39 – Wager 5
After putting both communication devices into the extradimensional space, I walked through the academy courtyard to go to the special class, just like any other day.
Even though students usually looked at me and whispered, today, their voices felt particularly loud.
“That guy challenged Prince Lofri to a duel, right?”
“I heard losing means expulsion.”
“My sibling is in the first year, and they said he aced the entrance exam.”
“Still, Prince Lofri is in the top ranks of the third year. He’s bound to win.”
Perhaps there wasn’t anyone in the academy who didn’t know that I, among them, was challenging for expulsion by dueling with a vagrant.
Although I had fought duels in the academy before, putting expulsion on the line made this time more tumultuous.
Most students predicted I would lose.
But I also considered the opposite scenario.
“But what if, Prince Lofri loses?”
“Nah, that won’t happen.”
“I’m just saying, what if? What if.”
“If Prince Lofri loses to a first-year and gets expelled…”
What if a first-year defeats a third-year?
What if a prince loses to a commoner?
If that happens, the third-year prince, who is about to graduate, loses to a first-year who enrolled less than a month ago and gets expelled.
It must be annoying to be in such a situation.
But other students didn’t care.
“Honestly, considering what he did to the Crown Prince, getting expelled might be better.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Moreover, because students knew that the pauper recently spilled a drink on Lucas, there were even some students hoping for the pauper’s victory.
“Ugh, why indulge in such fantasies? Anyway, Prince Rofri is bound to win.”
Until I arrived at the special class, numerous students sighed at the sight of me.
The gazes of the students weren’t particularly shameful or uncomfortable.
Even if this incident didn’t happen, they probably would have sighed because of my handsome face.
After arriving at the special class, I didn’t hear any sighs.
Well, the students in the special class could ask me directly.
Students from the special class surrounded me and said various things.
It’s too reckless; your opponent is a third-year. It doesn’t seem right to fight risking expulsion.
Though the words were all different.
I could tell that everyone was worried about me, at least to some extent.
The reason for declaring the duel today instead of yesterday.
It’s probably because I was too absent-minded yesterday.
When I was about to open my mouth to reassure the students.
“Everyone, take your seats.”
Professor Elysia opened the door and walked in, speaking.
All the students, upon hearing Professor Elysia’s words, took their seats.
“Does anyone have something to say separately? If not, let’s proceed together…”
“I have something to say!”
I raised my hand and spoke.
“Alright, what’s your say, Loki?”
“As you may know, Professor, in two days, it’s a crucial day for me where I’ll be risking expulsion to engage in a fight. However, if I get injured before that, I might not be able to fight properly during the duel.”
Other students seemed to agree with my reasoning, nodding their heads.
“Sigh… Loki.”
Professor Elysia sighed and spoke.
“Yes?”
“I don’t think what I’m about to say is something aimed at my back.”
What? I’ve been caught.
Since I’ve been caught anyway, I stopped erasing my presence.
I exerted strength in my legs and lunged towards Professor Elysia.
Clang!
My sword was easily blocked by Professor Elysia.
Raising my hand and asking a question to Professor Elysia, I had disappeared.
More precisely, it was an illusion of myself.
“How did you know?”
“The tongue’s long enough.”
Professor Elysia replied briefly to my question.
Caught for a pretty ridiculous reason.
“Seeing the sword swing means class as usual till the duel, right?”
“hahahaha, any chance of canceling?”
Without answering my question, Professor Elysia lunged at me.
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I was having lunch and at the newspaper department right now.
Simon Nicholas, the head of the department, requested an interview.
Thanks to Simon, I could easily agree to the interview and duel the vulture.
“Thanks for coming.”
“What’s hard about an interview? I can do this anytime.”
In the newspaper club currently were me, Simon, and one student with a camera.
“The person I’m fighting, won’t they do the interview?”
“I doubt it’ll make for an interesting story, so no plans for that.”
Simon Nicholas waved his hand as he spoke.
“I’m quite shy, not sure if I’ll be good at this.”
The student with the camera seemed surprised by my words.
“Senior.”
I called out to the student holding the camera in a serious tone.
The story I’m about to tell is an important one.
“I prefer my left side to my right side in photos, so please take more shots of my left side.”
“Sure, got it.”
“hahahahaha! You’re really an interesting kid, huh?”
The newspaper club student with the camera looked perplexed, but Simon seemed to like it even more as he laughed.
“I am kind of good-looking, you know.”
“Now, shall we begin the interview?”
I thought he would ask about the duel at first, but that wasn’t the case.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Rocky!”
Was he asking such a simple question to ease the tension?
“I heard you use a sword and unique magic. Do you consider yourself a swordsman or a wizard?”
A swordsman or a wizard.
In reality, neither really suited me.
“While I do use a sword, I’ve never thought of myself as a swordsman.”
“Then a wizard?”
“Rather than a wizard, I’d say I’m closer to being a magician.”
“A magician, huh…”
Simon murmured the words “magician.”
“Can you tell me why you think that way?”
“You’ll know why I said magician after two days.”
Simon smiled, satisfied with my answer.
After that, rather ordinary questions followed.
What is your favorite food, what do you do during breaks, what is your taste in women?
“How do you feel about dueling with Rofri Alps two days from now, risking expulsion?”
Simon finally asked a question related to the duel.
“Even though I belong to the special class, since the opponent is a senior in the third year, you don’t want to hear cliché words like I will fight without getting too nervous and do my best, right?”
As if sensing a scoop, Simon’s eyes lit up, and he smiled.
I extended my index finger forward.
“Just once, I will swing the sword only once during the fight!”
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From Noble mtl dot com
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The newspaper department. On that day, they posted a new newspaper on the bulletin board.
Until then, there were two newspapers posted on the bulletin board.
One was a picture of a bully splashing a drink on Loki.
The other was a picture of me challenging the bully to a duel.
And today, a new newspaper was posted.
Magician Loki, one sword is enough to face Rofri Alpse…
In the newspaper photo, there was me, extending my index finger and offering it, blood dripping.
Geez, good-looking.
My daily life didn’t change much just because I had to fight with the barbarians.
If there’s a slight change, the first thing is that Johanna is next to me during the morning training.
“Are you meditating again today?”
“I’m not sure if what I’m doing can be called meditation, but…”
“That’s meditation.”
Johanna said firmly.
While I mainly sit to regulate my emotions, Johanna asked me various questions.
And she also taught me how to face the swordsmen.
It seems that I’m concerned about facing the swordsmen.
“What’s important for a swordsman is the footwork.”
Footwork.
“Loki, your movements are excellent. But wielding the sword itself is still immature.”
Johanna said, patting my head.
“It stings.”
I learned how to fight from the Adellian Duke.
I learned the shadow walk from the Emperor.
But I never learned how to handle a sword separately.
“Tomorrow is the day.”
As Yohanna said, tomorrow is the day I will fight with Buerger.
“I don’t think I can come for training in the morning tomorrow.”
“Is it because of your condition management?”
“Not really, I have some items to receive.”
If it’s tomorrow morning, the items I asked Professor Idra for will be ready.
“Make sure you win.”
“hahahahaha, of course!”
Yohanna continued to stroke my head for about 30 minutes after that.
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The first small change is that Yohanna is next to me during the morning training.
The second is that the time spent talking to Eirika has increased.
We contacted each other earlier than usual and talked until just before falling asleep.
[Finally, it will be decided tomorrow.]
“What do you mean?”
[Whether my current bodyguard will become my official one, or if he will graduate and then become my official bodyguard.]
Yerica’s words were, “If I lose in the duel, I’ll become a bodyguard immediately. If I win, I’ll graduate and become a bodyguard.”
“That’s true. Either way, I’ll be happy, right?”
“Kook-kook, but still, win.”
Yerica smiled upon hearing my words.
“Of course.”
“Don’t get hurt, okay?”
Yerica stated firmly, “I will absolutely not get hurt.”
Thanks to Yerica, I could sleep peacefully again today.
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Time passed, and before I knew it, it was the day of the duel.
Everyone at the academy gathered to watch the duel.