"Golden Dawn, Langris Vaude!"
"Present!"
"Silver Eagles, Nebra Silva!"
"Present!"
"Green Mantis, Lisaka…"
In front of the competition grounds, the Wizard King was meticulously confirming the participants' names. Unlike previous tournaments, this time, a large number of commoners were in attendance.
This wasn't just a "game" for the nobles anymore; it was tied to the hopes of ordinary people. Even though many doubted that Ethan Hayes, a mere commoner, could defeat the elite competitors, people still clung to a glimmer of hope.
"Wizard King, about these people…" someone hesitantly began.
"It's fine," the Wizard King interrupted. "Let the guards arrange a suitable viewing area for them. This is a matter of the Clover Kingdom, and as citizens, they have the right to witness it."
The Wizard King's firm response quelled any thoughts of expelling the commoners. Taking his place on the high platform, he began to speak:
"The purpose of this competition is to select the captain for the soon-to-be-established Tenth Squad. The following rules must be adhered to: no use of magical tools, no leaving the designated competition area, no deliberate killing of participants…"
The list of rules went on, but they could be summarized in a single phrase: "Keep it civil, stop when necessary."
This wasn't a battlefield, and the competitors weren't mortal enemies. The Wizard King had no interest in hosting a tournament that left nine out of ten participants dead.
While the Wizard King outlined the rules, Ethan was inspecting the competition venue. Unlike a traditional training ground, the event was being held in the Blacklight Forest, a dense woodland where sunlight filtering through the trees appeared black, hence the name.
The forest was vast—large enough that walking in a straight line from one end to the other would take seven to eight hours. With such a distance, finding opponents would be a challenge, and the competition could last days or even weeks.
"Alright," the Wizard King concluded, "each of you will be transported to a different starting location by a Magic Knight proficient in spatial magic. Monitors will follow you throughout, not to supervise but to assist in emergencies. Additionally, we'll stream the events here, so no one has to wait idly."
The Wizard King smiled as large projection magic stones were brought forward. Ethan recognized them; these stones functioned like a magical equivalent of televisions from his past life, though their exorbitant cost meant even most nobles couldn't afford them.
"Good luck to all of you," the Wizard King announced. "I'll be waiting here to greet the new captain of the Tenth Squad!"
As soon as he finished, magic circles appeared in front of the ten participants, signaling the start of the competition.
Without hesitation, Ethan was the first to step through his portal. The others quickly followed.
When the light faded, Ethan found himself beside a creek. Smiling faintly, he thought, "Perfect. Having a water source will make it easier to sustain myself."
Given the forest's size and the likelihood of a prolonged competition, securing basic needs like food and water was crucial. Hunger could easily tip the scales in a fight.
"I'll set up camp here for a couple of days and stockpile supplies before moving out," Ethan decided.
However, as soon as he finished planning, a glow appeared upstream, and another participant stepped out of a portal—Lisaka from the Green Mantis Squad.
Both froze, eyes meeting in awkward silence.
"Uh… hi?" Ethan managed, scratching the back of his head.
Meanwhile, watching through the projection stone, the Wizard King chuckled.
While he had intentionally spaced out the starting locations to prevent immediate large-scale battles, fate had seemingly decided otherwise for these two.
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