As soon as the match started, Creed stunned his opponent with a flash of blue lightning. The lightning was quite a spectacular sight, so it was no wonder he was popular.
From the quarterfinals of the tournament, the number of nobles watching increased significantly. By the semifinals, even the high-ranking nobles had crowded in.
And so, the finals.
Emperor Yulrich appeared in the royal box with his two children, Ares, and Monica.
The stands were full, and the two finalists made their appearance.
"There's the Black Devil!"
As soon as the audience spotted Creed, they continuously cheered for the Black Devil.
Of course, there were a few who cheered for the opposing wizard as well.
"The Black Noble!"
If one made it to the finals, they were undoubtedly a master, so the opposing wizard had also earned a popular nickname.
Someone scoffed at the nickname "Black Noble."
"The Black Devil's knockoff made it to the finals?"
"Who are you calling a knockoff!"
"That wizard, who deliberately wears black robes and created a fake nickname for himself, who else?"
"Watch your mouth. The Black Noble is a noble, you fool!"
The man called the Black Noble was indeed a young noble, as a spectator had said. Thus, non-heir nobles also participated in the tournament.
The one who survived to the end was the Black Noble, Vamillo Stanly, the second son of the Marquis Stanly.
Vamillo had dull blond hair and a not-too-shabby appearance, which also attracted a fair amount of popularity.
"I didn't know that the second son of the Marquis Stanly had the skills to make it to the finals, Your Majesty," said Diana, looking as beautiful as if the goddess of spring had descended.
She praised Vamillo in a tender voice to Yulrich.
"This is a good opportunity to acquire a talented individual."
The Marquis Stanly was part of the friendly forces of the Lucia Duchy.
"Hmm, indeed. I had no idea that Marquis Stanly had such a talent," replied Yulrich. He was in a very good mood, having won the war and with the tournament attracting great popularity.
The tournament had become so popular primarily because of that mysterious boy.
'I wonder if his real name is Creed...?'
Creed.
That was the name of his second son, who had died ten years ago.
Yulrich recalled a long-forgotten memory.
A woman with similar almond-shaped eyes and black hair, Estelle.
She was always a distasteful woman to him, with her cold expression and inscrutable attitude.
'But she was truly profound.'
She was ungreedy and detached in everything, which seemed boring and uninteresting to the young Yulrich.
Especially when he had someone new and dazzling like Diana by his side every day.
Looking back now, he realized she was wise.
'It was just that she couldn't avoid the family's wrath.'
When she was pregnant, she sometimes softened her cold expression with a tender smile. Those were fond memories.
Yulrich continued to sink into nostalgic feelings.
Diana, who he still loved but sometimes found tiring, and Sophia, who was too timid and afraid of the Empress, both seemed a bit tedious.
'If there was something new, it would be nice.'
'Maybe another war would be good.'
'Next time, I'll thoroughly crush the arrogant Magi Kingdom of Kaladis.'
'Then the Eden Empire will firmly establish itself as the strongest empire on the continent.'
At that moment, the two competitors in the finals stood facing each other and shook hands.
The crowd cheered loudly for the arena, but in the center of the Colosseum, there was a silence like the eye of a storm.
When Creed let go of his hand and turned around, Vamillo suddenly spoke to him.
"Kid, you'd better give up and not even think about beating me."
Creed looked up at Vamillo with an indifferent gaze.
"This stage was made for me by Her Majesty the Empress. It's ridiculous, but if you were to beat me, the royal family wouldn't let you off. My family, too."
Vamillo thought his threat was working as Creed remained silent.
"But don't feel bad. I'll hire you as a wizard for our family."
When the story reached that point, Creed couldn't hold back and let out a contemptuous chuckle.
Then, tilting his head slightly, he answered breezily.
"I don't want to."
Vamillo's expression hardened.
Everyone who learned he was the second son of the Marquis Stanly's family had shown proper respect.
But Creed, far from showing any courtesy, was mocking him.
"You...! You're still too young to understand the significance of this, but it's an honor..."
Vamillo couldn't finish his sentence.
"Shut up and prove it with your skill. If you're not confident, just surrender."
Creed cut him off, clearly annoyed.
Vamillo's face flushed crimson.
"How dare you, how dare you speak to me like this and expect to remain unharmed!"
Creed remembered the words of his mentor, Lark.
"Typical nobility, always with their 'how dare, how dare'. It's not even funny. 'How dare' in front of me."
His first teacher, Lark's words, were mostly self-praise, which was a bit annoying to hear, but not one was incorrect.
Especially in situations like this.
"Do you think you'll remain unharmed?"
Creed learned and adapted quickly.
"How dare."
He was excellent at applying and utilizing that in the right moments.
Vamillo, completely provoked, pointed accusingly at Creed.
"Ugh...! I thought I'd go easy on you because you're young, but that's not possible!"
And then the match began.
"Die!"
The effect of Creed's relentless taunting was tremendous.
From the start, Vamillo tried to overwhelm him with full force.
But to Creed, all attacks seemed trivial.
'It's so boring compared to when Nero trained with me as if it were a real fight.'
Creed's robe fluttered magnificently in the air, swept up by the magic.
But he didn't counterattack.
"Counterattack, you black devil!"
"What are you even doing!"
The crowd, initially cheering loudly for Creed, began to boo when he didn't put on a spectacular match.
"Did I spend money to watch this kind of match?"
"Attack quickly, you fool! Are you planning to lose my bet?"
"Boo!"
As boos and cheers for the dark prince filled the colosseum, Vamillo grew more confident.
"Now I'll really finish it!"
Creed stopped dodging.
A voice like the most beautiful instrument in the world echoed in his head.
"People love drama."
Vamillo attacked, and Creed didn't run.
"Do you know how to instantly silence those angered by waiting for the desired scene?"
His hood, worn till then, flew back.
His robe, torn by Vamillo's magic, fluttered in the air like a defeated soldier's cape.
Thud!
The mask covering half his face fell to the ground.
"Show them something beyond their expectations."
Creed, his face fully revealed, lifted his head.
His eyes shone blue in the sunlight.
Flap!
The torn robe fluttered in the wind.
Creed should have been a mess like the robe, but he was perfectly unharmed, not even a scratch.
"How, how is this possible!"
Vamillo realized his full-force attack had no effect and turned pale.
But that wasn't the end.
"What is that...?"
Deep blue magical energy drew dozens of lines in the air around Creed.
Until now, Creed was known for his lightning magic.
But this was not lightning.
"What kind of magic is that...?"
The spectators were thrown into chaos.
Just then, Emperor Yulrich stood up abruptly.
"Your Majesty?"
Even as Diana called out in surprise, Yulrich didn't respond and rushed forward.
"It can't be...!"
His astonished gaze was fixed on Creed.
...As if he had fallen into the middle of a forest, a clear scent enveloped him.
The same magical scent as his brother who died in his place.
"Creed-!"
The Emperor realized that this boy was his son.
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