I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 515: The Referee’s Mistake

Chapter 515: The Referee’s Mistake

"Ah! It seems I’m lucky again. Does lightning counter light or something? Well... try again. I’m sure your next spell will breach my defenses."

However, Alice shook her head before her voice thundered.

"Adam wins this duel."

Before Paul and the public could erupt in outrage, she glanced at Adam’s rising figure, shock and suspicion dancing in her squinting eyes.

Then, she explained her decision as the tournament’s referee.

"Paul has shown outstanding mastery and casting speed but has no chance to win... because Adam isn’t even trying. Contrary to what you think, he’s not acting!"

Her eyes narrowed into dark slits as she suddenly raised her wand and shouted.

"Hell knight’s sword."

A dark broad sword exuding an oppressive presence and wafting deadly mist condensed in a split second. Cleaving through the air like paper with a whoosh, it aimed at Adam’s grimacing figure.

’That crazy woman! Is she trying to expose me? Not a chance!’

Purple arcs of electricity danced in his eyes as the sword drew dangerously close.

Everyone held a terrorised breath as Alice smirked, confident he would counter her spell in the blink of an eye.

Contrary to her expectation, Adam’s mana vanished, and he... stumbled on his feet, rolling under the lethal attack like a clumsy teenager.

Holding his head in feigned pain, he leapt to his feet and added insult to injury.

"Ayaya? I can’t believe I’m so lucky! D-Did I really dodge that horrible blade?"

Meanwhile, Mathias rushed to the arena and gripped Alice’s wand-wielding hand. His face contorted into an ugly grimace, and his brows twitching in anger, he barked at her.

"Did you lose your mind? Why did you attack a competitor out of nowhere?"

"We’ve all seen him blur on the stage! Dodge by luck? He’s a poor actor trying to deceive us!"

Upon hearing her belittling words, he frowned and clenched his fists.

"I can become the best actor if I want! It’s just not my focus, you crazy referee!"

Alice pointed an accusing finger at him and spoke righteously.

"See! That’s an admission."

However, Mathias facepalmed his helmet and shook his head in disbelief.

Then, he gripped her shoulders tightly and peered through his visor into her deep blue eyes.

"When are you going to grow up? So what if he’s acting? It may have been a part of his strategy to win the tournament. Yet, not only did you expose him, but you attacked a student to do so! Think about our king’s reputation and the damage you could have caused if you had wounded him!"

As Mathias berated Alice, Gaston’s eyes sparkled with interest in the spectator’s seat.

"She’s complacent and lacks a sense of responsibility... The wheel of fortune? I must confirm it later. That knight Mathias looks interesting, too. Perhaps the Hierophant. That would explain how he reached the limits of the fourth tier as a body cultivator when the path doesn’t exist anymore."

He licked his lips as his creepy smile split his face. If he were right, he only had to find the five missing mythical humans, gather them, and wait for the fool to embrace his destiny.

An icy shiver ran down Adam’s spine as the bastard’s gaze lingered on him. He searched for the source for a moment before giving up and walking to Alice.

Once he reached her, he whispered on his way down, causing her pupils to tremble.

"I saw it in your eyes. Your impression of me hit rocked bottom when you thought fear paralysed me. But know this. My impression of you went in the negative after what you’ve done. I can’t believe a brainless adept is this kingdom’s royal mage captain."

He shook his head, his lips curling into a bitter smile.

"You must give the people surrounding you more work than anything else. I genuinely pity this poor knight and your king."

Despite her attempts to turn and flare at the unrespectful brat, Mathias held her shoulders, forcing her into place and added.

"He’s right. You have one of the highest magical potential. But you’re too childish. You turned The Beast Emperor into our eternal enemy fourteen years ago, and everything you do strains our diplomatic relationships with our neighbors."

Mathias sighed, the memories of all her blunders and the time he spent fixing them resurfacing. Still, after so many years working together, Alice was like a sister to him, and he couldn’t remain angry with her for long.

"If you understand, calm down and continue with the tournament. I’m next to you, so do what you can."

As his words echoed, Alice bit her lips and lowered her head in guilt.

She hadn’t minded her mischievous side in her younger years, thinking it would naturally disappear as she grew older. But it didn’t despite her fast-approaching forty-third birthday.

She placed her trembling hand on Mathias’ as she spoke, her voice a low murmur filled with gratitude.

"Thank you for always supporting me. It means a lot..."

As Mathias helped her recover, the country’s citizens rolled their eyes at the scene. They had just seen it too many times. On the other hand, the female students’ ears burned at the tender spectacle, Louise first.

’I wish it was me and Julius.’

A wistful smile stretched her lips as she thought about the brave boy.

Meanwhile, Gaston’s eyes narrowed into slits as he focused on Mathias’ towering figure and the plate armor shining under the sun.

"He’s not the Hierophant. So, how did he reach his level at only forty-five? Is he a natural-born monster?"

His blue eyes sparkled with mana as he abused their abilities to peer into the knight’s body directly, and what he saw left him speechless enough for his signature smile to freeze and his jaws to drop.

"Hahaha! Who would have thought? He is indeed an anomaly, but one of another kind entirely!"

Gaston’s evil laughter echoed as plans formed in his mind. But first, he would warn the fool to avoid misunderstandings.

Finally, king Leon gazed at his two closest aides through the room’s window, letting out a sigh filled with decades of hidden frustration, longing, and despair.

"No matter what others say, never change Alice because... you remind me of her."