The beautiful marquis's daughter casually pressed down the hand Ethan had raised to point at his own nose, then tightened her hold around his arm.
Her gaze toward him shifted subtly, winding and turning, clearly conveying a pointed warning.
It had to be said—Giselle Moore, blinking her large eyes like that, was a breathtaking sight.
Unfortunately, the boy at her side was utterly lacking in tact. His face was frozen in shock, and it looked as though the next second he might blurt out, "I'm not! It's not me!"
Luckily, she had prepared for this.
Her fair, slender fingers appeared to lift Ethan's chin gently, but in reality, she was firmly bracing it. As long as she didn't let go, not a single word would escape his mouth.
By now, the training field was completely surrounded by onlookers. Students from all four academies had gathered—humans, dwarves, gnomes, half-elves, and more.
As one of the top institutions among the thirty-two nations of the Silver Alliance, Solmar Royal Academy and Saint Redd Academy had always stood as the kingdom's highest seats of learning.
Solmar Royal Academy itself was divided into four branches.
The Noble Division, the Knight Division, the Arcane Division, and the Sage Division.
The Noble Division was a place of bloodline and glory, gathering heirs from powerful and illustrious families.
The Knight Division upheld strength and courage, cultivating elite warriors who would one day charge across battlefields in full armor.
The Arcane Division was a temple of wisdom and mystery, accessible only to those geniuses blessed with extraordinary arcane affinity.
The Sage Division, a cradle of scholarship and learning, forged the kingdom's future scholars and civil officials.
Anyone who could enter this academy was, without exception, considered a pillar of the kingdom's future.
Especially Sir Finn.
When he first entered the Knight Division at sixteen, he had already been a level-one professional.
In just four short years, he had grown into a level-five Arcane Knight, earning the title of Academy Guardian Knight. One more step forward, and he would become a household name among the kingdom's elite professionals.
Becoming a master-level professional—or even transcendent—was far from impossible.
Though his birth limited him to being only the son of a knight without inheritance rights, his astonishing talent, coupled with the guidance of the Knight Division's headmaster—a transcendent himself—had led to this engagement.
Giselle neither disliked nor particularly liked him.
As the second daughter of a marquis, marriage had never been something she could decide for herself.
Even this broken engagement had been something she accepted obediently, like a lamb.
All she hoped was that after today's performance, the remaining two years of freedom she had at the academy could be spent in peace.
"Sir Finn, thank you for your affection, gentle as rainfall. I sincerely wish that you will soon meet the woman destined for you."
"As you can see, Ethan is my boyfriend. Our relationship is very good, and I have no intention of leaving him."
"So please, do not trouble me again."
Her cool voice spoke words of finality. As Giselle finished, a heavy silence fell over the surroundings.
Only Ethan—his chin still held—continued moving his lips, soundlessly, as if under a silencing spell.
Though Giselle was a student of the Noble Division, a careful observer would notice the emerald ring on her left hand, glowing faintly with a spell-like shimmer.
Across from them, the blond Arcane Knight lowered his head, as if unwilling to let others see his expression.
After a long while, he slowly raised his head and looked deeply at the red-haired marquis's daughter.
"I understand, Miss Giselle."
"I will not disturb you again in the future."
Then, turning slightly, he looked at Ethan, whose arms were still entwined with Giselle's, his gaze calm.
"My blessings to you, Mage Ethan…"
"You now possess what countless others dream of. Cherish it."
With that, he turned and left without another glance.
Only Ethan remained behind, desperately moving his lips, still unable to make a sound.
As Sir Finn departed, the students gradually began to disperse, though every single one of them was whispering animatedly.
The man from the earlier gossiping pair was especially enthusiastic—his mouth working like a high-pressure water cannon, spraying saliva as he talked.
Ethan grew even more anxious. His lips opened and closed dramatically, clearly trying to explain something.
"Damn it, you—"
He abruptly shut his mouth.
His voice had returned, but the relief didn't last. Just as he was about to shout an explanation to the crowd—
That lovely face framed by loose red hair was staring straight at him, her blinking eyes filled with reproach.
"Is it really that unbearable," she asked softly, "to be my boyfriend, Mage Ethan… Sir?"
The last two words were ground out through clenched teeth. If not for the silencing ring earlier, everything would have fallen apart already.
Her left hand drifted casually to his waist, pinched a spot that was neither fat nor thin, and twisted hard.
"Ah—!"
"Not unbearable at all, Miss Giselle!"
In truth, there was even a hint of secret delight.
The surrounding whispers, the devouring gazes of countless male students—it all made the situation painfully clear.
But fake was fake. It would never become real.
Better to gain something tangible.
After all, from today onward, he would be the public enemy of nearly every man in the academy.
If he were as powerful as Sir Finn, few would dare openly challenge or question him.
But he wasn't.
Ethan was nothing more than a barely qualified magic apprentice who had learned exactly one cantrip.
Since the deed was already done, shouting himself hoarse wouldn't change anything.
In that case, he might as well exchange it for something practical.
Wasn't there a saying? If you lose the person, at least keep the money.
So Ethan spoke carefully, preparing to resolve his urgent financial crisis through the marquis's daughter.
"Miss Giselle, it is an immense honor to be your boyfriend…"
"…Could you lend me two hundred gold coins?"
Two hundred gold coins equaled four thousand silver coins.
(Note: 1 gold coin = 20 silver coins = 400 copper coins)
The red-haired noblewoman froze, staring at Ethan in a daze, clearly unprepared for such a request.
Seeing no response, Ethan assumed he had asked for too much and quickly lowered the price.
"Twenty-three gold coins would also work. I need it urgently."
According to the magic shop's prices, two hundred gold coins could buy a thousand blank magic cards. Twenty-three gold coins would buy one hundred.
Right now, gold and power were both necessities.
Two and a half months later would be the Month of Withering—the start of the new academic year.
The annual tuition alone was a staggering one hundred gold coins.
And this time, he would have to earn it himself.
Before Giselle could answer, a tall man clad in warrior gear strode over aggressively.
"Ethan, I challenge you to a duel!"
He pointed at Ethan, his expression vicious, as though Ethan owed him ten thousand gold coins.
Ethan sized him up carefully.
Nearly two meters tall, immensely muscular, and with an air of simple-mindedness that perfectly matched the stereotype of a Knight Division student.
"I refuse."
Ethan rejected him without hesitation.
Letting a spell-less apprentice duel a warrior was the kind of tale even bards wouldn't dare sing.
"You despicable, shameless &￥#@*&—!"
Upon hearing the refusal, the towering warrior erupted into a torrent of curses. To be fair, his vocabulary was impressive—he didn't repeat a single insult for nearly half a quarter-hour.
The shouting quickly drew the dispersing crowd back together. Trouble-loving spectators surrounded Ethan, pointing and whispering.
Even Giselle, standing beside him, now watched calmly, her eyes holding the faintest trace of expectation.
So what now?
There was no way he was going to duel those brutish warriors for nothing.
"Do you have two hundred gold coins?"
"…No?"
"…Then you must have twenty-five gold coins, right?"
A calculating glint flashed in Ethan's eyes as he pressed on eagerly.
"If you don't even have twenty-five gold coins to put up as a wager, how dare you challenge someone to a duel?"