The foiled celebration of the King’s birthday had increased the craving of the citizens for gratification, and the graduation tournament just happened to provide the outlet for their suppressed desires. The stands were filled to the brim with winter clothes and bodies within, chattering resounding throughout the large arena that had rising tiers of seats, spanning around the center pith under the open sky where dark clouds indulged in their unwarranted acts. The hail had receded, and the conspiring sun did not offer solace from the cold winds.

“Isn’t this unusual?” Garlan asked, scuttling in his seat, and stared at the assiduous audience. We, commoners, were forced to sit in the bottom seats, so he stretched turned his body all around, earning disgruntled shouts from the people seated beside him. “You got problems with my body, young man?”

“Don’t move that fat ass of yours, bastard!” he snarled and moved to a different seat.

“Should have whacked that fucker first,” Garlan gruffed before dangling his arm on my shoulder.

“It’s not like you ever get hurt by the insults hurled at you,” I removed his hand and stared at the podium lined with something close to linoleum. Though, it was harder and much sturdier for a floor covering. Black Obliesks flaked the steps to the platform that ran along the entire length on all four sides except the corner. Two mages were examining the stands, unaffected by the curses they received for delaying the first match.

Casey was up first, and I saw her silhouette close to the passage that connected the route to the waiting room underneath rising seats. Their examiners were seated slightly away from the platform, against the long table that had erratic papers sprawled all over. My [Devil eye] scanned the score sheet for a while before ambling toward Casey, who smiled at me briefly.

“She’s inside, Ruddy,” Casey said, leaning against the wall of the passage. “Beth’s with her, so you don’t have to worry. They’re still undergoing basic checks for lethal weapons, so yea, don’t dare peek into the girl’s resting room.”

My eye bobbed as I glanced at the opposite end of the large circular area that had a similar passage, and a silhouette of a sturdy man chatting with the heroine enthusiastically graced my eyes. Not that my eye particularly liked the view, but they had that ambiance effect which looked soothing.

“Bad opponent for the first round,” I said to Garlan. “Heir of Earl Baye and an earth attribute mage.”

“She’s good, Rudolf,” Garlan squinted her eyes at the sturdy man. “Really good. I felt her [Bolt] despite neutralizing most of her lightning.”

I nodded. “She’s the strongest among the three, but she will restrict herself here, Garlan. Or well, she needs to if she wants to exit the tournament within the second round.”

“King’s harem,” Garlan said discreetly, not without a sour face. “He’s the worst bastard on land, monopolizing all beautiful women to himself.”

“There’s a [Ward], so you don’t have to be discreet,” I said before staring at the swirling clouds. “Aren’t the clouds too active? It’s as if someone is deliberately playing around with them.”

“You felt so too?” Garlan asked in surprise. “But even wizards can’t manipulate the weather, right?”

Strong ones can, but I burned the thought before it grew into raging flames.

“Hey, Ruddy. Why did you grow silent all of a sudden?” Casey poked my eye. “I’m nervous as is, and you aren’t helping me!”

My eye sat atop her head as excited shouts reverberated around the large open auditorium that quite resembled an amphitheater. Well, it was probably designed after it, but even its location at one nook of the capital didn’t fail to attract the latent spectators. The King hadn’t graced the audience, but the crown prince’s cold gaze swept across Alen, who was having a friendly chat with the heroine. With touching, of course. He was located within a booth encased by lateral walls extending to his waist, along with other ministers of the kingdom, whose long beards and scrawny eyes didn’t help much in categorizing them.

“She’s up, bread lad,” Garlan pointed at Casey, but his eyes stayed glued to lady Mylan. “That concubine is darn pretty!”

“I need luck, Ruddy,” she picked up my eye and squeezed it tight before letting it run amok among the spectators until I settled it down on the examiner’s table. Peeking at scores didn’t count as cheating if you didn’t know already.

“Rules are the same,” Crover said, his deep voice drowning in the excited shouts of the people until streaks of lightning sizzled down slightly away from the battle podium, shutting up the unruly spectators. That was lady Mylan, and [Bolt] was not quarter as stronger as [Thiage], the most potent lightning spell across all different worlds.

Casey was taken aback, but her resolute expression returned to her face after a brief nod at my eye.

“The first one out of the mirian, or the first one to get knocked out loses,” Crover continued with a gruff. “We will decide the scores, so just give your best without any forbearance.”

Casey curtsied while Alen bowed to the examiners before their gaze locked on each other. Hatred on one side and nonchalance on the other side wasn’t an incredible amalgamation, but first [Boulder] of Alen ripped the stage, as gasps resounded around the spectator stand.

“That’s [Umbra] spell platform,” I said to Garlan, who nodded.

“But that boulder,” he stared at the enormous block of mud at the center of the stage, “is different from mine.”

“But weaker,” I completed for him as he nodded again, hand touching his stubble.

“Mine is rock-hard and purer than just assemblage of random dirt from the earth.”

Casey steadied herself, and lighting sizzled around her as she stepped forth instantly before receding to the side, leaving a confused brat in her wake. A sharp [Bolt] rained on the boy, but he was standing on grime, which negated a lot of sparks but still did considerable damage. A kick, laden with [Static] across his face, followed, along with the worried shouts of the heroine, which boosted the man instantly, and Casey was forced to retreat with a [First Step] before another boulder could whip her off her feet.

The stalemate lasted for a while as Casey walked in circles following the suit of Alen, who was breathing hoarsely. His mana reserve hadn’t depleted yet, and he had a few more spells before he started fighting with first, or perhaps got electrocuted badly because Casey was running on full fuel.

The examiners ticked Casey’s boxes, and my eye bobbed up and down as Casey grinned and charged with [Static] laden body, disappearing instantly right in front of the brat’s [Boulder].

“Look out!” the heroine shouted, which sounded too damn clear for all the commotion the crazy crowd was making.

Alen ducked, dodging Casey sizzling fist closely, and a muddy aura thickened around him, as a [Strengthen] laden punch on her Abdomen sent her flying across the platform, or mirian, as they called it. She struggled to get back on her feet, and the brat didn’t delay in rushing toward her for a barrage of punches across her cheeks; twice, thrice, until Casey’s face started to bleed.

Purples bruises appeared on her face as she spat out blood, hurling [Bolt] on the man who was frenzied for revenge. That did damage, and the brat stumbled backward for a couple of steps, but Casey’s [Bolt] was too weak for the sludge on his foot. A kick followed across her cheeks, and she was sent sprawling to the ground despite having gotten on her knees. She smiled as my eye twirled around her, slapping her hand twice on the muddy ground, which signified the end of the battle.

The heroine rushed to the stage, casting a brief look over Alen, before ambling to Casey, almost ready to cast [Heal]. Her white gown contrasted strongly against Casey’s dingy sparring pants and green frock that reached her thighs.

Casey pulled her hand out of Gladiata’s grasp and got up after genuine struggles. She was hurt pretty badly, but she was as strong as the rest of the villainess nobles girls. She glanced at my eye and nodded, gesturing for me to meet her outside the establishment.

“Let me [Heal] you,” Gladiata said mournfully.

“I’m good,” Casey cast her a rare cold glance and limped toward the exit amidst the cheers of the crowd for her fanciful performance. They weren’t allowed to go back to the waiting room, so exit was their only way out after the battle.

“I’ll be back, Garlan,” I got up as soon as my third eye disappeared.

“Let me plant some [Slop] on our seats, and I’ll follow you soon,” his crafty smile told me he would do more than just that. I suppose the man who had called his ass ‘fat’ was up for some mud splashes.

My lady had told me to cater to their needs, so I trudged through the erratic crowd, up the stairs that were relatively vacant, and back down on the other side, holding the railings, until I found a bruised lady speaking to the mages who had dropped by to help her. Teachers, if I may correct.

She curtsied politely with much difficulty and ambled toward the stairs.

“Leti asked you to heal me, Ruddy,” she said with a smile, wiping the blood on her face with the back of her hands. “That damned bastard hit me harder than I anticipated.”

“I suppose it was a hard battle,” I supported her arm with my gloved hands as I cast glowing white light over her face. The bruises disappeared one at a time, but unfortunately, [Heal] did little to help her tattered clothes.

“It was,” she said, settling down on the stairs. “I didn’t intend to lose, and my punch would have knocked him out for sure. But when I heard Gladiata’s voice, I couldn’t even change the trajectory of my punch. Frozen in motion might sound ironic, but I’m not trying to give excuses. It was–”

“I understand, lady Casey,” I nodded because I really did. This world was conspiring against the villainess girls, but wasn’t this too much?

Garlan hopped down the stairs soon, giving a bright smile at Casey. “Good fight, lady Casey. I was scared you would win there.”

“That’s hardly convincing, Garlan,” she laughed, earning repulsive stares from the noblewomen who climbed the stairs of the arena. She was indulging with commoners, so it wasn’t unexpected, but Casey wasn’t bothered much.

“Still,” Garlan raised his hand hesitantly, and Casey smiled, stretching her neck towards him. “You did well, lady Casey,” Garlan repeated, rubbing her head with a grin.

I wonder if Beth would have churned him for touching her girl. I wasn’t apprehensive about my bread lad, but the amusing sight would have been worth a loaf of bread.

Shadowed figures scuttled around the stairs of the corridor, walking discreetly in the bright shades of dawn. My [Devil eye] didn’t need to look twice to gauge their identity, for I had seen them in clearly at summoning ritual even if I didn’t want to. A stare in our direction didn’t appear assessing, but the cloaked silhouette disappeared into the amphitheater along with his companions.

Buildings loomed around us, shops occupied by spectators who enjoyed gobbling some snacks while reveling in the bloodshed of the participants. Not that I blamed them much, because I had a loaf of bread in my bread pocket within the suit too. Commuters cast an admiring glances at Casey until Garlan decked her in a brown mercenary cloak.

“You need that if you are staying in the stands, lady Casey,” Garlan patted my shoulder, and we ambled to the stands with cloaked Casey tagging along. I sincerely hoped he had washed the cloak.

My lady’s match was up soon against princess Natalia, the kid sister of the crown prince, who undoubtedly shared some bitter rivalry with my lady. The princess rarely attended the academy for her engagements with the higher nobles decided the fate of the country, or so she proclaimed. But it was time to see how much she learned from associating with the noblemen. She was the heroine’s closest aide, so it was evident who would win the battle.