Chapter 58

"And what about reputation? Doesn't that interest you either?" The question didn't come from the Director, but rather from Ryoma, which surprised those present since he was well known for only caring about his granddaughter.

"..." Erik hesitated a bit about whether to speak, but seeing his masters smiling confidently, he decided to continue. "The truth is, it doesn't interest me."

"Why not? Reputation is very important; it's your letter of introduction to the world and makes many types of things much easier."

"The respected Master may be right, but I still feel I don't need it at the moment, especially not being known as the winner of the tournament. After all, it's just a tournament for mana users under 300 years old. There are countless like us in the galaxy, so it's not that impressive. All I would gain from all the effort of trying to win is a not-so-impressive achievement and, if things go wrong, a bunch of enemies everywhere. It's not worth it, especially when my publications in the university journal are quite well-known. Besides, I finished first and overcame a secret test; that alone will give me a reputation not far off from the champion's."

Ngozi's face tightened a bit upon hearing Erik's final words, but Ryoma, on the other hand, didn't give it much importance and continued to ask with interest.

"And what about your own pride? Don't you want to be known as the best of the young generation of the Arcane Order?"

"And what good would that do me? In the best-case scenario, it'll work for some to treat me with more respect or give me some benefits thinking of my future potential, things I sincerely don't need. I'm already a disciple of the two youngest Masters in the galaxy's history. Whether I win the tournament or not, I'll still be treated with respect and people will try to use me under the premise of offering me benefits. So what's the point of winning the tournament in the first place? Pride is a tool that must be used intelligently, not wasted on pointless things like being recognized as the best or the like. That's a reckless way to spend valuable assets."

"Pride is a valuable asset? What do you mean by that, Erik?" Thalia asked, a bit confused by Erik's strange phrase, to which he replied with a smile.

"Of course, it's a valuable asset, Master Sunforge, and it's very useful if used correctly. For example, while the life of a Master like you is somewhat difficult for me to understand, I am also human and can understand that in your long lives you had to face crises, defeats, weaknesses, temptations, and other things like everyone else. What kept you firm, with an iron will, and humble enough to continue striving tirelessly to achieve what you have today?

I believe that a large part of the reason for that was pride. I've experienced it myself. What drives me to keep improving? The pride I have in my own abilities, which gives me the confidence to know I can be better and not let others surpass me. What is the reason I work nonstop even when I could live without doing absolutely anything? Because my pride prevents me from being a parasitic leech; I'm better than that.

What motivates me to undertake tasks that initially seem impossible? My pride in my own capacity and intelligence. What's the most common trait in natural leaders? They are proud of who they are and what they have to offer others, which endows them with overwhelming charisma and enough confidence to command others.

In short, there are thousands of examples that show that pride is a very useful tool. The problem is that it's a double-edged sword, and the line between pride and arrogance, which is the mother of laziness and personal degeneration, is too thin and easily crossed if one is not careful."

"That's an interesting philosophy you have there, Erik..." Adrian commented, a bit surprised, a sentiment shared by all present, including Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina, who never ceased to be amazed each time Erik expressed words filled with wisdom like those, filling them with even more pride, making them puff out their chests with smiling faces.

"It's not much, just random thoughts I have from time to time," Erik smiled as he replied.

"But if you know that pride is important, why not win the tournament? That would strengthen your pride in your abilities, which could lead you to achieve great things in the future," Ryoma asked with an interested expression on his face, to which Erik replied.

"Because, as I said earlier, pride is a tool and, like any good tool, one must know when and how to use it to get the most out of it. Winning the tournament is not something worth it for me; after all, for me, its costs outweigh its benefits."

"What kind of costs does winning the tournament represent for you?" Jessica asked, leaning forward on the table with interest.

"Primarily time. Winning the tournament would take me around six months at best, time which I could invest in working on my projects, reading many books, and more. Plus, I have a trip planned with my masters, which in itself is far more valuable than winning a tournament. Such an opportunity will likely present itself again, and even if it never does, the loss isn't very great. After all, there are countless ways to gain reputation in the galaxy."

"And why do you think winning the tournament would take you six months?" Ngozi asked, a bit interested in Erik's reasoning.

"For several reasons, actually. Firstly, it's mandatory to obtain a staff to qualify to enter the palace I went through, suggesting they can easily control the pace of the tournament and how it unfolds, sending at precise moments the necessary elements to enter the palaces. And since the palace I entered wasn't the winner one, it implies that speed isn't an important factor in determining the champion.

Moreover, considering that the tournament is just a facade to select the most suitable members for the group tasked with exploring the ruin, one conclusion comes to mind. You will control the tournament in such a way as to evaluate certain skills they consider essential for exploring the ruin in all participants, which will undoubtedly take time."

"That explains why you think it will take a while for the champion to be determined, but what leads you to estimate six months?" Thalia asked with evident interest in her tone.

"Well, that's due to certain considerations. For example, there are too many participants in the tournament, who vary greatly in strength and abilities. But if strength were a vital criterion for selecting participants, you wouldn't have organized this type of tournament. You would have simply held a quick tournament with a minimum power level to participate and thus select the strongest, something that could be easily done at the university without needing to expend as many resources as this tournament has.

So, strength is important, but it's not the only thing being considered. Therefore, they must somehow split the tournament into two phases: one where they evaluate the strongest and another where they assess those who aren't as strong but have valuable skills for exploration. Since the tournament lasts one year, it's logical to assume that the championship, which the strongest will aim for, will be taken out of the game at the halfway point, or in other words, six months."