“Wow, are there really this many people?”
I had heard that the competition was not just an event between two academies, but rather a festival enjoyed by countless people. I never expected this many would come.
I had noticed the city buzzing with excitement since yesterday; it turned out people were gathering to watch the competition.
“My stomach feels queasy.”
“We’re supposed to dance and cheer in front of everyone later; what are we going to do?”
“Ugh, can’t Tana just do it instead?”
Eve, who was beside me, covering her mouth with a pale face, seemed to be struggling with the crowd. I wondered how she would manage when it was time for the cheerleading squad.
“Daniel! Over here!”
I spotted Rin calling for me from a distance. Mei was next to her, with her hands tucked deep inside her hoodie.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Yes, good luck! Ugh!”
“I think Eve needs to be the one to cheer the hardest…”
I jogged lightly towards Rin and Mei, leaving the two behind. Both were wearing red sashes symbolizing Aios, and they had something that looked like it belonged to me in their hands.
“Ugh, no way.”
“Participants have to wear it without exception! Who wants to wear that thing?”
Given Mei’s personality, she wouldn’t want to wear it. I sighed and reached out for it, but she grabbed my head and forced it on.
“Let’s go; they said the representatives need to get ready.”
“Ugh, why do I have to do this?”
I sighed, almost asking myself the question, and Rin smiled, providing the answer.
“Since all the kids are laid up in the hospital, what can we do?”
“But I’m an injured one too.”
I pointed at my slightly broken right hand, but Rin kept smiling.
As we headed to Aios’ dugout, I spotted the dean anxiously biting her nails. Upon seeing me, she brightened and nodded enthusiastically.
“You made it! I was really worried you might run away!”
“I said I’d be here.”
Why is she making such a fuss? Anyone would think I’m just a liar.
“Still, you never know. Sometimes you just vanish without a word.”
I immediately recalled the time I went to the Forest of the Demon Realm and the last time I went to the Royal Palace with Tana, which left me unable to argue.
Choosing not to respond, I noticed Ares and Arni tightly tying their hair ties in front.
“I want to choke someone.”
Then Mei, looking puzzled, chimed in.
“Weren’t we just in that kind of mood?”
“Not even close.”
Are you comparing pulling hair and forcing it in with that?
“Oh, the opening ceremony is starting!”
“Aren’t you going to go, Dean?”
As the opening ceremony began, Mei asked, and the Dean yelled that she had been distracted waiting for us and immediately ran off.
“Sigh, that’s why she can’t get married.”
My cousin Mei shook her head and muttered.
“Hasn’t she gotten married yet?”
I thought she was quite old.
“She claims to be anti-marriage, but you know, people who normally can’t get married love using that term.”
I figured delving deeper into the topic might lead to more bad things being said about the Dean, so I didn’t push it any further, and Mei didn’t elaborate.
Anyway, after a somewhat boring opening ceremony finished.
The sounds of cheering filled the vast seats of the Bairn Stadium. The cheerleading squad began to rev up, and excitement overflowed onto the field.
Today’s commentary was handled by Seria Deloa from the fourth year and another male student from Pales Academy.
They both seemed to have been picked as the faces of the event and were smoothly progressing through the announcements.
“Yes, the first match is the Golden Ball Capture, with representatives from each academy’s year participating!”
I heard that Seria’s image had been damaged because of her ghost sighting in the dorm, but now she seemed to have pulled herself together.
Though she had been dubbed the female Ares for a while, Ares getting a girlfriend meant it was time to let that name go.
The handsome student from Pales supplemented Seria’s words.
“Yes, that’s correct. The goal is to kick the golden ball in the center and bring it back to your side. A unique aspect is that the first-year representatives will have one male and one female each, while the second-year will have two of each, and so on as the years increase.”
“No mana can be used, and it’s an event-based match with no score, but we can consider it a vital match to set the tone for the competition.”
“Yawn.”
Are they really going to keep this energy up all day?
I’d need to head outside the stadium if I wanted to sleep.
In the meantime, the first years were already preparing. I hadn’t seen Aios’ first years before, so I muttered.
“Oh, they lost.”
“The start was a bit late.”
Mei and Rin’s disappointed voices echoed as our side’s first years, seemingly nervous, started late after hearing the starting signal, finishing the match without even touching the ball.
“The twins are up for the second years?”
“Go for it!”
Now that they were second years, I recognized a few faces.
The Mayas twins were quite famous, so the crowd cheered them on.
Thanks to that, the other two second years from the Aios side were somewhat overshadowed.
But just as expected from the Mayas family, they showcased great teamwork, and the second years clinched a tidy victory.
The pass play between Ben Mayas and Valtory Mayas was dazzling.
“Daniel, we have to go.”
“Sigh, yeah. Let’s wrap this up quickly and come back.”
As I yawned and walked behind them, Rin and Mei paused briefly at my words, exchanged looks, and smiled wryly.
I wondered what that was about, but before I could ask, we were already standing in front of the preparation line.
The male representatives were me, Ares, and an unnamed male student from class B.
The female representatives were Rin, Mei, and Arni Duratan.
Since this was an event match, there wasn’t a limit to how many events each could participate in, so notable students were lined up.
On the other side, I noticed the hoodlum Anton Signir and Hendrick, related to pirates, getting ready to run.
“What’s that?”
“Is the kid with the broken hand participating?”
“Did he get hurt while practicing?”
Naturally, the audience’s attention shifted to my right arm. It makes sense; if someone with a broken hand suddenly showed up in the competition, eyes would be drawn.
“Student over there, are you a participant?”
A professor from Pales Academy, acting as the referee, approached me. Did he think I just wandered off alone?
Fortunately, our professor standing next to me confirmed that I was a participant, telling him not to worry, so I could proceed without being questioned.
“Alright, then get ready.”
While everyone took their stances, Rin and Mei stood there blankly. I could hear Arni Duratan whisper beside them.
“What are you guys doing? Not going to participate?”
“Haha…”
“Don’t waste your energy on something unnecessary.”
Rin awkwardly chuckled while Mei shrugged, looking pitiful. Mei pulled out a candy from her pocket and pointed to me.
“Can you run faster than him?”
Bang!
As soon as the starting sound went off, I dashed forwards.
Ares and the B class male student who had started alongside me had already vanished.
The students from Pales were gritting their teeth and running, but I already had the golden ball in my left hand.
I turned back and dashed towards our side. Passing Ares and the B class student, who were staring at me in disbelief, I dropped the ball below our flag.
An explosive cheer erupted from the momentary silence that had overtaken the field.
“Insane!”
“What was that just now?”
“Pales didn’t even reach the center before the match ended!”
“This year’s Aios is different!”
Ugh, so noisy.
Anyway, since I finished, I nodded my head slightly to the opposing side and headed back to the dugout.
Rin and Mei, who hadn’t stepped off the starting line, naturally joined in laughter as they caught up.
“You guys should at least pretend you’re doing something.”
I casually pointed it out because I didn’t want others to look negatively at them, but both just smiled back at me.
“We thought Daniel would finish so quickly, we wouldn’t even get a chance to step in.”
“Wow, our husband was just so cool back there.”
“Why… sigh, let’s not talk about it.”
No matter how many times I rejected it, they wouldn’t listen, so I finally gave up trying.
In the distance, I saw the Dean jumping up and down, waving at me. I just learned that there are times when seeing someone happy makes you feel worse.
*
In the spacious tavern located at the back of the vast Bairn Stadium.
Usually, it was a place seldom visited, but today it was bustling.
A large broadcast of the competition was projected on one wall of the tavern through a communication orb, while on the opposite wall, a rough, mobile chalkboard displayed events, odds, and more.
It was clear this wasn’t your average tavern; there were intimidatingly large figures guarding the entrance, and the interior was just as crowded.
Among them was Jesant, the pirate officer with a spiky hairstyle, sipping beer.
“Wow! The Aios third years won! Underdog victory!”
“What’s this, owner? Anton from Pales’ third year can’t even muster his strength! Are you sure you gave accurate information?”
“Damn those idiots!”
“Who was it that boasted Pales would win!”
A bearded man holding a program appeared ready to cause a commotion but immediately backed down upon making eye contact with Jesant.
Indeed.
This was an illegal gambling den.
More specifically, it was a massive gambling venue centered around the competition between Pales and Aios.
It was naturally organized by the pirate Jesant.
It was a mirage of a gambling house that would vanish just two days after the competition.
At that moment, a woman dressed in a robe entered.
It was obvious from her poise that she was someone of importance. Jesant immediately suspected that perhaps it was a crackdown from the kingdom.
However…
Thunk.
Without hesitation, she approached the tavern owner and handed over a hefty money pouch, obviously weighing more than a typical amount.
But her indifferent expression indicated this was just the beginning.
Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.
Heavy money pouches continued to pile up. Along with them, rings, necklaces, and jewel-like trinkets that looked like stolen goods.
The amount she was laying down could shake the very foundation of the gambling house, and she calmly spoke.
“All bets on battle soccer for Aios.”
