Numbers x Casket-Chapter 24: Ninth Pillar

Celine sauntered at the ground floor of the Magic Tower; her eyebrows were knitted, and the air around her flickered with irritation.

"Damn that appraiser!" she murmured in a low voice.

After helping Efraim to enter the event, he disappeared like usual. She only averted her eyes from him for a few seconds, and yet the moment she looked back, he was nowhere to be found.

While trying to calm her rage, she walked towards the food area. She already decided to just eat her frustration and ignore the appraiser for the rest of her life.

However, upon reaching the buffet corner, she felt surprised seeing a large volume of people. Curiosity got her good, so she squeezed her way into the crowd.

"Why? What do you mean by this? Are we, the Chronos, a mere joke to you?" She heard a yell enough for her to freeze in place.

'What's happening in here?' she pondered.

Afterward, the moment she saw the scene, her eyes widened upon seeing the appraiser along with Zack, and based on the weapons in their hands, they were in some sort of a fight.

"Of course, I do respect your family and your advanced magic," the Grand Lord stated.

"Then why are you calling off the engagement?" Zack retorted; rage was present in his voice.

Celine gasped, astounded by what she heard.

'Calling off the engagement? Seriously, what's this all about?' she contemplated, lost in her thoughts.

Thus, with all of her attention on the Grand Lord, she waited for his response.

"Well, I don't want to settle for less. I picked you before because you're the strongest battle mage, but..." Riel paused for a second and glanced at the appraiser before continuing. "That person challenged your rights, so let's make it more interesting, more entertaining."

The Grand Lord stepped forward and looked at the crowd.

With an exciting grin on his face, he announced. "To all the people present here, spread my words."

Then he pointed his hand at Lindsay, who was standing in one corner, causing the attention to be shifted to her.

"A competition will be held during the festival, and my very own daughter will be the prize. Mages, swordsmen... any men around her age are allowed to participate," Riel declared; excitement could be seen in his eyes.

"I don't care who and where you're from; I just want to find the strongest," he added.

His announcement set the hall on fire; the young mages glanced at Lindsay, their eyes gleaming with adoration. The thought of having a beauty as their wife gave them lustful delusions.

Meanwhile, Celine shook her head while staring at the Grand Lord.

"He's crazy," she uttered, and then a smile blossomed from her lips.

"I almost forgot; that's what made him rise to who he is now," she added.

. . . . .

Lindsay was shocked about her father's declaration, she failed to anticipate this kind of development however it was better than marrying Zack, at least now, there would be a chance for the man he truly cared.

She glanced at the appraiser, trying to read his reactions but his face was void of any emotions. He just stared at the Grand Lord with that special eye of him.

"Efraim," she whispered, calling him out.

Despite her voice being so low, the appraiser turned his head and gave her a smile, a warm reassuring one, enough for heart to flutter.

. . . . .

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Meanwhile, Zack gritted his teeth in anger; he slammed the spear on the floor, sending a shockwave strong enough to push everyone back by a few meters.

He looked behind and gave the appraiser a menacing glare, then he pointed the spear at his face.

"Don't you dare try to run; I'll tear you apart when that day comes. Mark my word!" Zack exclaimed, giving an unusual threat.

"Please go ahead and try," Efraim replied, calm and composed.

He showed no fear and didn't hesitate to talk back. If he were to base it on their scuffle a little while ago, he could take on Zack, but he knew for a fact that it was not the limit of the battlemage's ability; after all, he couldn't even see him unleash even one of his Flairs.

'A Fourth String Equator would never be easy,' Efraim thought.

However, he still believed that with his newfound strength, he might have a chance to win.

Zack didn't talk any further; he looked at the Grand Lord, his eyes filled with hatred, before leaving the premises.

'The Chronos will pay you back tenfold for this humiliation, Riel Nightfall,' Zack conveyed inside his mind.

After the battle mage left, an ear-deafening silence wrapped the ground floor of the Magic Tower. Not a single person was uttering a word. The mages glanced at one another, as if question marks were floating on their heads.

Some wanted to ask about the details of the event or if the ball would still continue despite what happened, while others just wanted to go home and call it a day; however, no one dared to do so.

They were afraid to offend the Grand Lord; thus, they just waited for the scene to unfold.

"Celine," Riel called out a name, and a woman with grayish short hair walked towards him.

"Who is she?" Murmurs among the crowd echoed as they tried to recognize the young lady, but no one confirmed her identity.

Upon seeing the people's curious gazes, the Grand Lord introduced the woman.

"Born from the outskirts of Celestia, a sixth-string equator, I hereby present to all of you the Bearer of Crimson Lightning and the youngest Ninth Pillar of the Magic Tower, Celine Boltz," Riel stated with utmost pride.

Everyone was stunned upon hearing the introduction, but as soon as they recovered from shock, they clapped their hands and gave the woman a round of applause.

Meanwhile, Efraim dropped his jaw in amazement; she had already checked Celine, and he believed she was unordinary but not someone like this. Thus, he activated his left eye and stared at him.

However, just like before, what he saw was number ninety-six written in vibrant blue color.

'Ninth Pillar? What is that? And sixth string with that rating, in that age, how is that even possible?' Efraim pondered.

Afterward, Celine noticed the appraiser's curious gaze, so she glanced at him and smirked.

'You're surprised, aren't you?' she thought.

Then she diverted her gaze back to the crowd of mages and gave a simple speech about herself.

"I know almost every one of you is wondering and in doubt if this frail woman is really capable of being a pillar, so to make this night more exciting and to prove myself as well, I'll gladly accept any challenges from anyone here," Celine stated.

Afterward, she placed her right hand on her chest and spoke once more.

"And if you manage to defeat me, the Ninth Pillar's seat is all yours," she added, smiling.

The people found the offer attractive; their eyes widened in surprise as they heard her declaration. They looked at each other, waiting to see if someone would dare to accept the trial, and after a few moments, a middle-aged man holding a long wooden staff stepped forward.

"I am Lester, a third-string equator, a battlemage here in Arcane City. I challenge the Ninth Pillar in a duel," he announced, pointing at Celine.

His eyes were filled with determination.

Celine glanced at the Grand Lord and gave him a smile, as if asking for permission. As a response, Riel nodded his head and spoke.

"Very well, let the ball begins with a blast!" He exclaimed.

As soon as he snapped his fingers, a magic circle appeared underneath the whole floor, and a scorching light blinded everyone, causing them to shut their eyes.

When the extreme brilliance vanished, they found themselves in an open area being surrounded by towering trees. Several craters a few feet below ground were present as well.

"Where are we?" Efraim asked while roaming his gaze around.

Curiosity was written on his face.

"We're still inside the Magic Tower; this is the floor where trainings and trials take place, the Time Zone. It was created by my grandfather, the previous Grand Lord," Lindsay walked beside the appraiser and stated.

Then, she gave him a glance and explained further.

"This area is not subject to the rules of our world; it's like a separate dimension. A day here equates to just an hour outside, perfect for meditation or war preparation, but without the Grand Lord's approval, no one is allowed to enter this place," she said.

Efraim nodded, satisfied by the explanation. Then he focused his attention back on the two individuals facing against each other.

. . . . .

The ground shattered while pebbles rose, hurling towards Celine's direction. His opponent, Lester, slammed his staff before lunging forward, aiming the tip of his weapon at the young woman's face.

However, Celine tilted her head to dodge the attack. Upon seeing this, Lester pulled back the staff and hacked the woman's side, but the woman tumbled backward, evading.

As soon as she landed on her feet, a giant boulder came falling above her head.

"Got you!" Lester exclaimed, his tone wrapped with confidence.

Celine stared at the piece of rock and the edges of her lips turned into an upward curl.

"Grand Lord... Please deploy a healer," she stated.

Afterward, everyone gulped in astonishment; in a fraction of a second, the boulder disintegrated into tiny fragments while the battlemage fell on his knees, his body turned scorched black from a sudden bolt of lightning.

. . . . .