Elias walked off the training field, feeling the weight of the crowd's murmurs trailing behind him. He had won, but more importantly, he had proven that his gauntlet wasn't just a gimmick—it worked.
Lira walked beside him, arms crossed. "Okay, I'll admit it. That was impressive. Stupid, but impressive."
Elias smirked. "I prefer 'ingenious.'"
Lira rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But you do realize you just made yourself a target, right?"
Elias frowned. "How so?"
Lira gestured back toward the gathered students, some of whom were still staring at him. "You just showed the entire Academy that a magicless outsider can stand toe-to-toe with a trained mage. You think people are just gonna let that slide?"
Elias exhaled, running a hand through his hair. She had a point. The Academy was built on tradition—on magic. And here he was, proving that technology could compete.
That wasn't going to sit well with some people.
"Great," Elias muttered. "Guess I should start watching my back."
Lira smirked. "Oh, I thought you already were. You're just bad at it."
Before Elias could respond, a voice interrupted them.
"Well, well. Looks like the Summoned One has a few tricks up his sleeve."
Elias turned to see Cedric Raelor, the silver-haired noble who had watched his duel earlier. Cedric's green eyes glowed with amusement, but there was something else beneath it—calculation.
Elias raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"
Lira whispered. "Second-year, one of the strongest duelists in the Academy. Also, a noble. Be careful."
Cedric smirked. "Oh, no need to be so tense. I'm not here to challenge you. I just find you… interesting."
Elias crossed his arms. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Cedric chuckled. "Depends. You made a statement today. And I can promise you, the other nobles won't ignore it."
Elias exhaled. "Great. Just what I needed—more people trying to punch me."
Cedric's smirk widened. "Oh, it won't just be physical. Some might challenge you in combat, sure. But others? They'll come at you in… different ways."
Elias frowned. "Like what?"
Cedric shrugged. "Sabotage. Political pressure. Some might even try to buy you."
Lira scoffed. "Yeah, good luck with that. Elias is too dumb to be bribed."
Elias shot her a look. "Gee, thanks."
Cedric chuckled. "Regardless, you've stepped into something bigger than you realize. You should be careful."
Elias studied him. "And why do you care?"
Cedric's expression didn't change. "Because I like interesting people. And you? You're very interesting."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Elias standing there, more confused than before.
Lira sighed. "I don't trust that guy."
Elias exhaled. "Yeah. Me neither."
One duel. That's all it had taken.
Now, the entire Academy was watching.
And not all of them wanted to see him succeed.