Raised From The Wild-Chapter 336: Battle of the Titans: And The Winner Is...
Princess Amaya glanced at Adelle with probing eyes. Initially, Adelle flinched, but after some time, she met Amaya’s gaze with smugness. She knew her father was helping her, but she did not know exactly how.
"Then, I would like to see the Chancellor." Amaya was talking to the umpire, but her gaze remained on Adelle.
Whispers and murmurs filled the arena as the audience grew restless. The source of the competition’s delay was unknown, leaving everyone wondering what was causing the interruption.
The umpire looked troubled. He received a notice on his headset to proceed. If the princess continued to delay the competition, she would be disqualified. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Princess Amaya looked displeased when the umpire insisted that they should proceed with the competition. Just then, she felt a vibration on her wristwatch. She looked at the cryptic message, and her lips curled up.
She adjusted her position and the angle of her bow. She also increased the tension on the bowstring before releasing the arrow.
The onlookers were left in a state of bewilderment and confusion. They couldn’t fathom the reason behind the princess’s seemingly erratic action of taking a single step before releasing an arrow that deviated from its intended target.
The camera tracked the arrow as it appeared to be headed toward the third ring from the center of the target. However, just a few centimeters away from the target, the arrow veered off its original path and ended up hitting the bullseye at the center of the target.
"My gosh! I haven’t seen anything like this." The expressionless man wearing thick glasses and standing beside the man with the phoenix mask, showed excitement on his face for the first time . But he stopped when he felt a chill down his spine, and the hair on his body stood on its end.
The man wearing a phoenix mask was visibly frustrated, his face contorted in anger. He muttered a string of curses under his breath, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. He had specifically instructed his accomplice to secretly embed a magnet inside the target, but even then, the Princess had managed to hit the bullseye. He couldn’t believe it. Was she really that skilled, or was there something else going on that he wasn’t aware of?
Adelle pulled the bowstring taut, her eyes fixed on the target at the far end of the archery range. She took a deep breath, steadying her aim, and released the arrow with a smooth motion. The shaft cut through the air with a soft hiss and struck the bullseye dead center. A triumphant smile spread across Adelle’s face, and she turned to face Amaya with a smug expression of satisfaction.
Princess Amaya took a deep breath before she walked up to her coach with a worried look on her face. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear that made him furrow his brow. Without hesitation, the coach marched over to the umpire, a stern expression on his face. He demanded to see the Chancellor, his voice laced with urgency. If the Chancellor was unwilling to meet with them, he insisted that the umpire allow Amaya and Adelle to switch places.
Ultimately, Charles Gray strode out from the observation room and talked to Amaya’s coach. Princess Amaya approached the duo and requested that the targets be brought inside. She understood she could not act recklessly, as the Beinnial’s reputation would be impacted. She aimed to resolve the matter quickly and discreetly, avoiding any unnecessary commotion.
Both targets were brought inside, away from the prying eyes of the spectators and the camera. Amaya went with Charles Gray and her coach while Adelle went to her seat and sipped her bottled water.
Princess Amaya took out her arrow and placed it at the corner of the target on the floor. The moment she removed her hand from the arrow shaft, it was pulled to the third outer ring.
Charles Gray’s eyes narrowed. He did not expect his Godfather to do such a trick. His gaze landed on Amaya’s face, and his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Princess Amaya picked up her arrow and placed it on Adelle’s target. As expected, the arrow was pulled towards the center.
"Chancellor Gray, don’t blame me for being cautious, but after this, I don’t know if I could still trust the organizers of this sports event. I chose to discuss this with you privately because I don’t want to tarnish the reputation of the Biennial. I am sure that this fraudulent attempt is isolated. I hope the Chancellor is fair and will not favor his fiancee."
With a wry smile, Charles Gray turned his attention to the princess and spoke to her in a hushed tone. After a brief conversation, he signaled for another sports official to bring out a fresh target and carefully positioned it in the center of the arena.
The spectators were surprised to see that there was only one target.
"What happened inside? Did something go wrong?" the audience asked one another.
The Master of Ceremonies made an announcement that caught the attention of everyone present. He declared that the two previously used targets were found to be defective and had to be replaced. To address any doubts or rumors that might arise, the MC explained that in the remaining sets, the two contenders would aim at a single target only.
The spectators were perplexed by the arrangement. But after some more convincing words from the MC, they agreed that it was a better approach, and they could gauge who was a better archer.
For the last set, Adelle would shoot the first arrow. She inhaled and released a deep sigh.
"This is it!"
She inhaled and exhaled deeply, then steadied her aim and released the arrow smoothly. The shaft cut through the air with a soft hiss and struck the center of the ring. It was a bullseye.
"Let’s see if your arrow can hit the bullseye too. If it does, then it should disloge my arrow first." Adelle said mockingly.
Princess Amaya ignored her. She took her arrow from the quiver and released it with a fluid motion, one would think she had practiced it a thousand times.
"Twack!" Amaya’s arrow landed on the bullseye. It dislodged Adelle’s arrow which fell into the ground.
Adelle’s face went pale.
The spectators in the bleachers stood and went into a frenzy.
