her mana nearby… She must be in one of the other coliseums… I’m a bit relieved that I don’t have to fight her this early. I kinda want to save the best for last.

“Out of the three coliseums, only 32 participants will be able to qualify for the main tournament, so please give your all in the battles to come dear students!” Ophelia tried to encourage us. “Of course, we won’t deprive you of the action of the other coliseums either! Thanks to one of our professors and their special magic, we will be able to show you the other two battles in real time~!” Ophelia suddenly pointed her finger up to the sky.

Pretty much everyone, myself included, raised their heads to look above and find out what she was pointing at… My gaze was met by three huge spheres made out of obnoxious amounts of mana… Those spheres almost seemed like three large meteors were about to fall upon us, but they remained static up above. Instead of falling upon us, the spheres soon started to shine with a bright green light before something started to show all over them… That something was the view of the other arenas which all looked very similar to this one. The arena was filled with the other participants who all looked as shocked as we were…

It was exactly like as if I was looking at one of those screens in pretty much any stadium on Earth… It was both surprising and quite nostalgic.

“I have to thank one of our wonderful professors for making this possible! Although that particular professor didn’t want me to share any details about them, please give them a warm round of applause for their efforts!” Ophelia immediately started clapping, not caring that most of the coliseum was still in shock. 

Oh… That’s Neris! So I was right about her being in one of the other two coliseums!

After staring at the magical screen for a few moments, I was able to spot Neris the apprentice esquire that became my friend so quickly. She was wearing the uniform of the academy on top of very heavy-looking plate armor as well as a huge longsword attached to her back. She was staring at the screen with a confident expression.

“As for the actual rules of this phase of the tournament, they are quite simple.” Ophelia immediately moved on as she realized no one was clapping with her. “First and foremost, killing your opponents is strictly forbidden. Though, it is very unlikely for that to happen as you would have to overpower the bracelets we gave you.” Ophelia explained as she pulled a very familiar bracelet out of her pocket.

I was wearing that exact same bracelet… It looked fairly simple as it didn’t have any patterns or decorations besides a simple and small purple crystal in the middle. Still, the mana it held within was no joke… My bracelet had enough mana to cast a bunch of 6th Grade spells at once, and it would still not be enough to deplete its mana reserves.

These are certainly a wonder of magical engineering!

“Wearing these bracelets is obligatory to participate as they have the simple function of keeping you safe and sound during this tournament. Any injuries sustained by the participants while wearing them will be transferred to the bracelets. You could be theoretically burnt to death with magic or almost decapitated, and you would still survive with no injuries on your body thanks to these beauties~! These bracelets are the reason why we let you bring your own weapons of choice instead of the classic practice weapons!” Ophelia spoke almost as if she bragging. “Which leads us to our second rule… The bracelets are not omnipotent and they will definitely break after a set amount of serious damage is taken by the user. I will not sugarcoat anything, if your bracelet breaks then you’re out of the tournament for good. Of course, there’s a failsafe mechanism installed on the bracelets so the user is teleported out of the arena so their lives are not at risk after being disqualified. Isn’t it impressive? The treasured magical prowess of our academy~!” Ophelia was definitely bragging… Although with good reason.

I wonder what constitutes serious damage to the bracelet… If I had to guess since Ophelia used things like burned alive or getting your head almost chopped off as examples, that should mean that after a set amount of life-threatening injuries, the bracelet will break… That sounds a bit messed up, not gonna lie…

Well, either way, that doesn’t really change anything. It is all just like a normal fight, avoid getting hit if you don’t want to die.

“As for the two final rules. Both of them involve time. The third rule is about the participants passing out while their bracelets still remain intact. In the doubtful case that something like that happened, the participants have a full minute to get up and react or they will be disqualified. They will be teleported away as if their bracelet was broken.” Ophelia explained with a seemingly caring expression. “As for the fourth and final rule. It is quite simple… There will be a time limit of exactly an hour for the preliminaries to end. If too many of the participants remain by that time and the battle still rages on, we will stop everything and select the few that will participate in the main tournament based on their performance in this phase. That’s all the rules we have for this phase, so…” Ophelia made an ominous pause…

There’s a time limit as well huh… Well, I don’t think the battle will last that long but it is still nice to know that fact.

“I, Ophelia Nalesi Nebandia, declare that the preliminaries have officially started! Do your best everyone!” Ophelia suddenly announced the start of the tournament.

Wait… Now!? It is actually starting now!?

Everyone around me was taken aback by the sudden start. I was quite shocked too, but I quickly took a stance and prepared myself for battle, trying to guard myself against any possible attack. As soon as I did that, the people around me also started to react…

Everyone looked at each other with apprehension, all of us were definitely trying to gauge the skills of those around us while trying to cover our backs. Because of that, no fighting had started just yet…

However, there was a person who disagreed with that notion…

“Yo… So you are supposedly the son of the Skull Crusher, correct?” A monkey-faced tall muscular guy suddenly walked up to me and talked in a completely relaxed manner. He was not carrying a weapon with him.

“Last time I checked, I was. There’s no need to add the supposedly there.” I replied while carefully trying to analyze the guy’s intentions. “But if you’re so eager, why don’t you come and find out?” I grinned while trying to provoke him.

“Huh!? Who the fuck do you think you are, pipsqueak!? Bold words from someone the same height as mice!” A smile filled with amusement appeared on his face as he started to mock me.

As soon as those words reached my ears, I could feel one of my eyes twitch…

Don’t lose your cool, Julius… It is fine… This guy is the classic all-bark and no-bite who’s trying to piss you off… No need to mind him…

“What? Did the mice also get your tongue as well? It makes sense that a pipsqueak would feel intimidated after being in front of a warrior of my caliber.” The guy had a disgustingly smug look on his face. “I believe that even a gnome such as yourself has heard of Chadicus Brodicus Dravia, future Earl of Dravia! If the laughable notion that you’re the son of such a legendary knight, then you will face me here and now, pipsqueak! Come now! I will not hold anything back, even as a small dwarf such as yourself!” He quickly raised his fists, taking a familiar martial arts stance.

…

…

…

He’s wearing the bracelet, so I can fight as if I actually want to kill him, right? Good.

“As you wish.” A polite smile appeared on my face. That smile was nothing but a façade as my insides were boiling with an unyielding rage capable of extinguishing a thousand suns. “Please, let’s fight fair and square.” I bowed politely.

“It will be over in a minute, pipsqueak! It is such a shame that your daddy and the princesses decided to send you to fight without a weapon! Their choice will be your end!” The gorilla-looking guy yelled as victory was already his.

Okay… THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN~!

“Oh, I’m grateful but please don’t worry about me… At this very moment, I do not need to use a weapon.” I raised my head and smiled politely again at the guy.

Little did the guy know that he had exactly just a few moments before his bracelet would mysteriously break all of a sudden… I wonder who could have done that?

 Chapter 59: Opening Ceremony and the Chaotic Preliminaries Begin!

END

GodlyKamui

Heya! New chapter! How are y'all doing? I'm personally doing fine today, as my dear mother surprised me with some pancakes for dinner after I got back from work. They were obviously delicious! Anyhow, let's get into the chapter!

There's lots of stuff I could mention about this particular chapter, but I'll first say... The tournament has finally started! It was about time lol! There was a lot of stuff I wanted to write in the four days between Julius's birthday and the start of the tournament, but I decided to alter my plans a little, so we'll get into what happened in those four days as the tournament goes on. I really liked writing about the interaction between Marina and Eliana, who absolutely deserves the treatment she's receiving due to her schemes. I can't wait to introduce her younger brother, aka, the Emperor who is also a bit of a nutcase.

Also, RIP Chadicus Brodicus. You pressed the shorty button... You shouldn't have done that!

His time in this novel was short, but he'll be remembered forever because of his badass name... Lol, as if! Now, before you comment about the weird name situation like it happened with Tian Sebas, this time I actually have a Lore reason for his name. I will also get to it eventually during the tournament.

There are other things I could say, like how I liked writing the scene with Julius and family or Ophelia's reaction to the shocking surprise, but I think it is better if I leave it here as this chapter is already long enough.

As usual, I do hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please don't forget to comment and leave some hearts since that motivates me to continue writing the story! Also, join the discord to talk about the story and see the new picrew character illustrations I'm working on! Here's the link: https://discord.gg/uH6APbzrFR

Buh-bye!