Chapter 634: Why It’s a Good Draw
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 634: Why It’s a Good Draw
The Academy, Central Arena, Guest Room.
With the exchange event set to begin shortly, Celicia finally arrived at the prepared venue, moving at an unhurried pace and notably unaccompanied.
Though she lacked an entourage and wore only a simple white gauze dress, her aura remained cold and noble—an icy beauty whose dignity was beyond reproach.
By now, most of the participants had arrived. They had been waiting for some time, but given Celicia’s status, no one dared breathe a word of complaint. On the contrary, they treated her tardiness as perfectly natural, offering their respectful greetings one after another.
"Her Majesty looks to be in excellent spirits. Have you encountered some good fortune?"
After performing his salutations, Hertz keenly noticed that Celicia’s complexion seemed slightly more radiant than usual. He asked the question as a subtle probe.
"It’s fine."
Celicia glanced at Hertz, seemingly oblivious to his hidden agenda, and replied with cool indifference, "I dealt with a certain disrespectful, audacious fellow. My mood has indeed improved significantly."
"To think someone within the Academy grounds would dare offend Your Majesty... how unexpected."
Hertz stroked his beard and offered a sincere-sounding suggestion. "If it is such a villain, they truly ought to be dealt with properly. Your Majesty must not be soft-hearted."
Heh... as I thought. His suspicions regarding internal discord within the Empire were becoming increasingly credible. It wasn't just the high-ranking ministers; even within this Academy, there were those dissatisfied with this young Empress.
Thinking of this, Hertz grew even more confident in the success of their operation. He even began to wonder if this was the singular opportunity of his lifetime.
"Lord Hertz need not worry. I shall handle my private affairs as I see fit," Celicia said, her tone turning slightly chilly.
"I have overstepped."
Hertz feigned a panicked apology, but his mood was excellent. Turning his head, he saw Milne returning.
"Well?"
He made an excuse to withdraw and quickly summoned Milne to his side. "Did you see that Muen Campbell?"
"I did."
Milne glanced at Seviel in the distance. After confirming she wasn't paying attention, he lowered his voice. "To be honest, he was a disappointment."
"A disappointment?" Hertz was taken aback. He knew his other disciple, Seviel, had been insisting that Muen Campbell was actually quite formidable and that they shouldn't be careless. Milne had gone to check out of caution, but he hadn't expected this result.
"There are many rumors about him, and just as many rumors claiming those rumors are false. It’s hard to distinguish truth from fiction. But seeing him in person, I can confirm that some of the stories are indeed true."
"Speak plainly."
Frowning at the dizzying repetition of the word "rumors," Hertz asked, "Which rumors are true?"
"That he’s lecherous, a profligate, a playboy, obsessed with women... even the stories about him juggling multiple women are credible. When I found him just now, it looked as though he had only just crawled out of a woman’s bed."
"Just crawled out of a woman’s bed?"
Hertz was astonished. "At a time like this? Does he have no sense of urgency? If we humiliate him to his face, he won't just lose face—his position as the Empress’s fiancé might be forfeit. Does he not know our objective?"
"Perhaps he knows but simply doesn't care," Milne sneered. "He thinks his position is secure. He doesn't realize that if we leak this behavior to the Empress, his standing will inevitably crumble. The Empress is a woman, after all; she won't turn a blind eye to such things."
"No."
Hertz raised a hand. "While that would create conflict, it would also draw the Empress’s displeasure toward us. It is her private matter, after all. We shouldn't play the villain here; just act as if we saw nothing."
"I know. I’m not that foolish."
"Strange, though."
Hertz paced with his hands behind his back, reflecting for a moment. "In truth, if one prioritizes interests, such lifestyle choices are minor issues. Otherwise, the rumors about Muen Campbell wouldn't have persisted this long. But come to think of it, no matter how much of a profligate he is, the rumors shouldn't have spread to other nations to this extent. It almost looks as if... someone is intentionally publicizing it."
"Why?"
Milne was also puzzled. "Intentionally publicizing such things? What’s the benefit? Oh, speaking of which, I actually saw someone outside the gates sneakily selling this."
Milne produced a small booklet. Hertz took one look and lost interest. It used gaudy language to describe how Muen Campbell seduced women from good families and two-timed multiple partners. It even included some heavy-duty "Noble Scion x Evil God" content. A common student might find it thrilling, but Hertz was long past that age.
With a flick of his hand, Hertz incinerated the lowbrow erotica to prevent it from corrupting his disciples.
"Who knows? Perhaps someone else dislikes Muen Campbell and is slandering him? Or perhaps they are dissatisfied with the Empress and are using this as a metaphor? Surely no one is selling his gossip just to make money."
Hertz felt more and more that the Empire had become corrupt to the core following the recent turmoil. He looked at Milne and asked seriously, "None of that matters. Whether he’s a scumbag or not has nothing to do with us. The important thing is: how is Muen Campbell’s strength?"
At the end of the day, everything came down to power. Even Hertz would not slacken on this point.
"Strength... it was only a first meeting, so I couldn't see much. But a playboy obsessed with women, who was still indulging in carnal pleasures last night and walked with unsteady steps... what do you think, Master?" Milne countered.
"In my opinion..."
Hertz pondered for a moment. "Indeed. If he was in a woman’s bed last night, he is surely a man without self-restraint. How could he possibly compare to Your Highness, who is both gifted and has practiced bitter cultivation since childhood? Your Highness has not even touched a woman during your training. Unless that boy has a spare set of kidneys and a body made of iron, he will be no threat today."
"Ha, Master is right."
Hertz was a rigorous man who rarely joked. Hearing such lighthearted words, the two shared a smile, feeling that their previous caution might have been entirely unnecessary.
*
"Is everyone here?"
Celicia entered the VIP room specially prepared for her and surveyed the venue.
Aside from the faculty and students of St. Maria Academy, there were observers from several other academies in the Royal Capital, as well as guests from other factions. Celicia even spotted seats marked for the Life Church and the Silence Bureau. The massive martial arts arena was packed to the brim, buzzing with excitement.
"Almost everyone is here, but..." Hathaway, who was in charge of the logistics, checked the list in her hand and hesitated. "We’re still missing..."
"Hmm?"
Celicia glanced at her and immediately understood. "He hasn't arrived yet?"
"No," Hathaway said with a wry smile. "Should we wait a bit longer—"
"Wait for what? Wait specifically for him? We both got the same amount of sleep, yet he’s arriving later than I am. How useless."
Celicia spoke with cold, merciless severity. "How were the rules established?"
"The Kingdom provided seven people, so our side must also provide seven. Since time was short, a public selection was impossible. These seven were recommended by the Academy’s professors."
Hathaway made a light swiping motion. Light and shadow flickered as detailed information about the participants appeared before Celicia.
Celicia scanned them quickly and sighed softly. "It is indeed a difficult situation."
After the previous upheaval, the Academy’s top students did indeed seem inferior to the Kingdom’s representatives.
At least on the surface.
"Yes, time was tight. Moreover, the Kingdom specifically designated St. Maria Academy, so it wouldn't be appropriate for us to call in outside help. Besides, St. Maria is the Empire’s premier institution; there should be no need to ask for assistance," Hathaway said. "The previous incident affected all of Belland. Every academy is in the same state, if not worse."
"When a tumor grows too large, its excision naturally brings pain."
Celicia lowered her eyelids. "Are you confident?"
"It’s manageable. The Kingdom agreed to a proposal for a one-on-one tournament format where the winners advance until a single victor is decided. Therefore, this competition is different from the international exchange events of previous years. What matters isn't which side wins more matches, but..."
"Who the final victor is."
Celicia scoffed. "I see. They’re willing to sacrifice some of their overall advantage just to set the stage for their Seventeenth Prince. It seems they are very confident in him—and in their little schemes."
"In their eyes, the current Empire is the easiest target. That much is undeniable." Hathaway pushed up her glasses. "However, it seems Your Majesty was right. this entire 'exchange' is merely a stage to highlight the brilliance of the Seventeenth Prince. For their purposes, it is essential that the Seventeenth Prince crushes everyone—especially Muen, right in front of you."
"Ridiculous. Why must the radiance of a truly brilliant person be forced into the spotlight? Am I blind? As for that fellow... if he really gets crushed, he deserves it. I wouldn't feel a shred of pity if he were beaten to death."
Celicia’s finger twitched, and she suddenly dragged Muen’s name to the very end of the match bracket. She waved her hand dismissively.
"Go. Take this for the draw. Remember to keep it fair. Don't give the Kingdom any grounds for complaint."
"..."
Looking at Muen Campbell’s name, which had been fixed as the final entry before the draw even began, Hathaway looked like she wanted to say something. Ultimately, she remained silent, took the form, and replied, "Understood. I shall go and ensure they... draw fairly."
"Oh, by the way, can people see in here from the outside?"
"Your Majesty’s noble personage cannot be casually peered at by outsiders. This VIP room is covered by special magic; it is a one-way view."
"Good. I’m going to take a short nap. Don't make a fuss." Celicia waved her hand, signaling Hathaway not to let anyone disturb her.
"Understood."
Hathaway hesitated again, wanting to ask if she should let that man in if he arrived.
But looking at the list in her hand, she felt the stupid question was entirely unnecessary.
*
"The first draw... if we win, we can strike a heavy blow to their morale right at the start. A pity. Our side isn't you, and their side isn't Muen Campbell. It’s someone named... Ariel. I hear she’s quite famous within the Academy, but I haven't heard of her doing anything truly remarkable. She hasn't even participated in the Saintess Trials like that Fanny girl. It’s a good draw."
Hertz scanned the confirmed draw list. He felt it was a slight shame that Prince Milne wouldn't be facing Muen Campbell in the first round.
If the first match had been Prince Milne versus Muen Campbell, and the Prince won easily, he couldn't imagine how much of a stir that would have caused.
"Don't worry, Master. It doesn't matter if we don't meet in the first round. If he can't even last long enough to face me, won't that highlight his incompetence even more?"
Milne, seeing through Hertz’s thoughts, smiled nonchalantly. He caught something out of the corner of his eye, and his smile widened. "Speak of the devil. Look, Master, he’s here."
"Oh?"
Though he had seen various intelligence reports, this was Hertz’s first time seeing the legendary Muen Campbell in the flesh. He couldn't help but crane his neck to look.
At the entrance, a handsome man was sneaking in. After confirming with the faculty members maintaining order that he wasn't the one about to go up, the blond man let out a sigh of relief, flashing a dashing smile that could make countless ignorant young girls' hearts flutter.
Hertz didn't care about any of that. Because of his earlier conversation with Milne, his attention instinctively landed on certain aspects of Muen...
"Heh..."
Hertz chuckled. "Indeed, his steps are unsteady. He has the face of a man overindulged in carnal pleasures!"
*
"The draw results are out."
In a private waiting room on the other side, Ariel looked at her number with a solemn expression. "I didn't expect to be the very first one up."
"We haven't had a chance to see the Kingdom’s style yet. It’s not a great draw," Ariel’s teacher lamented. "Even if the participants are different, their training is likely the same. Once they perform, I can see their patterns. But our luck seems to be a bit off this time."
"No, this is a great draw!"
Ariel clenched her fist, her eyes sparkling. "If the goal was an easy win, then sure, it wouldn't be a good draw. But think about it, Teacher! What is my other major objective this time? It’s to conquer Celicia! And how do I leave a deep impression on her? I either have to be the first one out or the grand finale! Given the format, being last in the first round isn't very useful because there’s a second round. Therefore, being first is the best!"
"That... actually makes some sense."
"Of course! Look, Teacher, it’s morning. Celicia has just woken up and her spirit is at its peak. If I then deliver a brilliant, crushing victory to start the day on a high note, how could she not be impressed?"
Brimming with momentum, Ariel was the first to leap onto the stage. she laughed excitedly.
"How could this be a bad draw? Even the heavens are helping me!"