Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 388 (Part 2):

“Hey, get off the stage already! What are you doing?” a voice called out, snapping Sian out of his thoughts.

Only then did the frustration of encountering such a strong opponent in the preliminaries hit him. But the frustration was short-lived, as Sian went on to win a few more matches and secured his place in the main tournament.

Though not overwhelmingly dominant, aside from that one loss, he hadn’t faced much difficulty.

“That guy was just… strange.”

After finishing the preliminaries, Sian brought up the topic with Asuka. He described the man who was undeniably strong yet gave off an inexplicable feeling.

Of course, Asuka didn’t take Sian’s words seriously.

“Are you just making excuses because you lost? He was probably just a strong guy. Not that he’d stand a chance against me, though.”

“No, it’s not that. There was something really off about him.”

Asuka brushed off Sian’s protests. It was a rare opportunity to tease him.

“Losing in the preliminaries? How embarrassing. You know that if you lose once in the main tournament, it’s over, right? Don’t disgrace the name of Greta Academy!”

“Disgrace? We’re all competing under aliases anyway!”

“Don’t disgrace my name either! You’re competing as Asuka right now!”

Their conversation quickly devolved into a pointless argument. Naturally, thoughts of that mysterious man were pushed to the back of Sian’s mind.

Alea’s preliminaries were the next day.

Dressed in a pristine white mage robe, Alea stepped onto the stage with confidence. She looked like a noble lady who had learned a bit of magic and decided to try her hand at the martial arts tournament. Naturally, she drew attention.

‘Does she think this is a game?’

‘They’re letting just anyone join these days, huh.’

Her opponent also underestimated her.

“Violet? What a strange name for a girl. You think you’re a mage? Don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you’re pretty.”

Alea didn’t even bother to respond, treating her opponent with disdain. As soon as the match began, a single explosive spell reduced her opponent to a crumpled heap.

*Boom!*

The opponent, unconscious and twitching, was clearly severely injured.

“How boring,” Alea remarked coolly.

No one present could muster a reply to her comment. Even those who had been watching with interest were stunned by the sheer power of her magic.

Calmly descending from the stage, “Violet”—in reality Alea—instantly became the talk of the day.

Her performance rivaled the buzz surrounding the “strange masked guy who knocked out his opponent with his fists despite carrying a sword,” who had also secured his place in the main tournament.

Alea dominated her preliminaries with ease. Watching her match, Sian couldn’t help but ask, “How did you shorten your spellcasting time so much?”

“An artifact,” Alea replied, showing him a golden bracelet embedded with magic stones that peeked out from under her sleeve.

“You’re using a magic tool…?”

“It’s within the allowed limits. It’s been approved by the Mage Association. Swordsmen use swords, don’t they? Mages should be able to use at least some tools to maintain fairness.”

Alea spoke as if it were obvious. She had prepared thoroughly, adhering to the rules.

The use of artifacts was crucial for mages. It was also a measure of their skill. However, overly powerful magic tools were banned to prevent those with insufficient skill from relying solely on expensive equipment.

Alea had crafted an appropriate artifact herself, one that fell within the Mage Association’s approved limits.

Sian, who hadn’t even considered using a magic tool, felt a pang of frustration.

“Why didn’t you tell me about that?”

“You never asked. You can go get one approved now if you want.”

Alea’s response was cold. Even with her excellent performance, she didn’t become any friendlier. Asuka chimed in with a smirk.

“See? If you lack skill, you should at least be well-prepared. Hey, you’re the only one among us who’s lost so far. That’s why being second-best isn’t enough. How could you lose in the preliminaries?”

“…Asuka, you…”

Sian secretly hoped that the mysterious man would face Asuka or Alea in the main tournament. Somehow, he felt that man could humble these two arrogant individuals.

Only Asuka had watched Sian’s match, and even then, only the latter part, so he hadn’t seen the man. Helmut and Alea were also unaware of him—for now.

But the main tournament was approaching. If that man was as strong as Sian suspected, he would inevitably rise through the ranks and face them.

Their encounter was only a matter of time.

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