The group of geniuses had been anxiously waiting in the forest for a couple of minutes by now. Only the occasional roar of the tiger reassured them that their biggest ally was still alive and fighting. That was both a good thing and a bad thing for their state of mind.

On one hand, they were relieved that the tiger was being dealt with by someone who, although none of them trusted, except Andretas, had proven he possessed the strength necessary to keep the beast in check.

On the other hand, they didn't know whether that man would abandon his so-called agreement at any moment, or if the tiger would manage to kill him first and then rampage through the forest, finding them and leaving not a single intact bone behind.

These two conflicting emotions kept them teetering on the edge, and that, in turn, exhausted them far more than if they'd had only a single option. The few minutes they had spent in the forest had already become the most mentally draining experience of their lives.

"I think we should turn tail and run out of this forest while that guy keeps the beast busy," a man said out loud, breaking through the murmurs and whispers.

Another one, who was leaning against a tree, snapped, "And what do you think will happen after that demon finishes with the tiger and comes to look for us?"

"The elders will take care of him if that happens. Or did you seriously believe what he said? We come from the greatest families in Lotra. Our hidden power runs deeper than any of us even know, how could some random guy possibly know everything about us?"

"Shut up," Andretas said. He walked up to the man who had started the discussion, stared him in the eyes, and said, "Did you already forget what happened earlier? Where was this bravado when we stood petrified in front of the tiger, eh?"

His tone dropped as he continued. "If you want to court death, do it on your own. Don't try to drag everyone else down with you."

The young man stared back at him. He was about to speak, but Andretas' eyes stopped him from uttering a word.

"Hmph." Andretas snorted and walked back to his place, only then did he notice someone approaching the group. Taken aback, he said, "Maelor? Where have you been? Why are you coming from that direction?"

His words drew everyone's attention. Their eyes first went to Andretas, then followed his gaze until they landed on Maelor, who looked as cheerful as he could possibly be, making them frown slightly.

Maelor walked up to Andretas and said, "I was told to come here and wait with everyone else, so I did."

...Told?

"Did you meet the sir who's fighting the tiger?" Andretas asked hastily. If he claimed he wasn't worried, he'd be lying to himself.

Maelor nodded, passed by a stunned Andretas and sat down beside a nearby tree.

Although Andretas had known this blockhead for many years, he never could have imagined that, even in such a situation, Maelor would withhold information and brush him off with nothing more than a nod.

Quickly rushing up to him, Andretas said, "How's the fight going? What exactly did he tell you? Tell me, quickly."

"He'll be here soon," Maelor replied, then closed his eyes as if to tell Andretas to stop disturbing him.

Seeing such a nonchalant Maelor in a situation that had everyone's nerves pulled taut made Andretas clench his fists and bite his lip to stop himself from shouting. He took several deep breaths while the murmurs in the background grew louder and louder.

Just as Andretas calmed down and was about to speak again, several voices echoed from deep within the forest.

Heads swiveled toward the sound, but the thick trees blocked their view, forcing them to brace for any possible conflict. Weapons in hand, they waited, their nerves stretched thinner and thinner. After today, if they ever made it out of this place, they'd be leagues ahead of their peers in keeping a clear head under pressure.

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Moments later, the first figures to emerge were a few of the elders. At the sight of the gathered group, the elders froze briefly, but when their eyes fell upon the young geniuses, they broke into wide smiles.

"Hahaha! Our family's pride still stands after fighting the tiger. This day will go down in the annals of history when you rise to become the next head of the family!"

"Yours looks a bit battered, but look at mine, not a single injury. That just proves which one is superior," the elder beside him added with a smug grin.

The first elder sneered. "Or maybe it just shows which one is more of a coward," he said, striding over to his family's genius and leaving the other elder with a bitter taste in his mouth.

The geniuses overheard the exchange, words that, as more elders emerged from the trees, were repeated again and again. Their faces burned with shame. If they were truly to become the heads of their families, and if this day were to be recorded in the annals of history, they would forever be remembered as the weaklings who froze at a tiger's roar and hid in the forest, trembling all the while.

It was something they would never have dreamt of, even in their worst nightmare, except this was reality.

One of the last figures to step out from the shadows of the forest was the elder of the Areza family. His eyes anxiously swept over the group until they landed on Maelor. In that instant, he felt as though a mountain had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Thank god you're still alive," he whispered, hurrying over to him.

When the elder stood less than a meter from Maelor and saw how his nephew was calmly resting with his eyes closed, even in a situation like this, his relief evaporated. His face darkened.

"Brat, you still know how to sleep after making me worry like this?" he scolded.

Maelor opened his eyes only to find his uncle's grim face staring down at him. "Uncle?" he said in surprise.

"How can you be so nonchalant when the situation could turn dire at any moment? All of us had to plead with the rank seven mage to let us intervene in this competition because the beast's roars shook even us. Yet, while I anxiously rush to save you, I find you sleeping. How many times have we—"

The elder from the Areza family went on for several more seconds, though to Maelor it felt like an eternity. He sat in silence, listening, while Andretas, who had become nothing more than a spectator, stood off to the side, still stunned by the situation and by how nearly every elder had gathered in this very place.

When Maelor's uncle finally paused to catch his breath, Maelor seized the chance to speak. "Uncle, what's the name of the person you made an agreement with?" he asked.

"Hmm? Why are you asking about that now?" his uncle replied, frowning.

Maelor said, his voice firmer than before, "I need to know the name."

The uncle noticed Maelor's tone shift, and his face grew pensive, as if this information carried special weight for his nephew. He recalled the conversation he'd had with that person earlier that day and said, "His name is Nova."

"Nova…" Maelor repeated under his breath. He turned to his uncle and said, "Uncle, I can tell you one thing for certain, agreeing to his request was a wise choice."

The uncle raised an eyebrow at those words, but just as he was about to ask what his nephew meant, a scream rang out.

"Where's my niece?! Why don't I see Valera here?!"

The shout drew everyone's attention to a middle-aged man, his beard whipping about as his Aura flared in fury. Beside him stood two other men of similar age, their faces dark. They kept silent, not out of calm, but because they dared not provoke the bearded man, the brother of the current head of his family, who had gone blind with rage.

Purely driven by anger, the bearded man made his way toward the nearest genius whose elder had not yet arrived. He grabbed the young man by the collar and spat, "Tell me where my daughter is, or I'll kill you."

Cold sweat rolled down the genius' back, and his eyes trembled as he stared into the bearded man's. He tried to speak, but no words came out, as the elder's Aura slammed over him like a tidal wave.

The elder gripped the young genius' neck, slowly tightening his hold. "Say it," he growled, "before your neck snaps."

Around them, the other elders and participants watched with furrowed brows. Few had the power to intervene, and even those who did had to carefully weigh the consequences of their actions. Even if they were all labelled as the greatest of the noble families, there were still differences between them and the bearded man's family was one of the most influential among them.

Each of them knew that losing their prodigies would strike their families where it hurt most and that anyone accompanying them in their demise would be held fully accountable. Most of the time, that meant death at best, and life imprisonment at worst with very few exceptions.

So, none dared confront a knight, seemingly at the third stage, who had gone mad and had nothing left to lose.

That was, until Andretas said, "There's no use looking for her. She's dead."

The man's head snapped toward Andretas, his hand still clamped around the young man's throat. "What did you say?" he hissed.

"I said Valera is dead," Andretas repeated, meeting the elder's gaze without flinching.

Aura flared violently around the elder, cutting off the young man's breath. With a single motion, he threw him to the ground like trash. The boy wheezed, gasping for air, as the elder fully turned his attention to Andretas. "Who killed her?"

"It—"

"It was me."

Nova strode toward the group, lips curling into a faint, unnerving smile, utterly unconcerned with what was going on.

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