The Unfair Duel
The duel between Kyle Berwen and Sebastian Ebenros captured the undivided attention of the entire Academy. It was inevitable. Both participants were highly prominent figures, and the stakes were extraordinary—Kyle Berwen's expulsion from the Academy on one side, and Sebastian Ebenros's right to grant a wish on the other. The mere fact that such heavy prices had been wagered on a duel was enough to draw everyone's interest.
As time passed, anticipation for the duel only grew. This was due to an additional condition that had been revealed: there would be no restrictions on equipment. When this clause became public, the Academy erupted in commotion. It was a condition that defied common sense. After all, it was blatantly disadvantageous to Kyle Berwen. A disowned son stripped of all backing from the Berwen family versus the heir to the Ebenros family, who could fully mobilize his house's resources—anyone, even a five-year-old, could see who would secure the superior gear. Why had Kyle Berwen accepted such an absurd condition, especially with expulsion hanging over his head? Many harbored doubts. Yet no one dared approach him directly. His fearsome reputation made that impossible. Thus, time flowed on with those doubts left unresolved. Finally, the day of the duel arrived.
'Quite a crowd has gathered.'
I glanced at the dueling arena from a distance. People were already swarming the grounds where today's match would take place. A line had even formed at the entrance.
'Just as I expected.'
I had anticipated this turnout. The duelists were famous, and more importantly—
'Because I planned for it.'
This entire situation was exactly what I had intended. From the moment I agreed to duel Sebastian, I had resolved to make the stage as grand as possible. There were several reasons, but the simplest was to create witnesses. Sebastian's original condition had been too vague. He had promised to fulfill my request "with all sincerity" and "to the best of his ability," but such phrasing was far too ambiguous. If he lost, he could easily make excuses—claiming he had done what he could and that this was his limit.
That was why I had deliberately gathered an audience. With so many witnesses present, Sebastian could no longer settle for a half-hearted response. Doing so would damage the Ebenros family's reputation. Offering anything less than what the public expected of Ebenros would invite criticism from across the Empire, while providing only a token reward would lead people to assume that was the true extent of their power. In other words, Sebastian now had no choice but to fulfill my request to the absolute best of his ability.
'Well, that wasn't the only reason.'
Of course, there were other motives. Among them, the most prominent was—
'Revenge.'
I wanted revenge against Sebastian. Thanks to Bellard and Lana, the matter had passed without incident, but the fact that he had conspired with Ernen to remove me from the Academy remained. I was no saint. I was not the sort of person who would smile and forgive someone who had tried to crush my skull with a rock, simply because the blow had missed. So I decided to take my revenge—by crushing him in front of countless witnesses. It was an emotional decision, yet it carried practical benefits as well. Strictly speaking, the benefit would not be mine. If I defeated Sebastian before so many spectators, another person stood to gain: Bellard.
The Berwen and Ebenros families ranked among the Empire's foremost noble houses, constantly vying for first or second place in power and influence. Since the Empire's founding, they had been intertwined in countless ways, and their long history was filled with episodes of rivalry. Their heirs were no exception. Bellard, Berwen's next successor, and Sebastian, Ebenros's heir, were essentially competitors. From the moment they assumed their positions, they had been constantly compared—and they still were. If I defeated Sebastian here and tarnished his reputation, it would benefit Bellard considerably. It could be seen as a small token of gratitude toward Bellard, who had ultimately acted according to my wishes because of the "debt."
While I stood quietly observing the crowd, I sensed someone approaching. Turning slowly, I found familiar faces—Lana and Anne. Unlike usual, Lana's expression was slightly dark. I could easily guess why.
"Really... are you sure you'll be all right...?"
As expected, Lana asked. Though the question omitted several words, there was no need to press for details. I already knew it stemmed from concern over the duel. After the match had been decided and rumors spread through the Academy, Lana had openly shown her worry. Each time, I had assured her that I was fine and certain of victory, yet her anxiety refused to fade. It seemed the same even now, on the day of the duel itself. I understood her concern. Sebastian's skill was well-known, and the conditions of the duel were troubling. There were no restrictions on equipment. Given the vast difference in our backgrounds, the gear we could bring would be on entirely different levels. Anyone would think this fight was disadvantageous for me.
"......"
Anne, standing beside her, said nothing, but her gaze was fixed on me as though she could not comprehend what she was seeing. How to put it... She was looking at me like I was a complete fool. Like someone who could not tell front from back. It was no illusion—her eyes made no attempt to conceal her emotions. Not that I could blame her. On the surface, the conditions made me overwhelmingly disadvantaged. If I lost, I would have to leave the Academy of my own accord. Winning would bring an enormous reward, but given the terms, my chances appeared slim. In Anne's eyes, I must have looked like an idiot blinded by the prize, betting his life on a fight he was destined to lose. If not for Lana and my connection to her, Anne might have hurled sharp words at me, just as she had when pushing away the crowd around Lana. Or perhaps she would have ignored me entirely. ...Well, it did not matter.
"You don't need to worry."
I smiled as I spoke to Lana. Her concern was understandable. Sebastian would undoubtedly come thoroughly prepared. With no equipment restrictions, he would bring the finest gear available to him. From the moment he proposed the duel, he had been confident. And then I had accepted the no-restrictions clause, which favored him. Right now, Sebastian was surely certain of his victory. Lana, Anne, and the others would never understand why I had accepted such conditions. Logically speaking, why would anyone agree to something so absurd? Because I wanted to lose? Or because I was too foolish to judge the odds? That was not it. I had accepted because I was confident—confident that I could win even against a fully prepared Sebastian under these ridiculous conditions. It was not because I enjoyed difficult matches or sought thrills. It was because there was something to gain. Without needing to ask, everyone was surely thinking the same thing: this duel was overwhelmingly unfair to me. Conditions so unreasonable that anyone could see it. Yet if Sebastian, holding every advantage under such unfair terms, were to lose—what then? Even if he won, the conditions were so lopsided that he would not have received much praise. But if he lost instead? Would people applaud him, saying he fought well despite the odds? Probably not. Losing under overwhelmingly favorable conditions would leave a significant stain on his reputation. I'm looking forward to it. I was genuinely curious how people—and Sebastian—would react when an entirely unexpected result emerged in this atmosphere where my defeat was taken for granted.