Chapter 258 - 256: The Final Four

Chapter 258: Chapter 256: The Final Four

Round after round, the tournament continued. As more and more people were eliminated, the remaining matches became increasingly exciting.

Time quickly passed, and soon it was evening.

After a short break for lunch, the nobility were no longer content to simply watch from the stands.

Many of their children had gathered around the martial stage to watch the intense battles up close.

After an unknown number of brutal rounds, three of the top four spots in the competition had been decided—Orisien, Tara, and Duane.

Everyone had anticipated Orisien’s strength. After all, he was from the Sunset Continent and a friend of the Crown Prince. His reputation alone spoke of his power.

The crowd was also prepared for Tara’s power. She was, after all, the daughter of "Mad Dog" and had fought in several border conflicts.

Duane had also gathered some intelligence on her over the course of these few fights.

Although she was a female warrior, her fighting style was exceptionally fierce. She struck with heavy hands; those who fought her either suffered grave injuries or were knocked unconscious from blood loss.

If the Royal Family hadn’t been well-prepared with timely on-site medical treatment, some might have even died at her hands.

This led some of the weaker competitors who faced her later on to surrender without a fight.

Surrendering might be dishonorable, but it was better than losing your life.

The only real surprise was Duane, the Baron from Black Forest Island.

Who could accept that the sickly weakling of the past could now so easily defeat an Earth Tier Warrior?

Even King Eric, watching from the high platform, found it hard to believe.

He even began to suspect that the late Carter had deliberately hidden Duane’s talent as a Warrior.

Had he known Duane possessed such aptitude, he never would have agreed to Orlando’s proposal to have Duane leave Lakefront Manor and become the Lord of Black Forest Island.

As for the other nobles, some were deeply worried, like Marquis Sean, who feared his son wouldn’t make it into the top three.

Others were full of anticipation, such as Count Kais and Baron Uriel. Their alliance plans could only proceed smoothly if Duane won the championship.

The two currently locked in a fierce battle on the stage were Keldert, the second son of Marquis Sean, and Matt, the second son of Viscount Raul.

The winner would advance to the semifinals.

Both men were Earth Tier Warriors, their strength and skill nearly equal.

However, as the fight dragged on, Keldert clearly gained the upper hand.

Duane analyzed the fight as he watched.

’Even if Keldert wins this fight, he’ll have used up too much stamina and Fighting Qi. He’s guaranteed to lose in the next round for the top three spots.’

Whether it was him, Orisien, or Tara, all three of them were in excellent condition.

In the upcoming semifinals—the round of four—Keldert would lose no matter which of the three he faced.

The same would be true even for the match to decide third place.

In other words, the three fiefdoms were out of the Smith Clan’s reach.

’In that case, it makes sense that Marquis Sean is targeting me.’ Duane’s gaze fell upon Matt. He hadn’t expected Constance’s second older brother to be so talented.

He had heard rumors about Viscount Raul’s two sons fighting for power and status.

Clearly, Matt had the strength to compete.

Unfortunately, the Pruck Kingdom practiced primogeniture. No matter how outstanding Matt was, he would normally have no claim to the title.

Furthermore, according to the Kingdom’s rules, a Viscount could only petition the King to name one Baron as his vassal.

And the Stewart Clan had already used up its quota for a Baron.

This meant that at best, Matt could only become a Manor Knight.

While he was lost in thought, the battle on the stage concluded.

A sudden, fierce offensive from Keldert forced Matt to the edge of the stage before a final kick sent him tumbling off.

Baron Basil announced in a loud voice, "Let us congratulate the last of our top four finalists, Keldert Smith!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the Central Plaza. Keldert gasped for breath, exhilarated. He had finally made it to the top four!

But as his eyes swept over the other three finalists behind him, his excitement was tempered by immense pressure.

He was at half his peak condition. He saw no hope of winning the upcoming semifinals.

"The thrilling battles never cease!"

Baron Basil walked onto the stage, holding a glass box containing four wooden balls.

Duane hadn’t expected them to draw lots to decide the matchups.

He quietly activated his Starlight Eye, wanting to see if there was any trickery involved with the lots.

And just as he expected, there was.

Magic Power flowed within the four balls in the glass box. Though faint, it couldn’t escape the detection of his Starlight Eye.

The four streams of Magic Power were completely distinct, making it easy to tell them apart.

"And now, I invite our four young powerhouses to the stage to draw for their opponents in the next round!"

"The balls marked ’1’ and ’2’ will face off in the first match, and those marked ’3’ and ’4’ will fight in the second!"

Amidst the crowd’s applause, the four of them ascended the stage.

Tara’s face was cold, Duane appeared perfectly calm, and Orisien wore his usual faint smile.

"Keldert, you may go first."

"Alright!"

With a grave expression, Keldert reached into the glass box and randomly grabbed a ball.

Basil took the wooden ball, crushed it in his hand, and revealed a metal block engraved with a number.

"Number 1!"

Keldert’s heart grew heavy. He hadn’t expected to be in the first match.

This meant he would only have a short fifteen-minute break.

"Orisien, you’re next!"

Orisien, dressed in a white combat uniform, always wore a faint, approachable smile.

He reached into the glass box and toyed with the three remaining balls.

"Which one should I choose?"

Duane keenly observed that as Orisien touched each sphere, Magic Power flowed from his fingertips.

’Interesting. Let’s see which ball you want to pick.’

Orisien was drawing second. Only by picking the number 2 ball could he lock in Keldert as his opponent.

"I’ll take this one."

Orisien seemingly picked a ball at random, crushed it, and handed the contents to Baron Basil.

"Haha, Number 2!"

Keldert breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t Tara, he was fine.

After all, neither Orisien nor Duane had ever used lethal force in their previous fights.

"For the sake of fairness, Baron Duane, Miss Tara, please come and draw the two remaining balls."

Tara gave Duane a cold look, then casually picked a ball and crushed it. It was number 4.

Duane took the last ball and crushed it. It was number 3.

’Fair and just, indeed.’

Duane glanced at Orisien, wondering if he had done it simply to ensure his own advancement, or if he had intentionally set Tara against him.

"Well then, please wait fifteen minutes!"

Basil announced loudly, "In fifteen minutes, the first semifinal match: Keldert versus Orisien!"

Amidst fervent cheers, the four finalists left the stage.

"Don’t you disappoint me."

Tara said faintly as she brushed past Duane.

Duane stopped and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

He wasn’t one for verbal sparring, but this was the second time she had provoked him. If he didn’t strike back, he wouldn’t feel right.

"Miss Tara, do you know why a mad dog is called a mad dog? Because all it does is bark senselessly, without even knowing who it should be biting."

His voice was soft, but his mocking tone was like a sharp dagger stabbing straight at Tara’s pride.

She spun around abruptly, a furious fire igniting in her eyes.

But Duane merely gave her a relaxed, disdainful smile and calmly walked toward the rest area, as if she wasn’t worth another second of his attention.

Tara gritted her teeth, her knuckles turning white. Her killing intent was so strong it was almost tangible.

If they weren’t about to fight on the stage soon, she wouldn’t have minded settling things right then and there.

「In the rest area.」

Duane sat on a chair, regulating his breathing.

In truth, there wasn’t much to regulate. The previous fights had barely cost him any stamina or Spirit.

"Duane!"

Duane looked over and saw Natalia standing there, waving excitedly.

Hm?

Duane was a bit surprised. Normally, Natalia wouldn’t approach him alone at an event like this.

"What’s wrong?" He stood up and walked over.

Natalia felt many eyes turning toward her, causing her cheeks to flush slightly.

She beckoned him closer, as if wanting to tell him a secret. "Can you come a little closer?"

Duane wore a strange expression.

’What is she doing? Is she about to stage a pre-finals confession scene?’

’But isn’t the man usually the one to take the initiative in these situations?’

Though surprised, he still leaned in closer.

Their actions drew countless speculative glances. For a Count’s daughter to be so intimate with a man in public, their relationship had to be extraordinary.

"My father sent me to find you,"

Natalia said in a hushed voice. "Marquis Sean just approached my father. He wants him to act as a middleman and make a deal with you."