Chapter 84 - Champions Contest
"Are you interested to go to the Royal Capital?", as soon as they entered, Edmond asked a question without wasting any time.
"...", Ajax and Paulin both were flabbergasted at the question as they didn't know the reason behind the question, so they looked at each other and then at Edmond speechlessly.
"Actually, a contest which will be held in the Royal Capital after three months and you two got the invitations to attend it, so do you want to participate in the tournament?", Edmond asked once again with some explanation and focused on their facial expressions.
"Yes, I want to go", Without any delay, Ajax was the first to reply to Edmond's question with an excited look on his face.
As Ajax wanted to know the exact reason behind the massacre in the Silver Orphanage, he has to confront the assassin sect in the future, sooner or later. So it will help him to know more about the sects and families that are resided in the Royal Capital and he can get a better understanding of the relations between the families, sects and the Royal family.
As for Paulin, he hesitated.
"Paulin, if you miss this chance, you will never get another one like this in your life again", Edmond convinced Paulin to agree, as he knows why Paulin hesitated to go to Royal Capital.
"Ok Captain, I will listen to you", Paulin clenched his hand thinking about something.
It is not a secret among the squad members, that Edmond was the one who convinced him to join the Hazegroove mercenary squad and helped him a lot since then, So Paulin agreed with him without any hesitation.
"When you are in the Royal Capital, don't do anything stupid, alright?", Edmond advised looking at Paulin, confusing Ajax.
According to Ajax, Paulin he knew will never fight someone without a strong reason, so he wanted to ask about it but fearing it may hurt Paulin's feelings he withheld his questions for Paulin and asked Edmond.
"Captain Edmond, can you briefly explain about the contest?", Ajax asked more about the contest diverting the silent air among them.
"Hahahaha", Edmond laughed loudly at Ajax's question and started explaining, "The Contest name is Champions contest which is hosted by the Royal Family in collaboration with the three sects and it's a seven-day long contest which is an attraction to the Zrochester Province and the Draton Kingdom".
"Young elites from all over the Zrochester province who are not more than 20 years and who received an invitation from the Royal family can join the contest", Edmond looked at the attentive Ajax and Paulin and continued, "The most important thing is the rewards, but I will keep you in suspense for now because even I don't know about it. But it will the most valuable reward, one can ever get, at least that's what it was mentioned in the invitation".
"Although they reward top 10 contestants, the reward for the top 3 is best and when compared with the remaining rewards, all other rewards will pale in comparison", Edmond finished about the rewards that are mentioned in the invitation card.
Ajax's face fell when he heard the details of the rewards are unknown.
"For the next months, you have to fully focus on your cultivation and battle prowess. Every now and then I and Udo will have small sparring sessions. Any doubts?", Edmond finished what he wanted to say and asked for their doubts.
"I have one", Ajax raised his hand.
"Go on", Edmond replied to him.
"Why are we, I mean me and Paulin are the only ones here, where are others?", Ajax wondered about Lewis and Jeff.
"Actually, we only got two invitations with your names on them", Edmond answered sighing.
"Why, is it because of the inheritance ground?", Paulin sked with a guess.
"Yes, you two are the only ones who are not having any family or sect to your name, but still you managed to reach final stage of the inheritance ground and successfully contracted an elemental spirit as a result you were acknowledged by the Royal family as young talents", Edmonds explained everything that is on the invitation.
"Ajax, when did you reach the Commander realm?", only now, did Edmond discerned the cultivation of Ajax and asked.
"I had a fortuitous encounter whichl helped me to reach the commander realm quickly", Ajax simply threw everything on to an imaginary fortuitous encounter that he created on the whim.
"Although it's good to break through quickly, it is still not a good thing to rush your cultivation without a proper foundation", Edmond advised Ajax to lay a proper foundation for his cultivation.
"Sure, Captain Edmond", Ajax simply agreed with Edmond.
Actually there is no need for Ajax to wait for stabilizing his cultivation, as long as he had enough essence of nature, he can continuously breakthrough no matter how many levels he wants.
"Albeit, I need some battle experience also", Ajax thoughts were like this in his mind but nevertheless he agreed with Edmond.
But he doesn't know something that will change in the future after the system upgrade which will make him that he was wrong.
"Okay then, from now on you need to spar with each other for one hour daily, adjust the timing of the spar however you want but I need you to spar daily", Edmond finished and sat down to cultivate.
"Yes sir", Ajax and Paulin answered in unison and left the room together.
They adjusted their timing of the spar from 5 PM to 6 PM in the evening and bid goodbyes.
"I have to wait for three days for the system upgrade and my bloodline and the new system feature. I think I will die with anxiety in these three days", Ajax muttered while walking towards his room.
After entering his room, he started his exercises with the body postures from Elder Boron as they were very useful for his concentration and improved his endurance to the pains, he practiced these body postures instead of cultivating.
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