"You seem worried, Hero Kael."
King Alden smiled as he stared at the Hero, who was now sitting beside him.
"I am just… nervous."
Kael answered carefully.
"You didn't seem very nervous when you were the one fighting there."
"I knew I would win."
Kael answered without thinking.
Honestly, he wasn't mentally prepared to talk with the King. He already had a lot in mind and was worried about Elira too. He couldn't handle another political conversation where he had to be mindful of his words, especially with the King.
Oblivious to his thoughts, the King continued,
"I like that confidence."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Kael smiled, wanting this to end. Then suddenly, the King's tone became lighter.
"Trust your Instructor,
Hearing those words, Kael turned towards the King.
Honestly, he wanted to trust the King too. Everything he had heard about the King and all his interactions with him so far…
Not once did he see him as a two-faced politician chasing profit. Instead, he looked like a weary old man, doing everything in his power to protect those around him.
He had the same look on his face that Tobias did, a man in need of help, but unlike Tobias, Alden wasn't weak. He was very much capable of helping himself and was an ally the Hero didn't wish to lose.
Honestly, Kael didn't know.
And Elira and Arlan seemed to trust the King quite a lot too.
So maybe he could trust him a little…?
As he thought of that, Kael smiled at the King.
"I will believe your words, Your Majesty."
"You can, I will not let you down."
The two nodded at each other as their focus shifted back to the Arena. The little moment between the King and the Hero wasn't missed by the Crown Prince.
He clenched his fists as his back arched up. However, before anyone could notice his odd reaction, his expression returned to normal, and with his poker face back on, he continued to observe the battle in silence.
Arlan, the Arbiter, stepped forward and repeated the rules.
"Anyone who gives up or is in no condition to fight anymore will be eliminated. The last one standing will be victorious. Tamers can only use two Bonds in the battle. Anyone who breaks the rules will be eliminated in an instant.
Are the rules clear?"
The Tamers nodded as they stood at the four ends of the Arena.
"You can call out your Bonds now."
Arlan announced, and suddenly, the Space around the Tamers trembled.
Suddenly, the King called out.
This will be the first time you will see the strength of Nerathis's Tamers. This will be the day you will realize that while being a Mage or a Warrior is important, what matters the most is how strong one's Bonds are.
No matter how hard humans train, how well they equip themselves, or how strong they get, in the end, their strongest fighting force will always be their Bonds,
And this reliance only increases as they grow stronger.
Even the strongest humans are no match for Magic Beasts on the same level."
The King explained as he pointed at the Bonds the Tamers had brought out.
Kael's eyes turned golden, and the moment he glanced at Elira's two Bonds, his expression changed.
[Race: Infernal Skyrazor]
[Strengths: Master of Fire Magic, Highly Evasive, Quick Reflexes, Tactical Intelligence.]
[Weaknesses: Fragile Build, Low Stamina, Low Ground Combat Ability]
[Race: Flaming Behemoth]
[Strengths: Heat Manipulation, Strong Force, and Defense.]
[Weaknesses: Slow, Ice, and Water Magic.]
'W-What in the hell?'
They were absolutely absurd.
Only now did he realize what the King was trying to say.
All this while, he had been comparing his progress with Elira and Arlan's stats.
After all, both siblings were considered fairly strong in this world. Honestly, when Kael realized that his Igni had gotten stronger than Elira, he had become somewhat relaxed.
After all, his Bond was now as strong as a Seventh Circle Mage. Even if that wasn't the strongest level, it still ensured Kael's safety during most of his confrontations.
Not to mention he also had Ascendent of the Ancient that gave him an absurd power-up, momentarily making him stronger than Arlan, an Eighth Stage Warrior.
Kael naively believed that he had reached a level where he could hold his own and survive in this world even if things went bad but…
Today, he realized how wrong he was.
He had forgotten that this was the World of Tamers.
He had been ignoring a Tamer's greatest weapon,
Bonds that were much stronger than these Tamers.
Compared to her Bond's stats, Elira's stats almost looked laughable.
[Name: Elira Stormhold]
[Strengths: Master of Fire Magic, Magic Knowledge, High Mana Reserves, Quick Reflexes, Charismatic]
[Weaknesses: Weak Physical Combat, Overconfidence in Magic]
Higher Level Tamers didn't have just one or two such Bonds. They had many.
'I am still too weak…'
Kael realized it but then,
'Don't worry, Father.
He heard a confident voice.
Another voice nodded with an excited cheer.
'Yes, Yes, I am relying on you two.'
Kael chuckled as he calmed down.
After Elira, he observed other representatives and their bonds, and suddenly, a frown appeared on his face as he noticed something odd.
"I do not understand."
"Infernal Skyrazor is her first Bond yet it is quite a few levels below her, why is that?
Isn't a Bond's Growth connected with the Tamer?"