Gamble - IV

The arena buzzed with excitement as the next matches began.

Unlike the earlier sword duels, the mage battles drew the most attention, especially from the noble spectators. Magecraft was always a spectacle—unpredictable, explosive, and mesmerizing—visually, at least.

Clay stood among the crowd, holding his rank slip.

He wasn't alone.

"B-rank, yeah? You don't look happy," Tobias mused, stretching his arms with a big yawn. Above his messy, nest-like hair perched Cedric, curiously observing the scene. Tobias and the owl seemed to have made amends after their brutal wrestling.

Clay glanced at Tobias. "I am."

Tobias snorted, unconvinced. "Most recruits would kill for a B-rank, ya know. You have potential. And potential means opportunity. Which brings me to my next point—" He leaned forward, grinning with his blue eyes inches from Clay's. "Join my team—you won't regret it."

Clay leaned back, caught off guard. "That's sudden."

"You can't do guild commissions without a party. Also, you're fast. You can fight and don't look like an idiot—most of the time. That's already better than half the recruits I've seen before."

Cedric hooted as if offended on Clay's behalf.

"Count Franke—our party sponsor—sent me here to look out for talents. We need a combat adventurer to replace our marksman who ditched us last commission." Tobias huffed, irritated by the memory. "Anyway, it's a win-win if you join me."

Clay exhaled, considering the offer.

Tobias was right. New recruits usually struggle since most nobles and independent parties prefer those with years of experience. Plus, Tobias was a guild member for a time—whatever his rank was. Being in his team meant immediate access to the guild's inner workings—something Clay needed for his mission.

'But I need to consult with the handler...'

After all, the handler had defined how critical Clay's team was in his mission. His adventure team would define his limits—and could pose a threat to his identity and the exposure of the Black Circle. Clay had to choose his party practically and carefully.

"I'll think about it," said Clay.

Tobias scoffed. "That's not a no. I'll take it."

'This guy...'

Before Clay could respond, the red-haired examiner, Claire, announced the next match, her blaring voice drawing their attention to the arena.

"Ember Neville, a trainee mage from Daedin Academy with C-rank electro-aura." She then glanced at the line of awaiting A-ranked veterans. "Tameus, your turn."

Clay's gaze flashed toward the combatants.

Tameus, a slim and quiet figure, exuded subtle confidence. His sharp eyes betrayed his calm demeanor, his uniform full of emblems and badges of the nobility. Ember, on the other hand, looked nervous. Her ragged clothes and twitching fingers on her wooden staff revealed her unease. Her outlandish green hair and peculiar accessories did not help—she looked out of place.

"This should be interesting," Tobias mused. "An A-tier hydro user versus an electro-mage. Should be her advantage, yeah?"

Clay didn't respond. Though Clay was a dullint—a subtle term for the manaless minority—he had seen plenty of mages in action, powerful ones from the Black Circle alone.

Despite his inability to wield mana, Clay knew things about magecraft. Magic wasn't just about power—it was about the efficient control of the mage to conjure elemental aura, be it Pyro, Geo, hydro, Aero, Electro, or the higher-order forms of each.

Theoretically, electro aura could overpower hydro, but Clay bet Tameus must have something up his sleeve.

After introducing themselves, the duel began.

Ember started aggressively, conjuring an electro-field as offense and defense. She sent streaks of lightning toward Tameus, who dodged with ease. The veteran made no attempt to counterattack, merely observing and testing Ember's limits.

"Too much mana," Tobias noted. "She won't last."

True enough, Ember's movements gradually grew sluggish, her breathing becoming uneven. Mana expenditure was key in battle. While her aura type gave an advantage, her lack of control was evident. At this point, she basically threw the fight.

Tameus raised a hand, channeling a light-blue aura while dodging Ember's attacks. Shortly, the temperature in the arena dropped while ice slowly formed around the A-ranked veteran mage.

"He's not holding back," said Tobias. "I've teamed with him before—he's ruthless. He can be awfully quiet, though."

And there came a layer of frost—cryo aura—a higher-order form of the hydro aura. It crept toward Ember's feet with speed, bypassing her electro-field defenses.

The green-haired mage tried to evade, but the ice covered the entire circle around her, even extinguishing a few torches nearby. Tameus flickered his wrist, and ice spikes shot up, forcing Ember to twist mid-fall to avoid impalement.

Ember landed on her knees, panting.

And the match was over.

The crowd fell silent before offering polite applause.

"Poor girl didn't stand a chance," said Tobias, boredom on his perpetually smug face. "What did I expect, anyway?"

Claire discussed with Tameus to settle the decision.

Upon receiving her rank slip, Ember stared at it for a while. After, she tucked it into her pocket with a satisfied smile.

Clay's sharp eyes caught the result.

'D-rank, huh.'

"Did they really pass her?" mused Tobias.

Ember glanced at the audience, her face a mix of relief, maybe quiet triumph. Clay could also tell she wasn't an Eredi—the elven accessories on her attire and wooden staff gave all the hint.

'A swordsman from the Wolf Tribe and now... a mage elf disguised as a human? This is... getting out of hand.'

Tobias stretched, letting out a yawn—again.

"Alright, Viktor. Since you're now with me, I gotta introduce you to my party and our sponsor—Count Franke. Bet he'd want to meet you, too. The carriage should be arriving soon."

'Well, might as well see it myself.'