Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Date of the duel has arrived.
I can finally humiliate David von Kane.
And finally, I can finally free Eileen from his clutches.
One of the rules of the duel is that the winner gets what they want.
This means that if I win against Kane, its possible to have him break up with Eileen.
Of course, I could get myself in trouble if I did so, but the fact that its a Royal Academy duel means Im pretty much safe.
The only thing standing in the way of retaliation is House Davids.
Question is, can I beat him?
Honestly, that aura he showed off on the first day of school.
Hes no match for him, thats for sure.
No, its not just me.
An aura of that magnitude would be able to defeat top students, professors, and even some of the most renowned knights on the continent.
So it must be a trick.
I dont know how he unleashed that much aura, but I find it odd that he struggles with long runs when he has that much power.
One things for sure, hes grown over the past month, but that doesnt mean he has become incredibly strong.
And even if he is stronger than I imagined, I still have a number of Trump cards.
Of course, not only himself, but also Kane could have it.
Considering his personality, youd think hed resort to such measures, but the chances of that happening are slim to none, judging by Kanes reaction.
Therefore, there was no way he could win the duel.
.
.
.
To duel Kane, Ogtin walked to the training grounds with his brother, Benjamin.
Ogtin turned to him and asked.
Brother. How are you feeling?
Not bad. Anyway, is it necessary for me to fight against Kane?
Well, I can certainly handle myself, but it cant hurt to be careful.
Well, thats true.
At first, he wondered if he should step forward to help Ogtin and Kane fight, but after hearing the rumors about him these days, he felt that his brother might not be able to win.
Of course, rumors are always exaggerated, so I didnt put much faith in them, but as Ogtin said, it couldnt hurt to be cautious.
But what if he thinks the same way you do, little brother?
Hmmm. Even if he thinks the same way I do, there wont be any students to help him, given his behaviour in the first term.
Thats true.
The rules of the duel do not require you to be the opponent, so you can bring a substitute.
But thats only for Royal Academy students.
His monstrous personal maid, a member of his family, is not allowed to be a substitute.
Given Kanes behaviour so far, its unlikely theres a single student willing to help him.
The one exception is Eileen von Eilin.
But she is a righteous woman with a conviction.
It is safe to say that she is unlikely to help Kane.
With that thought in mind, he walked on, eventually arriving at the training grounds.
The rumors of the duel must have spread.
The training ground was now filled with people in the rings, betting on who would win.
Not only that, but some people are also selling snacks to make money.
The students in the audience see them and whisper.
Hey, that Ogtin guy. Did he bring his brother?
Looks like it, when he said he was challenging him to a duel, sounding like he was going to fight.
Dude. But with all the rumours about Kane, isnt it honestly acceptable to bring his brother?
Definitely. I mean, yeah. Honestly, I dont know what he has done in the past month, but just the fact that he was able to surpass all the aspiring knights in terms of physical strength, but not strong enough for his brothers strenth. .
The students around him nodded in sympathy.
The student continues, feeling that those around him are more likely to listen to him.
And Kane. Rumour has it he can use magic too?
What?! Really?
Yeah. From what I hear, hes taking magic classes.
No. Isnt he from a knight family? What was he thinking, learning magic?
Who knows what hes thinking.
At that, the rest of the students nodded in sympathy.
***
Meanwhile.
Skaya sat down in an empty seat in the audience, followed by Riche and Kelsey.
The students who saw Riche were scared out of their wits and moved away from them gradually.
Ignoring the reactions of the students around her, she looked a little worried and asked Skaya.
So, Skaya-Sama. What do you think?
Huh? What?
Do you think Young Master will be able to defeat the substitute that that bastard brought?
At Riches question, Skaya closed her eyes, and pondered, then remembered something that had happened during training.
***
Skaya asked, shooting magic at Kane, who was now training his mental strengthening alongside strengthening his physical.
Hey. But are you sure that he is bringing a substitute?
Yeah, I bet he will bring it.
?
Skaya tilted her head at his confident tone.
How can you be so sure?
O Huh? No, just look at him, he looks like a bully. Who only talk, so bringing substitute is only natural.
Somethings up, but I honestly cant argue with that.
I dont know the details of Ogtins character, but he was famously known in the first semester for being a bully, though not quite as much as Kane.
In fact, he was a Kane subcompatible.
By the way, are you sure youve never actually practised magic?
No. I havent.
Kane nodded without a second thought at Skayas question.
Hmm. Thats too weird for something like that.
Normally, when one thinks of physical enhancement, one thinks of radiating magic from the body.
However, unlike the physical enhancements used by mages up until now, Kane doesnt exude magic power, but instead, it enters his body, and stays there efficiently.
How the hell did he do that?
That doesnt just happen with effort. Most mages are stuck in their image and assumptions because they see magic in books.
Including me.
But not Kane. He manifested his magic in a different image than the one in the book.
Is this possible because hes not a mage in the first place?
Certainly, his growth path has been different than most mages.
Normally, mages would spend their time researching, trying to increase their power a little, or learning one more spell.
Not so with Kane.
Kane has been training his body, swordplay, and aura to become a knight since he was a young boy.
Sure, he suddenly turned rogue at some point, but theres no denying that hes been training as a child.
So its not strange to imagine a different Kane, one who has lived a different life than a mage.
How the hell do you even imagine that?
What?
No. No one uses physical enhancements like you do, and Ive never seen anyone use them that way.
Really? But thats what the game skill says to do?
I dont know what kind of image other people have in their minds, but the skill settings from the game showed the method I was using now.
Does this mean in-game skill is the absolute best way?
If so, its not unreasonable for Shion, Constellation, and Skaya to be surprised.
They had thought that the physical enhancement they had seen so far was perfect. but now that they had seen an even more efficient method, it was only natural that they would ask him if he had ever practised it.
Kane is distracted for a moment, and just in time to dodge Skayas magic, which landed right on his forehead.
??!
Kane, who got hit, rolled around on the floor, rubbing his forehead.
Ugh. That hurt like hell, even with my enhancements. Are you doing this on purpose?
Im only doing it because Im being generous, it only hurts that much, but do you want me to be serious?
While saying that, Skaya activated the flame she had shown earlier, which was about 100 times the size of the previous one.
The flame could easily engulf a person.
-Yikes!
N-no, Im so sorry. Master.
Good. By the way, youve never really practised strengthening your body and strengthening your mind, have you? Isnt that bullshit?
Why would I bullshit you with that? Theres nothing to gain from it.
Hm-mmI suppose so.
Hmmm doesnt make any sense, does it?
His magic is perfect, yes.
But how could he perfectly execute those two spells with just one shot?
His reaction on the first day of training was like he already knew how to execute such a complicated procedure.
Thats not to say he was lying, although honestly, theres no reason he should be.
What would he have to gain by lying to me about not practicing?
So theres a good chance hes not lying.
Maybe hes just differently talented.
Skaya decided it was pointless to ponder the matter further, and threw her magic at the physically enhanced Kane.
***
Finished with her thoughts, Skaya answered Riches question coldly.
Honestly. I dont think its possible, but I think Kane thinks otherwise. He spoke as if hed known all along that Ogtin was bringing a substitute.
What?
Huh?
Riche tilted her head at Skayas words, and Kelsey made a face of disbelief.
So the master is going to fight himself, and not get a substitute?
Yeah. I dont know what kind of confidence he has, but I think he does, and before that, I suggested to take his place, but he refused.
Fool master, you never know what hes thinking.
Both nodded in agreement with Kelseys words.
Meanwhile, sitting in a different section of the arena from the three of them, Eileen was wearing an indifferent expression on her face, but inside she was nervous.
Would Kane really be able to defeat him?
The substitute Ogtin had brought with him was a fourth-year student.
At the very least, unless youre a top-ranked student like him, its impossible to beat him.
Did she realise what she was thinking? Jenny looks at Eileen, a faint smile on her face.
Eileen. Dont worry too much. Hes definitely grown up. Hell manage somehow.
He will, wont he?
Yeah. And even if he does, in fairness, substitute gets a penalty unconditionally, so theres no guarantee Kane will lose.
Jenny was definitely right.
Its true that Benjamin is strong, but assuming he takes the penalty, theres no guarantee that Kane cant win.
While I was thinking about that. I hear the sound of someone walking towards the entrance to the training ground.
People in the stands turned their heads towards it.
It wasnt long before Kane stepped out onto the field with a smug grin on his face.
William, the judge for this duel, takes one look at Kane and yawns.
Hah. Yeah. Well, Ill give you the rules briefly. Firstly, Ogtin has brought an Benjamin as a substitute, so in the interests of fairness, Benjamin, you are not to use an aura. If you do, you will be disqualified.
Okay. I understand.
Then state your terms upon victory over each other.
As if he had been waiting for those words, Ogtin raised one corner of his mouth and spoke without hesitation.
There is only one condition I want. If my substitute wins, Kane, you will break your engagement with Eileen.
When he finished, all eyes fell on Eileen.
Kane heard the words and nodded, one corner of his mouth raised.
He could feel the stares at the back of his head, but he must be mistaken.
I already knew that, by the way, but its still absurd to think about it.
When I thought about why he was looking disapprovingly at me, I realised it was jealousy, not anything else.
Hes asking for a duel that he could lose just for that one thing.
Kane stares in silence. William turns to Kane and asks him a question.
Kane, state your terms.
My terms are that both of you drop out of the Academy, including the substitute.
Hearing that condition, both men nodded without hesitation to see if they had any objections.
Seeing that they both agreed, William became tiresome and explained the rules of the duel.
Okay, then Ill assume were in agreement, and Ill tell you the conditions of victory. Well call it a victory when the opponent is knocked out or declares defeat. Is that acceptable to both of you?
William nodded.
Yes. Then let the battle begin.