Chapter 32: Envelope (4K)
Timani’s mindset was unstable at this moment.
She was on the verge of exploding from nervousness!
In the waiting area, Timani was curled up alone in a corner, hugging her knees.
Instead of sitting in a chair, she chose to sit on the floor. If Xue Fei were here, she would definitely comment that this stubborn behavior belonged to the nature of fire lizards, which couldn’t be changed.
The staff backstage wanted to remind her to prepare for the semi-finals, but in the end, they all returned empty-handed.
The reason was… they simply couldn’t get close!
Clearly, it was just a small area in the waiting zone, and the spot they were standing in was comfortably at room temperature.
But the closer they got to Timani, the hotter the air became, as if approaching a volcano, instinctively making people retreat.
Fortunately, the waiting area had no flammable materials; otherwise, they would have to be prepared to extinguish a fire at any moment.
Left with no choice, the staff could only stand at a distance, shouting reminders about her match.
“Miss Timani! You have no more than ten minutes before the semi-finals! Your opponent is Xila; please be ready!!”
“I know…”
The response was not loud; it sounded calm, but the rolling heat waves were clearly exaggerated.
Seeing this, the staff hurriedly left. Whether she heard it or not, staying there would risk them getting roasted!
As the waiting area was cleared and only Timani remained…
The cold sweat on her forehead, formed from tension and pressure, finally dripped to the ground.
The crimson wings of the fire dragon clan emerged from both sides of her back, partially wrapping her up.
The uncontrollable magic, overflowing in high temperatures, was the cause of the rising heat in the waiting room.
Her strong tail instinctively whipped against the wall behind her.
When Timani turned her head, she found that the solid wall had been marked with a prominent groove from her tail!
Oh no… what have I done!
Visibly, the face of this high-level fire dragon clan member turned pale.
She hurriedly turned around, trying her best to fix the damaged wall, mumbling a nearly tearful lament.
“What should I do… I… I don’t have to pay for this, right…? I didn’t mean to… ahhh, this is so frustrating!! What am I doing!”
Pressured to the point where she wanted to smash the wall to pieces and take flight!
But thinking about doing that would definitely mean she’d have to pay, and it would harm the honor of the fire dragon clan…
She had to find a small piece of wood to cover the groove on the wall as best as she could, then returned to her previous position, hugging her knees to continue her meditation.
The beautiful girl in a crimson skirt curled up, looking strangely out of place.
Clearly strong and powerful, at this moment, she seemed particularly vulnerable with no one around.
After burying her head in thought, Timani first looked up to confirm there was no one else around.
Then she slowly reached into her red hair.
As her fingers brushed through the strands…
—They touched the pointed ears hidden within.
The ears characteristic of elves… stirred a wave of indescribable heartache within Timani.
She had fantasized countless times… if her ears weren’t pointed like this, and if all of this was just a nightmare… how great it would be…
【Your birth is an absurd mistake.】
【The bloodline of the fire dragon clan has been stained with shame because of you. Although you shouldn’t bear the sins of your parents, you also have no right to remain in the clan. The magic within your body doesn’t heed your command, causing destruction recklessly; this is punishment and a testimony to the sins of your bloodline. The Dragon God foresees that you will not achieve any merit but will only invite disaster.】
【Leave, leave this place; you need not set foot here any longer.】
A wave of uncontrollable sobs surfaced but was quickly swallowed back.
Timani lowered her hand, letting her long red hair cover her ears, suppressing her self-loathing as she patted her cheeks to boost her spirits.
“Calm down… don’t let it affect you… as long as I win this match… with so many nobles from different countries present… the elders will definitely hear about it… I can go back home this time… absolutely, but…”
But…
Can I really win?
Timani just witnessed the battle of the Demon Princess with her own eyes.
She couldn’t step onto the arena herself, but the kind of magic pressure that felt like a raging storm made even the fearless bloodline of the fire dragon clan instinctively warn her to flee.
【Desert】【Purgatory】【Rapid】【Wind Demon】【Extreme Cold】
Each of these five types of magic, taken individually, is not unusual.
But when one person can simultaneously manipulate all five entirely different magical attributes, and each attribute remains absolutely stable without any signs of going out of control…
That is quite an extraordinary thing.
Amateurs watch the excitement, while professionals look at the details.
As far as Timani knew, even the monstrous elders of the fire dragon clan could only manipulate up to four types of magic at the same time…
Not to mention, the final release of the 【Desert】 had such power and effect.
If the other magic that was canceled midway had similar strength, Timani couldn’t imagine the level of existence that the magic caster must be.
“Six-winged demons… are they really this powerful…? If so… how did the fire dragon clan and divine races drive them to the corners of the continent?”
The more she thought about it, the more incomprehensible it became.
But the more she thought… the more she felt her arms trembling with excitement…
The more powerful the Demon Princess is… the more significant it would be if I could achieve victory…!
Defeating an ordinary opponent would not earn the recognition of her clan.
But if she could directly defeat the Demon Princess, everything would have a chance!
And this could be the last and only opportunity.
However… if I want to win, it may require a desperate fight…
Timani looked down at her clasped hands, gripping tightly as flames flickered around her.
She also had her trump card—a guaranteed killing blow.
It’s fine…
As long as I can go home, everything is worth it.
Whatever they say about me not being able to achieve merit and only bringing disaster… let those words go to hell!
Timani patted her skirt and stood up.
Then she remembered that before facing the Demon Princess, her next opponent seemed to be a girl named “Xila”?
Hmm… not quite clear what her capabilities are, but she shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with, right?
It seemed she had been quickly defeating weaker opponents in her previous matches, but that doesn’t prove anything.
Alright, anyway, I’ll step onto the arena first; thinking more won’t help.
Since I’m from the fire dragon clan, all I can do is face my opponent head-on.
The long skirt swayed with a rustling sound, the high temperature in the waiting room calmed, returning to normal.
Amidst the applause and cheers, Timani stepped onto the battlefield.
………………………………….
The Little Holy Sword was now very active; she thought the Gladiatorial Arena was truly an interesting place!
Being able to stretch her limbs after being reborn and make money for Lady Xue Fei while making her happy—it was such a double benefit!
The only drawback was that all the opponents she had encountered so far were relatively mediocre… completely unworthy of her battle spirit.
Well, if one must be content, then let’s not complain about this!
“Hehe… I will definitely win this round quickly; when I reach the finals, I’ll let Lady Xue Fei beat me up good!”
“Hey… I’m not in the mood to scold you right now, so please don’t rush to get scolded.”
Xue Fei was listless, contemplating whether she should really hit Belis when they faced off in her semi-final.
If she decides not to hit her, Belis is too arrogant, even secretly manipulating the draw to put her against Xue Fei, which is quite annoying.
If she does hit her, Mother Queen said she must get along well with her today, so hitting her would definitely lead to reprimanding from Mother Queen.
So if that’s the case, isn’t it a deadlock?!
As if playing a drum, she rhythmically tapped Xialetla’s forehead, conveying this to her.
“And you can’t be certain you’ll make it to the finals; you might even get beaten up this round.”
“That’s not acceptable. If anyone besides you hits me, I’ll fight back fiercely and never yield.”
“Look at you, being so dramatic over a match!”
Xiya inched closer to Xue Fei, interrupting their “mother-daughter” quirky conversation and leaned in to whisper in Xue Fei’s ear.
“Xue Fei, do you mean that Xialetla might lose to Timani? Is that possibility… real?”
“Whether it exists or not… you… just move a bit over there!”
Seriously, can you not blow air at me when you’re leaning in to talk?
I told you not to do that, yet you say it wasn’t on purpose; it’s clearly intentional!
My ears aren’t balloons; blowing air won’t make them swell up.
The tips of Xiya’s golden hair brushed against her earlobes as Xue Fei rubbed her ears protectively and closed her left eye to respond.
This was not only for Xiya but also for Xialetla.
“One can’t only look at the superficial difference in power. If we’re talking about fighting capability, Xialetla definitely has the upper hand over Timani. But… I have a feeling that this fire lizard has prepared quite a bit for this match; otherwise, she wouldn’t have needed to participate again after being chased off last time, right? She might have some trump card!”
“Trump card? I’m not afraid of trump cards! I just want to slash, slash, slash…! Um!”
“Don’t say anything yet; let me give you a strategy.”
Xue Fei covered Xialetla’s mouth, feeling her small tongue might have licked her palm, causing her to quickly withdraw her hand, smack her on the head lightly, and then lean in to whisper some secret strategies into Xialetla’s ear.
As Xue Fei explained, Xialetla’s expression gradually enlightened.
“Oh… I see… Alright! Don’t worry, Lady Xue Fei!”
“Besides, you must ensure not to slash too much; hold back a bit. I always felt Timani is a well-mannered fire lizard; she doesn’t deserve this.”
“Understood!”
The loudspeaker’s reminders echoed a second time; it was already the second call.
【Xialetla, please take your position. Is Xialetla present? Please come to the arena promptly.】
“Hurry and go,” Xue Fei patted her back to give her strength. “You see, you’re so short; if the barrier blocks you, the announcer won’t be able to see you. Don’t make it difficult for them.”
“Mm-mm! You’re short, too!”
“Get lost!”
“Yes! I’m going now!”
If Xue Fei hadn’t helped her straighten up, Xialetla might really have taken her word and rolled away obediently.
As the Little Holy Sword hummed a victory tune, bouncing towards the battlefield, Xiya curiously asked.
“What did you just say to her, Xue Fei?”
“Oh, it’s nothing much; just teaching her some strategies. You’ll understand when the match starts~ This crazy pervert is quite capable, but she’s straightforward and lacks strategy. This works against weak opponents, but it’s easy to be ambushed by strong ones, you know.”
“That makes sense…”
“Mm?”
Xiya didn’t say much more.
But after sitting back down, it was clear she was a bit distracted.
Xue Fei naturally noticed this detail.
Seeing Xialetla and Timani step onto the gladiatorial arena platform…
Xue’s peripheral vision caught Xiya frequently turning her head at high speed towards her and then quickly away.
I can’t hold it in anymore!
“Xiya? What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing.”
“Still saying nothing? My eyes can pierce through illusions. Although I’m not deploying my eyes, I can still see through you. Stare…”
“Um… it’s really nothing… I just feel a bit…”
“A bit…?”
Xiya lowered her voice, turning her head away as if dealing with her awkward feelings.
“Um… I’ve never been taught this by Xue Fei… I’m just a bit envious of Xialetla…”
“……”
Alright, my bad; I shouldn’t have asked you.
If you think about it, Xiya, why are you even a hero?
In terms of magic power and fighting skills, you shouldn’t be much worse than me, right?!
Is there anything I can teach you?
On the contrary, I actually want to ask you about the “fighting techniques” you used on me in bed so I can counterattack, but unfortunately, I don’t have the guts to ask.
The match was about to start.
Just then…
Xue Fei’s tone suddenly became a bit lower.
“Xiya, someone is coming.”
“I know; are they coming towards us?”
“Probably, but it’s hard to say. No threat.”
“Don’t be careless; it’s better to be cautious.”
Only with strong perception and a considerable level of understanding can this kind of efficient conversation be achieved.
Both of them glanced towards the steps leading up to the VIP viewing area.
Over there… a person clad in a gilded long cloak was walking towards them.
At first glance, it was hard to determine their identity.
But the golden cross emblem representing ecclesiastical authority on their cloak and the crescent-shaped adornment around their neck clearly indicated their background.
As they passed by the railing in front of Xiya and Xue Fei, they casually reached into their cloak to take out an envelope.
The movement was smooth and uninterrupted, placing the envelope at the edge of the steps not far from the two.
Without pausing a single moment or uttering a word, the figure continued onward, their hood lowered, the crescent-shaped adornment jingling as they moved.
Xiya frowned and stood up, wanting to stop them to ask what was going on, but Xue Fei pressed her hand down to stop her.
“Don’t ask; that’s just a messenger. Even if you stop them to ask, it would be a waste of time.”
—Because what they had to say was already placed right there.
Xue Fei’s gaze went to the exquisitely crafted envelope lying quietly on the ground.
On the seal, there was the same golden cross emblem.
Given that… it goes without saying who this envelope is meant for.
On the high platform, the authority of the Pope.
Quiet as stone, hidden waves.
Xue Fei casually cast 【Gravity Magic】, causing the envelope to tremble twice before it flew into her hand steadily.
“It seems… the other party is a bit impatient.”
