Chapter 176: The Only Relaxing Thing

In Edward’s main office, Aurora saw that man sighing as he looked at a projection of points.

“We had 67 points before, but now we’ve increased it to 111 points. Yesterday, Vanessa won second place in the healing tournament and today Jaxon came in third place. Both have given us 4 points. If we add the Endurance Challenge win and the Survival Challenge, then that’s another 40 extra points,” Edward muttered, looking at the updates and with a sigh, commented. “We’re in the lead, but we don’t have to lose.”

Hero Academy was on top with 111 points and following them was Merlin Academy, who held the Spartan Challenge today and reached 85 points along with their third-place finish in the healing tournament.

In third place was Cernunnos Academy with 79 points, they also accepted the Spartan Challenge and managed to place third.

The most enthusiastic and daring academies would perform the challenges with the highest rewards, but not all of them were carried out on the same day.

Today there were two ‘Group Challenges’, with the Druid Academy teaming up with the Priestly Academy and the Aetherium Academy teaming up with the Elementalist Academy.

Both groups won, but the fighting pushed all the students to their limits.

From the weak members to the strongest.

The Aetherium Academy group was sent three S-ranks because Xu Long was among the A-ranks.

Xu Long let his ferocity show as if he wanted to eliminate the rumors that he suffered a beating from Alice.

However, their opponents performed teamwork and if it wasn’t for the S-Rank Elementalist, it was very possible that they would have lost.

Even the Druid Academy had problems.

“Tomorrow is your turn, right?” Edward asked curiously.

“Yes, tomorrow I’ll be an S-Rank beast tamer,” Aurora replied with an amused smile.

She had already gotten the message for what to prepare to participate in the Group Challenge by being part of the enemy team.

With Rupert by her side, she would have to fight against Merlin Academy and Paladin Academy, who were allied by accepting that challenge.

“That’s excellent. Having information on how they were preparing on the other side will help us when we have to do this challenge,” Edward said, and when Aurora nodded in agreement, he added. “Tomorrow the A-Rank group will be doing the Spartan Challenge, but I’m worried about the crafting tournament.”

It was possible that understanding how the enemies were preparing would help them organize themselves, allowing them to be better prepared when it was their turn.

Aurora had no problem briefing them when it was over, as at no time was the information restricted.

However, when she heard the last words, her expression quivered for a moment.

“I’ll ask Cithrel to help me with Taqiyya,” Aurora replied as calmly as she could.

That gallant knight had her eyes on that shy blacksmith and while Aurora was ‘sacrificing’ her to the lion’s den, technically, that little lamb was on her own.

Besides, if she was being honest, Aurora knew that Cithrel was helping Taqiyya in her own way.

Unlike what Alice said, Taqiyya survived and these days she had been preparing for her crafting tournament with a higher confidence than before.

The gallant princess-knight was very good at treating people, and her constant flirting raised anyone’s confidence.

“Thank you,” Edward replied.

They both knew that Cithrel was supportive of Taqiyya and helpful, but it’s not like he could ask her directly.

Aurora just gave a smile and since everything was organized, she withdrew, leaving Edward, who was busy.

Right now, she didn’t have much to do and participating with Rupert in this event could be considered as a form of entertainment.

Information from the abyssal portals was practically nil and Urfin and Cardinal Brousseau and Liam kept her informed.

Since meeting Duke Kristoph, Urfin’s reports revealed more classified information from the Falion Empire in Greece, but that helped little.

In the ‘Lawless Lands,’ the remaining demons in that area were also preparing for the abyssal portals.

They did not seek to protect others but sought their own benefit and the worst thing was that some demons were willing to do anything to achieve it.

Maybe abyssal portals are dangerous for them, but for some demonic sects, as long as it caused more harm to another, then they would risk it.

Information about abyssal portals was practically nil and there were too many questions to answer.

Add to that some lunatics, then things seemed more complicated than one might expect.

In this kind of situation, getting distracted in group combat was the only thing that seemed relaxing to Aurora.

******

Andrés turned his attention to the craft tournament.

The tournaments and challenges started very early in the morning and continued until the afternoon.

In one day, twenty academies had to perform at least one challenge and that was a huge job for the authorities.

They not only had to see to it that a challenge went well, but they also had to organize it in such a way that it didn’t seem boring to the public.

That’s why the craft tournament was added at noon to give a different change from the constant battles.

“I always found it intriguing how they mold metal,” Giselle murmured, watching in amusement.

In this tournament, the blacksmith was given a hypothetical situation while giving them the freedom to create an object that would help with the situation at hand.

Taqiyya’s situation was that a supposed group of warriors would attack a dangerous beast near a volcano.

She was given a brief description of their opponent and the members of the group, then it was left to Taqiyya to prepare anything that would help.

Materials were unlimited, but there was a maximum time limit for the blacksmith.

That meant they had to think, analyze the situation, and then create an object that would help that group.

It could be a magical artifact, armor, sword, or accessories, the freedom only depended on the blacksmith’s imagination and skill.

The judges would judge that object according to the context of the hypothetical scenario and in the end determine who the winners were.

This put a great deal of pressure on the students.

However, Taqiyya, once she held her hammer, showed unique confidence.

No, since she entered the smithy, she was noticeably more confident than before and that confidence showed as she worked at shaping the metal.

Her posture, her hammering, her expression, and her entire atmosphere gave a glimpse of an innate blacksmith of high skill.

Andrés himself was quite surprised, as this young woman not only went unnoticed, but her attitude was usually silent and very shy.

At the end, Giselle stopped recording the tournament and looked at Andrés.

“I checked the recordings around the old man and found no communication crystals,” Giselle reported.

After he had fallen to his knees when confronted by the emperor, Andrés had reported to her what he had seen.

Giselle was his superior, and she was the one who decided, but Andrés frowned at those words.

“That day he was in public, hidden in the crowd. If he wasn’t around, he wouldn’t have noticed.” Andrés muttered and with a frown, he hesitated. “He keeps it hidden?”

There were cameras everywhere in the city, and security was very high.

They had access to all those elements thanks to working with the empire’s intelligence department.

Though unfortunately, having such resources didn’t mean they could see everything that was going on.

Andrés had been monitoring the old man and certainly never found that communication crystal.

If it wasn’t because he was nearby that day, he wouldn’t have noticed it.

The only answer was that he kept it hidden... Very well hidden, since no camera detected it.

“Yes. His history of messages and communications through his holographic watch is that of any old man as if it were his normal life,” Giselle replied and with a frown added. “However, he has a well-hidden communication crystal.”

One could tell he was an old man and not used to the new technology, but he actually managed quite well with his holographic watch.

Besides, the crystal was kept well hidden, and they only saw it directly now.

What were the chances for him not to bring it out in front of a camera or in other places where it was supposedly more private?

“Will you report it to the higher-ups?” Andrés asked curiously.

The chances of such coincidences were very low, so it was normal for him to think that maybe he had something to hide.

It might be a matter that was unrelated to his work, but they were his targets and the chances of it being related to his work increased.

“I’ve already briefed him, but it’s not like they can take care of everything. The South American Empire has to take care of the international tournament and at the same time maintain their borders,” Giselle explained and, with a sigh, commented. “Adding the tensions with their northern neighbor, they lack the manpower for all these jobs.”

The empire was busy with all the preparations for the tournament and it was only natural that they would be when some challenges were not only costly but required too much manpower.

Keeping watch elsewhere, securing tourists, and then dealing with tensions in the north would certainly occupy anyone’s hands.

“Last I heard, General Quiroga strengthened the Colombian border with the Panamanian region of the northern giant.”

Andrés did not know how to respond to those words.

It was known that General Quiroga had some problems with a northern country and the truth was that there were times when he was an extremist.

To the point of considering Latin America countries as ‘traitors’ for joining with the north and not with the South American Empire.

Everywhere there were always people of this type, but this time that he was a general and an SS-rank was a problem.

“He has used the resources of the empire, so they lack the manpower to move,” Giselle added and, with a sigh, explained. “We need something firm for them to act on. They are before the eyes of the world. It’s normal for them to be restrained.”

Right now, the international tournament was going on and literally, the world was watching them.

One mistake could tarnish Emperor Victor’s reputation and reduce the image of the South American Empire.

With each tournament, the authorities showed their extensive power in preparing for this gigantic tournament.

That was even greater when thinking of such impressive challenges as the Spartan Challenge, where the students faced many creatures.

“Then I’ll continue to keep an eye around,” Andrés replied, understanding what was needed.

“That’s for the best. Remember, if you see it personally, ignore it and stay away,” Giselle pointed out and, giving a mysterious smile, added. “If necessary, we can ask for an artifact to intercede magical communications.”

Andrés’ gaze changed for a moment, getting a little excited to hear about such artifacts.

He knew of the existence of such artifacts, but never had the opportunity to use it.

In this world, nothing was safe and that extended to magical or psionic communications.