I didn't hold back. I immediately used everything I had, putting physical enhancement and acceleration to the highest I was comfortable with while infusing the weapon aura my core condensed overnight to strengthen and sharpen my weapon.
Safe to say, when facing me using three times yesterday's strength with incredible skill in a superior sword style while using weapon aura, I won in two sword strokes. I destroyed her weapon and held my sword up to her neck. A landslide victory.
"Dirksen Han Vowser wins!" The middle aged brown haired teacher with a short combed beard who was built like a tank declared.
I got the notification I had completed the quest and promptly left, sheathing my sword.
Today's classes would be magic theory, Arithmetic, followed by practical lessons. I had considered doing mathematics, but I felt like Arithmetic would be easier even if it was more actual work and less theory.
I was forced to pay attention in magic theory by the headmaster, I had to spend about half of the arithmetic class doing calculations, tedious but not requiring much brain power. Finally there were practical lessons. It wouldn't have actually been that bad since I wouldn't have to put too much effort in… But today… today I met mages…
"Dear diary." I spoke, dodging more earth spikes and slashing some flying icicles out of the way.
"Today I fought a mage for the first time." I jumped over a suddenly raised earth wall and dodged a fireball, shooting mana in the ground to disperse the mud summoned under my feet.
"And my gods. They are f#cking annoying." I continued, slashing a boulder thrown at me in half and raising it to block some ice spikes in the same motion.
"They're so annoying, I'm planning on learning magecraft myself now. Just so I can be equally, if not more annoying." I added as I smashed the transparent shield around the mage and punched them in the face, catching up to them and kneeing them in the stomach before sending them flying into the building wall. I couldn't care less that they were a beautiful girl. I didn't care that they were the minister of finance's daughter. Today I have discovered a new kind of bug. One that must be crushed with excessive force.
"A little violent, but if it's your first time fighting a mage then I guess it's understandable." Our practical combat teacher, who was a knight himself, spoke in understanding. Evidently I wasn't the only one who had a vendetta against mages. I guessed it was a shared feeling among knights.
Surprisingly the girl in question wasn't at all upset. No idea what her name was though.
…
The first two months of the academy went by in a flash. Eight weeks of mostly undisturbed classes where I would just get through them and then go home and sleep. There was only one real disturbance.
"Say, Hadick. What's the score now?" I asked the teacher that Moxia usually fetched to officiate the duel, who turned out to be one of her mothers childhood friends as well as the 3rd years practical combat class teacher.
"82 to 0 I believe." He replied.
"Again!" Moxia yelled, suddenly getting back to her feet and firing two fireballs at me weak enough for me to simply ignore them and let them hit me before slashing her sword in half again, cutting her clothes and just cutting her skin before kicking her back to the ground.
"83 to 0." he said again flatly. The score he was referring to wasn't just this one morning duel but rather the combined duels over the past two months.
"Say, don't you think this is getting old, I'm not gonna keep accepting these duels y'know." I said. The troublesome opponent quest only came up 5 times and gave me 4 more free upgrades to specialty rank before becoming 'A persistent rival.' Which didn't give any rewards and simply allowed me to exert myself with it being considered necessary exertion by the system.
"Welp, I'm off to class. Meet you there." I said, heading to Oswald's magic theory class.
… Date the Princess
"Yea. They approved of the absence due to heartbreak."
"Seriously?"
"Yea. Apparently it was so heartbreaking for him to be rejected by his crush that he got 2 weeks of approved absence to mentally recover."
I perked my ears up to the conversation my sister and her friends were having. Even if it was a bit embarrassing for me to sit with a bunch of girls, hiding with my elder sister in the 3rd year, I was able to stay up to date with goings on in the school thanks to how much they gossiped.
"You mean to say. I can sleep for two weeks. Just by getting rejected." I butted in, too amazed to stay quiet, excited to quickly find a target who'd instantly reject me and get my two weeks vacation.
"Eh? Well, I guess." The girl who had shared the story responded.
"Brother… what are you thinking right now?" My sister asked with concern.
"In this entire academy, who in my year level is definitely gonna reject me." I asked, instantly full of vigour at the prospect of two whole weeks of school.
"Hmm. With your looks and being a rank-1 knight already despite only being in the first year I think almost every girl in your year level would agree to go out with you. The only downside you have is that you're a baron, so I guess any dukes or royalty would say no." Another one of my sister's friends answered.
"No! Stop giving him ideas." My sister yelled. Yea, she knew exactly what I was about to do, I needed some rehearsal. At the same time I also remembered that I picked natural charm as one of my birth traits. I had to choose a target absolutely certain would reject me.
…
The next day I had done some research, I had asked about the student most likely to reject me and found my target. 'Princess Saliafreid Sale Brooknyder' who had been proposed to 16 times in the past 2 months by duke's son's and even some geniuses of the 2nd and third grades. All of whom were handsome and talented with high status. Even if I had handsomeness and what people perceived as an abundance of talent and dedication.
I looked at the long, bright blonde hair of my target who sat at the front of my magic theory class. Princess Saliafreid was indeed beautiful in every aspect. If I had to compare her, she would be only slightly beaten by Luna. But maybe I just had a thing for maids, though Luna's sassy attitude made her lose a few points.
She wasn't only beautiful though, from what I had seen she was also a talented mage and swordsman, scoring high in both with a large mana capacity. Rumours had it that she was already close to rank-2 in only her first year. A ridiculous achievement by any standards. Yes… She was sure to reject me.