Noon.
At the center of the academy, the Arena.
The full name of the Arena is the Knight's Heart Arena. Since the early days of the academy, it has had a tradition: during regular school days, conflicts between students must not escalate. If there are any disputes, please take up your swords and don your armor, and come to the sacred Arena to settle it, where the gods of justice and judgment will serve as witnesses.
This tradition has been preserved until now, and due to the highly entertaining nature of duels, it has always been popular among the student body.
And one of the participants in this duel is Angelica, ensuring a high attendance rate in the Arena.
It is a grand structure resembling the ancient Roman Colosseum from her previous life. It has an overall elliptical shape, supported by numerous pillars adorned with patterns and reliefs. It occupies a large area and can accommodate tens of thousands of people, resembling a massive opera house.
At the top of the Arena, there is an engraving of a balanced scale, which symbolizes the gods of justice and judgment. It signifies that the duels taking place here will be conducted under the watchful eyes of the divine, upholding absolute fairness and justice.
At this moment, the bustling noise made the entire arena boil with excitement. Students gathered in groups and entered this massive building with their friends.
Looking around, the Arena was already filled with a considerable number of people. It was almost equivalent to half of the entire academy coming here upon hearing the news, hoping to witness the duel as soon as possible.
As one of Char's few friends, Tyrus was among the spectators.
He sat in a melancholic state in a seat towards the back and at the top row, with no one around him.
Because the Arena was so large, even if all the students and teachers of the school came to sit here, there were still many empty seats.
Watching the students enthusiastically discussing the duel, Tyrus, with dark circles under his eyes, sighed in a resigned manner.
He had spent the whole night persuading Char, almost to the point of begging, but he still insisted on continuing the duel.
In the end, he was even kicked out by the maid, saying that he was disturbing the young master's sleep.
Doesn't this guy fear losing the duel at all?
"I heard that this incident has even caught the attention of the school authorities and certain high-ranking individuals. It seems that some formidable figures have indeed arrived."
Just then, a voice suddenly reached his ears.
Startled, Tyrus looked up and saw a blond-haired boy sitting behind him with a smile on his face, slightly leaning forward.
It was Ephie Dominic, whom he had briefly encountered in the academy's cafeteria last time. He was a member of the Blood Rose Society.
Not only him, but several other members Tyrus had seen before had silently appeared around him, each with a different expression as they took their seats.
Witnessing this formation, Tyrus swallowed nervously.
Have I walked into a wolf's den?
He pondered for a moment and felt that he couldn't show weakness. So, he cleared his throat and whispered, "Char will definitely win."
"Don't hold onto unrealistic fantasies. Although I don't particularly like Angelica, objectively speaking, she won't lose."
A soft, mocking laughter came from beside him.
Tyrus glanced sideways and saw a seductive girl wearing a tight purple dress. She leisurely crossed her slender legs, with her high heels half off, swaying back and forth on the tip of her foot, revealing the gracefully arched and fair soles.
Is her name Sally, it seems?
She is the eldest daughter of the Violet family and also the fiancée of the Fifth Prince. She's someone I can't afford to provoke.
Tyrus, as a prince himself, couldn't help but shrink his neck in a dejected manner.
...
Dahlia, dressed in her regular attire, arrived at the Arena early and chose a front-row seat, which was close to the entrance where the duelists would enter. She hoped to witness her young master's entrance as soon as possible.
There were many noble students sitting around her. At this moment, she faintly heard their discussions, where they openly expressed their disdain for Char. Dahlia couldn't help but let out a soft snort.
Moreover, to her surprise, a student named Sergei had even opened a betting market. However, due to the significant difference in odds, there was no existence of a win or lose market.
The only available option for betting was how many rounds Char could endure against Angelica.
"I heard that guy probably has the abilities of a quasi-knight. He can't possibly be unable to withstand even a single spell, right? I bet three rounds!"
"Are you joking? That's Angelica, our senior. In a serious situation, knight students can't even get close... Two rounds."
"Twenty gold coins, I bet on one round. I believe in our senior."
"Hey, come on, at least give the freshman a little hope, right? Uh... I'll also bet on one round, ten gold coins!"
Hearing these voices, Dahlia instinctively felt displeased.
"Excuse me, can I sit next to you?"
A pleasant female voice came, and Dahlia subconsciously looked up.
She saw a girl wearing a black cloak and with long, golden wavy hair. Under the cloak, she wore a magnificent and intricate court gown. She had a pure and beautiful appearance, like a princess who had escaped from a castle.
Dahlia nodded somewhat reservedly, "Please have a seat."
"Thank you!" The girl took off her cloak while sweetly smiling at her. "I'm Sylvasta, a friend of Char's. I came here today to cheer him on."
Then, Sylvasta pouted in a somewhat troubled manner and glanced at the opposite spectator seats.
In a low voice, she sheepishly said, "Actually, I sneaked over here because quite a few people from my family are here too. If they find out I'm 'betraying' them, my older brother will probably scold me for a long time."
....
"I just mentioned it casually. I didn't expect you to actually come."
Sitar looked at the person in front of him in surprise and then smiled slightly.
It was a man wearing silver light armor, with a soft complexion and a slender figure. He appeared somewhat aloof, and a scar was engraved on his profile.
"How could I, Rode, disregard the request of my former teammate?" The Silver Knight chuckled lightly. "But in return, I hope you'll address me as Judge Commander from now on."
"You've been promoted? Haha, impressive indeed!"
Sitar laughed loudly and patted Rode's shoulder.
As the administrative center overseeing the empire's legal system, the Tower of Judgment was undoubtedly the most fearsome law enforcement institution in the country. At any given time, there were only nine Judges, each responsible for a different region within the empire. They were all formidable knights.
Only when one of the Judges dies or retires can a new person take their place.
As one of the nine individuals with the greatest power under the Tower Lord and the Supreme Judge, Rode undoubtedly stood close to the pinnacle of the empire.
"This duel seems to be quite grand."
After exchanging pleasantries, the two of them found a less crowded spot and sat down. Rode glanced at the bustling atmosphere of the arena and expressed mild surprise.
"It is indeed somewhat unexpected. Moreover, look, a few others have also come."
Sitar's focus was not on the arena, but he pointed in different directions to indicate his meaning.
Following his finger, Rode nodded. "Lucius, the old headmaster, goes without saying. Archbishop Edmund of the Holy Augustus Cathedral and the newly appointed mage from the Tower of Magi... Huh? The Captain of the Radiant Knights is here too?"
"Now I'm curious about how talented these two youngsters really are." Rode withdrew his gaze thoughtfully and locked eyes with his old friend. "One of them is your student, right?"
Sitar cleared his throat and ultimately decided not to reveal Char's identity.
In reality, most of these people have come for Angelica.
Mage Mevis and Headmaster Lucius, and even the Captain of the Knights is Angelica's older brother.
As for the Archbishop of the Holy Augustus Cathedral, perhaps being just a street away from Norton Academy, he had too much free time and decided to come and take a look.
Perhaps it's because this duel's stakes are an unprecedented noble title, coupled with Char's status as a war orphan and Angelica's prestigious background, that these high-ranking individuals have gathered together.
But this also fulfills Char's initial intention of attracting attention.
That guy, he left with a bunch of junk yesterday. I wonder if he can really win the duel as he claimed.
I have a feeling it's not very reliable, you know?
...
"Teacher Mevis, Angelica just signed a magic contract with Brother and is now waiting backstage."
Expressionless, Nia, wearing a loose mage robe and a classical wizard hat, took small steps and approached a woman wearing a dark veil.
The woman wore a moon-white mage robe adorned with intricate and elaborate patterns. Her features were indistinct, but from her slender figure and relatively youthful appearance, she didn't seem very old. However, her status was enough to make everyone present tremble.
Archmage!
That was a strategic-level powerhouse that could hardly be found within the entire empire. They could easily unleash forbidden-level spells, effortlessly altering the terrain and weather of a whole city. Every action they took possessed an unpredictable and devastating power!
Archmage—a word that included the character for "god." Anyone associated with this word was destined to be a revered and powerful existence.
Mevis supported her cheek with her hand and calmly observed the scene in the arena. "This duel may have some twists and turns, but overall, it's not very suspenseful."
Upon learning that Char had returned to the academy alive, Mevis wasn't too shocked. After all, everyone had secrets, and it wasn't strange to survive from assassins sent from their own side.
Of course, she didn't know that the assassin had actually died at Char's hands.
"There's an absolute gap in strength between Sister and Brother." Nia stood motionless, like an exquisite doll. "Even if he can barely resist at the beginning, defeat is only a matter of time."
Upon hearing this, Mevis chuckled lightly and looked at her proudest disciple. "The opponent is your brother, Nia. Don't you have any thoughts?"
"It's just a duel."
Nia's words were simple but indicated her stance.
Seeing her being controlled like a puppet, Lady Mevis nodded with satisfaction. "After inheriting the title, His Majesty will personally reward you, and in a few years, when you become a Grand Archmage, I will let you enter the court and become the youngest member of the Council of Mages in the Tower of Magi."
"Thank you, Teacher."
Nia said without much emotional fluctuation, leaving her thoughts unclear.
"Have you been taking the 'medicine' regularly lately?"
Mevis raised her slender finger, gazing at her neatly manicured light pink nails as she asked.
"Yes."
Nia nodded calmly.
"That's good. Remember, the 'medicine' helps you maintain inner tranquility and facilitates easier communication with the power of the elements... Ah, it's starting."
...
Finally, after a long wait, accompanied by the arbitrator taking their position, the duel was about to begin.
The discussions and cheers in the arena quieted down, occasionally mixed with some trash talk directed at Char.
Clearly, almost everyone believed that this duel lacked any suspense.
No one believed that a rural "noble" with such a background could break through the class barriers constructed by talent and lineage.
Because the majority of the students present came from noble families, in a sense, Angelica represented their interests.
They had all come for Sister Angelica.
On the contrary, in the eyes of the noble students, Char was just a rustic person from the southern provinces, coarse and impolite, not even considered one of them.
And among them, the majority had no knowledge of the causes and consequences of this duel. They simply regarded it as an ignorant wild child attempting to charge at the noble class.
After a moment, accompanied by the resurging waves of noise and cheers within the arena, a slender figure gracefully walked out from one side of the competition passage.
She was a girl with stunning golden medium-length hair, wearing an unchanging rose-colored mage robe that accentuated her goddess-like beauty. Her lower half revealed slim, white legs, adorned with women's mid-calf boots, exuding an inexplicable allure.
At the same time, the volume inside the arena reached an unprecedented peak.
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Sister Angelica!!!"
These were the normal male students.
"Wuwuwu, so handsome! So cool!"
These were the normal female students.
"My Queen, please step on me with force!"
This was an "m."
"Hehe, hehe..."
And that was a pervert.
In short, Angelica's popularity and level of adoration within this academy were evident.
However, when Char slowly walked out from the other side of the competition passage, those cheers and discussions instantly transformed into merciless mockery.
"Pfft—hahaha! What is that guy carrying on his back?"
"Let me see, huh? Is it a pile of junk?"
"What kind of outfit is that? It's ridiculously funny!"
"Is this what a country bumpkin looks like? Doesn't even have money to buy proper magical tools? Where's the dignity as a noble?"
"I think he's insulting Sister Angelica, insulting this sacred duel!"
Even Tirus and Sylvesta sitting in the audience couldn't help but have strange thoughts.
Could it be that Char didn't even intend to win at all?