>>6306863>“I guess you just…you uhh…you want to make sure it cooks really hot, right?”“That would work.” Stelios concedes. “If you wish to give you and your dinner guests feverish hallucinations and induce madness, that is. Sorry Red, but it appears as though your bargain did not pay out as planned. Should you still somehow manage to become king after this blunder, I hope for the country’s sake that you can contain your ravenous greed.” Stelios returns to the chalkboard, erasing your name, only to rewrite it next to Butch’s under the zero column.
“Tristain…what were you thinking…?” Saoirse groans.
“Tsk, tsk. Such hubris…” Leonora chides you.
“Hahahahaha!” Mysteltainn bursts into laughter. “Did you want to get away from me that badly, Tristain!?”
As you sullenly return to your desk, you think to yourself that perhaps this was a miscalculation. Butch slaps you on the back, his strength still greatly enhanced by the magic lassi that he’d drank. He pushes your entire desk forward, slamming it into the back of Mystletainn’s and causing the evil spirit possessing Elric’s body to cease its incessant laughter.
“Hey, looks like it’ll be you and me!”
Before you can respond, the door to the classroom opens, and the third examiner that Stelios had referenced earlier makes his appearance.
“Ahh, you’re here, good.” Stelios says. “Class, meet my esteemed colleague, Kosmas. He’ll be explaining the rules of the third stage, as well as serving as examiner.”
Kosmas! That milk-drinking bastard! How dare he show his face in front of you after having taken down Andreas. By all rights that should have been your kill! The Yasha takes his place at the front of the classroom next to Stelios. Making eye contact with you, he offers a friendly smile and a head nod. Only when he turns around to examine the chalkboard and the exam’s results does his smile slowly melt off his face.
“Oh no, what happened here?” Kosmas mutters, pointing towards your name.
“What happened is I’m about to lose a ton of gold.” Stelios seethes. “You told me this guy was going to win. Were you just messing with me?”
“I did say he would win. However, I did not advise you to wager a month’s earnings on his victory.”
“Tsk, that Shangri-La mission was wasted on you. You just don’t know how to have fun.” Stelios heads for the door, making his exit. “Good luck to you all. Be sure to keep things interesting.”
With Stelios gone, Kosmas now controls the attention of all 29 competitors that were left. The Yasha clears his throat before addressing those present. “It is good to finally meet you all. My name is Kosmas, and as stated earlier, I am here to observe the third round of the Competition. As you may have surmised by now, the scores that you have earned on this second stage of the exam will serve as your starting positions for the next stage. Your goal is to reach the top of this tower.”
