Many of the First-Year students smiled proudly as Elder Godwin Fraser's words settled over the arena.
For some of them, the Grand First-Year Combat Festival had ended far earlier than they had hoped.
Some had lost during the first round, others had managed to advance into the second round, only to find themselves facing opponents they could not overcome. As the rounds continued, more students were eliminated, and with every passing match, the number of First-Years still standing in the competition grew smaller.
Many had continued to lose.
A few had not even been given the chance to show the whole Kingdom the full extent of their abilities. They had entered the festival with expectations, hoping to demonstrate their strength and prove that the effort they had put into their Alchemy was worth something. Yet, before they could reveal everything they had prepared, their matches had already come to an end.
For some, the loss had been especially hard to accept.
