Chapter 541: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: One Day Break III

Ping!

Ping!

Ping!

Ping!

Ping!

Ping!

The repeated notification sounds came from Ezra’s Starlix 11, one after another, breaking the quiet atmosphere inside the Mini-Train again.

Ezra lowered his eyes toward the device in his hand.

Judging from the number of notifications arriving at once, he already had a good idea who was responsible.

Another message came from Elder Fredricks.

Ezra tapped on it with his finger, opening the message to see what new ridiculous thing the old man had decided to send him.

***

’I’m sending this message to you to warn you, because I’m sure that disgrace of an Elder... Ivanhoe must have messaged you, telling you to ignore me.’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

’We Elders don’t have the same power and authority.’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

’You must have already been aware, since you are a member of this family, whether you are just a lowborn or whatever you are.’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

’I, Fredricks, am the Sixth Strongest Gun Alchemist and also the father of the Duke himself, as well as the father of Val Ashenlocke and Astraea Ashenlocke.’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

’Why am I saying this to you?’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

’It’s so that your lowborn brain can tell you not to mess with me, or else I will make your life miserable.’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

’If you think Ivanhoe or Portia or any Elder of High-board member in this family can keep you safe from me, then think again.’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

’I will make sure to get you expelled from the Royal Academy, then turn you into a good dog of the family, working your life only for the family’s gains. Or, if you piss me off more... I will hand you to the Sterlings, who still have a deep grudge against you.’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

’I’m sure they will all be happy to get their hands on you if they had the chance.’

Fredricks_Ashenlocke

***

Ezra’s plain black eyes remained fixed on the Starlix 11.

If anything, his expression became even plainer than usual.

He read the messages from beginning to end without changing his expression.

There was no anger.

No fear.

Not even much of a surprise in his expression.

Fredricks had already shown him enough of his personality that Ezra wasn’t particularly shocked by the threat.

The Elder was simply being Fredricks.

Ezra’s finger moved across the screen a few times.

Ping!

The Starlix 11 sounded again.

A notification appeared.

This time it wasn’t another message.

Instead, a small system notice appeared on the screen.

This Contact has been successfully blocked.

Ezra stared at the notification for a moment, then he lowered the Starlix 11 slightly.

I wonder how he even got my contact number.

His voice was low enough that only he could hear it.

Although, he already knew the answer.

When Ezra had created his contact line, he had done so using his Ashenlocke ID.

That meant his contact information was connected to the family’s identity system.

For someone like Elder Fredricks, getting his number wasn’t difficult.

He could simply contact the Financial Corps department of the Ashenlocke family, the department responsible for handling the identity information of the members, workers, and people aligned with the family.

So, there was no real mystery behind how Fredricks had obtained it.

Ezra was about to close the Starlix 11 and place it back inside his Space Bag when...

Ping!

Ping!

Ping!

Another series of notifications sounded from the device.

Ezra paused.

He looked down at the screen again.

Another message had arrived.

He opened it.

***

’I just heard you blocked Fredricks.’

Portia_Ashenlocke

’I’m genuinely impressed that you just did that.’

Portia_Ashenlocke

’He’s going crazy over your actions. It’s quite funny watching him burst with anger.’

Portia_Ashenlocke

’Don’t worry about him, I will handle him easily.’

Portia_Ashenlocke

’Fredricks always likes to make empty threats, so enjoy your break and make all of us Ashenlocke proud in the next round. I will be cheering for you.’

Portia_Ashenlocke

***

Ezra read the messages from Portia without much reaction.

At least this time, the message wasn’t another threat.

He already knew that Portia had a very different attitude toward him compared to Fredricks.

Fredricks wanted to drag him around by authority.

Portia, on the other hand, seemed content to let him continue doing what he wanted as long as he performed well and represented the Ashenlocke family properly.

Ezra lowered his Starlix 11, then he noticed another message from a different person.

He opened it.

***

’You are the main talk of the family today, my Inventor.’

Jewel_of_Ash

’How do you feel about making that shameless old man rant?’

Jewel_of_Ash

’I know you must be headed to the Shopping Complex at the Main Administrative Center.’

Jewel_of_Ash

’I’m leaving the noisy Guest House now.’

Jewel_of_Ash

’Meet me there.’

Jewel_of_Ash

***

Ezra narrowed his plain black eyes slightly as he read Vera’s messages.

Of course.

She knew.

He hadn’t even told her that he was going to the Shopping Complex.

Yet she already knew where he was heading.

Then again, Vera had always been annoyingly observant.

The Mini-Train continued moving smoothly along the railway.

The buildings outside the windows shifted as the train passed through the Main Administrative Center, and the soft sound of the wheels against the railway filled the gaps between the conversations of the other passengers.

Then the announcer’s voice came through the train.

"Main Administrative Center, stop!!"

The calm announcement echoed through the Mini-Train.

"We have arrived at our stop. Please have a safe experience in the Main Administrative Center."

The announcement ended.

Ezra stood and stepped out of the Mini-Train.

The station was slightly more crowded than he had expected.

Students from the Royal Academy were moving through the station, along with some of the guests who had come to watch the Combat Festival.

Even though this was supposed to be a day of rest, the atmosphere of the festival hadn’t disappeared.

If anything, the Main Administrative Center was still lively.

Families walked through the streets.

Groups of young students from other small academies moved around while talking about the Combat Festival.

Friends walked beside each other with food in their hands.

Visitors stopped at stalls to look at the merchandise being sold.

Some of the stalls had already begun displaying the new official merchandise of the remaining First-Year students participating in the Combat Festival.

The faces and names of the Young Alchemists were everywhere.

People bought them as souvenirs.

Others bought them because they supported specific students.

Some even stopped in front of screens that were replaying battles from previous rounds.

The Combat Festival might have taken a break for one day, but Britannia’s interest in it certainly hadn’t.

People moved from stall to stall.

Some bought snacks.

Others watched previous matches.

Many gathered around the analysis programs being shown by different Broadcasting groups across the Kingdom.

Few of those people gathered there, used this program to plan out how they were going to go about the new updates on the betting system of the Combat Festival.

There were also games and other entertainment activities spread throughout the Main Administrative Center.

For those who had traveled from other parts of Britannia, there was no reason to spend the entire day inside a guest house.

The Royal Academy had turned the entire area into a place where people could continue enjoying the festival even without a match taking place.

Ezra walked through the bright and crowded area without paying too much attention to the people around him.

His expression remained plain.

He moved deeper into the Main Administrative Center.

After registering what he wanted to do in the Administrative Center reception office, he boarded a Mini Noble Steam Carriage that would take him to the Royal Academy Shopping Complex.

The vehicle moved through the streets, passing groups of spectators and other vehicles as it headed toward the complex.

When it finally stopped at the parking lot, Ezra stepped out.

The parking lot was already filled with vehicles.

Steam-Carriages stood in organized rows, their metal bodies catching the daylight.

Some of them were newly produced models that followed the vehicle ideology Ezra had introduced through his work.

Seeing them still felt somewhat strange.

The industry had already begun changing.

Vehicles that had never existed, even as ideas were becoming part of everyday life.

Ezra didn’t stop to examine them.

He simply walked toward the entrance of the Shopping Complex.

Then his plain black eyes shifted.

He saw Vera.

She was already standing calmly near the entrance.

Four other people stood with her.

Vera’s dull black eyes met his.

"You are late."

Her voice was casual.

She immediately began walking toward Ezra.

Ezra didn’t stop walking.

"What took you so long?"

Vera asked as she approached him, her expression remaining as calm as ever.

Ezra glanced at her.

Then his eyes moved toward the others who were following her.

Zack adjusted his glasses, looking as calm as he usually did.

Lyra gave Ezra a bright smile and waved the moment she noticed that his attention had reached her.

Nina, as usual, glared at him.

The Butler accompanying Zack gave Ezra a polite bow when their eyes met.

Ezra looked back toward Vera.

"You are ignoring my question, Dancer."

Vera folded her arms while continuing to walk beside him.

"I didn’t agree to meet up with anyone, though."

Ezra replied flatly.

Vera turned her eyes toward him.

"But here you are, walking with me."

She countered immediately without any hesitation.

Ezra glanced at her.

"You are the one following me, though."

The reply also came from him without even needing time to think about it.

Nina’s expression changed immediately.

"How dare you say my Lady is the one following you!"

She pointed toward Ezra, clearly annoyed by the way he was speaking to Vera.

Vera, however, didn’t seem bothered.

"But I am following him, though, Nina."

She gently placed her index finger against her lips.

"Ehn?"

Nina blinked.

Her expression became completely dumbfounded.

She looked at Vera.

Then Ezra.

Then Vera again.

She seemed to be trying to figure out whether she had somehow entered a conversation that she wasn’t prepared for.

"Mmm... Mmm..."

Zack cleared his throat while adjusting his glasses again.

His eyes shifted toward Ezra for a moment before moving away.

He had apparently decided that staying out of this conversation was the safest choice.

Although, the pain of watching his crush casually claim to be following another man that is not him, wasn’t something that felt pleasing to his eye in any way.

Lyra, meanwhile, had already moved ahead of the group.

Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at the different things being sold inside the Shopping Complex, as if this was the first time she was coming to the big shopping complex.

There were stalls filled with snacks, clothing, merchandise, small Alchemy devices, Alchemy material, Vehicles, even Combat Festival items, and more buyable items.

Lyra’s attention moved from one shop to another as she walked ahead.

Vera sighed dramatically, as she turned her black dull eyes toward Ezra.

"I wanted to come alone, but these ducklings of mine refused to let me go alone... Ahhh."

She said it while locking eyes with Ezra.

Her expression carried an exaggerated sense of suffering that didn’t match the calmness in her eyes.

Ezra looked at her.

His expression seemed to say that whatever Vera was complaining about had nothing to do with him.

Vera continued walking.

"I also came to deliver what you requested from Elder Ivanhoe to you."

She moved slightly ahead of Ezra and placed both hands behind her back.

"But too bad you aren’t pleased to see me..."

Her voice became slightly softer.

"I will go back now."

She turned as if she had genuinely been hurt.

"Ahh."

Ezra exhaled.

He actually already guessed.

Knowing Vera, she had probably collected the Alchemy materials he had asked Elder Ivanhoe to obtain.

Since even the Royal Academy Shopping Complex might not have all the rare manufactured ores, he wanted to buy, to restock his Gun Alchemy material.

Ezra asked Elder Ivanhoe for help.

So, even without Elder Fredricks forcefully trying to get him to come to the Guest House the Main family were staying in.

He was going to head there once he was done shopping for the things he could find to buy.

The problem was that Ezra wasn’t completely sure whether she had actually brought them with her.

And knowing Vera...

She might also have another reason for appearing here.

Ezra looked at her back for a moment.

"Wait."

He stepped forward and gently caught Vera by the forearm.

"Give me the goods before you leave."

His voice remained flat.

Vera stopped.

She turned her head toward him gracefully.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"Let’s first go shopping."

Before Ezra could respond, Vera interlocked her arm with his.

Then she pushed him forward.

Ezra’s body moved with the motion.

Behind them, Nina and Zack stopped walking.

Both stared quietly for a brief moment, then their expressions changed at almost the same time.

"No... my Lady."

Nina’s voice trembled.

She looked at Vera’s arm linked with Ezra’s.

Zack adjusted his glasses, but the movement did nothing to hide the fear in his eyes.

"I didn’t know it was already at this level either..."

He muttered to himself.

"What do I do now?"

The Butler standing beside him narrowed his eyes slightly.

He looked at Vera.

Then at Ezra.

Then on the way the two nobles were walking together.

For perhaps the first time since arriving at the Shopping Complex, the Butler looked completely helpless.

Meanwhile, Vera continued walking as though nothing unusual had happened.

Her arm remained linked with Ezra’s.

Her dull black eyes looked ahead.

And Ezra, despite the faintly troubled expression that had appeared in his eyes, simply allowed himself to be pulled farther into the Shopping Complex.

The break day had only just begun.