February 6th, morning.
The lingering chill of early spring hung in the air as cold winds swept through the streets.
Although it was no longer as freezing as winter, passersby still tightened their coats.
At the eight entrances of the grand martial arena, crowds surged—commoners and carriages intermingling.
Betty, who had just returned from a few days in the countryside with her father, stepped down from her carriage and walked into the arena hand-in-hand with several noble ladies.
Viscount Karl had deliberately chosen a match featuring the Royal Capital's top team that morning and bought her a private box with a good view.
So Betty had invited her friends to watch together.
As she entered through the main gate, the perceptive Betty immediately noticed a banner above the doorway and subconsciously looked up—
"Cold-Faced Captain Wardson vs. the Duke's Grandson—A Rematch!"
"Wardson's Revenge Match in Element Card Magic Duels!"
"—Location: Magic Battle Arena (Grand Opening at 1 PM, February 6, Central Street, Peace Square)"
Before she could even ask her friends, as they passed through the corridor inside, she saw large illustrated posters on both walls.
The background of the poster depicted a beach—half ocean, half sand—with red, yellow, blue, and cyan light particles floating in the air.
At the center was an incredibly charming and cute young woman.
Her tall, slender figure was outlined by a light purple dress.
Leaning slightly forward, her pale arms rested on her knees, long white hair cascading to one side, a sweet smile on her face.
Her smooth, fair calves were partially exposed, her small feet stepping on golden sand, her delicate toes catching the eye.
At the top of the poster, several lines of text were written:
—Magic Battle Arena Grand Opening at 1 PM, February 6!
—Limited-time sale of the Element Card "Elemental God Elementia" Special Edition!
—On-site lottery event! Chance to win a free special edition "Elemental God Elementia" and more exciting prizes!
Betty could clearly feel it—after seeing the poster, people walking through the corridor noticeably slowed down.
The character illustration alone was enough to make many men stop in their tracks.
Even women couldn't help but linger, taking a few extra glances at such a beautiful image.
Perhaps worried that commoners wouldn't understand the text, there were even narrow platforms along both sides of the corridor where promoters stood, reading out the contents of the poster and explaining the character's background.
"Why are people promoting Element Cards at the entrance?" Betty asked eagerly once they entered their private box. "And what's this Magic Battle Arena?"
She had spent the past few days at a countryside villa with her parents and hadn't visited the grand martial arena.
So she had no idea about Wardson's renewed Magic Duel challenge to Rowell at the Winter Food Festival banquet, nor about the large-scale promotion happening during the Spring Martial Tournament.
The banner and posters had immediately piqued her interest.
Especially the "Elemental God Elementia" special edition card—it made her collector instincts itch.
"Oh, right, Betty—you weren't in the Royal Capital these past few days, so you don't know."
Her friends immediately began explaining all at once:
"I heard that for this Spring Martial Tournament, His Highness Ron André sponsored a lot of plants from his flower shop as prizes and donated a huge amount of gold coins."
"So the arena allowed him to promote things here."
"The Magic Battle Arena is a place opened by His Highness Ron specifically for Magic Duels—that's what the promotion says."
"Wardson and Rowell's Magic Duel will take place there this afternoon!"
"Oh, right, you don't know this either—at the Winter Food Festival banquet, Wardson challenged Rowell again. I heard it's to win back Leticia!"
"Ahhh! That's so cool! Leticia is so lucky!"
"Huh? I thought it was just for revenge? Where did you hear that gossip?"
"I heard it from someone else…"
The conversation quickly went off track.
But Betty still had unanswered questions.
"Wait, explain the Magic Battle Arena more clearly—how does it work?"
Completely uninterested in the romantic drama between Wardson and Rowell, she asked again.
"It's just a place specifically for Magic Duels."
"Remember when we visited the Royal Capital First Military Academy and watched their duel?"
"They needed a table to play, with enlarged Element Cards displayed behind them for spectators, and a dealer handling the cards."
"The Magic Battle Arena probably provides better tables and equipment for dueling."
"With a dealer helping out, I won't have to memorize all those strategies."
"The dealer just helps judge spell strength—they won't play for you."
"But that chart is so hard to memorize!"
"Learning magic theory is already painful—why does playing cards have to be this hard too?"
"Don't you think Magic Duels help you remember elemental relationships? Even our teacher recommended it."
"Yeah! Our academy teachers even play it in the office."
…And the topic drifted again.
But Betty had already grasped the basics. She stopped interrupting and quietly sat down, looking toward the center of the arena as she waited for the morning match to begin.
Led by the iron-blooded Wardson, the Royal Capital's top team secured their eighth consecutive victory in the Spring Martial Tournament.
So far, they have remained undefeated.
Combined with the banner at the entrance, many people began to grow interested in Wardson's upcoming duel.
After leaving, some even took a second look at the banner to remember the address of the Magic Battle Arena.
Of course, others were simply drawn by how beautiful "Elemental God Elementia" looked.
Rumor had it that an even larger version of the poster was displayed outside the Magic Battle Arena.
Just imagining it was enough to stir excitement.
Betty and her group also left the arena, chatting excitedly about Wardson's physique and muscles before naturally shifting the topic to the duel scheduled for the afternoon.
"We're having lunch at the hotpot barbecue restaurant on Central Street, right?"
"Yeah, we already reserved a private room."
"Since His Highness Ron's Magic Battle Arena is also on Central Street, should we go check it out afterward?"
"Sure! Do any of you have plans this afternoon?"
They boarded their carriage. Since they all wanted another closer look at Wardson, everyone quickly agreed they were free.
"What about you, Betty?"
"Of course I'm going too."
Betty smiled slightly.
There was no way she was missing out on the special edition Elemental God Elementia card.