Chapter 281: You Are Cordially Invited

  Five minutes later, all nine teams that placed in the top three came to the front of the stands.

  Prince Alfried gave a signal with his eyes. Bruce and Antoine immediately stepped forward two paces, faced the crowd, and began awarding prizes in ranking order.

  "By the grace of His Highness the Prince, the Siria beginner team fought valiantly and claimed the crown. We bestow upon these five the Ring of Minos and Warrior's Swords!"

  "Thank you, Your Highness!"

  Professor Moses led the five team members forward to take the rings and swords from the trays presented by the monks.

  "My god, Rings of Minos—aren't those spatial magical items?"

  "Spatial magical items! If I'd known first place got spatial magical items, I would've died before giving up first place!"

  "Me too! Damn, what a waste—Siria got so lucky."

  Envious gazes came from all around. The Siria beginner team put on their rings, gripped their swords, and proudly withdrew with their chests puffed out.

  "Taslonte beginner team, brave and fearless, strong and unyielding—we bestow Guardian Breastplates and Strength Bracers!"

  "Snake beginner team, resilient and tenacious..."

  Hol whispered in amazement: "The second-place reward is way worse than first place!"

  Jack said cheerfully: "No kidding! Our spatial rings are the best!"

  Hol lifted his sword to admire it: "This sword's pretty good too. Warrior's Sword—it was originally paired with Warrior's Armor, but now it's ours."

  Luo Wei turned her head: "Warrior's Armor—that's what the Divine College was wearing?"

  "Yeah," Hol said lightly. "Legend says this sword can pierce dragon scales. It's one of the world's rare sharp weapons."

  "Hmm," Luo Wei cupped her chin. "Can it pierce Warrior's Armor?"

  Hol was stumped by her question. After thinking, he said: "Maybe we'll get a chance to test it."

  "That depends on whether they dare come back next year," Luo Wei said.

  While they talked, the beginner division awards finished, and the two knights began announcing the next level's rewards.

  "Intermediate Division, Snake..."

  Luo Wei instinctively looked toward Laura. The girl was nervously wringing her fingers, her yellow-brown round eyes fixed on the monks' trays, her toes unconsciously edging forward.

  Theodore and Hessel stood on either side of her, extending their hands to block her.

  "...we bestow Flying Cloaks, Demon Hunter Staffs, and Frost Swords!"

  The monks presented their trays. Two flying cloaks appeared before everyone's eyes, but Laura froze and slowly pulled back her foot.

  They were two gray-blue cloaks. The cat fur on the cloaks had a soft, fine, matte texture—nothing like Laura's glossy, smooth orange short fur.

  But a surge of intense anger still rose in her heart. Those were her kind—though not the same clan, they were her kind who had been cruelly killed and skinned!

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  "Laura!" Theodore called softly.

  Laura turned her head in a daze and saw Theodore's urgent, worried brown eyes.

  "I..." She opened her dry lips. "I'm fine..."

  Hessel's cool voice rang out: "We're up soon."

  As soon as she finished speaking, Bruce called them: "Siria intermediate team..."

  "Let's go." Hessel strode forward with her long legs, leading the team up.

  Laura and Theodore closed their mouths and hurried after her.

  Seeing them, Bruce's eyes flickered, but his voice remained steady as he continued: "...we bestow Rings of Fortune, Bows of the Wind God, and Magic-Breaking Hammers."

  "Thank you for Your Highness's generous gift!"

  The five received their rewards and knelt on one knee to bow to the Church Prince.

  Prince Alfried's gaze swept over their kneeling forms. His brow moved slightly, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his eyes.

  "Siria's students are indeed all heroic and extraordinary."

  "Rise," he said with a wave of his hand.

  The five stood respectfully and withdrew.

  Bruce gave them a subtle glance and continued calling: "Advanced Division, Siria advanced team..."

  ...

  After all the teams on stage received their rewards, this year's magic tournament came to an end.

  Just like at the beginning, Professor Pence first thanked all the participating parties, then professors from the ten academies gave their competition remarks, and finally Headmaster Morrison, as the host academy's headmaster, declared the tournament a complete success.

  The seven-day magic tournament was finally over, and the seven members of the Death Penalty Squad could finally relax their constantly tense nerves.

  There would still be a victory celebration ball in the academy's great cathedral afterward, but the most difficult hurdle had been passed. The final ball posed little threat to them.

  With the competition ended, various factions began leaving one after another.

  Prince Alfried rose and walked down from the stands surrounded by two knights and monks. Everyone stepped aside, placed hands over hearts, and bowed respectfully, seeing off his luxurious carriage as it departed.

  After the Church people left, everyone felt much more at ease.

  Siria's professors gathered together, seeming to have lifted a heavy burden, chatting leisurely.

  Siria's three teams also converged into one group. Except for Axina, who bolted like her butt was on fire, everyone else walked slowly, chatting casually as they headed toward the stable exit.

  Luo Wei looked back. Professor Tobias was standing with Professor Moses, laughing and talking. Who knew when she'd come to honor her promise.

  She'd risked her life to get first place—it wasn't unreasonable to expect all the rewards she'd proposed, right?

  While Luo Wei was thinking about the good stuff Professor Tobias had, others were also looking forward to the academy's rewards.

  Jack was already counting on his fingers: "First place gets ten gold coins prize money per person, plus free tuition—that's twelve gold coins total. A black bread costs two copper coins, eating four black breads a day... My god! I could buy sixty thousand black breads and not worry about food for forty years!"

  Hol: "Didn't you swear to only eat half a black bread per meal and donate the rest to the Church?"

  Jack stammered: "That was when I was under... that doesn't count! I can't even get full on half a piece..."

  Gladys asked Hol: "Sweet Temptation—is it good? Can buy twelve cups."

  Everyone looked at Gladys in shock. Amazing—Gladys had learned to tease people!

  Gladys blinked in confusion: "Why everyone looking at me?"

  She just wanted to ask if Sweet Temptation was really that good so she could try it. Everyone's expressions were so strange!

  Amid the laughter, the group walked out of the stables, preparing to return to the dormitories.

  "Clop clop clop—"

  Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats came from behind.

  "How is someone still riding?"

  Everyone turned back curiously to see Knight Bruce returning, riding his horse toward them.

  "Miss Luo Wei, please wait!"

  Getting closer, Bruce jumped down from his horse, took out a gold-embossed letter, and walked quickly toward Luo Wei, presenting it with both hands.

  "Miss Luo Wei, His Highness the Prince will host a farewell banquet at Siria Temple tomorrow at noon. This is your invitation. He hopes you'll bring your friends to the banquet."

  "My friends?" Luo Wei frowned.

  Bruce: "Yes, His Highness said that both your doubts and your friends' doubts will be answered tomorrow."

  Seeing Luo Wei hesitate, he continued: "His Highness also said that if you don't come, he'll be very disappointed."

  He'd be very disappointed? Was this a threat?

  Luo Wei lowered her eyelashes and reached out to take the envelope: "I understand. Please tell His Highness that I'll attend the banquet on time."

  Bruce heard the implication in her words but didn't object, saying with a smile: "Very well. Then I'll return to report to His Highness."

  Luo Wei nodded: "Safe travels, Sir Knight."

  Bruce stepped back a few paces, turned around, mounted his horse, and galloped away.

  Luo Wei withdrew her gaze and looked down at the envelope in her hands.

  Such an exquisite invitation couldn't have been hastily made. Prince Alfried had probably prepared this long ago.

  "Aren't you going to open it?"

  Sebastian had somehow walked up beside her and asked naturally. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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