BXBX NOVEL Chapter 86 Son Of A Betrayer
"Hm? Someone messaged me."
Shirley gripped her Transmission Talisman, and infused her Mana to it. She quickly found that it was Nicholas. He said there was something urgent, and she needed to go home.
Shirley frowned her forehead. Since Basil\'s banishment from her house, her relationship with her father had been distant. It wasn\'t only with her father, but also her mother.
Each of them was busy with their own things. Therefore, Shirley slept at Basil\'s manor more often than at her house for the last four months. Surely, sometimes Julia would also crash over at Basil\'s manor to accompany her.
Julia noticed the frowning Shirley, and couldn\'t help but asking, "What is it, Shirley?"
Shirley had been rarely frowning lately as she got to spend her time with her brother. Therefore, seeing Shirley frowning, Julia was curious.
"It\'s my father."
"Oh... What happens?"
"I don\'t know. He just told me to come home."
Julia creased her forehead. Shirley had opened up to her not long ago about how the relationship between Basil and her parents collapsed. Favoritism was common in a family. However, doing it to such extent. wasn\'t healthy.
Therefore, Julia held no respect toward Shirley\'s parents. Surely, she didn\'t say that blatantly in front of Shirley\'s face. It would disrespectful of her.
"So, are you going home now?"
"I think so..."
"Why are you hesitating?"
"If it\'s so urgent.. why didn\'t my father tell Brother to also come?"
"Shirley, I will be honest..." Julia looked at Shirley squarely in the eyes. Exhaling deeply, she continued, "Your father is a jerk." Shirley was so shocked that her mouth was left gaping. In the other hand, Julia smiled wryly.
Luckily, the awkward situation didn\'t last long as Shirley nodded her head, showing her support over Julia\'s opinion.
"Yeah. I can\'t refute that."
"The fact that you also agree with me is awesome."
Shirley looked at Julia in her eyes, and the latter also did the same. They stared at each other for some time, before laughing among themselves.
"Alright, then. I guess I have to go," Shirley sighed in exasperation. Julia sympathized her, and patted her back, "Cheer up, girl! I will be there to accompany your charming brother in your stead!" The gaze she got from Shirley was unsettling.
However, Julia wasn\'t bothered. She was used to it already. She might be afraid of that at first. However, she had already grasped that Shirley wasn\'t even aware doing that. In the other words, Shirley wasn\'t aware of her infatuation with her brother yet.
"Huuh... Just don\'t fool around with my brother."
"Chill, girl. If I hadn\'t known Senior Basil, I would have thought he swung that way."
"..."
Shirley could hardly refute that. Even worse, she had almost thought Basil had no interest in human. She knew many girls in the academy had confessed to her brother. She even knew her classmates who had confessed to her brother.
Despite so, everytime her brother was confessed to, his answer was always the same, "If you have time to think about love life, you should use that time to improve your mastery." He would always answer them in disinterest.
Still, that didn\'t become the reason she had ever thought her brother had no interest in human.
Her brother had also been confessed to boys! She had been also shocked when she had found that out. Surely, her brother\'s response at that time had been the same too. The notion of her brother swung that way had been instantly discarded.
In return, after that day, Shirley had thought her brother had no interest in human. However, it had been quickly proven wrong, after she observed how caring her brother toward her.
"Huuh..." Sighing to herself, Shirley threw her gaze at Basil. "I really want to see the award ceremony," she lamented. Now that she had to go home, she wouldn\'t be able to watch Basil receiving his medal. She was really sad.
However, she couldn\'t just disobey her father. She needed to get home. Standing up from her seat, she was about to tell Irene to convey her farewell to Basil, when Irene also stood up too.
"Irene...?"
"I will accompany you, Shirley."
"No, no, no. You don\'t need to! I know you want to witness Brother\'s award ceremony."
"It is alright, my girl. Seeing him win the tournament is already enough for me."
"But—"
"Danzel, I will need your help to say my farewell to Young Master."
Shirley was quickly cut by Irene who was determined to accompany her. Danzel looked up in surprise. However, he soon nodded his head.
"Okay. I will tell Basil later. Where do you want to go, though?"
"We are going to the Cobham Manor."
"You are going to that place?" Danzel asked in surprise. Squinting his eyes, he said seriously to Irene, "Be careful. Basil wouldn\'t like anything to happen to both of you." In response, Shirley and Irene nodded their heads.
They had heard enough from Clarissa and Danzel how Basil had dealt with the people who had bothered them.
"Very well, we will be leaving."
"Just be careful!"
"We will."
With Irene in tow, Shirley left the arena. Surely, they planned to collect the money from the bet they won.
Looking at the disappearing back of Irene and Shirley, Danzel put his hand to his chest. He tried his best to calm his uneasy heart. He was sure Irene was feeling that too. Therefore, she had been adamant to accompany Shirley.
Gazing at Basil, he prayed in his heart, "May there be nothing will happen." He was afraid of what Basil would do if something were to happen.
...
Every participants who manged to survive until the end were lined up in the arena. Out of the originally 38 participants, only 26 managed to survive. Even so, most of the people still thought that Fairfax had died.
"Brother Basil, congratulations! You win the tournament!" Xiu Li said that loudly, however no one scolded him. He merely stated a fact. Despite how bitter it was, they had no choice but to accept it.
In the other hand, Basil was as calm as ever. "Hm," he responded simply.
[This year\'s Regional Tournament will be officially concluded after the award ceremony.]
[Before the award ceremony is started, may we thank the committee who has supported the tournament to the best they could.]
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Like usual, before the event was concluded, a few acts were committed for the sake of formality. Everyone was used to it, thus they went with the flow.
[As the responsible person of this tournament, greet our Randalvine Magic Institute\'s Vice Headmaster, Master Caster Lawson Lansdowne!]
The crowd erupted in cheer. Although they had seen Lawson after Basil\'s Battle with Kinsey, it didn\'t diminish their enthusiasm in the least. Furthermore, there were still many of them who didn\'t know Lawson as Randalvine Magic Institute\'s Vice Headmaster.
Looking at the surviving participants, Lawson\'s eyes fell on Basil. His eyes lit up in fascination. Although the boy had shown them many incredible things, he was sure the boy hadn\'t shown his all.
"Thank you for giving your best to reach this point. So many people participated, yet so many people fell in the process. Being one of the people standing here makes you one of the best youths in our beloved Kingdom," Lawson spoke sagely.
Most of the surviving participants, who had witnessed the lunacy happening in this tournament, clenched their fists. They had gone this far, and they had done their best to survive.
They had thought the Selection Stage had been the end of the lunacy. Therefore, they had been shocked that the tournament itself was the lunacy itself. Just like Lawson said, just by standing here, they already became one of the best youths in Braxtein Kingdom.
Therefore, they didn\'t have to feel shame for their cowardly way to survive.
"Still, being one of the best doesn\'t ensure your survival in this competitive environment. Therefore, you have to overcome your weakness, and improve yourself," Lawson continued.
"Enough with the speech. We will proceed the award ceremony immediately. However, I will not be the one who give you the award." Lawson smiled, before continuing, "Greet our Randalvine Magic Institute\'s Headmistress, Master Summoner Jacinda!"
As the declaration was uttered, so came the expected person. A beautiful woman in her late twenties appeared from behind Lawson. Her long dark blue hair was swept by the wind, and billowed in the air graciously.
Lawson stepped back, and let Jacinda stood in front of him. Standing at 174 centimeters tall, her fit build and upright posture exuded might and pride. Staring at the people sharply, her long eyelashes fluttered whenever she blinked her eyes.
"Congratulations for reaching this far. I am Jacinda, the one who will reward the winners of this year\'s Regional Tournament."
Everyone kept their silence. No one dared to interrupt Jacinda. Her voice was soft, yet stern. Everyone felt a faint oppression from her voice alone. That proved how powerful of a Mage she was.
Jacinda. A Master Summoner. Meanings, a Seventh Circle Mage. Her genius was known throughout the whole Kingdom. At the age of 28, she could already achieve the height that most Mages could only dream of.
She had rejected every offer the Kingdom had given her to be a Noble. She was a dedicated, and diligent Mage. She didn\'t care about worldly matters. Nothing could beat her fascination toward Magic.
"I will call each of the winner, and you may step forward," Jacinda said. Everyone nodded, and Jacinda exclaimed, "Kimberley Bulmer!" Said person, who had just regained her consciousness not long ago, stepped forward.
"Congratulations for achieving third place. As a woman myself, I am glad to see such a bright young woman like you become one of the winners of this tournament." Jacinda put the bronze medal on Kimberley\'s neck, then shook her hand.
Kimberley was touched. However, she didn\'t know how to react. She didn\'t think she was worth the praise. Therefore, she could only smile wryly, before bowing her head in embarrassment.
Jacinda noticed it, and whispered to her, "Don\'t worry, you are a great Mage. Your opponents are just abnormal." Kimberley raised her head in surprise, before bursting in tears. She was so touched at the fact that finally someone could appreciate her.
Jacinda merely patted her shoulder, before giving her one Spatial Bracelet. "Along with the reward, you are also guaranteed a direct admission to our Randalvine Magic Institute!" Jacinda declared.
The crowd cheered, and clapped their hands. The arena turned rowdy once again. To be admitted to Randalvine Magic Institute, one needed to pass a test that had only 10% of passing rate. To be rewarded a direct admission was an opportunity that any young Mages envied.
Kimberley stepped aside, and Jacinda called the next person, "Wei Xiu Li!" Said person stepped forward, before bowing his head at Jacinda. "Congratulations for achieving second place. You have proven those who think lowly of you wrong."
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"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn Magic."
Jacinda merely smiled at that. She gave Xiu Li a Spatial Bracelet, and the same direct admission to Randalvine Magic Institute. Xiu Li stepped aside, before standing beside Kimberley. Looking ahead, he was anticipating the next person to be called forward.
"Basil Pacifer!"
The crowd instantly went crazy when Basil stepped forward. With Deacon latched on to his shoulder, Basil stood in front of Jacinda. Due to his height, he easily towered over her.
"Congratulations for achieving first place." Jacinda gestured Basil to lower his head so she could put the medal on him. However, the latter didn\'t have any intention to comply. Instead, Deacon lowered his head, ready to receive the medal.
"This is... I need put this on you, not your Companion." Basil quirked an eyebrow at her, and answered simply, "He is also a part of me. Putting it on him is the same as putting it on me. As a Summoner yourself, you must be agree with me."
Jacinda opened her mouth, only to find no words coming out. She couldn\'t refute Basil\'s words. Shaking her head softly, she put the gold medal on Deacon\'s neck. The latter was ecstatic as he raised his head proudly, and posed as mighty as his cute form could.
"In addition to the reward of this tournament. I will personally give you this." Jacinda gave Basil a Spatial Bracelet, and a Spatial Ring. Raising his eyebrow in interest, Basil gazed at Jacinda right in the eyes.
"I will keep the fact you are cheating to myself," the latter winked her eyes and smiled in mischief.
Basil snorted softly in amusement, before stepping aside to stand in the middle of Kimberley and Xiu Li. Jacinda turned her attention to the crowd, and clasped her hand.
"Applauses for the winners!"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Thus, the Regional Tournament was concluded.