The cheers for the host truly made the coliseum feel as if it were vibrating. Hearing the string of nonsensical statuses of the participants from the waiting room, Alvin held his chin in a thoughtful pose.
"It seems this year's tournament is truly unusual. There are so many core family members from each major kingdom coming down to participate directly," Alvin murmured, analyzing the political situation that might be happening behind the scenes.
"I truly don't care!" Allen interjected quickly, cutting off Alvin's thoughts. He genuinely did not care about the noble status of the participants out there. "This is a magic tournament arena, not a political stage! In the arena, all those statuses do not apply. No matter who they are, prince or not, we must execute our plan cleanly so that our long journey across the continent later won't be blocked by fools!"
Alvin chuckled softly at Allen's overly pragmatic and blunt words. He then nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! I will make sure to do everything exactly according to our plan!"
"The next team is the representative of the Altoria Kingdom!" the host shouted outside, his voice echoing once again. The four participants from the Altoria Kingdom entered the arena in a very neat and confident formation.
"The team from the Altoria Kingdom is led by Mazect Trovis, a genius first-year student and the fifth son of Duke Razor Trovis, a duke with strong military power in the Altoria Kingdom!"
The audience grew even more excited, whispering in amazement. Everyone realized that the participants this year were like a rare phenomenon, as the roster was filled with the golden children of the most powerful names across the Azvel Continent.
"And for the last one... let us welcome the team from the Garveon Kingdom!"
As soon as that announcement rang out, from the same main gate, Kazien and his three fiancés stepped out together from the dark corridor into the bright morning sunlight in the middle of the arena.
Their footsteps were very calm. However, their presence instantly caused the noise of the thousands of spectators in the stands to recede, turning into an absolute, chilling silence within seconds.
Every pair of eyes, from commoners to the leaders in the VIP stands, was fixed on the single non-human figure standing gracefully in the Garveon Kingdom's lineup. His golden hair shimmering under the sun and his distinct pointed ears became the center of gravity for the arena.
An Elf? Since when has an Elf been willing to set foot on this human continent? the spectators screamed in their hearts.
I did hear the crazy rumors this morning when their entourage arrived! But I never expected that I would actually see an Elf with my own eyes, alive, in this tournament! a noble thought, his hands trembling as he gripped his seat.
Because the arena had suddenly turned as silent as a grave, the experienced host broke into a slight cold sweat. He immediately took initiative to break the awkward silence with his booming voice.
"The team from the Garveon Kingdom is led by Kazien Altavis, an extraordinarily talented first-year student and the third son of Duke Elgard Altavis!"
Hearing the family name just uttered by the host, everyone in the stands, instead of cheering, fell even more silent. The silence thickened, turning into a very heavy psychological pressure. There was absolutely no cheering or thunderous applause from the spectators. They seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.
Zania and the other participants were also visibly shocked upon learning that one of the representatives from the Garveon Kingdom was an Altavis descendant.
In the special honorary section of the spectator seats, Ritalia, who was sitting near her family, became very puzzled seeing the unusual reaction of the audience. She tilted her head, looking at the sea of people who had suddenly fallen silent after hearing her brother's name called.
"Father, why is everyone so quiet like that?" Ritalia asked innocently, gently pulling the sleeve of Duke Elgard, who sat upright beside her.
However, before Duke Elgard could answer his youngest daughter's question, King Nalvon, sitting next to them, turned and chuckled softly. The King, hearing the innocent question, took it upon himself to answer with a proud tone.
"That is because there isn't a single person on this continent who doesn't know the great name of the Altavis family, Ritalia." King Nalvon answered with a meaningful smile. "Therefore, it's only natural for everyone in this arena to be deeply shocked and lose their words after hearing your family name."
"Is there something special about our family, Your Majesty?" Ritalia asked again, more curious since she hadn't fully understood the outside world's view of the family that had adopted her.
He looked gently at Ritalia. "Besides the fact that after 70 years of isolating themselves from this event, it is only now that the Altavis family has decided to send their descendants to participate in this academy tournament again." King Nalvon explained in his deep, authoritative voice, intentionally allowing the kings and nobles from other kingdoms around them to overhear. "The main reason is that your family is a military noble family with the strongest combat power in all corners of this continent! Their presence in the arena is not merely participation. It is an absolute threat."
Hearing the clear and proud explanation from the King, Ritalia finally understood why people were overreacting. The girl's chest puffed out slightly. She felt increasingly proud to be a part of the Altavis family.
Meanwhile, down below, the host, seeing that the spectators' silence still hadn't broken, decided to drop the next bombshell.
"It is not only Kazien Altavis who represents the Altavis descendants in the Garveon tournament team this time!" the host shouted with a booming voice, intentionally breaking the suffocating silence. He pointed toward the arena. "The participant with purple hair is Allenzi Altavis, and the one with brown hair is Arken Altavis! Both are also first-year students!"
Hearing the follow-up announcement, thousands of spectators felt as if a giant boulder had been dropped on them from the sky. Several nobles even stood up from their seats with pale faces.
Three descendants of the monster family known as the Altavis family were suddenly participating in this academy-level tournament at the same time after the family had been absent for more than 70 years without a clear reason. For the nobles of other kingdoms, this was no longer just a tournament, it was a legalized mass slaughter.
In the midst of the spectators' shock which had yet to subside, the host took another deep breath. He looked at the participant profile data sheets for the Garveon Kingdom in his hand, swallowed hard, and then shouted the final line of the team profile with a voice trembling with awe.
"And the participant in the form of an Elf!" the host continued, pointing toward Alvin, his voice now reaching the highest octave he could manage. "According to official data validated by the academy... he is not just an ordinary Elf, but a High Elf! His name is Alvin Dass'el Latreess, a first-year student!"