Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?-Chapter 916 - 598: War Festival... But Doesn’t Seem Like Anyone’s Here? (Part 2)
But now, although those seats were occupied, no one expanded them at all, because there were so few people!
"This...."
Fred didn't know what to say. Could it be that today's young people were completely uninterested in traditional events like the War Festival? As an elder, he truly had no idea what the young people liked.
But turning his head, even Banto, who prides himself on understanding young people the most, was also bewildered.
So, what exactly intercepted the people who were supposed to participate in the War Festival?
So perplexed, Fred temporarily forgot his anxiety over Temude's absence.
With that, the War Festival began.
After various ritual ceremonies and performances concluded, a whole day had passed. There were a few more people in the arena, but it was still far from the expected scene of being packed.
At dusk, the sound of horns blared, and the fighters entered the arena to begin their duels. The whole festival's atmosphere reached its climax with the warriors' passionate battles.
Banto and Younka's faces of confusion turned into smiles, smiling at the reformist fighters who stole the show.
Fred remained expressionless because Temude and his group still hadn't arrived.
That's it, he wouldn't expect anymore, he sealed his heart and locked away love.
He looked gloomily at the arena, where now a group of warriors was fiercely exchanging magic, naturally using Younka's "Improved Magic." Each one wielded it adeptly, strutting stylish poses between fights, and he saw the recently renowned Edgar among them, who was the most ostentatious of all the fighters, completely absorbed in his own achievements with an arrogant demeanor.
How did such a person develop techniques even Younka hadn't thought of?
Watching the scene of people casting magic left and right in the warrior's arena, Fred was fuming, his mustache bristling, tapping his staff on the ground repeatedly muttering, "What a disgrace, what a disgrace..."
After a while, the weak fighters had been filtered out, leaving only the elites in the arena. The traditional warriors on Fred's side did hold their own somewhat, with quite a few lasting until now, but compared to the overwhelming reform faction...forget it, there was no comparison at all.
His face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
And while Fred, representing the traditional faction, had a darkened face, Banto, Younka, and others of the reform faction were delighted.
"Grandfather looks very angry."
Lanle glanced at Fred, then turned his head, revealing a smile.
The seat beside him, supposed to be Temude's, was empty at the moment. Without Temude's delegation present, it meant Lanle's prior letter took effect, shattering Temude's self-confidence and persuading him to give up attending the War Festival.
That's what Lanle thought, because he had set off a few days earlier, he was unaware of the events at the subsequent Battle Festival, thinking it was ultimately just the adventurers' business.
"Shame, the domestic Dwarf community remains steadfast traditionalists, unable to be persuaded, but it can't be helped. The role of a magician is too high-barrier and unsuitable for Dwarves."
He mused to himself in a delighted tone:
"This way, the wave of domestic reform is unstoppable."
Lanle then looked at Younka, who, realizing his gaze, returned a look of approval, clearly crediting him with the absence of interference from Temude.
At this moment, Younka was also in a good mood.
Good things kept happening these days.
His disciple Edgar suddenly seemed to have an epiphany, proposing a genius-level feasible improvement method for Fighting Qi conversion, instantly pushing the technology to a highly practical level, even Younka as a teacher was full of praise.
He was even considering passing his Sage title to Edgar in the future, for he was not one to be jealous of talent, the more promising his disciple, the happier he was.
Although the research on Luminous Stone Magic was still progressing slowly, it didn't matter, as his research on other improved magic was going well.
Moreover, at today's War Festival, most traditional warriors hadn't shown up, creating a golden opportunity. Although even if Temude had come, he wouldn't have stirred trouble, it's always better to avoid that chance, so it was best they didn't come.
Once the War Festival ends, the belief in magic within the Warrior Country should hit a new peak, and by then, the next phase of the plan can commence.
The usually steady Younka now wore an elated expression, it had been a long time since he felt so happy.
It felt like the whole world was under his control.
Come to think of it, it had been a while since he checked the specific values of magic belief concentration, he should take a look now.
As he was circulating magic power to check, the warriors' gladiator combat reached a resting phase, traditionally requiring him to stand up and offer blessings and praise to those who remained.
So, Younka, while checking the magic belief concentration, stood up, and the whole venue heated up, anticipating the master's speech.
He cleared his throat and smiled in an approachable manner, saying:
"Brave and fearless warriors, your performance today truly is...yea yay!!!???"
At this moment of universal anticipation, Younka suddenly let out a loud strange cry!
Yea yay—
Yay—
Hey—
The strange cry echoed in the arena, and people's expressions quickly turned from anticipation to astonishment.
The entire venue fell silent, not a sound was heard, eyes sharp as blades fixed on Younka.
Lanle was so startled he jumped up with a "whoosh," turning around to stare at Younka in disbelief, never expecting the other to commit an impropriety on such an important occasion.
Not only him, but Banto was also shocked to his feet, looking at this Court Great Magic Sage with confused and wary eyes.
"What nonsense are you up to?" Fred, unconstrained, directly frowned and asked. Although he was at odds with Younka, the latter's behavior now concerned the dignity of the nation; such an important occasion should not indulge rudeness.
Edgar stopped smiling, tilting his head, staring straight at his teacher.
Younka's body was trembling slightly.
Completely deaf to the surrounding queries, and unable to feel the audience's knife-like gazes, at this moment, Younka's whole sight was filled with the domestic magic belief concentration he had just queried.
The belief concentration had originally stabilized at over eighty percent, just a step away from reaching ninety percent—a thriving situation.
But now, now....
"Evaporated by half!?"
Younka cried out again, a chaotic explosion of magic power erupted uncontrollably from his center, even shaking down a great flock of birds from the sky.
His tone was filled with vivid emotions: shock, anger, confusion, sorrow...all negative emotions.
What exactly was going on, why did the concentration suddenly drop by half, shouldn't it be thriving!?
Who was it, what exactly caused this?
His expression changed several times, unable to stay any longer in the arena watching this dull performance. Under the stunned gazes of others, he surged upwards with a Hurricane towards Skyrim, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
"..."
People stared blankly at his departing figure, the place stood silent for a few seconds before erupting into chaos.
"What's going on, what's going on, where did Master Younka go?"
"Could another country have invaded again?"
"Maybe his experiment backfired?"
Seeing many dangerous rumors cropping up, Banto reacted quickly, signaling soldiers to maintain order, but internally, he was also astounded by Younka's actions.
The soldiers issued stern rebukes to the riotous crowd, and the scene was about to calm down, but then.
"What is this?"
Edgar walked over to the flock of birds Younka had shaken down, suddenly noticing these were carrier pigeons, each with a small tube attached to its leg.
Upon opening one, it contained a roughly polished Image Stone, engraved with large characters on its surface.
[Battle Festival]
"What?" Edgar uttered in a confused voice, his intuition told him this was nothing good, and that it must be confiscated.
Just then, the sky above the arena resonated with the pigeons' clamor, he snapped his head up only to see vast flocks of pigeons occupying the arena sky.
The next moment.
The tubes carrying Image Stones rained down like droplets.
