Chapter 449: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival Opening Match

Noises of cheering echoed loudly throughout the entire Arena.

The same excitement wasn’t limited to the Royal Academy either. In restaurants, shopping complexes, resting rooms inside industrial bases, and other Academy halls across Britannia, people watched the live broadcast with their eyes fixed on the Holographic Screens.

The people cheered with excitement as the first match was loaded onto the screens.

Maxwell Vs Arelo Greyson.

"Huh?"

A Low-Ember Nobleman whose family belonged to a Lowline branch connected to the Evergrey family looked at the matchup with a thoughtful expression.

His eyes remained fixed on one particular name.

"Who is this Maxwell kid?"

He asked while looking at the name displayed above the fighting platform.

"A child of Royal who doesn’t even have a surname?"

"Where did he come from?"

"Who is he?"

Questions rose in whispers among the crowd.

Some people turned toward those seated beside them, hoping that someone else might know the answer.

Others searched through their memories, trying to recall whether they had ever heard Maxwell’s name before.

Even in the Skynet chats connected to the live broadcast, the same questions were being asked repeatedly.

Who is Maxwell?

However, to many people connected to the Evergrey’s, even if they weren’t deeply involved with the main family, the result of the match already seemed obvious.

This victory would surely go straight to Arelo Greyson.

"Congratulations, Count Evergrey."

High-Ember Greyson bowed as he looked toward Count Everard Evergrey, who was seated in the column above him.

"The first victory of the Festival will go to our family."

"Yes... yes."

"Arelo will definitely make us proud."

The other main members of the Evergrey line spoke with proud expressions.

Some of them had already begun congratulating High-Ember Greyson for his son’s future victory, as though the fight had already been completed and the result was beyond question.

Henriette Evergrey simply nodded with a warm smile on her face.

However...

Everard Evergrey remained quiet as he continued looking toward the Arena platform.

His grey eyes did not move.

That’s the kid Grace told me about.

The one she said, his master’s name is Andraver...

The Count thought to himself as he remembered a particular day during one of his usual calls with his children.

Those calls weren’t simply meant for casual conversations.

Whenever his children had something they had achieved, or something they were planning to achieve, they would report it to him during those calls. That way, Everard could understand their progress and determine how the Evergrey family could assist them in reaching their goals.

And when Grace mentioned Andraver’s name to him...

He had immediately known who she was talking about.

Yet he hadn’t said anything to his children.

He hadn’t even told them who Andraver truly was as an Alchemist.

The only person he had informed was his older son.

Louis Evergrey.

Everard’s grey eyes remained fixed on the Arena as Arelo Greyson and Maxwell walked out from opposite entrances.

The people connected to the Evergrey family immediately began cheering for Arelo.

Others also joined in, partly because they didn’t know Maxwell and partly because Arelo’s identity gave them a clearer person to support.

Maxwell, on the other hand, remained almost unknown to most of them.

To Everard...

Whatever happens now will truly determine just how much Maxwell is worth.

And the same thought existed among all the people who had already heard about the existence of the Sun Alchemist’s disciple.

All the present Dukes and the Duchess of Derlis quietly watched Maxwell.

Even the Queen’s eyes were fixed directly on the young Alchemist who was said to hold one of the most sought-after lost Alchemy Paths.

And beyond that...

He might also possess the true information regarding what had happened to Britannia’s strongest Alchemist.

Andraver Montrose...

The Sun Alchemist of the Alchemist Sage Rank.

Maxwell calmly stepped onto the fighting platform.

However, the moment he looked around, a slight shiver ran down his spine.

"Wahhh... this is a lot of people."

He muttered to himself.

His eyes moved across the countless faces surrounding the Arena.

There were hundreds of thousands of eyes.

And it felt like almost all of them were looking at him.

Even though he had expected a large audience, standing in the center of such an enormous Arena felt completely different from simply imagining it.

"Hahaha... already getting cold feet, Commoner?"

Arelo laughed calmly as he waited for the fight to commence.

"Huh?"

Maxwell turned his head.

He looked toward Arelo with narrowed eyes.

"Not this again."

He muttered.

He was already getting tired of receiving the same proud reaction from people who saw him as a Commoner.

"Don’t you ever get tired of saying the word Commoner? Commoner, Commoner, Commoner. Every time."

Maxwell shook his head in disappointment.

"I’m just calling you what you are, Commoner."

Arelo replied in a mocking tone.

"Ahh..."

Maxwell sighed.

His right eye twitched.

He’s not wrong though.

Let’s just get this fight over with.

Maxwell positioned himself in his fighting stance.

His earlier nervousness from facing the enormous crowd was already beginning to disappear. His body lowered slightly, and his attention slowly shifted away from the thousands of people surrounding the Arena.

Arelo looked at Maxwell’s expression.

It had become serious.

"Tsk."

He clicked his tongue.

Arelo’s eyes darted toward the area where his father and the other members of his family were seated before moving toward the higher column where Count Everard Evergrey sat.

A complicated expression appeared on his face.

I think... I might be fucked.

He was facing the guy who had turned Logan Drakes’ Adept Alchemist Rank attack into a Diamond Rock.

The same Maxwell who was always appearing near the top ranks during Professor Kent’s crazy practical tests.

And the same Maxwell who had beaten up an upperclassman in the Binder Alchemist Rank from the Iron Vanguard Faction.

Not just once.

Arelo swallowed.

His throat moved slightly.

The countdown for the fight began.

"THREE!"

The crowd shouted at the same time.

The sound echoed through the entire Arena.

Ahh...

What kind of bad luck do I have to get...No!

Arelo shook his head.

He couldn’t allow himself to think like that before the fight had even begun.

"TWO!"

I am a powerful Gun Alchemist of Greyson aligned with the Evergrey’s, who will one day take over the Duke position from those trash Ashenlockes.

I can’t lose now.

Not to a trash Commoner of all people.

Arelo gritted his teeth.

His confidence, which had weakened the moment he remembered Maxwell’s achievements, began to return.

Like Grace advised...

I will use my full strength the moment the fight begins.

That stupid Commoner will surely not use his full strength because he thinks he’s already all that.

And that will be his loss.

A faint smirk appeared on Arelo’s face as he moved into his fighting position.

His body remained tense.

Both of his hands were ready to move toward his Space Bag at any moment.

"ONE!"

The crowd’s voices echoed loudly throughout the entire Arena.

Many people unconsciously held their breaths, as the anticipation continued to rise.

"BEGIN!"

The crowd roared with excitement.

The moment the word left Patrick’s mouth...

Arelo’s hand shot toward his Space Bag.

"Your decision is correct."

Maxwell’s voice suddenly came from directly in front of him.

Arelo’s eyes moved forward.

Maxwell’s fist was already tightened.

"But the issue is that the difference in our natural strength isn’t even close."

Maxwell’s voice was calm.

"Plus, someone told me I should end all my matches quickly, so... no hard feelings, Nobleman."

His right hand moved.

"Wai—"

Arelo tried to speak.

Bam!

"Argh!"

Spit flew out of Arelo’s mouth as Maxwell’s right fist drove directly into his stomach.

The impact completely knocked the wind out of him.

Arelo’s body folded slightly around the punch, his eyes widening as the breath was violently forced from his lungs. The hand that had been moving toward his Space Bag lost its strength before he could even pull out his Alchemy Weapon.

He staggered backward.

Only one step.

Then his legs gave way.

His body fell flat onto the ground.

The noise stopped throughout the entire Arena.

It was so sudden that many people were left staring at the fighting platform without immediately understanding what had happened.

However, many Alchemists within the Adept and Meister Alchemist Ranks had seen it clearly.

Maxwell had moved so fast that the Non-Alchemists and Alchemists below those ranks couldn’t even see a blur or a shift in his movement.

There had been no warning.

No visible approach.

One moment, Maxwell had been standing at a distance.

Then he was simply gone.

And the next thing they saw...

Arelo Greyson was already lying on the ground.