Chapter 147: Numerous Troubles
“Serve the empire?” Hearing those words, Rod couldn’t help but frown. Marshal Okaz had mentioned this to him before, but he had rejected his offer back then! Who would have thought that this time it would be the head of the Imperial Guard himself who approached him.
The Imperial Guard was the highest-ranking force in the empire’s army, directly under the royal family and answerable only to the emperor. They were stationed inside the palace, responsible for protecting both the imperial palace and the royal family. It was a force separate from the regular military structure, and every soldier loyal to the empire aspired to join them.
He never expected to draw the attention of such a high-ranking official. With them making such a request, it was as if they were forcing him to make a difficult decision.
Back then, he had been able to easily refuse Marshal Okaz’s invitation because of their relationship—he trusted that Marshal Okaz wouldn’t do anything to him, as if it were a conversation between friends. But now, with this person making such a request, it was as if the empire itself was demanding something from him. If he refused again, it might provoke their displeasure and lead to serious consequences.
With a helpless sigh, he looked at the officer and said, “Could you give me some time to think it over?” Perhaps the best choice he had right now was to give an answer.
“Of course. Hehe, as you might know, many people have already focused their attention on you. That guy with me just now is named Sophie. I can’t reveal his identity for now, but he’ll explain everything to you eventually. But I can tell you that the faction he represents is by no means ordinary. Hehe, I didn’t expect them to act so quickly. I’m sure many more will come after you. Think carefully!”
“Oh, one more thing—your bounty on the Mercenary Association’s blacklist has been raised to Class A. The assassination group that was hunting you before has given up. Last night, a new mysterious organization took over the task of hunting you. So, while the Holy Light Academy might be a safe place, things will get very dangerous once you leave it. If you cooperate with us, I promise we can handle this bounty issue for you. What do you say?”
The middle-aged man didn’t seem surprised at all by Rod’s answer. After a wry smile, he said temptingly, “Alright, I’ll think it over carefully. I’ll give the general a definite answer after this competition ends! The competition is about to start. If nothing else happens, I think I should leave first. The dean and my teammates must be waiting for me at Training Ground No. 1!” After pondering for a moment, Rod said in a deep voice. He definitely couldn’t give any definite answer now, yet the information the other party had revealed shocked him greatly. It was just as the man in black had said yesterday—his bounty task had been upgraded to Class A, and a different organization was now handling it. Since they still dared to take on the task after learning about his situation, it showed they were utterly unafraid.
“Of course. I hope Brother Rod will think this through carefully!” Doro said with a nod of approval, smiling at Rod. Knight Rod, as expected, didn’t disappoint him today. If it were an ordinary person, hearing his name and receiving his invitation would surely make them accept it without hesitation. But he clearly wasn’t moved, which showed he was a steady person. Only if someone accepted his invitation like the others would it disappoint him.
After bowing, he quickly turned and left the training ground, rushing straight toward Training Ground No. 1. Rod’s mood was rather heavy. Over these past few days, events had piled up one after another, leaving him overwhelmed. Too many things happening at once made him feel powerless.
Shaking his head, he forced those thoughts out of his mind and hurried toward Training Ground No. 1. The competition was approaching. Three first-round matches would take place today. Although none of the Holy Light Academy’s teams were participating, everyone must be gathered at the competition site, waiting for it to begin. He needed to understand his opponents thoroughly. Right now, the most important task wasn’t to deal with these troublesome matters but to win the championship of this competition and truly help the empire—that was what truly mattered.
……
When he arrived at the competition site, it was already crowded with people, filled with loud chatter—very lively. He quickly went inside and glanced around. Several deans were already sitting at the front of the podium as referees. In front of him, the magical barrier of the competition arena had been erected, ready for the matches to start.
Looking to the side, he quickly spotted Viski and the others. As expected, everyone had already gathered at the venue.
“Sorry, hehe, I’m late!” Rod stepped forward quickly and apologized to the group before him.
Besides his own teammates, there were also representatives from the intermediate level led by Kiro. Anderson, Roy, Alice, and others had also gathered here today.
Looking at Alice, Rod’s expression turned somewhat complicated. Since returning to the academy, she seemed like a different person—no longer as bold and mischievous as before. Instead, she had become colder and quieter. This made Rod finally understand why she was known as the “cold beauty,” ranking fourth among the four most beautiful girls in the academy.
Knowing this, he secretly disdained her, marveling at her ability to disguise herself so well that even everyone in the academy was deceived. If others knew her true nature, he couldn’t imagine what their reactions would be.
Strangely enough, ever since he had taken on the role of captain and started training the team, although they had met a few times, they had hardly spoken. Now, seeing Alice again gave him a sense of unfamiliarity.
“Hehe, you finally arrived. It’s not too late—the game hasn’t started yet. You stay here and watch. We’re going to check out the matches in the intermediate level. The next game starts the day after tomorrow, and the winner might well be our opponent!” Upon seeing Rod, Kiro smiled slightly before speaking in a serious tone. It was clear that the competitions also brought them a lot of pressure.
Nodding, Rod watched them leave before turning back to Viski and the others. Then he noticed that Alice hadn’t left either. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed something strange in her gaze. At the same time, a voice as sweet as music came from behind him: “Rod! You’re here!”
Lucia—yes, it was her familiar voice. Who else could produce such a melodious sound? Looking at Lucia, Rod understood Alice’s expression better. The four most beautiful girls in the academy each belonged to their own group, with little interaction between them. Even under everyone’s encouragement, a sense of competition had gradually arisen among them, making them jealous of each other whenever they met. So, naturally, they wouldn’t be friendly now.
“Lucia, you’re here too!” After figuring it all out, Rod greeted her.
“Well, just in time. Come on, let’s watch the match together—it’s about to start!” Not knowing what else to say, Rod quickly changed the subject, as the junior-level matches had already begun. The representative team from the Divine Martial Academy, under the Mage Guild and Warrior Guild, was facing the representative team from the Light Academy, under the Church of Light. The Divine Martial Academy could be considered among the best among all students on the continent, both in terms of mage strength and warrior strength. In terms of capability, it ranked among the top three, showing incredible power. For this match, they sent a standard lineup of one mage and four warriors! As for the Light Academy, as a team representing the church, their mages mainly used light magic. Of course, this was seen in higher or intermediate-level matches; in junior-level matches, light mages were hardly used, as such magic was considered useless at this level. So they sent a priest and four holy knights. In terms of strength, the Light Academy was on par with the Clear Stream Academy of the Etaman Empire among the five competing teams, but slightly inferior to the Divine Martial Academy. Before the match even started, almost everyone had already decided its outcome. As expected, the match unfolded as everyone predicted. From the beginning, the Divine Martial Academy showed its strength, taking complete control and dominating the entire match, keeping the Light Academy firmly under their grasp! With two wins in the one-on-one matches, they were already in the lead, and they also held a decisive advantage from the start of the team matches. The only highlight for the Light Academy was, perhaps, allowing everyone—and especially Rod—to see the capabilities of the priest. Although he was just an intermediate priest, his role was extremely powerful, with healing abilities unmatched by any mage. His healing spells left Rod in awe. With the support of two priests, the Light Academy managed to hold on for a long time before being defeated after the two priests were overcome in the Divine Martial Academy’s fierce attacks. Naturally, the Divine Martial Academy won the match 4-1 and advanced, likely to face the Holy Light Academy in the next match.