Andras nodded with satisfaction.
"A draw. Just as I expected."
Christina stared at the battlefield in disbelief.
"It really ended in a draw."
Anita folded her arms angrily.
"Damn it! That Hero is as tough as a magical cockroach."
Noelle let out a relieved breath.
"She doesn't seem injured. Just completely drained of mana."
Andras stood up.
"Ironclaw, Anita, Noelle. Pick Andrea up from the ground and take her to the changing room. We'll wake her there."
Noelle nodded.
"On it!"
The team immediately headed toward the arena floor.
The crowd was still celebrating.
One of the greatest duels in the Kingdom's history had ended —
and no one would ever forget it.
The royal healers rushed onto the battlefield the moment the two finalists collapsed.
After a quick examination, they sighed in relief:
No serious injuries —
only total mana exhaustion and a mutual knockout.
The audience finally breathed again.
Andrea Wolf was approached by Anita, Noelle, and Ironclaw.
They carefully lifted her from the ground and carried her off the field.
On the eastern stands, the Wolf Knights' supporters applauded their champion standing tall.
Their song had faded, but their pride still echoed through the Arena.
On the other side, John Scarlett reached his daughter.
He lifted Eris into his arms as if she were still the little girl he once trained.
The Royal Knights on the western stands applauded their Hero, standing as one.
Both sides had their champion.
The Wolf Knights' changing room
A few minutes later, Andrea was lying on a bed.
Noelle had just finished healing her.
Her mana was still at zero, but her body was completely fine.
Andrea slowly opened her eyes.
Noelle handed her a small vial.
"Drink this mana potion. It'll restore about ten percent of your mana. You'll feel better."
Andrea sat up and took a sip.
"Thanks. Hmm… this is good. Cherry flavor?"
Andras, leaning against the wall, smiled.
"Yeah. Noelle, Master Florian, and I make them together. Since I use a lot of them as a mage, I make sure they taste good — I flavor them with fruit."
Andrea already felt her head clearing.
"I feel better already. What happened? Did I lose?"
Anita grinned.
"It was a draw. You knocked each other out."
Ironclaw burst into loud laughter.
"With your fists! Hahaha! If you had claws like me, you would've ripped the Hero's head off!"
Noelle immediately snapped at her.
"And that's exactly why we didn't let you compete."
Andrea smiled.
"A draw, huh? Then my request is gone."
Andras shook his head.
"That's gone, yes — but Wolf Fang is still yours."
Anita leaned in instantly.
"And what was your wish going to be if you won?
Come on, tell your big sister."
Andrea's face turned bright red.
"It's… a secret."
Noelle giggled.
"Your face is so red it tells us everything."
Anita joined in.
"Yeah, that blush screams 'something naughty.'"
Noelle laughed.
"There's only one thing better than a legendary sword."
Anita shot back:
"Young Wolf's holy sword!"
Noelle:
"His holy staff!"
And Ironclaw finished it in her own style:
"You should regret not having claws, hahaha!"
The room filled with laughter.
Andrea's face was still red, but her eyes sparkled.
The finals had ended in a draw —
but their story was only just beginning.
The Royal Knight Tournament had come to an end.
The finals had no single winner — or perhaps the opposite was true: it had produced two.
The Kingdom had originally sought one knight worthy to stand beside Eris Scarlett in the Hero's Party.
But the answer was not one name.
It was two:
Eris Scarlett and Andrea Wolf.
The audience was still overwhelmed by the duel when the royal court began preparing the award ceremony.
John Scarlett and Arpad Wolf had already agreed beforehand:
they would present their legendary swords to their rightful heirs before the crowd and the King himself.
The Ceremony
Captain John Scarlett stepped onto the battlefield first.
In his hands he carried one of the greatest relics of the Kingdom:
Dragonslayer.
The crowd fell silent as he approached the Hero.
"Eris Scarlett — my daughter… and the Hero of the Kingdom.
Accept Dragonslayer, and lead the Kingdom in the war against the demons."
Eris took the sword and raised it high.
The western stands exploded in cheers.
Then Arpad Wolf stepped forward.
In his hands was the legendary blade of the Wolfwoods:
Wolf Fang.
"Andrea Wolf, pride of the Wolfwoods.
Accept Wolf Fang, and show the world the strength that dwells within the Wolf Knights."
Andrea took the sword and raised it as well.
The eastern stands roared in celebration.
The two legendary blades gleamed together in the sunlight.
The spectators nearly jumped out of their seats from excitement.
And then the rumor began to spread:
In this era, two Heroes had been born.
The Last Night of the Festival
After the finals, the festival reached its final day.
The entire capital celebrated — dancing, drinking, singing.
The Wolf Knights enjoyed themselves as well, even Andrea, as much as her mana exhaustion allowed.
The night was long, and the atmosphere unforgettable.
The next morning
The first rays of sunlight had barely touched the towers of the capital when Eris Scarlett was already awake.
As usual, she rose early — but this time she skipped her morning training.
She had something far more important to do.
Excited, almost running, she headed toward the Wolf Knights' lodging.
Only one thought filled her heart:
"Today I will ask Andrea and Young Wolf to join the Hero's Party."
The finals were over.
The Kingdom had celebrated.
And now the real mission was about to begin.
At the Wolfwood lodging
Eris hurried through the quiet streets.
The sun had barely risen, the city was silent, and the lingering haze of post‑festival hangovers still hung in the air.
"Maybe I came too early… it's not even seven yet.
No one's in the courtyard.
No guards either… strange.
Am I even at the right place?"
She knocked.
Nothing.
She knocked again.
Still nothing.
Then she practically started pounding on the door.
In the kitchen
Noelle was already up, and the smell of fresh pastries filled the kitchen as they baked in the stone oven.
Beside her, Daisy — the new young maid — watched the half‑elf's every movement with wide, curious eyes.
"I think someone's knocking," Daisy said.
"Some idiot is practically beating the door down," Noelle sighed.
"Who could it be?"
"Probably Christina. Or Floralys.
Or both. Considering how much they drank last night, it's a miracle they can even stand this early."
"Please open the door for them.
I can't leave the oven — the pastries will burn."
"Right away!"
Daisy ran off.