The next day, Lusian and the others returned to the academy to resume their school activities. Emily, following her brother, ran into Alejandro in the main hallway.
—Emily, how are you? —he asked kindly—. I heard what happened. The whole capital is shaken by the appearance of those malicious beings.
—Yes, it was horrible —she replied, lowering her voice slightly—. They were killing people and turning them into the undead. Luckily, Lusian decided to put an end to them. He led his troops in a magnificent way.
Alejandro smiled, though with a hint of discomfort.
—It seems like you're praising him too much. Maybe he's just trying to act like a good person to win you over.
Emily frowned.
—He knows perfectly well that he doesn't want to marry me, and he still says that. Besides, you weren't there. You didn't see how he behaved.
Without waiting for a response, Emily walked away toward her quarters, leaving Alejandro and Manuel behind.
—Looks like she's getting very close to that idiot —Manuel muttered, a mix of jealousy and concern in his voice.
—Why won't she acknowledge our efforts? —Alejandro replied, annoyed.
—Relax —Manuel said coldly—. When we're done with the Douglas, she will.
Later, in classroom 1A, Professor Carla was teaching history.
—Seven hundred and fourteen years ago —she began—, due to constant barbarian invasions into our territory, the four great clans decided to unite to face them. After defeating and expelling them, they founded what we now know as the Kingdom of Carpatia. The creation of the kingdom was not bloody; over time, neighboring tribes, seeking protection, joined through treaties and alliances that still endure. Representing the oldest families are the three duchies and, of course, the royal family...
In the distance, Lusian was struggling to stay awake, resting his head on his arm. Emily, sitting beside him, nudged him with her elbow.
—Don't fall asleep, pay attention.
—It's very boring —he muttered—. Can't we just skip this class?
—Don't be lazy, Lusian —she replied, frowning.
—When you spend the day running from a destructive maniac chasing you nonstop, listening to a class is the least of your concerns —he complained, half-serious.
—Is Kara still bothering you?
—Yes. She hasn't learned her lesson. It's... annoying.
At that moment, the professor's voice interrupted them.
—Well, since we have among us a representative of one of the ancient duchies —she said with a slight smile—, perhaps young Lusian can answer: what reasons justify a territorial war and what are its procedures?
Lusian blinked, somewhat surprised, but quickly read Emily's notes and replied:
—Teacher, there are several reasons. The first would be territorial defense; the second, protecting honor and prestige; and the third, resolving disputes that could not be settled peacefully. As for procedures, the king and the nobles involved must be informed of the declaration of war.
Professor Carla nodded, slightly impressed.
—It seems you are somewhat informed, Mr. Lusian —she said with a smile—. But try to pay attention in class, not just read your classmate's notebook.
Lusian let out a sigh while Emily tried to hide a smile.
Lusian sought refuge in the library, the only place where, at least for a while, he could escape Kara's relentless pursuit. The silence, the soft scent of old paper, and the dim light filtering through the windows seemed to promise him a moment of peace. However, his tranquility didn't last long.
A cheerful voice broke the silence.
—Lord Lusian, what a pleasure to see you! —exclaimed Isabella, approaching with a wide smile.
Lusian looked up from the book he was holding and replied politely:
—Miss Isabella, the pleasure is mine. How are you today?
—Very well, thank you —she replied, a sincere sparkle in her eyes—. Actually, I came to apologize for what happened the other day. I truly regret it.
—There's no need to worry —Lusian answered, gently closing the book—. It wasn't your fault. Though I must admit, Prince Leonardo's attitude surprised me... it was quite aggressive. Is he always like that?
Isabella sighed with some frustration.
—Yes, always. The prince and Lord Caleb make sure to scare away any man who tries to speak with me. It's... exhausting.
—I'm sorry for my brother's behavior —Lusian said in a sympathetic tone—. And it seems the saying is true.
—What saying, Lord Lusian? —Isabella asked, tilting her head curiously.
Lusian smiled faintly.
—That beauty can sometimes be a curse. And in your case, I'm afraid it applies perfectly.
A brief silence formed between them, broken by Isabella's playful smile.
—Maybe —she replied in a teasing tone—. By the way, when do you plan to visit the art room? I'm sure Prince Leonardo has learned his lesson, and Lord Caleb seems to respect you. If you don't mind... could you consider me your friend?
Lusian raised an eyebrow, noticing the subtext.
—Let me guess —he said with a sly smile—, you want to keep those two away, right?
Isabella covered her mouth to hide a giggle.
—Don't misunderstand me, Lord Lusian. I simply wish to learn more about music —she said, trying to sound innocent, though her eyes revealed a charming cunning.
Lusian let out a soft laugh.
—Then, Miss Isabella, it will be my pleasure to teach you.
Lusian was enjoying the calm conversation with Isabella, who remained kind and curious. For a moment, he thought he might have a peaceful day. However, an uncomfortable sensation ran down his spine. He knew that feeling too well: danger.
He looked toward the second floor of the library and, to his misfortune, saw her.
Kara had just entered.
And her expression was that of someone who had sworn revenge.
(Great... just when things were starting to get better), Lusian thought, sighing.
From his position, he watched as she looked around, clearly searching for him. Her presence there was as unusual as seeing a hippopotamus in the desert. There was no doubt: she was hunting him.
—Miss Isabella, I'm afraid I must take my leave. I just remembered... an urgent matter —Lusian said with a somewhat tense smile.
—So soon? What a shame —Isabella replied with a slight pout, though her amused gaze showed she suspected something was going on.
Lusian bowed slightly in farewell and began heading up to the third floor, intending to slip out through the side door and avoid a confrontation. But fate was not on his side.
—YOU'RE HIDING FROM ME, COWARD! —Kara shouted from below, her voice making the entire library tremble.
Students looked up in alarm, while Lusian stopped midway, rubbing his forehead in resignation.
—I know you came... let's skip the insults and go to the combat arena —he said calmly, walking down the stairs.
The fight began with the ferocity that defined Kara. She used every technique she had learned from her father, confident that this time she would win. She lunged at Lusian, whose defenses held against the first attacks, but he soon noticed something strange: she was using a sequence she shouldn't be able to perform yet.
(That's not possible... that technique belongs to an advanced version of the game. How the hell did she learn it so soon?)
Even so, Lusian knew the sequence perfectly. At the right moment, he channeled his magic and combined lightning with dark energy, a spell he had perfected in secret. The strike hit Kara's leg, throwing her off balance. Taking advantage of the opening, he disarmed her and drove his sword into the ground in front of her.
—You know what comes next, right? —Lusian said, clenching his fists.
—W-Wait! Weren't you a mage? How did you do that? —Kara asked, shocked.
—With enough practice, anyone with high magical affinity can master advanced spells —Lusian replied with a confident smile.
The attacks continued, and although he avoided striking her face, Lusian showed no mercy. Kara, panting and drenched in sweat, could barely stay on her feet.
—Don't make those sounds —Lusian joked—, people might think I'm doing something else to you.
—IDIOT! I'M NOT DONE YET! —she shouted, charging again with renewed fury.
Even so, the battle was already decided. Lusian brought her down with a swift, precise movement.
Later, in the third-year classroom, Kara sat with bandages on her arms, while Elizabeth watched her with a mix of mockery and pity.
—So this is how you get the attention of boys you like. How unpleasant —the princess commented with a sly smile.
—L-Like? Of course not! That idiot just got lucky. Next time I'll beat him! —Kara shot back, blushing.
—Well, at least he was kind enough not to hit your face —Elizabeth added, gently lifting Kara's chin.
—That doesn't matter, Princess. I'll prove I can defeat him —Kara said firmly, clenching her fists.
The weekend arrived, and the 1A class ranking battles resumed. Lusian stepped onto the platform to face his opponent, Craig Denisse.
The duel lasted only a few seconds: four strikes were enough to leave the young Denisse unconscious on the ground.
Then came Kasper's victory over Corwin and Conwick's over Nilson, marking the beginning of a new stage in the academy's competitions.