I'm Second Place – Facing the Unsurpassable Wall
Have you ever faced an insurmountable wall when there were only two of you? A wall of talent you couldn't overcome no matter what you tried?
I have. And I was staring right at it even now.
The boy standing directly in front of me. That boy was my wall.
And that wall was approaching me, his odd eyes—one purple, one blue—whirling wildly.
"You okay, Anton?"
"Huh? Yeah... I think so."
"Um, sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"Just... I feel like I should apologize for beating you every time..."
Was this guy trying to rub it in?
Nah, probably not.
I could tell because we'd known each other forever. He was a bit quiet and gloomy, but not a bad guy.
He just felt like he owed me an apology because he was endlessly stronger and superior to a scrub like me.
The name of the wall standing before me was Luca Amadeus.
My childhood friend and rival, raised alongside me in the Steel Tower.
Me, Luca, and our master. That was it—just three of us in that tower. And in growing up there, I'd developed one burning wish.
To beat that Luca guy at least once.
Because I, Anton Salieri, had never once beaten him.
"That's 1,000 wins and 1,000 losses now, huh."
"Um, Anton."
"Yeah? What?"
"It's 1,001 wins and 1,001 losses."
This bastard?
"Why the hell do you have to—"
No.
"I lost, so I won't make excuses."
"Want a hand?"
"Nah. Your hand's all soft like a girl's. What kind of man's hand is that? Even if you're a magic type."
"Ah, yeah. Sorry."
Luca quickly pulled his hand back. I summoned my spear and used it as a crutch to stand.
"Anyway, looks like the match is over."
I glanced around. Quite a crowd had gathered, and their reactions were all over the place.
"That was amazing! So cool!"
"Steel Tower? They shape weapons to fight?"
"Congrats on the win!"
"He's insanely strong..."
Yeah, figures. The cheers were all for Luca, not me.
It was only natural. Luca was the victor. I was just the supporting character there to make his win shine—nothing more, nothing less.
What should I say in a situation like this, left feeling so pathetically alone?
"..."
I pondered for a moment, then spat out the thought that popped into my head.
"Congrats."
Time to accept it. He was on a whole different level from a talentless hack like me.
I extended my hand for a shake, and Luca's eyes went wide.
"Wh-what?"
"Why so surprised?"
He always covered his mouth with a scarf, so his eyes were the only way to read him. But after all these years, it wasn't hard.
"You always used to say 'just you wait' and 'next time I'll definitely win!'"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, back in the day."
"Back in the day? So you're not gonna say that anymore?"
Ah, that.
"Just... this makes it kinda refreshing."
"Refreshing?"
"I don't think I'll ever beat you, no matter how long I live."
Give up and it's easy? Not quite.
I recalled an Eastern book our master had once brought back. It was full of proverbs and wisdom, including this one.
Anbunjijok.
Knowing your place and being content with it—living satisfied without overreaching or exceeding your station.
Now I finally understood my place and my path. Gritting my teeth to beat him wasn't it.
It had been impossible from the start. How could an ant defeat an elephant?
"I'll find my own path."
"Anton. So you're not going to the academy?"
"I am. Gonna go look for a new path."
"A new path?"
"Yeah. A new one."
Not just all-in on magic—something diverse and fresh.
The world didn't have only magic paths. We'd walked magic because we grew up in a magic tower.
So what if we went somewhere else?
"They say the academy has all kinds of people, right?"
The continent's top school, Chronos Academy. All sorts enrolled there every year.
Beastkin, dwarves, elves, vampires—non-humans of every stripe. Nobles, royals, commoners, even saints from the Holy Kingdom sometimes.
"Gonna head there. Meet all kinds of folks, try all kinds of things."
"And then?"
"Huh?"
"What happens then?"
What happens?
"I'll find something, right?"
At least something. From a total failure in the Steel Tower who'd never won once, to a challenger stepping onto a new road.
Nah, "failure" sounded lame.
"Let's call me the tower's number two."
"Our tower only has two disciples."
"Still number two. 'Cause I say so."
I grinned, but Luca's face darkened.
"Anton..."
"You keep climbing and winning. Prove you're the tower's number one."
"Um, Anton."
"I'm number two. Even if there are only two disciples, number two is number—"
"Anton!"
Calling my name so pitifully.
"What?"
Luca let out a shrill yell and stared at me.
"We're... in the middle of the academy scholarship exam duel right now."
Oh yeah.
Only after hearing Luca and the judges did it sink in.
"The 107th Chronos Academy Scholarship Exam! A genius from the prelims onward!"
Right—we were in the scholarship exam. I'd lost in the prelims and been eliminated.
"You seem out of it. You okay, Anton?"
"Your ass kicked mine."
"Don't joke. How you gonna attend without a scholarship? Our tower doesn't have that kinda money."
"It's fine. Not everyone's a genius like you. Most go without scholarships anyway."
The academy had solid student loan programs.
Or I could part-time, gather materials to sell. There were even clubs centered on business—endless options.
No way they'd let you starve.
"Sorry, Anton. I should've thrown this one—"
"Hey."
"Wh-what, Anton? Why'd your tone drop?"
"Don't say that shit."
Beating me your whole life, then throwing one now?
"If you're gonna win, win clean. Throwing it just pisses me off more."
"S-sorry, Anton. I didn't mean—"
"Exactly!"
I threw my arm around his shoulder. Arm-in-arm, something close friends do.
When we were kids, I was prickly about it. But now that I'd let it all go, I felt bad. I'd treated him too much like a rival.
We were friends—brothers—raised together since childhood.
So from now on, I'd cheer him on with everything I had.
"Got it? Brother?"
"Ah, y-yeah. Brother... well, not wrong."
"Don't look so bummed."
"O-okay."
Luca flinched but listened quietly.
"Might as well win it all now."
"Anton."
"You wanted the academy too. So win. Go to the finals, get the scholarship, enroll as top scholar all flashy-like."
That'd make it less bitter. At least I lost to the top dog, the number one.
"Got it, Anton. I'll fight for your share too and become top scholar for sure."
"Good. Good luck. I'm heading out."
"Not watching the rest?"
"Gonna head back to the tower first, pack. Gotta report to master too."
"Ah..."
Luca sighed wistfully. Weirdly, his face was flushed.
From the arm-around-shoulder? Nah, guys don't react like that.
Wait, no fucking way.
"Luca. Don't tell me."
"D-don't tell you what?"
"You into that kinda thing? Ew, I can't swing that way."
"...N-no, just get out already!"
If not, what the hell?
"Not like you're secretly a girl or some shit."
"Y-you figured—"
"It's cool, Luca. It's the age of diversity. As long as you don't come at me, I get it."
"I said nooo!"
"Haha. I'm out. Good luck on the exam."
"Ugh... uuu!"
I waved to the stomping Luca and left the exam hall.
He'd ace the rest no problem. Guy was a monster.
Still.
"Prelims dropout, huh."
Didn't even make mains.
I wondered if maybe I'd never beaten him just 'cause he was too strong.
Maybe against others, I could win.
"Guess not."
Prelims dropout was prelims dropout. The competition was fierce; I wouldn't have beaten them either.
My talent topped out at prelims. Right here.
"Can't even make excuses after that 10-minute cut."
Ten minutes. That's all I lasted against Luca. No excuses.
"Guess I'll go pack!"
Anyway, act two of my life was starting. I'd lived on stubbornness till now, but from here on, different.
Beating someone. Standing above them. Proving myself to the world, raising myself up—
"Tch. Enough."
How much time had I wasted chasing impossible dreams?
No more.
From now on, I'd live for myself. Really for myself.
No one else—for me.
This was the first time the mage Luca Amadeus had left the Steel Tower to fight someone else.
Partly because Luca was shy, and partly because the Steel Tower was so remote.
Small and shabby but cozy, the Steel Tower. For fifteen years growing up there—right up to adulthood—Luca's opponents had only been his master and his friend, Anton Salieri.
Even Luca, dubbed a genius by his master, couldn't help but feel tense.
"Luca Amadeus of the Steel Tower."
"Ah, y-yes!"
"Aiden Lohen of the Red Tower."
"Yes. I've been waiting."
"Both of you, step forward."
Another genius had appeared.
And not just any—Aiden Lohen, a celebrated prodigy drawing continent-wide attention.
Aiden of the Red Tower. Gotta watch out.
The Red Tower specialized in fire magic. Aiden was their top young talent.
Already called the red comet, famous for triple the mana of his peers.
Even Luca, holed up in a backwater tower, knew the name.
Probably one of the top handful among everyone here his age.
And fire magic was the perfect counter to Luca's steel magic.
"Hoo..."
He might have to go all-out this time too.
Like against Anton just now.
I won't lose.
Thinking of his friend who'd cheered him on and left, Luca gritted his teeth.
No losing here. He stood on the ruins of his precious friend's defeat.
Precious friend. Hiding a few secrets, sure, but a decade-long childhood companion.
"We'll now begin the scholarship exam."
Luca stepped forward at the judge's words.
"Applicants, forward. Begin!"
Full power from the start!
"Haat!!"
"Behold my brilliant flames—"
"Mana focus!"
The moment the exam started, Luca unleashed everything—and immediately sensed something off.
What the hell just happened?
With that thought, Luca looked down at Aiden, collapsed before him.
"W-winner: Luca Amadeus of the Steel Tower!"
Ten seconds. That's all it took to drop a continentally hyped prospect.
"Wh-what?"
Even as the matches continued—top scholar, strongest applicant ever, once-in-a-millennium, no, a miracle once-in-a-millennium mage—Luca's confusion lingered.
"Weird. Fighting Anton was super tough..."