CH 152

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, former 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Liam, leader of the bullies in Ars Academy

Caleb Blanchette, 2nd son of the Duke of DeGeneres

“This is my true power! Did you figure it out!”

A proud voice echoed through the training field.

“……Hey, did you hear that? Cait Sith. This is his true power.”

“It’s no big deal nya.”

Liam, who was laughing loudly, fell silent as soon as he saw us.

He’s sure I’ve been struck by lightning, but he’s surprised I’m standing there calmly.

That level of lightning wouldn’t have been able to burn a single hair out of my head. It’s not even worth the effort to avoid it.

When I looked around, I noticed that the crowd has increased considerably before I knew it. It seems that the morning classes are already over. Even so, there are quite a few students. Someone must have gone around the school announcing that a duel was going on at the training grounds.

“Ah,”

I found a familiar golden colour in the multi-layered crowd. He’s tall, so I can easily spot him even if he’s standing behind the students. The magic show is about to end. It’s also bad to make Percival wait too long.

“Well then, let’s finish it soon. Good job, Unisus, Cait Sith, thank you for your hard work. See you again soon.”

Before deciding on the ending, I’ll have the two of them return to the phantom beast world.

“Don’t faint before you surrender. I have an appointment after this.”

“……!”

When I said with a smirk, Liam’s face cramped.

I’m aware that I’m now smiling with the most villainous villain face of Sapphiras.

I dare to wave my wand and release magic with a flourish. Appearance is more important than you might think. Even if it has nothing to do with the power of magic. It’s easier for Liam and the audience to understand what happened if they can clearly see the cause and effect of what I did. Let my magic be burned into their eyes and minds so that they can never overturn the outcome of the duel.

A blizzard envelops Liam as the golden light traces the trail of the wand. Of course, I don’t intend to kill him, so I’ll adjust accordingly. I don’t know what that guy’s intentions are, but he seems to have dropped the thunder with all his might.

I will never break my vow in a sacred duel. Even Caleb, the witness, told me not to kill him. However, I want him to encounter eyes that make him think he might die. If I don’t do that much, I’m sure he won’t admit defeat.

Due to the raging blizzard, the surrounding temperature dropped steadily, and the ground around Liam began to freeze white. That fragile barrier wouldn’t be able to keep out the cold, so Liam must be feeling really cold in the middle of a blizzard.

“This is the curtain call!”

As a finishing touch, countless thunderbolts falls. A deafening roar resounded, and I didn’t know what was going on with Liam amidst the thunder that fell one after another. Even though I didn’t attack him directly, he can’t move even a single step, so he must be feeling really frightened. Or maybe he’s desperately trying to extinguish the thunder……but his magic can’t extinguish my thunderbolts, so it’s a futile effort.

Even so, with the thunder this loud, no one can hear me no matter how much I shout to surrender inside. As I thought about it, I intuitively knew that Liam’s barrier had broken. Even though it wasn’t dropped directly on a defenceless opponent, thunderbolt with this power is seriously life-threatening.

Besides, this duel won’t end until I get the words of surrender.

When I stopped throwing thunderbolts, I walked over to Liam, who was unable to move a single step from where he had originally stood.

Just when I thought my footsteps on the sand echoed strangely, the training ground was enveloped in silence for some reason. Since it’s such a flashy duel, wouldn’t it be nice if there were more jeers and cheers?

“……Oh my.”

As I got closer, Liam was trembling and his face was a mess of tears and snot. He must have been so frightened that he couldn’t even crouch in the raging thunder. However, if he had been running around, he might have been accidentally hit by lightning, and I think it would have been better if he hadn’t been able to move.

“……So, do you surrender?”

I asked gently. I have no intention of intimidating someone to the point of tears.

So this is the situation. He will surrender, but if he doesn’t surrender now, there will be an extension. But it’s already noon, so I’m going to make him even more scared than he is now.

“……I……I-I-I su-r…….”

Liam muttered out with trembling lips.

“Eh? I can’t hear you. Are you still going to continue the duel?”

“I, I surrender! Surrender!”

When I waved my wand, Liam raised his voice. All right. This would have made it clear to the spectators watching the duel who was the winner. However, the key witness said nothing.

When I turn my gaze to Caleb, who is silent even though Liam has announced his surrender, he stands still as if even he is absent-minded.

…Is he  judging properly?

“The……the winner, Sapphiras!”

Caleb noticed my gaze and hurriedly announced the conclusion of the duel.

“From now on, don’t harass me with nonsense. Also, don’t make any silly demands to my seatmate that will damage his dignity as a noble. Naturally, this includes harassment. It was a formal duel held in front of the Goddess. Don’t make a mistake in your vow.”

Liam just shuddered and pulled his mouth tight. Are you still clinging to your petty self-esteem after this? You’re a sore loser. But a loss is a loss.

“……Don’t be wrong?”

“I……I got it”

Having firmly confirmed the vow, I poked Liam’s chest with my wand. Liam, who was standing still like a stick, shuddered.

Liam was a bit of a magician and his family status was reasonably high. That’s why he was always inciting and no one taught him humility. As a result, an arrogant and disgusting aristocratic son was created.

But if he steps out of this academy, he’ll find himself in a world where neither his status nor his magic works. I wish he had paid attention to that when he was younger. He can still take control of his life.

……Although that’s up to him.

“Then, this duel is my victory. I leave the rest to you, Blanchette-senpai.”

“Wa-wait, Sapphiras-kun!”

Caleb tried to grab my arm as I was about to turn around and leave. But his hand cuts through the sky before I can avoid it.

Because before I knew it, Percival, who had been by my side, hugged me by the shoulders and pulled me closer.

“……Belisario-dono.”

“Could you please explain why this is happening? Blanchette-kyou.”

I involuntarily looked up at Percival’s face with the weight of that unusual voice.  It wasn’t directed at a fellow student, a junior-senior. But there it is, the same as always, a calm and collected expression……No, I feel like he’s too calm.

“In this Ars Noble Academy, will you have a duel and swear to the goddess as part of your magic class?”

“No, no……that kind of thing……”

Without waiting for Caleb’s reply, Percival turned his gaze to the magic instructor.

The instructor was at a loss for words at Percival’s quiet but pressuring attitude. I was the one who threw the glove in the first place. No matter who stopped me, I had no intention of withdrawing this duel. Since Caleb even mentioned the name of the duke’s house, he couldn’t interfere any more. It hurts my conscience to blame such an instructor.

“Percival, this duel was my”

“Sapphiras, let’s hear about the situation later. Now I want to hear from them.”

“……Ye-yeah.”

Percival, who would normally listen to me to the end, didn’t allow me to say anything more. Something like this happened for the first time.

……Bad. Somehow, this is bad……

He’s obviously acting differently from usual.

That’s probably it. Slave. He must have heard from the gathered students that Liam had declared that he would enslave me. This might have woken up the sleeping dragon. Cold sweat trickles down my forehead.

I couldn’t say anything, so I closed my mouth.