In the end, we couldn't enter the infirmary to see how Atro was doing.
"Ugh, so annoying," Cole muttered, clenching his fists.
That meant the next time we could see him would be after the duels were over.
"Let's go back, or we'll have our seats taken," Kaida whispered.
Seeing her act so shy, I couldn't help but remember how different she became once the plot advanced—how crazy her personality shift was in the game.
Speaking of the duels...
Up until now, the outcomes ended up being all the same: Class A defeated the lowest-ranked students in Class S.
When we got back to the stands, we saw that, thankfully, no one had taken our seats.
"Is this really the level of the S class?" asked a well-dressed parent behind us, clearly from a wealthy family.
"This is the weakest the S class has ever been. Nothing compared to last year."
"Even Prince Julius Der Botcam, in his first days as a first-year, could've taken on the whole class by himself."
"Even the upper ranks of the class seem weak. That peasant kid—I've never even heard his name before."
"Of course not. He's not a noble. But a peasant making it to the S class?"
"And it's not just the S class. The whole first year is unacceptable. Did you hear they let that sinner Thican into the academy?"
At that, Kaida flinched and lowered her head. She was wearing an extra hooded layer over her uniform to hide her easily identifiable pink hair.
She quickly yanked the hood forward, covering herself even more.
"I honestly pity my child for being in the same year as that girl. Thank God she's in Class E, and mine's in Class B."
"Hopefully there's a teacher out there with enough sense to stop her from climbing the ranks."
With every comment, Kaida hunched over more, until her face was completely hidden.
As much as I wanted to call them out and tell them to shut up, causing a scene would only make Kaida feel worse.
All I could do, sitting just to her right, was gently rest my hand on her back.
The moment I touched her, she flinched.
"!!!"
She snapped her head toward me, eyes wide.
Even under the hood's shadow, her yellow eyes and flushed cheeks stood out.
I gave her a gentle smile and started patting her back.
Leaning in, I whispered, "Don't listen to them."
When I pulled away, her face was redder than before. Her hands trembled as she clutched her hood, yanking it down to hide even more.
"Th-thank you..." she whispered softly, her voice trembling.
I let out a small chuckle. "Don't mention it. Anyone would've done the same."
"The fourth and final duel between student Pedro Drepo from the S class and student Cremia Dolche from the A class is about to begin!" the teacher announced, raising his hand.
Both students were already on their designated sides.
After the usual explanation of the fifteen-second rule, the duel began.
The fight was relatively average—nothing out of the ordinary.
Both students excelled in swordsmanship, so the match was more a display of skill than magic. In fact, it was the duel with the least magic used: only three spells, not counting the two freebies at the start.
Cole resumed taking notes. Tirino still hadn't returned, so our group consisted of Kaida, Yani, Cole, Silva, and me.
The duel ended with a fourth victory for Class A. The final strike was a clean slash during a sword clash. Cremia was bruised and cut up, but victorious.
"Four for four. The S class lost every single duel..." Yani commented, glancing at me.
"As much as I hate the gossip about how weak the S class is..." I let out a long sigh mid-sentence, "...they're right. This is unheard of at the academy."
There's supposed to be a massive gap between these two classes. Even the top of the A class should feel overwhelmed by the lowest ranked of the S class.
That's how the game portrayed the S class. You couldn't even recruit them until mid-game—some not until late-game—and even then, their strength didn't always match the hype.
Most S-class students were either great but a pain to recruit, or ridiculously overpowered for when you could get them.
I guess this just confirms the rumor that the gap between top and bottom S-class students is wider than the gap between S and A class entirely.
After the final duel, the teacher announced that results would be decided by the director herself. That's why there had been no promotions or demotions announced yet.
They wanted to reveal everything at once, with someone as important as the director doing the honors.
Everyone came to the same conclusion—head to the classroom where Director Goldenlaw was meeting with the royals from the other kingdoms.
We followed the crowd.
Soon enough, the entire hallway leading to that classroom was packed.
Everyone waited anxiously for the door to open, for the most powerful people in Terra to emerge.
Eventually, the door opened.
The first to step out were King Nemeor and his son, Lyon Alva.
"Hoo... so many people waiting for us," the king said, followed by a small whistle. He and his son scanned the hallway—both stopping when they saw me.
Next came Queen Leidis Boscosa of the Elven Kingdom, followed closely by her daughter, Yulibeth.
Right behind her was Julius Der Botcam, standing far too close. If I remember correctly from the game, they were childhood friends.
Then came the king, with Theo and Cecil walking alongside him.
The sound of metallic armor echoed as the last figure emerged—Isadora Von Themys. Her sword was sheathed, her eyes closed, brows furrowed with barely restrained anger.
Fran followed behind her, standing straight and wearing a polite expression. But I knew better. Fran's cold and distant expression was just how she looked naturally. Isadora, on the other hand, actually was angry.
When Isadora opened her eyes and saw the gathered crowd, her mood seemed to darken even more.
At first, I thought she wouldn't do anything reckless. Despite being a main villain in the game, she didn't act out much at the start. She wasn't supposed to do anything... yet.
That's what I thought—until she spotted me.
She stormed forward with heavy, armor-clad steps, each one louder than the last.
She reached for the hilt of her sword.
The pressure she gave off was suffocating. Everyone around me froze—including me.
"[Gust]!"
A sudden burst of wind erupted in front of me, shielding us from what was about to happen.
Isadora unsheathed her sword in a flash, slashing horizontally—straight at me.
The gust saved everyone else, pushing them back out of harm's way. But I was her target. And she, never missed her target.
Her blade cut across my chest.
"Ackh!" I cried out, grabbing at the wound as blood began to flow.
"Alen!" Theo and Cecil called out, rushing forward.
Others were too paralyzed by fear to move.
"Despite how much he poisons the academy, you still choose to protect him, Goldenlaw?" Isadora hissed, turning her head to look back.
Hellen Goldenlaw stood straight, hand outstretched, her left eye open.
"What kind of director wouldn't defend her students, Queen Isadora?" she asked, a smirk on her lips.
"I'm doing you a favor," Isadora said coldly, "by getting rid of the root cause of all your problems in the first year."
Despite being wounded, no one came to help me.
Theo and Cecil stayed beside King Edgar. Both wore anxious expressions—Cecil even looked ready to leap forward at any moment—but neither of them moved.
Kaida's group was the same. They didn't move, not because they didn't care, but because of the paralyzing fear and overwhelming pressure Isadora exerted.
Even Fran, though she clenched her fists, only looked away.
Not that I blame them. I understand exactly why none of them are helping—why they're not stepping in.
What broke the tense silence was a sudden burst of laughter from Julius Der Botcam.
"Hahaha! So much for your friends, right, Alen?" he said, stepping forward with a smug grin.
"I told you—your view is childish. You think friendship is just about wanting to spend time together? Bah! Don't make me laugh."
Everyone looked at him in silence, even Isadora and Director Goldenlaw.
"The only reason to form friendships is mutual benefit. They offer you something, and you offer something in return. Look at you—bleeding out—and not one of your 'friends' is helping you." Julius ended with another long, mocking laugh.
"You turned down my offer to stand beside me... for this?"
How annoying...
"If... if I had taken your deal, if I'd left everyone behind to stand by your side... would you help me right now?"
"Of co—"
"Honestly, it doesn't matter what you answer. I don't care about hypotheticals. I qpologize for wating time." I interrupted before he could finish.
"If I asked any of them whether they'd help me in this situation, I'm sure they'd say yes too. But reality is different."
"That's because they're all weaklings who can't compare to elites like me!"
I lowered my gaze to the ground. My hand was soaked in blood, and more was still flowing from the wound Isadora had caused.
"If... if I take your offer right now, would you help me?" I asked, my hand tightening into a fist—blood spurting from the creases under the pressure.
"it'd be as si—"
"Remember this, Prince Julius Der Botcam," I said coldly, cutting him off again. "Helping me right now might start a war between the Montanev and Raychmen kingdoms. Even if it doesn't, your father will be the one left to deal with your recklessness. Worst case? You're exiled. No more royal privilege. No more support."
I looked him straight in the eye.
"However... I promise to give you everything. I'll leave everything I have behind and follow you. I'll give you the secrets to incantationless casting. The method for skipping magic tiers. All of it. In return, I want your protection."
"Choose wisely, Prince."
Julius faltered, clearly thrown off by the proposition. His confident smirk faded as he looked around, trying to gauge the consequences—trying to find the right answer.
But there wasn't one.
Sure, helping me could get him something massive in return... but was it worth it?
Was the risk of being disowned—or worse, starting a war—worth the promise of power?
No matter how much stronger he was than everyone else, this wasn't something he could afford to get involved in.
And honestly... that's better.
Even if he did agree to help me, I would just reject him.
There are people who matter more to me than him.
People who aren't helping me—because they shouldn't.
Right now, stepping in would be foolish. And I'm glad they're not fools.
"Queen Isadora Von Themys," I said, turning to face her. "I'm sorry if you don't see me in a good light. But I'm a student of Aurum Academy, and I plan on staying—no matter what."
I bowed my head slightly, despite the pain from the wound she gave me.
A moment of silence followed.
No one moved.
No one even seemed to breathe.