Chapter 334 - The Tournament Participants From Cassau Has Been Decided

"Daniel, I'm finally home!" I shouted as soon as I returned back to my home in Cassau after so long. Although I have returned once because I met Fabio, that doesn't count since my mission is not over.

"Roy! Ah! Hmph!" Daniel looked away.

He was about to run and hug me, but then he suddenly realized what he was doing and looked away and started sulking. That's so damn cute! But I'm still lonely.

"Come on, Daniel. I'm home for real now. And I won't go for too long anymore anytime soon." I said.

"You can't! You have to leave to save the world! But I still don't like it when you leave for too long!" Daniel said.

No amount of healing magic that Kayla casted on me can heal my heart this much. I'm so blessed!

"Then next time I leave, I will go home as much as possible, okay?" I said.

"…promise?"

"I promise."

I said as I linked my pinky with Daniel's. My fatigue from the mission has disappear. Being home is the best after all.

And not just Daniel, I can now sleep with my girlfriends again at night! Though I will prioritize being with Daniel for a while.

My relationship with Daniel started as a pity. Then I grew to be attached to his innocence. Other then my girlfriends, he's my source of healing. Though I wish he doesn't have to grow up. But that's impossible.

"Lana too! Pinky promise with Lana too!"

After Daniel, there's another smaller child who is just three years old. She's Lana. Albert's daughter that he kept secret from the world because we're afraid of the cult. Though in the end, Albert did a good job that Lana doesn't need to be kept as a secret anymore. But he still thinks that it's a good decision for her to stay as she is, so we still kept the fact that she's a princess as secret.

Our kingdom has grown strong enough to protect a little girl from the cult. But we still kept her here just in case since Albert said that there have been multiple cases of intruder attempting to kidnap Alan. They are not related to the cult. In fact, they are ordered by someone in the nobility whose house has been destroyed because Albert found evidences of their crimes. They tried to get their revenge by kidnaping Alan, but they failed. And those former nobles are facing death sentences.

That's what Sonia told me. Once a week or so, Sonia would appear and give me reports even though I don't need them. That's why I still know the recent news even while I'm in a mission.

"Sure. Here." I offered Lana my pinky, and she took it with her pinky as well.

"Pinky promise! If you break the promise, all hell break loose" Lana said with a smile on her face.

…that's scary! Who the hell taught her that words!? I look around to see the others' reaction, but they are all smiling after hearing that. Does it mean everyone is guilty?

After our discussion in Prince Bernard's mansion, we each return to our own home. But this time, I didn't bring Luna with me. At least for now, Prince Bernard's home is safe. Fabio, Prince Bernard, and King Harold are all there. And there's also an expert level mage, Queen Carmen, staying behind.

They said that they will try to talk to King Harold's other children and wives and persuade them to fight the fake king. They will fight during the Battle Tournament between the four countries. Which should be when the defense in the capital is at its weakest. While other countries will secretly help them.

And as for me, my job will be to send the army with portals. And I don't need to travel much anymore since I have marked each country with Blobbies. Though there are still some unexplored location for me, I don't think I will go there anytime soon.

Celestine went with her sister to the Empire. She will help teaching the mages over there about magic control.

As for Varadis, I have taught some to Princess Julia. But Albert will still send several agents to each country to cooperate with and teach them magic control. Of course those agents were the ones who participated in the training camp.

Now, I can rest easy. Maybe I will go to campus to see whoever will be participating and representing the college I work at. Though I believe Kayla and Jewel would pass easily. As for Sara, I don't know much about other students. But If there are many other agents like her who attend the same college, she might have some difficulties.

"Kayla, how do you decide the participant for the tournament?" I asked Kayla.

"Just a normal battle. Though I pass easily because they need at least one healer. Other than me, there are Jewel, Sara, another agent from the training camp, and a rich man's kid." Kayla said.

"It's already over? And a rich man's kid? I get how you four passed. I taught you all by myself. At least the three of you. I don't know about the other agent. But what's with the rich man's kid?"

"He entered thanks to recommendation of the professors like me. The tournament needed five mages from each college. We decide three by a tournament. The top three will be the representative. It's already difficult for the others to accept when Sara and Jewel entered the final. Both of them are first-year student, so the upperclassmen disagree. Though the third place is an agent who participated in the training camp. And he's a third-year student." Kayla explained.

"What about you though? Any healer can do, right?" I asked.

"The dean said that to make sure we have more people from our clan, and he said that he still needs to understand the rule and to be careful in case all of us will fight together at once. So, he recommended me who is excellent earth mage, and a good healer as well. though they will still send some other healers than me, but they won't be on the list of the participants." Kayla explained why she got recommended.

"And the rich man's kid? I doubt Dean would accept any bribe." I said.

"The dean doesn't accept any bribes. But because he insisted on recommending me, he let other professors decide who's the other recommendation will be. And as you might have guessed, several professors got bribed and let the rich man's kid participate. The dean himself said that it was fine. Rather, it will be too suspicious if all the people we send is too strong. Other colleges will think that we have prepared this for a long time, and proposed the idea of the tournament because of it and let some students delay their graduation. Though he can easily explain that all of us are still students, he said that it's a pain to explain to those who doesn't want to understand." Kayla said.

I understand. I understand that feeling clearly, Dean. It's annoying when other people don't want to listen to you. Especially when you said the truth.

"But with how the tournament will be, I doubt this rich man's kid will survive. The most annoying part is that he keeps annoying us three; Jewel, Sara, and me, just because his daddy is rich. We agreed to let him fight first so he knows how weak he is." Kayla said.

"Is he that weak?" I asked.

"He only cultivates his magic and never once go fight a monster. He's an advanced level mage, but his magic is too weak." Kayla said.

"If you are fine with that arrangement, then that's fine. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"The tournament will be held in Melk. We're going home for the tournament." Kayla said.

"Melk? Why?"

"Because of the stampede. Albert said that it's to show everyone that we can recover. Though the damage in that city is not as big as the other cities three years ago, it was still one of the targets. The people will see how strong we are by keep standing up even after we fall. That's what Albert said." Kayla said.

I guess that's good. I also don't need to travel there since I already marked that place.

"Well, congratulation on being selected. I'll go take a nap." I said.

"No, you just sleep for a long time after the surgery. You don't need any more sleep." Kayla said.

"Then I will play with Daniel. It has been a long time since I can spend time with Daniel."

"No. It's Monday today, and you have class to teach. You have been away for too long that the other professor think that the dean is playing favorite."

"But, Mooom!"

"I'm not your mother. I'm your girlfriend. At least you need to be present today. Sara is having trouble with having too many students." Kayla said.

"What? Isn't my class supposed to be the emptiest class?"

"Sara shows her air magic and entered the final before losing to Jewel. Of course that makes other students interested in air magic. She said that there are even many who are not air mages who attend the class. It was too much for her alone to bear. Go there and save her."

"Sigh… I guess I have no choice then. Sorry, Daniel. I will play with you later." I said, but the one who replies is not Daniel. Instead, it was Lana.

"You broke your promise! Now, all hell break loose!" Lana said with eerie voice.

"Stop that! That's scary! Alright, come on out now whoever taught her those words! I won't get angry, I promise!"