Chapter 144: Male Selection Arena Match

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Male Selection Arena Match

The news that Ali, the sister of the White Tiger King, was going to choose her first mate quickly spread. Over the past two days, many single males from nearby tribes came to ask Ophelia if the rumors were true. Bombarded with questions every day, Ophelia had to constantly deal with these inquiring males.

Left with no other choice, Ophelia sought out Ali to ask about her true thoughts. "Ali, what exactly are you thinking? Are you really going to choose a mate through a duel?"

Ali furrowed her brows. "Yes, I am. Since Laxus doesn’t like me, why shouldn’t I find another mate?"

"Ali, you..." Seeing Ali like this, Ophelia could tell she was clearly heartbroken and ready to give up on herself. "Ali, it’s not your fault that Laxus doesn’t like you. Don’t make the wrong choice in a fit of pique," Ophelia advised. "Your brother certainly wouldn’t want to see you like this, either."

Seeing Ophelia’s genuine concern, Ali’s nose stung. She threw herself into Ophelia’s arms, her voice choking with sobs. "Ophelia, why doesn’t Laxus like me? What exactly is wrong with me?"

"Him not liking you isn’t your fault," Ophelia comforted her.

Furthermore, the reason Laxus hadn’t made things clear with Ali was out of an underlying sense of inferiority. However, this wasn’t something Ophelia could say out loud. After all, Laxus was stubborn. If he wasn’t willing himself, no matter what anyone else said, he would never agree. Rather than telling Ali and giving her hope only to lead to disappointment, it was better if she never knew.

Ali sniffled and reverted to her former proud princess demeanor.

"You’re right, Ophelia. It’s not my fault he doesn’t like me. It’s his loss.

"Tell those inquiring males that I will hold the dueling arena tomorrow.

"If any male wants to mate with me, tell them to come participate tomorrow."

Seeing her resolute expression, Ophelia sighed helplessly. "Since you insist, I won’t try to persuade you otherwise."

Perhaps the pressure of competition could push Laxus to make a move. So, upon returning, Ophelia informed the asking males that Ali would be holding the arena tournament the following day. She also sent someone to pass this news to the Golden Dragon Clan.

When Laxus returned from hunting that evening, he froze slightly upon hearing his clansmen discussing the matter. The moment he stepped back into his stone house, Rebecca hurried out to meet him, asking anxiously, "Laxus, do you know about Ali choosing a mate?"

Laxus pursed his lips and nodded in silence.

"Why is Ali suddenly looking for a mate? Did someone in the Fuzu Tribe bully her?" Rebecca asked, her face full of worry. "How about I have Ali come stay with our Golden Dragon Clan? With your father and me here, no one will dare bully her."

Laxus shook his head. "No one bullied her. She just fell for a male."

"Who did she fall for?" Hearing Laxus say this, Rebecca’s dangling heart settled a bit. However, knowing that Ali had fallen for a male still made her somewhat anxious. "Have you met this male? What is his character like?"

"It’s Lam."

"Lam? That wandering merchant?" Rebecca had some impression of him.

"He conducts himself decently enough, but his lifestyle is too unstable. He often has to travel to trade goods and wouldn’t be able to stay home with Ali. Mating with a male like that would leave a female feeling insecure."

Hearing that Rebecca also disapproved of Ali mating with Lam, Laxus’s eyes lit up. "You’re right, Mother. Why don’t you go over to the Fu Clan tomorrow to see Ali and try to talk her out of it?"

"You make a good point. You’ll escort me to the Fu Clan first thing tomorrow morning.

"A young female choosing a mate is a massive event. We can’t let her just pick randomly, lest she regrets it later."

So, early the next morning, Laxus brought Rebecca to the Fuzu Tribe.

Seeing Rebecca arrive so suddenly, Ophelia was somewhat surprised. "Mother, why are you here? Did something happen?"

"What’s wrong with you, girl? Ali choosing a mate is such a huge deal, yet you didn’t even send anyone to inform me.

"Your judgment has always been poor. What if you let Ali choose a male like Loki—" Halfway through her sentence, Rebecca caught herself and stopped. She stole a glance at Ophelia. Seeing no displeasure on her face, she quickly changed the subject.

Ophelia smiled. "Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll be keeping an eye on things, so nothing will go wrong."

Even if Ali really did choose a male today, she would still have to get past Klein. Given how much Klein doted on Ali, he would never allow her to casually mate with just any male. That was why Ophelia wasn’t worried.

Ophelia looked at Laxus standing nearby. "Laxus, the arena tournament is starting soon. Do you want to stay and help us evaluate them?"

Before Laxus could speak, Rebecca hastily interjected, "Ali is practically his sister now, too. Of course he’s staying."

Hearing this, Laxus didn’t refuse.

After breakfast, the single males from the various tribes arrived. Ophelia led Rebecca, Ali, and the others to the open clearing in the Fuzu Tribe.

Looking at the bustling crowd of males, Ophelia estimated there had to be around a hundred of them. It seemed the title of the White Tiger King’s sister was quite the draw.

"You all should know what a dueling arena tournament entails, but even the final victor must pass a test before he can become Ali’s first mate," Ophelia announced to the crowd.

"If a male has poor character, we will not allow him to become Ali’s mate even if he wins.

"If any of you lack good moral standing, please leave now.

"Of course, you are also welcome to report each other."

As soon as Ophelia said this, several males immediately stepped forward to point fingers at one another. In no time, the group of a hundred was instantly whittled down by forty. Ophelia scrutinized the crowd once more, kicking out the scrawny and unpresentable males as well. After these two rounds of elimination, only thirty remained.

Naturally, some males were unwilling to accept this, but they were quickly suppressed by the imposing auras of Laxus, Tyler, and Zerev. Left with no choice, they could only slink away in defeat.

"Now, you will fight in pairs. Whoever hits the ground first loses, and the victor will advance to the next round," Ophelia declared. "However, I expect you to know when to stop. Do not let this turn fatal."

If someone really died because of the arena tournament, it would severely tarnish the reputations of both the Fu Clan and Ali.

The males nodded in agreement one after another. Before long, the thirty males were locked in combat. By noon, the victors and the vanquished were already very clear. Out of the thirty, only ten remained.

Seeing the males sweating profusely and panting heavily, Ophelia called a halt. "You may go back and rest for now. Once you’ve regained your energy, return in the afternoon to continue the matches."

Ophelia swept her gaze over the remaining males. Two looked rather familiar and were from the Golden Dragon Clan, while a few others belonged to the Fuzu Tribe.

"Alright," the males chorused. An entire morning of fighting had drained a lot of their stamina, so they were naturally more than willing to go back, rest, and recover before fighting again.

"Laxus, what do you think of these males?" Ophelia asked him probingly.

Ali also secretly observed the expression on Laxus’s face.

Laxus just wore a serious expression. "They’re alright."

Rebecca, on the other hand, was delighted. "I saw a few good candidates among them. I didn’t expect our Ali to be so popular!

"However, a mate is incredibly important. You still need to choose carefully."

Faced with Rebecca’s teasing, Ali’s pale cheeks regained a bit of color. "Okay, I understand."