༺ Last Class Standing (8) ༻
Apparently, Erich’s summoning spell was triggered by the provocations of Rutis and Lather.
To me, who was suddenly summoned, it felt like a bolt from the blue—annoying and inconvenient. I received VIP treatment wherever I went, and yet, they audaciously picked me like I was just another option from the shelf.
But as time passed, I found myself increasingly intrigued. If anyone watched that scene without feeling anything, then that would be even more surprising.
“Block it! Block it even if it means using your body!”
“Don’t dodge! It’s better to die standing than to live sitting down!”
I hadn’t realized that the academy students were so competitive. Or maybe only the particularly aggressive ones were selected for this four-person event.
The brawl that unfolded was fiercely intense. Every class collided without holding back, as if they were determined to land a blow even at the cost of taking one themselves, aiming to knock their opponent’s block off.
‘The empire’s future looks bright, indeed.’
I found myself nodding in satisfaction. The empire’s future seemed promising. These classes just might be the Academy’s golden generation.
Watching the practical exams felt like striking gold. This time, I also saw potential candidates worthy of recommendation letters everywhere.
“The students are very enthusiastic.”
“Thank you for seeing them in such a positive light.”
The man standing beside me responded when I casually spoke. He was the homeroom teacher of 1st year class 3, who was now part of my unexpected team.
I smiled bitterly at his tense demeanor. He wasn’t just some random person I met; he was my younger brother’s homeroom teacher. Seeing him tiptoe around me was awkward, and it almost made me feel like one of those difficult parents.
But telling him to relax wouldn’t really change anything. It’d be like having a Manager of a division ask a Team Manager, ‘Am I that scary to you?’
“They’re not coming our way, so let’s just wait.”
“That’s a wise decision.”
I felt a bit embarrassed by the automatic flattery.
Perhaps it’d be best to keep my mouth shut.
***
Something is wrong.
‘Damn it.’
The plan was perfect. The academy had 18 classes across years 1 to 3 with four participants per class, for a total of 72.
Even counting out the two royal family members and the Prosecutors’ Executive Manager’s class, that still left 16 classes. That was 60 people fighting in one arena.
I thought that launching relentless attacks without concern for my own safety would quickly bring me down. Having sparred with Prince Rutis, I was confident in my ability to fall naturally.
‘These jerks.’
Well, everyone had the same idea. All 60 of us, including me, acted as if the slightest attack was a fatal blow in order to go down before anyone else.
Gritting my teeth, I glared at Robert, who had collapsed next to me. When our eyes met, he groaned awkwardly and rolled onto his side.
‘You traitor.’
I had a chance to fall. An attack came that would allow me to pretend to be hit and roll away.
I relaxed my grip, happy to finally be able to rest like the others.
“Charles, it’s dangerous!”
Then, this asshole jumped out and took the hit for me. I would’ve kicked him if no one was watching. This bastard.
“Oh, if it isn’t Charles!”
‘Dammit.’
Being the last man standing drew the attention of the people I’d been trying to avoid at all costs.
“Thank you for remembering.”
“It’s only natural! You were my first duel opponent, after all. I knew you were skilled, but I didn’t expect you to be this good.”
Prince Rutis burst into a hearty laugh, seemingly refreshing to those who watched.
Of course, it was different for me. It went beyond refreshing, to downright chilling.
‘Of all the things to remember.’
I really tried my best on the practical exam. I rolled around to make it look like I was fighting tooth and nail. I would’ve lost even if I had fought with all my might, but causing any harm to the prince during the duel would have been the end of me.
I thought I had managed to get through that ordeal unnoticed, but he even remembered my name. Not just in passing, but he even called it out right here in the arena.
…Ordinary acting won’t do. With the increased expectations and curiosity about me, any half-hearted attempt could backfire.
‘On the other side…’
I quickly scanned the surroundings. Unlike Prince Rutis, who had taken an interest in me, Prince Lather was observing the Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager’s camp.
That’s right. The Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager would be a bigger threat than me. That was a logical assessment.
And when my eyes met with the Executive Manager’s, my heart nearly stopped.
‘Dammit.’
I felt a chill. The fact that our eyes met as soon as I turned to look at him meant that he had been watching me all along.
His eyes even seemed to be appraising me, making me feel as if I had fallen into a swamp.
‘This is exactly why I tried to fall quickly.’
Being the last one standing would inevitably attract the Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager’s attention. That much was common sense. But Robert, that traitor, ruined my plan.
I managed to steady my trembling hands. If I’ve caught the Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager’s eye, then I needed to make a quick exit.
‘I need to fall quickly.’
My goal remained the same, but now I had to act convincingly enough that even the Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager wouldn’t find it awkward.
The difficulty level suddenly increased. That damned Robert.
“You must want a revenge match, don’t you?”
‘I don’t.’
I almost shook my head at Prince Rutis’s lightly spoken words. What madman would want a rematch after losing to royalty? I should be praying in gratitude for getting off easily.
However, Prince Rutis’s eyes were already filled with anticipation, as if he’d be disappointed if I didn’t challenge him.
A prince who wanted me to challenge him, another prince who didn’t seem to care, and a monster that might subject my family to inspection if provoked.
‘This is maddening.’
But if I had to clash with one of them, I would rather it be Prince Rutis. The other two seemed like a dead end.
“Here I go.”
I charged towards Prince Rutis.
I’d rather choose the lesser of the three hells.
***
Indeed, he was commendable. If he had been a noble in Armein instead of the Empire, he would have made a name for himself as a fine knight.
‘Charles Olreed.’
It was definitely a name worth remembering.
Seeing Charles lying on the ground with a peaceful expression was satisfying. He had lost the rematch, and yet he accepted the outcome gracefully.
He was really good. Facing a worthy opponent made me feel satisfied regardless of the outcome, and I even won. How could I not be happy?
“That was a good match.”
“It’s an honor.”
The words brought a smile to my face.
But now was not the time to be complacent.
‘Is this just the beginning?’
I turned my gaze towards Lather and the advisor, who had been waiting for the results of my duel with Charles.
They could have interfered if they wanted, either by joining the fray or casting magic from a distance.
But their choice to watch implied that they wanted a one-on-one match. It was understandable. I would have done the same if I were in their position.
‘Hmm.’
Frankly, my odds against Lather were fifty-fifty. Duels with mages were too unpredictable, and Lather’s skills were nothing to scoff at. I can’t guarantee a win, but considering my abilities, I’m confident I wouldn’t lose, either.
On the other hand—
‘I’m confident.’
The sight of my advisor put me at ease. Unlike Lather, I felt confident against the advisor.
Confident that I would lose.
‘Did I provoke him unnecessarily?’
I chuckled to myself while turning my gaze towards Erich, who was standing behind the advisor.
Erich responded with a ‘What are you going to do about it?’ expression. Sure, I told him to call anyone, but I hadn’t expected him to call the advisor.
‘He’d make an excellent soldier.’
It was a method that no one else thought of but was definitely effective. If Erich chose the path of a soldier, he would make an outstanding commander.
…But anyways, this was too much. Even the most creative tactics had their limits.
Who else would bring the killer of Kagan to an academy match?
‘Winning is impossible.’
I’m well aware of the monster Kagan was. How could anyone beat the advisor who killed that monster? It’d be impossible to imagine a future where I’d win the four-person event against the advisor.
Naturally, I can’t see Lather winning, either. The victory of the four-person battle clearly belonged to Louise’s team.
‘So it ends in a draw.’
Our team and Lather’s team had the same points. The winner of the four-person event would’ve been the champion of the team competition, but it looks like we’ll both gracefully lose, ending in a draw. What a hollow ending.
Still, the opportunity to fight the advisor was a pleasant one. Where else would I get the chance to face off against Kagan’s killer without the risk of dying?
A duel with a strong opponent could be a stepping stone to reach higher levels.
“Advisor, may I ask for a match?”
“By all means.”
His light nod brought a smile to my face. Even if I lose today, I’m sure it’d be a pleasant defeat.
But… something felt off.
“Don’t you need a weapon?”
The advisor was unarmed. It made sense that he was unprepared because he joined suddenly, but he could have borrowed a sword from Erich by now, right?
However, the advisor simply glanced me over and spoke indifferently.
“I don’t need it.”
Those words were a bit of a blow to my pride.
“Oh, I had no idea the advisor was a fighter.”
“You wouldn’t know. I’m mainly a swordsman, after all.”
Hmm.
I could feel my teammates widening the distance behind me even more.
A new goal formed before me: to land at least one effective hit on the advisor.
“I clearly warned you.”
No one would blame the advisor if I got cut. After all, I was the one who pointed out first that he was unarmed.
Of course, the advisor must be confident in his abilities since he was going to fight me like this. So, should I be cautious—?
‘What…?’
Suddenly, something vaguely familiar popped up in front of my eyes, and my view flipped along with the sensation of being grabbed by the collar.
My feet, which had been planted on the ground, were now dangling in the air, and my view shifted from the advisor to somewhere entirely different.
‘What’s happen—
BOOM—!
—ni…ng…?’
***
I brushed off pieces of the arena floor, or what used to be it, from my shoulder.
‘At least there’s no explosion.’
Fortunately, Rutis was unharmed and only the floor was destroyed.
Right, this made sense. No matter how you looked at it, using weapons would result in injuring him with cuts somewhere. It was best to stick with my safe and trusted bare hands.
And there was no need for a drawn-out battle, either. Dragging it out would just lead to jeers about playing favorites with royalty.
So, I ended it quickly. I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the ground.
There were no visible injuries or cuts, so it seemed perfect. Up to that point, everything was fine.
‘Is he dead?’
He wasn’t moving, so I couldn’t tell whether he was knocked out or dead.
…No way. It couldn’t be that something inside him burst, could it?
Feeling uneasy, I poked Rutis’s shoulder, who was lying crumpled on the ground.
“…”
Blood gushed from Rutis’s mouth.
And that was with me holding back as much as I could.
‘Damn it.’
This was bad. This wouldn’t just end with a simple report.
…Still, a small sense of satisfaction grew within me.
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