Chapter 399: Not About Fewness, But About Equity

At the same time, Muria also commanded the five great secret agencies loyal to the royal house and the hidden organization formed by various "conscientious" evil creatures subdued by Miles to assist and cleanse in the shadows.

Moreover, Muria opened up the kingdom's highest-priority communication channels, enabling any noble or official who discovered demon traces but was powerless to address them to report directly to her for immediate dispatch of giants via the palace's teleportation arrays for rapid suppression and control.

In essence, Muria could only use every means at her disposal, reacting passively to these frequent demon appearances, as she was unable to identify the root cause of the issue.

Of course, this situation was not unique to the Rockman Kingdom. According to what Muria knew, similar occurrences were happening in neighboring realms such as the Draconic Red Wing Duchy and the Dwarf Sherman Duchy, where demons were appearing frequently.

As for the Medis Kingdom in the Dark Lands, due to their hostile relations, Muria was unaware of their situation, but it was likely similar; it made no sense that while everyone else suffered, only the Zor Elf Kingdom, which was also hostile to demons, would be spared.

To ascertain whether it was just her region or the entire Norcia Europa subcontinent suffering, Muria contacted the rulers of central subcontinental nations to inquire about their situations.

Muria was somewhat relieved to confirm that everyone was equally unlucky. Almost every country on the Norcia Europa subcontinent was suffering from these erratic demon invasions, which did not adhere to any pattern or timing.

After discovering that everyone was in the same boat, Muria shifted her focus to the upcoming martial arts competition. After all, the overall military strength of the Rockman Kingdom was among the top in the entire Norcia Europa subcontinent.

Not counting the fourteen legends already present in the Rockman Kingdom, just the ten ancient dragons invited by Muria could overpower most of the countries on the subcontinent.

Not to mention the Wind King Eagle, lying dormant on a floating island near the capital Scaret. This world-subduing beast alone could challenge all ten ancient dragons and might not even be bested by them.

One could imagine how formidable the overall military power of the Rockman Kingdom was. Owning such forces, Muria naturally feared nothing unless an epic being intervened, in which case she saw little that could threaten her current state.

Should an epic being actually intervene, Muria would, without hesitation, take Princess Loli Remilia and flee. Muria was willing to take risks when there was hope, but she would not engage in hopeless acts that meant certain death.

Preservation was key, a principle Muria always adhered to.

...

"Grand Duke Muria, the preliminaries have begun."

"Good, make sure to register the names of everyone who passes the preliminaries. These are the pillars of our nation." Muria said with a smile. The preliminary conditions were simple, adopting an elimination format where losing one match meant elimination.

The preliminaries would eliminate seven-eighths of the participants, selecting over ten thousand people from the 48 major provincial capitals to participate in the semifinals. Another seven-eighths would be eliminated, selecting over a thousand to come to the capital, Scaret, for the finals and to determine the top talent in five age groups.

"By the way, have the participants been informed? Those who qualify for the finals will have their fights broadcast nationwide via magical imaging, letting the entire populace witness their valiant fighting."

"They have all been notified, Grand Duke Muria. The spirits of these talents are very high; nearly everyone is eager to reach the finals and enter the capital," reported a middle-aged minister with a chuckle.

Just by hosting this martial arts competition, the Rockman Kingdom had gathered information on almost all the raw talents in the nation, although much of it was diluted with false information, it was still a vast improvement over the past.

"Young people crave fame and fortune; these are temptations they cannot resist," Muria said with a confident smile. Known throughout the nation for warfare, in a world that revered martial prowess, who could resist?

"Grand Duke Muria, if I were fifty years younger, I would definitely participate in the martial arts competition you are hosting. The rewards you've offered have even tempted me to disguise myself as a young man and compete."

A minister stepped forward, his words half in flattery and half in earnest. The rewards Muria had announced were indeed lavish, not to mention various meditative and breathing techniques and combat skills that could be family heirlooms, but also potions that offered permanent enhancements to physical strength and extended life span, how could such prizes not make some nobles envious?

But these were rewards Muria intended for the talents, and they dared not overstep. They could only inquire which talents had won which coveted potions and then try to negotiate trades.

The nobility had many resources

 at their disposal—wealth, beauty, there was always something to tempt these spirited young talents.

"Ha ha!" Muria let out a hearty laugh, "Bazell, if you disguised yourself as a young participant, you would definitely be exposed. Then the scandal of a grand senator of the Rockman Kingdom competing with the younger generation for fame and fortune would surely tarnish your reputation."

"You jest, Grand Duke Muria," Senator Bazell chuckled awkwardly at Muria's teasing.

Another noble stepped forward upon hearing the exchange between Muria and the senator, suggesting, "Your Grace, although we have age detection arrays, there are secret arts, potions, and other peculiar magics that can conceal one's age. It's quite possible that some shameless older powerhouses have infiltrated the competition. Could this compromise fairness?"

"While some older powerhouses might have slipped into the initial competitions, by the time of the preliminaries, it's very unlikely any such unscrupulous individuals will remain," Muria responded with a hint of mockery.

"Your Grace, do you have a method to detect these older individuals concealing their age?" a noble relatedly asked. His offspring had also registered for the martial arts competition, and as a father, he naturally wanted to secure a fair competitive environment for his son.

Muria sat regally on her throne, "I have dispatched five legendary figures to supervise the provincial capitals of the major provinces. They will check all those who have qualified for the semifinals. In such a scenario, I doubt anyone could sneak through unnoticed."

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