Chapter 116

“Alright.”

Fernan ended up accepting Gismond Ert.

Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.

Rather than monitoring him from afar, it was better to stick him close to Aint or to himself and manage him directly.

“Thank you for accepting me. Can I call you hyung?”

“…You’re still my senior.”

“And what difference does just one year make? In my homeland, there’s a saying: if someone has money, he’s the hyung.”

Now that his heart was laid bare, Gismond was showing a slightly different side than before.

More relaxed, lighter, even a bit quirky.

“It’s a rule that gets etched into your bones, but this is the academy. And it bothers me when you speak formally to me.”

“If you say so, alright. I’ll speak casually.”

“Don’t overdo it either.”

“Of course…”

He didn’t give the impression of being a bad person. Though one should never claim to truly know someone’s inner self.

That was how Gismond Ert proclaimed himself Fernan’s close assistant.

“Then, what do I do now?”

“Live your academic life normally. That’s enough.”

“That I can handle.”

“It means don’t mess with the future again.”

At Fernan’s low growl, Gismond shuddered and nodded with a nervous laugh.

When Gismond left, Fernan’s gaze turned cold.

“Hyde. Don’t stick him to yourself. Assign someone else.”

“Are you sure?”

“He says he’ll become one of us completely. Stick someone to him without hiding it. He doesn’t have a personal assistant. Better to assign him one.”

Hyde nodded.

“I’ll assign someone capable.”

“His attitude changed in an instant. What could he be thinking?”

There were several suspicious points. Though he couldn’t discard him just yet.

“If he has any hidden schemes, we’ll find out soon.”

Whatever he was plotting, it wouldn’t go his way.

Thus, for now, Gismond’s handling was settled.

***

Time passed quickly.

A morning came with falling leaves and a cold wind starting to blow.

Fernan opened the letter sent by the Golden Pillar.

“Oh.”

“Good news?”

“During the development of the black obsidian mine, they found a good-quality iron mine nearby.”

“That’s lucky.”

“Yes.”

He hadn’t been thinking about an iron mine, so it was even more welcome.

Iron is common, but precisely because it’s common, it’s used everywhere. The more, the better.

Fernan moved on to the next page.

“Oh.”

“Another one?”

“The King of Mercenaries took the bait. He’s hard to track because he roams the continent every day, but one of our informants ran into him by chance.”

“Congratulations.”

“Yes.”

That was lucky too.

“It’s time.”

“Let’s go.”

Fernan stood up at Hyde’s prompt.

“Win again.”

“It doesn’t only depend on me.”

“You’re number one.”

“In water.”

Three full weeks. That mid-semester autumn break had eaten up the second term.

“The third day of the integrated exam has dawned.”

The semester was nearly over, and the integrated exam had started the day before yesterday.

The integrated exam meant combining the midterms that couldn’t be held due to the autumn break with the finals.

It lasted one week.

The format was duels.

Two hundred students participated, without separating the knight and magic departments.

The format combined round-robin and single elimination.

Twenty groups of ten students each were formed, with the top ten from both the knight and magic departments as group heads.

Each student had to face the other nine in their group.

Three matches per day for three days.

Based on results, only the top three from each group advanced to the final single-elimination bracket.

It was a rather cruel system.

Three duels a day for three days would exhaust anyone. It wasn’t just a duel—it was a test of physical and mental endurance.

Even so, the students grumbled but didn’t complain.

They knew it was the academy’s tradition and history.

“Three times a day for three days? And I was happy about the three-week break…”

“Please let me be in a good group. Not with Luina or Fernan…”

Most of them also learned another detail, just like Fernan.

“There’s also a bye.”

Sixty would make it to the final bracket. Due to the numbers, one person would automatically advance without a match.

“Hope it’s me.”

He wasn’t obsessed with grades, but advancing without doing anything was never unwelcome.

Fernan checked the chart.

“Neither yesterday nor the day before had any tough opponents.”

There were no top tens in his group, and today didn’t seem any different.

He returned to his seat while waiting for his turn and asked Luina, sitting next to him.

“How’s it going?”

“Good. I don’t think I’ll miss the final bracket.”

“You sound so confident.”

“Not really. It’s just that many surrender without fighting, so I haven’t been able to truly fight yet.”

“Can’t be helped.”

Aside from Luina, eight matches remained in her group.

Even to Fernan’s eyes, with such a huge level gap, it was smarter to conserve strength and prepare for other fights than to go all out against her.

“Winning the jousting tournament was key.”

After defeating Rob Kaelin, the clear favorite, and taking the title, Luina wasn’t just number one in her year. She was number one in the whole academy.

That the students feared her was normal.

“Even so, I don’t get it. You learn a lot from duels.”

“Yes, and you also ruin your grades.”

“Grades aren’t the most important. After all, the academy is a place for learning.”

“And yet you wanted to be number one.”

“Grades matter too, of course…”

Though for someone who gave her all, she didn’t seem to like that logic.

“Luina, in the final bracket there won’t be a repeat of the joust.”

At least Almon was still fired up, which gave her some comfort.

‘Anyway, Luina will definitely make the final bracket.’

And she was the top favorite for the title.

‘If I’m matched with her, maybe surrendering is the best option…’

If Luina heard that, she’d be horrified.

***

The seventh opponent Fernan faced was a commoner student from the Knight Department, ranked 71st, named Dante.

He wasn’t anyone special or remarkable. That’s why he hadn’t managed to catch Fernan’s attention.

‘Today’s starting well too.’

He’d drawn an easy opponent.

In a tournament where you had to fight several matches in a short time, energy management was essential.

Starting off with a weak opponent was a good sign.

“Ah, hey, go easy…”

“Begin!”

Before Dante could finish his sentence, Fernan had already unleashed his magic.

The summoned sand covered him instantly.

“Ugh…!”

Dante raised his aura to respond, but he couldn’t cut through every grain of sand. Realizing he had to eliminate the caster, he charged at Fernan.

However, Fernan was faster.

A wall of rock rose in front of Dante.

Boom!

The bright blue aura pierced through the wall, but at that moment, Fernan had already finished preparing his next spell.

Earthquake.

Rumble!

The ground of the dueling arena opened and swallowed the freshly freed Dante.

He tried to climb out desperately, but waves of sand followed and blocked him until the end.

Dante fell into the crevice.

Just like that—

“Victory goes to Fernan!”

The match ended.

“Wow, just as expected from Fernan. He finished it instantly again. I thought he’d be weaker without those forbidden artifacts, but not at all.”

“His casting speed, chaining, and spell design are unmatched.”

“All those who said it was thanks to Luina—see how quiet they are now?”

The students were amazed not only by how quickly the match ended, but by Fernan’s polished magical technique.

“Didn’t it feel like Dante was playing in the palm of his hand the whole time?”

“No doubt.”

“Why was he hiding that level of skill?”

“They say he even hunted corruptors with Aint Armian.”

Hearing those comments, Fernan calmly returned to his seat.

“Good work.”

“No need. I didn’t even break a sweat.”

Fernan declined the towel Luina offered. The level difference was so big he hadn’t even had the chance to tire himself.

“My turn. I’ll be back soon.”

Luina’s match ended in an instant. Victory by forfeit.

Just like the day before, the matches were ending far too easily, which made her sigh.

“Want a chocolate?”

She didn’t answer, but when Fernan popped the candy in her mouth, she chewed it silently.

“Thanks. And congrats on your win.”

Fernan didn’t just win his eighth match, but also his last. The ninth opponent was a magician, ranked 53rd.

It was bad luck for his opponent and good luck for Fernan—both were earth mages.

Casting speed, mana control, magical engravings, elemental affinity, comprehension—Fernan was superior in every way.

He trapped his opponent in a dome of rock and filled it with sand. It was even easier than the first match.

“Preliminaries are over.”

Fernan had won all nine duels and advanced to the finals in first place.

The odds of facing another first-place finisher in the first round of the tournament were slim, so it was unlikely he’d be matched with Luina.

“Even if it’s not now, someday we’ll face off. I think it’ll be fun fighting you.”

“With me? I’m just a frail merchant.”

“You’re the top of the Magic Department.”

“Thanks to you.”

“I thought I was the one who got your help.”

Fernan shrugged.

“You’re very mistaken.”

“But you beat me once.”

“Me?”

“When you made me that first proposal.”

“That was thanks to an artifact. I don’t have it anymore.”

“So you swindled me, huh?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“No, you didn’t…!”

Realizing almost a year later that she’d been tricked, Luina let out a disbelieving laugh.

Thus ended the third day of integrated exams without incident.

“That’s it for today’s matches! Finalists, draw a number to decide your opponents for tomorrow, then you may leave!”

“Yes!”

Fernan drew his number and returned to his seat. He could have left, but he wanted to check who his opponent would be.

“Fernan, what number did you get?”

“33.”

“What a shame. I’m number 6, so we’d only meet in the final.”

“If you even make it to the final. By the way, why do you want to fight me?”

“Because you latched onto Aint Armian like a dog wagging its tail.”

Ludger dragged a chair over and sat across from Fernan.

“Just kidding.”

“That doesn’t sound like a joke at all.”

“Not saying it isn’t.”

“It’s a misunderstanding. We happened to be in Valerich, and since the corruptors caused trouble, I had to cooperate with him a bit. That’s all.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“As you wish.”

Fernan replied instantly, as if he had expected it.

“I just hope Pellenberg knows how to choose wisely.”

“Pellenberg always chooses wisely.”

“I doubt it. This time, it doesn’t seem that way. The question is whether it’s your decision or the duke’s.”

“And you? Are you asking on your own behalf?”

Ludger went silent and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Of course.”

“You seem to forget, but Pellenberg always acts if the gain satisfies. You shouldn’t try to intimidate me—you should persuade me.”

“I know that perfectly. How many privileges did Pellenberg gain from its votes in the past three elections?”

Of course he knew. Ludger chuckled dryly.

“Still, honestly, that’s why I’m not too worried about you being with Aint, though it keeps me alert.”

“Why?”

“Because Armian has nothing. He can’t give you or Pellenberg what you want.”

And that was true. After losing the throne, the Armian family had lost almost all its power, influence, and wealth.

They weren’t poor, but they couldn’t satisfy Pellenberg either.

“We’ll see.”

“It’s the duke who should wait, not you. And I’ll personally defeat your subordinate.”

Ludger stood up.

Fernan checked the match list for his name: “Number 5. Gert Grotz.”

He stroked his chin.

‘He’ll manage on his own.’

He wasn’t a babysitter. He had no obligation to worry about those things. Fernan shifted his gaze slightly to the right to confirm his own opponent.

And then he saw it.

‘Number 31. Luina Bercheff.’

Right next to his name.

“……”

And the face of Luina Bercheff, filled with anticipation.

“…I’m screwed.”

He had a feeling today’s luck was too good.

How the hell did he end up meeting Luina in the second round?