Above the mage

Chapter 719 Opening Match

Gao De's tone was unhurried and calm throughout.

However, the words spoken in such a humble yet assertive manner made Isa's expression turn somewhat unpleasant.

The teammates watching were also stunned, and then some of them secretly suppressed a laugh, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Gaode.

"In front of Prince Liuying, in front of the Wang Mian family, aren't you just a toad!" Isha was so angry that her tone became aggressive, and she subconsciously raised her voice.

"Miss Isa, your performance has given me a bad impression of the Laurent family," Gao De said, shaking his head helplessly.

"I'm just giving you a fair piece of advice."

Isa suppressed her anger, her voice turning cold: "There are certainly many people who share my thoughts, but not everyone is as easy to talk to as I am."

Some people won't even waste words with you; they'll only resort to underhanded tactics to ruin your future and make it impossible for you to get close to His Highness.

This statement contains both a warning and a sincere reminder.

"So have you ever thought about something...?" Gao De suddenly changed the subject, his eyes shifting slightly as he looked at Isa with an expression that was almost like looking at an idiot.

Although the light made Isa uneasy, her curiosity temporarily overshadowed her displeasure: "What is it?"

"The Wang Mian family hasn't had any objections to my relationship with Liu Ying yet, so why are you all getting so anxious? Isn't this like the emperor not being worried while the eunuchs are?" Gao De retorted.

Isa had never heard the term "eunuch" before and couldn't fully understand it at first.

However, considering the context, it can be roughly deduced that this is not a good word.

I was immediately furious at Gaode's attitude, but I also realized in an instant that what Gaode said made sense.

If Gaode is indeed trying to curry favor with Liuying, the ones who should be most anxious and step in to stop it are the Wang Mian family.

After all, Liu Ying is the legitimate daughter of Grand Duke Wang Mian, and the apple of the family's eye.

However, the Wang Mian family remained completely silent.

Could it be that there's some hidden story she doesn't know about?

Does the Wang Mian family not object to Gao De's association with Liu Ying?

But upon thinking about it this way, Isa suddenly felt that the matter was becoming somewhat elusive, and her resolve wavered a bit.

The anger on his face gradually faded, replaced by deep confusion.

"I won't talk to you about this now, Liu Ying is here to see me." However, Gao De had no intention of getting entangled with Isa anymore, and said with a smile.

Liu Ying was seen walking briskly out of the designated passage for participating teams.

Her eyes darted around, searching, until she spotted Gao De's figure, at which point her lake-blue eyes lit up instantly.

His gaze locked on the map instantly, no longer wavering, and he quickened his pace, heading towards Gaode Maps with a clear goal.

"I was indeed in a hurry. Just pretend I didn't say anything!" Isha noticed Liu Ying's arrival, her expression changed instantly, and she quickly explained to Gao De.

There was a hint of pleading in his tone.

On the one hand, I genuinely felt that there might be other hidden reasons, and I felt that I had acted impulsively.

On the other hand, it is important to prevent Gao De from mentioning what she just said to Liu Ying.

Gao De smiled but did not reply.

In just a few breaths, Liu Ying quickly walked through the crowd and stood gracefully in front of Gao De.

"Why did you leave again?!" The girl raised her clear blue eyes and questioned.

"This time you didn't tell me to wait for you," Gao De immediately protested, then explained, "I thought you were waiting for the schedule to come out..."

"And there's also Mage Fritz here," Liu Ying said, pursing her lips.

Then her gaze inadvertently swept over Isabella Laurent beside God, and she asked curiously, "Isabella, what are you doing here? I just saw you talking to God from afar? Do you two know each other?"

"No, no, Your Highness, I just happened to run into Master Gaode here. Knowing that you are acquainted with him, I came here specifically to get to know Master Gaode and, by the way, to cheer him on in the upcoming magic competition."

Faced with Liu Ying's question, Isa smiled somewhat awkwardly and quickly explained.

"Oh~" Liu Ying drawled out her words, as if she believed it, and nodded slightly.

Then, the next second, she turned to look at Gao De and asked, "Is that so?"

Isa's heart leaped into her throat. She frantically tried to signal to Gao De with her eyes, but Gao De decisively shook his head and said, "That's not how it is. This Miss Isa came here to say that I'm a toad trying to eat you, a swan, and she repeatedly advised me to have some self-awareness and keep my distance from you."

As soon as Gao De finished speaking, the smile that Isa had forced on her face froze instantly.

Not only her, but the five team members who were watching the commotion also froze for a moment, and then reacted in different ways.

Cedric raised an eyebrow, his expression turning strange. In his aristocratic worldview, he had never encountered such an "undignified" fighting style.

His blunt rebuke and direct complaint shattered all his understanding of aristocratic clashes.

Gareth's eyes widened; he was clearly also taken aback.

He'd seen people complain before, but complaining to someone's face, especially to a "young girl" like Liu Ying, was something he'd never seen before.

At the same time, my understanding of Gaode Maps was quietly refreshed.

He had always thought Gao De was a hardworking, talented, calm and reserved grassroots mage, but he never expected him to have this side to him.

Evan glanced at Isa without making a sound, then at God. He seemed calm, but a strange glint flashed in his eyes, revealing his unexpected emotions.

Feng Lin quietly turned to the side and secretly gave Gao De a thumbs up.

Arya couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Isha, you're lying." Liu Ying's gaze returned to Isha, her tone becoming flat and cold: "And besides, when did it become the Laurent family's business to interfere in my affairs?"

Her delicate face didn't seem particularly dangerous, but faced with Liu Ying's calm words, Isa, who was clearly six or seven years older, panicked instantly.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This matter has nothing to do with the Laurent family. It was entirely my own doing. I failed to fulfill my duty. Please forgive me, Your Highness," Isa said softly, bowing her head.

"Anything else?" Liu Ying retorted, her tone unwavering. "The person you need to apologize to isn't just me."

Isa bit her lip, glanced at the leisurely-looking Gao De beside her, took a deep breath, and bowed slightly: "Venerable Gao De, I misspoke just now. I shouldn't have interfered in your and His Highness's affairs. I was too impulsive and short-sighted. Please don't take offense."

"It's okay, I forgive you," Gao De said.

"Come to my mother in the inner court later to confess your punishment." Liu Ying was not as "easy to talk to" as Gao De, and said coldly, then waved her hand.

This means they're being asked to leave.

"I understand, Your Highness." Isa dared not show any dissatisfaction or rebuttal, bowed her head and replied, then turned and quickly left with her servants.

This little incident didn't affect Gaode's mood; instead, it unexpectedly allowed him to unlock another side of Liuying.

It's surprising that this seemingly harmless girl has such a dignified side.

Princess, indeed she is a princess.

In the afternoon, Fritz called back the crowd after they had dispersed.

Because the specific schedule has already been finalized.

"Tomorrow is the main event of the Unparalleled Magic Fighting Tournament. As the representative team of the Golden Flower Dynasty, every move we make represents the face of the dynasty's mages."

"Even though the other seven teams in the group stage are far weaker than us and pose no threat whatsoever, we still can't skimp on the necessary preparations." Fritz slowly unfolded the schedule.

The team members gathered around, their eyes fixed on the schedule.

"We have two matches tomorrow, one in the morning and one in the afternoon."

"The key event is this morning's match, because it will be the first match of all the matches in this year's Unparalleled Fighting Tournament." Fritz's gaze swept over everyone as he spoke earnestly.

"That's the opening match!" Arya was the first to react, exclaiming softly.

The initial indifference on everyone's faces instantly changed; their initial slackness faded, replaced by a greater sense of seriousness.

Because the opening match of any competition always receives a lot of attention.

Moreover, it's an event like the Unparalleled Mage Tournament, which brings together the top young mage teams from across the continent.

"That's right, it's the opening match."

Fritz nodded and said solemnly, "So, winning is a given, that's the bottom line, but it would be best to win gracefully."

"After all, tomorrow's audience will inevitably include mages and representatives of various factions from all over the continent."

This is not just a competition, but an opportunity to showcase the strength of the Golden Flower Dynasty's mages and demonstrate the dynasty's power; there is no room for carelessness.

It's not that Fritz deliberately wanted to elevate a group stage match to the level of national power; it's just the reality.

Especially at a time when the empire is eyeing us covetously and undercurrents are surging on the borders, a brilliant opening match victory can not only boost our own morale, but also convey the strength of the Golden Flower Dynasty to the whole continent.

"Each match in this group stage consists of two singles duels and one doubles duel."

The same player cannot participate in the same singles duel twice, but players are allowed to participate in both singles and doubles duels, offering a high degree of flexibility.

"Our opponents in the opening match are the Duchy of Aethern. Their seven participants are generally weak, with their strongest being their captain, who is in the late stage of the third ring and specializes in... Actually, they are quite easy to beat."

The Duchy of Aether is a large duchy in the central part of the continent. Its national strength is certainly much stronger than that of the Duchy of Sien, where Gao De originally belonged, but that's about it.

After all, all five official members of the Golden Flower Dynasty team are fourth-ring mages.

Fritz's gaze slowly swept over everyone, finally landing on Arya, and then he said, "I will give you more playing time in the group stage."

"On the one hand, the opponents are generally not strong, and the highest level is not even the fourth ring. If we send out fourth ring mages like Cedric and Gareth, it would be a waste of their talents."

On the other hand, it was also to preserve their strength as much as possible, and not to reveal too many of Cedric, Gareth's core spells and combat techniques.

Revealing a player's strength and magical abilities too early is dangerous for a team aiming for the championship, as it makes them easy targets for analysis and countermeasures.

There is an inherent relationship of restraint between mages.

Every spell has a corresponding counter, and every fighting style has a corresponding counter tactic.

If you are good at melee mage, your opponent only needs to send out a highly mobile illusion mage or a powerful enchantment mage. With their agile movement and continuous control, they can slowly wear you down.

If you excel in Evocation spells, are skilled in wide-area attacks, and have extremely high burst damage, your opponent will send out a highly resistant melee mage.

If you are skilled in summoning spells and rely on summoned creatures in battle, your opponent will prepare dispel spells and anti-summoning spells in advance, directly dismantling your combat system.

In particular, the mage teams from Linhai City and the Empire were not far behind the mage teams from the Golden Flower Dynasty in terms of strength.

In this situation, the outcome depends more on on-the-spot performance and spell counterplay.

Once Cedric and his team have figured out and studied the core spells and combat methods in advance, they will inevitably devise targeted tactics in the subsequent elimination rounds.

"However, the opening match is special. Not only do we have to win, but we have to win beautifully and without any mistakes." Fritz changed the subject, his tone becoming serious as he looked at Aria.

"If you encounter the opposing team's captain in a one-on-one battle, you're only in the mid-stage of the third ring while he's in the late-stage. Even if you win, it will definitely take a lot of effort, so it's not worth the risk. Just participate in the two-on-one battle and cooperate with your teammates to win steadily."

"Okay!" Arya readily agreed, her tone showing no dissatisfaction, her eyes still full of excitement.

Fritz is the team leader of the Plantagenets dynasty. He is responsible not only for the daily training arrangements, but also for deciding on the specific players to compete and the tactics.

The team members present were all outstanding talents in their respective fields, with exceptional abilities and strength. However, being outstanding talents does not equate to being disobedient or reckless.

On the contrary, high achievers are often more obedient and less likely to cause trouble than "poor students".

After arranging things for Arya, Fritz's gaze immediately turned to God, his tone crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, he directly named him: "God, you're up for the first singles match."

Fritz offered no explanation for this arrangement, nor was any explanation necessary.

All the team members present felt that the arrangement was reasonable and had no objections.

Even though Gao De and Ailiya are both at the mid-stage of the third ring, their strength is no longer on the same level.

Because everyone knows that the two people in the team with the most explosive combat power and the most comprehensive abilities, not counting Liu Ying, are Cedric and God.

On the very first day of French Bulldog training, Gao De proved himself with his skills.

He easily defeated the late-stage third-ring mage that Fritz had specially invited as a sparring partner, without lifting a finger; the difference in strength was obvious.

From then on, Gao De's opponents in mage battles changed to mid-fourth-ring mages like Cedric and Gareth.

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