Chapter 373 -: 372 It’s me and her.

Chapter 373: Chapter: 372 It’s me and her.

As Alfred sat quietly in his seat, the coliseum continued to fill with spectators.

Thousands upon thousands of Zlycons poured into the enormous structure, taking their seats until the sections that had previously looked rather empty were completely occupied.

The noise of their conversations gradually grew louder, eventually becoming a massive wave of voices that seemed capable of reaching far beyond the coliseum itself.

Excitement filled the atmosphere, with some spectators discussing the participants they believed would dominate the tournament while others argued over which young spell casters possessed the greatest chance of reaching the upper floors of the 101 Treasure Tower.

The sheer number of people gathered for the event made the entire coliseum feel alive, and even Alfred, who had witnessed the Grand Tournament before, could tell that today’s gathering was considerably larger than usual.

Up in the VIP area, several important figures had already begun to arrive. Alfred did not turn his head toward them or openly stare in their direction.

Instead, he discreetly used a small mirror concealed within the sleeve of his robe, angling it just enough to observe the VIP section without directly looking at the people inside.

Higher-level spell casters were often extremely sensitive to their surroundings, and directly watching someone with considerable strength could sometimes allow them to notice that their attention was being directed toward them.

It was a small precaution, one that most people would consider unnecessary when thousands of spectators were watching the same area, but Alfred had survived for so long precisely because he never dismissed seemingly insignificant risks.

Even while pretending to be an ordinary elderly Zlycon, every movement he made was carefully calculated.

Through the reflection of the mirror, Alfred spotted several familiar figures. The first was the Patriarch of the Sun Family, a middle-aged Zlycon with a robust physique and a greatsword strapped across his back.

His name was Arvatte, and Alfred had spent considerable time investigating him during his six years in Heart Reach.

Arvatte was an Infinite Core spell caster who followed the Water Path, and despite his relatively ordinary appearance, his strength was anything but ordinary.

Alfred had collected information regarding his abilities, fighting style, accomplishments, and connections over the years, and the conclusion had always been the same: Arvatte was a formidable opponent whom even the strongest members of the younger generation would have little chance of defeating.

At this moment, Arvatte was speaking with a tall woman standing beside him. She appeared to be somewhere past forty years of age, with short, inky-black hair and a pair of equally dark eyes that remained impassive even as she conversed with the Sun Family Patriarch.

Alfred recognized her almost immediately. She was Salvane, the younger sister of the current Patriarch of the Solarian Family.

Like Arvatte, she was an Infinite Core spell caster, but unlike him, she followed the Shadow Path, a path that shared several similarities with the Dark Path while possessing its own distinct characteristics.

Alfred had also investigated her extensively, and from everything he had learned, Salvane was an exceptionally competent spell caster.

In fact, if she had been willing to inherit the position of Patriarch herself, Chakravartin would have faced considerably greater difficulties securing his current position within the Solarian Family.

Aside from those two, Alfred noticed another particularly formidable presence within the VIP area.

An old man with a hunched back stood there with the support of a cane, his aged appearance making him seem almost frail compared to the powerful spell casters surrounding him.

Yet Alfred knew better than to judge him by his appearance. The old man was none other than Aryavrata, the previous Patriarch of the Solarian Family.

He was a Fire Path spell caster, and after Chakravartin himself, he was considered one of the strongest Zlycons alive.

That was not merely the opinion of the Zlycons either. The information available to the humans, combined with everything Alfred had personally gathered during his years of observation, supported the same conclusion.

Aryavrata might look like an old man who needed a cane simply to stand, but Alfred had no doubt that the moment the old Patriarch decided to fight, the entire coliseum would have to take his presence seriously.

"Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen!"

Just as Alfred continued observing the VIP section through the small mirror, a loud voice suddenly echoed throughout the coliseum. Alfred immediately lowered the mirror and shifted his attention toward the center of the arena.

A young male Zlycon wearing official attire stood there, his voice amplified through the use of magic so that every spectator could hear him clearly despite the enormous size of the coliseum.

"Today is a great day! Today is the day of the Grand Tournament, where countless powerful spell casters have gathered to compete for the opportunity to enter the legendary 101 Treasure Tower.

Among those present are some of the most talented members of our generation, all of whom have come with the same goal: to prove themselves worthy of entering the tower and perhaps one day reaching the legendary 101st floor!"

The crowd immediately erupted into cheers, their voices echoing through the arena.

"And after so many years, today is also the first time that we will welcome human visitors to our Grand Tournament!"

The moment the announcer mentioned the humans, the atmosphere changed slightly. The roaring cheers became noticeably quieter, and countless Zlycons exchanged looks with one another.

Their arrival had already been announced throughout the city, so the news itself was hardly a surprise, yet that did not mean the Zlycons were pleased by the prospect.

The presence of humans within their capital was still an uncomfortable subject for many of them, particularly after Julius and Rosalina had exposed the possibility that humans could disguise themselves as Zlycons and infiltrate their territory without being discovered.

Alfred paid little attention to the announcement. His expression remained that of an ordinary elderly Zlycon, and he continued casually observing the surrounding area while mentally calculating when the human representatives were expected to arrive.

According to the information he had gathered, the delegation should be arriving around the same period as the tournament’s most important guests.

If everything went according to his calculations, he would soon have an opportunity to identify the Hayes Clan members among the representatives and secretly pass information regarding Julius’s situation to them.

At least, that was what Alfred expected.

"Hello."

A quiet voice suddenly came from beside him. Alfred’s thoughts immediately paused.

Two hooded figures had somehow approached his row and taken the seats directly beside him.

Both appeared somewhat short by Zlycon standards, standing at around six feet, although their height was not unusual enough to attract attention.

Their robes concealed most of their appearances, making it difficult to determine their identities.

Alfred remained still.

He did not turn toward them immediately. Instead, he continued looking toward the arena as though he had barely noticed their arrival.

"Today is a great day, isn’t it?" a woman’s voice asked from beneath the hood.

Alfred gave a small nod.

"Yeah."

His response was deliberately casual. The persona of an elderly Zlycon was supposed to be friendly and harmless, so he saw no reason to behave suspiciously simply because two strangers had decided to speak with him.

"The qualifiers are something like a battle royale, I think," the man beside him said.

Alfred glanced toward the arena for a moment before answering in the same calm manner.

"Well, with so many spell casters participating, I suppose they had to find a way to make the tournament somewhat easier to manage while keeping it entertaining for the spectators."

"Hmm..."

The woman hummed softly beneath her hood.

"Yeah, today should certainly be interesting."

Alfred gave another absentminded nod, but something about the woman’s tone made him slightly more attentive. There was a familiarity in the way she spoke, although he could not immediately place it.

Still, he did not allow his expression to change. He had spent six years living among people who would kill him if they discovered his true identity, and instinctively, he knew better than to react to a feeling before confirming it.

"By the way," the woman continued casually, "today is also the day of your mission, isn’t it?"

Alfred’s heart skipped a beat.

For the first time since the two figures had sat beside him, his calm expression nearly cracked. His eyes trembled ever so slightly, though the movement was so subtle that an ordinary person would never have noticed it.

Nevertheless, the words had struck him with enough force that suppressing the turmoil inside his heart required every bit of self-control he possessed.

Mission?

There were countless missions taking place throughout the capital today. The Grand Tournament itself involved countless arrangements, and Alfred had spent years gathering information for his own purposes.

Yet the way the woman had said those words made it clear that she was not referring to some random assignment.

But how?

Alfred slowly turned his head toward her, his old face still maintaining its carefully constructed expression of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

The words left his mouth quietly, but his mind had already begun running through every possibility. Had his identity been discovered? Had someone followed him? Was this a trap arranged by the Zlycons? Had the Hayes Clan already arrived and sent someone to find him?

Before he could reach a conclusion, the man beside him spoke.

"Relax, Alfred. It’s me and her"

The moment those words were spoken, the man’s voice suddenly changed.

The roughness and unfamiliar tone he had been using disappeared, replaced by a voice Alfred had heard countless times before.

A voice that he could never mistake, Alfred’s pupils contracted.

"Young Master...?"