The arena in Kael's city was named Valmere Crest. It was directly named after the first city lord who served under the first King of the Palmera Kingdom.
That large colosseum was very popular in the city, used regularly for large-scale duels or competitions.
Today, the city was bustling with a charged atmosphere. People crowded the Valmere Crest, eager to watch the Glorious generation fight and determine the strongest.
Kael was among this generation, and only people within the age of ten to fifteen were allowed to participate.
"This Golden generation is rumored to be the best there has ever been in the city."
Someone whispered to another, their eyes shining.
"Of course! All the heirs of the noble families are in this generation. That's why they're called Golden." Another explained.
"Including that Veyren family? I heard that their first son is a monster."
"A monster? Hmph! That's just some rumor. He definitely can't be better than Young Master Klein from the Dalem Noble House."
"Perhaps you're right. The Dalem are the closest to the Fourth Prince of Palmera Royal family."
"Speaking of which, there's news that…"
While discussion sparked among the citizens, the Golden generation kids were ushered in with the sound of trumpets. Each child was escorted by a guardian.
Several kids from different backgrounds were mixed together. Some were from noble families and their affiliations, while the majority had normal backgrounds.
Kael stood among them, his butler just a step behind him. He had a calm and focused expression on his face. Unlike the other kids who were unnerved or anxious, his emotions were stable.
'There is no need to worry over something that will eventually come.'
The host climbed onto the stage, welcoming the crowd that had filled the spectator seats.
"Today, Valmere City ushers its 15th generation of talents!" He yelled, voice accentuated by magic. "Today, we test them all, and determine who is the strongest! The one with greatest strength in this city! This alone is the greatest honor!"
The crowd cheered, their synched voices echoing in the stadium. As the chaos slowly settled, the two opposite doors that led into the stage slowly opened, revealing nothing but darkness.
"Now! Our first contestants in this competition are Thomas Gray—a First Grade mage and Lucad Mehn—a First Grade mage!"
A small figure stepped out from each door, clad in normal clothes. They looked young, around eleven or twelve years old. The crowd didn't cheer much, since both kids were from normal backgrounds.
"Let us have the first match…" the Host raised a hand. "… Begin!"
As soon as his hand was brought down, both kids attacked. Thomas did hand signs, creating a magic circle as fast as he could.
He was faster than Lucad, already shooting a fireball while the other was still preparing his spell.
Lucad's eyes widened and he immediately dispelled the spell he was constructing for evasion.
The fireball scorched his former position, sending a wave of heat to reach his skin.
With his hands on the ground, he did a few signs, then summoned an earth wall. It blocked the remaining fireballs, giving him enough time to construct a more complex spell.
From the magic circle, a volley of water arrows were shot out. Some struck the fireballs, snuffing them out instantly.
Thomas's expression hardened, and he did his best to dodge the water arrows. Still, a few grazed his arm and side, drawing blood.
"Ugh…"
Wincing, he tightened the muscles around the wound, temporarily stopping blood flow. Determination flashed in his eyes, and he shot several fireballs at Lucad.
The boy calmly hid behind an earth wall, waiting until Thomas ran out of mana.
'That'd be soon. He must be a fool, wasting mana like that!'
A smug smile appeared on his face, confident in his own victory.
Suddenly he heard gasps from the crowd, then he felt the heat crank up. Noting something was off, he turned around to check what Thomas was doing.
He was met by a huge fireball spanning meters, shooting straight at him.
"What?!"
Shocked, he instinctively strengthened his earth wall as much as he could before impact. Then…
Boom!
The fireball struck, directly destroying the wall and sending Lucad flying. Healers quickly appeared on the stage, carrying the half-scorched Lucad away. Thankfully, he had only suffered small burns and nothing serious.
"Aaaannndddd… the winner for this round is… THOMAS!"
The host grinned, his announcement bringing cheers from the crowd. Although the battle had been short, most people enjoyed the unexpected move that sealed the battle.
Looking tired and drained of his mana, Thomas was escorted back into the waiting room.
Kael had watched the fight calmly from the waiting rooms. He studied each fighter, their weakness, strength, and fighting pattern.
'Thomas is aggressive but smart. He immediately uses his trump card as soon as he realizes that the battle would only drag on. Unlike him, Lucad is very conservative and wants to avoid confrontation. He's looking forward to wearing the enemy out.'
"Next up is Natalie Ship—a First Grade mage and Simone Miles—a First Grade mage. Start!"
He looked up, seeing that another battle had started. The two kids were faster, better than the previous two. They fought with tactics, giving each other tough times with no one landing a solid hit even after ten minutes.
Majority of the crowd had gotten bored, but some still looked on with interest. Kael's eyes narrowed, as if expecting something.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Simone sprouted stems that wrapped around his arms and legs. Immobilized, he could only watch as Natalie pressed a water arrow to his throat.
"I surrender!"
After he gave up, Natalie was declared the winner, and she returned to the waiting room. The matches continued in this order, with the normal or average kids battling each other.
Some matches were interesting, while others were utterly boring or stupid. Even then, the atmosphere remained charged, as everyone was anticipating the battle between the noble family heirs.
Finally, the host called a name that immediately attracted attention.
"… Klein Dalem—a Third Grade mage and Saya Merox—a Second Grade mage!"