Chapter 358 Disqualified
"What's the condition? How is he?"
As Marcus went to the side and started to send a few messages, the Matron glared at Daneel but kept her mouth shut.
Daneel, on the other hand, had heaved a sigh of relief on seeing that it was at least possible for his plan to work.
According to the system, when the man who had been called 'Lucas' had landed on the ground, he had been scanned.
Apparently, those from the Church had used some kind of method to injure his mageroot.
According to the system, there was no way to mend it.
The only reason that Daneel had any chance of healing it, was because of his earlier gift from the Church: The Tenebrous Flame.
The system had said that the principles used to injure the mageroot were similar, so it was possible for him to reverse the damage using the tenebrous flame itself.
It was like a screw which had been loosened by a wrench to make something important stop working. The screw was the mageroot, and the wrench was whatever method the two from the Church had used. If one wanted to fix it, they needed the same wrench, which, in this case, was Daneel's tenebrous flame.
However, as he watched the Matron's expression, something dawned on him.
She wasn't frustrated at the possibility that he wouldn't be giving her her answer.
No.
She had a smug look on her face!
What could it mean?
As Daneel asked himself this question, Marcus walked in front of him.
He still couldn't move his body, so he had to angle his neck up to see the bald hulking man.
"Kid, I don't know where your confidence comes from, or what you expected, but it's not as simple as you proposing a deal and me accepting it and defending you from the Big 4. If you imagined that, you're naïve."
Wait…wasn't it supposed to be like that?
Daneel's idea had come from many novels that he had read, in which the protagonist would get help from some powerful oldie by giving or promising something that he desired.
Did things not work that way? Or was he not the protagonist?
Either way, Marcus's next words startled him.
"Lucas's mageroot is disabled, but we have a way to fix him. What, did you think you were capable of doing something that the millennia of accumulated resources and knowledge of the Big 4 can't? Again, naïve."
The Matron's smile got wider and wider when she heard this from Marcus, and Daneel now understood why she had been smiling in the first place.
It was the sadistic happiness that came from seeing someone's confident plan be crushed.
Indeed, Daneel had gotten used to making plans and seeing them work.
Clearly, in the matter of the Big 4, at least right now, he was out of his league.
Frankly, he felt irritated.
For once, he felt like he had had enough of conserving his strength. Hiding, like a rat, in front of everyone.
His gut feeling was something that had allowed him to live till now. And it now told him that he wasn't taking the wrong decision.
It told him that Marcus could be trusted, and although the Matron had spoken in that way, judging by her previous interactions and everything that Sister Xuan had said about her, she was also not someone vile like that team leader before.
Opening his mouth, he decided to declare that it was all raw talent.
That he had done it by himself, and that there was no inheritance.
The worst case was that he would have to run, but it would still be better than unveiling the system and confirming that possibility of him having to run.
Yet, before he had a chance to speak, Marcus sighed and said something that shocked both Daneel and the Matron.
"You have 6 months. For those 6 months, I will protect you from everyone including the woman standing there. But after that, you're on your own. Hell, maybe even I will come after you. I don't need anything in return. So those tall claims of curing my crippled son, keep them to yourself. Just don't waste your time. You're on a clock. Frankly, I don't know what you'll do in those 6 months that will allow you to grow strong enough to defend against all the crazy people who will start coming after you. But I. don't. care. Use it however you want. Now, get out of her."
Towards the end, Marcus even started rambling, as if he himself wasn't very sure of his decision.
However, he flicked his hand, making Daneel vanish from the prison along with that startled expression on his face.
…..
Back in the stadium, things had progressed too quickly, leaving everyone shocked and restless.
Everyone knew the King was missing, as was evident by the panicking Lanthanorean soldiers who kept looking everywhere.
Hence, when the King of Lanthanor re-appeared in the same spot in the center of the stadium from where he had disappeared from, everyone froze with surprise.
What was strange was that their surprise was mirrored on the King's face, who had to take a few moments to compose himself before returning to his usual kingly manner.
This was his original body, which had become conscious like the other rulers' body after the 2 individuals from the Big 4 had apprehended those from the Church.
Hence, after settling his mind and putting the gaping question regarding what the hell had just happened, Daneel cast a spell and rose up in the air.
It was time to do something he had been looking forward to for a long time.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I know that it has been a very traumatic time for you all. Believe me, there is no one who regrets this unfortunate incident more than me, and when I saw that the culprits will be brought to justice, you can believe that it will happen.
"Whoever they were, they tried to undermine the spirit of the continent by ruining this event. Do you think we should let them have that victory?"
When the calm and confident voice of the King echoed throughout the stadium, all those who had been panicking heaved sighed of reliefs before looking up.
There he stood, the man of the hour, who had made two powerful figures who seemed undefeatable, kneel to him.
As he stood in the air and addressed everyone, a measure of peace set over the stadium even while healers were rushing to all the bodies spread everywhere and resuscitating them.
There were no more barriers, so there was nothing stopping the main forces of Kingdoms from entering Olympia and the stadium. However, healers from all the Kingdoms had been given priority, as they needed to save all the people who were affected by the mosquitoes.
"NOOOO!"
As a singular response echoed everywhere, Daneel took a deep breath and waved his hand.
The central display trinket had been trashed during the fight below due to the aftershocks, so he made large glowing words appear in the air that were visible to all those standing even outside the stadium.
First, the names Lanthanor, Axelor and Eldinor came into being, with the first being the largest.
As many got disgusted expressions on their faces on remembering the scenes they had seen before, a large cross cut across the name of Axelor, removing it from the air.
"That's what I thought. We are going to end the event like nothing happened to stop it! So, without further ado, let me announce the results! For breaking the rules and using outside help, Axelor is disqualified from the Olympics. If Axelor has any objection, I request them to file a complain which will be investigated."
"Serves them right!"
"Despicable Axelorians!"
"Go rot, you cheaters!"
As shouts like these began to be heard, the name of Arafell came into being below Eldinor.
It had been a very long day, and Daneel was in no mood to stretch things.
Simultaneously asking the system to show the satisfaction level, Daneel made the announcement which ended the first Olympics of the continent of Angaria.
"As the organizer, I am proud to announce that my Kingdom, Lanthanor, has won the prestigious Olympics! There will be an award ceremony tomorrow, where the leaders of the teams of each Kingdom will be felicitated. Thank you all for-"
As Daneel continued his rousing speech amid the shouts of "LAN-THA-NOR", a light shone in a room tucked away on the academy grounds in the Kingdom of Lanthanor.