Chapter 374 - 374: A Tie!

"Stop teasing me! I know that Eve's protection is what allows me to... I... I always thank Eve!"

Astra said this while making shy little gestures toward Wise, which did not go unnoticed by the blond-haired young man.

After observing the two in front of him, he seemed to realize something.

"You two seem close. Could you be her...?"

"Who knows?" Wise replied with a knowing smile.

"Oh...?"

Wise's answer surprised the blond-haired young man, seemingly confirming his suspicions.

Astra, feeling shy, quickly changed the subject.

"Alright, alright! Let's talk about something else!"

Although they had already kissed, taking a significant step forward in their relationship, that was all it had been.

If such matters were discussed in front of outsiders, Astra would still feel embarrassed.

Wise couldn't help but wonder how she could be so bold when they were alone, yet so different in public.

"Speaking of which, I heard that an accident occurred at Miss Yao's concert some time ago. External reports were rather vague. Perhaps I might be fortunate enough to hear an account from those involved?"

The blond-haired young man readily changed the subject, though this topic was somewhat sensitive.

Wise, however, calmly countered.

"Why are you interested in this matter?"

"Hmm... I'm a collector. Many collectibles and artworks are valuable not because of what they are, but because of the stories they contain. On that day, Starloop Tower was almost reduced to ashes. I'm very interested in such an extraordinary story."

Wise glanced at Astra, who didn't seem to mind. So, he simply recounted what had happened at Starloop to the blond-haired young man.

"So, Miss Yao used her voice to control the Harmonic Core and saved everyone?" the blond-haired man asked contemplatively.

"Not just my voice, but the voices of everyone! Hemiola's resonance efficiency is superb, but my voice alone couldn't have stopped the disaster."

Astra waved her hand as she explained the actual situation to the blond-haired young man, who immediately caught the key detail in her words.

"Hemiola?"

"It's my mic. I had it custom-made, and Joran's Legacy is stored in it now. Hmm... Perhaps this mic will become a valuable collectible like the ones you spoke of many years from now."

"Oh? Would you mind if I took a look? The custom-made microphone of Ridu's Queen. I've never seen such a treasure."

Astra readily took out Hemiola. The blond-haired young man put on gloves before taking it. He carefully examined the microphone for a moment before politely returning it to Astra.

"Very impressive. It deserves to be treasured like a queen's jeweled crown... But I hope something so precious to its owner will never end up in the hands of those who don't deserve it."

The blond-haired young man thanked them again, nodded in acknowledgment, and then gracefully departed with Robin.

"A strange person... but I doubt he's a bad person. When you were talking about the concert, he said it was a horrifying event, but he didn't look the slightest bit horrified!"

"I guess that's the nature of royalty," Wise said, unconcerned.

Perhaps he had seen too many things to the point where he remained calm in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

"But he was right about one thing. It's time to prepare for the competition... Hmm, no problem! Eous will definitely win!"

Astra clenched her fists, cheering for Eous, who also looked full of energy and fighting spirit.

Eous's outfit was adorned with white fur, while his red eyes made him look elegant yet incredibly cute.

Soon after, he had an intense match with Robin. However, after the race, Paige, visibly agitated, approached Eous and Wise, who were waiting for the results.

"Congratulations, Contestant Eous! And its partner! This is a very special situation! Tie! It's a tie!"

"What? A tie?"

Wise was very surprised by the result.

"It's true. The committee has been going over it for a while now. I guess we're in a fix..."

Paige was excited yet also worried. However, just then, a purple-haired girl who happened to overhear the conversation approached them.

"A tie? You tied with Robin?" she asked in a slightly arrogant tone.

"Who are you?"

Hearing the girl's voice, Wise turned his gaze toward her.

She was an elegant girl holding a purple-and-black parasol, every movement exuding the demeanor of a refined young lady.

Her fair skin highlighted the vivid red eyes on her beautiful face, while a pair of elf-like pointed ears revealed her unusual identity.

"Anyway, I'm not your fan."

Upon Wise's inquiry, the girl showed a cold expression before speaking again.

"But it's pretty cool how you guys held your own against that Robin..."

The unfamiliar girl left after saying those words, drifting away lightly.

"So many Bangboos... I wonder if my dear Lord Phaeton will be here...?"

The girl's fervent whisper went unheard by the others, drowned out by the large crowd in the hall.

As for the girl's departure, Wise didn't care. However, that girl knew Robin.

Could she be a friend of his?

While he was thinking, Paige suddenly received a message that Robin had withdrawn from the competition.

The news caught both of them off guard. Paige felt a moment of regret, but after she hurried away, Wise sensed that something was wrong.

He then went to find Astra, who, upon hearing the news, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew... I worried for nothing!"

"You sound happy, Astra," Wise said with a hint of amusement.

"I don't know why Robin is quitting... But that's just luck! I told you before, didn't I? Good luck is crucial to becoming the champion."

Astra didn't dwell on the matter. There was no point in worrying about it. It was better to look forward and focus on the next competition.

However, regarding her attempt to reassure him, Wise merely pondered for a moment before suddenly speaking.

"Astra, please check Hemiola."

"Eh... Eh?"

"Quickly! Especially Joran's record!"

Wise's urgent tone made it clear that he felt something might have happened.

"Ah, that record, actually..."

Astra seemed to want to say something, but seeing Wise's anxious expression, she took out Hemiola and carefully checked the condition of Joran's Legacy record.

"Actually, the record on Hemiola isn't the master copy. It's a specially remixed version infused with sound-sensitive Ether, made specifically for Hemiola."

"...Is this valuable?"

Upon learning that it wasn't the master copy, Wise relaxed a little, but he still asked cautiously.

Astra was also a bit unsure.

"Well... if you ask me, it's quite valuable, I guess? While it's not the master copy, it's still one of a kind in the whole world."

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