[Elena PoV]
The entire arena suddenly fell silent after the Promoter announced the winner of the match. In fact, the mouths of several seniors in the stands hung open as they watched what had transpired in the fighting arena.
Indeed, the only person currently standing in the arena was a black-haired man whom they had previously expected to lose this match.
"Listen to me, members of the Lancer Club!"
The shout from the black-haired man broke the silence that gripped the arena.
"With this, your budget for next year will be cut by the Student Council!"
After Raul shouted those words, insults fueled by hatred erupted from the stands where the Lancer Club members sat.
"You fought dirty, you rotten noble! We do not accept this result!"
"You're a coward for pretending to be in pain like that!"
"Disgusting! Just die! You only know how to fight using treacherous methods!"
Raul then walked with a limp toward the arena tunnel while clutching his stomach. I saw the Lancer Club members throwing food and fruit at him, forcing the disciplinary committee guards to intervene.
"Your committee head is nothing but trash!"
"Are you proud of winning with such a cheap trick!?"
A commotion began in the arena as clashes broke out between the disciplinary committee and the Lancer Club members, causing the next match to be slightly delayed.
I don't think he was pretending to be in pain at all. I believe the attack from Senior Emilia earlier was truly agonizing. It seemed he didn't just suffer a puncture wound; I suspect the fire magic from Senior Emilia's Nature Mana also caused severe burns on the right side of Raul's abdomen.
***
[Fran de Cataluna PoV]
After the match ended, I watched as my daughter—Emilia—was taken away by the Priestesses to undergo healing.
"Marquis Fran, I did not expect your daughter to be defeated by a second-year student!" said a Noble with the rank of Count sitting beside me.
I must admit, I did not expect Emilia to be defeated by an underclassman who fought without using a Profound Codex or Nature Mana at all throughout the battle.
Who exactly is that student?
"Wasn't that student the son of Duke Alvaro?" the Count asked.
Huh? The son of Duke Alvaro? That cunning Snake? No wonder I felt like I had seen that boy somewhere before.
"Count Angmar, forgive me, but I must leave first," I said to him. "I want to check on my daughter's condition."
Rising from the stadium seat, I headed out toward the infirmary where Emilia was being kept. With this, she will remain in the Fortress City of Cataluna, the territory governed by the Cataluna family.
Raul de Garcia, was it?
Being able to defeat my daughter without using a Profound Codex or Nature Mana at all proves that he is an extremely cautious person. He did not want the other participants to see his true abilities so that they could remain his ace-in-the-hole for future matches.
His strategy against Emilia was excellent and executed perfectly. After engaging in a Trading Blow to weaken my daughter, I am certain his plan was to make Emilia lower her guard and draw her in close. However, had Emilia been more vigilant, I believe the fight would have lasted much longer.
With the wound sustained from Emilia's ultimate attack, that boy certainly wouldn't have lasted long before collapsing from weakness due to his severe injuries. All Emilia had to do was stall for time, and she surely would have won the match.
Upon arriving at the infirmary, I saw Emilia sleeping soundly. I approached her and took a chair to sit by her side.
"You fought hard, Emilia."
***
[Emilia PoV]
Ughhh... My head feels so dizzy.
Opening my eyes, I realized I was in the infirmary.
"That's right, how was the match...?" I murmured.
"You're awake, Emilia?"
A voice came from the left side of my body. I turned and saw a middle-aged man sitting there with a smile.
"Father...?"
"How are you feeling?" Father asked gently.
My body no longer felt painful, but I was still a bit weak. I think that man beat me mercilessly during that final attack combo.
"It seems I was the one who lost, wasn't I...?" I muttered while clutching the blanket.
"That is correct, Emilia. You were defeated by that boy."
That means... the Student Council won the agreement we made previously... Our club's budget for next year will be cut, and everyone in the club will face a much harder time at the academy. Knowing this fact made my heart feel incredibly heavy.
"I let them down, Father," I whispered, my voice trembling.
They truly trusted me and hoped for so much. After this, other academy students will insult the members, considering them weak and unsuccessful. Many will look down on them, bully them, and even fewer students will choose to join our club. All of this happened because I lost to him...
How disappointing... I really am a useless president...
I was supposed to be the symbol of their strength, yet I lost shamefully to a second-year student. As the president, I should have made them proud to be a part of this club. My vision began to blur with tears.
I also had an agreement with Father... After this defeat, it means I must stay at home and am forbidden from entering the Calvatra Knight Order to pursue my dream of becoming a Grand Espada.
"As I promised, Father," I said to him softly. "I will forget my dream and return home."
I thought I had enough skill and talent to become a Grand Espada. My rank was among the top five in this popular academy, and my combat capacity was the greatest among the other third-year students. But it turns out I was still naive...
There are still many other great talents out there. How foolish of me to believe I could reach my dream with only this level of ability. I had become arrogant just because I was the best in the academy.
"Father... I know the main reason you wanted to stop me from reaching this dream," I said to him. "I don't have the talent to be one of them, do I?"
Hearing my words, Father's body appeared to tremble. He turned his face away from my gaze.
"I'm sorry, Emilia... That is the truth," Father answered. "Becoming a Grand Espada is not as simple as you imagined."
What kind of "strongest Knight in the Empire" am I, if I can be defeated by an academy student who didn't even use Nature Mana... clutching both my knees, I could only cry as I accepted this bitter reality.
"The reality is, I am still very weak."
***
[Raul PoV]
It has been two hours since my fight with Emilia. The cheers from the audience were noisy enough to disturb me as I tried to sleep and rest after receiving so many attacks during the battle. My wounds have completely healed, but my body is still too weak to move.
That was a gamble on my part during the match. If Emilia had been more patient and waited for my body to weaken from the wounds she inflicted, I certainly would have lost. Fortunately, she was in a great hurry to defeat me quickly, making her careless so that I could exploit it to claim victory.
—Click
The door to the room opened, and a middle-aged man in a military uniform entered. He walked toward me; his upright posture, thick beard, and sharp gaze gave the impression that he didn't come here with good intentions.
"Raul de Garcia..." he murmured to me. "You are very much like your father."
Ughhh... Being compared to a madman like Duke Alvaro is quite annoying. However, biologically, he is indeed my father.
"The treacherous way you fight always reminds me of that man," he said with a cynical tone.
"What business do you have here, Marquis Fran?" I asked him.
Yes... he is Fran de Cataluna—Emilia's father and an Imperial General tasked with guarding the Empire's northeast border. Actually, I had planned to meet him someday to make preparations in case a war between the Empire and the Republic of Venetia truly breaks out.
"You defeated my child, crushing the dreams and hopes for her club," Marquis Fran said in a cold tone. "My daughter is currently crying and lamenting her fate. I have never seen my only child suffer and be this sad."
Is that so? Does he want to give me a warning or something?
"As a parent, honestly, my heart is very heavy seeing her like this."
The moment the Marquis said that, the atmosphere of the room suddenly became heavier, and my breathing felt constricted. This was the pressure of a mana aura; the last time I experienced it was when I first met Duke Alvaro.
"You must pay for making my daughter suffer, Raul de Garcia..."
He increased the pressure of his mana aura further; I could see the flower pot on the table beside me starting to crack because of it.
"However, I must also thank you for giving her a reality check," Marquis Fran said, shifting his tone to a softer one. He then withdrew his powerful mana aura, allowing me to breathe normally again.
"She dreamed of becoming a Grand Espada," the Marquis revealed. "However, with the Nature Mana and Profound Codex she possesses, it is certain she would never have achieved that dream."
Grand Espada, huh?
It is true that becoming a Grand Espada requires more than just hard work and skill. Combat talents such as Nature Mana and a Profound Codex blessed by the Goddess also play a role. They are the best of the best, the most powerful weapons in the Empire, and role models for all Knights in this country.
"I had difficulty telling my daughter this because of her stubborn nature," Marquis Fran said. "For that, once again, I thank you for making her realize this."
"You are wrong, Marquis Fran," I said to him. "Emilia has the potential to become a Grand Espada, even if she only possesses a weak Nature Mana and Profound Codex."
The Marquis widened his eyes in surprise at my words.
"If she manages to rise from her despair and finds out what she truly wants, then I am sure she will succeed in achieving her dream," I said while looking directly into Marquis Fran's eyes. "Becoming a Grand Espada is not the end of Senior Emilia's dream; I believe that. She has a dream higher than this, even if she hasn't realized it yet."
Hearing my words, the Marquis seemed to think for a moment. He appeared to be weighing what I had just told him.
"Is that so? She still hasn't realized her true dream...?" the Marquis murmured.
He then looked at me again and offered a smile.
"Raul de Garcia, it was a pleasure talking with you," the Marquis said, offering a handshake. "For helping me, I will grant you assistance once if you face a problem in the future."
I accepted his handshake and replied, "It was a pleasure talking with you as well, Marquis Fran. Thank you for your kindness."
After speaking briefly with me, he then left the room.
This is becoming much easier, it seems...
The Fortress City of Cataluna is the territory I intend to head to when I undergo my field practice later. That is because a disaster will strike there in the coming months. This is also related to my plan to awaken the Blessing Ariel possesses and force her to become a Saint. That is because her strength will be vital for fighting the demons that will attack this world in a few years.