NOVEL NEXT Chapter 108: Working
The Lirandel Grounds' arena had massive stone tiers adorned with banners from the twenty-four knight academies of the eastern region of the Kingdom.
There were plenty of people who would visit this huge town during this time of the year, not just to witness the debut of many young trainee knights, but also to conduct business.
There were many nobles who also wanted to see the future of their region and perhaps, scout them while they were young.
Aside from the nobles, merchants, and commoners alike filled the stands, as they all looked up to the Aura Knights. They certainly wanted to be aware of these people who might spread their names in the future once they grew up.
As the event was about to start, the scent of roasted meats and spiced wine mingled with the metallic hint of armor and sword, filled the arena… They could even hear some distant clash of practice duels from the training pits below, as they prepared for the competition.
At the center of the arena, atop a raised marble platform, stood Marquis Jurandir Kaelthorne, a towering figure bearing the insignia of the House Kaelthorne. He was also the major sponsor of this event.
At this time, out of 24 Knight Academies, he was only looking forward to seeing the performance of the eight academies that caught his interest this year.
The first one was, of course, the Dawnspire Academy. He heard about how Hayden defeated Laxus and a couple of days ago, Claire, the top student of the Solaris Academy. As for Ulysses and the others, he wasn't expecting a lot of them...
'It's a pity that Hayden will not participate…' Marquis Jurandir thought as he confirmed that Mensa was standing on the side with a small child, who seemed to be Hayden.
Then, the Solaris Academy had Claire Solstice. This academy would always be in decent rankings in the competition.
The Black Sword Academy, with a black set of gears worn by their students, had Trina Dainar, another knight candidate, and the favorite to win in the individual duels.
There was also the Verdant Thorn Academy. A smaller Academy that had Adrian Voss, probably the strongest contender to become the Top 1 now that Laxus decided not to participate.
Then, Marquis Jurandir glanced at the group of students from Vulcan Naval Academy… This Academy teaches a strange Sword Art called Nine Waves and would always be in the top 5 of the Competition.
"They should have no problem getting that position again…" He mused.
The Obsidian Fang Academy, on the other hand, was known for its incredible recruitment abilities… Currently, they have Jethro and Haien, two incredibly strong students who had been known for subjugating two one-horned Magic Beasts alone! Although the Magic Beasts were said to have been injured or weakened already, it was still a very impressive feat. Nonetheless, these two would've become bandits without the presence of recruiters from Obsidian Fang Academy.
Aside from them, the Sacred Gate Academy, the youngest academy that was only established for a few years, had also caught his eye…
"They're still the ones producing the most Aura Knights… Really interesting…" The Marquis muttered.
Although they're probably the weakest among the eight academies and could produce only average Aura Knights, that was still impressive.
Apparently, all the Aura Knights who had come from this Academy could only reach the First Level and could no longer advance… forever. At the very least, it was still considered an incredible feat since a First-Level Aura Knight was still a valuable resource.
Lastly, the Marquis was, of course, looking at Kaelthorne Academy. It was the Academy supported by his family, and had also produced some decent contenders for this year's competition.
***
As the competition was about to start, Marquis Jurandir raised a gauntleted hand, and the crowd fell silent.
He then stood up to speak on the platform for everyone to hear.
"Our future Aura Knights, today, you do not fight for mere victory. You will fight for your Academy, the legacy. For honor. For the future of our kingdom!"
The crowd and the students applauded his words as they realized that the competition was finally about to start. They were all too excited and could no longer wait…
"The Inter-Academy Sword Competition has long been the crucible in which true knights are forged. But this year… the stakes are higher."
A murmur rippled through the crowd as they weren't sure how the stakes became higher. The first they thought was perhaps, the reward this time wouldn't just be money for the Academy and the winning students.
As they reached this thought, the Marquis continued. And they were right!
"The Crown has decreed that the winning academy shall receive not only glory and wealth but a great reward—a single request, within reason, to be granted by His Majesty himself."
The students straightened after hearing this.
A royal reward? That could mean land, titles, or even rare artifacts from the king's vaults.
Hayden's eyes narrowed. 'That changes things.'
However, he wasn't immediately blinded by the reward. After all, it could also tie you to the royal family, and you would most likely lose your freedom as well, if you're not careful.
Furthermore, he was a bit suspicious as to why they seemed so desperate to get a young trainee knight to be on their side.
In any case, he wasn't participating, so he didn't need to worry too much.
Marquis Jurandir then continued.
"Once again, the rules are simple. Single elimination. No killing blows. Aura techniques are permitted, but curses, poisons, and external magic artifacts are forbidden."
"Let the competition begin!"
As the Marquis stepped down, the arena's chief announcer—a man in a feathered hat—leaped onto the platform, unfurling a scroll.
"Behold! The tournament brackets!"
A massive, illusory projection erupted above the arena, displaying the first-round matchups. It was a magical artifact, and Hayden couldn't help but feel impressed seeing such a large projector.
It seemed that he had still underestimated how the Magicians affected society with their various inventions.