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"Albus, I really don't think this is the time for smiling."
The moment an uncontrollable smile appeared on Dumbledore's face, Professor McGonagall, who had been maintaining a stern expression while anxiously following the match, finally lost her composure.
I know you dote on your sister, but this is the finals. You're sitting here as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. The least you could do is pretend to be impartial.
The smile on Dumbledore's face stiffened slightly.
"My apologies, Minerva. I was simply seeing how much Ariana has grown, and I got carried away for a moment."
"And the championship itself isn't important. What's important is what the children have learned and gained throughout this year's journey, isn't it? I always believed failure is but another great journey waiting to begin."
McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Albus, what do you think Riddle would say if he heard that?"
"Er... perhaps it's best if he doesn't."
Dumbledore immediately wiped the smile from his face.
He knew Tom's personality well. In every respect he was excellent, but his competitive streak was exceptionally strong.
Daphne, a young lady who had once lived a comfortable and sheltered life, untouched by endless magical theory, had become an outstanding witch in just a single year. The spells she displayed in the maze earlier included many that even Dumbledore had never seen before.
They were most likely Tom's own creations.
That alone showed how seriously he took this championship.
What Dumbledore didn't realize was that Tom wasn't driven by competitiveness so much as a desire for fair returns on his efforts.
If someone other than Daphne had been competing, and if she hadn't confidently promised him she would take first place, Tom wouldn't have cared in the slightest who won today. Even if Ilvermorny had claimed the championship, he wouldn't have been upset.
From the row behind them came a chuckle.
Abeforth looked thoroughly amused. "Minerva's right. You're the Headmaster. How can you play favorites? One person cheering for Ariana is enough. Naturally, you should be supporting Daphne Greengrass of Hogwarts."
Dumbledore couldn't help firing back. "Aberforth, didn't you graduate from Hogwarts too?"
"Oh, I defected." Aberforth shrugged casually. "Did you forget? I'm one of the Acolytes now."
Dumbledore blinked.
Come to think of it, he actually had forgotten.
After Grindelwald recruited Aberforth into the Acolytes, the only thing he'd ever asked him to do was find a wild phoenix. Other than that, he hadn't assigned him a single task.
Over time, everyone had simply forgotten about it.
Which reminded Dumbledore... what exactly had Grindelwald been busy with lately?
A golden gleam flickered in his eyes as he looked toward Vinda Rosier, who was occupying the guest-of-honor seat in Grindelwald's place.
Since before the final exams, Grindelwald had remained in Berlin. Dumbledore had assumed he would return for the finals to watch Ariana's performance, yet he still hadn't appeared.
Some people could disappear for only a few days and still make everyone nervous. Grindelwald was unquestionably one of those people.
While Dumbledore was occupied with those thoughts, Ariana had already been teleported into an open-air plaza somewhere within Dalaran.
The audience's attention, however, wasn't on her. They were far more interested in finally getting a proper look at Dalaran itself.
The City of Magic had only made a brief appearance amid fireworks before. Today, under the daylight, this mysterious city finally unveiled its full splendor.
Every building was constructed from pristine white marble. Many rooftops glowed with mysterious violet light, as though gentle currents of magic flowed through the city itself.
Setting everything else aside, the fantastical scenery and immaculate streets were enough to reignite countless dreams of settling down in this pure wizarding city.
The plaza where Ariana appeared wasn't especially large, holding only a few hundred people at most.
Several long tables stood before her, covered with steaming food that looked freshly prepared.
A phantom figure of Tom materialized out of thin air and greeted her with a smile.
Ariana blinked playfully at him, "Tom, is this a reward for the winner?"
"I'm afraid not." Tom shook his head. "This is simply a rest area. After exploring the maze for so long, I'm sure you're exhausted."
"You're welcome to stay here for a while, eat something, and recover. The challenges ahead are much harder than the ones you've already faced."
As the aroma drifted toward her, Ariana rubbed her stomach.
Now that Tom mentioned it, and with all that delicious food right in front of her, she suddenly realized how hungry and tired she actually was.
Without hesitation, she picked a table and sat down.
As she ate, she asked, "So what strange and ridiculous thing have you prepared this time?"
"That's a terrible thing to say." Tom's smile remained warm and gentle. "These are all perfectly normal challenges."
Ariana didn't believe a single word. She knew exactly what kind of person he was.
Compared to him, even Jalter was a pure and innocent saint.
"It's actually very simple." The phantom turned and gestured toward his city. "You only need to reach the Karazhan's Mage Tower and retrieve the Goblet of Fire. Do that, and you win."
"However, since you've entered Dalaran through unauthorized means, every trap in the city, along with the alchemical golems responsible for maintaining security, will attempt to arrest you the moment they discover your presence. So before they catch you, complete your mission."
Ariana paused midway through cutting her steak.
Then she sprang to her feet in outrage.
"You... you're using us as test subjects! You brought all the contestants here just to test the city's defense system, didn't you?!"
Their conversation was transmitted through the Lume-Lenses, and every spectator heard it loud and clear.
The entire audience fell silent.
So this whole competition was basically Riddle tricking a group of free laborers into helping him beta-test his city.
It sounded unbelievably shameless.
Yet, strangely enough... most of them thought it sounded pretty fun.
In fact, some were wondering how they could volunteer instead.
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