I Became an Outcast in the Academy

2. Duel (2)

“…Brother? What on earth?”

As Prince Ricardo stepped forward as Eli’s representative, a bewildered voice echoed behind me.

Perhaps even Cartesia hadn’t imagined that the prince would stand before us like I did.

“Why? Is it so strange for the Black Knight to step forward in a duel?”

Prince Ricardo retorted to Cartesia with a somewhat dismissive tone.

The prince was right. Most students at Lutra were of noble descent, and since it was a gathering of teenagers, disputes often arose, leading to duels.

However, it was impossible for the parties involved to personally step forward and throw punches every time a duel occurred.

This was because, in Lutra, there were also scholars who were far removed from physical combat.

For the sake of such students, a duelist could find someone to fight on their behalf. This was what was commonly known as the Black Knight.

But it was a rule that only applied to those who believed they lacked the ability to duel or felt that their opponent was mismatched.

Eli and I didn’t fall into either of those categories, so it was somewhat surprising to see the prince step forward here.

“Well, in my case, I showed some mercy. Even if Sienna and Eli didn’t have their blood mixed, weren’t they still siblings? Saying it’s a duel for Sienna’s innocence, but forcing siblings to duel… is quite cruel.”

“Since you dislike the word ‘mercy,’ let’s call it my own consideration. And I think it’s not a bad thing for Sienna either.”

“…What do you mean?”

“If Sienna, known for cherishing her younger sisters terribly, were to duel with me, it would actually help her unleash her full potential. And while I may fall short compared to Eli, I too have honed my sword in my own way.”

I felt somewhat perplexed by the prince’s words. So, the prince believed he was much less skilled than Eli?

“That’s unlikely.”

In a way, the prince’s words were not entirely wrong. Indeed, when it came to pure swordsmanship talent, Eli was born with an overwhelming and violent talent that surpassed anyone of this era.

But even if the prince didn’t have the same talent as Eli, he had money, power, and a tremendous background to make up for it.

The prince had received a spell from the Archmage at a very young age to increase his body’s mana adaptability, and it was said that he consumed more potions to enhance the effects of mana circulation than he did food.

While Eli was naturally gifted, the prince had forcibly instilled talent into his body using money and power.

In that regard, the prince was by no means an opponent to be taken lightly in my eyes.

“Eli also gave her prior approval for me to step in as the representative in this duel. Isn’t that right, Eli?”

“Yes.”

Eli, who had discreetly stepped back behind the prince, lightly furrowed her brow and subtly shook her head.

No matter how you looked at it, Eli seemed to exude a sense of being coerced by someone, rather than having willingly chosen the prince as her representative in this duel.

“What’s this?”

Could it be that the Crown Prince pressured Eli to be his representative in this duel?

“No way.”

But that’s really incomprehensible.

I and the Crown Prince have only known each other by face, practically having a relationship similar to strangers. Moreover, there is no apparent advantage for someone of his stature to personally participate in such a duel.

So, why is the Crown Prince trying to duel with me? What could be the hidden reason?

But at that moment, somehow, I felt like I knew one of the many hidden reasons.

“…..”

The Crown Prince was looking at me with a subtle intent.

He wanted to kill me. No, maybe not kill, but he definitely wanted to harm me to some extent.

“Is that so.”

I don’t know the detailed reason, but if this is something done at the will of the Crown Prince, or rather Ricardo himself, then it doesn’t matter.

For me, it’s just a simple matter of considering Ricardo as an enemy.

“If there was prior agreement between you two, Ricardo, as the representative in this duel, I will acknowledge it. Is there anything else to report to me?”

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“No, nothing else.”

Despite Cartesia standing behind me, about to say something, the fencing professor nodded in agreement.

“Very well. Let the duel between Cyan and Eli’s representative, Ricardo, begin.”

And thus, the duel between the Crown Prince and me began.

****

“Insignificant bug.”

Ricardo had never liked Cyan from the beginning.

The reasons for not liking Cyan were truly diverse.

He didn’t like Cyan’s low status, the fact that this commoner was the older brother of the one he loved, and he especially disliked Cyan sticking so closely to Cartesia, another noble.

But above all, what bothered him the most was that Cyan, as a human, seemed oblivious to his own place.

If he were a lowly orphan from the streets, he should lower his head and walk like one, not strut around with the same dignity as a noble. It irritated Ricardo to see someone with the pride of nobility when they were just a lowly orphan.

So, when Lobelia asked if Ricardo could be Eli’s representative in today’s duel, he readily accepted.

Even if it wasn’t this time, he had always intended to catch Cyan at some point and trample on him.

However, for the sake of the Crown Prince’s dignity, he had silently endured without directly harming such a lowly orphan.

Being able to pay off a debt to Eli, the acknowledged future successor by the Duke, score points with Lobelia, and perhaps have a chance to teach Cyan a lesson—these were the reasons Ricardo agreed to be part of this duel.

It was truly a win-win situation for Ricardo, so he had participated in today’s duel with a light heart.

…Yes, at least that’s what he had thought until just a moment ago.

Clang!

“Kuh!”

Ricardo was the one who boldly rushed forward and swung his sword.

And he was also the one who retreated first.

‘What’s going on?’

For a moment, he felt as if all his memories had flown away. What just happened before that?

He understood that he had exchanged sword strikes with Sian.

But… the next moment, when he came to his senses, Ricardo was awkwardly staggering backward.

Could it be that he had failed to properly parry even a single strike from Sian’s sword and had withdrawn so disgracefully?

Swoosh!

Ricardo’s right arm, which was holding the sword, split open as if it had been slashed by something sharp, and blood spurted out.

There was no pain. However, the absence of pain made Ricardo even more uneasy.

‘How dare this lowly creature!’

For a moment, Ricardo realized that he had actually been intimidated by Sian, whom he had so despised, and became furious.

Hiding his fear, Ricardo gathered all the mana within his body and channeled it into his sword.

Woosh!

The sword Ricardo was holding began to burn, wrapped in a pure white power. Seeing this, the professor and the surrounding students’ eyes widened.

“Th-that is!”

“An Aura? Isn’t that an Aura?”

“But I thought you could only use an Aura when you reached the Master’s level? Ricardo isn’t even twenty years old yet, right?”

Feeling the admiring and reverent gazes of the students, Ricardo couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

Yes, that’s how it should be. The way others looked at him should be like this. Not with an arrogant glance like Sian.

‘I’ll finish him quickly!’

The Aura that Ricardo was using now was merely concentrating the strength of all the elixirs he had consumed and the mana inside his body. Its power was far inferior to the Auras used by the Masters.

However, it should be more than enough to handle Sian in front of him.

Even though it was just a weaker version of an Aura, it still had more than enough power to deal with someone like Sian, a mere student.

Hiding the growing fear of Sian in the corner of his heart, and suppressing the uneasiness of not noticing the attack that had just cut his arm, Ricardo swung his sword with all his might.

And then.

*Thud!*

“…Huh?”

In the split second when Ricardo swung his sword with all his might, it clashed with Cyan’s sword, and Ricardo realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

Not only Ricardo but also everyone watching the duel stared wide-eyed at the spectacle.

Their swords had entwined, yet there was no sensation in their fingertips.

It felt as if they had swung their swords at water or air, a viscous, sticky feeling.

In the next moment, Cyan’s sword drew a perfect circle in the air.

Ricardo’s sword followed the trajectory of that circle, slid down Cyan’s blade, and unceremoniously fell far from its intended target.

“No way…”

Ricardo realized what he had just witnessed, which left him baffled.

The spectators, too, were in shock, wondering if they had just seen a mirage.

“It can’t be! Disarming a sword so easily with pure technique alone!”

Even though Ricardo’s sword might be fake, it should not have been rendered powerless like this.

Any attack, even the slightest touch of a sword, would typically shatter Cyan’s blade.

How was it possible for such a feat to occur given the significant gap in skill between the two?

As emotions in the heart inevitably manifest in bodily movements, and bodily movements expose significant vulnerabilities, Cyan was not an ordinary swordsman who could not even detect momentary openings.

In a brief instant, Cyan effortlessly avoided the path of Ricardo’s final desperate swing, akin to dodging a bullet.

*Whack!*

“Ugh!”

After landing a punch charged with all his magical power squarely on Ricardo’s face, Cyan grabbed his right arm with one hand and his hair with the other, creating a nearly perfect restraint.

“This is the end. Surrender.”

“Surrender? What a… nonsense.”

“Can’t do it? Well, then, I guess there’s no other choice.”

“Stop your nonsense and let go of me with your filthy hands! Right now, you’re holding…”

Unfortunately, Ricardo’s words did not reach their conclusion.

*Crash!*

That was because Cyan had forcefully slammed Ricardo’s head into the ground.