Ye Muo breathed a sigh of relief now that the cameras had turned away. The view from the leader platform was quite expansive. It was almost shocking to survey the arena from high above.
The competition was still ongoing. Waves of cheers continued to echo from the audience boxes.
But as yet another match came to an end and Ye Muo glanced at Norton for the umpteenth time…
Norton turned to him and said, “Don’t pay it too much attention. You can take a nap.”
His tone was not much different from usual, “The results have already been determined.”
Secretary-General Lin stood just under the raised platform for the seats, placing him slightly lower than Ye Muo. He too bowed and said, “Please let me know if there is anything you need, Your Little Highness.”
Blankets, for example.
Ye Muo made a sound of acknowledgement.
The host’s voice traveled up from below: [Please welcome our next contestant, Bert Grantz!]
Bert was already at the entrance to the arena when Ye Muo turned around. He was working out the kinks in his wrist as he approached the stage, skipping the lift and jumping straight up. He landed in a slightly crouch. He lazily straightened up, like a giant lion that had just finished stretching and even shaking out its mane.
This simple action seemed to ignite the entire arena. The already enthusiastic cheers from the audience rose to an all-time fervour.
Which Bert accepted without any hesitation.
The next few matches were a whirlwind of fast-paced, dazzling spectacles. Bert was clearly showing off his mane, claws and terrifying bite.
Bert had jammed his sword, scabbard and all, into the platform from the very start.
He chased the mecha around like a lion would prey fleeing for their lives. When he casually hopped onto their shoulders, the impact would drive the mecha sharply to one side, causing them to crash heavily into the platform.
The next second, Bert lightly alighted on the hilt of his sword.
He squatted down, his eyes glistening like a big cat under the endless choir of cheers. “Is this enough to satisfy you all?”
He straightened. “How pitiful.”
The audience immediately exploded. This provocation was like a spark on the edge of an oiled pan, igniting everything within reach.
Even the host couldn’t help but let out a low growl before quickly exclaiming: [Bert Grantz is showing the world his power!]
The name of his next opponent soon popped up on the main screen– Noah Grantz.
The host calmed down a bit. [The next opponent is also from Grantz. One of them is likely to abstain like before, Noah Grantz most likely. This contestant isn’t as well-known as Bert to the public. We’re more familiar with the name the other Grantz call him– Ano. However, his performance in the resource tournament has shown his– wait. Everyone, Noah Grantz has decided to fight!]
Ano’s figure emerged from the passageway, pushing the audience even more over the edge.
He rushed forward at lightning speed, evidently eager to start fighting.
Before the Alliance could even react, before the laser net in the center could even engage, Ano landed on the platform right where Bert was standing.
Bert quickly launched into a backflip, dislodging his sword with a kick and grabbing it in midair.
Meanwhile, Ano landed with an ear-ringing bang. Another visible crater appeared on the elevated platform.
Bert’s tone remained light as he stepped back. “Seems like my Noah is very angry today. Tell Dad what’s wrong, my foolish little son.”
Ano didn’t bother wasting his breath. Another loud bang soon followed.
……
On the leader platform, Secretary-General Lin pressed his earpiece before quietly telling Norton and Ye Muo a few seconds later, “Adlet sent word just now that His Highness Bert seems to have had a small argument with the other princes and princesses. Things are likely to get heated when they take the stage later as well.”
Norton made a sound of acknowledgement.
Ye Muo asked Secretary-General Lin in a soft voice, “Will they be okay?”
Secretary-General Lin adjusted his glasses with some concern. He had long grown accustomed to it, but the other Grantz rarely showed this side in front of Ye Muo, which was why the child took any conflicts to heart more often than not.
“Both of them should be fine. Adlet wanted you to rest assured of that. However, the swords they are wielding today are of high value. Repairs will not be easy.”
On stage, Ano and Bert clashed once more, sending countless fine pieces of debris flying in every direction. This was a showdown of pure might.
They showed no hesitation, tearing into each other like two fierce lions.
The audience couldn’t even keep up with their movements. All they saw was the occasional flash from light reflecting off their blades.
The host was excited beyond belief. [This is the most exciting match by far, right, folks?! I’m afraid the Alliance will have to replace the whole platform again after this! Surely the match has already started already?]
In the end, Bert and Ano threw their swords aside in tandem.
Bert seized Ano’s neck in a chokehold and threw him off the platform.
Then he tossed Ano’s sword down as well for good measure.
Ano tilted his head slightly. His sword jabbed into the ground right beside his cheek.
Bert peered at him over the edge of the platform. He covered his mouth with a hand and apologized insincerely, “My bad. My hand slipped.”
Ano stood up and launched his sword back up like a projectile in response. “Your hand slipped?? Screw you!”
Bert straightened up. “You’re going to make Secretary-General Lin cry if you throw it away like that.”
“Shut up!”
It took the host a few seconds to react. [Bert Grantz wins!]
[So cool! The aesthetics of violence on full display! I wouldn’t mind a few more rounds like this, to be honest. The Grantz are really strong. I thought Bert was just being a jerk when he made those disparaging comments from before.]
[Although it was thrilling to watch and certainly the highlight of the past couple of days, are we sure there’s not some sort of enmity between them? Even an unarmoured Orca was given more consideration when being thrown from the platform. If Ano wasn’t Bert’s biological youngest son, I would really think they were actually mortal enemies.]
[What? Ano is Bert’s youngest son?? I knew they were related somehow, but are they actually father and son?!]
[Were you living under a rock until now? Their familial relationship is ancient news at this point. Although why Norton succeeded the throne instead of Bert is still a mystery, Bert is definitely his father. One more source of fuel for the conspiracy theorists. Who knows? I think more information will come out after the tournament. It would be hard to hide conflicts among such an exceptional family. Conflicts, if there really are any, would be quite noticeable and intense, as we just saw.]
[This kind of strength should be heritable, right? Bert doesn’t seem to have any personal grudges right now. Maybe he was skipped over for being unsuitable? Although Norton doesn’t seem as strong, he does fit my impression of emperors to a T. Bert may be strong, but he gives off an unreliable feeling. By the way, do you guys stan Bert?]
[Nope. And it’s not because he’s not suitable, okay? Fine, maybe he is unsuitable. I’m not going to bother explaining. In any case, saying His Majesty Norton isn’t strong is the most hilarious thing I have ever heard.]
[? Do elaborate. Don’t leave us hanging!]
But soon, the discussions on the galactic network subsided as the competition continued
The host: [Bert’s next opponent has abstained. Let’s move on.]
The next few contestants also abstained, which was to be expected when their opponent was just too strong. It was wiser for teams to conserve their strength and strive for points elsewhere.
The host: [The next contestant has chosen to participate. Let’s welcome Helene Grantz to the stage!]
Helene’s entrance was just as dynamic as Ano’s. The cheers from the audience were no less enthusiastic than before.
Bert sighed as he dodged, “I’ll be genuinely hurt if all of my children are so unruly.”
He said, jabbing his knee mercilessly at Helene before he even finished speaking.
……
That evening at the Grantz base.
Ye Muo peered at each of the Grantz. They all seemed a bit scuffed up.
Adlet set down his tray and examined them discreetly. He soon came to his own conclusions. It seemed like His Highness Bert really went too far this time. Even Princess Aria and Prince Jacob got involved.
He looked at Bert, who just shrugged. “I’m glad they’ve grown up and made so much progress. Now, I have to use two hands to beat them. I miss those times where I could beat you guys with just one finger. Time really waits for no one.”
He sighed, “I sure am getting on in age.”
Ye Muo heard a collective scoff as soon as those words fell.
He turned back to the others.
Ano noticed and ruffled his hair. His cheek was still slightly bruised. “It’s just for the competition.”
Sitting across from him, Dylan made a sound of acknowledgement.
Even Helene had a slight mark on her chin. “It’s just for the competition.”
Adrian agreed. “Don’t worry about it, in any case.”
Jacob also nodded.
Ever the peacemaker, Aria clapped her hands. “Alright, alright. Let’s go have dinner.”
Ye Muo relaxed slightly. “Okay. It’s not good to fight.”
Ano was already making a ruckus in the channel Ye Muo was excluded from: [Look at that smug look on Bert’s face, Big Brother! He said he can beat us with just one hand! He’s clearly looking down on you!]
Helene was filled with righteous indignation. [That’s right! Beat him up, Big Brother!]
Bert immediately sobered up and clarified: [Don’t spread misinformation. I wasn’t talking about Norton.]
The channel started to get noisy again.
Norton pushed Ye Muo’s glass of milk closer to him. “Do you still want to go tomorrow?”
“I think it’s alright. It’s nice to spend time with you, Father…”
……
Ye Muo was about to fall asleep in bed when his eyes snapped open. “Theodore?”
[Yes, Xavier?]
Ye Muo woke up a bit more. Theodore’s reaction time seemed to be a bit slower than usual, perhaps by just a few milliseconds. However, that was already quite unusual for Theodore. Ye Muo was unusually straightforward for once in response.
“Where are you?”
Theodore: [No need to worry. I am walking down a path that will take me closer to you, Xavier.]
Ye Muo blinked and slowly settled down. Like Norton and the others, Theodore always managed to calm him down somehow. He seemed to innately trust Theodore to an inexplicable degree. “I believe you, Theodore, but don’t go too far away. I want you to be my side.”
A curtain of scattered light took form in Ye Muo’s room, floating through the air and falling on his blanket and hair.
Theodore transformed its data into psychic power. It knew Ye Muo perceived the world through this domain as well. On those nights in the Exile Sectors, this was how it reassured Ye Muo that it was still by his side.
[See? I am here.]
“En, you are. Don’t go too far then.”
Ye Muo closed his eyes with peace of mind and fell asleep.
