First Battle

(Monday morning, the last day of November)

"In knight competitions, basic strength is certainly important, but what matters even more is how to earn points intelligently."

"Figure out what you're good at, choose suitable equipment, and pick a sponsor—usually, that's the path most competitive knights take."

Seated in the stands of Whistling Arena, Zofia explained the basics of knight competitions to Bai Ye.

"Of course, there are freaks like Margaret Nearl, who excels in every area and is perfectly well-rounded, with no weaknesses. She didn't need any outside support or commercial sponsorship and relied entirely on her own strength to fight her way to a championship title."

Bai Ye thoroughly agreed with Zofia. He had read Nearl's—that was, Margaret's—operator file. All six of her ratings had reached excellent grades. She was a true all-rounder.

That meant that whether it was a duel, a race, or a survival brawl, Nearl could adapt quickly and claim victory.

Incidentally, even Bai Ye could not achieve such balance, because the attribute called "tactical planning" in his operator file was rated deficient...

In fact, Bai Ye had never paid attention to that attribute at all.

"Before, it was just minor skirmishes. Today is Maria's first match after her special training, and her opponent is also a somewhat well-known knight."

Worry showed on Zofia's face.

"But Maria's fame and popularity are too high. Because of her sister and the Nearl family background, she attracted far too much attention the moment she appeared. That isn't a good thing."

Bai Ye smiled and pointed at the advertising boards around the arena.

"For capital, it's a good thing. Even though she hasn't fought many matches yet, countless companies already want to sign her."

"That doesn't sound like a good thing. It isn't what she wants." Zofia shook her head.