People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

With excellent visibility, sitting upright allows for direct observation of the arena, while leaning back provides easy access to the live broadcast on the big screen. Compared to the high-end VIP boxes, this location offers the closest possible experience to the enthusiastic crowd of esports fans. It's truly a prime viewing spot; the organizers certainly put a lot of thought into it.

However, compared to the first match which was still half an hour away from starting, Chongyue was more curious about the boy beside him.

"My name is Chongyue. May I ask your honorable name, sir?"

Ernst looked the man before him up and down. He was dressed in a traditional Chinese mandarin jacket, with two horns on his head, but instead of appearing ferocious, he exuded an innate sense of gravitas. He smiled and replied:

"My name is Ernst Shivaish. I come from Shelag. I am not from Yan, but I know some friends from Yan and have learned some of the Yan language."

Chongyue silently recited the name. When Ernst mentioned his origins, he raised his eyebrows slightly, looked at Ernst with some surprise, observed him carefully, and then frowned strangely, as if he wanted to ask something, but was too embarrassed to speak directly.

Ernst, however, somewhat guessed his thoughts and offered an explanation:

"Mr. Chongyue is probably wondering if I am a participant in the World Games, right?"

Chongyue nodded.

He was indeed very curious about that.

After all, from the perspective of someone who practices martial arts, Ernst's strength is indeed... not very good.

He probably only managed to put in a little effort and fight a goose he kept in his courtyard in Yumen for about 300 rounds, with the fight going back and forth, fraught with danger, and he ultimately won by a narrow margin.

With a combat strength roughly equivalent to a goose, this is clearly not a very impressive level.

If Ernst knew he was called a goose on their first meeting, he would probably be a little annoyed.

What's wrong with geese? Isn't Amber, the Shadow Battle Goose next door, also favored by the Shadow Goddess? In short, isn't she on a completely different level from me?

From Chongyue's perspective, or to put it more sensibly, he felt that Ernst should be a mage.

But the country of Shelag was one that the Grand Tutor had specifically mentioned, and Ernst had just spoken some words in Yan language, so he couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Ernst wasn't embarrassed at all, and simply explained:

"I'm definitely not a participating athlete. If I had to say, am I part of the support group?"

"The athlete went to buy light sticks, he'll be right back. Oh, he's already back."

Ernst waved to Hinterlea and Jeston, who were walking toward their seats. Hinterlea was carrying two Cokes, while Jeston was holding two standees.

In theory, these support items should be delivered directly to your hands via drone, but like most chain shopping malls and cinemas, if you want to use the intercity network to connect to the arena's shopping system, you must recharge a certain amount and then use the amount in your card to pay.

The minimum top-up amount was 1,000 marks. Hinterlea didn't want to waste that money, and Ernst had no objection either. So she called on Jeston to do the hard work and went directly to the offline shopping point.

Back in her seat, Hinterlea handed Ernst a Coke that seemed to have been skimped on, but wasn't quite full, and then sat down with a slightly flushed face, holding the Coke.

Jeston looked at Hinterlea and Ernst, who had Coke, and sighed slightly.

I shouldn't be here; I should be under the car.

How come I get fed a mouthful of dog food just for coming out to play a game?

Ernst pointed to Jeston and introduced him to Chongyue:

"This is Jeston Williams, the contestant for Sherag."

"Jesston, this is Mr. Chongyue. If I'm not mistaken, he should be one of Yan's contestants, right?"

Chongyue nodded, acknowledging his identity, and also glanced at Jeston.

He was tall and muscular, clearly the result of systematic training. In terms of physique alone, he could be considered above average in Chong Yue's eyes.

If the maximum score is 10, I'd give it a 6.5.

Unfortunately, Jeston isn't a Vayvan or even a Drak race, otherwise his score could have been much higher. Liberi, after all, isn't known for his physical strength.

To put it simply, they are not divine beings, and their racial stats are capped.

Of course, judging a person's strength cannot be based solely on physique. Skill, or martial arts foundation, must also be considered.

Even a Tai Chi master with a weak physique can use minimal force to overcome great strength. Even a strongman who is said to be able to lift a tripod cannot withstand Chong Yue's pine cone flicking lightning whip.

If we consider the context of the World Games, we also need to take into account the influence of [Originium Arts].

However, if the participants in this World Games are all like this, it still won't surprise Chongyue.

Seemingly noticing Chongyue's slightly disappointed look, Jeston also abandoned his internal humility and adopted a more external arrogance.

"Mr. Chongyue, you seem rather dissatisfied with my strength?"

Chongyue waved his hand: "Terra is a land of hidden talents, I have no such intention."

Jesston gave a soft hum, his lips curling upwards and twisting slightly.

"No kidding, I'm here this time to bring the championship trophy back for Prime Minister Ernst and Scherrag!"

"I've heard a little about the Knights' Tournament in Kazimierz. To be honest, I've always had a slight doubt about whether the so-called champions of all time... apart from the Black Knight, are really stronger than me."

Why not say Black Knight?

Because the Black Knight is too strong, and she's actually participating this time, who knows which round they might run into each other, wouldn't that be awkward?

What? Prime Minister Ernst's demand is "The championship doesn't matter, just take down the Black Knights"?

Haha... I can't really laugh.

Jeston's aura inexplicably dropped a few points, but this did not prevent Chongyue from raising Jeston's score again.

It was originally 6.5, but now it's going to be upgraded to 7.5.

After all, he is a representative of a country. Since he dares to make such a bold statement that he regards all the champions of the past as nothing, then this Jeston must be a ruthless person!

We must never underestimate the heroes and valiant men of the world!

Chongyue wanted to exchange more martial arts insights with this "deeply hidden" expert in front of him, but was abruptly interrupted by the noise of a microphone.

He turned his head, his gaze following the direction of the sound, landing on the commentary booth high up in the stadium, where the commentator's voice was already resounding through the arena via microphone:

"Check, check!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, pillars of Kazimierz, and our most distinguished guests, hello!"

"Welcome to the Rose Arena! Enjoy this dance of light and shadow brought to you by the Candle Knight and the Calamity Knight!!"

"I'm your new friend, Mob! Big Mouth Mob!"

Chongyue noticed that, for some reason, when the commentator introduced the villainous knight Watfan, Ernst's female companion's expression always seemed inexplicably gloomy.

Chapter 372 Jesston: Stop while you're at it, you wouldn't want to hurt Chongyue.

Casimir, Kavaleriyaki.

It must be said that the Candle Knight was indeed a beautiful knight.

This is not a crude assessment of mere lust or the small head dominating the big head, but rather Ernst's personal feeling after careful consideration.

Anyone who has ever watched a single match of the Candle Knight live would never say that she is "not beautiful enough." Her demeanor, her face, every smile and frown are like a carefully polished gem, gentle and warm as if it could soothe the soul, yet upon closer inspection, there is also a hint of fierce determination, as if she would rather be broken than bend.

Every step she took was carefully executed, striving to perfectly showcase her best figure. Her rapier, her weapon, was thrust out with a touch of restraint each time. Any more force would cause her posture to tilt slightly out of place, while any less force would make her appear too soft and lacking in clean, decisive lethality.

If Ernst had to describe the Candle Knight's swordsmanship, which was as graceful as a dance, in a single sentence, he could only borrow a classic line from a classic game from his previous life—

[Precise, yet elegant]

And that's not even the most distinctive feature of the Candle Knight.

Before coming to watch the game, Ernst had some basic knowledge of the two Cavaliers playing that day.

Viviana Drost, the Candle Knight, is an Elafian from Letania. According to the earliest, somewhat fuzzy, big data analysis—and stereotypes—a Letanian must also be an Originium Mage.

Viviana is no exception. If we only consider swordsmanship and movement, she is at most an upper-middle level among the many knights of Kazimierz. In spectator-style knightly competitions, she may be able to dominate one side, but she is definitely not the biggest opponent of the Blood Knight who stands out in strength-based knightly competitions, or another favorite to win the Special Championship.

And what supports her in achieving success in both arts and sports is, needless to say, her Originium Arts.

The promotional brochure describes Originium Arts as "shining like a candle in the dark night, stealing the hearts and victories of every opponent."

Ernst was eager to witness firsthand the candlelight magic that was said to be breathtakingly beautiful, and he wasn't the only one who shared this idea.

"That Miss Candle Knight hasn't used any Originium Arts yet, but she can easily suppress the Calamity Knight with her skillful swordsmanship, which is truly amazing."

The military officer sighed and couldn't help but open the small notebook in his hand. Even from a distance of more than twenty meters, he began to trace the Candle Knight's swordsmanship on the booklet.

This sword technique, originating from Letania and incorporating elements of Kazimierz, is not currently classified as a martial art that can be recorded, but the recording officers possess their own unique "sense" and standards.

This sword technique clearly requires the use of Originium Arts. And once the Candle Knight unleashes his Originium Arts, the true essence of this sword technique will be revealed.

Although he was unable to practice martial arts due to physical reasons, the other disciple of the master, Qiu Bai, was a female swordswoman. If this sword technique could be completed and given to her for a look, it might evoke some unknown resonance!

If that's the case, then his efforts won't have been in vain.

The military officer's hand moved so fast it left afterimages. Seeing this, Chongyue understood his intention and did not stop him.

He turned his head slightly, looking at Jeston, who had switched places with the military officer and was now sitting next to him, and asked curiously.

"What are your thoughts on these two knights on the field, Mr. Jeston?"

"weak."

Jeston answered decisively, his words so arrogant and his tone so certain that they took Chongyue and Ernst somewhat by surprise.

But Jeston, unusually, remained unmoved and simply explained:

"Excuse my bluntness, but their fighting style was a bit too refined."

"Take the Fierce Knight, for example. Her skill level isn't high to begin with, and she's wielding a large axe, so she's already at a disadvantage against the agile Candle Knight. If she continues to play defensively like this, she'll inevitably run out of energy first. Fighting so hesitantly, how can she possibly win?"

Jesston paused for a moment, then pointed to himself.

"If I were to go up against this weapon, and given that my skills are inferior to theirs, there would naturally be only one way to do it."

Chongyue raised an eyebrow: "Oh, what is it?"

Jeston sneered: "Trade injury for injury, turn defense into offense!"

"The great axe is cumbersome but powerful, while the rapier is agile but not very damaging. As long as you risk getting injured and leave one or two openings in your vital areas to lure the Candle Knights to attack, then smash the great axe directly into their faces. If the Candle Knights take the blow head-on, the rapiers will not be able to stop the great axe and will definitely break their defenses. If they do not take the blow, then you can switch from defense to offense, and you can create distance and use the length of your weapons to win in mid-range combat."

“An inch longer, an inch stronger, that is indeed a solution.” Chongyue nodded. “Unfortunately, that knight clearly lacks Mr. Jeston’s boldness.”

The idea of ​​exchanging injury for injury sounds simple, but actually making up your mind to do it is far more difficult than you think.

When threatened, people instinctively try to avoid or defend themselves, and trading blows is clearly against instinct. Furthermore, weighing the pros and cons, if you don't expose a significant weakness, why would the enemy attack rashly? And if you expose too much, how can you guarantee that you won't be struck in a vital spot and subdued before you can successfully trade blows?

Even assuming you could actually do all of that, there's still one fundamental question that needs answering:

"is it necessary?"

Is it really necessary to risk your life for just one match?

The Fierce Knight was well aware that the outcome of this match was most likely predetermined. The Commercial Federation had arranged for her, the axe-wielding contestant, to fight against the agile Candle Knight simply to use her as a punching bag, sending the highly popular Candle Knight into the next round.

If we think about it more deeply, there might also be a reason why the Commercial Federation implicitly predetermined the final match of this year's tournament—the Candle Knight versus the Blood Knight. If nothing unexpected happens, tomorrow the Blood Knight, Dikeopolis, also wielding a blood-red greataxe, will face a nimble fighter wielding a rapier.

With everything arranged this far, is it really necessary for her to resist?

Even if she were to trade blows and die fighting the Candle Knight, so what? Would the Business Federation then train her for that?

That's impossible. Her brand isn't strong enough, and much of it overlaps with the Blood Knight concept. What's the point of a product that already has competitors, and those competitors have already captured the market?

Dark horse? At most, she'll be "arranged" by the Business Federation again in the second round. If she's lucky, she'll be forced to eliminate the left-handed knight Titus White Yang, who can be called the "gatekeeper of the main competition." If she's unlucky, she'll directly encounter Rust Copper Olmer Ingra, suffer a comminuted fracture, and be sent to the hospital. She won't earn any money and will lose half her life.

Then the dark horse turned into a dead horse, and his experience of defeating the Candle Knight was also labeled with the infamy of "good luck", "relying on a sneak attack", or "stealing the Candle Knight's championship".

Who knows, once Blood Knight wins the championship, she might have to give Candle Knight an IOU, as the eternal sinner who caused Candle Knight to fail to reach the finals, she owes Candle Knight a championship.

She wasn't a Radiant Knight after all; without absolute strength, she couldn't be absolutely rebellious. She couldn't afford to be arrogant. Even though she was unwilling to have painstakingly accumulated enough points only to be eliminated in the first round of the Major, in her anger, she could only vent it briefly.

That's why Ernst said, "Don't really think of it as the world's number one martial arts tournament. This competition is more of a business activity."

However, putting the competition aside, Ernst was a little curious about just how good Jeston really was.

He spoke eloquently to the favorites to win the championship, his words full of strategies to defeat the enemy, and he was highly praised by the representative of the Yan country team. Is Jeston really that strong?

I remember you were knocked down by Saria with three punches after making those tough remarks, becoming a stepping stone to the Rhine King of Fighters fame, right?

Oh, it seems that the Flame Demon was also defeated by Saria with three punches... In that case, it's hard to say how impressive that feat is.

Ernst discovered that his assessment of Jeston's strength had suddenly entered a Schrödinger's cat state.

Jeston was knocked down by Saria with three punches, and so was the Balrog. Therefore, Jeston should be on par with the Balrog. The Balrog is a member of the Sarkaz royal court, of extremely high seniority and considerable strength; theoretically, he should be very strong, and Jeston should be strong as well. However, the Balrog's battle record is indeed not very impressive. Since his resurrection, he was first beaten by Saria, then by the great god Yeragand, and finally, in the laboratory, he was even defeated by his own slap.

How do we calculate the cost of this box?

One Jie = One Yan = One-third of a punch = Ernst's slap?