Chapter 173: Damn VIPs
Seth led the group toward the registration hall.
Compared to the rest of the Grand Epix, this area was far more orderly, though no less lively.
Long lines of participants stretched across the marble floor as visitors from every corner of Hol'Ajja waited patiently to register.
Some competitors were polishing their unique outfits.
Others were stretching or discussing strategies.
A few simply boasted loudly about how they were guaranteed to become this year's champion.
Meanwhile, the staff hurried from counter to counter, checking documents while trying to keep everything running smoothly.
The arrival of Seth's group attracted more than a few curious glances.
After waiting for a while, their turn finally arrived.
Behind the counter floated a being.
She resembled a fairy with translucent wings nearly twice the size of her body.
Her cheerful smile never faltered as she greeted them.
"Welcome to the Grand Epix Registration Hall!"
She looked at Seth before politely asking,
"Are you the guardian of this group? And which participants would you like to register for the upcoming races?"
Seth nodded.
"Before that, I heard the yearly competition is approaching, is registration still open for that?"
The fairy's smile became apologetic.
"I'm terribly sorry, sir, but the Yearly Grand Epix Competition requires advance registration. Normally, applications close several months before the event begins, so unfortunatel—"
She stopped mid-sentence as Seth had calmly placed his Special-Class Visitor Pass onto the counter.
"…"
The fairy blinked as she looked at the card.
Her wings froze as she fell.
"S-Special-Class?"
Her expression changed.
"No problem at all! We can absolutely arrange that, please give us just a few moments!"
Before anyone could react, she disappeared.
A distant voice echoed from somewhere inside the office where all the entries were checked.
"Emergency! Emergency! A Special-Class Visitor has arrived! We need to change the participants list!"
Within seconds, the quiet hall descended into chaos.
Someone was updating participant lists.
Another employee sprinted away while shouting something about lane assignments.
Meanwhile, Seth simply waited patiently.
A few minutes later, the fairy returned, slightly out of breath but still smiling professionally.
"Everything has been arranged Sir! Who wants to participate?"
One by one, those who wished to participate stepped forward.
"Name?"
"Caelum Annum."
The fairy quickly wrote down their name, and all the other things were just a piece of cake for her, due to observational skills.
"Next."
"Paul Johnson."
"Next."
"Anastasia Zenith."
"Next."
"Big Ice."
The fairy paused for half a second before writing it anyway, realizing it is a yeti.
"Next."
A giant sphere slowly rolled forward.
"…Name?"
"Wooof! You can call me Lady Voomie!"
The fairy hesitated found something odd as she asked for confirmation.
"Species?"
"…Chihuchi."
She wasn't entirely convinced.
Still, she continued writing.
"Next."
"Loreal Ainsley."
"Next."
"Skyler Anoril."
The remaining members of the group chose not to participate.
Bonjour and Sénior preferred watching from the stands.
Ryan declared he would rather cheer for everyone.
Jojo admitted racing wasn't really his specialty.
Grozni felt that sprinting around obstacle courses no longer appealed to him.
The others too had various reasons.
Soon, everyone's registration was complete.
Behind the scenes, however.
The staff of the Grand Epix were on the verge of collective despair.
"We have seven additional participants."
"They all need proper race placements."
"Lane assignments need to be recalculated!"
"The qualification schedule has to be redone!"
One exhausted employee buried their face in a pile of paperwork.
"We finalized this schedule three months ago…"
Another groaned.
"So why are we changing everything now?!"
Silence filled the office.
Then someone quietly answered.
"VIP privileges."
Everyone collectively sighed.
"Damn VIPs."
***
After completing their registration, the seven participants were separated from the rest of the group.
The others headed toward the spectator stands in search of the best seats.
The Yearly Grand Epix Competition would begin in less than an hour, and judging by the growing crowds, nearly every seat would soon be occupied.
Caelum, Paul, Anastasia, Loreal, Skyler, Big Ice, and Voomie followed the fairy through a series of corridors reserved exclusively for competitors.
Despite looking unusual for a Chihuchi, Voomie was accepted as a contestant.
Though she wasn't exactly walking.
She continued rolling following everyone.
Every few seconds the fairy couldn't help glancing behind her.
"…"
She still wasn't entirely convinced that thing was a dog.
After several minutes of walking, the fairy suddenly stopped and turned around.
"Before we arrive, I'd like to know something."
She smiled politely.
"How much do you all know about the Grand Epix?"
The seven exchanged glances.
Finally, Anastasia stepped forward.
"We only arrived today, so we know absolutely nothing."
She answered on behalf of everyone.
The fairy blinked.
'Are they serious?'
For a brief moment she wondered whether this was some elaborate joke.
Someone who knew absolutely nothing about the Grand Epix.
Registering for the Yearly Competition?
That was almost unheard of.
Still, looking at Anastasia's elegant posture and natural grace, the fairy couldn't bring herself to be annoyed.
'She has such wonderful manners, how charming.'
Without realizing it, Anastasia's royal upbringing had quietly earned a favorable first impression.
The fairy simply smiled.
"Then it's a good thing you're here. I'll explain all the basics to you before the competition begins."
Not long afterward, they entered a spacious briefing hall.
Several dozen competitors were already gathered inside.
Seeing the newcomers, several participants glanced over before returning to their own conversations.
The fairy gestured toward the room.
"Most of the people here already know the rules, they simply come every year for a refresher and many of them rarely leave their homes. So attending this briefing helps them remember any changes made to the tournament."
Caelum nodded.
That made sense.
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly echoed across the hall.
"You."
Everyone instinctively turned.
Walking toward them was an angelic-looking young woman with four pairs of magnificent wings spread proudly behind her.
She walked with the confidence of someone accustomed to admiration and devotion.
The moment Paul saw her, his glasses flashed.
"A loser."
He let out a confident chuckle.