If this were just a coincidence, what happened next made Rita almost certain that this was a conspiracy aimed squarely at her.
The next morning, a candidate named Liddell was found lying disheveled in an alley at dawn, a blissful smile still lingering on her face.
There was no doubt—she too had fallen victim to a Dream Eater.
And she happened to be Rita’s opponent for that day.
The judges didn’t call Rita to the stage at all; they skipped her match entirely.
It was clear this was a decision made by the examiners before the Selection Exam even began.
But with so many eyes fixed on Rita, everyone noticed that she did not step onto the arena.
That day, rumors spread in a myriad of directions.
Some offered logical speculation based on the abnormal reality: “That opponent of Rita’s keeps suffering misfortunes every time. Now even demons are involved. Those who understand, understand; those who don’t, I can only say so much.”
Others shared an opinion similar to Rita’s initial thoughts: “The princess said on day one that a Dream Eater had infiltrated Solus City. Maybe it was that person who failed the challenge against the Dream Eater?”
Yet the most widespread and attention-grabbing theory was the conspiracy theory: “Rita alone doesn’t have that kind of influence. It has to be the Fourth Princess meddling behind the scenes. The whole Dream Eater infiltration is just a cover-up. If you ask me, she’s the one conspiring with the demons—that’s why they call her the Cursed Princess! Maybe someone discovered this and launched an assassination! We all misunderstood what happened that day! The assassination is justified!”
There were even more clues used to support these conspiracy theories—for instance, both Rita and Cecilia lived in the Lord of the City’s mansion, or the fact that only by knowing the next day’s Match Table could someone strike ahead of time.
Rita didn’t want to hear a single word of these accusations, let alone respond.
She couldn’t prove her innocence to everyone, nor did she want to fall into a trap of self-justification.
Though innocent in this matter, her identity was never clean to begin with.
Cecilia hadn’t met with Rita for two days but sent a message through others, urging Rita not to let these events disturb her mind and to focus on what she had to do.
Of course, with this incident, the entire examination ground was thrown into chaos, and being the next opponent of Rita had become synonymous with meeting some unknown misfortune.
Only Valfis remained unfazed, sitting beside Rita as if nothing had happened, watching the matches with her while sharing information that Rita didn’t particularly need.
Rita was getting rather annoyed; she knew Valfis meant no harm so far, but this wasn’t the time to have someone chatter incessantly in her ear.
“All right, all right, you told me all this a couple of days ago already.”
“You may have heard it before, but there’s new information every day.” Valfis was unfazed. “If you don’t know your opponent, how are you going to fight? Do you really think the Dream Eater’s attacks are always wasted on you?”
“You deal with whatever comes. Not everyone’s used to studying their opponents, and besides, this is a Selection Exam—not a race for first place.” Rita dismissed her.
“Oh, you don’t like hearing that? Then how about I tell you something you do want to hear?” Valfis clapped her hands.
“What could I possibly want to hear?” Rita scoffed.
Valfis smiled mysteriously. “For example, I can teach you how to spot a Dream Eater in a crowd.”
Rita turned her head away and locked eyes with Valfis for a long moment, as if trying to read something from her.
But all she saw was the pure, unspoiled gaze of someone untouched by the corrupted wisdom of the Plateau.
“Forget it.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
“What’s there to regret?”
Though Rita refused Valfis’s offer for now, before the day’s exam ended, the judges gave a more detailed explanation.
First, they officially acknowledged the Dream Eater’s attacks on the candidates—this was the first official response.
Then they introduced some characteristics of Dream Eaters.
Next, the judges officially instructed all candidates to protect themselves, warning them not to believe or spread rumors.
Finally, they repeated that anyone who managed to obtain a Dream Eater’s Tail would pass the exam directly.
The judges also emphasized that although this was a shortcut, it was extremely dangerous and should not be attempted lightly.
Their tone almost seemed to defend the candidate who had fallen in the alley earlier that day.
But more than a science lesson or warning, this felt like a reassurance.
Rita read between the lines: Cecilia’s situation was likely no better than hers, which explained the drastic measures taken.
Night had fallen in the Tunnel beneath the Store.
A man wrapped in a black robe stood respectfully in the corner. “Master, the rumors have been spread. Many people are beginning to suspect the princess has some secret dealings with a Dream Eater.”
“Hmm.” The plump middle-aged woman, Mrs. Mel, drew out her syllable. “Leave it be for now. Hold your position. Let the rumors ferment a while—too much, and it backfires. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You may leave.”
After the man turned and left the room, Mrs. Mel ordered the accompanying girl to follow her, the girl immediately raising a torch as she trailed behind.
After turning several corners with Mrs. Mel, they stopped before the door of a dark chamber.
Mrs. Mel entered, lowering her gaze as if afraid of burning her eyes by looking directly at the figure hidden within the pink mist.
“Oh, you’re finally here!” The figure giggled. “So, who’s my target tonight?”
“Tonight, you’ll have to bear with staying here.”
“Oh? Didn’t you get the information for the next match?”
“No, but the woman in the next match…”
“Heh. Women, huh? It’s quite entertaining to see their shy expressions. Don’t worry, you humans are only our food and playthings. Do you care about the gender of the meat you eat?”
“This isn’t about gender. This opponent is said to be skilled. It won’t be an easy win.”
The pink figure’s voice suddenly grew cold. “You mean, I’m not as good as her?”
“That’s what that noble said.” Mrs. Mel answered. “She said the princess’s follower also needs a thorough defeat—to bring both her and her Master back to their original form.”
Four days of the arena competition passed.
Due to the tournament system, most had both wins and losses.
Even among Rita’s first-day opponents, two had won a match each.
So those with four losses were few—but Valfis was one of them.
Though few were winless, those who were undefeated were even rarer, including Rita, who hadn’t fought a single match yet somehow stood undefeated.
To be precise, she had fought—at least she personally… kicked two out.
And so, the competition arrived at its final day.