According to the royal decree, the four men headed to the circular arena near the capital.

It was announced that there would be guidance for the special performance at the opening ceremony.

However, the inside of the arena was strangely deserted.

No matter how much they looked around, there were barely a hundred people gathered.

At that moment, the mystery was solved.

One of the organizers went up on stage to convey information to them.

“Welcome, everyone. We cannot accommodate all participants on the stage, so we have selected only 100 based on the rankings for this event.”

The decision made by the royal family after much deliberation was as follows:

Showcase a spectacular stage featuring only the top 100 with exceptional skills.

This way, the overall performance level could be elevated.

Furthermore, with overwhelming skill differences, the eliminated participants would have little room for objection.

As the explanation from the organizer concluded, tension spread throughout the arena.

To select only 100 based on their rankings meant that those standing nearby were the strongest competitors in this competition.

A silent showdown among the participants began for a moment.

Eventually, the anticipated reactions erupted around.

“The, the Archmage!”

“As expected, Shalak also passed.”

Most of the reactions were about these two men.

Not many people recognized Luca, who had been living secluded in the Grand Temple, with Edna, who was active in the underworld.

Thanks to that, Luca was leisurely observing the other participants.

But then, someone grabbed Luca’s clothes from behind.

“Could you be the high-ranking priest?”

Surprised, Luca turned around.

A stranger was looking at him with ecstatic eyes.

It seemed to be one of the worshippers who had come to pray in the Grand Temple.

The man, upon seeing Luca’s face, became certain and stammered.

“Oh, indeed, it’s him! But why are you here…?”

Then, people around started looking in their direction.

Luca quickly brought a finger to his lips.

“Shh. I’m here as per the will of the gods.”

“If that’s the case, please give me your blessing.”

Awkward.

But pretending not to know could make things even noisier.

‘How do you give a blessing?’

After a moment of contemplation, Luca casually placed his hand on the participant’s head.

“Um, may the gods’ blessings be with you.”

“Thank you very much!”

After exchanging several greetings, the participant left with tears streaming down his face.

Watching his back, Luca let out a dry laugh.

‘It’s just a matter of time before the rumors spread. Haha.’

While Luca was feeling awkward, Edna coincidentally found his competitor.

Green hair and brown eyes.

A man who resembled the image of the upper class that Edna had long admired.

And the one who, in an instant, wanted to take away what he had worked his whole life for.

It was none other than his upper-class friend, Percy.

Just as he and Edna locked eyes, Percy grinned.
It was a self-assured appearance.

Edna also gave him a relaxed smile.

But inside, he was quietly boiling.

‘Am I going to hand over the Frey upper class on a silver platter? Nonsense.’

I’ll defeat you no matter what it takes.

With that determination, Edna turned his head quietly.

Meanwhile, Shalak continued to exchange greetings with people around him.

This was because he had quite a few acquaintances among the successful candidates.

However, amid this, Shalak’s eyes were diligently scanning the surroundings like chasing prey.

To find the son of the Demon King.

Gathering the top participants in one place certainly felt more imposing than before.

At that moment, a chilling energy was felt somewhere, enough to give goosebumps.

‘…!’

Startled, Shalak looked back.

A strange yet dangerous feeling he was experiencing for the first time in his life.

No matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t pinpoint the exact location of that energy.

It was because there were too many people crowded together.

But he could be sure of the presence.

‘He’s definitely here.’

Shalak smirked.

As expected, his judgment was not wrong.

Now, it was only a matter of gradually tightening the net.

Meanwhile, Irtis, who was surveying the surroundings nearby, saw a familiar face in his eyes.

‘Uh…?’

It wasn’t a mistake.

Dark gray eyes under short black hair.

It was undoubtedly the guy I knew.

I didn’t expect to meet again like this.

An unwanted memory rose again in Irtis’ mind.

Just then, the eyes of the two met.

When that happened, surprise spread in the eyes of the person who discovered Irtis.

He quickly broke through the crowd and stood in front of Irtis.

Then, with a gentle smile, he extended his hand.

“Irtis, have you been well?”

“Long time no see… Reke.”

Reke Elhas.

The Duke of Elhas in the Northern Elhas Principality.

He and Irtis were acquaintances.

While Irtis’s face slightly frowned, Reke’s expression showed unmistakable joy.

“Irtis, I didn’t know you would participate in this competition.”

“Well, somehow it turned out that way.”

Irtis dryly replied.