Desolate Mage: A Legend Reborn! 53 Like a Swan Eating Toads Mea

After a stressful morning spent in queue, it was finally Lars, Charley and Wesley's turn to register. As Lars was last in line, he paced back and forth anxiously, unable to keep in his impatience to register before the deadline.

He watched as the limping blue-eyed youth Charley and the slightly satisfied grey-haired man Wesley shuffled forward to the counter when it was their turn to register, then watched in anguish as the pleasant, cheerful white-haired old lady held a pleasant, cheerful and AGONISINGLY SLOW conversation with Charley.

"Hello my dear!"

The happy-go-lucky swindler smiled warmly even as he clutched his sore shoulder that had been nearly dislocated and bent out of shape.

Then he replied, "Hello ma'am!" He handed his pre-filled registration form to the woman with one hand, his other hand was rubbing his sore red nose where a pen had been thrown at his face - thrown really, really hard.

She took the form from him and read through it, humming pleasantly and taking her own sweet time.

'Come on lady!!! It's already 10:58 AM!!! Can't you hurry up a little bit!!!' But in the face of such a sweet and kind old lady, he couldn't bear to voice his complaints.

And so the seconds ticked by, causing Lars to drip with sweat and tense up from impatience as he waited for his turn that seemed like it would never come!

As his two acquaintances finally completed their registration, Lars ran forward, almost bowling Amiel over in his hurried rush to start the registration process. Wesley and Amiel, despite not being close to him, decided to wait for him at one side.

Not wanting to give the woman a chance to dilly-dally and risk missing out on his registration, he blurted out, "Ma'am I'm Lars! Here's my registration form!"

The woman looked up and him e-ver-so-slow-ly, moving like a sloth in a certain government department of motor vehicles, then blinked and looked dazed as she said, "Yes my dear, I can see that you're last. There's no one behind you! Ho ho ho!"

She genuinely laughed, though her peculiar laughter sounded slightly odd. But Lars turned red in embarrassment that his name was made fun of and felt the rising urgency as the large timepiece hanging above the registration counter showed "10:59:30 AM". There were only 30 seconds left to register!

So he forced a smile through and laughed along with her, going, "Hah... Hah... Hah... Hah..." He sounded like a panting dog!

She giggled again at his laughter, looking like a gentle old mother laying eyes on her favourite grandchild, melting his heart and erasing his anger - but not allaying his fears of being too late!

Then she asked, "Well, my dear, what's your name...?"

Stunned, he answered dumbly, "Ma'am, my name is Lars. L-R-S Lars."

Her eyes widened in surprise, saying, "Oh! Oh dearie me! I didn't realise that you weren't talking about being LAST. L-S-T Last. How peculiar! What a pleasant name. Why, I think I must name one of my grandchildren Lars, that's such a cute name! Perhaps I'll name my last grandchild Lars, that would be a good pun! Ho ho ho ho!"

By this point, Lars couldn't take it anymore. Was she truly ignorant of the time??? Was she actually doing this on purpose!?! How could she be so friendly, kind and yet so infernally aggravating at the same time????

So he took his form and pressed it into the lady's hands, saying, "Please ma'am! It's almost 11.00 AM! Please, help me process it quickly so I can register! Pleas--"

*BAM!*

A heavy upside-down "V"-shaped plaque was slammed down before him, separating him from the kind old lady, startling the both of them greatly.

The plaque was held by a big-sized and sweaty pig-like man dressed in opulent robes but smelling like a pig sty!

Even the lady, polite and kind as she was, couldn't help but wrinkle her noise in displeasure - both at his actions and at the abominal smell! Lars backed away two steps instinctively, as a clean-freak and germophobe, he was truly truly afraid of going anywhere near the stinky man!

The fat, balding man was sneering with a mocking expression on his face, one that said, "Get lost you beggar!". Then Lars saw the words written on the plaque he had just slammed down.

"CLOSED".

"What! Wait! It wasn't yet 11.00 AM! I still had 10 seconds to--"

The smiling villain didn't miss a beat as he slowly raised his hand with 1 finger extended and pointed up at the clock. It read, "11.00.01 AM". In the time since he had interrupted Lars registration process, the last 10 seconds had already passed; it was too late to register any more!

Crest-fallen, Lars' face turned black as he scowled in rage - how dare this bumbling animal get in the way of his earning money! How dare he! He, he wouldn't tolerate this!

Lars' anger rose like a blazing bonfire, rising even to the skies. The previously sunny heavens began to rumble with thunder, drawing shouts of alarm from the people all around. What happened to the hot weather just a moment ago?

They didn't know that the cause of this change in weather was one boy's anger at being denied his chance to earn money.

No, it wasn't just a chance to earn money...

It was a chance to earn LOTS OF MONEY!

As the sky darkened just around the vicinity of the Gorun Stadium, the fat man - his nametag said his name was Fei Fei[1] - glanced up at the bad weather, then shrugged before ignoring the indignant boy before him and starting to turn away. Even the counter lady was shocked at his action! She finally regained her senses and looked back and forth between Lars and Fei Fei, at a total loss as to what she should do! She still held his completed registration form in her hands, she was even just about to stamp it as "registered"!

"Adminstrator Fei...!" Lars spoke resoundingly and with great confidence, a clear change from his personality just a week or more ago, changed since he realised the importance of taking charge of his life and the even greater lesson that money makes the world go round.

"Administrator! I believe that you are acting unfairly! At the time when you *interrupted* things--" He stressed the words strongly to point out the fat administrator's wrongful actions, "--It was not! Yet! 11! A! M!" He spat the words out with vitriol, nearly shouting at this point, drawing horrified glances from those around him - what gave this no-name boy the guys to challenge the prestige of the mighty Gorun Stadium??!

But Lars continued in his daring statement of intent, "Now, I HUMBLY implore you to reconsider your decision of closing the registration! Administrator Fei!" He heavily emphasised his words, speaking deliberately with the hint of a threat if his words were not taken seriously!

Even as he said this, the passersby held on to their hats and tightened their cloaks around their bodies due to the sudden cold winds from the dark sky. The drafts of wind were growing stronger and stronger, as signs of lightning flashed across the dark clouds!

The pig-like man snorted like the animal he resembled, it sounded very much like an "Oink!". The fat man slapped his chest, causing the multitudinous layers of gross fat on his body to ripple and wobble like jelly! Then he roared out his reply, "Shut up you ignorant peasant! I, the great administrator Fei of the mighty Gorun Stadium, have no reason to listen to the babblings of a commoner! Oink!"

This time it didn't just sound like it, the man really *did* oink like a pig! Even Lars in his anger couldn't help but sweat - this was the first time he'd met a pig in human form!

Then the snobbish balding official snorted again and added, "Hah! You farmer's bastards are all the same, all wanting to be the swan that eats the toads meat! Hah! Dream on! Oink!"

'He did it again...' Lars sweated profusely, forgetting to channel mana to the Level 8: Lightning Storm he had been casting, causing the winds to dip and weaken slightly.

"Sir...?" A sweet and gentle voice butted in, drawing a hostile gaze from the high-ranked official of the Stadium as he glared at the registration clerk.

"...Don't you mean, the toad that eats the swan's meat...?"

The fat man's mouth formed a big "O" as he gaped in shock and embarrassment. Then his face turned pale, before turned black with rage! He ignored her and pointed a threatening finger at Lars, saying, "Boy! Don't you dream of joining the tournament anymore! I can't block all those other street rats from joining! But you? You... Heh heh heh... Oink... You're too late! Serves you right for insulting the noble Trenel family!"

Lars' gaze lowered as he spoke softly - yet with a deadly, murderous tone. "So it was the Trenel family behind this, huh...?"

"Hahahahaha! Oink! Yes! There's no need to hide it, who can stand against us of the Trenel family! We are mighty, we are noble, we are honourable! And most of all..." The fat man locked his gaze onto the boy in front of him to deliver the final blow.

"WE ARE RICH!"

Against his will, Lars stumbled back two steps at those last 3 words. He frowned in anger - why was it this again! Why did the world keep rubbing in the fact that he lacked money!

'Well, no matter...' His eyes flashed with a glint of red, a red that brought with it only one image.

Slaughter.

'I guess it's okay to show off my powers, just a little bit...' He began to raise up his hand to call down the wrath of the heavens on those who dared scheme against him, who dared to challenge his dignity, who dared rub in the fact that they were richer than he!

Who dared block his path to money!

Just as he was about to release the fullness of the Lightning Storm to level the entire Gorun Stadium, he heard a voice call out.

"STOP! Administrator Fei! How dare you abuse your authority! I'll have you censured and sacked, or my name is not Natiro!"

A slim and tall robed person hurried over. It was the guild staff who had presided over Lars' registration.

The previously gloating was stunned.

"B-b-but head administrator Natiro! This boy--"

"Administrator! Do I need to remind you of what your job is?!! How dare you abuse your powers and deny a promising young talent entry!" Natiro arrived beside the registration area, drawing gasps and keen gazes attracted by the big commotion.

The newly arrived Natiro was dressed in plain grey robes, a far cry from the expensive, excessively luxurious purple and gold robes Fei wore - a clear sign that the latter was on the payroll of the Trenels!

Administrator Fei's face twisted in rage at being reprimanded. He lowered his voice to a growl and warned Natiro, "Old man... Heh... You dare go against the Trenel family...? Hah! Just you wait... Even if today you think you have won, you'll soon come begging to me for mercy! Just one word to the Trenel's and all your years of hard work will be--"

"SHUT UP!" The World-class level elf warrior released a sky-breaking slap, smashing the pig's face so hard it changed shape to become like a pancake and sending him flying, spinning a beautiful 1080 degrees and slamming into the wall!

"Urk... Cough... Cough... Blargh..." The fat man collapsed onto the ground in a heap, his own vomit covering his face!

Lars was dumbfounded at the change of circumstances. Then he broke out into a smile as he heard the cheers of the crowds around him - it was about time the pompous, corrupt and vile tyrant got his just desserts!

"Hooray!!"

"Yeah! Serves him right!"

"Yahoo!"

Sounds of applause filled the air, coming from the many people who couldn't stand the over-bearing crook but without the power to do anything about it.

Lars joined them to clap, then he showed a big enthusiastic double thumbs-up to the elf who grinned back at him roguishly.

"Nice!"

That was so satisfying! Super satisfying face-smacking!

Chapter end