Chapter 205
pDWMH“Long time no see, Professor.”NVec
h4CdA5oAfter finishing his meeting with the rector, Fernan didn’t take a break and moved immediately.v93
AE8x4The next person he sought out was Professor Rosalia.V3Ls76
4C2ZD“Well, that was quite a long trip.”adEC
s8udtx“Yes, there was quite a bit of work.”nze
XSIJPAfter those words, a brief silence filled the room. Fernan took a sip of coffee without saying anything.JqvGHVQ
aj1oHb“Why such a pause before speaking? What do you want to say?”wtZOvaK
JJ9UL6r“I have some news I’m sure you’ll love.”o9Xoe
aLyKI“Then why drag it out?”LUfpr
la6J1“Because I also bring other news for which I must ask your forgiveness.”baE
gVpfH“Forgiveness?”3Rl
fSvORosalia brought a cigarette to her lips.IT5
x7Bob“Will you grant it to me?”IFb8Rz3
8sCcDI“Normally, one explains what happened first before asking for forgiveness.”tHkh
mTpqDan“Will you grant it to me?”kkt
JiwTp“You’re scaring me.”Xge
GaEnFuu—5lEF5N
i4VmiDWith mana-infused smoke, she formed the image of a sailing ship in the air.k4cc
v7j“In my memory, you’ve never said anything like this before.”qCDuEp
vPCHs“A sailboat? How did you do that?”Lrf
mUBCo“I manipulated the mana. Now tell me why you want forgiveness.”XnkE
OVNMr“If the good news is good enough, grant me the forgiveness.”fdNCS
kOY“You want to negotiate with me?”9sakhCs
8GoWhat kind of matter was this to bring it up as a trade?Pfg
W3IRLAkRosalia’s curiosity only grew.qV0po
2MquLThough the same could be said about the “good news”—Fernan wasn’t someone who uttered empty words, so it had to be something truly important.QEeHTu
V9ex“Alright. I’ll listen first and then decide.”zvIEz7
bQEVsCE“Thank you.”pFaO16I
zgpIMD“I said I’d decide after listening.”6d582
EscFernan pulled from his chest a book he had carefully kept.qDoKc
wwx1W“…Is this?”Gyb1gr8
7rzKiRosalia’s eyes widened—the cover was familiar to her.ieF2
wQ15UPl“It’s what you think.”KneSOh
Ewt0ZM2“A corrupted’s book?”ypjF1
bLH5Rosalia opened it urgently. As expected, nothing was written inside. She injected mana. Nothing.hwnch
4oaFJLD“It’s authentic, for sure.”V1OxYla
7ejHGEM“Do you like it?”3ktvG
Aff“How could I not? I was just intrigued by its principle.”L1z
JINjHThe will to unravel all its secrets burned within her.G2QX
H0LdL4“It’s the first time I show it to you, Professor.”7ezmQ
1OpjWithin the Academy, Rosalia was the mage Fernan trusted the most. And also the most brilliant.B6l4Gg
5BItRThat’s why, if there was anyone to entrust the book to, it was her.xopdsr
7dqWi“Not even the rector knows?”bb7h
6TI“No.”R6Xapx
gPo0PUAAt that response, Rosalia’s eyes softened, pleased.2Fek
tCdlkOIt was quite the privilege to research something even the rector didn’t know about.6xQkNOg
DLDLZVFernan didn’t miss the chance.6Mpc
PJPaS“Do you happen to know Alpion Alprosen?”NOtBi
SZy“The first prince of Alprosen, right? Why mention him suddenly?”taC
d9O“His Highness said you used to talk a lot with him.”h6IHYX
DalUXH“…What?”lhPItHu
MNouWRosalia furrowed her brow, incredulous.BQR6
mqXB0“Spreading baseless rumors now? Using me for those tricks?”n1Sey3Y
gCXXpH“I found a photo of you two, very close together.”nHpD
ytc“……!”vHyX9
KeMRosalia stopped cold.W3e2O
lGXczspFernan expected her to deny it or get flustered.zxPg
kyaBut no—she simply seemed to remember.YyxDq
CPHSX“It was nothing special. He just insisted a lot on taking a picture with me, so I agreed.”3lwAFq
fMTMY“That’s all?”x5Eam
Xamwn“That’s all. We barely exchanged words, didn’t share anything special.”R6hb
Y2tNORWell, they were practice partners at one point. That’s why there was a photo.vPihZv
QLS4zPp“He wasn’t bad. At least he wasn’t a burden, so it was worth showing a bit of courtesy.”MEx
sI4w“And nothing more?”jL5BK
aNLRBw“Nothing more? Should there have been?”OghF9
iP1qAs“I got the impression you still hold him dear.”ztkUO
SEa“So what?”myDLo0e
JjQZPLoRosalia tapped ash into the ashtray.IxLDHNo
aqAEU29“What does that have to do with me?”2Cso
UI7y“Ah…”d6RsTXr
K12“So you used me to get close to Alpion. If you were anyone else, I’d turn you into an ice statue right now. But since you brought me a corrupted’s book, I’ll let it slide…”aNH
L4G0Harder than hatred was that absolute indifference.1hvT0Cw
TUI1Fernan felt sorry for Alpion.yVEeQJy
wUXQE“Did he really talk about me? Well, if so, I hope you at least spoke well of me…”TPu9V
jWs629He still held feelings.JiF
T4v***yMts
hxAThe highlight of the Academy’s foundation anniversary festival was, of course, the two tournaments—the knight’s jousting tournament and the mage’s magic tournament.AABe7
oxKFernan, accompanied by Luina, went to watch the jousting and sat in the VIP seats, where an attendant offered him a cocktail.fHkjXEa
aUxpWB1“Who do you think will win?”TsVpIQ
wfoUb“Almon.”wHb
AmGDEIn the arena stood the third-year vice-leader of the Knight Department, Almon Donertz, and the fourth-year third-ranked, Alkan Domirn, facing off.fOHJ
1aBVgThough Alkan was from a higher year, to Luina the difference between them was obvious.qN8zk
4oFgF“Then I bet right.”19xUL
nFp11NU“You placed a bet?”rGgu
yJo7R“Yes.”jgPgxe
eiXQ0K“How much?”syA
0OAxqdG“Let’s just say I used all the staff. Nothing special.”2kbT
lRlTw“…Very modest, of course.”l2u7
JRzv0qhLuina clicked her tongue at Fernan’s scale.N0xC1
PnVYolyAs they talked, Almon and Alkan charged at each other.CTrU
HdD────!O0LCe
Zdt1eThe first clash didn’t decide anything, but Almon’s calm expression, compared to Alkan’s tense face, made the difference clear.1i0dBB
yImS“If nothing strange happens, the winner will be either Almon or Valoshi. One of those two.”SLnFuqA
9m9BZoA“I think so too.”SgfM
Jh9hThat day, Fernan had only come to confirm with his own eyes what he already suspected.1PGxNBc
66UEThe match went as expected—after three indecisive charges, the sword duel gave Almon an easy victory.MBls
cwP0fsZFor a quarterfinal, it had been too brief, which only proved Almon’s superior level.9hDA
wtxWith the joust over, Fernan turned his attention to the next event.IpPaUqP
irKCIn fact, for him, this was the main course.rwwAcFT
S5NDNR“The fourth-year leader of the Magic Department, Liana Horton! Her opponent, third-year third-ranked, Carlo Deneb!”qe3Ta
SSIiXA duel between two of the tournament’s favorites.U6Ad
WlUTsYAlthough Carlo held the third spot, in Fernan’s opinion, he should’ve been the true first.tiBHPkF
96U5uphThe difference lay in the assigned partners—Fernan had Luina, Ludger had Almon, but Carlo had no teammate of that level.YdOsep5
5ItAnd his opponent was none other than last year’s champion, who had never lost first place.AUkLRxp
oXH“Who do you think will win between them?”S9bc
dJDwY3“Mages always keep hidden cards, it’s hard to say. You should understand it better than I.”URI6m
q3FhR6“If my calculations are correct, the winner should be Liana.”Tj5uuSd
GJQHowever, there was a detail—during the break, Professor Dominique had taken Carlo as his direct pupil.VuVBK
wXnIf that were all, Fernan would’ve ignored it—but something made him uneasy.xeeF
4kqC“Is something bothering you?”u6H
oY7DY4“I can’t say exactly… I just feel something changed.”ubhMSF
0HFzLWas it his heightened sensitivity after consuming the Dragon Heart? He had a bad feeling.tPqPMH
x2NDKHe had come to verify that feeling and, along the way, place the right bet.z4H
2Tlte“Did you already bet?”WvcID
tCVu“No, not yet. Betting on Liana doesn’t pay much, and if I lose, I lose everything.”Hv9wxh
CpDluMost people believed in Liana’s victory. It was logical—Carlo had even lost to Aria in his first year, while Liana had been crowned champion.9QDq
VCmNUyO“But if I bet the other way just on a hunch and lose, it would be unbearable. Better not to bet.”hgtrFh
uoP2“Makes sense.”OHZbk
sLBAGp“Want some chocolate?”nLXsFKB
aN1zY“Thanks.”oXEvTAq
b8kpAt that moment, Liana and Carlo stood facing each other.NyPLX5
iLu1n“Begin!”DwC
Vb38y────!BJEqtb
EocVzIBAt the start, a white lightning bolt covered the entire arena.iYpxgyl
4SPqFYh“What speed in spellcasting… a bluff?”yvM
31W“Yes, pure distraction.”lCLd
sT7UMost of those lightning bolts were luminous illusions meant to steal the eye.RBdU
TRLfThe real ones were only a few.Bad
PmLnLiana wasn’t naïve—she blocked the discharge with a wall of fire without any problem.9Rvir
9Tno4j─!ILxREDF
i9rThe fire not only resisted—it pushed the lightning back, flooding the arena with real heat and light.vIA9b
GfkmCarlo responded immediately—this time, he launched real lightning bolts.2VVHB
VgeS76Fire and thunder clashed. The shockwave shook the arena. Scorching fragments and electric discharges flew in all directions.gBI8
VPe97“Wizard battles really are spectacular.”eFxYy4T
w40y“The Royal Knights aren’t far behind—a single strike from one of them can split a building or a mountain.”1pDABjM
gHInLUFernan knew this well after seeing Kimaris fight two Royal Knights.HYv9t
hmB“Isn’t that comparison a bit exaggerated?”P8P7S
sFxozsa“At this age, with this level, they’re candidates to become Archmages.”kQo
WbJqmD────!qWrPG
2sjXFire and lightning entwined.4ort37
IlVSfCCarlo was reduced to ashes—just a decoy.YLT0
nUwi9A lightning bolt struck above Liana’s head, but she had already reappeared further away.C4SOT
4mZThe magical barriers protecting the audience vibrated at their limit.ZLB
LuzwEK“Who’s winning?”0YDTK
wqL9W“I can’t understand a thing!”Gc7C
zLqv3sThe flames and lightning were swallowing everything, and few could follow the action.Ahs
B2iUntil a moment ago, neither could Fernan.Et1
5hH6nqv‘What is this…?’t1ur
hy7khSuddenly, he could see it.2zxoQK
v8WP1The flows of mana.xdPsPcv
DMFcdY9The magical formations.4JP
QMqTnX7The movements of both.vTfBWe
ohKpAs if he had obtained the legendary dragon’s eyes.6dEq5I
pbrNo—more than seeing it, he was sensing it.vj6yC3
b6Rr3NmHis vision was sharper.R8xe0zD
VWnHis hearing more acute.o0w
8edZU0NHis touch more refined.oU8k
TqFAnd a sixth sense he couldn’t explain.UrqpB
sMQUnknown sensations had opened before him.eCK
z1fQEvery mage sharpened their senses as they advanced.wt7y7
zNoLb76But this was on another level.lfJojgy
TItmgRr“…What is this?”j5IjSa
QOJQ“What’s going on?”1j9r4Gl
8Wq“…Nothing.”ag2
NWPe‘Could it be because of the Dragon Heart…?’BEc8BXi
3ILIt was the only explanation.2zQSd
0VoF6‘Then this is… a dragon’s perception?’l1MldLz
mO0UAt that moment—Wefadq
pJ7C“……!”hkeJn
lF1pA searing headache and a brutal mana drain struck him.Dtk93
cG9KFernan was used to the pain of prophetic visions, but this was worse.gWkC
vMpCozCold sweat drenched his back.e9P
i4kag6FHe forcibly shut off his senses. The false omnipotence disappeared, but the pain remained.CNhSgM
yTO“…Your face? Are you okay?”AsczG
7ZphobdLuina, alarmed, supported him.acB3vK
1BJ“…It’s nothing.”8BCb
01zDV“With that face, you say it’s nothing?! We’re going to the infirmary now.”9HZcOR
uOXMvp“No, I’m…”ytWx7
Cdx3“I’ll drag you there if I have to.”BquLX
JT2She wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled him firmly.s0D59
0AHMRyYThe curious looks didn’t matter to her.xVMa
Z7F6sa“…Fine. I’ll go.”vNFWAd
xB3Eel‘In any case, I’ve already confirmed what I needed.’qSHVG
daREven if it lasted only a moment, he had seen enough—in every aspect, Liana held the advantage.xX8
1I6DCarlo had improved, but the reigning champion was too tall a wall to overcome.h0P5Zf
0oy‘The winner is Liana. I’ll bet everything on her…’kqU19ll
FWGEAnd then—zNci4
mwEM1ZFUwaaaaaahhhh!2Gv
V0TzDThe roar of the crowd shook the arena.hqA
7O5yFernan realized the outcome had already arrived.9KVkZ
lWW“Luina, wait. I just want to see who won and—”exrUc
Jyl81n“Liana lost!”4Z4Sn7
Leyt“Carlo won!”UIOK
jEh3qtg“Incredible! He cast a spell into the air and used the opening to hit her dead on!”7QwIYn
RWWKW‘What?’95kKF
K6GOFernan turned sharply.b7N
wP1fr0eJust as they said—even though the flames still burned and the winner was as battered as the loser—standing was Carlo Deneb, not Liana.mphEo
4mb3IA5“The winner, Carlo Deneb!”0F39
EvR2The referee announced the result.fhBgu
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!