"Boss…"
Inside Dragon-Battling Arena’s tunnel, Wilde and the others called him, seemingly wanting to say something.
"No need to pay attention to that guy, just focus on fighting properly today." Walking at the very front, Ferguillo faintly said, "Also, right now I really shouldn’t be his match. However, you have to remember that for us arcane masters, the battle doesn’t stop at the outcome of this match, it only stops when our lives come to an end."
"We understand, boss!" Wilde and the others shared a look between themselves. They could all feel their blood surging inside them.
Ferguillo had always been the one who brought them to the national tournament. Ferguillo was the respected spiritual leader for everyone in Iron Forest Academy. For them, Ferguillo’s dignity was even more important than their own.
If one could say that Ferguillo had been protecting them previously, then from now on, they would also use every ounce of strength to protect Ferguillo.
"God of Death Rinsyi! The extraordinarily strong captain of team Golden Stag, it’s really him!"
"The captain of the third team in the whole kingdom, a figure like him actually rushed here to watch the match!"
Rinsyi’s appearance in the stands caused an absolute sensation.
For teams finishing at the forefront of the national tournament, every main member of their rosters was a dazzling celebrity, a legendary figure that they had no hope of seeing in ordinary times.
"Team Agate Lake also came, that’s Nikita!"
"She looks really tall now that she’s in the stands!"
"The most important thing is, her figure is still so fine even when she’s so tall, she’s really so beautiful."
Another uproar suddenly ran through the stands. Many people noticed many girls and team members of Agate Lake Academy also pouring inside the arena.
After sitting down in the stands, some of the girls from team Agate Lake winded around Sofia and asked, "Captain, do you want Ferguillo and his people to qualify, or Chris and her people to qualify?"
The beautiful Sofia was tall and slender, and one could tell with a single glance her temperament of one coming from a wealthy family. She answered, "Of course I hope Ferguillo can qualify. After all, he’s the one who beat us last year."
"Captain, they say people can’t make friends if they don’t trade blows, you won’t have fallen in love with him, right? Ferguillo really looks very handsome though."
"What are you silly girls talking about."
"Nikita likes Ayrin though. Captain, you guys are in conflict."
"When did I ever say I liked Ayrin?" Nikita was very tall and looked like a real goddess of war on the field, but she was obviously very shy in ordinary times. A red blush suddenly crept on her snow-white skin as soon as her teammates made fun of her.
"Why are you getting embarrassed, you clearly called Ayrin very interesting when we were coming here."
"Moss is still the most suitable for Nikita though, in my opinion. That Moss also has the blood of giants, her and Moss are a powerful match made in heaven…"
"No way no way!" Nikita desperately shook her hands all of a sudden.
"Look at that, she wasn’t like this when we talked about Ayrin, but she’s so anxious as soon as we mention Moss. It seems she still likes Ayrin the most."
"You guys, stop bullying our thin-skinned Nikita alright?"
…
Girls were often the subject of discussion for boys, while girls talked about boys most of the time. While these girls from Agate Lake Academy joked and giggled in the stands, the atmosphere was a little strange in the lounge reserved for the contestants of team Holy Dawn.
"There’s still another team member?"
"Who is it? Why is there another team member popping out all of a sudden?"
Everyone looked at Carter in confusion. They had no idea what Carter meant when he said another team member would be coming.
"Belo?"
Ayrin thought of something all of a sudden and shouted excited, "Teacher Carter, is it Belo?! Did Belo finish his training!"
"Belo, that Impulsive Freshman?" Chris and the others were a little stunned.
Carter nodded with a little smile. "I can’t say he’s done with his training. His training is still ongoing. But today’s match is very important, and the opponent is also a team like Iron Forest Academy, so we have to have some additional insurance. That’s why teacher Rui will take him here."
After a small pause, Carter became a little more solemn and told them, "For a match like this one with a qualification spot on the line, Rinsyi might not be the only figure from the national tournament who came to watch, so we have to stay as low-key as possible, hide our strength as much as we can. Let’s all act natural when the time comes, don’t let many people feel that Stingham and Belo are extremely unusual."
"Extremely unusual? Isn’t Belo just a freshman? Why would people think him special?" Gerryn and the others couldn’t resist sharing a look, thinking this kind of thought.
Footsteps at the lounge’s door came to their ears just at this moment.
The moment lounge’s door opened, everyone felt an inexplicable sensation, as if they had goosebumps all over, as if there was a giant beast lurking in the dark, as if an especially vicious and bloodthirsty monster were staring at them.
"What’s going on?"
Ayrin widened his eyes in astonishment. He very quickly saw two familiar figures. The one walking in front was that rather short-statured teacher Rui, while the one following behind teacher Rui, a weak and mild looking boy wearing shiny glasses, was impressively the one who’d disappeared for many days already, Belo.
"Belo!"
But after shouting loudly in excitement and bouncing in front of Belo, he immediately exclaimed in alarm, "What’s up with your body?"
"This guy…" Moss’ expression also froze.
There didn’t seem to be any change in Belo’s stature compared to before, but his exposed skin, hands, and even face, all exposed strip after strip of light red scar that resembled tattoos, making Moss shiver as soon as he looked at him, and not from the cold.
"Nothing, I got them during training." Belo acted as usual. He pushed his glasses as was his habit, then observed every member of the team with feverish eyes that showed a lot of interest.
"What kind of training would make someone’s aura change like this?"
Chris looked at Belo, a little puzzled. She even felt a thick reek of blood and an aura unique to savage beasts. She suddenly understood somewhat. Respect filtered through her eyes when she looked at Belo.
"What kind of expression is that, why do you keep looking at me!" Stingham suddenly shouted. Because he noticed that after sweeping his eyes around, Belo’s scary eyes never left him.
"Interesting," Belo pushed his glasses and mumbled.
Stingham blinked, then shouted with goosebumps rising all over his skin, "What’s interesting! What kind of people are you in this team?"
"Moss, don’t make a fuss." Chris said amiably, "Didn’t you hear teacher Carter telling us to stay low-key just now?"
"I’m Stingham, not Moss!" Stingham was about to cry. "How can you be so face-blind, you can’t even recognize a lame-foot from someone who isn’t lame."
"Remember, you have to listen to teacher Carter." All of a sudden, the usually taciturn Rui suddenly spoke and said such a sentence to Stingham. Then he turned around and left the lounge without another word.
"What did he mean?"
Stingham froze, then he shivered all over again. "Who was that! What the hell is going on, why is that guy’s voice and the figure of his back so much like that guy who beat me up on that day! What on earth did he mean just now!"
"Alright now." Carter smiled and gestured to everyone to quiet down, then said, "It has been a long time since our Holy Dawn Academy last went to the nationals. As long as you win today’s match, many people in Holy Dawn Academy will remember your names.
"I think you guys can also see that many students in our Holy Dawn Academy even forgot the meaning of courage, many people even think that there isn’t much of a difference between battlemasters and other arcane masters, many people even think that there isn’t any particular glory in protecting your family, protecting your friends, and defending this kingdom with your hot blood and your very lives as a battlemaster.
"In the previous match, you guys already started to rouse their still hot-bloodness, made many people find their courage anew. The significance of this surpasses the outcome of the match itself.
"That’s why, no matter today or in the future, go forth and fight for your beliefs and for your dreams.
"I’ll immediately tell you the fighting lineup today. The first one to go out and represent our team is Bora! The second one to fight is Ayrin, Chris is third, Stingham is fourth, Belo is fifth!"
"The purpose is to snatch victory as early as possible, make Stingham and Belo come last in order to hide their strength as much as possible!" As soon as he announced the fighting order, every member of team Holy Dawn immediately understood Carter’s intention without any need for him to explain.
"It’s finally my turn to fight?" Selected for the first time in team Holy Dawn, Bora silently breathed a deep breath in, trembling from nervousness and excitement inside. "Don’t disgrace Holy Dawn’s name, and fight bravely, brave warrior," he seriously said to himself in his mind.
"What, why am I not the first one to go out!"
"How could you do that, how can my brilliant war god and fascinatingly handsome self not be first! How am I going to make these beautiful girls go crazy about me!" There was only Stingham to shout loudly, depressed, "How could you do that, you left no stone unturned to make me transfer to team Holy Dawn, don’t tell me it’s only to bury me so people can’t see my handsomeness and godly martial prowess! I protest, teacher Carter, hurry up and let me go out first!"
"You don’t listen to teacher Carter, do you want to die?" Belo said with an impetuous face before Carter even said anything.
If not for Ayrin stopping him, maybe he’d already have rushed forward to beat up Stingham.
"What? Are you threatening me? Who are you, do you think you can beat me or what!" Stingham immediately jumped and shouted loudly, utterly exasperated.
"It’s really a group of problem children." Carter rubbed his temples, but just at this moment, Ayrin shifted against Stingham’s ear and said a few words, then Stingham quieted down all of a sudden and whipped his head around without even looking at Belo, seemingly sulking.
Even Carter became curious and couldn’t stop himself from asking Ayrin, "What did you tell him, why did he go silent all of a sudden?"
"Nothing much, I just told him a fact. I said that in order to dig a hole in the wall of the Beast Training Field, Belo sneaked out every night even while injured and dug it for three months straight. I said that even if he could beat Belo, if Belo took it to heart, there’s no telling whether something would happen at night while he’s sleeping," Ayrin explained.
"…" Carter glanced at Belo. Even he felt that one might really be unable to sleep at ease at night if Belo took it to heart.
