"Young Master, I'll wipe your nose first."
Amy promptly took out a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped under my nose.
"Thank you, Amy."
I barely managed to lift my head to look at Little Fist, who was perched on my chest.
─Pew, pew, pewww...
Suddenly, Little Fist let out a sad sound, almost like a whimper.
To an outsider unaware of its true nature, it might seem like an adorable puppy worried about its injured owner.
'Is it trying to hint at something? What's this sneaky creature up to?'
However, for someone like me, familiar with the habits of this fluffy white creature, feelings of unease would emerge first.
It bites my hand whenever I try to pet or touch it.
Whenever I suggest that we sleep together, it quickly hides behind Amy.
Yes, this creature might have the face of an angel, but it's a devil.
An extremely naughty puppy.
If it wasn’t so cute, I’d have lost my temper a long time ago.
"..."
As these thoughts ran through my mind, I exchanged glances with the forlorn-faced Little Fist.
Then, out of the blue...
Slurp, slurp.
Little Fist licked my cheek.
"Wha... Why now?"
It had never done this before.
While it felt unhygienic, this affectionate act between a pet and its owner didn't trigger [Twisted Noble's Dignity].
Irene, her eyes wide in astonishment, remarked,
"Oh my, Theo. It's the first time I've seen an animal take to you like this. How adorable~"
─Pew, pew!
Perhaps pleased by Irene's praise, Little Fist chirped proudly and continued to lick my face.
It was starting to feel a bit too much.
Although it's a divine beast and probably wouldn’t harm me, the constant licking became somewhat uncomfortable.
"Little Fist, stop it before you get scolded."
Just as I admonished Little Fist—
"…Huh?"
I felt a sudden surge of wellness.
No, it wasn't just a feeling; my condition was genuinely improving.
The uncontrollable trembling in my hands stopped, and the soreness in my back and shoulders faded.
After about three minutes, I felt entirely normal.
'It's good, but what happened?'
It seemed connected to Little Fist's licking.
There was never such an effect in the game.
'How strange.'
In the game, divine beasts often expressed affection by licking Neike.
But there was no mention of such actions leading to stamina recovery.
'By licking me, it might have accelerated the effect of the [Elixir of Stamina Recovery].'
This reason seemed the most likely.
In the game, the divine beast—of course, not named Little Fist—frequently licked Neike, regardless of whether it took the form of a cat, raccoon, horse, wolf, or tiger.
Whenever it was bored, it'd playfully lick, causing Neike to frequently burst into quiet laughter.
There should have been some window indicating that stamina had been recovered, but such a thing never appeared.
'Chronicles of Kyren Zena,' is a game that doesn't overlook even the smallest details.
My body continued to recover.
At this rate, I would be fully recovered before the next round of the top 8 matches.
I lifted my arm, which now moved without pain, and gently patted Little Fist.
"Good boy, Little Fist."
─ Pew, pew, pewww!
Feeling my touch, Little Fist immediately jumped out of my embrace.
"Oh! Little Fist, you can't go there!"
And he promptly nestled himself back into Irene's embrace.
"..."
That damn, women-loving puppy.
I narrowed my eyes in slight annoyance.
But I was grateful.
I gazed calmly at Little Fist, who was frolicking in Irene's lap.
Yes, after all, it was thanks to him that I'd managed to overcome a tough situation.
I rose from the chair where I'd been lying down and stretched.
Until the start of the next round of matches, Little Fist enjoyed his time in Irene's embrace, ignoring my scornful gaze and the shaky gaze of Amy, all the while wearing an expression that seemed to scream pure joy.
...I really wonder whose dog he is.
The round of 16 matches ended swiftly.
Out of the initially expected top four teams, three made it through.
The teams of Neike & Cyrus,
Aisha & Julia,
Andrew & Sally,
and Seria & Jamie.
Everyone had expected these four teams to advance to the quarterfinals.
However, the duo of Seria & Jamie met their match against Theo & Irene's team, losing without putting up much of a fight.
Spectators, in doubtful tones, began to question:
"Perhaps the top four teams weren't that special after all?"
Yet, they soon realized their error in judgment.
The remaining matches were overwhelmingly dominant.
Although each tournament match had a maximum duration of five minutes, not one extended beyond a minute.
A testament to the overwhelming prowess of those teams.
Like Neike's spear technique, Aisha's arrows, and Andrew's fireballs.
The matches were so one-sided, they hardly provided any thrill to the spectators.
The audience, who had hoped for more exciting games, couldn't hide their disappointment.
"Ugh, this is too one-sided. The top students are just on another level. Even if they had just stood there, they'd probably win."
"It's so boring. It feels like if they just casually fought while eating a sandwich, they'd still win. Ugh, aren't there any more bloody and intense matches like Theo and Noctars?"
"Wake me up when Theo & Irene's match starts. Their games are the most entertaining by far. No comparison."
"Look... In the quarterfinals, Theo & Irene are going up against Andrew & Sally."
"Oh, who do you think will win? As strong as Theo might be, I don’t think he can beat Andrew. They won't even start the match in close quarters. Theo might just get roasted before even getting close."
"I really hope Andrew wins. Theo, that leech-looking bastard, irritates the hell out of me."
"Seriously, damn. Girls can't stop talking about Theo every break. I hope Andrew messes up his pretty face."
Before the start of the quarterfinals' first match, the buzzing chatter of the audience filled the stadium.
Hailey, with her arms crossed, listened to their conversations.
'Still, all they talk about is Theo... Even though his was the first match.'
She could understand the fixation.
She, too, was eagerly anticipating Theo's next match.
It wasn’t just about the skills; Theo's star quality was undeniable.
To her, heroes were assets. And star power was an invaluable component of that.
Nearly 200 years after the establishment of the Elinia Academy, with a surge of heroes emerging left and right, the dominant forces ruling the continent now were heroes.
Just a few decades ago, the heroes, who had been locked in a tense standoff with noble factions, were monsters in the eyes of ordinary people.
A hierarchical society is possible only when the few who rule have an overpowering force that the majority under their rule cannot counter.
Yet, despite their small numbers, the heroes quickly amassed a power that the former ruling nobles couldn't overlook.
This power manifested primarily through guilds.
Ironically, those who were once dominated often harbor a greater desire for control.
The first thing the heroes, who had risen to the upper echelons of society, did was to request official positions from the kings of each country.
For instance, the founder of the Waldeurk family, now renowned as a noble lineage of great heroes, was originally a commoner.
Hailey's thoughts lingered on Theo Lyn Waldeurk, a direct descendant of that house.
'His skills are somewhat lacking given he's only a freshman, but he has potential... Still, he'll likely be eliminated in the quarter-finals. Unless Andrew is a complete fool, he won't fall for the strategy used against Seria's team.'
Hailey is a key figure who elevated the ‘Ataraxia’ guild to be one of the continent's top guilds.
She prides herself on her keen judgment.
'Theo, he has the makings of a superstar.'
A true superstar is someone who invokes both love and hate.
If everyone likes someone, they’re just a star, not a superstar. There must be those who dislike them to intensify the admiration of their fans.
It was a statement made by Rahuna, a hero from her guild, during a drunken conversation.
At first, she thought he was just drunk, but the more she thought about it, the more she agreed.
'It's a gamble to fully invest in him now, but it's a waste to let go of such a card.'
Only 13 heroes, including the guildmaster 'Hallow,' are affiliated with the Ataraxia guild.
It's a surprisingly small number for one of the top guilds, so spots are limited.
However, Theo's star quality is too hard to ignore.
Skills can be developed, but innate talent like his is rare.
He's the kind of man who makes others think, 'I want to be like him.'
'Yes, I've made up my mind.'
From the very first time she saw his profile, Theo was the student who stood out the most.
That's why she had promoted a student, who was only ranked 181st and not even in the top tier, to her list of notable prospects.
'I should elevate him to top prospect status. No, let’s place him right after Neike and Piel.'
As Hailey was organizing her thoughts,
[You've all been waiting, haven't you? The highly anticipated quarter-final match is about to begin! The first match features Theo & Irene against Andrew & Sally!]
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