The rest of the day, Rita's group ran into plenty of apprentices from other academies, but not a single clash broke out.
The taunts, the face-slapping comebacks she'd imagined—none of it happened.
No one was following her script.
Fat Goose gave a dry comment. "You're last year's champion. Why would anyone pick a fight now? If they want to mock you, they'll wait until after they've beaten you."
Maple Syrup nodded. "Exactly. Talking big and then losing would just humiliate them."
Mistblade added, "Or they could wait until you lose on your own and then come rub it in. Smarter than provoking you now."
Motor chimed in, "Right, right. Even if you lose to someone else, that's still fair game."
Rita groaned. "Enough already… Change the subject."
She spent the entire day wandering Dalaran with her squad and didn't feel the slightest bit tired. Lightchaser and GodDraw77 had "kindly" made sure of that—forcing her to stop time, rest properly, then keep cranking out Scratch Cards after.
