[Elena's PoV]
The battle had ended...
I watched as Brian was helped out of the arena by Ariel. I was shocked to see him awaken that power. There was no doubt—the mark on his left hand was the Codex Pendragon.
Pendragon was a legendary knight from the past. When his brother Aragon began building a kingdom, it was Pendragon who took the role of protector. He was the strongest knight in the Empire's history.
One day, the Demon Race launched their first invasion of this world. Pendragon sacrificed his life to slay the Demon King who led the attack. His sword, Excalibur, still remains, only to be wielded by the Chosen One, who appears once every hundred years to protect the realm from great disaster.
I descended from the arena and approached the unconscious man with black hair, slumped against the arena wall.
Raul de Garcia...
There was no doubt. He intended to lose this fight. If he had wanted to, he could have defeated Brian at any moment during the match.
Did Raul know from the start that Brian possessed the Codex Pendragon?
What are you planning, Raul? Why are you supporting me to become the next Empress?
I gazed at Raul's face, peaceful in his deep sleep. Strangely, a smile crept across my face seeing him like this.
"You look rather handsome when you're not up to your usual antics, you know."
I lifted his body and carried him to the infirmary.
---
[3rd PoV]
Later that night, in the Headmaster's Office at Grunbelt Academy…
An elderly man with a thick beard sat reading a piece of paper. In front of him was a large man seated, ready to deliver a report.
"What brings you here, Instructor Torun?" asked the old man without looking up from the paper.
"Headmaster William, I've found the Chosen One," replied Torun, getting straight to the point.
Headmaster William paused and looked up at Torun.
"Are you certain that the Hero has reappeared?" he asked to confirm.
"Yes, Headmaster. I saw the mark of the legendary knight—Pendragon—on his left hand."
Headmaster William rose from his seat, walked to the window, and gazed at the night sky, illuminated by a beautiful full moon.
"The Hero has been chosen... This means a great catastrophe will soon befall humanity," William muttered, his voice filled with worry.
"Torun, keep this information hidden for now. If word spreads, our enemies will target Brian before he can master his power," William ordered, concerned about Brian's safety.
"As you wish, Headmaster."
"You and Erina will be his guardians and train him to control that power."
---
In the Demon Realm, where demons and other terrifying creatures dwell…
"I can sense it, Regulus," said a demon, sitting on a throne. "The Hero has returned to that world."
"Impossible... Just when we're about to carry out the plan we've been preparing for nearly 200 years?" his subordinate responded, clearly shaken by the news.
"Yes... Send some of your men to find out who the Chosen One is," commanded the demon.
His subordinate bowed deeply. "As you command, Your Majesty."
---
[Ariel's PoV]
The next day, we were at Marina's Tavern, a place not far from the academy. We were celebrating Brian's victory over Raul with our friends.
"Once again, a toast to Brian's victory over that rotten noble!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone looked happy. These were the people Raul had oppressed before.
Brian talked with them often. He was closer to students from other classes than his own at the Academy. Maybe it was because the elite class was mostly filled with the nobles of this nation.
"Hey Ariel, yesterday Brian hugged you in the arena. Does that mean you two are a couple now?" asked a student sitting beside me.
I recalled that embarrassing moment...
Ughhh... Why did Brian do that so suddenly? I know he was excited, but couldn't he control himself at least a little?
Because of that incident, strange rumors were now spreading about us.
I only see Brian as a friend. I admire his determination to chase his dream all these years. I wish I had a heart as strong as his.
"Haha... No, we're not like that. Brian and I are just close friends."
I glanced at Brian, who was surrounded by people. His kind and helpful nature made it easy for him to make friends.
"Hey Brian, what about your bet with that rotten noble?" one of the students asked.
"You're right. I was so exhausted yesterday that I forgot to collect on our bet," Brian said with a smile.
It seemed his victory over Raul had boosted his confidence. The students who had once been bullied now felt unafraid to talk to the nobles.
"Speaking of that rotten noble, I saw him earlier at the arena, training some members of the disciplinary committee," another student informed Brian of Raul's whereabouts.
Brian turned toward me. "Ariel, let's go and get Raul's apology as promised."
Honestly, I didn't care much about Raul's apology. His words didn't bother me. In fact, they made me aware of my own emotional weaknesses.
"I've already forgotten about his words, Brian. There's no need to go through the trouble."
"But Ariel, a promise is a promise, and my code as a knight is to never go back on my word," Brian said seriously.
Well... there's no convincing him when he's like this.
"All right, Brian."
We left the tavern and headed for the arena.
The academy seemed more lively than usual. Some students were still talking about the duel from the day before. Others were speculating about what Raul would do after his loss to Brian.
Would he still act arrogant like before?
When we arrived at the arena, we saw Raul training some members of the disciplinary committee. It seemed their numbers were much smaller than before.
"Hey Raul!" Brian called out as he approached him.
The black-haired man stopped what he was doing and turned to face Brian.
"What do you want, commoner?" Raul asked with the same haughty tone as before.
It seemed his defeat hadn't changed his attitude.
"Even after losing, you're still just as rotten as ever," Brian said mockingly. "Apologize to Ariel for making her cry yesterday."
Raul's attention shifted to me. He walked over, his black eyes as deep as a dark abyss, and his face, calm and dignified, showed that he truly was of noble blood.
"Ariel…" Raul said, looking directly into my eyes.
"Y-yes..." For some reason, my heart began to race, and I felt nervous standing before him.
"I apologize if my words hurt you, Ariel…"
I stood there, speechless. His apology felt sincere, coming from deep within. What had changed?
The Raul standing before me now... seemed like the Raul from before, the one I knew before I met Brian. His voice and demeanor were softer this time.
"Is that enough?" Raul asked, his voice returning to its usual condescending tone.
Hearing that, I felt as if his earlier gentleness had been nothing more than an illusion.
"What do you think, Ariel?" Brian asked, arms crossed.
"Yes... I think it's enough. I've already forgotten about it, Brian."
Brian nodded, and we left the arena to rejoin the others at the tavern. Yet, I couldn't stop thinking about Raul's words.
Could I possibly bring back the Raul I once knew? The one before everything changed?