After Übel, Lawine, Kanne, Laufen, and Ehre had all challenged Tibbers—some willingly, others under duress—Frieren finally explained, without the slightest hurry, what the arena was really for:
It was meant to let them, as mages, fight each other one-on-one or in teams, allowing them to gain as much practical combat experience as possible in the shortest time!
Of course!
Fighting Tibbers could also greatly improve their practical combat experience!
Tibbers adjusted his strength according to each person's abilities and guided them with suitable tactics. That gave them even more experience than an ordinary one-on-one battle.
There was just one fatal drawback to fighting Tibbers: he would play with you for about ten minutes at most. Then he would get impatient and start looking for ways to defeat you and eat you alive!
Once Übel, Lawine, Kanne, Laufen, and Ehre had recovered from their fright and understood how useful the arena was, they immediately pushed down their fear and joined the others in using the arena—and Tibbers's "dog bowl"—for battle.
And so!
For the next three days, they didn't go anywhere at all, spending the whole time in the carriage belonging to Annie and the others. They didn't even balk at that bear's outrageously steep price of one person to eat for every hour of use.
Just like that!
Time flew by amid lively duels between the eight of them, including Frieren, Fern, and Elaina.
Then, on this day, Übel, Lawine, Kanne, Laufen, and Ehre didn't come back.
Likewise!
Annie, Frieren, Fern, and Elaina didn't stay in the carriage that day either. They left early.
That was because today marked the start of the second round of the First-Class Mage Exam, held by the Northern Branch of the Magic Association in the magic city of Äußerst.
The exam's basic details—the time,