Chapter 383: The Competition

Since his governance began, Muria had been receiving daily reports about geniuses causing trouble—so much so that it seemed endless, giving him quite the headache.

These talented young individuals often found numerous reasons to engage in conflicts, either among themselves or with others. Impatient and hot-headed, they would seek revenge instantly and vent their anger on the spot.

Whether over a pretty girl, these self-assured youths could end up wrecking an entire street, affecting hundreds of civilians. Worse, they would hit and run, making it difficult to catch them and find someone responsible for compensating the damages.

And it wasn't just over girls; some, with a stronger sense of justice and a willingness to help, would intervene on behalf of anyone they saw being treated unfairly.

Moreover, they dared to challenge anyone from nobles governing a region to local thugs extorting others, and even dark creatures mingling among humans or followers of nefarious cults spreading anti-world doctrines. They were fearless in picking up arms and going into battle.

Muria had a love-hate relationship with these individuals. Their existence certainly suppressed the increasingly rampant dark races and evil forces within the Lockman Kingdom. However, their approach to battle was reckless, acting without considering the consequences.

This was a source of irritation for Muria, and today was no different as he received yet another report about these youths. A nineteen-year-old genius girl, who had advanced to the Gold level, discovered a group of demon worshippers performing a sacrificial ritual in the sewer system of a major city.

Without a second thought, she and her companions engaged the demon worshippers in combat. The aftermath of their battle destroyed the city's underground drainage system.

But that wasn't all. The girl had somehow acquired a powerful weapon and released it in the underground spaces of the city.

The city, with a population nearing half a million and ranked at the count level, experienced a catastrophe similar to an eight-magnitude earthquake. Countless homes collapsed, and the ground was riddled with huge cracks due to the shockwaves. The city walls, unprepared for such an event, were blasted open with several shocking cracks.

Moreover, since the explosion occurred beneath the city center, the castle of the city's ruling count was directly destroyed.

More precisely, the castle sank underground due to the explosion. Because of this, the lowest point in the city, according to the principle of water flowing downhill, was filled with the filth discharged by the city's residents.

Therefore, the count was nearly driven mad. He was sitting peacefully at home when his castle was suddenly bombed—ruined by an explosion and now buried under a mound of filth. What sort of situation was this?

Despite the careful construction and numerous defensive magic arrays incorporated into it, the castle's structure remained incredibly sturdy. Even though the explosion occurred right beneath it, the castle itself did not break or deform, and the interior furnishings and decorations suffered minimal damage.

Nevertheless, this unfortunate count had no desire to salvage his castle or its contents. All he wanted now was to capture the genius girl responsible for the bombing.

"Hmph, useless," Muria muttered as he read the count's petition for issuing a warrant to arrest the girl who had inadvertently resolved a hidden danger under his castle. "He even has the nerve to ask me to issue a warrant for her arrest."

"Miles," Muria called out, and from the shadows emerged a middle-aged man dressed in noble evening attire, complete with a high-top hat and a cane, who bowed humbly to Muria. "Master, what are your orders?"

"Check this noble's background for any connections with demons. If there are any, inform the cloud giants to handle it."

"As you command." Miles, who ran a secret organization developed for assassination and intelligence gathering among other functions, bowed and took his leave.

"And check the information on this girl," Muria tossed the file of the girl who nearly destroyed a city to Miles. "Remember, look but don't touch."

"Understood."

"It's time to bring these individuals under control," Muria decided after Miles left, tapping his desk. "First, we need to lure them all out using fame and fortune."

"Mia, summon all the ministers and nobles; I have an announcement to make."

Within fifteen minutes, the summoned nobles and ministers arrived, their faces filled with panic. The last time Muria had called them like this, it had led to the death of three hundred influential nobles. What could it be this time?

"I plan to hold a competition," Muria announced directly, inspired by some readings from his past life. "A competition exclusively among young geniuses. Participants can be of any profession, status, or race, as long as they are residents of the Lockman Kingdom."

Hearing Muria's sudden announcement, the nobles and ministers exchanged looks, already understanding what Muria intended. The finance minister cautiously stepped forward, asking with some trepidation, "Duke Mur

ia, what scale are you considering for this competition?"

"National, of course," Muria replied without hesitation. "The kingdom will be divided into forty-eight regions for the contest, selecting the best from each to compete in the capital for the final round to determine who is the top genius of the Lockman Kingdom."

"Duke Muria, and the cost of this competition..." the finance minister paled slightly, understanding the reasoning behind the competition but daunted by the anticipated expenses.

"The kingdom's treasury will fund the competition, and the royal house will provide the prizes," Muria declared with a smile, seizing the opportunity to win over the people.

"And may I ask, Your Excellency, what qualifies someone as a young genius eligible to compete?"

"Anyone under thirty years old is eligible," Muria replied after pondering for several minutes. "To ensure fairness given the potential vast differences in ability based on age, the competition will be divided into five age categories. Under ten years for the first category, eleven to fifteen years for the second, sixteen to twenty years for..."

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