[Eon's POV: ]
As soon as my treatment was over and Rein's fight was done, I went down, passed through the shocked students who were still speechless, and reached the other side where three artificial helpers were helping and nagging at her as they healed her internal injuries with rare and precious healing stones and potions.
She was still on the ground and the students watching their fight below their arena were also just as silent as the ones on our side but in this bunch, the mages were even more still, holding their breaths and not blinking at all, they just stared at the two of them on this duel arena, especially my Rein who had tried pulling out a good stunt but ended up getting hurt.
'Dumb girl…'
She couldn't have been injured had she used that magic properly but if she had used it properly, then her opponent might actually have ended up getting hurt.
It was a unique spell integration method that was difficult to perform and even high mages rarely used it in difficult situations.
She was a master when it came to this kind of spell combination that required perfectly synchronized timing but she couldn't use her actual version of this spell… and there was no need to do something this flashy anyway!
She could have won with simple things if she wanted but, she wanted to show off in a way it wouldn't seem too absurd.
So, as a middle option, she tried using the basic version of this method, quickly did the calculations, made the spells, and aligned them, but during the release, her personal magic circles started using more Mana than she intended, and as she tried blocking that, she ended up in that nearly paralyzed state.
She couldn't move, actually, she could but it would be a little painful, so she was on the ground, thinking back to how she made wrong calculations and how things might have ended badly for her opponent.
But she was happy. She fought a good opponent after all, and got hurt during their fight.
It was fun but above all, she won. And that unchanging smile screamed her happiness.
"You are dumb." Looking down at her as the artificial helpers yelled at her for being stooopid, I gave her the same look an Eastern parent would give to their disappointment.
But this disappointment of mine gave me a wider smile after hearing that.
"I am dumb… dumb for you of course."
No that wasn't a smile anymore, but a smirk that meant more than what cheeky thing she said.
"Dummy, dum-dum."
The helpers were done with her and she was fine now so she extended her hands while looking at me with a warm expression that was expecting compliments and, though I wanted to yell at her for pulling out a stunt like that… I couldn't.
She did something unnecessary and got hurt but this played an effective role to regulate our standing among the students.
My match with Carla was plain and simple but it was too fast for them to properly understand so I knew the effect of it would be very limited. On the other hand, everyone saw the explosion and how it almost broke through three protective spells of (tier-4).
Yes, she got hurt while doing so but she did it. Which meant she could do it again anytime she wanted and get better at this during her time in this amazing academy.
Not only her foolish actions served as a warning, but they also gave them an idea that though having stronger power, she can be defeated if more people with good foundations worked together.
Her injuries, even though unexpected, were positive to our certain plan that might just start today, so this was ultimately good.
'And she knew it too well hence, the flirty smirk.'
"Good work."
Helping her stand up, I gave her a little hug and stopped her from kissing me again. There were two classes watching this time so the kiss was a big no. Though, she can have a hand kiss from me.
"Ummm…"
And just when our little chat was going on, her opponent, the elder otherworldly alpha came to greet his opponent that defeated him fairly.
'Right… he wasn't even using half of his strength during this match.'
He was much stronger than people thought and we knew that very well. Still, Rein wasn't even using twenty percent of her strength in this fight.
Just like my handicap of magic, she couldn't use her superior physical abilities and her scythe.
She only had magic she could show and I had my physical abilities so we naturally couldn't show more than a third of our actual strength. And that was good enough for now.
"Ohh! Hello Captain Alpha! Thanks for the amazing fight~."
Rein went to him and first bowed, and bowed back according to a common tradition. And after that, he extended his hand for a handshake… but she looked back at me instead of accepting it.
"Really? Right now? You want that pending kiss or not?"
"Hump! Bastard."
She was thinking of playing around once again but it wasn't a good idea to pretend to ask for my permission just for a handshake.
'She was being too playful right now, haaa…'
"Ah, sorry." She looked back and accepted his handshake.
"I should be the one to thank you. I learned a lot from this experience. I hope we can do it again sometime."
"Of course~. We have yet to see the great true strength of Captain Alpha so it's only natural we would 'duel' again."
She was happy. And she meant it. She wanted to see his otherworldly powers and it was the same for me too.
"Haha. I'm not that special. You are the special one.
I didn't expect to see such amazing personal magic spells. Simple in theory yet complex in structure.
It is also rare to see someone using three different series of magic at once and I still don't know what skill you used to vanish but it… was amazing.
And the most amazing one was how you synchronized those spells at the end and enchanted their powers this much.
I'm speechless as even I had never thought of using such methods in a spar with such restrictions.
I'm amazed, and I hope you are alright. That last move might certainly have been exhausting."
He was concerned but his eyes were observing her, and me, with questions and suspicions hidden deep beneath them.
He was good at hiding his thoughts and feelings but not from us at least. It was cute how he was still thinking he was doing good at deceiving us while still knowing we knew a lot about him.
It was funny too, and her happy smile was enough for me to know that.
"It's fin-"
"Good fight you four!"
We heard the loud voice of our dwarven teacher and looked up at the balcony area where the two of them were standing.
The three of us were standing together and Carla was walking up towards us so he first waited for her to reach us and then two of them started their feedback on our matches.
"Your duel was certainly good! We enjoyed it dearly. Many things were unexpected and surprising but you four certainly surprised us.
It was fun, however, there are still a few things you can work on."
He looked beside him, and the Orc teacher Sir Scarth nodded at him and took a step forward.
"First of all, Lady Uriel."
He looked at her-
[[ Master! That person is weird! He looks at sister Elle strangely! ]]
[[ "Of course he does little one. He can see how she looks and even with her disguised charm, she still looks like her mom." ]]
[[ Sister Elle's mom…? Do you mean that amazing person you talk so highly about? ]]
[[ "Hmmm. He used to be her friend and seeing Rein must have reminded him of her." ]]
[[ Ohhh~! I thought he was another pervert! Hehe, it's good he doesn't have weird ideas." ]]
[[ "No dummy. He isn't like those rumors… well, at least not exactly how rumors make him." ]]
"You have a good grasp of your magic but it seemed like you were somewhat uncomfortable during your fight.
Your casting speed and accuracy were phenomenal too but the spells were a little too complex.
I understand you can handle them well since they are your own spells but if you can't handle them in a quick fight like this, try using some common spells when there are no restrictions like the spells being limited to (tier-2).
You have a great pool of Mana and its purity, from what
I can tell, is amazing too so you shouldn't have any problems casting higher-level spells if you practice well.
I wanted to tell you to try using a weapon that would suit you with magic too as you seem to have a gifted physical body but it is not my place to say that. I can only suggest it but I hope you do consider that."
"Yes sir~!"
She shouted with just as much excitement that she does when shouting after Sir Frór's special shouts. And they can't help but shake their heads with a smile.
"Alright so, after that would be Lady Carla.
You are an amazing swordsman young lady and I heartily wish to teach you personally. Are you perhaps taking the (Understanding Sword) course this year?"
He asked with expectations in his special green eyes and Carla nodded with a happy smile. There was no way she was going to miss out on some of the best courses in this place.
"Then I look forward to seeing you there.
Haaa… you have a perfect understanding of the basics as if someone forcefully taught you even the basics of the basics that many young students take years to even realize are important but, considering your family, it isn't unbelievable.
Still, the efforts you must have put to learn them, then develop that unique gentle, knightly, aggressive style of yours, and improve it this much... it must have been difficult.
Still, the reason you lost was silly and not something I would expect from someone of your caliber.
It was the first time, but learn from this and don't repeat it. You might hurt yourself if you are distracted in situations like that."
Carla looked down for a moment, promised herself to never repeat this mistake, and nodded at him with serious eyes who knew what they had to do.
And both of the teachers liked those eyes. They were the foundations she needed to achieve what she wanted.
"Then next is Mister Alpha… well, I'm speechless from that performance.
The way you handle swords is pretty good but a sword like the one you used isn't your main weapon, right?"
They looked at him with a pleased smirk as if they found him the most fun one among us in a different way.
"It is a heavy weapon. Something like a greatsword, right?"
They were smiling and Alpha had no choice but to truthfully nod his head. Just like us, he couldn't hide these little things from those experts.
"Well, considering you didn't use your main weapon, the way you cast your spells, and the way you can assess the situation is admirable.
And considering what you showed today, you definitely are good and can do even better with some experience in this academy.
It was pretty good and I know you know your mistakes so I believe you will correct them when you have to face a real challenge."
It was a compliment, and all the students hearing it were shocked. Someone had just received a genuine compliment from a hero!
What can they do but gasp with surprise in this situation?
"Alright so for last, Mister Lucifer."
And at last, he looked at me… and I knew his reaction was going to be something different from the others.
"You were good Lucifer. Continue what you are doing and just tell us if you need anything,"
He nodded at me with a smile and the person beside him, our dwarf teacher, also gave me a simple happy smile.
Those words, however simple and confusing for the students, were enough compliments I could ask from figures like them.
It was amazing so I nodded at them with a smile of my own, confusing the confused students a little more.
...
"You are a bad person," Rein complained as the two teachers asked everyone else to start doing something instead of just standing there like that and the two others beside me looked at us.
"We know that, still, not now. Perhaps, after we go back home."
She puffed her cheeks like a little girl again, surprising Captain Alpha.
"You two certainly are quite something… well, I hope we can get along."
"We wish the same."
I shook his hand and he walked down the arena with a smile and a great lot of complicated thoughts of his own.
"So, we are friends now right?" Carla asked and extended her hand for another handshake and this time, I accepted it before Rein could jump on it.
"Let's have lunch together. We should know more about each other if we are going to be friends,"
"Certainly."
She smiled at me and then looked at Rein who was again angry that I didn't let her have that handshake.
"Uriel. Let's go sword shopping someday."
"Yes~!!"
But after shouting that and attracting more attention than before, she gave her a little hug and we said goodbye to her too, saying we would meet again at lunch.
Our duels were over and there was still some time before lunchtime so, I begged her to go do something else or talk with people while I do something important.
I needed to do something now that Rein had shown that magic and if things went well, we will be able to take down an annoying group by tomorrow.
But for that, I had to do some things by myself, and thankfully… she understood it.
'Well, she asked for a reward but we can do that later.'
For now, I have time till this lecture ends. We have our lunchtime after that and personal classes after that and I didn't want to do this boring work during that time. So…
'Let's set mouse traps for some naughty-nasty mice.'
[[ Yeiii~! ]]
'Tonight is going to be colorful~.'
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