Chapter 65: Rain Of Rewards
Arena attendants reached the bleeding prince first.
Elite medical personnel swarmed the place, applying a magical tourniquet before the crowd even processed what had just happened.
Through the healing magic, the injured heir refused to make a single sound of pain.
Resting in the blood-stained sand with his eyes closed, he just let the clerics work on his ruined arm.
When they finally lifted him onto a woven stretcher, he opened his eyes once and looked at Kane.
It was just a quiet, exhausted acknowledgement. Then the medics carried him quickly through the northern tunnel.
Thirty seconds of silence followed. It was the longest silence in the tournament’s entire five-hundred-year history.
"The... the Celestial Aurora Tournament... has concluded," the official commentator finally stammered.
His voice lacked the practised, theatrical delivery he used all month.
He sounded much quieter, speaking as if he were just talking to himself in an empty room.
"Prince Aelrindor has yielded," the commentator continued, finding a bit of his professional.
"The challenger, Kane of the Bloodfang Clan, has been declared the official winner of the five hundred and twelfth Celestial Aurora."
Pausing briefly, the announcer swallowed hard.
"I’ve been the voice of this grand tournament for fifty years," he confessed, his voice breaking slightly.
"I’ve seen legendary upsets. I’ve witnessed extraordinary martial performances. But I have never seen anything like what this arena witnessed today."
Seventy thousand people finally started making noise, though it was unlike anything heard before.
Descending from the royal box, the queen abandoned all protocol.
Walking down the stone steps herself, she forced her attendants to scramble just to keep pace.
A radius of quiet spread through the crowd as people noticed her movement.
Stopping five feet from him, she met his eyes.
They stared at each other for a long moment before she turned her back on him, facing the sprawling arena to address everyone.
Her voice carried perfectly without any amplification magic.
"The Celestial Aurora exists to find the worthy," the queen said smoothly.
Allowing a brief pause, she let the words echo.
"Effective immediately, the Bloodfang Clan and all barbarian peoples are officially recognised as eligible participants in all future Celestial Aurora tournaments," she declared.
"Furthermore, this royal recognition extends to all guild registrations, official trade agreements, and permanent residency applications within Elven Imperial territory."
A loud ripple tore through the noble sections.
Not all of the noise sounded approving, but the queen ignored their whining.
"The tournament champion is entitled to the traditional rewards of victory," she continued, turning her head just enough to look at Kane again.
"As is customary, the empire extends the formal offer of permanent residency, full marriage eligibility within high elven society, and a manor property within any district of the empire of his choosing."
She held his gaze.
"If he chooses to accept."
’She’s trying to buy me,’ Kane mused, looking at her, then at the arena, and finally at the seventy thousand people hanging on his every word.
"I’ll give my answer in three days."
Something in the queen’s expression shifted, though it wasn’t surprise.
Offering a single nod, she turned and walked away.
The crowd’s deafening noise instantly filled the vacuum she left behind.
A young elf suddenly appeared right at Kane’s elbow.
Dressed in formal, tailored robes and clutching a leather portfolio, she looked like a high-level secretary.
Being young by elven standards meant nothing in terms of actual years, but her posture screamed rigorous training.
Looking up at him with crisp professional efficiency, she clearly intended to do her assigned job correctly, regardless of her personal opinion regarding barbarians.
"I’ve been designated as your administrative liaison for the residency process," she stated quickly, her tone polite but entirely devoid of warmth.
"My name is Caelindra. When you are ready to discuss the intricate details of your manor selection, the interior staffing requirements, and the associated royal entitlements, I am entirely available to facilitate the paperwork."
Kane stared down at the stern little bureaucrat.
"Three days."
"Understood," Caelindra replied, pulling a long quill out to make a swift, precise note in her portfolio.
"I’ll arrange a formal meeting for then. Shall I coordinate with your existing staff, or will you be managing the transition personally?"
"My people will handle it," Kane said, taking a step forward.
Instead of leaving, she fell into step two paces behind him as he turned toward the southern tunnel.
Apparently, waiting three days only applied to their meeting, not to her physical presence.
Kane decided not to tell her to go away, finding her stubborn dedication faintly entertaining.
Grieselda stood waiting right at the shadowed tunnel entrance.
Approaching the fallen angel, Kane noticed the intricate mark on her collarbone had shifted.
"The prince told me she found someone," Kane said quietly, pausing beside her.
She held his gaze for a long moment, her golden eyes shining in the tunnel’s gloom.
[Quest Completed: Win the Elven Tournament]
[Reward: Title - Empire Breaker]
[Effect: All negotiation and intimidation checks within the Elven Empire receive a permanent 40% advantage.]
[Noble-rank elves cannot initiate hostile action against you without the queen’s written authorisation.]
[Bonus Reward: Elven Empire Manor - any district, fully staffed]
[Bonus Reward: 15,000 Gold Coins added to inventory]
[Bonus Reward: Sovereign’s Brand capacity increased - maximum bonded members raised from 5 to 12]
[New Passive Unlocked: Conqueror’s Presence]
[Effect: Your mere presence in a location increases allied morale and decreases enemy combat efficiency by 15%]
[Quest Updated: The Coming Storm]
[Menual Empire mobilisation confirmed - 72 hours until border crossing]
[Note: You have three days.]
Footsteps echoed down the corridor before Kane could even dismiss the text.
Thora crashed into his chest first, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, while Sira slammed into his side, pressing her slender frame against his ribs.
Kane caught them both effortlessly, pulling their soft bodies flush against his.
His strong arms wrapped around them possessively, holding them close as if they were the only things that mattered in the world.
He tilted Thora’s chin up with reverence and captured her lips in a deep, soul-stirring kiss.
Then he turned to Sira, drawing her in just as tenderly, claiming her mouth with the same fierce heat.
When he finally pulled back, Thora rested her forehead against his jaw.
"What now?"
"I want you to call our barbarians inside Sylvandar," Kane instructed, while his hands slowly caressed down the curves of their backs.
"And send a message back to Greenhaven. Tell them to bring all of our people here."
Sira looked up at him, her body still pressed tightly to his.
"Are we going to help them?"
A smirk spread across Kane’s face as he glanced back toward the arena.
"We’ll take over."
