Chapter 121: The Unwavering Bet

The man in charge of bets next door widened his eyes, convinced he had misheard. It was only when he saw the single Riel in Yalin’s hand that he realized Yalin wasn’t joking.

He had initially assumed Yalin, swaggering into a VIP seat, was a discreet young master from a wealthy family, ready to lavish fortunes on his chosen goddess and, in turn, net himself a hefty profit.

After all that, this is what he was offering?

‘Seriously, buddy, you’re sitting in a VIP seat. Is one Riel all you’re going to bet? Are you trying to pay off a beggar?’ he thought, bewildered.

“Um… we usually start with one gold coin here,” the man said, a hint of awkwardness in his voice.

“Even if you say that, this is all the money I have on me, isn’t it?” Yalin replied, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture.

Though he had received a substantial salary from Lulunare, he had poured all his available funds into refining the medium for his conceptual deity to prepare for the impending crisis. Currently, he could barely afford a meal.

As for the coin, he had found it lying at the bottom of a fountain that morning while waiting for Luminas, bored. It had taken him a considerable effort to retrieve it.

He had originally planned to buy a lollipop on the way back to console the utterly defeated Luminas. However, upon reflection, using it here might hold even greater significance.

After all, if he were to simply freeload food and drinks in the VIP section, he would feel a bit embarrassed. He needed to do something to express his unwavering support for Luminas.

‘Hmm, maybe later I can brag about it—how everyone else believed in you, but only our family, the Tang Clan, supported you, and so on and so forth.’

‘Tsk, tsk, it actually sounds quite cool,’ he mused.

“What’s wrong? There’s no rule, is there, that says you can’t place a bet with less than one Riel?” Yalin asked, his tone confident and righteous.

“…Indeed, there isn’t,” the man next door replied, a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Gambling was a gray area within the academy, operated entirely by students in private. In this line of work, rules were paramount.

The man’s gaze shifted from admiration to immediate disdain. Reluctantly, he took the coin from Yalin’s hand and, with a symbolic gesture, made an entry in his ledger.

Yalin was in good spirits, resting comfortably in the soft chair for a while. The formal finals were finally about to begin.

With a low hum, a massive magic circuit materialized on the arena floor. Blue light shot skyward, converging mid-air to form an inverted, hemispherical light barrier that meticulously enveloped the entire stage.

This was the academy’s defensive barrier, capable of withstanding a barrage of high-level magic. It ensured that participants would not suffer fatal injuries.

“Alright, everyone, please quiet down! Thank you for your patience!”

The instant the barrier formed, the host’s loud and passionate voice, amplified by magic, resonated like thunder, instantly reaching every corner of the audience seats.

The previously noisy chatter throughout the arena swiftly subsided under the force of this sound wave, and all eyes converged on the center of the stage.

“As everyone knows, the outcome of this match is extraordinarily significant! It will determine who has the honor of representing our Arcadia Academy at the Viktor Cup, a symbol of supreme glory, and shine brightly at the much-anticipated Academy Festival!

And today’s finalists are both top representatives of our academy—”

The host paused, then continued to shout, “First, let’s welcome the contestant from the College of Mages—Miss Celeste!”

Resounding applause accompanied a sea of cheers.

Her fame was simply too immense; she was hailed as a legendary magic prodigy, appearing once every millennium. In all her past matches, no matter how formidable her opponent, she had always achieved a one-hit knockout. Her terrifying strength had completely surpassed the student level.

Celeste slowly emerged from the opposite通道, the dazzling sunlight causing her to squint involuntarily.

‘It’s so loud… As expected, I’m still not quite accustomed to this atmosphere,’ she thought.

“Regarding Miss Celeste, I’m sure everyone is already very familiar, so I won’t introduce her further… Now, let’s welcome the representative from the College of Magic Swordsmen—Miss Luminas Tingel!”

Cheers and applause erupted once more, though they were noticeably subdued compared to Celeste’s entrance.

Luminas walked out from the通道 with an impassive expression, slowly making her way to the center of the stage.

“Miss Luminas is also a rare genius, having easily defeated all opponents in the College of Magic Swordsmen’s qualifiers. Her strength is not to be underestimated. Moreover, she is the descendant of that legendary archaeologist, Mr. Tingel!”

Upon hearing this, the murmuring among the crowd noticeably intensified.

It seemed that everyone was clearly more interested in her grandfather than in Luminas herself.

Luminas’s lips moved slightly, but she said nothing. She merely turned her head to look at Yalin.

Yalin, catching her gaze, stiffened for a moment before quickly breaking into applause. He only breathed a sigh of relief when Luminas turned her head back.

‘Good heavens, a supervisor! Don’t look over here during the actual match!’ he thought.

“Both sides are unprecedentedly formidable opponents! It truly makes one immensely anticipate who will claim victory this time! However, before the formal match, as is customary, please allow both contestants to say a few words to each other.”

The host ascended the stage and handed the magic device with amplification capabilities to Celeste.

“Luminas, for this duel, I hope both of us can give our absolute best. Please guide me well today.” Celeste said simply.

This was her usual opening remark; she was not inclined to dwell on too many details in such formalities. After her statement, she handed the magic device to Luminas.

Luminas took the device but merely stood silently in place, as if lost in thought. After a moment, she spoke in a faint voice.

“For this match, I believe no one thinks I will win.”

Silence fell over the crowd for a few seconds after her words, then they began to whisper and discuss amongst themselves. No one had expected the seemingly taciturn Luminas to make such an unexpected opening statement.

While what she said was true—not a single person believed she could win this match—it wasn’t because they underestimated her. It was simply because her opponent this time was far too strong, leaving no room for doubt.

However, for her to say it herself was quite rare.

Luminas paused, then continued, “But even so, I don’t want to lose. Even if I fall tragically to the ground, I must fight until the very last moment…”

“Because, even if everyone else doesn’t believe in me, there is still someone willing to constantly support me from behind. Even for his sake, I absolutely cannot give up.”

Luminas took a deep breath, then turned and pointed her finger at Yalin.

“Yalin Ravenster! I must win this match, so please, watch me closely until the very end!”