Hearing Arthur speak, Caesar finally showed a satisfied smile:
"That's what I'm saying..."
"Perhaps the supreme big figures from Dragon Country might have even more luxurious vehicles than my Golden Ship..."
"If it's just a small contestant team, it would be impossible!"
"So, as of now, within the entire scope of the competition, my vehicle is still the strongest."
Arthur fell silent.
He didn't even know how to respond.
Who knew why Caesar was so obsessed with vehicles, as if he had gone mad.
Had this guy used all his prize money and earnings from years of competitions to upgrade and renovate his vehicle, making the Golden Ship his spiritual sustenance?
Therefore, he absolutely couldn't accept that someone else had done better in this regard?
Arthur desperately thought about the worst-case scenario.
Just then, a woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an aura of coldness walked between the two and smiled:
"You two have arrived as well..."
Arthur raised an eyebrow:
"Hmm? Princess Catherine?"
"Aren't you thirty years old this year? Why are you participating in the competition?"
"This seems... to be in violation of the competition rules, doesn't it? Can't Prussia find anyone else?"
"Or are you just here to observe, accompanying the event team for sightseeing?"
Catherine's face instantly darkened because of Arthur's sharp tongue.
Even an ordinary girl, if told she was thirty years old standing on the street, would probably blow up.
Let alone Catherine?
Catherine said angrily:
"My birthday is in June, and the competition is in January. It's still far from my thirtieth birthday!"
"Arthur, you don't need to be so smug here..."
"This year, has your Sunset Federation found a way to deal with that Tin Man from Lighthouse Country?"
Arthur chuckled:
"This, Princess, is not for you to worry about..."
"After all, our dear Lord Caesar said he already has a solution."
"As long as the Holy Empire's team encounters Lighthouse Country early in the elimination rounds, we won't have to worry about it."
Catherine's face twisted even further:
"Oh?"
"Then, you mean you're not considering the possibility of encountering that Tin Man yourself and plan to just give up?"
"Last year, you were just as nonchalant... It truly seemed like you had no intention of vying for the championship."
Arthur smiled without speaking, only gently touching a sword hilt without a blade at his waist.
Caesar, however, cleared his throat at this moment, interrupting their argument:
"By the way, I heard that this year's host, Sakura Country, has also fielded a strong contender team!"
"Although they've never made it into the top 32 in history, this time seems a bit different..."
"Especially since the captain and vice-captain of that team can wield the power of dragons to fight, their combat strength is extraordinary."
"However, among all the teams sent by Sakura Country, only that one has some strength; the others are just making up the numbers..."
Catherine snorted coldly:
"What good players can a small Sakura Country produce?"
"Even if they are good players, they are just a few newly emerged brats. Twenty-five years old would be considered old for them..."
"True masters start competing in their mid-twenties, like us, and continue until their thirties."
"Without the accumulation of experience, how can one have the strength to win the championship?"
"For decades now, no champion team has had a player under 28 years old..."
"Caesar, are you perhaps getting scared based on mere hearsay?"
Caesar burst into laughter:
"I was just mentioning it in passing; you two don't need to take it to heart..."
"Instead of worrying about them, I'd rather worry about you two, right, Arthur?"
Saying that, Caesar turned his head, looking into Arthur's eyes, which were as beautiful as amethysts.
However, she noticed that Arthur wasn't looking at her at all. His gaze was fixed blankly on the distance, clearly not having heard the previous words.
Caesar was displeased and was about to reprimand Arthur for his rudeness, when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a golden brilliance flashing with green light in the sky out of the corner of her eye.
So, Caesar also turned her head.
And then, she saw the scene that would haunt her nightmares for years to come...
What a glorious and dazzling vehicle it was!
Luxurious gilded gold, with an understated emerald green light, everywhere it showcased the uniqueness of this aircraft.
The magic runes on it were incredibly profound and mystical, one could imagine the difficulty and effort in inscribing each one, and its power was terrifyingly unquestionable.
Even its external structure was so reasonable and majestic; there wasn't a single decoration that was redundant or wasted, and it seemed to contain the great principles of heaven and earth within.
Even in her wildest dreams, Caesar had never imagined that such a vehicle could exist in this world.
"What... what is this?!"
Caesar was so excited that her words became jumbled.
Catherine's reaction was also considerable, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Of course, this was the normal reaction of everyone present.
The moment this Ark of Light appeared, it had captured everyone's attention.
It was too dazzling and magnificent, as if it was born for this purpose.
Only as the vehicle slowly descended onto the tarmac did these people realize that the owner of such a vehicle was, it seemed, a team of contestants!
"Ashibare! The manufacturing method of this craftsmanship must have come from our Kimchi Country!"
Some team members from Kimchi Country who remained here were the first to exclaim.
Of course, no one paid them any attention.
"It's nothing special. We have more people; even if we pile it up with sheer manpower, we can build such an aircraft!"
The team members from Ash Country said sour and petty words, showing a rather mysterious confidence.
The contestants from Lighthouse Country were all on high alert:
"Which country's contestants are these? It looks like a big one is coming..."
"But no matter what, we must fight to defend the honor of the defending champions!"
The Byzantine Empire continuously lamented:
"A work of art! What a perfect work of art!"
"How wonderful it would be to have a glass of '82 Lafite on a flying machine that rivals Noah's Ark!"
This suddenly appearing behemoth instantly became the topic of conversation for everyone present, who debated and speculated about the possible owner of the aircraft.
After all, there were no identifying markers on this aircraft, so they could only imagine.
Then, the aircraft door actually opened...