The Round of 16 and a Sudden Breakthrough
The Comprehensive Evaluation was now underway in earnest. Mikaris, Ronia, Lutera, Winston—all the expected contenders had successfully advanced to the Round of 16.
And then, the long-awaited final match of the round. My match. To think I would get the chance to personally beat down Lauren Heinir, whom I had been waiting for so eagerly—this was a godsend.
Unlike Lutera, I rarely crossed paths with Lauren Heinir, so I had been wondering when I'd ever get my revenge. I never dreamed the opportunity would present itself in this tournament. A grin refused to leave my face. My heart throbbed with anticipation and excitement. This wasn't pre-match nerves; it was pure, unadulterated ecstasy.
"Whew..." I took a deep breath at the entrance of the arena. It was to calm my racing heart. If my excitement redlined too much, I wouldn't be able to focus.
"Waaaaaaah!"
The commentator's voice, amplified by a magic tool, reverberated throughout the entire stadium, signaling that the match was about to begin. *Step, step.* I began walking toward the arena. As I emerged from the dark tunnel, the brilliant sunlight and the roaring cheers of countless spectators washed over me. It felt as if I were stepping into the Colosseum.
"Being the center of attention doesn't feel half bad." The moment I came into view, a thunderous cheer erupted. The crowd was eagerly anticipating my duel. Their eyes were filled with admiration and curiosity, wondering what kind of fight I would put on this time. It was the complete opposite of how they had looked at me during my duel with Lutera.
I strode forward and stepped onto the stage, even waving back at the cheering crowd. Fan service is a basic requirement for a star, after all—not that I was actually a superstar or anything.
Thanks to my Aura-enhanced senses, the murmurs of the crowd reached my ears clearly despite the roaring cheers.
"Did you hear? I heard the young master of Heinir is quite a promising prospect."
"Are you going to make an offer then? Personally, I'm more excited to see Hound Egil."
"We should watch the match first. It's not over until it's over, right?"
Listening to the knights watching from the high VIP boxes, it seemed Lauren Heinir was considered a promising prospect, just like me. But what a shame. That promising prospect was about to get absolutely pulverized by yours truly. Becoming the obstacle in someone else's path almost made me feel a twinge of guilt. I cracked my neck from side to side, warming up my body.
Just then, Lauren Heinir spat out something utterly ridiculous.
"You look absolutely stiff with tension!"
What is this bastard talking about? Seriously, how on earth did he look at me and conclude that I was nervous?
"My, my, Lord Rori. You really have no eye for these things. Where exactly do I look nervous to you?"
"It's Lauren, not Rori!"
I was pretty sure I'd heard that correction before. At this point, does he seriously not realize I'm calling him that on purpose? To think someone like him is a noble.
"Well, whatever. That's not important, so let's move on. I won't move a single step from this spot. Show me everything you've got. That way, Lord Rori-whatever can at least get some points, right?"
Lauren Heinir's face contorted. No, contorted was an understatement—it completely crumpled. He looked so consumed by rage he could have passed for a demon.
"You insolent bastard...!"
Just as Lauren was about to explode with fury, the referee's voice rang out.
"Begin!"
*Dash!* Lauren charged forward, activating his Aura right from the start. A clear red line traced through the air—a horizontal slash from right to left.
*Shring.* The moment I drew the Storm Sword Eterna, a sudden gale erupted, sweeping Lauren Heinir back.
"Guh! What... what did you do?!"
"I literally just drew my sword. Aren't you going to continue your attack?"
"...You son of a bitch."
Lauren charged again and again, but he couldn't get close. Every time I lightly swung my sword, a violent gust swept across the ground, making it hard for him to even keep his eyes open.
"Is that... the weapon's effect?!"
"Quick on the uptake this time, aren't we? Aren't you going to attack again?"
"Relying on a weapon's gimmick... How typical of an inferior adventurer's brat!"
My brow twitched. Did this bastard just insult my parents? I can tolerate a lot of things, but there's one thing I absolutely cannot stand: insults directed at parents. Even if they weren't my actual parents, the emotions of the original Hound surged within me, blending with my own. I had planned to play around with him before handing him a miserable defeat, but not anymore. Change of plans.
"I thought you'd at least know the difference between what should and shouldn't be said to another human being. But it seems you are far stupider than I thought. No, are you even human? Or just a beast?"
The moment the words left my mouth, I swung Eterna, channeling my Aura into the blade. A pure white slash tore through the arena, slamming directly into Lauren.
"Cough..."
Did he manage to block it? Judging by his Aura, it was a 3-Star Aura. He must have gone into some rage-fueled secluded training after our last encounter.
"You actually blocked that. Impressive."
"Praise from a bastard like you only disgusts me!"
Lauren Heinir charged relentlessly, refusing to give up. But what could he do? He couldn't even bypass the gales generated by Eterna. I hadn't moved a single step. I was completely dominating him using nothing but Eterna's wind and long-range Aura strikes.
Just then, the murmurs of the Edelian family knights in the spectator stands drifted over.
"Is that the kid? The one the Vice-Captain personally scouted..."
"Yeah. Seeing him in person, he's the real deal. He could easily join the active ranks right now."
"Is he really a commoner? Looking at his Aura, that talent is just absurd."
My shoulders squared with pride. Now this is what a protagonist should feel like. The main character of this story isn't Seri Verdia anymore—it's me. Leaving the praise behind, I looked ahead and saw Lauren, who was wheezing heavily, his breath sounding like scraping metal.
"Tired already?"
"Pant... pant..."
He was clearly exhausted. His pride must be in absolute tatters, considering he hadn't even managed to touch my sword, let alone land a proper hit.
"Then let's wrap this up."
I raised Eterna high into the sky. The blue steel of Eterna reflecting the brilliant sunlight looked so magnificent it could easily be mistaken for a holy sword.
I brought Eterna down in a perfectly straight line. A pure white slash tore through the arena, hurtling toward Lauren. Its power was on an entirely different level compared to before.
*BOOM!*
The moment the slash struck Lauren, a massive cloud of dust enveloped him, completely obscuring him from my view. As the dust storm settled, the swordsmanship instructor was standing there, having blocked the attack.
"Are you trying to kill him?!" the instructor roared.
"Pardon?"
"What were you thinking, unleashing a strike like that?!"
"I thought I held back quite a bit, actually."
The swordsmanship instructor shook his head at my response.
"Sigh... A second later, and the young master of the Heinir Viscountcy would have been permanently crippled."
Whoa, really? Just from that one strike? Lauren was technically at the 3-Star rank...
"My apologies. I didn't fully realize my own strength."
"As long as you understand. Be careful next time. You almost ruined your entire life."
As the blue barrier faded, the instructor slung the unconscious Lauren over his back and carried him out of the arena.
The arena, which had fallen dead silent after my strike, erupted into a deafening roar of cheers and applause at the commentator's announcement.
"This is insane. Is he really only seventeen?"
"What monstrous talent. The Edelian family must recruit him at all costs."
"Doesn't the Arcadia family need knights as well?"
Hearing my stock shoot up, the corners of my mouth twitched upward. I waved to the crowd as I made my exit.
Humiliating that arrogant viscount's brat felt incredibly therapeutic. Perhaps that was why the veal steak Mikaris bought me tasted even better than usual.
"Were you really that hungry?"
"Food always tastes best after a victory."
A bitter expression crossed Mikaris's face. Ronia, too, was unusually quiet.
"Is something wrong? Why is the mood so heavy?"
"Actually..."
"We're scheduled to face each other in the Round of 16."
"What?!"
The fork slipped from my hand. A duel between Mikaris and Ronia? I really didn't want to see my villainesses fighting each other... But what could I do? This, too, was a cruel twist of fate. I did my best to comfort them.
"These things happen. I think giving it your absolute all is the best way to show respect to each other."
"...I had a feeling this might happen when I saw the bracket, but still..."
"We've trained together and shared so much, so it's hard to accept that we have to fight each other now."
Despite their words, I could feel a strange spark of tension passing between their eyes. Was this a rival dynamic? I quickly spoke up to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"Haha, well, it's not like fighting in a tournament is going to ruin your friendship, right?"
"Indeed. Giving our best is the ultimate sign of respect."
"I'll do my best too, Mika."
Mikaris and Ronia resolved their feelings. I definitely had to watch this match. Deciding it was time to head out for my own training, I spoke up.
"I think I'll head out first today. I want to get straight to training."
"Really? We were planning to head straight to training as well."
"Then I'll see you both later. Thank you for the meal today, Lady Mika."
"Good luck with your training, Lord Hound!"
After bowing politely to them, I headed straight for the training grounds. The reason I was in such a hurry to get there was simple: I felt myself on the verge of reaching the 6-Star rank.
It seemed all my hard work and training hadn't been in vain; I had finally managed to build a mountain out of dust. Since I didn't have a private room in the dormitory yet, I had no choice but to gather my Aura at the training grounds. I sat down in a suitable spot and began to gather the energy throughout my body and the ambient mana, compressing it into my heart.
*Thump. Thump.* I kept knocking on the door of the 6-Star rank, but it was incredibly difficult. Since my 5-Star rank had been purchased through the Special Shop, my lack of actual experience was likely holding me back. Still, I didn't give up. If I could reach the 6-Star rank, I would be able to secure a noble title in the events to come.
"..." Cold sweat began to pour down my face. My shirt was completely drenched, and beads of sweat clung to my eyebrows.
*Thump. Thump.* I kept pounding on the door of the 6-Star rank. Just as I was about to collapse from sheer exhaustion after hammering at it for what felt like eternity...
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
An explosive surge of vitality erupted from my heart, enveloping my entire body.
Is this the 6-Star rank? A level of vitality incomparable to before surged through me. I could instinctively tell that I was now just a single step away from becoming a Sword Master. The physical and mental exhaustion from pushing my limits vanished in an instant. Even the sheer power felt when I clenched my fist was on an entirely different level.
"I'm really almost there." The realm of a Sword Master. Seven stars. The moment I reached that realm, I planned to go hunt a dragon immediately. I still hadn't given up on my dream of becoming a Magic Swordsman...
As I was catching my breath in the training grounds, Lady Line suddenly walked in.
"So this is where you were, Hound."
"Lady Line? It's been a while. What brings you here...?"
"Do I really need a reason to come see you?"
"Well, no, but..."
Line rummaged through her pockets and handed me a handkerchief.
"You've worked up quite a sweat. Wouldn't it be better to take off your shirt?"
"I suppose so. Thank you for the handkerchief."
Following her suggestion, I took off my shirt and began wiping away the sweat.
"Shall I wipe your back for you?"
"I couldn't possibly trouble your hands, Lady Line..."
"What's with the sudden distance between us? Give it here."
Line snatched the handkerchief from my hand, stepped behind me, and began wiping my back.
"Your back muscles are beautifully defined."
Of course they are. Do you have any idea how hard I worked to build them?
"Thank you for the compliment."
"All done."
Line looked at me with a triumphant expression.
"Please give me the handkerchief. I'll wash it and return it to you."
"No, there's no need. I like it just the way it is."
Line quickly hid the handkerchief behind her back.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Anyway, keep up the hard work. You still remember my proposal, right?"
Thinking back to her proposal made my face flush red again.
"Are you really that embarrassed? You're so cute, Hound."
"Please don't tease me. I am always serious."
"Haha, that's enough for me. I'll be taking my leave now."
Line left the training grounds, taking a deep sniff of my sweaty handkerchief as she walked away.
A wave of dread and goosebumps washed over me. What on earth did she come here for? And why did she sniff the handkerchief?
"..."
Well, whatever. I had achieved my immediate goal. The 6-Star rank.
"I'm looking forward to the rest of this Comprehensive Evaluation."