Raphael rose from his seat in the stands and slowly shuffled his way towards the front of the crowd.
No one had any complaints about him pushing through, as they were too busy watching Leofric train. But if anyone did have a problem, all he would have to do was tell them his name and rank, and they would back off.
Not after long, he was in the front row of the stands, a clear view of his target in sight.
Evelyn Wilson.
She still twirled at her blonde hair as she watched her boyfriend, who was now taking a rest, drinking from a flask of water and chatting with a friend on a side.
That meant she was alone.
Raphael didn't let the chance slip by.
He made it seem as though he was there to watch Leofric, taking a seat next to her casually.
The woman hardly noticed him until he spoke.
"Leofric's swordsmanship is good." He said, leaning slightly closer to her so that she could hear him over the crowds chatter.
Finally, she turned her head, looking at Raphael with her green eyes.
He almost looked down at her breasts, which were perky even whilst covered by her black uniform.
"Yes." She said a faint smile on her face. "My boyfriend, The Prince, has been training hard day and night to perfect his combat prowess. He's amazing♡"
Her voice was proper, making sure to pronounce every syllable of her words, yet something about it was seductive.
Raphael leaned back on his chair, placing his arms behind his head in a relaxed position.
"I can't help but notice how open he leaves himself though." He said uncaringly, as though the matter was beneath him. "With a real opponent in front of him, his lack of defence could put him in trouble."
Evelyn's smile wiped from her face as she stared at Raphael, her cheeks becoming slightly flushed with annoyance.
"That's not true." She said defensively. "I know enough about swordsmanship myself to know that he's a good fighter. I am an S-Rank after all."
After hearing her rank, Raphael was left surprised. She was the highest-ranked woman he had met.
Still, she was wrong.
"I disagree." He said. "In a real duel against a properly trained opponent, he would lose."
Now she was really getting angry. Her eyebrows furrowed and her cheeks turned to a deeper crimson.
However, Raphael saw something else in her face too. Yes, she was incredibly loyal to her boyfriend, but she was also doubtful of his skills.
"What is your name, anyway?" She asked him dismissively.
Raphael playfully bowed his head towards her, as though he spoke to royalty, then looked at her with a charming look on his face.
"My name is Raphael Brooks." He responded confidently.
After hearing his name, Evelyn's face became surprised. Like everyone else, she had heard the rumours of how he had defeated Elliot, The White Prince, and embarrassed him in front of his girlfriend.
At that moment, she instantly started to become nervous.
If someone as strong as Raphael had said that her boyfriend's swordsmanship had flaws, then it was probably right.
But before she could say anything else, the sound of heavy footsteps came towards them.
It seems like everything is going according to plan.
The chatter of the crowds died down, as Raphael swiveled his head to see Leofric Stoneheart stalking towards him.
There was an angry look on his face, and he dragged his steel greatsword along the floor behind him.
Raphael simply sat there with his arms behind his head, a confident smirk etched onto his lips.
"What's going on here?" The man said, loud enough to be heard by all in the fields.
Evelyn quickly rose to her feet, wrapping her arms around Leofric's bare waist, and pressed her breasts against his chest.
"It's nothing, my love. This gentleman here was just introducing himself."
She tried her best to prevent the situation from becoming hostile, but little did she know there was nothing she could do.
Leofric reached down and rested his hand on Evelyn's soft ass, instantly making her cheeks blush, but his anger remained as he spoke to Raphael.
"Who do you think you are, talking about my swordsmanship to my girlfriend? I don't see you with any weapon in your hand, or with a crowd coming out to watch you train."
Raphael remained calm, trying his best not to laugh at the Prince's pride, but he couldn't help it.
He let out a chuckle, and that was all it took to push Leofric Stoneheart over the edge.
"You think it's funny do you?" He spat with rage, releasing his grip from Evelyn's ass, and stepping closer towards Raphael.
"Then pick up a sword, and let's have it. A duel to the first touch. Best of three."
There it is.
"Honey, you don't have to do this!" Evelyn pleaded to her boyfriend, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Raphael wasted no time in standing and making his way over to the sword rack, where he picked up a steel short sword and tested its weight in his hand.
At this point, the crowd were all watching with heavy anticipation. They knew of Raphael and his exploits, but Leofric Stoneheart was different.
He was a Prince.
Not merely by title, like Elliot was, he was truly the son of the Phoenix schools Queen.
Evelyn sat nervously on her stall, biting at her nails as she watched her boyfriend face off against Raphael.
The two men circled each other with their blades held ready, waiting for Leofric's friend to announce the start of the duel.
After a few moments, he shouted.
"Begin!"
Leofric stepped forward, swinging his greatsword in one arm in an incredible downward arc.
It was powerful, and if the blow hit Raphael, it would shatter whichever bones it landed on.
But Raphael was not a novice. Back home, he had trained with the sword vigorously with his mentor, until the skin of his hands grew calloused and rough.
He used the side of his blade to easily redirect the incoming blow, forcing it to swing past him, throwing Leofric off balance.
At that moment, Raphael stepped in and thrust his sword forward, gently pressing the tip of the blade onto Leofric's bare chest.
A tiny drop of blood formed on his skin.
The two remained like that, staring at each other as the crowd sat in silent disbelief.
Even Leofric's friend, who was judging the duel, stood there, jaw agape.
Evelyn Wilson sat on the side, face in her hands as she worried about the outcomes of the duel.
Leofric stepped backwards, and the two remained in their earlier positions.
"A mere fluke." He announced confidently so that the crowd would hear. "It won't happen again."
However, he was so utterly wrong.
The next duel went exactly the same way. Raphael predicted the man's clumsy swings and threw them off their course before pressing his blade gently onto the man's chest once again.
This time, chatter ran through the crowd. It was obvious that this was not a fluke.
Raphael was the real deal.
Leofric threw his sword onto the ground in defeat, rage evident on his face as he stomped through the crowd and out of the fields.
His swordsmanship had been embarrassed in front of so many students.
As Raphael made his way back to Evelyn, who was still sitting down, embarrassed by the childish tantrum of her boyfriend, he heard whispers coming from the crowd.
"I told you, he's the real White Prince."
"Not only has he beat Elliot of the Crown School, but now Leofric of the Phoenix school."
"I've heard he's taking part in the Annual Battles? I can't wait to see that."
"Could he become the first SSSS-Rank student?"
He pretended not to hear all of this as he stood in front of Evelyn, looking down at her from his height.
Although she was embarrassed, he noticed a new look in the woman's eyes.
Intrigue.
"Apologies if I've upset your boyfriend." He said with fake sincerity. "But as I said, his swordsmanship had flaws."
Evelyn shook her head, her embarrassment slowly subsiding. She knew now that Raphael was a real fighter.
"It's fine." She said with a sigh. "I'm just annoyed that I was so wrong. I thought I knew enough about swordsmanship to tell who was good or not."
And there's my chance.
"Well, I wouldn't mind giving you some lessons." He suggested with a shrug of the shoulders, as though he didn't have ulterior motives. "Leofric fights like a king, but it is a warrior that truly knows his way around the blade."
Evelyn stared at him for a few moments, contemplating his request. She seemed to have a lot of thoughts running through her head.
"As long as your boyfriend is fine with it, of course," Raphael added.
Evelyn then came to a decision, flashing Raphael a smile.
"Sounds like a plan. I'm sure he won't mind."
And with that, Raphael's plans had fallen into place.
The two arranged to meet that night at that exact spot for a private training lesson. The field would be empty at that point, so they would have it to themselves.
Afterwards, Raphael made his way through the crowd and back towards the Rose School to continue his day.
But only one thought was on his mind as he sat through his lessons.
I'm sorry, Leofric Stoneheart, but your girlfriend just looks too good for me not to try and take her.
[Don't forget to comment or send power stones in order to become a fan! It's appreciated, and will motivate me to keep writing.]