Amon couldn't help but smile as he watched Fenric take the limelight and soak in the adulation of the crowd. In [Bright], Fenric was nothing more than an afterthought, a broken piece whose potential failed to bloom due to the Demon Cult's nefarious schemes.

If Amon hadn't saved him a few years back, Fenric would have been wandering the lands hellbent on revenge. Eventually, he would lose his life in a meaningless battle before Leon had the chance to save him.

But the Fenric now was a completely different character.

Now, he was a Knight who defeated a champion. A Runic Monk whose strength could match that of any distinguished Knight and even take on a Greater Demon all on his own.

When Amon first started Eldorin, his goal was to gather those whose potential failed to bloom in [Bright], bringing them to the forefront of humanity and giving them a chance to defy the Demon Cult. And sure enough, the members didn't disappoint.

'Fenric is just the beginning.'

As the duel between the Knights drew to a thunderous close, the stadium did not quiet. Instead, the anticipation thickened, as though every soul sensed that something entirely different was about to unfold.

From the far gate emerged a woman who seemed to command the very air around her. Crimson hair cascaded down her back like ribbons of flame, while her piercing, ice-blue eyes cut through the sea of faces in the stands. A porcelain mask obscured half her visage, denying the world a glimpse of her full beauty, yet paradoxically magnifying her allure.

What little was revealed spoke of elegance and danger, as if divinity and enigma had fused into a single form. Each step she took was unhurried but purposeful, the stadium's light catching on the intricate embroidery of her dark, flowing robes.

Though thousands stared, Yeon was not diminished by their gaze. Instead, she seemed to draw strength from it. The immense pressure that radiated from her very being silenced even the rowdiest corners of the crowd. Conversations died on tongues; hearts raced faster. Yeon did not merely walk into the limelight. She owned it.

The stadium was hers, and every eye, willingly or not, bent to her dominion.

"Hoh, what presence! Now it's a bout between magicians! I'm curious to see what mages Eldorin has kept under wraps."

Jex Amaris, the Archmagister of the Realm, stirred in delight. After all, he was the Republic's top magician. While a Knight's duel was thrilling in its own right, his interest lay mainly in magic.

Hearing Jex's interest, Amon couldn't help but smile. Yeon was one of the earliest recruits of Eldorin, plucked from her despair of a fallen noble and moulded into one of the country's greatest ice mages. In [Bright], Yeon joined the Demon Cult as a Demonic human, albeit reluctantly.

Amon still remembered reading the story where Yeon single-handedly destroyed the Hyades Navy simply by freezing the entire bay where all their ships were gathered. Naturally, compared to the best mages like Yue or Johann, she was a tier below. Nevertheless, her power wasn't one to be scoffed at. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fire·net

'And Yeon prefers head-on confrontations just like Fenric.'

Fenric hated schemes; Yeon just found them cumbersome. If she wished to fight someone, she would do it head-on… with overwhelming power.

Alas, her opponent wasn't going to be that easy.

At the opposite corner stood a middle-aged man, bearing the air of a seasoned scholar touched by time. His attire was refined and regal, each fold of fabric speaking of opulence and authority. Ten rings adorned his fingers, every one of them brimming with potent mana, their glow alone a silent proclamation of wealth and mastery.

Yet his indulgence did not end there. His robes shimmered with gilded fittings, and the ornaments he carried pulsed faintly with power—each piece an unmistakable testament to his status and command over the arcane.

"Silius Herman. He's a queer one, but powerful."

Jex introduced the magician with a bit of contempt in his voice. Though he didn't go all the way as to curse at the magician, for the Archmagister respected his strength.

"Although he has a reliance on artefacts, he's the real deal. A five-circle mage whose progression is no less spectacular than mine. Are you sure your young magician can handle him?"

"Yeon isn't that weak."

Amon smiled and said nothing further. Five circles or not, Silius was no match for Yeon, who spent most of her time on the battlefield, fighting against ruthless Demons. That was the issue that plagued Zephys and the elites of the Republic…

They were living far too sheltered lives.

Warriors such as Willet Ironblood were the exception. The vast majority of the Hyades Army and Magician's Association hadn't actually seen war yet. At best, they would come across a few beasts that would disrupt the peace. They hadn't actually faced up against the Demon Cult, let alone a Greater Demon.

Most of the magicians in the Capital were pampered brats who lived through a system that focused more on theory than practical experience. In peacetime, it was likely beneficial, but now they must be prepared for war with the Demon Cult; otherwise, they would face extinction during the latter calamities.

'That's how the Capital fell to the Third Calamity.'

Truth was, Amon wasn't just here to receive a medal. Now that he'd prevented two Calamities, it was time to combat the third one. And for that, he needed information.

Information on how entrenched the Demon Cult was in the government. Details on how skilled the elites were in the Capital. And finally, if any variables would affect their plan.

And for that, Amon had sent Bane on an information-gathering mission. As someone who once stayed in the Capital and served as an intelligence agent, Bane's return now was akin to a fish returning to the ocean. It won't be long before Bane returns with a detailed intelligence report on the Capital. But until then, Amon aimed to enjoy as much of the show match as he could.

The two magicians stood on opposite sides, and they both had opposite reactions. Yeon was nonchalant, somewhat even lazy, to attend this bout. Meanwhile, Silius puffed his chest out with confidence and a tinge of haughtiness.

"You're quite the young one, aren't you?"

"..."

"Oh, young and feisty. Now that's my type."

Yeon didn't bother to dignify the middle-aged mage's comments with a response. She simply stood there silently, ready to showcase her abilities and leave the stadium a winner. But Silius didn't stop there.

"Do you know why I volunteered to participate in this wretched show match? It's because I can't stand the arrogance of Eldorin. You become the talk of the town simply by hunting demons? How crude."

"..."

"There were even whispers that the mages from the Capital can't hold a candle against magicians from a Knight Order. Ludicrous, isn't it?"

"..."

In the end, Yeon couldn't listen to the man's ramblings much longer and snapped with a snort.

"If you think you're so great, then prove it."

"Huh?"

"We're magicians, not lawyers. Since when did we fight with our mouths?"

Yeon's mana surged forth in a dazzling eruption, blooming into a crystalline lotus of ice above her palm. At once, frost spread across the arena floor, sealing stone and soil beneath a suffocating chill. From the frozen earth, jagged chains of ice burst upward, rattling and twisting as if alive, proclaiming her dominion over the battlefield. All around, countless icicles speared into existence, hanging like fangs from every corner of the stadium.

Though a barrier shielded the spectators, the cold seeped through, biting at their skin and stealing the warmth from their breath. Shivers rippled through the crowd, not from the temperature alone but from the oppressive aura that weighed upon them. Amid the storm she had conjured, Yeon's crimson hair danced wildly with the blizzard's gale as she lifted her hand—composed, commanding, and ready to unleash her first spell.

"Hmph! A country bumpkin, through and through!"

Silius let out a derisive snort, though his eyes never left Yeon. Her display had made one thing clear: holding back was not an option. From deep within his core, earthy-brown mana spilt forth, seeping into the arena floor and bending it to his will. With a thunderous rumble, a massive wooden dragon tore its way from the ground, its bark-like scales creaking as it coiled upward.

Silius ascended onto its head, standing tall as if enthroned upon his creation. Like Yeon, he was a master of wide-area devastation, and his dominance over the battlefield soon became undeniable. Spells of earth and wood erupted in swift succession, roots lashing out, stone walls rising, and the soil reshaping at his command.

The ten rings on his fingers flared with brilliance, each one feeding him torrents of mana until the air itself seemed heavy with his presence. The clash of their powers shook the arena, yet it was Silius who pressed forward, his relentless torrent of magic swallowing Yeon's storm.

Confidence curled his lips upward—a victorious smile born from the certainty that her reign of ice would be smothered beneath his forest of might.

But that wasn't what happened.

An icy mist kept Yeon in the fog as she disappeared from Silius's view entirely. Without a clear vision of his enemy, Silius was unable to cast any offensive spells, relying solely on defence. But Yeon didn't wait for him to create an impregnable fortress.

Ice shards fell from the sky, suffocating the wooden dragon and forcing Silius to lose control over the arena—a fatal weakness for any wide-area mages. The moment his control was lost, Yeon could go on the offensive.

Though she remained hidden from view, she conjured multiple freezing pulses and ice spears that ruthlessly pierced through Silius's defences as if they were paper.

"C-Coward! Don't you have any shame? Attacking from the shadows like a rat!"

Hearing Silius's complaint, Yeon scoffed.

'Shame? You clearly haven't fought against the Demon Cult.'

Ever since joining Eldorin, Yeon had been on multiple missions. Most of them were to destroy secret Demon Cult bases or exterminate Demons. In actual battle… honour and code of conduct were thrown out the window.

Ambushes, unscrupulous tactics, and even heinous deeds were committed as easily as breathing.

To defeat the Demon Cult, one had to forget all about shame. The only thing that mattered was victory and survival, something the mages of the capital failed to understand.

"Come out! I'll pummel you to the ground."

"... too late."

Yeon's body appeared above the fatigued and angered noble, and her palm rested at the back of his neck. Ice locked his four limbs, preventing any form of escape and an ice spear was coldly pressed against his spinal cord.

It was clear who won the battle.

"Do you yield?"

Silius was unable to grasp what was happening until it was too late. While he was concerned about spewing hateful comments, Yeon had her eye on the prize. And that's why… he was the one who fell to his knees.

"... tch, I yield."