"Vina, you forgot that we haven't introduced everyone yet!" Kurone interrupted the absent-minded trader.
"Ah, right-right! The next contender! It's better to introduce them as a couple since they are spouses! Leira Vanderhof, a noblewoman, and her husband, the swordsman Algo Sayrin," the screen divided into two and showed the couple blushing in embarrassment, "here is beautiful and pure love between a poor noblewoman and her loyal servant. Isn't it lovely? Their feelings took a long time to blossom, but the turning point for their relationship was the attack on the girl's ancestral home, and how the brave warrior rushed to save her family. And, of course, our Dungeon Master played his role with a tricky plot," images of the battle with the Bee Queen appeared on the screen, with Algo and Leira fighting together in harmony, our involvement in the battle seemed to have faded into the shadows. After that, a moment of their wedding appeared, where the couple stood at the altar, and a pink heart was drawn around them on the screen.
The embarrassed couple tried to hide under the balcony, but the all-seeing crystal caught their image from there.
"Alright, let's not torment the newlyweds. Next on the list is Grain Diter, a very powerful earth mage," the camera showed Grain, and then scenes appeared on the screen where he protected Levris from Kiram and bravely entered the battle against a superior enemy, "a genuinely good guy. Ready to stand up for any damsel in distress and confront any foe," following were scenes of him being beaten by Miguel in the same battle, "but doesn't every girl dream of such a reliable guy? Besides, he recently went through some intense training and may have become much stronger than other mages."
Grain sheepishly scratched his head and lowered his gaze.
"Sweetie, I told you. Next participant, Shinigami Rizel!" The screen showed a girl in a black cloak, followed by scenes of her single-handedly dealing with a group of basilisks in the swamp, then how she vanquished cave monsters. Vina continued the presentation with an indifferent voice, "where she was born - unknown, parents - unknown, who she was before the Academy - unknown, what the hell is hidden under the cloak - unknown. All we know is that she cherishes her friends and can turn anyone who hurts them into ashes in the blink of an eye. And, she's good with children. Hopefully, after this tournament, we'll learn something about her."
Rizel silently nodded and waved her hand in a grey glove at the camera.
"As emotional as always, well, okay. Next contender, Miguel Warden, a very powerful fire mage, though somewhat impulsive," the screen showed his battle scenes with Grain, where he effortlessly sent fiery attacks at the earth mage, easily countering the earth magic, "son of a high-ranking inquisitor, and as a result, a rather dark person inside. He enjoys taunting his opponents, especially if they are significantly losing to him, but unfortunately, it can be quite useful considering the tournament rules."
I recalled the rules: the fight would end if one contender surrendered or couldn't continue. If he cornered the opponent, he could draw out their surrender slowly and deliberately, and no one would interfere.
To Vina's obvious insult, Miguel only smirked and grinned at the camera.
"Our next contenders, the twins Vivien and Miriam Deterim," the screen divided again, showing the girls' faces, then switching to scenes of their battle against imperial guards. Students who hadn't seen this battle before cheered enthusiastically, "strong and experienced warriors. Vivien is a fiery girl, ready to charge any opponent with her spear, and Miriam is calm and modest, an archer who loves to prepare the battlefield in advance, leaving no chances for the enemy. Let's see how they perform in this match."
The twins looked at the screen with interest.
"When did they manage to capture this?"
"Didn't think anyone saw us."
They didn't know the talent of our Kurone.
"Milena Warden, the most mysterious of the Holy Flame trio," the camera showed the girl in blue uniform, devoid of any emotions, "oooh, such a cold gaze. She's the brain of the Holy Flame guild, responsible for all financial operations and pre-battle strategy. She's also a powerful water mage, but as far as I know, she only used magic once during the entrance exam and since then has tried not to waste her strength on pointless fights. Obviously, she's not eager to participate in the tournament, but let's see what happens when it comes to actual combat!"
Throughout Vina's speech, the image on the screen remained unchanged. Kurone simply knew nothing about this girl, and there was nothing to show. Besides, Milena herself stood at attention, showing no emotions, silent and calm like her own element.
"Next participant came to us from afar, Imperial Guardian Aileen Draglein!" Suspicious murmurs spread through the stands; it seemed everyone was biased against the empire and had no desire to support a foreigner. But on the screen appeared the image of a charming girl with short hair, and the crowd's mood softened slightly. "Don't think she's here as a world ambassador. And even though she pretends to be excessively smart as an inventor, it's so amusing to watch her when she deals with magical items. And if you think that by capturing her and disarming her, you've won, think again; she can still hide a weapon in some completely unexpected place," at this moment, the screen showed my battle with the guardian, revealing how much weaponry she concealed, which was still terrifying to see.
Aileen smiled warmly and waved to the audience.
"Here comes the splendid warrior from the ancient Yukitori clan, Asura," the crystal showed Asura standing on the balcony looking anxious, "a very powerful warrior recognized by all the masters at the Academy, and at the same time, one of the most beautiful girls in the class, having a large number of admirers from all walks of life." The screen first showed Asura skillfully fighting the sphinx in the Leranian Desert and then with me, using ice magic. And then, the image changed to show the blushing girl in a cute waitress uniform, covering her face with a tray that couldn't hide her bluish hair, "by the way, you can see this beauty in more feminine attire at Yuki cafe in Rimia."
Asura's face gradually blended with the red stripes adorning her grey warrior uniform.
"Reminder, her portrait is also available for purchase at the exit. And the next contender, about whom I know even less than Rizel and Milena combined, is Hilda Degarun!" The crystal showed a tall girl with two silver braids, a reasonably toned and muscular physique, not detracting from her femininity, dressed in a significantly altered warrior's grey uniform. The steel plates framing the outer skirt and chest of the uniform were adorned with delicate patterns characteristic of noble Nordrune families, and despite the not-so-cold weather, the uniform was lined with fur on the inside. The girl's shoulders were decorated with shoulder pads in the shape of wolf heads, and her arms showcased intricate bracers. Behind her, a weapon's hilt could be seen, but since she stood three balconies away from us, I couldn't make out what she was hiding. It was clear that it was something very large, as she could carry it only like that, "one could say she's a princess of Nordrune, although we know that there's no law of direct inheritance there, but she's the daughter of the supreme Jarl Siegfried, and consequently, she should be a formidable warrior and mage."
"Don't judge children by the deeds of their fathers!" I heard the girl utter this phrase, crossing her arms on her chest with displeasure. This will be interesting; besides, I might face her already in the second round.
"The next contender, Alfred Van Grave," as soon as his sickly sweet face appeared on the screen, joyful squeals from his fangirls resounded in the stands, "terribly popular among girls, thanks to his looks and noble lineage, the son of a great inquisitor and a very powerful fire mage. Like other members of his family, Alfred is protected by divine defense, but who knows, maybe this tournament will shatter the myths of its invincibility."
Alfred just chuckled and blew an air kiss into the camera, prompting another wave of girlish squeals.
"Okay, and the last participant is Krito Vale..." At this point, my face appeared on the screen, and for some reason, Vina fell silent for a long time.
"Well, say something about me at least?! Hey!!" After a minute of silence, I couldn't take it anymore.
"Well, what can I say, he's not very skilled in magic, although he fights quite well. And he's also pretty good at coming up with battle plans," while Vina tried to describe me as best she could, the screen showed an image of me lying in the backyard of our guild on a makeshift bench created with earth magic, covering myself with some book, peacefully dozing off while others trained in the background, "don't underestimate him, I'm sure he'll show himself in the upcoming battles."
Okay, fine, but damn, why doesn't the picture change at all during my entire presentation!!???
"So, these are all the participants; let's wish them good luck and beautiful battles!"