Chapter 65: The Main Event and the Entrance

Chapter 65: The Main Event and the Entrance

Blood burst from Hosan's body.

Along with it, Nickel's Indolence came to an end.

"Cough."

Nickel lost his strength and fell in front of Hosan, who was bleeding profusely.

'It's not over until it's over.'

I moved with a body still steaming from the heat, aiming to finish off Hosan.

Although his body was mangled, he was not so weak that he couldn't even wield a knife, as he was ready enough to prepare a feast.

"Heh heh heh. Cough."

"What's so funny? Can't believe you didn't even think you would die?"

As I spoke mockingly, Hosan, who seemed like he could die any moment, nodded his head.

"Indeed, it's true. But someday, I will die, puhuk, heh."

Looking at Hosan, who seemed to be unable to forget his words, I stabbed him through the heart without further ado.

Hosan faced death with a smiling face, his eyes wide open.

"It's not satisfying if you die with that expression."

Now, even I don't know.

When I thought it was over, the tension was released, and I couldn't muster any strength in my body.

"All this fuss over something insignificant."

Seeing the smiling Hosan, I couldn't help but feel self-disgust for what I fought for in the first place.

Still, it's confirmation that my skills have grown.

Well, damn it, if I confirm my skills once more, my body might not hold up.

Unable to support my body with diminishing strength, I collapsed onto the ground.

The sky was obscenely beautiful.

"You all did well."

I dismissed the undead and slowly closed my freezing eyes.

Even though I knew that I would lose consciousness if my eyes closed, I couldn't endure any longer.

"You all did well too."

As my eyes closed and darkness embraced me.

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.

.

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Boom! Boom!

Loud firecrackers exploded.

Today was the day of the main event of the Spring Tournament.

For the Academy students, it was a more meaningful event than the year-end festival.

"I wonder who will be the winner this time."

"Most likely one of the graduating classes from the Knight Department. Who was it? Todelon and Dazam, those seniors, are considered strong contenders."

"Hey, didn't you miss the preliminary rounds?"

"Yeah, so?"

"In this tournament, it's possible that the winner could come from the Magic Department for the first time in 12 years."

"What? Ah! Could it be Dianne Alven?"

The conversation buzzed with anticipation for the tournament, which was about to unfold. This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

While Serena was watching passersby and enjoying the conversation, she raised an eyebrow upon hearing their words.

Until now, Serena had been using her adaptation to the academy as an excuse to focus on her training and had missed the preliminary rounds of the tournament.

Dianne Alven, huh...'

Dianne Alven, a pillar of the Empire and a prominent noble family known for their magical prowess. Serena had heard the name frequently enough to be familiar with it.

'But still, it seems difficult for her to defeat Todelon senior.'

Naturally, mages were expected to have powerful firepower. However, the true value of a mage's magic manifested when they were protected by someone else.

In one-on-one battles like the tournament, knights had the advantage over mages.

Recalling the various seniors she had encountered during her training in the past few days, Serena couldn't imagine a scene where a mage could win.

'Honestly, I feel like I could win too. Of course, I've never actually fought, though.'

From the Aura Runner to the Aura User, Aura Expert, and even Aura Master, excluding the officially recognized Aura Master, which was a level attained only by few in the Empire, the classifications were simply informal distinctions made among knights for simplicity's sake.

Serena's current level was Aura User. However, even within the same level, there was a wide range of skill levels. Each person had varying amounts of mana and different ways of utilizing it. In addition, factors such as physical abilities, combat sense, and swordsmanship also played a role, making it difficult to determine a clear ranking.

In fact, among the freshmen, only Louis Artman was recognized as an Expert.

"Sorry, kept you waiting?"

As soon as Serena thought that a tiger would come if she mentioned it, he arrived.

Not only Serena but also Louis had missed the qualifying matches due to their daily training, so they had decided to watch only the main event together.

"I'm here too!"

"I guess we should go watch together!"

"Hmm..."

Bart didn't bother to answer and casually glanced at the arena with an indifferent expression.

However, deep down, he wondered why Adrius hadn't appeared yet.

"Did he give up?"

Based on what he had seen of Adrias recently, he didn't seem like the type to give up easily if he lost a fight.

If that wasn't the case, then perhaps he was late in his preparations.

But facing Dianne, it was natural to be nervous.

"I think he might be afraid of Lord Rodren's daughter... Honestly, if they are both mages, do you think he can truly showcase his skills against Lord Rodren's daughter?"

Another man who was standing nearby joined the conversation.

It was Hoyard, the royal court mage of the neighboring kingdom of Bertrand, who was sitting next to Azik.

As a graduate of the Rodren Academy, he had made a name for himself as a mage.

"That might be possible! Considering the opponent, it seems quite likely."

"Even just making it to the finals as a mage student is already remarkable. It's a shame if he's not declining but instead choosing to abstain from the match. Everyone here is busy, and it's a waste of time."

Bart overheard the conversation between Azik and Hoyard and let out a sigh, observing Dianne who was waiting with an enigmatic expression.

Dianne exuded an aura of an elite mage, fully prepared to face any opponent.

'But Adrias was mysterious too.'

A peculiar mana storage without boundaries between heart and body.

Furthermore, choosing a sword from his own warehouse.

Considering that, there must have been some hidden move.

Of course, Bart never thought that his daughter would lose, but it didn't make sense for Adrias, who had a hidden move, to abstain.

'No, on the contrary, he might abstain to conceal his true abilities.'

If that was the case, he couldn't be an ordinary guy.

Allowing himself to be kept waiting, and above all, making Dianne wait, deserved punishment.

"Thank you all for waiting! The 58th Spring Tournament's main event will now begin!"

Bang! Bang!

With the announcer's words, the tournament's start was announced.

But still, Adrias Cromwell hadn't taken his seat.

"Before we begin, we will have a speech from the headmaster of the Rodren Academy and renowned scholar, Deos Canian."

If the speech wasn't over soon, there wouldn't be enough time.

And of all times, Deos was known to have an incredibly short speech time.

"Well, what else needs to be said? I hope you all unleash your skills that you've honed for a year. That's all."

The headmaster, with his long white beard and a benevolent appearance, ended his speech with a hearty laugh.

As the expected short speech came to an end, the announcer finally called out the participants of the first match.

"In the blue corner, a genius mage who inherits the talents of the Great Duke Alben! Dianne Alben!"

"Wow!"

The response from the audience was tremendous, to the point where it drowned out the announcer's voice.

It was a response that truly showcased Dianne Alben's popularity.

From a young age, her appearance and talents had made her famous, so it was natural for the crowd to react in such a way.

"In the red corner! A mage who has risen to fame as a potion prodigy by creating the Everlast Potion! Adrias Cromwell!"

The announcer shouted loudly, but there was no one in the red corner.

Even in the audience, people were perplexed, and a slight commotion ensued. The announcer struggled to regain control.

"Adrias Cromwell! Are you here? If you don't show up within three minutes, it will be considered a forfeit, and the winner will be Dianne Alben."

As the announcer finished speaking, a chorus of boos erupted from the audience.

To those who came to watch the match, a forfeit was an uninteresting outcome.

Dianne frowned as she thought about Adrias, who hadn't shown up.

'Could he be scared and ran away?'

If that were the case, it would lower her opinion of him, especially after she had recently regarded him so highly.

Even in a losing match, Dianne was relentlessly harsh toward those who didn't give their best.

'But he didn't seem like that during the final evaluation.'

Time passed, and the announcer, who couldn't delay any longer, opened his mouth once again.

"Now, three minutes have passed. It seems that Adrias Cromwell won't be participating. Therefore, the winner is..."

"Just a moment!"

Dianne's sudden voice interrupted the announcer's words.

Dianne pointed her finger at the announcer, catching his attention.

Following her finger, everyone's gaze turned to the spot where Adrias, gasping for breath as if he had run there, was appearing.

"I apologize for being late."

Upon seeing Adrias, the audience, the announcer, and Dienne herself were left speechless.

He looked as if he had just returned from a battlefield, with his clothes torn in various places and his body covered in wounds.

Especially the severe injury on his cheek gave him a rugged appearance, but Adrias calmly took a deep breath and spoke as if it didn't faze him at all.

"Shall we begin?"