A Duel for His Heart
The tournament for the comprehensive ability evaluation continued. Since I had been the last slot in the first round, I was scheduled for the very first match of the Round of 16. Needless to say, I won without breaking a sweat. I couldn't even remember my opponent's name. What would have been the point of talking to them anyway? All I would have heard was, "A mere commoner!" And the next match... was the showdown between Lonia and Mikaris. They had seemed to grow quite close recently, so seeing them face off in the tournament was a twist of fate. Talk about a coincidence. Well, whatever. Right now, I was sitting in the spectator stands to watch their match.
"The highly anticipated second match of the Round of 16! It's a clash between Lady Merian, daughter of the Marquis, and Lady Cardelia, daughter of the Count!"
"There's nothing more exciting than a magic duel!"
"And I heard it's lightning versus fire! They make a great synergy together, but in a head-to-head fight, isn't fire at a disadvantage?"
"True... I think we all know who's going to win."
Whispers drifted through the crowd. Well, there was no entertainment quite like watching a fight, so I understood the excitement. Isn't it human nature to run over and watch whenever a brawl breaks out next door or at school? Then, a roar filled the stadium. As the commentator's voice boomed over the speakers, the two girls entered the arena. A blue barrier began to unfurl over the stage.
"Hey, Ronya. What do you think of Hound?"
"Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
"Just curious. You like Hound, don't you?"
"..."
A shadow fell over Lonia's eyes, dark as twilight.
"I want him. And I want him all to myself."
"The feeling is mutual."
As they exchanged those words—
"Begin!"
The referee's signal marked the start of the match. Simultaneously with the starting flare, Mikaris launched the first strike.
"Lightning Edge!"
Lightning flew like a razor-sharp blade, but Lonia wasn't about to just stand there and take it. She instantly conjured a veil of fire, blocking Mikaris's spell.
"Atomic Flare!"
A massive sphere of fire surged toward Mikaris. However, it moved too slowly. No one in their right mind would let themselves get hit by something that sluggish. It was clearly a smokescreen meant to obstruct her vision.
"Lightning Boost."
Electricity enveloped Mikaris's body as she repositioned in the blink of an eye. She immediately began drawing a magic circle. However, Lonia had already predicted her path and triggered her own spell.
"Flame Upper!"
A pillar of fire erupted. It was a basic, simple spell, but more than enough to deal damage to an unguarded Mikaris. Fortunately, Mikaris had deployed the standard barrier used by mages, sparing her from any major harm.
After trading spells, a suffocating tension settled between them. Then, Mikaris spoke.
"Hound... is mine."
Lonia's gaze turned ice-cold.
"I won't be giving him up so easily either. Flare Maelstrom!"
Flames erupted from the ground, swirling to trap Mikaris inside. But...
"Lightning Maximum."
Boom! Clad in the same lightning shroud I had seen before, Mikaris effortlessly shattered the fiery sphere enclosing her. With a single wave of her hand, she unleashed a barrage of lightning that tore up the arena floor.
The matchup was terrible. Magic attributes usually countered each other or created synergy, but lightning was an attribute that practically transcended counters. In other words, it had no major weaknesses. The only other attribute like it was wind.
Mikaris's lightning repeatedly intercepted and detonated Lonia's flames mid-air. None of Lonia's attacks could even reach her.
Both of them were at the 4-Circle stage. On the surface, they seemed equal, but even within the same 4-Circle level, the sheer volume of mana could vary wildly. Knowing this, Lonia refused to give up, relentlessly casting fire magic. Mikaris countered with lightning magic in perfect sync.
Crash! As their spells collided, it became clear that neither side could easily overpower the other. At this rate, it would simply come down to a war of attrition—whoever ran out of mana first would lose.
Right then, Mikaris began drawing a massive magic circle while maintaining her lightning barrier.
"You're really going all out, Mika!"
"Of course! We're fighting for Hound, so I have to take this seriously!"
Lonia began drawing a massive magic circle of her own to match Mikaris's. The moment both of their colossal magic circles were complete, their voices echoed in unison.
"Chain Lightning Apocalypse!"
"Inferno Rise!"
KABOOM! The collision of their ultimate spells unleashed a blinding storm of mana that completely obscured the arena. A moment later, the storm cleared. The one left standing was Mikaris.
"Hound is mine..."
The match was decided. The winner was Mikaris. Lonia hadn't suffered any severe injuries, but she seemed to have fainted from mana exhaustion. And so, their explosive, magic-fueled duel came to an end.
I handed a towel to Mikaris as she stepped out of the arena.
"Good work, Lady Mika."
"Yes, thank you."
Mikaris wiped away the sweat and dust with the towel.
"Since I won, don't I get a reward?"
"A reward?"
"...Never mind."
Mikaris naturally extended her hand.
"Escort me."
"Ah, yes!"
I took her hand and walked her back to the dormitory.
"Ah, I feel like a new person after that shower."
"Shall I brew some tea? It's best to keep your body warm after washing up."
"That sounds lovely. But do you even know how to brew tea?"
"I picked up the basics from Larry."
"Hmm..."
I began steeping the tea. Watching me closely, Mikaris seemed curious about how it would taste. I carefully poured the meticulously brewed tea and handed her the teacup.
"Give it a try. It's absolutely exquisite."
Mikaris savored the aroma before taking a sip.
"...It's actually quite good."
"Right? I told you, I'm good at everything."
Though it's actually just the effect of my system perks...
I asked Mikaris as she sipped her tea.
"By the way, you were talking to Lady Lonia during the match. What were you two discussing? The roaring crowd and the magic explosions made it hard to hear..."
"Just trivial things. Like who gets to be your owner."
"What does that even mean...?"
"Exactly what I said. Trivial things."
Mikaris continued drinking her tea as if nothing had happened. Did she really like my tea that much? It had to be the system perk. As I was marveling at the power of my perks, Mikaris spoke up.
"Go see Ronya. She's probably waiting for you."
"Lady Ronya?"
"Yes. She's probably waiting with bated breath."
Lonia was waiting for me? I wondered what had happened...
"...Then I'll be on my way."
With that, I headed over to Lonia's room just as Mikaris had suggested.
Standing outside Lonia Cardelia's room, I knocked gently on the door.
"Lady Ronya, it's me. Hound."
"Oh, please come in."
When I opened the door and stepped inside, I found Lonia lying on the sofa with a damp towel draped over her forehead.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"I think I overexerted myself. The dizziness just won't go away."
She was right. Her skin was naturally pale, so I hadn't noticed at first, but her face was completely devoid of color.
"Is it mana exhaustion?"
"Yes. Even now, the room is spinning."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Lonia slowly sat up on the sofa.
"Then please, sit next to me."
"Pardon?"
"Hurry."
The moment I sat down, Lonia rested her head against my shoulder.
"I really tried my best. But I lost."
Was losing to Mikaris really that painful for her? Right now, the only thing I could do was listen.
"I really... wanted to win this fight."
I offered her some quiet comfort.
"It's alright. There will always be another chance."
Lonia looked up at me in silence.
"Lady Ronya?"
Suddenly, she wrapped her arms tightly around me.
"Lady Ronya...?"
"...Just let me stay like this for a moment."
A sweet fragrance drifted from her. The scent wafting from Lonia's neck and shoulders felt almost intoxicating. This was highly dangerous for a red-blooded young man like Hound.
"My lady, we should..."
"Ah, right!" Lonia gasped, hurriedly pushing me away.
"I'm sorry. I lost myself for a moment."
"No, it's fine. It happens. Haha..."
A bitter shadow crossed Lonia's face.
"Oh, look at me. You must be busy preparing for your next match, Hound. You should head back! I need to get some rest anyway."
"You're right. You look very pale, Lady Ronya, so resting is definitely for the best. I'll take my leave now."
When I returned to our room, Mikaris questioned me.
"Did Ronya say anything else?"
"Like what?"
"...Never mind."
The atmosphere felt incredibly bizarre. If I had known it would be like this, I would have paid closer attention to their match dialogue. Driven by curiosity, I asked Mikaris.
"Are you sure nothing happened between you and Lady Ronya?"
"I already told you. Nothing in particular."
How mysterious. Every time Lonia's name came up, things got awkward.
"..."
I decided to change the subject.
"By the way, aren't you going to watch the other Round of 16 matches?"
"No. I feel like it'll be the same regardless of who advances."
"Still, wouldn't it be better to go watch?"
"The chances of someone I can easily beat advancing are slim. After all, their opponent is from one of the Four Great Ducal Families."
"..."
She was right. *Mikaris has a tough opponent ahead of her.* Her opponent in the quarterfinals would be Saint Richmond. He was the eldest son of the Richmond family, a prestigious archery household among the Four Great Ducal Families. Based on the original novel up to chapter 78, he was the only male lead who hadn't fallen for the original heroine. Instead, he had consistently played the role of a reliable ally.
*And then there's his ability.* Hawk Eye, the eye that pierces through all illusions. It rendered any magic affecting the eyes completely useless—whether it was hallucinations, charm, or petrification. On top of that, it even blocked curses. That said it all.
*Isn't that even more broken than the Eye that Sees Crisis?* It was a shame the Special Shop didn't have Hawk Eye. If it did, I might not have suffered so miserably in the Mountains of Howling. I wanted to bury those past events deep in my mind, but since the thought had crossed my head, I decided to open the Special Shop and scroll down to look for Hawk Eye, just in case.
"..."
It was there.
*How did I miss this? But the price is a bit awkward. 300 coins? Seeing how it's 100 coins more expensive than the Eye that Sees Crisis... well, I don't really regret not buying it earlier.*
*The Eye that Sees Crisis was 200 coins, and the Proficiency Package was 300 coins...* Maybe I'll buy it later when I get more coins. Hawk Eye in my left eye, Eye that Sees Crisis in my right eye. It sounds a bit like a severe case of eighth-grader syndrome, but... isn't that every man's romance?
As I stared blankly at the Special Shop interface, Mikaris called out to me.
"Hound? What are you so deeply lost in thought about that you aren't even answering me?"
"Ah, did you call me?"
"Yes. I'm heading out to train now. Why don't you start training too?"
"You're right. I need to prepare for the quarterfinals as well."
My quarterfinal opponent was... some nameless extra. Honestly, there was no need to even memorize their name.
*I think they were a spearman...* Well, I'll just beat them up like usual.