GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation

Vol 2 - Chapter 34: Lockdown

The crowd's applause began, but Janos raised his hand.

"But that is NOT all, ladies and gentlemen!" His voice dropped to a near-whisper, forcing everyone to lean in. "Their third member... a late addition to their roster... whose identity was concealed until this VERY moment."

He pulled a parchment from his coat, squinting at it dramatically.

"Even I had to read this THREE times to believe what my eyes were telling me!"

The arena held its breath.

"His Royal Highness, Prince Eldrin Garnos, third son of King Korivan Garnos the Seventh!"

The collective gasp swept through the arena like a wave.

A young man stepped through the gate, joining Kein and Lysithea as they walked toward the center. Students shot to their feet—some placing hands over hearts, others bowing their heads. Commoners and nobles alike showed their respects.

"A prince?!"

Vel blinked at the synchronized outburst. Celia, Enya, and Mira had spoken at the exact same moment, their voices blending into one shocked exclamation.

Tomas, Rohen, and Vel exchanged glances—not at the announcement itself, but at the reaction around them.

"Settle down, ladies," Rohen said, raising his palms.

Vel shrugged. "In hindsight, not that surprising. I mean... royalty or not, they still need to learn, right? Where else would they get qualified education?"

He studied the prince from across the arena. Eldrin carried himself with practiced elegance, his smile never wavering. Even his eyes accommodated the expression perfectly—warm, approachable, yet somehow distant.

Vel had seen that smile before. Yuki wore it constantly at SolarTech, though his version carried an edge of something darker.

"That explains why Hileya couldn't find any information about him," Vel said to the group.

"But—why now?" Tomas leaned forward. "Why reveal it?"

"Well, I can think of one reason." Vel gestured toward Team Kasano on the opposite side of the arena. "Look at the other team. Doesn't seem like they want to be here at all."

Celia nodded slowly. "The pressure. Do they even... dare to win?"

"Wouldn't people find out eventually?" Rohen asked. "Someone as unique as Eldrin stands out."

"Unique how?"

Rohen leaned back, crossing his arms. "Word is, the third son of King Garnos hasn't spoken since birth. Least favored among his brothers." He kept his voice low. "But he developed this... unbelievable attunement to magic. It became part of him, compensating for what he couldn't say."

He gestured toward the arena floor. "After seeing him fight today, people would eventual—"

Rohen's eyes landed on Enya and Mira.

The two girls clutched each other's arms, completely lost in their own world.

"Look at his hair," Enya whispered, her voice dreamy.