Book 1 Chapter 412
412.
Thump- Thump- Thump-
The sound of shoes echoed in the hallway leading to the arena.
Juen encountered Luke, the victor, in the hallway.
“I watched your match, it was amazing, wasn’t it?”
Juen winked.
Luke smiled at Juen.
“I tried my best.”
“It wasn't just 'trying your best', was it? What's your secret?”
“Hellish training, I suppose.”
Luke looked at her as she gazed into the distance.
‘I've heard a lot about how harsh Senior Leo's training is… but it seems it's no joke.’
“By the way, how long are you going to keep using honorifics when we're classmates?”
“Huh? But Miss Juen, you're the daughter of the Southern Magic Tower Lord.”
“What does that matter when we're both students?”
"Hmph!" Juen snorted lightly and said,
“We've been going to school together all this time anyway, haven't we? We've been close since enrollment, so it feels awkward.”
“Then I’ll speak more comfortably from now on.”
“You should have done that long ago.”
At Luke's words, Juen nodded, seemingly satisfied.
“Do well.”
“Yeah. It goes without saying, but I intend to win.”
Juen, who answered with a bright smile, walked to the end of the hallway.
A short while later.
Standing in front of the brightly lit arena, Juen took a deep breath.
After taking a deep breath, Juen slapped both of her cheeks.
‘Don’t be nervous, Juen Torbina. It’s not like you.’
Since her enrollment, Juen had been the unrivaled top student in the Magic Department.
However, looking at the entire first-year class, she had no choice but to cede the top spot.
This was because of Aina Badeyna, the unshakeable strongest first-year.
The great-granddaughter of the Sword Saint who had carried an era.
Her lineage itself was extraordinary.
Furthermore, Juen was a traditional mage.
In a 1:1 duel, she had a disadvantage against Aina, who was a knight, due to their compatibility.
In a sense, this was the biggest match of this exam.
However, almost no one predicted Juen's victory.
Aina was that overwhelming.
Juen, always confident, felt her hands sweating from nervousness.
She took a deep breath and walked to the entrance.
-Juen Torbina is entering! Please greet her with cheers!
Waaahhhhhhhh-!
“Go, young lady!”
“Win, Juen!”
Cheers poured in from everywhere.
Among them, upper-class students from the Magic Department passionately cheered for Juen.
They were none other than students belonging to the Southern Magic Tower.
Juen smiled brightly at them and headed for the arena.
On the arena, Aina was already standing with her eyes closed, her usual expressionless face.
Juen felt her legs tremble as she walked towards the arena.
Although Juen had confidently declared she would win when Aina was drawn as her first-round opponent, she couldn't shake off the pressure.
Juen knew better than anyone that she was at a disadvantage in a 1:1 duel.
She somehow bluffed and acted confidently.
She had convinced herself she could win, as if self-hypnotizing, and had prepared thoroughly.
But now that it was right in front of her, she felt her heart might burst from nervousness.
‘You can do it, Juen Torbina. You can do it.’
Juen clenched and unclenched her fists, taking a deep breath.
Cold sweat was running down her back.
“Juen!”
A familiar voice was heard.
Turning her head, she saw Kal, who was selling merchandise.
Kal, who had come to the very front of the stands, shouted with all his might.
“Don’t be nervous! You can win!”
“…Senior.”
Juen smiled faintly.
“No! You WILL win! You absolutely HAVE to win! I bet all the sales from this tournament on your victory in the match prediction! If you lose, I’m completely ruined!”
Juen’s touched expression turned cold.
Juen took a deep breath and said,
“You know you have to buy me something really expensive if I win, right?”
“Of course!”
Kal grinned, giving a thumbs-up.
Juen sharply turned her head away from Kal and climbed onto the arena.
By then, her nervousness had vanished.
A faint smile played on her lips.
‘Yes. I can win. I’ve been preparing to win, haven’t I?’
Juen’s brown eyes sparkled.
Thud-
Juen stood before Aina.
Aina, who had been indifferently closing her eyes, looked at Juen.
The gazes of the two girls intertwined in the air.
-Alright! The first-round big match everyone has been waiting for! No! Perhaps this can be called the biggest match of this entire tournament exam!
Runba began his commentary in an excited tone.
-It’s a battle between Aina Badeyna, the 1st year top student of the Knight Department and the class representative, vs. Juen Torbina, the 1st year top student of the Magic Department! Well! No matter who wins, it’s good for the Summoning Department! Wahahahahaha!
-Runba Tess, who said you could do biased commentary, weaving in departmental issues while commentating?
-Hieeeek?!
Harlind's cold voice was heard.
Then Sedjen, who liked to step forward, quickly grabbed the microphone.
-I can't just leave such vulgar, biased commentary alone! It’s not elegant! In that sense, I shall take over the commentary from now on. Everyone, listen to my elegant commentary…!
-Drag him out.
-Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!
Harlind would certainly not tolerate a situation where the 2nd-year supervising professor stepped in for a 1st-year event.
After Sedjen was dragged away by nearby students, Runba received a warning and barely managed to return to his commentary.
After a commotion, Mel approached the arena.
“I hope both of you have a match with no regrets.”
Mel, after explaining the rules, stepped back.
Juen, with her arms crossed, took a deep breath.
“Habidan Birshen! Shasha Sienne Lodren! And Luke Eldar!”
Her sudden shout instantly silenced the noisy spectator stands.
“Wait!”
Juen pointed at Aina with her finger.
“You’re next!”
-Oooooh! 1st-year Juen Torbina! She has suddenly declared war on her rivals!
Runba shouted excitedly at the sudden turn of events.
“I will take the position of class representative! And I will be the next student council president!”
Juen, having proudly declared, aimed the tip of her staff at Aina.
Cheers erupted from everywhere, watching Juen make her bold declaration.
“Ooooh!”
“That’s cool!”
“I’m rooting for you! Juen!”
At the sudden declaration, Aina looked at Juen with her characteristic doll-like face.
Juen shouted at Aina,
“Be prepared!”
“I don’t care.”
“What?”
“Class representative or student council president. I have no particular interest.”
Aina drew her sword with a dry voice.
“If you get in my way, I’ll just defeat you. That’s all.”
Watching Aina, Juen ground her teeth.
“I hate you, Aina Badeyna.”
Mel placed a coin on her finger.
“That attitude of ignoring what everyone wants!”
Ding-! Whizzzzzz!
“That way of speaking as if others don't matter!”
The coin spun, slicing through the air.
“I truly hate it!”
Clink-!
As soon as the coin hit the arena floor, a golden flash shot towards Juen.
At that moment.
Whoosh-!
Juen's figure vanished.
‘Stealth magic.’
Aina's sharp senses instantly enveloped the entire arena.
Aina was well aware that stealth magic was one of Juen's specialties.
And also that her stealth magic was extremely refined and difficult to deal with.
Juen, using stealth magic and concealing her presence, was difficult even for Aina to find.
‘But that’s only if she used stealth magic in advance.’
Aina’s golden eyes quickly scanned the entire arena.
The difference between being aware and unaware is significant.
Her sharply honed senses instantly located Juen.
Thrust-!
The moment Aina's sword struck Juen.
Flash-! KABOOOM-!
A massive explosion occurred.
***
“What do you think of this match?”
Chen Sia said in response to Chloe’s question.
“It’ll probably be hard for Miss Juen to win, right?”
Chen Sia said plainly.
A 1:1 duel between a traditional mage and a knight.
Assuming similar skill levels, the knight class has an overwhelming advantage.
Moreover, Aina was the strongest among the first-years.
It was an absolutely disadvantageous fight for Juen.
Chloe looked at the first-year junior struggling in the battle.
Though not her mentee, Juen was one year below her, so Chloe had been keeping an eye on her.
‘She even challenged me during the entrance exam.’
Chloe also knew that Juen’s skill was remarkable.
However, Chloe also thought it wouldn't be easy for Juen to win.
“Leo, what do you think?”
“Objectively speaking, Aina’s victory is almost certain.”
Leo said plainly.
“But there are various variables in a 1:1 match. Especially since Juen’s mentor is Kal. There’s no way he wouldn’t have prepared for Aina.”
“Indeed, Juen has Kal.”
Although his magic skills might be poor, Kal was adept at analyzing opponents and devising strategies.
That was also the driving force behind Kal’s survival until now.
“Sir Kal is indeed specialized in catching opponents off guard.”
Chen Sia also nodded, recalling Kal.
“Kal isn't the only variable. There's also Aina's own problem.”
“Aina’s own problem?”
Chloe tilted her head.
But Chen Sia nodded as if she understood.
“Indeed, Miss Aina’s problem would be the most fatal.”
“What do you mean?”
Chen Sia smiled at Chloe’s question.
“If she had looked at Miss Juen as she really is, Miss Aina might find it difficult to win.”
At Chen Sia's words, Chloe pondered for a moment, then made an "Ah!" expression.
She recalled talking to her best friend, Celia, about her mentee.
‘She said she doesn't care about other first-years at all.’
Juen, who had been preparing to defeat Aina for one semester, and Aina, who hadn't.
This difference was clearly significant.
At that moment.
Flash-! Bang-!
A massive flash of light and an earth-shaking explosion occurred simultaneously.
The arena was covered in ice.
Chen Sia made an intrigued expression.
“What kind of magic is that?”
“She fused ice magic with explosion magic.”
Chloe recognized the magic at once.
‘Ice clone.’
It was one of Chloe’s specialty spells.
‘Three spells. No. Did she fuse four spells?’
Chloe was impressed.
Magic fusion.
It is a type of magic enhancement that maximizes effects by fusing multiple spells.
Leo chuckled.
‘Up to two, you can manage somehow with effort.’
The problem starts from three.
‘Because from three onwards, it’s the realm of talent and sense.’
Three was also Leo’s limit.
Chloe and Abbad, the top honor students of the 2nd-year Magic Department, also had a record of three.
Chelsea had no talent for fusion magic and only managed two.
‘Well, in Chloe, Abbad, and Chelsea’s cases, there's potential for development.’
For reference, Luna had fused seven spells.
‘Well, that guy is a magic idiot and a mana monster, after all.’
Juen, being a first-year, managed to fuse four.
“It seems she specializes in fusion. I had no idea.”
Chloe exclaimed in admiration, her eyes sparkling.
‘What will you do, Aide Badeyna?’
Leo crossed his arms and looked down at the arena.
‘If you don't look at your opponent directly, you can't win.’
***
Crackling-
Aina shook off the ice clinging to her body.
Despite being caught in the powerful ice explosion, she seemed to have suffered no significant damage.
Aina’s senses detected the presence of several people.
‘All of them are Juen Torbina.’
Clink-!
Aina readjusted her grip on her sword.
“Is this all?”
“Of course not.”
Juen replied, remaining unseen.
“I’ve prepared a lot to defeat you.”
Juen ground her teeth.
“This is just a part of it! You can look forward to it.”
With fierce fighting spirit, Juen shouted,
“Because I will defeat you with all my might!”