Night fell, and moonlight flowed like water across Andy's face.
Compared to the ordinary boy he used to be—someone who carried a hint of inferiority—he now clearly exuded confidence and composure.
Some time ago, Miss Nora from the Magic Battle Arena had come to his home to discuss cooperation regarding the arena matches with him and his parents.
Although Nora had already explained the terms and conditions to him beforehand at the arena, Andy still felt uneasy about his parents' reaction.
After all, Battle Magic seemed like something rather unserious, and there was no precedent for it.
Even though the prize money looked attractive, in this relatively peaceful era, man-eating beasts were rare—but nobles who exploited people without mercy were everywhere.
They could paint you a beautiful picture at first, then refuse to pay a single coin in the end—what could you do about it?
For nobles, contracts signed with commoners were no different from blank paper.
Because commoners simply couldn't afford the costs of taking a case to court.
As long as nobles dragged things out long enough, they could ruin you completely.
So at the beginning, although Andy was tempted by the generous conditions offered by the Magic Battle Arena, he remained somewhat cautious.
For someone his age, that was quite rare.
And it was thanks to his open-minded parents.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance to attend Dole Primary Academy in the first place.
When Nora first came to their home, she laid out all the benefits Ron had prepared. The only requirement was for Andy to become a defending champion in the arena matches.
At first, Andy's parents didn't understand Battle Magic at all. Only after Andy explained it in detail did they get a vague idea.
Even so, they still couldn't understand how something like this could make money.
Having heard too many stories of nobles deceiving people, they hesitated greatly.
In the end, Nora proposed a solution that convinced them—
The Magic Battle Arena would pay Andy's tuition for the summer, autumn, and winter terms of that year in advance—a total of 15 gold coins.
This amount would then be deducted from Andy's weekly salary at a rate of 1 gold coin per week.
As for the accumulated arena prize money, it would be settled daily.
With these terms on the table, Andy's parents reviewed the new contract again and again before finally agreeing.
Nora didn't mind their cautious attitude.
After all, this concerned the future of their only son—they didn't want to lose their judgment over potential profits.
Besides, compared to the money the arena had already burned through, 15 gold coins were truly a small amount.
Nora had long since grown from a girl who would count a few coins over and over into a competent manager—
Someone indispensable to Ron.
"Shouldn't you be heading out now? Don't be late for tonight's arena match. I'll wipe down the counter later," Andy's father said as he walked out from the back room and sat by the shop's counter, smacking his lips.
"Yeah—but the arena match is canceled tonight."
"What? Did something happen?" His father's expression immediately turned serious.
He thought the arena was backing out.
Andy quickly explained, "It's just paused for one day. The ranked matches are starting tonight, so no one will be in the mood to watch arena matches."
"I told you about it before—the rule where strong players can go up to the third floor."
"It starts tonight. I plan to complete my promotion right away and try to become the first Silver-ranked player."
"And there might even be achievement rewards."
After these past days, Andy's father had gained a basic understanding of how the Magic Battle Arena operated.
Sometimes, while his wife watched the shop, he even went there himself.
Although he still didn't quite understand what was so fun about Battle Magic, he at least had a grasp of Andy's work environment.
Combined with the fact that the 15 gold coins for Andy's tuition had indeed been paid, and Andy received prize money every night—
His parents were finally at ease and even felt excited about Andy having such a high-paying job.
Occasionally, Andy would lose and give up some early winnings, but on average, he still earned around 20 silver coins per day.
For their family, this was an enormous sum.
In just about half a month, excluding the weekly salary counted toward tuition, Andy had already earned over 200 silver coins.
That was equivalent to several months of profit from their small shop.
If this job could continue long-term, his income could rival that of a modestly successful merchant.
"With such a good opportunity, you must work hard," his father reminded him. "But don't be stubborn either—pay attention to news related to Battle Magic."
"Be polite to staff and customers at the arena. Build good relationships. And when you see Miss Nora or His Highness Ron, be respectful."
"As for Battle Magic, it's still something new. No one knows how long it will last. So when school starts in summer, don't neglect your studies."
"Keep some of your earnings as pocket money, and we'll deposit the rest into the Gold Reserve Bank for your future."
"And also—"
"I know, I know, I've got it all in mind. I should get going now. Goodbye, Father."
Having heard the same lecture repeatedly these past days, Andy quickly excused himself and left.
"This kid… getting wings now, huh…" His father laughed and shook his head, slowly standing up and wiping the counter, a smile on his face.
Andy jogged through the streets, feeling light-hearted and full of hope for the future—completely different from before.
When he reached Central Street of Peace Square and passed by the hotpot barbecue restaurant, he paused again.
Looking at the brightly lit interior, a thought suddenly came to him—
Maybe he could bring his parents here for a hotpot meal sometime?
With his current income, affording a meal here was no longer a problem.
Thinking of this, and smelling the rich aroma drifting out, his mood lifted even more.
Putting the thought aside for now, Andy continued forward until he reached the Magic Battle Arena.
The large posters at the entrance had been updated—one now featured the God of Magic, Magico, dressed in a suit, wearing a monocle, looking polite and handsome.
Paired with Miss Elementia on the other side, they gave off strong couple vibes.
This change appeared a few days ago.
But tonight, there were even more new changes.
At the entrance, the welcoming staff was now all dressed in light purple dresses—the same style worn by Elementia in the poster.
Inside, the male staff wore blue suits with top hats and monocles, looking refined and gentlemanly.
The counters on both sides of the entrance were filled with newly launched promotional items and gifts.
On the wall hung a large poster of Elementia and Magico together.
The background was a blend of six radiant colors, symbolizing the six major elements of the magical world.
As soon as the staff spotted Andy, they greeted him warmly:
"Andy, good luck in tonight's ranked matches!"
Walking up to the counter, Andy thanked them politely and took his metal box of Element Cards. "Are the ranked match rules and new achievements out yet?"
"Of course, over here," the staff member pointed to a nearby table. "There's also a large notice posted in the main hall—lots of people are discussing it."
"Thanks, I'll take a look."
Andy put away the box and carefully read the notice.
Ranked Match Rules (Initial Version):
"There are currently two ranks: Bronze and Silver."
"Any player who completes a Battle Magic match on the first or second floor will be awarded a 'Bronze' badge."
"After ranked matches begin, the first and second floors will be divided into Casual Zones and Promotion Zones."
"Matches in the Casual Zone do not count toward rank promotion. To advance to Silver, players must enter the Promotion Zone and compete under dealer arrangements."
"There are currently two ways to advance from Bronze to Silver."
"First: In the Promotion Zone, accumulate a total number of wins minus losses greater than 30. Once losses exceed wins, further losses will not be counted."
"Second: Successfully defend the stage for 10 consecutive rounds in the Promotion Arena."
"In the Promotion Arena, Bronze players take turns competing in single-round matches. The loser leaves, and the winner stays. Winning 10 consecutive matches grants promotion to Silver."
"Each player may participate in the Promotion Arena only once per day."
"The Promotion Arena will begin tomorrow. See appendix for schedule."
"After promotion, players receive a 'Silver' badge and gain access to the third-floor Silver Zone."
"Silver players may still play in the first-floor Casual Zone but are prohibited from entering the Promotion Zone."
"End."
After reading the rules, Andy showed a relaxed smile.
The Promotion Arena hadn't started yet tonight.
That meant everyone could only attempt promotion through the Promotion Zone today.
A 30-win difference might be difficult for ordinary players—
But for Andy, it was likely just a matter of two or three hours.
That was already factoring in opponents taking time to think.
If it were like the arena matches, with only five seconds per move, he was confident he could reach Silver within an hour.
After confirming the rules, Andy turned to the achievement board, where several new challenges had been added.
For example, the first player to reach Silver tonight would receive the full set of the latest Element Cards, a choice of three card skin designs, and more.
Additionally, they would receive Magico's newest skin, a calendar featuring Elementia and Magico, and a one-month unlimited pass for drinks and desserts at the arena.
Below that were rewards for ranks two through ten.
Further down were rewards for promotions within one day, three days, and seven days—all extremely generous.
Andy didn't study them closely—his target was only first place.
But at the bottom, one peculiar achievement caught his eye:
"Maintain Silver rank continuously for over three weeks to receive direct qualification for the Magic Cup preliminary."
Magic Cup preliminaries…
Andy silently repeated the phrase, recalling what His Highness Ron had told him days ago—
"Battle Magic is an industry I value greatly. In the future, there will be many kinds of competitions, and players will be able to earn significant rewards."
It seemed those "various competitions" weren't far off anymore.
Of course, if you really counted it, tonight's ranked matches were already part of that.
Andy didn't dwell on it.
The mere thought of future competitions filled him with excitement.
But he quickly calmed down and realized something else from that achievement:
"Maintain Silver rank continuously for three weeks."
This meant that reaching Silver didn't guarantee stability.
There would likely be a harsh elimination system waiting on the third floor.
Andy silently noted this, then pushed it aside for now.
He greeted the staff and headed toward the Promotion Zone.
For now, the priority was simple—
Reach Silver rank.