Despite the minor commotion, the sparring match preparations proceeded as usual.
If you asked who the strongest students in this combat class were, the first names that would come up were Lucy Allen of the Allen family and Freyr Kent of the Kent family.
In all their previous sparring matches, Lucy had dominated.
No matter how aggressive Freyr’s attacks were, everything became futile in front of Lucy’s shield.
Like a turtle hiding in its shell, Lucy blocked every attack. When she finally saw an opening, her counterattacks left Freyr with no chance to recover.
Jackal, having witnessed these matches, felt both awe and jealousy.
Who was Freyr Kent?
She possessed the most outstanding martial prowess on the continent, unmatched by anyone.
Jackal had once faced Freyr in a tournament hosted by a noble, just for fun, and he knew all too well how absurd her skills were.
At the time, Jackal couldn’t even land a scratch on her.
No matter how he swung his spear or what clever moves he tried, nothing worked.
In the face of Freyr’s overwhelming speed, everything Jackal had was like a child’s play.
Standing before the storm of her sword strikes, all he could do was be grateful that he survived.
At the time, Jackal had told himself that it was simply a matter of not having trained enough to beat her, but deep down, he had already given up.
He had resigned himself to the fact that no matter how much he trained, he could never defeat Freyr.
That it was impossible to pierce through the genius who had reached the pinnacle of talent with his spear.
He had no choice but to accept this.
Yet, Jackal didn’t feel envious of Freyr.
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How could anyone be jealous of someone who was blessed by the heavens with such extraordinary talent?
Freyr Kent was destined to stand above others.
She was a genius with a talent no one could rival.
Everyone said so, and so did Jackal.
But then Lucy Allen, in the simplest manner, brought Freyr down from her lofty pedestal.
The very Lucy Allen who had once been called a disgrace to the Allen family.
The one who caused trouble inside and outside of high society, only spared from ruin because of the Allen family’s reputation.
The same Lucy whom former teachers had called an idiot, saying they’d never seen anyone so hopeless.
The frail little girl who once struggled to catch her breath halfway up a staircase had defeated Freyr Kent, the continent’s most renowned genius.
At first, people dismissed it as a fluke.
After all, how could that reckless girl, Lucy Allen, beat Freyr Kent?
It didn’t make sense.
They said Freyr must have been careless.
That she wasn’t in her best condition.
All sorts of excuses circulated, but Lucy proved herself again by defeating Freyr once more.
Lucy, who had no close friends and likely hadn’t heard the rumors, wouldn’t know.
She wouldn’t know that, despite her character, people were starting to recognize her abilities.
That some were beginning to see the prowess of the Allen family’s bloodline.
Freyr Kent and Lucy Allen stood facing each other, ready for their match.
Jackal knew the result this time wouldn’t be any different from the others.
Lucy would prove herself once again.
Grinding his teeth in frustration, Jackal felt the jealousy boiling up inside him.
Talent.
In the end, it all comes down to talent.
No matter how hard I try, I can’t defeat Lucy Allen, Freyr Kent, or Arthur Soladin because I lack talent, right?
What’s the point of being the freshman representative if no one respects me?
People praise Arthur’s knowledge.
They gossip about Lucy’s transformation.
They marvel at Freyr’s swordsmanship!
Would it have been different if my older brother were here?
Could I have kept pace with these shining stars?
Did my brother’s talent steal mine, leaving me a cog that could never turn?
I...
I am...
Freyr stared at Lucy, who stood in front of her with her shield raised.
There were numerous small scratches on the shield.
The armor, too, showed signs of wear.
As usual, Lucy was pretending to be relaxed, but there was fatigue in her eyes.
Lucy, who usually had the stamina to rival even active knights, was clearly tired. Something must have happened last night.
If this were any other knight, they might show some consideration for their opponent’s condition.
But Freyr didn’t care about such things.
What did it matter what state her opponent was in?
All that mattered to her was pushing Lucy into a corner.
Forcing her to speak more.
And feeling that thrilling sensation crawl up her spine as the tension built.
If, by some chance, she could win, that would be a bonus.
Wait, if Lucy’s not in top condition, maybe this is my chance.
And I’ve already secured the first strike.
Alright. Today, I’m going to win.
Then I’ll make Lucy mad.
That way, next time, she’ll say something even harsher.
It’s the perfect plan.
Freyr grinned to herself as she gripped her sword with both hands.
“Are both sides ready?”
“Yes.”
“Sure.”
“Confirmed. Then let the match begin.”
Lucy showed no signs of weakness.
Even in her exhausted state, she was still Lucy.
She had trained to fight as if everything was normal, even in extreme situations.
Freyr never expected Lucy to show any openings from the start.
To create an opening, she would have to repeatedly strike at the shell of that sturdy turtle until it finally cracked.
Determined, Freyr charged at Lucy without hesitation.
Against Lucy, it wasn’t about landing a powerful blow.
It was about quick, relentless strikes.
Attacks that would shake her concentration.
Pressuring the turtle until it was forced to stick its head out.
As Freyr swung her sword, Lucy’s shield was there to meet it.
It was almost as if she had read Freyr’s mind, her movements were that precise.
As expected of Lucy.
She knows exactly how to make things hard for me.
As her sword was deflected, Freyr’s mind raced with thoughts.
How should I swing next?
What should I aim for?
What kind of attack would make Lucy uneasy?
“You useless swordswoman♡ You don’t even know the meaning of progress♡ All you do is swing that pathetic sword, and even your swordsmanship is trash♡ Dumb and dull♡ Heh♡.”
Laughter.
That laughter pierced through all the other sounds in the sparring hall and echoed in Freyr’s ears.
Freyr felt her heart pound, a grin creeping onto her face.
This time, she was going to break Lucy.
She was going to make sure Lucy lay on the ground, defeated and crestfallen.
She would.
‘I’m so tired I could die.’
「You’re moving pretty well for someone who says that.」
‘Moving is one thing, being tired is another.’
Since last night, I hadn’t stopped moving for even a moment.
Fatigue weighed heavily on me.
If I lay down in bed and closed my eyes, I felt like I could sleep until the sun rose and set again.
It was a miracle I managed to get through my sparring match with Freyr without collapsing.
There were moments when my mind just went blank.
If it weren’t for my Iron Wall skill constantly telling me where to hold my shield, I might’ve lost to Freyr.
Normally, I wouldn’t have cared much if I lost to her, but this was an exam.
Even though sparring exams didn’t focus on the win-loss result, it still bothered me.
Anyway, I managed to get through the sparring exam, and there’s only one more exam to go before I’m free for the day.
Then again, it’s hard to call this next one an "exam."
The dungeon studies test gives full marks if you’ve cleared above the 30th floor of an academy dungeon during the semester, so I’m guaranteed to ace it.
Even if I show up at the exam site, I won’t have to actually take the test.
Normally, I wouldn’t have to go to the exam site at all, but I had no choice today.
I needed to be there to observe which student was acting under Nakrad’s orders.
Back when Soul Academy was just a game, the event during midterms occurred during the dungeon studies test.
While the test was happening, a mysterious dungeon entrance would appear, and monsters would emerge.
It was later revealed that the reason for this sudden dungeon was because a student, under the influence of an apostle of the Evil God, had used a magical artifact.
This time, during the dungeon studies exam, I’m sure a student will use a magical artifact.
Normally, the apostle’s orders wouldn’t have come into play since I cleared out the dungeons, but Nakrad, that bastard, cheated and created a new dungeon.
He’s probably given the student something that can connect to the dungeon.
That student, unaware of anything, will follow Nakrad’s instructions and use the artifact, but nothing will happen.
Why? Because I destroyed that dungeon.
Looking back, it’s horrifying to think about.
What would have happened if Adri’s mansion, which wasn’t supposed to exist at this point, had gone berserk and the monsters inside had escaped?
Even if the professors had responded immediately, there would have been many casualties.
Several students would have been injured.
Adri would have been hunted down.
And Vissy would’ve been devastated.
It was tough last night, but saving Adri was definitely the right choice.
I should probably thank our Trash God for that.
If it weren’t for him, who knows what decision I would’ve made.
Heh! Just for today, I’ll call him Armathi instead of Trash God!
Isn’t that generous of me?
Lost in my thoughts as I tried to forget my fatigue, I arrived at the dungeon studies exam site. In the distance, I saw Joy, who had been talking to some other noble girls, notice me and walk over.
“Lady Allen.”
Joy’s expression was as intense as ever.
She always looked intimidating, even when just saying hello.
So, seeing her looking upset wasn’t anything unusual.
But still, something seemed off. Why did she look more upset than usual?
‘Yes, Joy?’
“What’s wrong, stiff-face noble?”
“Where were you last night? You weren’t in the dormitory.”
Huh?
How does she know I wasn’t in the dorm last night?