Chapter 158
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Now that his teacher forfeited like this, Greyson no longer felt interested in the third stage results. Anyways, all of them were too weak to really make an impact on him. They would most likely not be able to beat one of the current 10 representatives. Not that he was underestimating their strength, but he also could not underestimate the strength of the Lunar City natives. Apparently, it had been decades since the last time a participant in the selection managed to grab a spot. As the people who live in the capital with the most resources and connections, Greyson did not believe that they could be that weak. Maybe Snow Country is not that amazing on the grand scale of the continent, but the leaders are still the local tyrants that manage to keep hold of a large piece of land. Strength was all relative depending on your identity. For someone like Greyson, the rulers of the Snow Country are still very powerful existences.
Time ticked by slowly as the third stage became a fight of endurance more than power. The one who managed to at last everyone was not actually the strongest, however, he was someone who was the best at escaping. Using his wind element efficiently, he did not have to burst out with too much strength until the very end. Most of the crowd actually ended up leaving in the middle without waiting for the end. They tried booing once again, but no one left on stage paid the audience any attention. It was the same for almost all the participants, as well. Greyson did not stay because he wanted to, but more because he had to in order to understand what happens next. Eris also returned from the healing quarters looking good-as-new. She sat next to Greyson and the both of them just meditated silently. Even Prince Braiden was unhappy with the results of stage three and wished that he could speed them up. As the one in charge of all the proceedings of this selection, he needed to stay around and watch until the end and give instructions to the chosen three about the last stage. Really, it was a tedious and thankless job and everyone else avoided it. Therefore, whoever was the leader of the 10 participants always had to take it up.
There really was no point in meditating for him as his accumulations had long been enough. He was just missing some inspirations to break into the next level of great magister. Yawning with boredom, he almost fell asleep while leaning on his hand. When that wind element magician finally arose victorious, Greyson, Eris and Prince Braiden jumped up with probably more joy than the winner. Due to his irritation with the third stage winner, Braiden forewent the congratulations and went straight into the details of tomorrow's competition for a spot in the 10-participant group.
"Alright, since everyone is done now, I will go straight into the directions. That way we can all go back a little earlier." Glancing over at the new winner while he spoke those words, Braiden cleared his throat before continuing. "Tomorrow, you will come here once again to fight with the one of the 10 already chosen representatives. You will be the ones choosing your opponents, so I would advise you to try to look up the abilities of each person on the team to make your best decision. If you are lucky, there might be someone who is particularly weak against a magician of your elements. Choosing someone like this could increase your chances of winning. You only have to fight and win against one of them before you will be included in the group. If you win in a questionable manner that does not prove enough strength, some of the other representatives reserve the right to challenge you once again. However, they will at most be at the level of the person who you defeated. I urge you guys not to get big heads from being the top of the selection, the representatives chosen are not weak by any standard. Keep a level-head and your wits about you instead of rushing straight in. Underestimating an opponent is the first way to lose with regrets."
The three winners all nodded in understanding. Even without Prince Braiden's reminder, none of them would have taken it easy. As long as one was aware of the history, they could understand just how rare it is for any of the selection winners to succeed in becoming a representative. The Snow Country's selection process for years now was more a way for weaker kingdoms to grab resources and attention than an inner competition to pick representatives. All of them were aware that the geniuses in Lunar City were usually in direct contact with or even family with some of the most powerful magicians in the country. They had the resources and teachers needed to tap into their potential.
"Alright, that's all I have to say on the topic. Get good rest before tomorrow, I expect to see you all here before the bell at noon."
With those last words, everyone said their goodbyes and Greyson quickly made it back to his place. The animals jumped up in greeting and asked how the competition went. Recounting the details with them, both Snow and Theo seemed rather down about missing a chance to participate and help out. After speaking with them for a little bit, Greyson began to get ready to go to sleep. However, before he could get into bed, a gentle knock sounded at his door. Confused as to who would show up at this hour, Greyson used to hole at the door to get a look. What he saw only confused him even more since it was a stranger. After thinking for a second, he seemed to vaguely remember this man standing among the 10 representatives who he saw before. Knowing that the person was waiting outside while he hesitated, Greyson decided it would be best to just open the door.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Greyson! I know you are probably not familiar with me. My name is Rouven Zeennak. I am one of the current 10 representatives." Rouven was an average-looking man whether in terms of height, weight, or facial features. But his red eyes did leave an impression on people.
"What is it that you need from me, Rouven?"
"Well... that is..." Suddenly unable to find the words to say, Rouven could only stutter while looking to find the right words to explain. He also glanced around seeming to want to make sure no one hears what he says.
Sensing his hesitation, Greyson decided to invite the man inside. If he continued waiting for a response at the door like this, it would only make the situation more awkward.
"Sorry, all I have is some hot water as I am not a fan of tea or alcohol."
"Hot water would be great. I'm sorry I have inconvenienced you so late at night."
Once they sat down and got settled, Greyson was the first to break the silence.
"So, now do you think you can tell me about what brought you here?"
"Yes! Sorry, it's just a rather embarrassing and shameful request on my part, so it is hard to find the words to say. I am here to ask you to pick me tomorrow to challenge, so that you can take my spot in the group."
"You want me to challenge you? Plus, are you so sure that I will defeat you?"
"Even if you weren't, I would let you win. From the strength you showed before, though, you should be strong enough to beat me."
"Could you tell me why? It just seems strange that you would prefer to be chosen and beaten. Seems like that would make your reputation take a hit."
"Well, first I would like to tell you a little about myself so that you can better understand my circumstances and choice. My Zeennak family is a Marquis family in the Moon Empire. One could say that we are a top power in the whole of the Snow Country and in Lunar City. Each time this competition comes around, our family is given one quota to automatically have a spot in the 10 representatives. I am the second son of the current Marquis Zeennak's younger brother. Therefore, the Marquis is my uncle. I am neither the most talented nor the most favored in my family. Honestly, my strength is just average in comparison to the true inheritors of the family. However, they are all either too old or too young to compete this time so the position fell on my shoulders. I do not wish to go. You may not be well aware of how this competition usually goes for the Snow Country's representatives, but we always lose. If it were just losing, that would be fine as well. But there are a lot of deaths and injuries that could handicap a person for life. Some of the other outer countries are known for their violent tendencies while sometimes just individual geniuses enjoy picking on the weaker participants. I feel that I would be doomed to a rather grim fate if I end up going, thus I am here to ask you to beat me and take my place."
"Couldn't you just tell your family to choose someone else? Or even give the quota to someone else?"
"This quota and our participation in the competition is a great honor and a matter of reputation. I am not allowed to just give it up, otherwise I would be severely punished. However, if you beat me fairly, then they cannot say anything. After all, any strength that could better our team is needed and would be protected by the imperial family. They would not have the guts to target you or give you any trouble."
Hearing this new information, Greyson grew silent. Not because he needed to think through accepting Rouven's offer, but more because he was shocked that the Snow Country is so weak. Everyone knew that we were at the bottom of the ranks, but it did not seem like it was common knowledge as to how badly the Snow Country loses each time. From the sounds of it, these 10 representatives were glorified punching bags for the other outer countries. Why was the difference so sharp? Was it really an issue of talent?
"Do you need something more? Or did someone already ask you for the same favor? I could give you a monetary reward for helping me." Misunderstanding Greyson's silence for denial, Rouven quickly tried to give more incentive.
"No, no, I was not thinking about that. If this is what you really want, then I don't mind choosing you. I was worried before about choosing the right person, so this makes things more convenient."
"Oh, great!" Taking a sigh of relief, Rouven let his body relax as the shadow of worry finally left him.
"If you don't mind me asking, why is the Snow Country so much weaker than the others? I feel like no matter what, there should have been at least some geniuses from our country that have been able to put up a fight."
"It's not that there hasn't been. The first part of the competition is a team battle, which is where our representatives get injured or killed. There are also individual battles and rankings where some of our geniuses have managed to get good positions on. Snow Country is rather new and does not have the same deep history and resources as others. Our spells are weaker, too. With only one magician king around, we do not have as great of a chance to make connections to other countries. Isolation is also a form of weakness as we stay more ignorant of ways to apply magic and cannot buy the same magic equipment or herbs. We do not even have a great presence of blacksmiths or alchemists. The land here is mostly barren and does not have a lot of mana present in the air. This makes it so there is less of a chance for a genius to be born in our country. There are just too many disadvantages to name them all. People like you are a complete anomaly in my book." Bitterly smiling by the end, Rouven truly felt that their country was too weak. Saying it out loud just made it all the more real.
Even Greyson was shocked by the long list. Was their situation this bad? At this point, he could not help but think about his family. Why did his parents choose such a place to set up a weak kingdom? He felt that there must have been a deeper reason behind it. They could have settled anywhere at their levels of power, but they chose this backwater country.
"Thank you, I think I can understand the gap now."
"Don't worry too much. At least, there is no pressure on you to win or get any results. Whatever you manage to accomplish will be a pleasant surprise." Rouven weakly encouraged.
"Yeah... I guess you are right." Greyson replied half-heartedly.
Not sitting for much longer, Rouven knew that it was late so he quickly excused himself.
Lots of different thoughts continued running through Greyson's mind as he finally lied down on his bed. He continued spacing out until his eyelids grew heavy. Not forcing himself to stay awake, Greyson allowed himself to be swept off to sleep.
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Now that his teacher forfeited like this, Greyson no longer felt interested in the third stage results. Anyways, all of them were too weak to really make an impact on him. They would most likely not be able to beat one of the current 10 representatives. Not that he was underestimating their strength, but he also could not underestimate the strength of the Lunar City natives. Apparently, it had been decades since the last time a participant in the selection managed to grab a spot. As the people who live in the capital with the most resources and connections, Greyson did not believe that they could be that weak. Maybe Snow Country is not that amazing on the grand scale of the continent, but the leaders are still the local tyrants that manage to keep hold of a large piece of land. Strength was all relative depending on your identity. For someone like Greyson, the rulers of the Snow Country are still very powerful existences.
Time ticked by slowly as the third stage became a fight of endurance more than power. The one who managed to at last everyone was not actually the strongest, however, he was someone who was the best at escaping. Using his wind element efficiently, he did not have to burst out with too much strength until the very end. Most of the crowd actually ended up leaving in the middle without waiting for the end. They tried booing once again, but no one left on stage paid the audience any attention. It was the same for almost all the participants, as well. Greyson did not stay because he wanted to, but more because he had to in order to understand what happens next. Eris also returned from the healing quarters looking good-as-new. She sat next to Greyson and the both of them just meditated silently. Even Prince Braiden was unhappy with the results of stage three and wished that he could speed them up. As the one in charge of all the proceedings of this selection, he needed to stay around and watch until the end and give instructions to the chosen three about the last stage. Really, it was a tedious and thankless job and everyone else avoided it. Therefore, whoever was the leader of the 10 participants always had to take it up.
There really was no point in meditating for him as his accumulations had long been enough. He was just missing some inspirations to break into the next level of great magister. Yawning with boredom, he almost fell asleep while leaning on his hand. When that wind element magician finally arose victorious, Greyson, Eris and Prince Braiden jumped up with probably more joy than the winner. Due to his irritation with the third stage winner, Braiden forewent the congratulations and went straight into the details of tomorrow's competition for a spot in the 10-participant group.
"Alright, since everyone is done now, I will go straight into the directions. That way we can all go back a little earlier." Glancing over at the new winner while he spoke those words, Braiden cleared his throat before continuing. "Tomorrow, you will come here once again to fight with the one of the 10 already chosen representatives. You will be the ones choosing your opponents, so I would advise you to try to look up the abilities of each person on the team to make your best decision. If you are lucky, there might be someone who is particularly weak against a magician of your elements. Choosing someone like this could increase your chances of winning. You only have to fight and win against one of them before you will be included in the group. If you win in a questionable manner that does not prove enough strength, some of the other representatives reserve the right to challenge you once again. However, they will at most be at the level of the person who you defeated. I urge you guys not to get big heads from being the top of the selection, the representatives chosen are not weak by any standard. Keep a level-head and your wits about you instead of rushing straight in. Underestimating an opponent is the first way to lose with regrets."
The three winners all nodded in understanding. Even without Prince Braiden's reminder, none of them would have taken it easy. As long as one was aware of the history, they could understand just how rare it is for any of the selection winners to succeed in becoming a representative. The Snow Country's selection process for years now was more a way for weaker kingdoms to grab resources and attention than an inner competition to pick representatives. All of them were aware that the geniuses in Lunar City were usually in direct contact with or even family with some of the most powerful magicians in the country. They had the resources and teachers needed to tap into their potential.
"Alright, that's all I have to say on the topic. Get good rest before tomorrow, I expect to see you all here before the bell at noon."
With those last words, everyone said their goodbyes and Greyson quickly made it back to his place. The animals jumped up in greeting and asked how the competition went. Recounting the details with them, both Snow and Theo seemed rather down about missing a chance to participate and help out. After speaking with them for a little bit, Greyson began to get ready to go to sleep. However, before he could get into bed, a gentle knock sounded at his door. Confused as to who would show up at this hour, Greyson used to hole at the door to get a look. What he saw only confused him even more since it was a stranger. After thinking for a second, he seemed to vaguely remember this man standing among the 10 representatives who he saw before. Knowing that the person was waiting outside while he hesitated, Greyson decided it would be best to just open the door.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Greyson! I know you are probably not familiar with me. My name is Rouven Zeennak. I am one of the current 10 representatives." Rouven was an average-looking man whether in terms of height, weight, or facial features. But his red eyes did leave an impression on people.
"What is it that you need from me, Rouven?"
"Well... that is..." Suddenly unable to find the words to say, Rouven could only stutter while looking to find the right words to explain. He also glanced around seeming to want to make sure no one hears what he says.
Sensing his hesitation, Greyson decided to invite the man inside. If he continued waiting for a response at the door like this, it would only make the situation more awkward.
"Sorry, all I have is some hot water as I am not a fan of tea or alcohol."
"Hot water would be great. I'm sorry I have inconvenienced you so late at night."
Once they sat down and got settled, Greyson was the first to break the silence.
"So, now do you think you can tell me about what brought you here?"
"Yes! Sorry, it's just a rather embarrassing and shameful request on my part, so it is hard to find the words to say. I am here to ask you to pick me tomorrow to challenge, so that you can take my spot in the group."
"You want me to challenge you? Plus, are you so sure that I will defeat you?"
"Even if you weren't, I would let you win. From the strength you showed before, though, you should be strong enough to beat me."
"Could you tell me why? It just seems strange that you would prefer to be chosen and beaten. Seems like that would make your reputation take a hit."
"Well, first I would like to tell you a little about myself so that you can better understand my circumstances and choice. My Zeennak family is a Marquis family in the Moon Empire. One could say that we are a top power in the whole of the Snow Country and in Lunar City. Each time this competition comes around, our family is given one quota to automatically have a spot in the 10 representatives. I am the second son of the current Marquis Zeennak's younger brother. Therefore, the Marquis is my uncle. I am neither the most talented nor the most favored in my family. Honestly, my strength is just average in comparison to the true inheritors of the family. However, they are all either too old or too young to compete this time so the position fell on my shoulders. I do not wish to go. You may not be well aware of how this competition usually goes for the Snow Country's representatives, but we always lose. If it were just losing, that would be fine as well. But there are a lot of deaths and injuries that could handicap a person for life. Some of the other outer countries are known for their violent tendencies while sometimes just individual geniuses enjoy picking on the weaker participants. I feel that I would be doomed to a rather grim fate if I end up going, thus I am here to ask you to beat me and take my place."
"Couldn't you just tell your family to choose someone else? Or even give the quota to someone else?"
"This quota and our participation in the competition is a great honor and a matter of reputation. I am not allowed to just give it up, otherwise I would be severely punished. However, if you beat me fairly, then they cannot say anything. After all, any strength that could better our team is needed and would be protected by the imperial family. They would not have the guts to target you or give you any trouble."
Hearing this new information, Greyson grew silent. Not because he needed to think through accepting Rouven's offer, but more because he was shocked that the Snow Country is so weak. Everyone knew that we were at the bottom of the ranks, but it did not seem like it was common knowledge as to how badly the Snow Country loses each time. From the sounds of it, these 10 representatives were glorified punching bags for the other outer countries. Why was the difference so sharp? Was it really an issue of talent?
"Do you need something more? Or did someone already ask you for the same favor? I could give you a monetary reward for helping me." Misunderstanding Greyson's silence for denial, Rouven quickly tried to give more incentive.
"No, no, I was not thinking about that. If this is what you really want, then I don't mind choosing you. I was worried before about choosing the right person, so this makes things more convenient."
"Oh, great!" Taking a sigh of relief, Rouven let his body relax as the shadow of worry finally left him.
"If you don't mind me asking, why is the Snow Country so much weaker than the others? I feel like no matter what, there should have been at least some geniuses from our country that have been able to put up a fight."
"It's not that there hasn't been. The first part of the competition is a team battle, which is where our representatives get injured or killed. There are also individual battles and rankings where some of our geniuses have managed to get good positions on. Snow Country is rather new and does not have the same deep history and resources as others. Our spells are weaker, too. With only one magician king around, we do not have as great of a chance to make connections to other countries. Isolation is also a form of weakness as we stay more ignorant of ways to apply magic and cannot buy the same magic equipment or herbs. We do not even have a great presence of blacksmiths or alchemists. The land here is mostly barren and does not have a lot of mana present in the air. This makes it so there is less of a chance for a genius to be born in our country. There are just too many disadvantages to name them all. People like you are a complete anomaly in my book." Bitterly smiling by the end, Rouven truly felt that their country was too weak. Saying it out loud just made it all the more real.
Even Greyson was shocked by the long list. Was their situation this bad? At this point, he could not help but think about his family. Why did his parents choose such a place to set up a weak kingdom? He felt that there must have been a deeper reason behind it. They could have settled anywhere at their levels of power, but they chose this backwater country.
"Thank you, I think I can understand the gap now."
"Don't worry too much. At least, there is no pressure on you to win or get any results. Whatever you manage to accomplish will be a pleasant surprise." Rouven weakly encouraged.
"Yeah... I guess you are right." Greyson replied half-heartedly.
Not sitting for much longer, Rouven knew that it was late so he quickly excused himself.
Lots of different thoughts continued running through Greyson's mind as he finally lied down on his bed. He continued spacing out until his eyelids grew heavy. Not forcing himself to stay awake, Greyson allowed himself to be swept off to sleep.
Now that his teacher forfeited like this, Greyson no longer felt interested in the third stage results. Anyways, all of them were too weak to really make an impact on him. They would most likely not be able to beat one of the current 10 representatives. Not that he was underestimating their strength, but he also could not underestimate the strength of the Lunar City natives. Apparently, it had been decades since the last time a participant in the selection managed to grab a spot. As the people who live in the capital with the most resources and connections, Greyson did not believe that they could be that weak. Maybe Snow Country is not that amazing on the grand scale of the continent, but the leaders are still the local tyrants that manage to keep hold of a large piece of land. Strength was all relative depending on your identity. For someone like Greyson, the rulers of the Snow Country are still very powerful existences.Time ticked by slowly as the third stage became a fight of endurance more than power. The one who managed to at last everyone was not actually the strongest, however, he was someone who was the best at escaping. Using his wind element efficiently, he did not have to burst out with too much strength until the very end. Most of the crowd actually ended up leaving in the middle without waiting for the end. They tried booing once again, but no one left on stage paid the audience any attention. It was the same for almost all the participants, as well. Greyson did not stay because he wanted to, but more because he had to in order to understand what happens next. Eris also returned from the healing quarters looking good-as-new. She sat next to Greyson and the both of them just meditated silently. Even Prince Braiden was unhappy with the results of stage three and wished that he could speed them up. As the one in charge of all the proceedings of this selection, he needed to stay around and watch until the end and give instructions to the chosen three about the last stage. Really, it was a tedious and thankless job and everyone else avoided it. Therefore, whoever was the leader of the 10 participants always had to take it up.There really was no point in meditating for him as his accumulations had long been enough. He was just missing some inspirations to break into the next level of great magister. Yawning with boredom, he almost fell asleep while leaning on his hand. When that wind element magician finally arose victorious, Greyson, Eris and Prince Braiden jumped up with probably more joy than the winner. Due to his irritation with the third stage winner, Braiden forewent the congratulations and went straight into the details of tomorrow's competition for a spot in the 10-participant group."Alright, since everyone is done now, I will go straight into the directions. That way we can all go back a little earlier." Glancing over at the new winner while he spoke those words, Braiden cleared his throat before continuing. "Tomorrow, you will come here once again to fight with the one of the 10 already chosen representatives. You will be the ones choosing your opponents, so I would advise you to try to look up the abilities of each person on the team to make your best decision. If you are lucky, there might be someone who is particularly weak against a magician of your elements. Choosing someone like this could increase your chances of winning. You only have to fight and win against one of them before you will be included in the group. If you win in a questionable manner that does not prove enough strength, some of the other representatives reserve the right to challenge you once again. However, they will at most be at the level of the person who you defeated. I urge you guys not to get big heads from being the top of the selection, the representatives chosen are not weak by any standard. Keep a level-head and your wits about you instead of rushing straight in. Underestimating an opponent is the first way to lose with regrets."The three winners all nodded in understanding. Even without Prince Braiden's reminder, none of them would have taken it easy. As long as one was aware of the history, they could understand just how rare it is for any of the selection winners to succeed in becoming a representative. The Snow Country's selection process for years now was more a way for weaker kingdoms to grab resources and attention than an inner competition to pick representatives. All of them were aware that the geniuses in Lunar City were usually in direct contact with or even family with some of the most powerful magicians in the country. They had the resources and teachers needed to tap into their potential."Alright, that's all I have to say on the topic. Get good rest before tomorrow, I expect to see you all here before the bell at noon."With those last words, everyone said their goodbyes and Greyson quickly made it back to his place. The animals jumped up in greeting and asked how the competition went. Recounting the details with them, both Snow and Theo seemed rather down about missing a chance to participate and help out. After speaking with them for a little bit, Greyson began to get ready to go to sleep. However, before he could get into bed, a gentle knock sounded at his door. Confused as to who would show up at this hour, Greyson used to hole at the door to get a look. What he saw only confused him even more since it was a stranger. After thinking for a second, he seemed to vaguely remember this man standing among the 10 representatives who he saw before. Knowing that the person was waiting outside while he hesitated, Greyson decided it would be best to just open the door."Hello?""Hello, Greyson! I know you are probably not familiar with me. My name is Rouven Zeennak. I am one of the current 10 representatives." Rouven was an average-looking man whether in terms of height, weight, or facial features. But his red eyes did leave an impression on people."What is it that you need from me, Rouven?""Well... that is..." Suddenly unable to find the words to say, Rouven could only stutter while looking to find the right words to explain. He also glanced around seeming to want to make sure no one hears what he says.Sensing his hesitation, Greyson decided to invite the man inside. If he continued waiting for a response at the door like this, it would only make the situation more awkward."Sorry, all I have is some hot water as I am not a fan of tea or alcohol.""Hot water would be great. I'm sorry I have inconvenienced you so late at night."Once they sat down and got settled, Greyson was the first to break the silence."So, now do you think you can tell me about what brought you here?""Yes! Sorry, it's just a rather embarrassing and shameful request on my part, so it is hard to find the words to say. I am here to ask you to pick me tomorrow to challenge, so that you can take my spot in the group.""You want me to challenge you? Plus, are you so sure that I will defeat you?""Even if you weren't, I would let you win. From the strength you showed before, though, you should be strong enough to beat me.""Could you tell me why? It just seems strange that you would prefer to be chosen and beaten. Seems like that would make your reputation take a hit.""Well, first I would like to tell you a little about myself so that you can better understand my circumstances and choice. My Zeennak family is a Marquis family in the Moon Empire. One could say that we are a top power in the whole of the Snow Country and in Lunar City. Each time this competition comes around, our family is given one quota to automatically have a spot in the 10 representatives. I am the second son of the current Marquis Zeennak's younger brother. Therefore, the Marquis is my uncle. I am neither the most talented nor the most favored in my family. Honestly, my strength is just average in comparison to the true inheritors of the family. However, they are all either too old or too young to compete this time so the position fell on my shoulders. I do not wish to go. You may not be well aware of how this competition usually goes for the Snow Country's representatives, but we always lose. If it were just losing, that would be fine as well. But there are a lot of deaths and injuries that could handicap a person for life. Some of the other outer countries are known for their violent tendencies while sometimes just individual geniuses enjoy picking on the weaker participants. I feel that I would be doomed to a rather grim fate if I end up going, thus I am here to ask you to beat me and take my place.""Couldn't you just tell your family to choose someone else? Or even give the quota to someone else?""This quota and our participation in the competition is a great honor and a matter of reputation. I am not allowed to just give it up, otherwise I would be severely punished. However, if you beat me fairly, then they cannot say anything. After all, any strength that could better our team is needed and would be protected by the imperial family. They would not have the guts to target you or give you any trouble."Hearing this new information, Greyson grew silent. Not because he needed to think through accepting Rouven's offer, but more because he was shocked that the Snow Country is so weak. Everyone knew that we were at the bottom of the ranks, but it did not seem like it was common knowledge as to how badly the Snow Country loses each time. From the sounds of it, these 10 representatives were glorified punching bags for the other outer countries. Why was the difference so sharp? Was it really an issue of talent?"Do you need something more? Or did someone already ask you for the same favor? I could give you a monetary reward for helping me." Misunderstanding Greyson's silence for denial, Rouven quickly tried to give more incentive."No, no, I was not thinking about that. If this is what you really want, then I don't mind choosing you. I was worried before about choosing the right person, so this makes things more convenient.""Oh, great!" Taking a sigh of relief, Rouven let his body relax as the shadow of worry finally left him."If you don't mind me asking, why is the Snow Country so much weaker than the others? I feel like no matter what, there should have been at least some geniuses from our country that have been able to put up a fight.""It's not that there hasn't been. The first part of the competition is a team battle, which is where our representatives get injured or killed. There are also individual battles and rankings where some of our geniuses have managed to get good positions on. Snow Country is rather new and does not have the same deep history and resources as others. Our spells are weaker, too. With only one magician king around, we do not have as great of a chance to make connections to other countries. Isolation is also a form of weakness as we stay more ignorant of ways to apply magic and cannot buy the same magic equipment or herbs. We do not even have a great presence of blacksmiths or alchemists. The land here is mostly barren and does not have a lot of mana present in the air. This makes it so there is less of a chance for a genius to be born in our country. There are just too many disadvantages to name them all. People like you are a complete anomaly in my book." Bitterly smiling by the end, Rouven truly felt that their country was too weak. Saying it out loud just made it all the more real.Even Greyson was shocked by the long list. Was their situation this bad? At this point, he could not help but think about his family. Why did his parents choose such a place to set up a weak kingdom? He felt that there must have been a deeper reason behind it. They could have settled anywhere at their levels of power, but they chose this backwater country."Thank you, I think I can understand the gap now.""Don't worry too much. At least, there is no pressure on you to win or get any results. Whatever you manage to accomplish will be a pleasant surprise." Rouven weakly encouraged."Yeah... I guess you are right." Greyson replied half-heartedly.Not sitting for much longer, Rouven knew that it was late so he quickly excused himself. Lots of different thoughts continued running through Greyson's mind as he finally lied down on his bed. He continued spacing out until his eyelids grew heavy. Not forcing himself to stay awake, Greyson allowed himself to be swept off to sleep.
