Chương 37: B1 - Chapter 36: Cards on the Table

Elara · As Zeke arrived at the arena, he was immediately struck by the sheer size of the crowd that had gathered outside. People were streaming into the venue in such numbers that it seemed as if the fight of a lifetime was happening within its walls. The scene he was confronted with caused Zeke's mind to race. Was there a different, more important fight happening? Was there something he had not been made aware of? After all, he had not checked the arena schedule for the day.

But as he took in the excited chatter of those around him, he remembered the whispers of his classmates this morning. It all clicked into place and he quickly realized the idea held no merit. Those people were here for him. He couldn't understand why so many people would be interested in watching him fight. For all anybody knew, he was just some commoner kid with no elemental affinities. Surely they were not expecting him to show some amazing magic skills, right?

He had always been told that without elemental magic, he would never amount to anything. Through his numerous successes with hunting monsters and the recent rank-up exam, Zeke had managed to build a small measure of confidence. Despite that, he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow lesser than those around him because of his lack of elemental magic. There he stood, surrounded by throngs of people, wondering what they could possibly be expecting to see.

As Zeke tried to make his way through the throngs of students gathered outside the arena, he found that he could barely make any progress. The constant shoving and pushing were getting on his nerves.

"Make way!" he growled. Zeke didn't care what anyone in this school thought of him anymore and had no qualms about raising his voice. This was his duel, after all. Despite his demands, the other students paid him little attention. They seemed solely focused on getting ahead themselves. Frustrated, Zeke came to a halt. This was getting him nowhere. It was time to employ drastic measures. He tightened the grip on his reinforced staff and, with all his might, smashed the metal-covered ending down on the pavement.

The sharp sound reverberated through the air, echoing with a sharp and metallic ring that lingered. The crowd ground to a halt, as all heads snapped toward Zeke. There was now a bit of open space, as everyone had taken a step away from him. Soon people began to realize that he was not one of them, wearing armor and carrying a weapon. Zeke repeated his demand, this time with more authority.

"Make way, I have a fight to get to!" His voice carried the weight of anger-fueled confidence, and the surrounding students began to part, clearing a path. He walked with bold steps, the metal protectors on his leather armor clanking and his staff echoing in the silence. He didn't stop until he was standing at the entrance of the stage, the crowd's roar growing louder as he approached. The sight that greeted him was startling.

The colosseum-style arena was packed with students of all ages, and in the middle of the stage stood Martin, addressing the crowd. The spectator seats were filled with the buzz of excitement and anticipation, as the students eagerly waited for the fight to begin. Zeke felt a surge of adrenaline as he surveyed the scene, his pulse racing as he took in the magnitude of the event. Despite the daunting atmosphere, he didn't give his nerves a chance to stop him as he began his ascent onto the stage.

While making his way further in, Zeke observed Martin. His old rival stood in the center of the stage. At first, he couldn't quite make out what was being said, but as he got closer, he began to catch some of the words.

"…Even back then, Zeke was always a coward. He spent his entire childhood running for me…"

"… Honestly? I highly doubt that he is even going to show up. What would be the point? Our little Blood Mage doesn't know any Magic anyway…" Zeke could feel the anger and frustration rising within him, as Martin continued to speak. The things Martin was saying were either made-up or heavily edited stories about him, but the crowd was eating it up. Every wave of insults was greeted with a new round of cheers.

He couldn't let those words go unchallenged, couldn't allow Martin to define him in the eyes of the crowd any longer. Speeding up his steps, Zeke continued to ponder. Something about this scenario was bothering him. However, he couldn't quite put a finger on it. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Suddenly, like scales falling from his eyes, Zeke realized what it was. The stories and insults Martin was spewing seemed to be well rehearsed — too well rehearsed.

It was clear that Martin had planned this. He arrived early in order to have the time to disparage Zeke before the match. Zeke, on the other hand, had not even been aware that there would be spectators. His blood boiled, and he clenched his teeth so hard that a grating noise could be heard. His anger wasn't only because of the false accusations, but because Martin had clearly planned all of this. With an effort of will, he relaxed his tense body.

Martin was clearly trying to get under his skin and throw him off, but Zeke refused to be baited. If Martin expected him to charge up there like a blood-crazed fiend, then he had miscalculated. Even though his body craved violence, his Mind demanded strategy. He quickly calmed down. Instead of crumbling under the pressure, he chose to look at the situation from a different angle. After all, all limits to the mind were self-imposed. This was no trap, no, this was a chance! Martin had even arranged for an audience.

Wasn't this the optimal scenario? Challenging a Mind Mage to a battle of wit? How utterly foolish. Zeke took a deep breath and steeled himself for what was to come. He had to be better than Martin in every way, not just in terms of strength, but also in terms of strategy and cunning. He would outsmart Martin at every turn, and show everybody what happened if somebody decided to play games with him. A smile spread across Zeke's face.

Using the crowd that was supposed to witness his humiliation against Martin and the Feuerkranz family was a delightful thought. He strode forth with confidence, his Staff hitting the ground in tandem with every step. This seemed to get people's attention. The clamor of his approach echoed throughout the arena, causing the crowd to fall silent. He only stopped his march when he was 10 steps from Martin, the official distance for a duel.

His confidence and swagger were so striking that by the time he reached his destination, there was absolute silence in the arena. Even Martin had stopped talking and was staring at him in wonder, apparently, he had not expected Zeke to make his way through the massive crowd anytime soon. Zeke looked his old rival up and down with the eyes of a butcher watching a cut of meat, his expression unreadable. He casually lifted his staff and put it on one shoulder before speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Well, I am here. That's one of your lies exposed." A murmur swept through the crowd. There were scattered jeers and cheers from the student body. It wouldn't be that easy to win them over, but he had managed to gain their attention at least. This was just the beginning and Zeke would have to push his advantage to change his image in the eyes of the people. Martin was caught off guard, his mouth hanging slightly open. He must have expected Zeke to rush out of the changing room like an enraged beast.

He surely hadn't expected Zeke to walk onto the stage like he was on a casual stroll. It took him a while before he could adapt, but his thorough preparation saved him in time. With a somewhat forced smile, Martin responded, "How good of you to come, Zeke. I, Martin Feuerkranz, would have been deeply disappointed to be stood up. We nobles have a reputation to uphold, after all. Not that you would know anything about that." Zeke inwardly scoffed. Even the dumbest observer could see through Martin's ploy with ease.

Unfortunately, a glance at the crowd revealed that it was somewhat working. Although it was not an absolute rule, most commoner-born students were looked down upon. Martin's plan to remind everyone of the difference in standing was as simple as it was effective. However, the freshly adopted fire Mage had severely miscalculated if he thought this would be a winning move. Zeke pretended to be focused on getting a very pesky piece of dirt from under his fingernails. He played with it until Martin stopped talking.

He looked up and met Martin's smug face with a confused expression of his own.

"Zeke?" His face was of utter astonishment as he looked at Martin.

"I didn't know we were so close, Mr. Feuerkranz. I would have you address me by my full name and title: Ezekiel von Hohenheim. Student of Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim, and prime heir to the lands and title of the Von Hohenheim family." He spoke so spiritedly, that the crowd couldn't help but get excited. They had come here expecting a one-sided beatdown, a humiliation. But the situation was starting to reverse.

Not only had Martin not been able to finish his attempt to smear Ezekiel's name, but now the underdog had even turned out to be a noble as well. Zeke waited for the crowd to calm down before continuing, "I would appreciate it if you stopped misleading the people here." His face took on a teasing grin as he winked at Martin.

"Don't worry, Mr. Feuerkranz, nobody is going to mistake you for an honest man just because you stopped lying every now and then." Some people began to snicker, causing Martin to become visibly enraged. He was now screaming, "IF YOU THIN- BAAANG!" Before he could get the words out, Zeke had smashed the staff onto the ground — Cutting Martin off.

"Silence!" Zeke yelled. There was no levity left on his face.

"Don't take us for fools, Martin 'Feuerkranz'. Everybody in this arena knows that you, with your average fire affinity, are not the reason for the hundreds of people here. So, if your owner wants to say something to me, let him do it himself, otherwise: Shut the fuck up! I came here for a fight and not to bicker with a clown!" The crowd fell silent, shocked by the sudden shift in mood.

The scene had been playful in one moment and then so absurdly confrontational in the next that it took people a while to catch up with what he had said exactly. Then the shock passed, and one voice could be heard. But it was not who Zeke had expected. It was the voice of a woman laughing. She had a pleasant, full voice, very deep for a woman's voice, but it only added to her charm. The woman laughed so hard that it was the only thing that could be heard for a while.

As one, the crowd turned to the source of the laughter and saw a woman standing in a private box. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress and a wide-brimmed hat. She had a bright smile on her face and her eyes were full of mirth. After she calmed down, she spoke with a clear and melodic voice.

"Well, the kid is right, Alexander. Your little puppet show is getting embarrassing." Her words caught the attention of everyone, including Martin and Zeke. Her voice was captivating, and her words powerful. The woman had a commanding presence, and it was clear that she was not someone to be trifled with. Zeke recognized her from the day of the awakening ceremony — she was Miranda Wellenrufer.