The day of the duel had finally arrived.
I could finally humiliate David von Kanie and…
Finally, finally, I could free Eileen from him.
One of the rules of the duel was that the winner could ask for anything.
That meant that if I won, I could ask Kaine to break up with Eileen.
Of course, if I were to lose, I might face consequences, but with the Royal Academy duel as a pretext, it was almost certain that I would be safe.
If I were to win and David’s family tried to retaliate, they would be the ones at a disadvantage.
The question was, could I win against him?
Honestly, the aura he showed on the opening ceremony day…
It was beyond what Ogteen could handle.Not just me, but…
With that level of aura, he could defeat even the top students, professors, and famous knights on the continent.
So it must be a trick.
I don’t know how he could emit such an aura, but it’s strange that he’s still running long-distance races despite having that much power.
One thing is certain: he has grown over the past month, but it’s unlikely that he’s become incredibly strong.
And even if he’s stronger than I expected, I have a secret weapon.
Of course, this secret weapon can be used by both me and Kanie.
Considering Kanie’s personality, he will definitely use the same secret weapon as me, but from Kanie’s reaction, the probability of that happening seems almost non-existent.
So there’s no way Ogteen can win the duel.
Ogteen was already confident of his victory, and he smiled like a villain.
.
.
.
Ogteen and his brother, Belmore von Ortin, walked towards the training ground for the duel with Kanie.
Ogteen turned to his brother and asked,
“Brother, how’s your condition?”
“Not bad. But do I really need to fight against Kanie?”
“Well, it’s true that you alone are enough, but it’s better to be cautious.”
Well, that’s true.
At first, I thought there was no need for me to fight against Kanie, but lately, I’ve been hearing rumors about him, and I’m starting to think that I might not be able to win against him. ṜàꞐÒＢĘŜ
Of course, rumors are often exaggerated, so I didn’t believe them much, but as Ogteen said, it’s better to be cautious.
“But what if Kanie has the same idea as you, brother?”
“Hmm. Even if he has the same idea as me, there won’t be any students to help him. Considering his behavior in the first semester…”
That’s true.
The rules of the duel allow for a proxy to be called in, not just the person themselves.
But that’s only for Royal Academy students.
It’s impossible to call in his monstrous maid or someone from his family as a proxy.
Considering Kanie’s past actions, there’s no way any student would help him.
The only possibility is Elijah von Eileen.
But she has a strong sense of justice and a principled personality.
It’s almost certain that she wouldn’t help Kanie.
As I was thinking this, we arrived at the training ground.
The news of the duel must have spread.
In the spectator seats of the training ground, students were betting on who would win and making money.
There were also people selling snacks to make money during this opportunity.
The students in the spectator seats whispered to each other as they saw the two of us.
“Hey, Ogteen brought his brother. What’s up with that?”
“Yeah, when he said he was going to challenge Kanie to a duel, he made it sound like he was going to do it himself.”
“Hey, but if you listen to the rumors about Kanie, isn’t it fair that he brought his brother?”
“Definitely. It’s hard to say what he’s been up to in the past month, but just by looking at how he outperformed his peers to reach the top 5 in the physical endurance test, it’s clear that Ogteen doesn’t stand a chance.”
The students around them nodded in agreement, and the student who was speaking continued.
“And I heard that Kanie can also use magic?”
“What?! Really?”
“Yeah, I heard that he’s been taking magic lectures.”
“What? Isn’t he from a knight family? Why would he learn magic?”
“Who knows what that troublemaker is thinking.”
The students all nodded in agreement.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, at the same time,
Skaya sat quietly in an empty spot in the spectator seats, and Lise and Kage sat next to her.
The students around them moved away, scared of Lise.
Lise ignored the reactions of the students around her and asked Skaya with a slightly worried expression,
“Skaya, what do you think?”
“Hmm? What?”
“Do you think the young master can win against that thug?”
At Lise’s question, Skaya closed her eyes and fell into deep thought. Then she remembered what had happened during the training.
.
.
.
Skaya asked Kanie, who was training in both Physical Enhancement and Mental Enhancement, as she shot spells at him.
“Hey, are you sure Ogteen won’t bring in a proxy?”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll definitely bring one.”
“Hmm?”
At his confident tone, Skaya tilted her head.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Hmm… Well, just look at that guy’s face. He looks like a thug, and it’s oblivious that he’ll definitely bring in a proxy.”
“Hmm.”
It seemed suspicious, but I couldn’t argue with his words.
I don’t know Ogteen’s personality in detail, but his actions in the first semester were famous for being thuggish, just like Kanie, though not to the same extent.
In fact, he was a lower-tier version of Kanie.
“By the way, are you sure you’ve never practiced magic before?”
“Yes, I’m telling the truth.”
Kanie nodded without hesitation at Skaya’s question.
Hmm. It feels weird, though.
Normally, when using Physical Enhancement, it’s common to imagine the mana being emitted from the body.
But Kanie, unlike other mages, didn’t emit mana; instead, he let it flow into his body and maintained it efficiently.
How did he come up with such an imagination?
It’s not something that can be achieved through simple effort. Mages usually have a fixed idea of magic because they learn from books.
I’m no exception.
But Kanie was different. He used a different image to activate magic than what was in the books.
…Is it because he’s not originally a mage that he can come up with such an idea?
Indeed, his growth path as a mage is different from others.
Usually, mages try to increase their mana or learn more spells instead of physical training.
Kanie, on the other hand, has been training his body, swordsmanship, and aura since childhood to become a knight.
Of course, he became a troublemaker at some point, but it’s undeniable that he trained in his childhood.
So it’s not strange for Kanie, who has lived a different life from mages, to have a different imagination.
“How did you come up with such an imagination?”
“What?”
“Well, no one uses Physical Enhancement like you. I’ve never seen anyone use it this way.”
Really? But in the game, the skill description says to do it this way.
I don’t know what image other people have, but the skill setting in the game was exactly the way Kanie used it.
…Is the game skill the perfect method?
Then it’s no wonder that Sion, the Constellation, and Skaya were surprised.
They must have thought that the Physical Enhancement they’ve seen so far was perfect, but seeing an even more efficient method would naturally make them wonder if he had practiced it before.
As Kanie was lost in thought, he failed to dodge Skaya’s spell and was hit right on the forehead.
-Thud!
“Ouch!”
Kanie rolled around on the floor, rubbing his forehead.
“Damn, even with Physical Enhancement it still hurts. Are you sure you’re going easy on me?”
“I am going easy on you, which is why it only hurts that much. Why do you want me to go all out?”
As she said this, Skaya activated the flame she had shown earlier, but this time, it was 100 times bigger.
The flame was large enough to easily engulf a person.
-Whoosh!!
“No, I’m sorry, Master.”
“Okay, I understand. By the way, are you sure you’ve never practiced Physical Enhancement and Mental Enhancement before? Are you lying?”
“Why would I lie to you about that? I have nothing to gain from it.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Hmm… No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t make sense.
His magic being perfect, I can understand.
But how can he perfect two spells after just one injection?
On the first day of training, Kanie didn’t react as if he had been injected once or twice.
That said, there’s no reason for him to lie about it.
What would he gain by lying that he hadn’t practiced?
So it’s highly likely that he’s telling the truth.
Then he must have exceptional talent.
Skaya thought it was pointless to worry further, so she shot a spell at Kanie, who was using Physical Enhancement.
.
.
.
Skaya, having finished her thoughts, answered Lise’s question coldly.
“Honestly, I think it’s impossible. But Kanie seems to think differently. He spoke as if he knew from the beginning that Ogteen would bring in a proxy.”
“Huh?”
“Hmm?”
At Skaya’s words, Lise tilted her head, and Kage opened his mouth with an uncomprehending expression.
“Is the young master going to fight himself? Without a proxy?”
“Yes. I don’t know what his confidence is based on, but that seems to be the case. And before Ogteen brought in a proxy, I offered to fight in his place, but he refused.”
“….., Master, your thoughts are beyond comprehension.”
At Kage’s words, the two of them nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, at the same time,
Eileen, sitting in a different spectator seat from the three of them, looked calm, but inside, she was anxious.
Could Kanie really win against that proxy?
The proxy Ogteen brought in was a third-year student.
Unless he was a top-tier student like herself, it was almost impossible for him to win.
As if sensing her thoughts, Jenny looked at Eileen and smiled faintly, saying,
“Eileen, don’t worry too much. He’s definitely grown. He’ll win somehow.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes. And even if Ogteen brings in a proxy, the proxy will have a penalty for fairness, so there’s no guarantee that Kanie will lose.”
Indeed, as Jenny said,
It’s a fact that Ortin is strong, but if he has a penalty, there’s no guarantee that Kanie will lose.
As she was thinking this, someone walked into the training ground entrance.
-Thud. Thud.
The people in the spectator seats turned their heads towards the sound.
Soon after, Kanie appeared in the training ground with a confident smile.
William, who was to be the judge for this duel, yawned and said,
“Alright, both sides are here. I’ll explain the rules briefly. Since Ogteen brought in Ortin as a proxy, for fairness, Ortin, you cannot use your aura. If you do, you will be disqualified.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Then, when one side wins, state your desired condition.”
As if waiting for this moment, Ogteen raised one corner of his mouth and spoke without hesitation.
“My desired condition is just one thing. If my proxy wins, Kanie, you must break off your engagement with Eileen.”
As Ogteen’s words ended, everyone’s eyes turned to Eileen.
Kanie nodded with a smile, raising one corner of his mouth.
Of course, he felt a piercing gaze from behind, but it was probably just his imagination.
Anyway, I already knew this, but it’s still ridiculous.
Why did he look at me so resentfully? In the end, it was just jealousy.
Because of that, he challenged me to a duel where he could lose.
As Kanie was lost in thought, William turned to him and asked,
“Kanie, what’s your desired condition?”
“My desired condition is that the two of you, including the proxy, will leave the Academy.”
The two of them nodded without hesitation, agreeing to the condition.
William, seeing that both sides had agreed, looked annoyed and explained the rules of the duel.
“Okay, then. I’ll state the victory condition. The victory condition is that the opponent is knocked out or declares defeat. Is that okay with both of you?”
William nodded.
“Okay, then. Start now.”
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