CHAPTER 265: THE GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP

For the past month, Nora had been unusually restless, unable to connect with her mainframe. Even now, in the open city, she couldn’t establish a link to any satellite. Though she could faintly sense a signal, it was constantly disrupted by some kind of magnetic interference. Still, the chance to connect, even briefly, lifted her mood.

"Please give me a gaming laptop," Eleanor said.

"How many hours will you be needing it for?" the attendant asked.

Eleanor mentally calculated the time left before sunset. "Seven hours, please."

The attendant was momentarily taken aback. Cadets rarely used the internet for long... most browsed for an hour or two before heading off to bars or other amusements. She hesitated, then decided to confirm.

"Miss, do you mean to book a gaming laptop for seven hours? Are you sure? Payment must be made in advance, and we don’t offer refunds. If you’re uncertain, you may wish to reconsider."

"Yes. For seven hours," Eleanor confirmed firmly.

"In that case," the attendant said, adopting a more professional tone, "I’d recommend one of our private rooms on the second floor. According to our policy, guests who spend over a hundred dollars qualify for a private room. For seven hours, you already exceed that amount."

"Is that an option? Thank you!" Eleanor’s eyes brightened... the idea of privacy delighted her. Nora could operate freely without the risk of anyone watching.

"Please, follow me," the attendant said, leading Eleanor upstairs.

The private room was pleasantly modest. A sturdy table, two chairs, and a small couch with a pillow to lie back on. It wasn’t large, but to Eleanor, it felt more than sufficient.

As she settled onto the couch, the attendant handed her a menu and said, "Miss, in the private room, water and carbonated beverages are complimentary. Any other food or drink must be ordered from the menu."

Eleanor glanced through the list and said, "Please bring me the laptop and a cup of Kopi Luwak, thank you."

"That will be one hundred and fifty dollars. Would you like to pay in cash?" the attendant asked.

Eleanor handed over fifteen ten-dollar bills. "Please bring the order along with some plain water. I’ll let you know if I need anything else."

"Of course. There’s a switch on the table... press it if you need assistance." The attendant bowed slightly, then left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

A few minutes later, the attendant returned with the coffee, water, and laptop. She arranged everything neatly on the table, connected the charger, and quietly left.

Eleanor took her seat. The laptop was already powered on... Nora had begun connecting to her mainframe.

"While you’re browsing the updates, can you show me Freya’s current position? Where is she now?" Eleanor asked.

Within moments, a live feed appeared on the screen. Freya was in class, listening attentively as Miss Cooper spoke. She looked happy... relaxed even, her face bright with quiet curiosity.

Eleanor slipped on the café’s headphones and watched her for a long while, slowly sipping her coffee.

Her focus was eventually broken by Nora’s voice. Freya had already moved on to her second class, and Eleanor’s coffee had long gone cold... though she was still holding the almost empty cup absentmindedly.

"Master," Nora reported, "all your companies are performing well. I’ve sorted a few emails that require your attention. Most importantly, the kingdom is deep in its election campaign. All poll data remains in your favour. Juliette Blanc hasn’t sent you any new messages since you asked her to contact you if she required assistance... which likely means everything is progressing smoothly. But first, please look into your Nigerian factory. Test production began a few days ago in one of the units."

Several files opened on the screen. Eleanor leaned forward, scrolling through the documents carefully, her expression calm and focused.

***

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Eleanor said.

The attendant entered with her usual polite smile. Eleanor was now seated on the couch; the laptop rested on the table, its screen glowing faintly as Nora continued processing data in the background.

"Miss, your seven hours are up. Do you need any further assistance?" she asked courteously.

"Oh! Then I’ll be heading back. Thank you," Eleanor replied, standing.

Nora swiftly logged out of every account, erasing all traces of her activity.

"Master, all set. You may return," Nora confirmed in her mind.

Hearing that, Eleanor smiled faintly. "I’ll be heading out, then."

The attendant bowed respectfully. "Thank you for visiting, Miss. Please come again whenever you have the time."

"Sure," Eleanor said softly as she walked out of the room.

***

Finally, the day of the Grand Championship arrived... the most anticipated event of the Primary Term. It was a combat tournament open to every cadet, a proving ground where strength, skill, and nerve were laid bare. Though the outcome wouldn’t affect their graduation, the rewards were enough to ignite fierce ambition.

Each victory awarded one hundred points; those who broke into the top twenty five would receive additional points according to their rankings and academy honours. The top ten prizes were the richest offered throughout the entire term, and every cadet knew it. The air around the arena shimmered with tension and excitement.

On the raised platform of the large underground room of the academy building, Instructor Daniel Tremblay of the School of Swords stood tall in his combat robe, his voice ringing across the field with sharp command.

"All one hundred cadets will participate in the qualifying round," he declared, his words boomed in every corner of the capsule room.

"This will be a knockout battle. Your opponents will be selected by random draw. If anyone wishes to withdraw, this is your moment. Once we proceed, no matter who your opponent is... you will fight."

He scanned the rows of cadets assembled before him... faces steady, eyes unwavering. No one moved.

A grin flickered under his dark moustache. "Good. Then let’s begin the pairing."

He turned to a small table where a tablet device lay. With a few swift taps, he initiated the draw.

Behind him, the large display screen came alive... two columns appearing side by side. The first listed 1 to 50, and the second 51 to 100. The numbers began to roll rapidly like tumbling dice, flickering with blinding speed.

When the motion stopped, the number beside ’1’ froze: 10156610.

Then the space beside ’2’ began to roll, the digits flashing again before halting at 101566588. Eleanor recognised it immediately... Joshua’s cadet number.

Her eyes drifted toward him instinctively. He stood not far away from her. As if feeling her gaze, Joshua looked at her direction. Their eyes met for a moment... and he smiled faintly, that confident curve of his lips that made him seem both smiling and reassuring at once.

The numbers continued to roll across the screen, pair after pair flashing by in quick succession. The hum of anticipation spread through the crowd.

Then... the number beside ’11’ appeared. It was Eleanor’s.

After all one hundred numbers were displayed, Instructor Daniel Tremblay turned back toward the cadets, his voice cutting through the expectant murmur of the crowd.

"We will have fifty matches," he announced crisply. "Serial one will fight fifty-one, two will fight fifty-two... and so on until fifty faces one hundred. The winners will advance to the next knockout stage. Match one’s victor will face the winner of match twenty-six, match two’s victor against twenty-seven, and so forth... until we have our twenty-five finalists."

He paused, scanning the faces before him... some calm, others tight with barely restrained nerves.

"The finalists will compete against each other once. The winner of each match receives one point; the loser, none. After twenty-four rounds, the total points will determine the final ranking."

A ripple of whispers passed through the cadets... a few calculating odds, others steeling themselves. Daniel let the moment hang, then continued, his tone turning firm.

"I trust everyone is familiar with the combat regulations... they’re clearly written in your guidebook. Remember, the gravity on academy grounds is already higher than on Midgard’s surface. During your duels, the same gravity field will apply for the first ten minutes. After that, it will increase by zero point one every ten minutes. The longer you fight, the heavier the world becomes."

He paused again, and this time his gaze hardened. "You may surrender at any time. Otherwise... the match ends only with your opponent’s death."

The words landed like a blade dropped in silence. Even though most cadets had known the rule beforehand, hearing it stated aloud changed its weight. A few shifted uneasily; others only clenched their fists tighter.

After a brief consultation with the sergeants on the platform, Daniel raised a hand.

"Begin the qualifying round. Cadets, proceed to the capsules."

All one hundred students moved at once, boots echoing on the concrete floor. Rows of space capsules lined in the room... smooth, silver pods shining brightly under the light.

Eleanor walked a few steps ahead and stopped beside one of the capsules. She pressed the red button on its side, and a holographic display flickered to life above the pod. Lifting her wrist, she tapped the device against the glowing projection. A soft chime resonated in the air... just like before.

"Welcome, Cadet 10156659. Please enter the space capsule," the same mechanical voice intoned as the lid hissed open, releasing a faint mist. Inside, the capsule was softly lit, its interior padded and contoured to embrace the body. A semi-circular hollow waited at the headrest... precise, sterile, and strangely comforting.