The Gamer's POV

Present time...

——

"...And once again, the Bastion of Crimson and Silver proves why they stand at the top!"

The announcer sounded extra thrilled, and his amplified voice boomed across the stadium as the spectators in the arena erupted into thunderous applause.

Honestly, Cedric found it somewhat disturbing that they didn’t seem to mind that out of the thirty cadets who had gone up to Isola Bella, only twenty-one had returned.

While six had lost their lives to their fellow cadets, three had been unfortunate enough to be slaughtered by monsters on Isola Bella.

Yet, the announcer treated this as a minor detail, and the crowd roared on, indifferent to the blood spilled for their entertainment.

There were always casualties during the Triad Supremacy Games. Most times, these were the result of cadets falling prey to the creatures on Isola Bella.

However, this year seemed to be far more violent than the rest. A few of the cadets even displayed injuries, stemming from either their struggle over the relics or from their run-ins with monsters.

As for the winners of the game, of course, as expected, it was the Bastion of Crimson and Silver. Out of the ten relics that had been scattered for the cadets to find, six had been claimed by the cadets of this Bastion.

Of course, Leon had secured one for himself. Aurora, Cedric, Xavier, Lucky, and Vivienne were the rest who had successfully retrieved their relics, officially bringing the Game to a close.

...Meanwhile, inside the VIP box, Monarch Anele stood up from his chair and, without a word, began heading for the door.

At that moment, a man with red hair and red eyes behind a monocle lowered his head and asked, "Are you leaving, my lord?"

Without pausing, Anele replied calmly, "I’ve seen for myself what I wanted to confirm."

He stepped into the corridor, and after a few seconds, the corners of his lips curled up into a faint smile.

***

Some time later...

——

After the Triad Supremacy Game, the cadets, the other nobles, and the instructors did not leave for the Imperial Capital immediately, choosing instead to linger in New Verona Cross till the next day.

There were plenty of things to do, from tending to their wounds to exploring the city’s sights.

When night eventually fell, the cadets and instructors from the three bastions were invited to the urban manor of the local count, a man who went by the name Count Malakor. A few other aristocrats were also invited to fill out the opulent hall for the gala.

Of course, Cedric, who had nothing better to do, also attended for the sake of courtesy and free wine. He tried to remain as faded into the background as he could, away from attention, though he seemed to be failing at that. A lot of eyes were on him, and many who had either watched the Game or had heard about it were whispering about his actions during it.

Without paying much attention to them, Cedric reached out and took a glass of spiced plum wine from a passing servant’s tray.

’I still find it baffling that there were people who really spent twenty-four hours watching the Game,’ he thought, taking a slow sip.

Just then, he saw Leon slowly making his way toward him with one hand holding a glass and another in his pocket.

"You seem to be drawing a lot of attention, friend," Leon smirked, leaning his back against the wall beside him.

Cedric turned fully to him, then sized him up. "Not as much as you."

There were many noble ladies who couldn’t take their eyes off Leon. Tonight, the proud young man looked even more striking in his tailored black double-breasted coat, its silver trim subtly catching the warm light of the chandeliers.

Cedric would have probably felt annoyed if he didn’t also have eyes on him.

"Can you blame them?" Leon chuckled, taking a casual sip. "I’m a handsome, powerful prodigy." He swirled the liquid in his glass with a self-satisfied grin. "The Golden Child. Heh. Honestly, if I were standing where they are, I’d be staring at me too."

Cedric gave him a flat look. "I’m going to throw my wine at you."

Leon chuckled again. Then, he nudged him with an elbow. "Come on. Put on a smile, will you? You always look so serious."

He turned to look at the cluster of noblewomen eyeing them from near the fountain. "There’s a lot of beautiful women here, so don’t decline a hand if one asks. Or even better, you pick one up for a dance, eh?"

Cedric just took another slow sip, utterly unimpressed.

Meanwhile, Leon suddenly perked up as his eyes locked onto the grand staircase. "Ah, there’s the princess. Heh heh. My oh my, she is beautiful."

Cedric turned to see the princess talking to a few older high-ranking diplomats.

She was dressed in a flowing midnight-blue gown, looking as breathtaking as a celestial painting. The rich velvet fabric complemented her blue eyes, and the warm chandelier light danced off her sweeping silver hair.

"Look at her," Leon murmured, adjusting his collar. "She looks like she desperately needs saving. Her expression is practically screaming, ’Leon, my prince charming, come save me from these old bores!’ So, if you’ll excuse me..." He cleared his throat and flashed a wicked grin. "I’m off to fulfill my duty as a gentleman and enjoy the night with a beauty."

Without waiting for a reply, he strode off toward the diplomats, dropping his glass on a passing servant’s tray on the way.

Meanwhile, Cedric, who had begun to grow bored, turned to scan the grand hall until his eyes landed on the grand piano near the orchestra dais.

He walked up to the pianist, who was getting ready to play another song. Leaning down slightly, Cedric offered a small, polite nod. "Mind if I take over for a track?"

The musician blinked, recognizing the silent authority in Cedric’s posture and attire. Bowing deeply, the pianist swiftly stepped aside. "By all means, my lord."

Cedric then adjusted his cuffs and took a seat on the polished bench, running his fingers lightly along the ivory keys to get a feel for their weight.

He had learned to play the piano in his previous life. If he was not gaming, he was sitting at the keys to lose himself in classical pieces as a hobby.

He exhaled, letting the ambient noise of the bustling hall fade into quiet background static, and after deciding on his choice of song, he struck the opening notes.

It was Moonlight Sonata.

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