"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the academy's one and only Grand Festival!"
The announcer's voice boomed through the air, the same familiar, enthusiastic tone as last year, echoing even into the waiting areas where participants gathered.
As the roar of the crowd filled the arena, the hype for the Grand Festival kicked off once more.
Unlike last year, however, there was a noticeable difference in the crowd.
While the number of visitors remained relatively the same, this year's audience was dominated by ordinary citizens—people from nearby towns and cities who had come to watch the spectacle.
The usual swarm of adventurer guild leaders, knight order scouts, and prestigious magic tower representatives were few and far between.
It made sense.
Most of those influential figures had likely already identified their targets during the first semester.
