Meanwhile, back in the Viewing Deck, even 'Keo' wasn't immune to being swarmed with requests. The conglomerates all wished to converse with Sheina. Of course, they weren't so bold as to ask her to leave Reborn and be with them instead. However, they did say that they really wanted to meet with Sheina, if not for creating a favorable connection with her, then simply to talk about how her powers came to be.
Michael could easily fulfill their requests, of course. But there was no incentive for him to do so.
So, he just went under the guise of 'Keo' not being influential enough in the Reborn company as an excuse to decline them.
"Miss Sheina is busy with her preparations for the tournament and I don't want to disturb her. Maybe I'll relay your requests after."
The conglomerates back off immediately.
"I see. I'll be looking forward to meeting with the Reborn company after this tournament," Gabriel said.
"Sure. But I think that you'll be waiting in a long line. They don't really differentiate between conglomerates and other companies, you know."
Gabriel and the other four next to him awkwardly squirmed in their seats.
"Is that so? Well, what should we do to distinguish ourselves amongst the others?" Gabriel asked.
"Well, a tribute or a gift wouldn't hurt," Michael suggested nonchalantly. If it weren't for his mask, people would have seen the sly look on his face.
"What kind of tribute? Would rare artifacts or opulent treasures be enough?"
Michael considered it for a second before shaking his head. "You know what, I think it would be better if you give them something more practical. Sand Dollars could be good."
He didn't know if this obvious way of suggestion would work on these guys, but thankfully, they were blissfully ignorant about money like all nepo babies were.
"I see," Gabriel said. "Then I shall keep that in mind."
Cedric then whispered to Gabriel. "How much are you planning to give?"
"Half a million?" Gabriel answered.
"Hmmm…"
"What was that? Are you planning on giving more so that they would give you priority? You sly dog. Now I'm planning to give 600 thousand!"
Michael watched on with an amused expression on his face. After all, it wasn't just the conglomerates who were falling for his scheme. The other companies eavesdropping on Gabriel's conversation also ended up thinking about offering Sand Dollar gifts to Reborn in the hopes of getting an audience with Sheina.
This tournament ended up being more profitable than he thought.
…
…
…
As the bright sun travelled across the skies and hid into the horizon, the first day of the Archery Tournament soon wound down to a close.
The first two rounds were done. Out of the 16 teams that competed, only 4 were left in contention.
Two of those teams were from the Conglomerates, one hailing from the Hephaestus company and the other from the Goldstone company.
Meanwhile, the other two Werewolf Tribes that remained were also names that were completely unexpected!
One was, of course, the Brownblood Tribe. They came out of nowhere, destroying everyone's predictions, and came out on top despite the odds stacked against them.
The other was the Eftail Tribe, who by pure luck of the draw, ended up facing opponents who were quite easy compared to the others. They didn't have to face the tournament favorites (thanks to a certain demi-human dark horse—or white horse, rather) nor did they have to face the two Conglomerate representatives.
And it seemed that their luck wouldn't end there.
As the night came, the leader of the four teams gathered and discussed the bracket for tomorrow's last two battles.
And even with Chief Lupan praying to the Moon above him, he ended up with the worst case scenario.
"The rounds are decided," said Claudia. "The Brownbloods are going to be facing the Hephaestus company."
Chief Lupan almost fell to his knees. How could this happen?
He hoped that their team would get to fight against the Eftail Tribe and let the two Conglomerate representatives fight against each other.
But in the end, they were the ones who drew the short straw.
It was clear from the start of the tournament alone that the Incisive Archer from the Hepheasteus clan was the strongest competitor by a long shot.
First of all, he was in the 5th stage of Body Formation! And second of all, there was nothing lacking in his arsenal. He had the skill, the beautifully crafted weapon, and the resources to triumph against all of his opponents here!
Chief Lupan knew that Sheina was strong, but fighting against someone two stages higher was a near herculean task, especially against someone from a Conglomerate, no less.
"This is stressful," Chief Lupan muttered to himself.
And compared to the worrisome expression on his face, the Rebornians didn't seem to mind the competition at all.
They remained as unbothered as they were before!
…
…
As the tournament came to a close and as people began to leave the colosseum, a small gathering of elite leaders and owners reunited in an undisclosed location.
The people invited to this assembly were the big shot Beastfolk leaders like the Tribe Chieftains, the Royalblood Vampires, the Mermen, etc.
In short, these were the people who were in the Soiree last night, the Soiree meant for the older folks.
But this time, even Gabriel and the other conglomerates were invited to take part in the meeting.
One of the Werewolf Chieftains quaffed a glass of alcohol. "What are we here for? Thunderfoot Patriarch, I hope this is important."
In front of this gathering stood a short and stout man, thick bushy beard, and muscles that seemed to burst out of his clothes.
He was the Thunderfoot Patriarch. Jot'un's father.
"I'm here for a simple request," he said. "Is it because of the robbery?" Cedric interjected.
Despite the rudeness of the question, the Thunderfoot Patriarch humbly nodded. "I knew it wouldn't escape your ears. Yes. It is about the travesty that occurred on our grounds. I need all of your help in retrieving it."