<b>Chapter </b><b>421 </b>


    The next day.


    At school.


    In Mr. Hammond’s office.


    “Mirabe,” he began warmly, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he leaned against his desk. “I heard about the incident with that old man from Anthony. I’ve been swamped with the Math Olympiad prep, so I couldn’t check in sooner. But I heard you handled it yourself. How’s the situation now?”


    Mirabe’s fingers casually lingered on the edge of the desk. After yesterday’s debacle, she felt more at ease. With her on the case, that swindler Donald wouldn’t be making any. waves. Besides, her parents had been acting all sorts of strange, almost as if they knew Donald.


    Collecting her thoughts, Mirabe’s eyes shone with the earnestness of a model student. <b>“</b>It’s all taken care of,” she replied sinctly.


    Mr. Hammond chuckled at that. “I was about to roll up my sleeves and take a trip to the hospital myself if that man kept causing trouble.”


    Her eyebrows arched in mild surprise. “You never suspected that I might have actually hit the man?”


    “I trust my students‘ integrity far more,” Mr. Hammond dered without a hint of hesitation, chin lifted proudly.


    Touching her nose thoughtfully, Mirabe said, “Thanks for believing in me. If there’s nothing else, may I head back to ss<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    “Hold up, there’s one more thing,” Mr. Hammond interjected, pulling out a registration form from his drawer. “This year’s Math Olympiad–you’re a star pupil at Parkside High. You simply mustpete.”


    He paused, then added with a significant tone, ‘Thispetition’s pivotal for securing the hosting rights for the next rourid. Parkside High has been on the bench for three years now, and we can’t let Eagle High from Silvermist Shores snatch it from us again.”


    Eagle High was in Silvermist Shores and topped the national high school rankings, boasting superior staff and resourcespared to Parkside High. Brimming with academic prodigies and known for its stringent rules and cutthroatpetition, Eagle High’s survival–of–the–fittest ethos stood in stark contrast to Parkside High’s more nurturing approach.


    Graduates from Eagle High carried a <b>certain </b>tenacity, a refusal to be bested. <b>Last </b><b>time</b>, thanks to the BrainSpark Nationals, Parkside High had <b>leaped </b>from fifth to <b>third </b>in the


    national rankings. Such a climb in the rankings meant the school rode the wave of


    sess, and naturally, other schools were loath to be overshadowed by Parkside Hch The Math Olympiad was no longer just about hosting rights but a banfie of prowess and prestige


    Mirabe nced at the registration form, then back to Mr. Hammond who seemed have pinned all his hopes on her. With a sigh, she said. “You’re not giving me much choice, are you?”


    Mr. Hammond cleared his throat awkwardly. “Someone from Eagle High has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging you to a math showdown. Think of it as a casual pop quiz, will you?”


    “Someone’s challenged me?” Mirabe asked genuinely surprised


    “You’re the first in years to score full marks in an internationalpetion” Mr. Hammond replied, his expression a mix of pride and exasperation. What do you think?”


    Mirabe nonchntly admitted nooding “Well I know I’m pretty formicacie


    A twitch of feighed annoyance flickered across Mr. Hammond’s face as he pped the form onto the desk. “Just fill it out and get out of here Her cockiness was almost too much to bear.


    As Mirabe picked up a pen and started to write her name, a thought struck her, and she looked up. “By the way, is there a cash prize for winning this Olympiad?”


    Mr. Hammond just stared nkly for a moment. No cash prize, and suddenly the star student wasn’t so keen?