The grounds of the Knightly Faculty within the Academy were more crowded than ever.
The percentage of outsiders was small, as only those who were invited could enter, but the majority were students.
Today was finally the last day of the tournament. It was a special day with only the final remaining.
The winner of the tournament would receive a one-year scholarship and a special prize from the organizers, the Academy.
But it wasn't the money that the students wanted to win, it was the fame.
It was a chance to make a name for themselves, especially since the tournament was being watched by some of the biggest names in the continent.
The guest seats, which were sparse at first, were filled to capacity today.
There were many celebrities that I recognized just by looking at their faces.
"I finally got a seat. How about you?"
"We got it!"
Lewis and his friends had arrived early to watch the much-anticipated finals.
It's safe to say that almost all of the Academy's students were there, and the stadium was big enough to accommodate them all.
We even saw a few Monas Academy students in the audience, as long as they were volunteers.
Lewis, who had been a student at Monas not so long ago, looked in that direction with a sense of nostalgia and spotted an unexpected figure.
"Adrias Cromwell!
Adrias Cromwell, the man who had caused such a stir, was there with bandages all over his body, pretending to know one of Monas's students.
Adrias's round of 32 match had created a lot of buzz and fame.
His swordsmanship was unbelievable, and his knightly mana, which was said to be a dual mana reservoir found in very few people.
As if that weren't amazing enough, he almost defeated Diane Alben.
"Do you think I can beat her now?
Louis felt skeptical at the question.
Diane's status that day had been the end of the battle as far as mages were concerned.
Sure, there were mages stronger than her, but he was sure there was no one in the Academy, at least not among those who had graduated, who had shown such power at her age.
'But....'
Adrias had almost beaten her.
Of course, those who didn't see the match would say what it meant to almost win, but those who were there weren't so sure.
For some reason, Adriàs showed up with cuts all over his body, and if it weren't for that injury, he could have turned the tide and won the match.
In any case, the match caused such a stir on and off the field that the rest of the day's action became unwatchable.
"It was inevitable. It was so dominant that it made the rest of the matches look like child's play.
The one exception was the performance of the other finalist opposite Dierne.
Adriàs was the only other contestant to pull off another upset.
In the distance, Luis saw a woman waiting inside the stadium.
A student of Knighthood who had single-handedly taken out the favorites, Todlon, Dajam, and Aaron.
"Vivian Velocan.
She had been rumored to be quite strong, but not quite a contender.
But the senior had pulled off some unusual victories in this tournament, eventually making it to the finals.
However, Luis' attention was eventually drawn to Adrias, who was chatting with a student from Monas.
'I want to fight,' he said.
'I want to fight'
Luis said with a fierce determination.
* * *
"Is that Adrias Cromwell?"
A rather languid-looking man said, jerking his chin.
The man with the gleaming golden all-white hair and golden beard was Duke Minus Moheim, one of the pillars of the Empire, the Minus of Gold.
The Dukes of Moheim had been known for their magical prowess for generations, but Minus, the current head of the family, was an unconventional fighter.
Dressed in a white suit with numerous golden rings on his fingers, he looked more like the young boss of an organization than the head of a ducal family.
"That's him. That's him. By the way, I didn't expect you to come to an event like this after you didn't even show up at the last one."
Minus shrugged as Bahat, who was sitting next to him, spoke.
It was as if he had jumped out of boredom.
"It's your daughter's final, so of course I have to come and congratulate her. Why don't we just go?"
At Minus's cheeky reply, Bahadur replied by clicking his tongue.
The beggar hadn't improved in appearance or behavior since the last time he'd seen her, a year ago.
"You're still the same, aren't you?"
"Yes, yes. My bad, I think the game is starting now, let's just watch."
Minus was right, the game was about to start.
When Bahat finally turned his head, Sinclair Cloche, who had been watching them with a smile on his face, grinned broadly.
He, like Minus, had come to watch the final.
"Hahaha, it's funny how your reactions are the same every time. Were you a married couple in a previous life, hahahaha!"
"Please look away. I don't want to hear that gross stuff."
"Shut up, the match is about to start."
Barhart's tirade finally put an end to Sinclair and Minus' small talk.
Soon after, the moderator began to introduce each competitor.
As he was introducing Dene, Minus asked.
"But, Inspiration. Are you really saying that that sullen-looking guy almost beat your daughter?"
"I'm curious, too. From what I've heard, he turned the arena floor upside down with his sword, is that true?"
The questions coming in from both sides finally got to him, and he shouted.
"I don't know, you two, if you want to know, find out for yourself, but for now, just keep quiet and watch the game, how dare you take an interest in our Dene when she's on the field!"
* * *
Diane had never been nervous before, but this time she couldn't hide her nerves.
"Don't be nervous.
As long as she stays as calm as she has in the past, she should be able to win this match.
Of course, her opponent this time, Vivian Bellocan, was too powerful to be caught off guard, but....
'Compared to then....
After all, she had already faced Adrias, and she didn't think she could face a worse opponent.
Diane paused for a moment to gather her thoughts and then lifted her gaze to spot her opponent.
Diane was surprised to see Vivian Belokhan looking distracted and staring towards the stands. When she followed Vivian's gaze, she saw Adrias Cromwell, who had been missing for some time, sitting in the stands with bandages covering his body.
Diane was relieved to see Adrias looking better than she had expected.
Despite this, she shook her head and gestured towards the goosebumps on her skin, reminding herself not to worry about Adrias.
Nevertheless, seeing him rekindled her desire to win.
Although her father had told her that she was good because she was out of shape, she wasn't 100% convinced.
It was hard to shake the feeling that she had climbed for him, which made her even more hungry for victory.
After all, Adrias had beaten her to the top, and the only way to repay him was to win.
But she wasn't alone in her thoughts.
Vivian sat in the stands and looked at Adrias, who made eye contact with her, and vowed to herself.
She would beat him.
That she would bring back victory for him.
"I don't want to disappoint him.
She wanted to impress him by winning.
Normally, she would have gone into the match with no enthusiasm and dropped out halfway through.
But this year was different.
I wanted to bring him joy by sharing my true talent, which was awakened by Adrias.
Vivian was already thinking about how she would have won if it weren't for him.
"Adrias. Lean on me. I'll bring you the trophy.
Just as she was getting lost in her own imagination, she heard the now-familiar voice of the emcee.
"You've waited a long time, and now we're about to begin the finals of the Rodlen Academy's 58th Spring Tournament!"
The eyes of the two women standing in the finals shone.
* * *
It had been a few hours since I had fainted and woken up in the middle of my match with Diene.
I sought medical attention, thankful that I hadn't been knocked out for days like last time.
I was hospitalized and rested for a few days, although I didn't have any serious injuries compared to the number of cuts I had.
I needed time to think, and I'd been running so fast that I needed a break.
'It was a stroke of genius that I made the regeneration potion and the recovery potion first.
In fact, right after the battle with Hossan, I fainted and woke up, but I didn't know how long I'd been out, so I hurried back to the academy.
Of course, I didn't forget to take Hossan's corpse and his swords with me.
On the way back, I showered myself with potions and inhaled them to the point of potion poisoning, so that by the time I arrived at the academy, my wounds had stopped bleeding and had healed a bit.
'I wish it had been a little more powerful.
I realize this more and more these days, but this isn't a game, and once you die, you're really dead.
I felt the need to step up my research into potions and make them better.
It's like crafting an extra life, so all else aside, I thought I'd start with the materials I got from the rally.
The blue cannula flowers and yobin root that I brought back from the rally were the ingredients for an elixir that was supposed to heal all injuries and illnesses. Of course, the claims of effectiveness were exaggerated, but it was a potion nonetheless.
As far as I could tell, there was no recipe for the elixir in the world.
'It can't be. It's not like blue cannula flowers or yobin roots are common, and it's hard to think of something to make with them in the first place.
Unfortunately, she lost the tournament, but the growth she experienced during the competition was enough to fill her belly.
Her growth was at a rate I'd never seen before, even in the game, so I felt a bit proud.
After the match, she stayed in the clinic for a few days to rest, and was discharged today, the day of the final.
No matter how much I need to rest, I can't wait for the final.
'The future has changed'
When I thought about the two finalists, I was saddened by their changed futures.
Diane was always going to be in the finals, but now it's Vivian.
I must have had some influence on her.
When I arrived at the stadium and took my seat, I felt a lot of attention on me.
However, due to the bandages all over my body, they just stared at me and didn't speak to me.
"Brother!"
A group of younger students, probably from Monas, sat in the seats next to me, and Benjamin was among them.
He approached me with a concerned look on his face.
"I heard the news, are you feeling okay?"
"Uh, I'm fine."
"That's good. Really."
As I listened to Benjamin mumble, I suddenly remembered the gifts I had to give him.
It's a bit much to give him here, so I'll have to make an appointment for another time.
I could feel Vivian's eyes on me from the arena.
When she saw me, her eyes lit up with determination and her fists clenched.
"Vivian," I thought to myself, "you're stronger than I expected.
I am uncertain of how this situation will impact the future.
However, I will strive to make the best of any changes that may occur.
It seems as though the game has just started.