Chapter 822: Dark Horse
Chapter 822: Dark Horse
The next morning, as Albert flipped through the latest issue of the Daily Prophet over breakfast, he noticed that the odds for his bet had surprisingly dropped. To be precise, the odds of him winning the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spellcasting had decreased to 6 to 1. It seemed that someone had placed a substantial amount of Galleons on him, startling the folks at the Daily Prophet enough to adjust the odds.
Even if the folks at the Daily Prophet were a bit eccentric, they would surely sense that something was amiss when they saw someone betting a large sum of money on him.
So far, almost no one believed that number 17 (Albert) would win the gold prize for the Barnabus Finkley competition. Even if there were some bets placed, they were mostly small wagers from individuals.
But now, several people were placing significant bets all at once.
What did this mean?
No one understood the implications better than those who had organized the betting.
In fact, what Albert didn't know was that his odds had already been lowered three times.
The first time was when Bard placed a bet of 500 Galleons. The organizers, upon seeing that someone else was willing to bet a large sum on number 17 winning the gold prize, immediately lowered his odds to 7 to 1.
Later, when the Daily Prophet noticed that several hundred Galleons were continuously being bet on Albert winning, they had no choice but to lower the odds again.
There was no other explanation for this unusual situation.
If they kept the high odds and ended up having to pay out, they would be left with nothing but their underwear! "Those guys are really timid," Bard folded the newspaper and smiled at Albert. "Don't worry, I've taken care of that matter we discussed."
"It's only natural for them to sense that something is off. After all, they organize these bets to make money, not lose it," Albert remarked nonchalantly as he continued browsing through the related reports in the Daily Prophet.
The Spanish magical community was highly interested in the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spellcasting competition. Currently, the favorite for the gold prize was a Mr. Animagus, renowned for his expertise in transformation magic.
Of course, Albert was also generating a lot of buzz, but he attributed it to the Daily Prophet deliberately hyping him up.
Was this their way of setting a trap for him?
To be honest, Albert felt no moral dilemma about profiting from gambling. However, he knew that opportunities like this wouldn't come by often.
Once his identity as the Seer became known, he wouldn't be able to engage in such activities without attracting resentment.
As Albert scanned the newspaper for the list of sixteen participants, he noticed that only three of them were under thirty years old.
One of them, a contestant named Noe, seemed to have recently graduated from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
Albert recalled this individual from the first round of performances. Noe had pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, transforming it into a flurry of butterflies that eventually regrouped back into the handkerchief in his hand. That particular act had left a strong impression on the audience.
However, Noe's appearance was rather average, and he exuded an air of decadence that made him less likable.
Another young competitor was the mature wizard who had previously ranked behind Albert. He was reportedly a local Spaniard named Anthony.
In the first round, he had showcased his skills in transfiguration and spellcasting by manipulating water bubbles.
While the difficulty of the spell was not exceptionally high, he had effectively displayed his graceful spellcasting technique, earning him positive reviews.
He was currently one of the top contenders for the championship.
Around ten o'clock, the pub owner, Diana, came to notify the contestants to proceed to the second floor for the competition.
"See you later," Albert said as he got up to leave. He noticed that several customers were waving at him, cheering him on, evidently having placed bets on his success in the second round.
Albert smiled and waved back at them before joining the crowd heading upstairs.
"You're quite popular, aren't you?" Noe, the decadent-looking young man, suddenly remarked to Albert. "I've heard about you from Louise. She always speaks of your genius, and now I understand why she rejected me."
"No, I think you must have misunderstood. I already have a girlfriend, and Miss Louise is aware of that. She has even met my girlfriend," Albert clarified, looking directly at the decadent young man before him.
He believed that Louise's rejection of Noe had more to do with the air of decadence that he carried.
If Noe could be more confident, he might not have been so easily rejected. After all, exceptional individuals always had their unique charm.
Noe's expression turned slightly awkward as he realized he might have misunderstood something.
The two of them followed the crowd into a parlor where about two dozen chairs were arranged in a semi-circular shape, each bearing a number, indicating their designated seats.
The five judges had already taken their places, and as the contestants entered the parlor, they chose their respective seats. Albert made his way to the chair marked with the number 17.
As soon as he sat down, he felt the envious and jealous gazes of the contestant next to him.
"This guy must be sick," he muttered to himself, focusing his attention on the stage in front of him and completely ignoring the famous female singer sitting next to him, who was curiously observing him.
As for the middle-aged wizard renowned for his Animagus abilities, he was already standing before them, his face taut as he nodded to the judges and began his demonstration of his signature transformation magic. It was similar to Albert's transformation of the table into a lion, but with a gradual, step-by-step process.
With each wave of his wand, the object before him underwent a transformation, shifting between living and non-living forms until it finally became a suit of knight's armor. With a slight bow to the judges, the wizard and his creation vanished.
A round of enthusiastic applause filled the parlor as Mr. Animagus concluded his performance.
Indeed, each of the sixteen contestants assembled here was extraordinary in their own right.
However, the scoring segment that followed the performance was somewhat unexpected. Mr. Animagus, who had been favored to win, did not receive as high a score as anticipated.
Two sevens and three sixes.
That was the evaluation given by the five judges: barely a pass.
A murmur of surprise rippled through the contestants seated below.
Albert guessed the reason for the relatively low score. It was likely because Mr. Animagus's performance hadn't prominently showcased his spellcasting technique, or perhaps the wizard's abilities were simply average.
Next up, it was Albert's turn to take the stage.
He took a deep breath and gently waved his wand.
Countless blue sparks danced in the air, and as Albert extended his left hand, the sparks gathered to form a blue campanula flame in his palm.
Albert brought his left hand close to his mouth and gently blew on the flame, causing it to be encased within a water bubble.
The bubble floated slowly upward, guided by Albert's fingers.
With a graceful wave of his wand, Albert caused the surface of the water bubble to gradually freeze, encasing it in a thick layer of frost. It transformed into an egg-like shape, with the blue campanula flame within appearing like a vibrant, living entity.
Before anyone could react, the ice egg suddenly shattered into countless shards of ice. A Firebird of blue bellflower flame burst forth from the shards, growing larger as more sparks merged into its body with Albert's gestures.
The Firebird soared overhead, trailing blue bellflower flames, before eventually dissipating into scattered sparks that slowly vanished from view.
An eerie silence fell over the room, broken only by a crisp clap that sparked a wave of scattered applause, which soon swelled into a standing ovation, even from the judges themselves.
Everyone realized they had underestimated the 17th contestant, who demonstrated exceptional skill in both wandless magic and nonverbal spells.
Albert received an eight, three nines, and a perfect ten, totaling a score of forty-five points. He had decisively crushed Mr. Animagus, the previous favorite, and his score now loomed like a mountain over the other contestants.
Though the others had yet to showcase their skills, they knew it would be incredibly difficult to surpass Albert's score.
Mr. Anthony, who had been sitting next to Albert, wore an expression as if he had just swallowed a mouthful of feces.
He wasn't the only one with a sour expression, as the special correspondents from the Daily Prophet also looked ashen. They clearly remembered how their newspaper had hyped up Albert, and now they had dug their own grave! Albert had proven himself a strong contender for the championship, and the initially favored contestant had been mercilessly crushed underfoot.
If Albert were to win the championship, or even the gold prize...
The correspondent's expression grew increasingly sour, and he wanted nothing more than to rush out and send a message to the newspaper, urging them to lower Albert's odds immediately. Otherwise, they would be left with nothing but their underwear! "How did you do that just now?" Yanira asked, blinking in wonder. She had never seen magic like that before and was truly astonished.
Albert offered her a gentle smile and gestured for her to keep quiet, indicating that she should focus on the performances onstage.
Yanira pouted but had to admit that she had underestimated the young man before her. He truly had a chance to win the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spellcasting.
At the very least, he was a shoo-in for the championship.
Yanira recalled the events of the previous night, when Bard had given her mother, Diana, a bag of Galleons to place a bet on Albert winning the gold prize.
From the sharp drop in odds that morning, it was clear that Bard had not only enlisted her mother but also likely placed bets through other sources, and the money for those bets may very well have come from Albert himself.
Yanira's expression became conflicted as she stared fixedly at Albert's profile, deep in thought.
It wasn't until a contestant made a mistake onstage that she finally tore her gaze away.
Yes, the mature wizard, Anthony, had made a mistake.
He had accidentally caught sight of Yanira staring at Albert's profile, and the resulting surge of emotions had caused his magic to falter.
Though Anthony managed to finish his performance, his score was only slightly better than Mr. Animagus's, and he left the stage with a mere thirty-five points.
That mistake had indeed cost him a few points.
"Staring at me like that won't help," Albert said, meeting Anthony's eyes. "I already have a girlfriend."
He then opened his pocket watch and showed Anthony the portrait inside.
It was a portrait of Albert and Isabelle.
Anthony's expression was priceless.
Albert's gesture clearly conveyed: "I already have a girlfriend, and she's no less impressive than Miss Yanira."
In truth, Albert could understand Anthony's feelings, but the other man seemed to have directed his efforts in the wrong direction. Why not strive to win the gold prize instead?
Oh, right, he had already claimed the championship and the gold prize as his own.
Of course, the man before him had no way of knowing that! Instead of working hard, he wasted his time being jealous and envious. Despite his handsome face, he failed to recognize and utilize his strengths.
Didn't he know that being a lapdog never ends well?
Moreover, Albert despised him for daring to pursue a girl who was almost half his age.
Paying no further heed to the failed contestant beside him, Albert turned his attention back to the stage. However, he noticed that only a few wizards were achieving high scores, with most contestants hovering around thirty-five points.
Aside from Albert, the highest score so far was forty-two points, achieved by a man in his forties who performed in a unique manner.
He had procured a training dummy and cast a variety of spells on it, one after another, in quick succession. Though the spells were simple, his movements were swift and precise, indicating a unique understanding of spellcasting, and he seemed to be well-versed in combat as well.
Albert suspected he might be an Auror or something similar.
His combat skills were undoubtedly impressive.
Another standout performance came from the decadent-looking young man, Noe, who conjured a sea of roses that transformed into a storm of butterflies, reminiscent of the Rain of Pearlescent Needles.
Albert felt that turning roses into butterflies was unnecessary, and such an attack could be easily countered with a protective shield.
However, he acknowledged that Noe's high score likely stemmed from his spellcasting technique, as the competition was focused on spellcasting rather than the display of magic.
Still, Albert couldn't quite grasp the intricacies of Noe's technique.
The last contestant to surpass the forty-point threshold was a middle-aged woman whose performance was equally unremarkable, yet she, too, scored forty-one points.
Only four contestants were selected to advance to the third round of the competition.
The final round would take place the next day.
After the competition ended, Albert stood up to leave, intending to find Bard and discuss his newfound insights into the nature of the competition. As he prepared to merge with the crowd and exit, he noticed several journalists approaching him, seemingly intent on interviewing him.
There was no escape, as Albert was the competition's biggest dark horse.
However, Albert had no interest in being interviewed, and he slipped away into the crowd without giving them a chance.
(End of Chapter)
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