Book 1 Chapter 183

183

Watching the two people standing in the middle of the dueling arena, Elena curled up the corners of her lips.

"It'll be interesting to see how it turns out."

At her murmur, Taquon, who was beside Elena, said.

"What's there to be interested in? Isn't it obvious that Leo Plov wouldn't be Senior Ries's opponent?"

The surrounding third-year students nodded as if agreeing with his words.

"Right."

"No matter how great he is, he's only a first-year."

At that, Elena smiled faintly.

"Normally, one would think that, but…"

Elena's eyes sparkled.

"Leo has many unknown abilities."

Looking at Leo, Elena smiled faintly.

"This duel probably won't end easily."

It was Elena who set the stage.

She wanted to make Leo the student council president, and she had more than enough ability to do so.

But Leo was using the stage set for him to try and become the student council president himself.

'If an opportunity is given, he never misses it.'

Leo's seasoned handling of situations always surprised Elena.

Elena's reaction, showing excitement with eyes full of anticipation, was a sight even her classmates had never seen before.

'Leo Plov.'

Taquon watched Leo, arms crossed.

The dignified queen of Lumern showed a fresh, youthful appearance, like a girl her age.

'Just what exactly are you?'

Taquon frowned slightly.

Meanwhile.

"Hm? Has it finally started? Haaam!"

Among the fourth-year audience, Hark, who had been dozing with an eye patch on, yawned lazily and stretched.

Other fourth-year students looked at him with an exasperated expression.

"Did you just wake up after sleeping this whole time?"

"I wasn't asleep. I watched a few guys' matches carefully."

Hark chuckled, then smacked his lips with a still-sleepy face.

Seeing that, the fourth-year female students who had been glaring at him blushed slightly.

Hark was exceptionally handsome, at least in terms of looks.

'No! Don't be fooled by that face!'

'That guy is just a lazy slacker!'

"By the way, I have no idea what Elena Zerion is thinking."

Tul Benia, a fourth-year student from the Department of Magic, muttered as she adjusted her glasses.

At her words, Hark said in an unenthusiastic voice.

"She just genuinely wants to make Leo Plov the student council president."

"Why would she do that? Is she trying to make a first-year student council president to use as a puppet? But in that case, it would be much more efficient for her to become the student council president herself."

"She probably doesn't even have that thought."

Hark, who had known her since childhood, curled the corners of his lips.

"She probably saw something in that first-year kid. Should I challenge him next?"

Tul, sighing softly at Hark's display of aggressive competitiveness, looked at Leo with slightly cold eyes.

'If that first-year becomes student council president, perhaps it would be good to try to recruit him in advance.'

From the perspective of the fourth-year students, it was much better for a manageable first-year to become student council president than for Elena to do so.

Meanwhile, all the second-year students were looking at Leo with displeased eyes.

"Who does he think he is, making such a fuss about challenging the student council president?"

"He'll only come to his senses after being humiliated like that."

Amidst this, Lille looked back and forth between Leo and Ries with a trembling heart.

'As expected, Leo has the charisma of a class representative! I would never be able to do something like that!'

Lille admired him, thinking he was an amazing junior.

Meanwhile.

The professors were also watching this match carefully.

"Popcorn for sale! Pop-corn!"

"You, there."

"Yes! Professor Yura!"

Professor Yura approached Kal, who was somehow selling snacks around the audience seats.

"Could I get a tub of popcorn? With caramel on it."

"Yes!"

"Thank you."

Kal suddenly grabbed Yura's hand as she smiled and paid.

"Professor Yura."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't you like to buy a drink too?"

"I'm not thirsty…"

Swish-!

Kal opened the paper cup lid and showed the contents.

Seeing the golden liquid, Kal whispered.

"If you purchase now, buttered squid will also be included…"

"Ha? Are you trying to sell such trivial things to a professor who is currently observing a sacred duel evaluation?"

Yura laughed coldly.

Seeing that, Kal made a flinching expression.

'Ugh! Was I too hasty?'

"Don't you have anything stronger?"

"…No."

"Tsk. A gutless fellow. What kind of satisfaction would this provide? Back in my day! Huh? We didn't sell petty things like beer! Huh? We sold really expensive liquor! Huh?"

Grumbling while holding Kal, Yura still took the buttered squid and returned to the audience.

Chewing on the squid, Yura spoke to Ain.

"Senior, do you want some too?"

"You eat it."

"Ah, then could you generate some aura for me?"

"Why?"

"So I can eat it chilled."

Seeing Yura playfully shaking the cup, Ain delivered a punch to the top of her head.

Meanwhile, from a distance, Ren watched the dueling arena attentively, arms crossed.

"Professor Ren, what do you think about Leo becoming the student council president?"

"Of course, I'm fully in favor. If a first-year student council president is born from the Department of Magic, what could be happier than that?"

"…No. Leo isn't a student of the Department of Magic yet, is he?"

"Furthermore! The beastmen and pointy-eared elves won't be throwing dirty glances at Leo anymore, will they?"

At Ren's words, Anna shook her head.

As the entire school meticulously observed the two's confrontation.

Cheira approached the two people facing each other in the middle of the dueling arena.

"Then, don't overdo it, both of you. I hope you'll show us something splendid."

Leaving those words, Cheira descended from the dueling arena.

"I hadn't expected to be designated like this at all."

"I prefer to solve things myself rather than receiving help."

"It's good to be self-reliant, but are you confident?"

"Please just watch."

"Hehe. I'll look forward to it."

Ries, who chuckled at Leo's confident demeanor, channeled mana into the bracelet enchanted with subspace magic.

The subspace opened, and a longsword appeared.

Seeing that, Leo also opened his subspace.

Clack-! Swish-!

And seeing the weapon that appeared, Ries made a puzzled expression.

Not only Ries, but the spectators also murmured.

"A spear?"

"Did he know how to use a spear?"

The weapon Leo took out was none other than a spear.

Seeing that, Ries smiled inwardly.

'Come to think of it, he was said to have skillfully handled all sorts of weapons during the entrance exam, wasn't he?'

Since his admission, Leo had only used a sword, so everyone had completely forgotten about it.

Meanwhile, the first-year students also made bewildered expressions.

"Why is he suddenly using a spear?"

"Isn't that showmanship?"

"Leo isn't the type to do that, is he?"

It was when the students of Class 5 were making embarrassed expressions.

"Wow! Wow!"

Chelsea's eyes sparkled brightly, and she bounced up and down in her seat.

Seeing Chelsea, who couldn't control her excitement, Iliana asked with a puzzled face.

"What's wrong?"

"Brother Leo is good at handling other weapons too!"

"What?"

"And he looks so cool doing it!"

At the time of the entrance ceremony.

For Chelsea, who had witnessed Leo, unable to even use aura, fending off a monster, she couldn't help but recall that situation.

'Brother Leo was really cool then!'

Chelsea clenched both fists tightly.

Meanwhile, in the dueling arena, Ries fiddled with the hilt of his sword.

'Alright, then let's see how well he handles it.'

Step-

Ries took a step towards Leo.

Whoosh-!

Leo gripped his spear tightly and swiftly thrust it towards Ries, who was rushing in at tremendous speed.

Swish-!

Instantly, Ries dodged the spear.

There was incredible speed and sharpness aimed at vital points, but it was not enough to stop Ries.

'In a sword and spear duel, you shouldn't allow close combat.'

A situation that could literally end in futility.

Ries plunged fearlessly into Leo's personal space.

At that moment.

Flash-!

Leo swung his other hand, which wasn't holding the spear.

Ries reacted quickly and stepped back.

Leo had, by then, taken out a sword from his subspace and was swinging it.

'A spear in his right hand, a sword in his left. Dual wielding weapons.'

Thinking it was a rather unique combat style, Ries curled up the corners of his lips.

'But fighting while utilizing the characteristics of two weapons must be incredibly difficult, wouldn't it?'

When creating distance, attacking with the spear.

When approached closely, defending with the sword.

At first glance, it seems like a balanced, ideal combat style.

However, the moment one is clumsy with even one of them, a vulnerability instantly appears.

Especially against a swordsman like Ries, who is extremely skilled in swordsmanship, it's a very dangerous action.

'Are you confident, Leo?'

Ries rushed towards Leo again.

Whoosh-! Thwack-!

Ries blocked the spear Leo swung.

The spear shaft and sword blade clashed, sending sparks flying.

Kwagagagak-!

Ries, keeping his sword blade pointed at Leo, pressed in closer.

Clang-!

But Leo, unconcerned, defended against Ries's attack with his sword.

Thud-!

However, his stance was unstable.

As Ries continued to push with force, Leo's body staggered and was pushed back.

"Ah!"

"This is going to end too anticlimactically, isn't it?"

A pure battle of skill vs. skill, without even properly using aura yet.

But seeing signs of it ending so futilely even in that fight, the students couldn't help but be disappointed.

Ries also didn't hold back and tried to finish Leo off the moment he spotted an opening.

Suddenly, Leo let go of both his sword and spear at the same time.

Seeing Leo defenseless for a moment, Ries narrowed his eyes.

'Is he trying to bewilder me? If that's the thought, his tactics are too shallow.'

Ries had experienced too many battles to be flustered by this.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ries swung his sword at the defenseless Leo.

Whoosh-! Thwack-!

Instantly, Ries's eyes widened.

Leo accurately read the trajectory of Ries's sword and struck the flat of the blade with his palm.

That wasn't all.

Thwack-! Pat-pat-!

Ries swung his sword to shake off Leo, who had lifted his body as if an acrobat on a balance beam.

But in that fleeting moment, Leo, having regained his balance, spun his body and struck Ries's shoulder.

Thud-!

Ries's eyes twitched.

He braced his shoulder to endure the attack, but a heavy pain surged over him.

Whirl-! Leo used the recoil to quickly move behind Ries.

And grabbing the tip of the spear shaft, which was scattered in the air, he instantly unleashed an offensive on Ries.

Clang! Kagagak! Swish! Thud-! Clang!

Leo's storm-like spear attacks began.

Ries blocked the attacks, creating an opening for a counterattack.

Whoosh! Thud-!

Leo laid his spear flat and blocked Ries's swinging sword with the shaft.

For an instant, Leo and Ries's eyes met.

Leo, maintaining that stance, charged at Ries and pushed the sword away with his spear shaft.

Thud-! Thwack-! Slash-!

Leo, having allowed the approach, swung his foot.

But Ries instantly retrieved his sword and swung it at Leo.

Leo put distance between himself and Ries, landing far away on the floor.

Drip-drip-!

From his right shoulder, across his chest, down to his side.

His uniform was sharply cut.

And a faint, thread-like sword wound appeared.

It wasn't a major wound, but blood seeped through his uniform.

'It's not enough to hinder my movements.'

Leo ignored the stinging pain and took his stance.

Meanwhile, feeling the pain in his shoulder and side, Ries let out a hollow laugh.

'What on earth is this kid?'

Leo's martial arts skills were not inferior to Ries's in the slightest.

On the contrary, he showcased astonishing spear and physical combat techniques, precisely exploiting Ries's openings and landing two effective hits.

'No. In terms of strategic combat, he is clearly superior to me.'

It was enough to send shivers down his spine.

In a pure skill battle, Leo had overwhelmed Ries, who was known as the strongest in their year.

All the students looked at Leo with eyes full of astonishment.

Ries looked at Leo with eyes full of wonder.

As a knight who had held a sword his entire life and reached the pinnacle with it.

Leo's godlike movements felt like art.

'As expected, Leo is something beyond a genius.'

Admiring him, Ries activated his aura.

Fwoosh-!

Zerdinger's flame blazed.

"Shall we begin in earnest then?"

Both Leo and Ries knew well that this was just a warm-up.

"Shall we?"

Fwoosh-!

The same flame erupted from Leo's body.

But that wasn't all.

Ziiiiiing-!

Numerous magic circles adorning the air.

Seeing that, Ries gripped his sword.

"Looks like I'll finally get to see the power of an all-rounder, won't I?"

Kwagagagak-!

A whirlwind of flames raged around Ries.