The tournament quickly heated up after Davey’s showcase. A video recording of the match with Lady Lillia was reyed repeatedly on a video stone.


    Perhaps fueled by the spectacle Davey’s fight had created, Maximus seemed to have his pride wounded. From his next match onward, he began crushing his opponents with overwhelming speed and force.


    He stormed into close range, kicking opponents’ faces with brutal precision, deflecting iing attacks with ease, and countering at speeds even faster than his opponents could react.


    While the matches of otherpetitors were close and intense, Davey and Maximus continued to dominate their battles with overwhelming one-sidedness.


    “Don’t forget about the first-ce prize,” Davey said.


    The official prize for the champion was a mystical pill that enhanced the body’s mana flow and a pair of mithril gauntlets crafted by dwarves. However, Davey wasn’t particrly interested in such rewards.


    What he was interested in was…


    “<em>Eh?!</em>”


    “Bunny girl,” he said with a cheeky grin. At this, Illyna turned bright red and kicked him in the shin.


    “<em>Ugh!</em> I’ll do it! Just don’t say it out loud here!”


    Seeing her avert her gaze, Davey could clearly tell she was embarrassed, noticing her adorably pouting her lips as well. Perserque sighed while Aeria also turned red, ncing around nervously.


    At the end of the first day of matches, only eightpetitors remained.


    The rest of the tournament was to take ce after three days, with the final at the end.


    “Davey, the Terraria Royal Family is hosting a banquet. Are you going to attend?”


    “I suppose I should, so may as well.”


    He knew it was only polite to attend, as someone participating in the tournament.


    “<em>Baa! Baa!</em>”


    Davey couldn’t help butugh as Evangeline toddled over, reaching up with her tiny hands. He scooped her into his arms with a broad smile.


    Although she was an ancient dragon by birth, Evangeline had taken a human form since she mimicked her parental figure, Davey. He knew she’d eventually regain her original appearance, but for now, she was indistinguishable from an ordinary child.


    “Evangeline,e here. Daddy has to go now,” Aeria said gently, taking her into her arms.


    Evangeline whimpered and clung to Davey, unwilling to let go.


    “She’s really attached to her daddy, isn’t she?”


    “Daughters tend to love their fathers the most.”


    Whether that bond wouldst into the future was another matter.


    In the end, Evangeline burst into tears.


    “I’ll stay behind if that’s okay,” Aeira offered. “I’m not particrly fond of banquets...”


    “I’ll stay with her, so you go ahead, Davey,” Perserque added.


    “Alright.”


    The banquet itself was uneventful, as expected. Figures destined to be pirs of their respective nations were busyworking and building connections, while others mingled and enjoyed thepany of beautiful partners.


    Illyna, to nobody’s shock, garnered a lot of attention.


    The reason she had attended the banquet was simple—Rock-Paper-Scissors.


    None of them were particrly inclined to attend the event, but Illyna, who happened to be the most ustomed to such settings, had lost and ended up apanying Davey.


    “You know, right now, I get to have you all to myself,” she joked yfully, maintaining her usual cold expression.


    “That intense face of yours keeps people froming to us,” Davey pointed out.


    Plenty of people looked at them with curious nces, but few dared to approach.


    “<em>Ah, </em>Prince Davey!”


    “Lady Lillia?”


    “You remember me!”


    Of course, among those present were a few determined souls who didn’t care about such things.


    “That was an amazing match! When your powerful thrust came into me, I… <em>ah…</em>”


    Her overly enthusiastic and direct words,bined with her small stature and cute demeanor, made herments sound unintentionally suggestive.


    “<em>Hmm…</em>”


    “<em>Oh,</em> I must’ve lost my mind! I’m Lillia Offenmu, the second daughter of Count Offenmu!”


    “Nice to meet you. I’m Illyna de O’Rowane,” Illyna introduced herself with a polite smile.


    Although both Perserque and Illyna came from the Pallen family, they had chosen to take hisst name of O’Rowane. After all, changing one’s surname was up to the individual.


    “You didn’t return to your homnd?” Davey asked.


    “<em>Ah… hehe, </em>I thought I’d get an immediate recall order too…” Lillia replied with a bright smile.


    “But as it turns out, the general sentiment was that nothing much could’ve been done, considering my opponent was you. <em>Oh</em>, did you know? His Majesty, our king, once stood on the battlefield alongside you…”


    <em>‘Is she talking about the battle against the demons? There were so many of them though.’</em>


    “So, they sent me a message saying it was fine; they said it was a valuable experience for me, and encouraged me to focus even more on improving.”


    Davey was an overwhelming opponent for her. Though Lillia had stepped into the arena for the honor of her nation, she clearly understood the difference between what was achievable and what was outside the realm of possibility. Even so, theck of any bacsh was due to her strong standing in her nation.


    “I’ll redouble my efforts and show you an improved version of myself next time!”


    “I look forward to it. I’m sure you’ll win the championship in your next tournament.”


    “Because you won’t participate in four years?” Illyna interjected yfully, making sure no one else heard her joke.


    To be frank, Lady Lillia Offenmu was a capable in-fighter. Their brief match had proven her level of skill.


    “You should visit the Heins Territory someday. The Heins Academy prioritizes talented instructors.”


    “<em>Hehe,</em> if I fail to get married, I’ll definitely apply for a teaching position there!”


    With a final cute smile, Lillia walked away.


    “<em>Oh, </em>I forgot to mention something.”


    “<em>Hmm?</em>”


    “That to be a professor at Heins Academy, you first need to spend at least two years under an existing professor as a graduate student.”


    Davey had left out the most critical detail.


    As Lady Lillia stepped away, others who had been watching nervously began to approach one by one.


    However, Maximus was not among them.


    Instead, he had busied himself chatting amiably with nearby noblewomen, seemingly more interested in his romantic endeavors than anything else.


    Since there was no need to confront him, Davey too, simply left him alone.


    * * *


    In the tranquil garden—


    Though Terraria was known as a nation of warriors obsessed with muscles and devoted to martial arts, it still possessed an unexpectedly refined artistic sense.


    “Quite the garden, isn’t it?”


    Davey wasn’t the only one growing weary from the constant attempts atworking. Baris had left early to report to the Rowane royal family, while Winley had left to take care of her child.


    That left only Illyna and Davey, and she had decided to seize the rare opportunity and slip away from the banquet to enjoy some quality time with him.


    “They’re beautiful,” she murmured, gazing at the radiant flowers that reflected the moonlight.


    “They’re called Sr Blooms, a speciality of Terraria. They glow brightly even at night, as if the sun itself is shining. Even across the entire Central Continent, they only grow here—which is why they’re highly prized even in the Pallen Empire.”


    “<em>Hmm. </em>Maybe we should try growing some.”


    “Why not?”


    With a soft chuckle, Illyna picked up a small pebble and tossed it lightly into the garden’ske.


    <em>Plop!!</em>


    The water rippled gently as she leaned back and motioned for Davey to lie down. Blushing slightly, she directed him to rest his head on herp.


    “Perserque used to do this for you often back in the day, didn’t she?”


    Davey remembered that from back before they were married.


    “When I was tired, I’d borrow herp from time to time.”


    “I was so jealous back then. I tried to deny it at the time, but I’d always imagined that one day I’d get a moment like this too.”


    “Do you still want kids?”


    “For now, I think I’m okay.”


    After Aeria had her child, Illyna had started dropping hints about wanting one herself, but eventually, she had no choice but to reconsider.


    “Perserque might be offended if I rush things without considering her feelings.”


    “Let’s take our time. I don’t want our child to get caught up in a meaningless power struggle anyway.”


    Whether Davey liked it or not, he was now the head of a massive faction. He knew that someday one of his children might inherit his position, and the possibility of their future child shing with Darian weighed heavily on her mind.


    “For now, we already have Darian, Evangeline, Red Ribbon, and Blue Ribbon. That’s plenty, don’t you think? I’d rather focus all our love on them for now.”


    She pinched his cheek with a yful grin.


    Just then, the sound of two people arguing echoed from somewhere nearby. Given that the garden wasn’t a ce where people were likely to wander, Davey sat up and Illyna narrowed her eyes.


    “Sounds like a fight?” she murmured.


    “I’d better go check it out.”


    Since Davey usually didn’t show interest in such things, Illyna looked up at him curiously.


    “I know the voice.”


    Davey began walking toward the voice. Once he got close, he saw a priest being grabbed by the cor—and the one doing the grabbing was none other than Maximus.


    “Remember: if you once again fail to take first ce—just like four years ago—His Majesty will show even greater wrath.”


    “<em>Hah. </em>I’ll handle it myself.”


    “This isn’t a simple matter, Your Highness. Have you forgotten what happened to Baron Roina’s daughter?”


    “Listen here, Priest Balt. Didn’t I tell you not to bring up Roina in front of me?” N?v(el)B\\jnn


    “But, Your Highness! If you fail to secure first ce this time, then what you’ve been protecting—”


    “Shut up!”


    “Understood...”


    Maximus pushed the priest roughly and let out a short sigh as the priest disappeared from sight.


    “Hey, Davey.”


    Maximus turned to face Davey, who had been silently watching the scene.


    “We’re still friends, right?”


    “Of course.”


    The boy Davey had once met by chance in a vige—the arrogant boy hiding something behind his facade—was now standing before him again.


    “As a friend, I need you to do me a favor.”


    Illyna nced between Davey and Maximus, clearly puzzled.


    “Let’s fight.”


    At the same time, a powerful flow of internal energy began to envelop him. Davey could tell his karma wasn’t the karma of someone from Tionis.


    It was the karma of the Heavenly Central ins.


    “Honestly, I didn’t want to hide this from you. I really do hate martial arts andbat sports to the extreme,” Maximus admitted.


    “I don’t even want to practice. Just the act of throwing a punch makes me sick.”


    “But I’m guessing that doesn’t stop you from entering tournaments?”


    “That’s… different.”


    “Different, my ass.”


    Even without practice, the karma he possessed naturally made him stronger.


    “Don’t you think it’s funny how some people can train their entire lives and never reach this level, while others, like me, have this without even trying? A genius like you probably understands, right?”


    Davey smiled faintly at his statement.


    “Alright then. I’ll listen to what you have to say.”


    When Davey thought about it, he didn’t have any friends his own age.


    Perhaps because of this, despite how ridiculous of circumstances they had met under, he didn’t dislike Maximus.


    To Davey, Maximus looked like a small boy backed into a corner, teetering on the edge of a cliff. <blockquote>


    ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook''s Thoughts


    <strong>Editorb’s Thoughts</strong>


    Time to give ‘em the business and show ‘em who’s boss (except obviously he’ll concede since solving this dude’s problems is too much work). At least, that’s what I’d do…</blockquote>