hotmtlnovel Chapter 701 Playing One's Cards Correctly
Chapter 701 Playing One's Cards Correctly
A sense of gloom hung in the air at one of the tables in the grand halls of the illustrious Chateau Manor, where the Heroes' Banquet was underway.
Oriel could only clench his fists in frustration and humiliation, as none of his comrades spoke to him after his devastating defeat.
He wasn't the leader of the Fanfirians, but as second-in-command and their second-best duelist, his loss to the Valenzian priestess had truly shocked and disheartened the Fanfirian youngsters.
However, none of them dared to call Wendy a 'mere' priestess anymore.
Heck, none even had the courage to claim they could have done better than Oriel—not even their strongest duelist, Orca.
This was why none of them blamed him for the loss.
They were simply frustrated and saddened by their first defeat.
If there was anyone or anything to blame, it was the flawed plan.
Targeting the Valenzians had proven to be a poor idea, as from what it seemed, those bastards were even more terrifying than the Yon Augennians.
Orca knew they couldn't afford to stay in this mindset.
With a chance still ahead of them, he had to restore whatever morale he could and rally his comrades.
"Everyone, what happened to Oriel was quite unfortunate. However, it is what it is. No one could have expected that Valenzian priestess to be an absolute anomaly." the Fanfirian youth leader said, scanning his eyes over his demoralized comrades.
"The Yon Augennians have already suffered two losses, and the Valenzians have one as well. Plus, their last competitor doesn't appear to be one of their strongest. I should be able to secure a win for us."
Upon hearing their leader's words, a glimmer of hope sparked in the hearts of the Fanfirians.
Indeed!
They were only tied for first place with the Valenzians, so if they played their cards right, the coveted first-place rewards could still be theirs.
They just needed to carefully decide who Orca should challenge, as only a few remaining youngsters had yet to compete.
To make things even better for him, this choice would help restore some of Fanfir's reputation.
By picking the Yon Augennian as his opponent, it would appear that he was choosing the tougher path over the seemingly easier option of challenging the Valenzian.
It was the perfect play.
Only, it was Yon Augenn's turn to challenge someone, and should Aziel challenge him...
'Tch...I hope not...'
If only Orca could hear the Yon Augennian youths' plans, then his ears would be clapping in utter glee.
"Shin, can you honestly guarantee a win against the Valenzian? I need your true thoughts because losing would bring even more shame to us." Aziel whispered with a stern gaze, compelling the scout representative named Shin to speak with his heart.
"I'll be honest, Aziel. I'd much rather face that Fanfirian scout, Orca. We've sparred plenty of times, and while I've lost more than I've won, I've never gone all out against him. I like my chances with him more than with that unknown Valenzian warrior. Besides, I trust you'd handle that warrior better since you're a warrior yourself," Shin said sincerely, earning a nod of appreciation from Aziel.
There was no time for rivalry between them right now—they needed to focus on forcing a tie-breaker scenario, where Aziel could fight again to secure the top spot for their region.
"I appreciate the honesty, Shin. Let's do that, then. I'll fight the Valenzian while you fight the Fanfirian."
After discussing their strategy, the Yon Augennians turned to face their opponents with renewed confidence.
They were in a tough spot, but if they could turn things around, their mistakes would be forgiven and forgotten in a few years.
Stepping forward, Shin spoke loudly:
"I challenge Hattori Orca of Fanfir!"
Hearing this, the Fanfirian scout inwardly celebrated. This was the best-case scenario for them!
With visible eagerness, Orca stood up confidently.
"A great choice, Shin Ryujin of Yon Augenn! It's time for us to settle once and for all who the better scout is!"
As they approached the weapon rack, both scouts selected daggers, but Shin unexpectedly grabbed two instead of one, making Orca's heart skip a beat.