章 260: [52.3] Felix POV: Indulging in a Spectator's Position
"-Now we will draw the first contestants!" The King walked over to a velvet box and pulled the string hanging off of it. Two fireworks shot to the sky and illuminated two names:
Cyrus and Teal.
Cyrus took the stage and faced off with a tall noble I had seen a few times in passing. The stage suddenly started to change shape, creating a canyon-type arena. They started their fight with Teal shooting electric bolts at Cyrus while Cyrus simply just dodged. He jumped from rock to rock while the electric bolts struck the ground, causing the rock formations to crumble and explode.
Priscilla leaned forward, "Isn't he going to use magic?! Why is he just dodging?!"
I pulled Priscilla back so she wouldn't fall forward off the railing, "He doesn't need to."
With his skill, Cyrus quickly evaded the fast lightning bolts before knocking Teal off the stage without ever once using magic or pulling out his sword.
Priscilla pursed her lips, "How embarrassing. He didn't last very long."
Cyrus hopped off the stage and the King pulled another rope shooting out two more random names:
Cyrus and Kenneth.
Priscilla whistled, "Wow. Curse boy is really unlucky. He keeps getting drawn."
I felt a twinge of guilt and gave her a harsh look, "Don't call him that."
She blushed and looked to her feet, "S-Sorry."
The second contestant sadly didn't last a mere three seconds.
It was truly pitiful.
Priscilla asked curiously, "If you had to face Cyrus, how long do you think you would last?"
I let out a light-hearted laugh, "I would jump off the stage as soon as we started."
She clicked her tongue, "That's because you're too nice to him. I bet if you were competing against him, you would be able to last a long time."
"You give me a lot of credit even though all I can do is heal and create potions."
She looked at me with star-struck eyes, "It's because you're the best older brother in the world."
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
The third draw was conducted and once again…
Cyrus and Daphine.
I pursed my lips and glanced at Cyrus's Uncle who was smiling far too smugly.
Priscilla let out a whine, "Three times in a row!? If he wins then he will fight four tournaments back to back! He's got to be exhausted!"
I leaned back to watch the fight. This time the two contestants were both weapon wielders. Cyrus finally brought out his sword while Daphine brought out her large axe. As she held the axe, muscles bulged out.
She had far more muscle mass than all the other contestants combined.
Priscilla spoke up, "Oh! I know her. She's the daughter of the Earl who owns the Magic Wand business. They say the Earl has all his children cut down trees all day instead of attending school."
All brawn and no brains.
The arena suddenly changed, creating uneven ground and floating rocks that defied gravity. When the fight started, it seemed as if the two were evenly matched. Neither one used magic but relied on their sheer strength to fight their opponent.
Priscilla looked at me, "Why doesn't Prince Cyrus ever use magic?"
I forced on a smile, "He has an insecurity about it."
She looked back at the fight, "Well he better lose it. He's clearly outmatched in terms of physical strength."
"I wouldn't say that."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
As I watched his moves, I was surprised to see how coordinated and well-planned they were. Each attack served a purpose with detailed precision. Even though his attacks lacked the strength the opponent had, he was still effortlessly defending himself without being put at a disadvantage. Whenever he would fight before, it was so obvious that he was self-taught. But now-
My lips curled into a real smile, "-He has improved far better than I ever thought possible."
Priscilla pinched her eyebrows in confusion as she stared at me.
Truly worthy of-
Suddenly, Daphine's attacks had more power behind them. It was obvious she decided to end things quickly as Cyrus wasn't losing an inch of ground while sparring against her. Cyrus used his own sword to block her attacks, but the shockwaves pushed him back. Once he was standing on the edge of the platform, Daphine charged at him with veins bulging. She looked like a bull charging at a red cloth. Cyrus smirked to himself, and while hanging off the edge by his heels, hopped to the side just in time to have that bull pass right through his imaginary red cloth.
Priscilla blinked slowly, "Did she… Just run off the stage?"
I laughed hysterically, "HAHA! That's why you should strengthen both your body and mind."
Priscilla looked at me in surprise.
I realized she was staring at me oddly and met her gaze, "What is it?"
She slowly shook her head and forced herself to look away, "I just… I don't remember the last time I heard you laugh… Like really laugh."
My smile faltered.
Has it really been that long?
I cleared my throat and turned back to the stage, "-There's one person left to beat."
Nicholas hopped to the stage, blowing kisses to the crowd. The audience roared even louder and I had to cover my ears to avoid the shrill cries of the women… And a few men.
Priscilla scoffed, "He's still a playboy. I thought he would have grown up already."
My lips twitched, "I think in order to grow up you need actual development."
The arena changed into a tundra, with knee-deep snow in some parts, and thick ice in others.
Priscilla laughed, "Cyrus is at an advantage now. He's used to walking on ice because of the Headmaster."
As Cyrus faced Nicholas and they were signaled to start, an uncomfortable expression came over Cyrus's face. His movements were suddenly far too labored and forced.
Priscilla gasped, "Oh no! It looks like the previous fights were too much for him! He's clearly exhausted! He will lose by default."
My eyes narrowed.
He's not exhausted.
He's being influenced by someone that's not on the stage!
I muttered to myself, "It's an enchantment to make your limbs heavier than sand."
Reika caught on too and tried to rush to the stage to help, but luckily Zephyr and Caldwell held her back. If she had, Cyrus surely would have been disqualified.
Unfortunately, Cyrus will just have to figure this out himself.
…Or perhaps not.
I gave a look at the man beside me who nodded in understanding. In a flash, he disappeared.
My eyes slowly drifted to Cyrus's Uncle Albert who was muttering something while staring at Cyrus. Cyrus continued to struggle against the enchantment while fighting off Nicholas. However, a shadow appeared in front of Uncle Albert and swiftly punched his stomach. He doubled over, allowing the enchantment to break.
No longer weighed down by the unimaginable force, Cyrus was free to attack. In three swift movements, Nicholas was knocked off the platform. The crowd couldn't handle the sudden turn of events and went crazy, screaming and throwing handkerchiefs and flowers into the arena.
Priscilla cheered, "Wow! He won! I thought for sure he was going to lose!"
I smiled proudly as I watched the King join him on stage, announcing him as the winner of the contest. Cyrus was still breathing heavily while wiping off his sweat, giving off the impression that he was pushed to the max of his capabilities. However, if it weren't for the sudden enchantment, he probably wouldn't have even broken a sweat.
He was just on a different level of skill compared to the rest.
My eyes lazily drifted to the crowd and while the lower and middle-class area was cheering and raving about how he was the winner, the upper-class section was all staring down at him with contempt.
While every contestant was a member of the Nobility, only Cyrus was a favorite with the lower and middle class. That was due to his efforts in bettering the community with his charity work. However, it had put him in a worse spot with the Nobility who viewed him as a descendant of a demon and a member of Royalty who ignored the rankings of social class.
As if that was important.
I turned away and strolled down the hall with my hands placed behind my back. Priscilla rushed after me, "Where are you going?"
"To chat with the winners."
クリエイターの想い 
Nekoru
Nekoru Just a friendly chat.
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