“Gah, guh!”
Cyrus hit the ground hard from a single blow.
The moment he felt the tip of the practice longsword dig into his stomach, he dropped to his knees.
It was an instinctive reflex, a response to the sharp pain.
'I barely saw him...'
From the perspective of a knight, trained in close combat, not catching even a glimpse of the opponent's movement was alarming.
...This was more serious than he thought.
What if this were a real fight?
If the opponent's blade had been sharp?
Death would have followed instantaneously.
And his team would have been wiped out.
Even more so, considering Theo's strike was with a longsword.
What if Neike had unleashed that strike with his much longer spear?
'Damn it.'
He had been utterly defeated.
By him.
─The highly anticipated Elinia Academy Festival [Martial Arts Competition]! The victor of the final match in the round of 64 is Theo Lyn Waldeurk from the Hero Department!
The announcer's voice barely registered in his ears.
Cyrus looked up at Theo with a sour expression.
He was as impassive as before the match began, as if this had been no contest at all.
“......”
Theo extended his hand to him in silence.
He flinched.
Was it the feeling of powerlessness that had been branded into him for the past five minutes?
Cyrus trembled and looked up at him again.
“......”
Sure enough, he was still extending his hand.
'Damn it. You're not even fazed, are you?'
His face grew hot.
Had he been the victor, he would have been rampaging across the field, roaring triumphantly.
His composure was enough to invoke fear.
“......Ha.”
Right.
This was a complete defeat, both in skill and spirit.
Somehow, his heart felt lighter.
Cyrus grasped Theo's hand and got to his feet.
Clap, clap, clap, clap─
The audience burst into applause.
After the match, Theo took a moment to share some pointers on technique with Cyrus.
"When you make a thrust, your shoulders are too tense. Try to relax them a bit."
"And at the same time, if you raise your heels slightly, it will add acceleration and make the strike stronger."
It was brief advice, but it struck a chord with Cyrus, who had been confined to the dorms training alone after his defeat in the Knight Department's 2v2 tournament.
He nodded as if enlightened and quickly exited the arena.
Cyrus might be cast as a third-rate villain in this story, yet he's still a top-ranking talent, placed 12th in the Knight Department.
More importantly, he's the type to translate thought into productive action.
Theo found him quite likable for that reason.
By investing just under a minute of his time, Theo potentially strengthened an ally for unforeseen future challenges.
Not a bad move.
Who knows?
Today's investment might yield favorable returns during a crisis like the Academy's destruction.
There was an additional benefit.
Theo felt the unseen experience points for the [Weapon User] and [Sword Beginner] traits accumulating.
Since acquiring the [Weapon User] trait a few days ago, he had observed only the techniques of Neike.
Yet, witnessing Cyrus's flawed techniques also provided many insights.
Pleased, he had ended up offering advice.
"Hmm."
Theo's expression soured as he inspected the round of 32 tournament bracket hovering in the center of the arena.
'The matchups really are at the discretion of the organizers. It's quite blatant.'
[Tarkan vs. Grendor]
[Kazim vs. Kurok]
Every orc and lizardman who had advanced to the top 32 were pitted against each other, without exception.
The showdown between Noctar and Shagarod seemed to have influenced the draw heavily.
'They're obsessed with the spectacle. And my luck in the draw is the worst.'
Theo inwardly cursed.
It was as unfavorable as facing Irene, one of the tournament's favorites.
[Theo Lyn Waldeurk vs. Alice Carrol]
Theo's opponent in the top 32 was Alice.
His match was the very last of the round of 32.
'There's plenty of time.'
His opponent was the formidable one who had defeated Jacob.
With almost no data available and no experience against an archer, Theo knew he needed to prepare thoroughly.
Not only for the quest but for the sake of his reputation, he couldn't afford to lose in the round of 32.
He needed to recharge the mana in his [Magic Cartridge].
"......"
Having returned to the stands, Theo glanced at Seria sitting next to him.
As if she had eyes on the back of her head, she immediately turned to meet his gaze.
Theo murmured as low as he could.
"Would you mind coming with me for a moment, Seria? There’s something I need to discuss."
"......Heh, sure."
She responded in an equally subdued voice.
Theo nodded, rose from his seat, and carefully made his way out of the stands.
Tap, tap.
A short while later, Seria followed him, her movements just as cautious.
However.
"......?"
Irene, who had come back late from the restroom, tilted her head in puzzlement.
Theo and Seria were both absent from their seats.
Suddenly, she remembered Seria's sly smile, the one she had shown when she brazenly challenged her, Theo's fiancée.
At the same time, Seria’s imposing physicality came to mind.
It was exceptional.
Even among the many physically gifted students in the Knight Department, there was none to match her.
Boom, boom—
Thunder roared in her head.
'......Could it be?'
With her face turning beet red, Irene hurried out of the stands.
Since the martial arts tournament was in full swing, the café near the knight department was quiet.
Seria and I chose one café to enter.
No words were necessary between us.
"Good work."
"Haa, haa, haa... It's tiring when it's been a while."
After receiving a mana charge from Seria in the café's restroom, I returned to the martial arts tournament's spectator seats.
Naturally, an appropriate alibi was essential.
I distributed drinks I had bought at the café to the others.
Their beverage preferences were well-known to me, having been mentioned countless times in the game.
"Let's all have a drink."
One by one.
"Uh. Thank you, Theo."
Aisha had an iced americano.
She normally liked caramel macchiato, but she was currently cutting back in preparation for a special performance tomorrow.
It seemed like the right choice.
"Hehe, Theo. I'll enjoy this. How did you know I liked it?"
Siena got an aloe juice.
"Wow~ I like the caffeine. Sweet stuff really gets my head spinning."
Eshild was handed a café mocha.
"Thanks, Theo. ...Hmm. It's bland but has a pretty good texture."
For Andrew, a plain yogurt shake.
"Mm! As soon as I take a sip, I feel energy surging through my body."
Julia got an energy drink.
"......Thanks."
For Woohee, orange juice.
"Thank you, young master. I'll enjoy it."
Amy was given a chocolate latte.
"......"
Irene had an iced café latte.
......She was the only one who looked up at me blankly, without a word of thanks.
"......"
What's going on?
Has her tastes changed?
The typically spaced out expression on Irene's face was gone.
Her eyes were calm and quiet.
They somehow resembled mine.
Regardless, I continued watching the martial arts tournament.
The round of 32 was nearing its end.
Irene and Julia had both won, advancing to the round of 16.
My turn was coming up soon so I had better start preparing.
I stood up from my seat.
"I'll be back."
Everyone wished me well on my return.
......Everyone except Irene.
What's wrong with her?
She should be in a good mood after her sweeping victory in the previous match.
For now, I'll head to the waiting room and run some combat simulations.
Alice is not an opponent to be underestimated.
I have to be fully prepared.
The final match of the top 32.
Theo and Alice stood facing each other atop the arena, poised for battle.
The duel of the hour: Elinia Academy’s most talked-about individual against the creator of the tournament's most stunning upset.
Alice was even more notable as the only person from the Exploration Department to make it to the top 32, drawing much attention from the spectators.
The crowd murmured among themselves.
"No matter Alice’s victory over Jacob, Theo is still the favorite to win, right?"
"I'm not so sure. Everyone says Theo is unexpectedly strong, but he has never faced an archer before. And Alice, she’s not ordinary.
She even deliberately entered the knight's range during the prelims, just like she did with Jacob."
"Hmm... But Theo isn’t just brawn, he’s got brains, too. He’s the youngest to ever attend academic seminars."
"One, two, three. Go Theo! You're amazing!"
"Kyaa~ He looked over here! ...He's really handsome."
"One, two, three. Go Alice!"
"Alice! You are the Exploration Department's sole hope!"
Theo’s expression remained as calm as ever, but Alice was different.
She locked eyes with Theo and her lips curved into a slight grin.
Her eyes then curved like crescent moons.
"I've always wanted to meet you, Theo."
Alice's blue eyes shone brightly.
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