Chapter 124: Before the tournament starts (1/2)

Chapter 124: Before the tournament starts

“Agate Lake Academy against Hunter Academy.”

When they finished announcing the match-ups for group one, lower half, everyone in Agate Lake Academy became silent.

Golden Stag Academy finished third the previous year. It was a team Breith Magazine evaluated as a monster-level team.

Hawkmoon was a team ranked tenth last year. People even thought there wasn’t that much of a gap between them and the top eight seeded teams. Breith Magazine ranked it as an outstanding team.

Apart from that, in the same group, there were also Orkmont Academy, Snow Wolf Academy, and, facing Agate Lake in the first match, Hunter Academy. All of them were ranked as strong teams.

This group was the definition of a group of death.

The most important was, even if Agate Lake Academy won the first match, then their next opponent according to the present draw would be the winner between Golden Stag Academy and Snow Wolf Academy.

Snow Wolf Academy was publicly recognized as a strong team, but they shouldn’t be a match for team Golden Stag at peak condition.

That was why, if Agate Lake Academy managed to participate in the second round in the group, their opponent should be team Golden Stag!

When Moss saw such a draw, then saw the downcast expression on the girls in team Agate Lake, he couldn’t sort out what kind of feeling was inside him. He couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I didn’t think we wouldn’t meet them, but you guys actually met them instead.”

“It’s alright.” Sophia was after all a veteran captain who’d weathered storms and waves. She recovered very fast from her gloominess, and comforted all her teammates beside her. “After all, we aren’t an especially formidable team. There are so many outstanding teams in this tournament. Even if we hadn’t met team Golden Stag, maybe we would have met Dragon Breath Academy instead, or Abel Academy, or River Bend Academy. So there’s no need for us to think about how poor the draw is. For us, we only need to think about learning as many things as we can in every match. This way, we’ll become even stronger the next time we come back in this place.”

“That’s right. You just need to be stronger every time. One day, your Agate Lake Academy and our Holy Dawn Academy will become seeded teams others will be afraid of.” Ayrin brandished his fist and encouraged all the girls in Agate Lake Academy.

“Golden Stag Academy, Hawkmoon Academy, this group is really the group of death. Agate Lake Academy drew such a group, and they even fight against a formidable team like Hunter Academy in their first match. It looks like teams from St. Lauren will be routed in the first round.”

Team Mountain Kings was full of schadenfreude again at this time. They looked as if they stumbled on many gold coins.

In all of the sixty-four teams, there were only three teams ranked as weeds, but they actually direct met one. Just this was about the same as stumbling on a lot of gold coin as soon as they left their house. But the most crucial was, the draw for the entire group was extremely lucky.

True, Silver Trout Academy was strong, but after all, they still weren’t a freakish team like Dragon Breath Academy, Abel Academy, Golden Stag Academy, or River Bend Academy. Even most others looking at the group would agree that their Mountain Kings Academy was the strongest after Silver Trout.

There was a very short time period between every match in the national tournament. Looking back at past historical records stretching back many years, only about half the first seeds managed to fight their way out of the groups.

So, if Silver Trout suffered heavy injuries in the previous match, while their team Mountain Kings didn’t suffer too badly, didn’t lose too many important team members, then it was very much possible for their team to eliminate Silver Trout Academy and reach the last eight!

Right now, Silver Trout Academy faced Longtable Academy in their first match. The latter wasn’t a pushover team that could be casually dealt with. In comparison, their own opponent, team Holy Dawn… A weeds-level team that hadn’t reached the nationals for many years already, they should probably be able to do them in just by casually fooling around.

…

After the drawing ceremony came the explanation of the rules, then reiterating them.

The great majority of teams were in fact frequent guests to the nationals, so these were pretty meaningless for them. But Ayrin actually listened with rapt attention.

To ensure the best viewing, there was only one group fighting every day. Team Holy Dawn was in group three, upper half, so their match officially started three days later.

“Hahahaha…”

The proud Stingham kept laughing madly. When they declared the end of the drawing ceremony, when the various teams started to scatter, he proudly said, “How was that. Even the prayer of a handsome man is different, isn’t it? We actually really met team Mountain Kings straight away. I’ll invite everyone to a meal later.”

“That said…” His tone made a sudden turnabout. He looked at Ayrin and said, “Ayrin can’t come. He’s a Giant Eating Monster, I’d be ruined.”

Ayrin didn’t get angry. He only scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

“Ayrin, it doesn’t matter. You can come eat with us since that’s the case. Stingham can invite the others, we’ll eat together.” The Agate Lake girls all gave Stingham a vicious stare. “Didn’t we say just yesterday we’d take you with us for a stroll?”

“Haha, I was joking. Ayrin has to join us.” Stingham’s expression changed all all of a sudden. He grabbed Ayrin’s hand, full of warmth. “When we’re done with the meal, take me with you for the stroll,” he said again, looking at the Agate Lake girls.