As Celitia spoke these words, all the red and blue team members who were still fighting completely stopped their struggles.

The flag broken in two and their commander captured announced the red team's complete defeat.

The red team members' emotions instantly plummeted to rock bottom.

Yes, with such a huge advantage at the start, it seemed like they could win even playing with their feet—who could have imagined it would end up like this?

They had fallen into traps from the very beginning, becoming like marionettes controlled by their opponents, with every step under the enemy's calculations.

Could such an enemy really be defeated...

Thinking this, the red team members were extremely dejected.

As for the blue team members' feelings, rather than joy, it was more shock and disbelief.

From the moment they learned their side only had half the participants of the enemy, the blue team members basically all believed their side was doomed to lose.

The strategies Celitia proposed sounded both crazy and fantastical.

The blue team members didn't think these strategies could possibly work.

Who knew they would actually succeed.

If not for knowing about the bet between Margaret and Celitia, the blue team members might even think the two were cooperating in some kind of performance.

"Amazing!"

Someone was the first to shout, and then all the team members gathered around Celitia.

Celitia held the flag, sensing something was wrong, and hurriedly stepped back, asking warily:

"What do you want to do?"

But Sophia immediately understood what her team members meant.

She smiled and circled behind Celitia, and while the girl wasn't paying attention, suddenly lifted her up horizontally.

"Hey, Sophia—"

Celitia only felt everything spinning suddenly, her body falling out of control into an embrace, then her entire person was thrown high into the air.

"Victory belongs to us!"

Sophia's laughter echoed through the forest, followed immediately by thunderous cheers.

"Victory belongs to us—!!"

Celitia was tossed up and down by Sophia and the excited team members, feeling like her lunch was about to be jolted out of her stomach.

She said helplessly: "That's enough!"

Under Celitia's strong protest, Sophia finally put her down.

Rebecca and Linda followed behind Shanie, walking anxiously to Celitia's front.

Both had registered for the red team, and only reluctantly agreed to be spies after Shanie's repeated persuasion.

Originally, Rebecca and Linda hadn't held much hope, just wanting to use this action to regain some favorability with Sophia.

Who could have thought they would actually win?

Even now, Rebecca and Linda still felt like they were in a dream.

"S-sorry! We said some very harsh things before..."

The two bowed deeply to Celitia, apologizing for what they had said on the first day of school.

Celitia hadn't taken that day's events to heart at all, and shook her head upon hearing this.

"There's nothing to apologize for. Rather, I should be thanking you. The work you undertook was both dangerous and difficult, but very important."

The girl's voice was calm and gentle, as if filled with some kind of convincing magic.

"So, thank you for your hard work, Rebecca, Linda."

Getting Celitia's acknowledgment, both felt warmth in their chests.

The previous resentment had long been cast to the winds.

"You're really amazing," Rebecca eagerly asked, "those incredible arrangements—how did you think of them?"

"Yes, yes! I want to know too!!"

The others also began asking in a babel of voices.

"Ah, that..."

Celitia began seriously considering whether she should tell them stories about the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

While the participating students were celebrating enthusiastically, the spectators weren't idle either.

Magical formations had been set up at fixed positions including both flags, mountain strongholds, and certain necessary routes.

Therefore, the nobles who weren't physically present could see most of the competition's proceedings.

Of course, those able to spectate were all important figures among the nobility, such as Her Majesty Queen Marianne, His Grace Duke Augustus, and Her Ladyship Countess Meilenn, among others.

When Colton ended the light screen showing the transmitted images, the spectating nobles' faces became extremely colorful.

From the competition's start, Marianne had been constantly worried, even feeling anxious several times during the process.

Only now did she completely relax, a relieved smile blooming at her lips.

Celitia's strategies and methodical arrangements.

Sophia's complete trust and strong execution.

If the two could continue to trust each other mutually and support one another like this, then whether as a mother or as Queen of Lansca, Marianne could rest assured.

While Marianne smiled here, Augustus's mood had reached rock bottom.

The reason was simple—the person who lost completely was his daughter.

Augustus wasn't someone who couldn't accept defeat.

Having held power until now, Augustus had experienced all kinds of upheavals, so naturally a small competition didn't concern him.

It's just that Margaret had expended so much effort in pre-competition preparation, acting smugly as if victory was assured.

But once on the field, Margaret was played around completely, toyed with from beginning to end.

The loss was too ugly.

Thinking this, Augustus's expression grew even darker, black as the bottom of a pot.

The scene was completely silent.

With the two leaders not speaking, other nobles of slightly lower status didn't dare open their mouths either.

"A very spectacular match, absolutely breathtaking."

The first to break this silence was Countess Meilenn.

She had maintained that thoughtful expression for quite a long time.

The competition proceedings they had witnessed weren't complete, but they made Meilenn feel somewhat familiar.

"This reminds me of that classic battle at Stertborg... do you all remember?"

Meilenn was referring to the battle ten years ago when the Kingdom of Lansca sent troops to invade the Kingdom of York, attempting to take Stertborg.

It was the same kind of feinting and deception, calculating human psychology, fighting many with few, dragging out Lansca's army for half a year until they were finally forced to withdraw.

The strategies used might not be identical, but this combat style reminded Meilenn of someone.

The Battle of Stertborg was precisely Sercis's famous campaign.

Sercis had emerged in this battle, rapidly climbing upward to become the Kingdom of Lansca's greatest enemy.

Hearing Meilenn's words, Duke Augustus's face sank to the bottom.

Margaret's failure to recruit Celitia and instead becoming enemies with her already made Duke Augustus quite displeased.

More troublesome was the possibility that Celitia might be as terrifying an enemy as Sercis...

"Now that you mention it, there are indeed some similarities."

Marianne spoke gently, agreeing with Meilenn's words.

"But fortunately, she is our talent."

With Marianne's final word, everyone present, regardless of their inner thoughts, could only show relieved smiles in compliance.

"Goddess bless..."