Nearly two hours later, the Arena was jam packed with people who wanted to see the duel between Nicole and Alice.
Although Alice had been the more lowkey between the two, that didn’t change the fact that she was one of the Witches who had managed to survive the Initiation Ceremony.
Also, the First Years of Eques Manor were now on her side due to what Nicole did several days ago, when she attacked the members of her own Manor in the race to get to the Yellow Flags.
Ethan, Chloe, Luna, and Henry, who had managed to secure a good spot near the arena, all waited for the two combatants to arrive.
Several teachers were also present including Professor Ophelia, Professor Violet, and the Knightly Professor, Lionel.
“Bets are up!” a Third Year from the Terra Manor shouted. “Place your bets here! The battle will start soon, so place your bets while you still can! Maximum bet is 50 Merit Points per person!”
Several students who managed to earn Merit Points in their lessons decided to take the chance and joined the betting game.
Ethan, who was very frugal with his own merit points, didn’t like gambling in the first place, so he decided to just watch the battle.
The teachers didn’t mind letting the students have a bit of fun, so they turned a blind eye to the small-time gamblers, who were just trying to earn more Merit Points, while taking advantage of the situation.
“Professor Lionel, it seems that the unity of Eques Manor has some cracks in it,” Professor Violet said in a teasing tone. “As one of its Guardians, what is your opinion about this duel?”
Professor Lionel chuckled before answering the beautiful professor’s question.
“Professor Violet, rivalries are important for growth,” Professor Lionel replied. “Eques Manor grooms talented Magical Knights and Battle Mages, so having some scuffles between its members is a very natural thing. It is part of human nature to always follow the strong.
“Right now, the pecking order among the First Years is being determined, so this match will be a very wonderful lesson for everyone.”
Professor Violet nodded her head before shifting her gaze to the silver-haired Professor beside her.
“What do you think, Professor Ophelia?” Professor Violet asked. “Do you think your niece will win?”
“I’m a bit biased when it comes to this match, Professor Violet,” Professor Ophelia answered. “I am always on Alice’s side, regardless of who she is fighting against. As for whether she will win or not… I don’t know.
“The Asta Family is well known for their military might. Even if my niece is gifted with strong magical powers, her opponent simply has more battle experience, which could decide the outcome of the match.”
Professor Violet smiled because this was indeed the truth.
In the Magical World, the Asta Family had carved their mark in Eastshire making them one of the most influential families that had ties to the Magistratus which served as the army and main strike force of the Magical Bureau.
They also had a good relationship with the majority of the Magical Knight Orders across the continent, making the Asta Family’s prestige match that of a Dukedom.
“Whoever wins this match today is almost guaranteed to become the Champion of the First Year Division in the Exhibition Match,” Professor Lionel commented. “Is what I’d like to say… but this year, we have two dark horses that might give us a surprise.”
Professor Violet and Professor Ophelia both nodded their heads in agreement. 𝑂𝒱𝗅xt.𝒸𝑶𝓂
“Lily Langley,” Professor Violet said softly. “That girl hides quite deep. This is why I dislike cute types. They won’t die even if you kill them with flames.”
“Indeed,” Professor Ophelia replied. “She’s definitely the most dangerous Witch among the First Years right now.”
Professor Lionel smiled because he agreed with the two other Professors wholeheartedly.
“As for the last Dark Horse, you’re talking about him, right?” Professor Violet narrowed her eyes as she locked her gaze on Ethan, who was watching from the stands nearest the arena. “What makes you think that he is a Dark Horse?”
“Men’s intuition,” Professor Lionel replied in a casual manner. “Also, I like to side with the underdogs.”
“Don’t we all?” Professor Violet sighed. “I even gave him my Moulding Ball which I received that same day. If not for the fact that Professor Rinehart promised to give me a better one, I would have definitely asked Ethan to give it back to me.”
The three Professors continued their idle talk for five more minutes before the people in the Arena started cheering.
“Here they are,” Henry said with a smile. “The main stars of today’s battle.”
Nicole walked confidently up the arena amidst the resounding cheers of the crowd. A smile was plastered on his face, and yet, one could tell that she was very eager to start the match as soon as possible.
On the side of the arena opposite hers, Alice walked up with a calm expression on her face. She had been labeled The Cold Beauty by the teenage boys of the First Years, and many found her cold attitude very attractive.
“The daughter of the Quinn Family versus the daughter of the Asta Family,” Professor Rinehart muttered as he watched what was happening in the arena through the round mirror in his office. “It seems that this year will not be as calm as the last. There are too many talented students popping out of the woodwork. What do you think, Professor Njal? Will we have our hands full this year?”
The Professor that once escorted Ethan to the Plaza of Beginnings grinned.
“This year is going to be an exciting year for us, Headmaster,” Professor Njal replied. “We might even get a shot at the Inter-School Battles in the third quarter of this year.”
Professor Rinehart nodded, but didn’t comment any further on the topic.
“Any news about the Beastmen of the North?” Professor Rinehart asked. “There have been reports that they are getting restless. We might need to send some of our Elites to handle the situation soon.”
“Don’t worry, Professor,” Professor Njarl replied. “I already sent my men to investigate it.”
“Is that so?” Professor Rinehart placed his hands behind his back as he gave Professor Njal a side-long glance. “Just make sure that none of our students get involved in the crossfire, especially the First Years. They’re still not ready.”
“As you wish, Headmaster,” Professor Njal bowed respectfully. “I’ll try to settle it before the first batch of Missions are posted in the Guild Hall.”
The Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy nodded.
While he was confident that he could protect his students while they were within the walls of the Academy, he also knew that he couldn’t keep them all inside of it forever.
Sooner or later, they had to go out to spread their wings.
For that was the only way to train the Elites that would help protect the uneasy peace that all the different factions were trying their hardest to maintain.