(I'm sick, tired, hungry, irritable, and have a headache. Short chapter is better than no chapter. Enjoy!)
The walk back to the academy was… irritating. I was interrogated endlessly about why Hanako Sensei separated me from the rest of the group. They just didn't seem to accept my answer of "it's complicated." I wanted to avoid revealing my possession of six affinities. As I thought about it, I realized that this facade wouldn't hold up for long.
Tonight was our first exhibition match in the White Dragon Academy's First Year MMA league. I might end up displaying some abilities that could make people suspicious. That's a problem for later. On top of that, I conveniently have the backing of the royal family, a duke, an archmage, and several professors.
When we all got back, everyone rushed to the cafeteria. I hadn't eaten lunch but for some reason, I was not that hungry. I still needed to eat something. Being well fed is important for having energy.
I wanted something filling that would give me some good energy to burn. Thus, I got a pasta dish. It had some tomato sauce, sausage entrails, spinach, and spaghetti.
After swallowing a mouthful of pasta, I turned to Jacob. "What's the deal with tonight?"
Jacob finished chewing and swallowed. He then cleared his throat, covering his mouth with his hand like a true gentleman. "The match is at 8PM. We need to show up thirty minutes before to get our equipment and get debriefed on the important rules."
I nodded. "What kind of equipment will we be getting?"
Jacob smirked. "We will be getting our team uniforms and match approved weapons. There will also be a private interview with the referee done by each team to discuss their abilities. Some things are against the rules to protect us and our opponents."
I sighed. "This sounds like a hassle. Do we really have to do this?"
Jacob laughed. "Come on. I know you'll like the uniform."
I raised my brow. "Do tell."
Jacob shook his head, wearing a teasing expression. "You'll have to find out later hehe."
I rolled my eyes and went back to eating. After a few minutes of continued eating, I thought of something. Don't we need some kind of game plan? "Hey, do we have some kind of formation?"
Jacob nodded. "Oh yeah, we talked about it already. You'll be in the front, Yanni and I will be in the middle, and Anna will be in the back. Anna has the most powerful casting abilities out of us all, Yanni and I are well rounded but above average. You, on the other hand, are the most versatile first year student my father has ever seen. You are suited for getting up close and personal with your physical magic fighting style."
I tilted my head. "Hmmm, that does sound about right. Do we use weapons?"
Jacob nodded. "In terms of casting, there are staffs, wands, bows, and rings. There are also melee weapons but people rarely use them. They have swords, pole arms, daggers, and gauntlets."
I smiled. "I think I want to try a dagger or small sword." In my head, I had visions of grandeur, standing over my enemies with a pair of daggers in my hands. I could infuse the daggers with mana to increase their offensive and defensive abilities. This could be fun!
Jacob chuckled. "I think a dagger would suit you. Maybe some throwing knives too. Combining those with your spells could be an extremely deadly combination."
I nodded. "That would be interesting. I'd have to be careful though. I don't want to kill anyone by accident."
Jacob shook his head. "I'd be shocked if you managed to kill someone. The protections they have in place on top of the official referees that are high mages, it is virtually impossible to die. Any attack that is deemed to be fatal will be judged as a knockout and the target will be blinked out of the arena immediately. I also heard that they have special rules in place for people like us."
I nodded, feeling a bit more comfortable. I've already made some enemies here so I would, without a doubt, need these protections.
We sat in the cafeteria for about an hour in total. We got up to head down to the arena at around 7:15.
Many people might be nervous about their first showing in something as huge as MMA. Their nerves would consume them, making them freeze and hesitate. However, I was the complete opposite. I couldn't care less about how this match goes. It is an exhibition after all. Instead of worrying, I was thinking about what I should get as a snack after the match. Would I want mozzarella sticks? Oh! Maybe pizza would be good! UGHHHHH! Such a hard choice.
We arrived at the arena. It turns out that the MMA matches don't just have students as the spectators. People were flowing like a torrent in a raging river, the line seemingly endless.
There was a sign that directed athletes towards the staging rooms. It would seem that we were the first match of the night. The last match would start at 10:30PM. Each match was allotted 30 minutes so there were a total of six matches. Apparently there are matches every night of the week and each team would have a maximum of two matches per week.
It seemed odd to me that there were so many people here for a night that was filled with first year exhibition matches. After thinking about it, I realized that there was a good reason for this. The eldest two children of the royal family would be participating in a match tonight! MMA fans were eager to see how they would perform as well as who they would choose as their teammates
Jacob informed me that there were rumours flying around about those two additions. One of them regarded Yanni, referring to him as a hidden noble. There were actually several about me. One was that I was the son of one of the royal guards and that I was sent to the academy to protect the royal children. Another said that I was from an ancient family that had some connections to the royals behind the scenes. The funniest one that I heard was that I was a hidden child of the royals that they concealed out in the boonies. Who has time to come up with this shit?
We arrived at the staging room a few minutes before we were supposed to arrive. I was surprised to find out that we were taken in immediately.
A woman was waiting for us. She had black hair and sharp features. Her eyes seemed to pierce through everything. I had no doubt that she would be very scary when angry.
She bowed before speaking. "Your highnesses, it's a pleasure to welcome you to the competition."
Jacob laughed. "Who is the beautiful dame I have the pleasure of meeting?"
She straightened herself out and replied with a smile. "My name is Jamie Callahan, I'll be your team's manager."
I was confused, very confused. "Manager?"
Jamie nodded. "Indeed, Callum. I will handle all of the behind the scenes work in organizing your matches. I already have your class schedules so I can organize any training sessions or traveling."
I raised my brow, even more confused. "Traveling?"
Jamie laughed. "Yes, traveling. Some matches later in the season will be played in major cities to allow more spectators to attend. Even the MMA leagues that are made up of students are quite the popular events."
I sighed, placing my hand on my head. "This is… troublesome."
Jacob laughed. "Jamie, where are our uniforms?"
Jamie nodded. "Right this way, your highness."