Chapter 47

◈ Chapter 47: Student Duel (1)

After receiving a letter in his private office, Chris Benimoor read it once and immediately burned it.

"Well, I knew it would be like this."

The report he received was from Seorin's servant, and it was about Rudger Chellis.

"He's teaching that commoner student diligently, huh? Even if he pretends otherwise, he must be desperate to win the bet."

While muttering this, Chris Benimoor mocked Rudger's efforts, but he wasn't going to sit idly by either.

He turned his head to look at the boy standing tense in front of him.

"Jeban Pelio."

"Yes!"

"I think you know what I want to say to you."

Jeban nodded with a determined look.

"Yes, I understand. I have to win against that arrogant commoner in this public duel."

"Just winning isn't enough. You need to show the proper gap between nobles and commoners with overwhelming power."

Although it was a rather harsh demand, Jeban Pelio didn't think he would fail.

When he heard that Eidan was receiving some teachings from Rudger Chellis, he felt a bit uneasy, but he had Chris Benimoor on his side.

"Take it."

Chris tossed a vial to Jeban.

Jeban caught it hurriedly and looked puzzled at the blue liquid inside.

"What, what is this?"

"It's a magic power amplification potion. Drink it before the duel starts."

"Really? But won't I be disqualified if I drink it?"

"No, it's fine. It's a special potion of the Benimoor family that leaves no trace if taken in advance, so there's no risk of getting caught."

"This...?"

"It amplifies your magic power instantly, but the effect lasts less than 5 minutes."

"5 minutes, that's short."

"Yes, it is. But it won't be detected in the pre-duel inspection. It doesn't amplify your existing magic power but increases your output limit, making it more like drawing on your power. The traces of the potion disappear immediately after the effect, but be careful, you'll experience magic exhaustion 30 minutes after taking it."

Jeban swallowed hard at Chris's words.

It was almost like a drug that allowed him to use all his magic power at once.

However, his pride wouldn't allow him to drink such a potion just to fight a commoner.

'But for a sure victory...'

After all, if Rudger was backing the other side, Eidan might have received something similar.

Because, after all, he's a dirty commoner.

He might commit a serious foul.

With this thought, Jeban put the amplification potion in his pocket with a determined face.

Seeing this, Chris smiled.

"Good thinking. Shall we go then?"

* * *

The second training ground, where the public duel was about to take place, was more than half full with people who had come to watch the freshmen's magic duel.

Most of the first-year students were gathered, and unusually, second-year students and other teachers were also present.

If it were just a fight between first-year students, they might have let it pass, but this was different because two teachers had officially approved and were observing the duel.

Rudger Chellis.

Chris Benimoor.

Both teachers had just been appointed to Seorin and shared the commonality of teaching manifestation classes.

However, one was from a fallen noble family, and the other was from a prestigious high-ranking baron family.

The difference in status was significant.

Moreover, Rudger supported the commoners, while Chris Benimoor supported the nobles.

The upcoming duel had grown from a simple freshmen fight into a decisive battle between commoners and nobles.

"Who will win, I wonder?"

"It's just a freshmen fight, right? Nobles have the advantage. They receive special education from a young age."

"But the commoner freshmen who entered this year aren't pushovers, right? They say he made a significant contribution during the werewolf incident."

"But he didn't catch the werewolf himself, did he? How can he be a match for the other side?"

"Who knows? They say Mr. Rudger is helping him."

"If you consider that, Mr. Chris is on the other side, right?"

"I don't really know much about him. Wasn't he in charge of the first-year students?"

"Yeah. He must be really eager to outdo Mr. Rudger, who's been getting a lot of attention lately."

"He's really got it in for him."

While the students were chatting, their attention shifted to the VIP seats reserved for teachers.

"Hey, look. He's here."

"Really? He is."

Chris Benimoor, who had just entered the teacher's section, sat down calmly, maintaining his noble dignity.

His intellectual appearance naturally drew admiring glances from the female students.

Chris enjoyed such attention lightly.

The looks directed at him made him feel even more superior.

At that moment, the murmurs in the audience grew louder. It was different from when Chris appeared.

'What is it?'

When he looked to see who it was, it was that man.

Rudger Chellis.

A man with long black hair tied in a ponytail.

Sharp jawline and high nose bridge. Clear and distinct facial features, and deep-set eyes that stirred the hearts of many women.

Black jeans and a black shirt. Even his tie was black, and he wore a black long coat over it.

His overall appearance, a monochrome black, evoked the image of a large raven.

Holding a cane in his right hand, he looked like the head of a prestigious magic family.

"Wow, Mr. Rudger is here."

"The atmosphere is insane, isn't it?"

The students, who had been distracted by Chris's appearance, now all turned their attention to Rudger.

However, Rudger, seemingly unaware of the attention, sat down in an empty seat in the professor's section.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah, the atmosphere is really intense. I can see why he's so famous."

"Is he really from a fallen noble family? I thought he was more noble than other noble teachers."

While eavesdropping on the students' chatter, Chris clicked his tongue.

His openly displeased gaze turned to Rudger, who was sitting next to him.

Rudger, however, didn't turn to look at him. Instead, he gazed at the training ground with a distant, unreadable look.

Chris gritted his teeth at this indifferent reaction.

'Hmph. That arrogant attitude is about to end. I'll make him feel the defeat in front of everyone.'

Anyway, Jeban Pelio would win this fight.

Eidan? He's just a commoner.

Chris didn't even know such a student existed. He hadn't even checked the list of commoner students.

He thought it was a waste of time to verify such things.

'After all, a commoner is a commoner. Even if they enter through special privileges without proper education, they're all the same in the end.'

Just as he was thinking this, the audience's noise reached a peak.

Chris turned around, sensing it was louder than when Rudger appeared, and understood why.

"President. You're here."

At the appearance of Elisa Willow, Chris jumped to his feet and greeted her.

The president smiled and returned his greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Chris Benimoor. Wow, there are so many people here?"

"President, what brings you here...?"

"I heard something interesting was happening, and I had some free time, so I came to see it."

"Is that so?"

The teachers who accompanied the president, as if to assist her, were Mari Ross, the longest-serving teacher in Seorin, and Hugo Burteg, who led the faction of noble teachers, including Chris.

When all the most prominent people in Seorin gathered, the students were surprised, thinking this duel wouldn't be such a big deal.

Chris was also surprised. He thought it would just be a simple fight between two students, but he didn't expect the president to show up.

'Did the president have to get involved because it's a fight between commoner and noble students?'

The president is nominally neutral, but Chris knows.

The president values commoner students more than nobles.

Initially, Hugo's opposition to the president was also due to this reason.

'Will it be okay?'

He was worried that the president might interfere, but it didn't seem necessary.

The president had no reason to get involved in this matter while maintaining neutrality.

'Rudger Chellis.'

Even when the president appeared, that man didn't turn around. He just sat there quietly.

An incredibly arrogant act.

But it also seemed fitting for him, which made Chris irrationally annoyed with himself.

"Mr. Rudger! It's been a while!"

The president greeted him with a smile first.

Only then did Rudger turn his head to face the president.

He slowly stood up and bowed.

"Hello, President."

"Yes, Mr. Rudger, are you well? I hope you're doing well."

"Yes, I am."

"I was really surprised when I heard that Mr. Rudger and Mr. Chris would be overseeing the students' duel. I wondered what was going on."

"It was just a simple bet."

"Hmm. A bet. So, Mr. Rudger, who did you bet on winning?"

The president asked subtly, perhaps wanting to hear it from Rudger's own mouth.

"I bet on Eidan's victory."

"If the bet is to be valid, Mr. Chris must have bet on Jeban Pelio's victory, right?"

"...Yes, that's correct."

Chris had to answer reluctantly.

The president smiled and clapped her hands together.

"I'm really looking forward to it. Of course, the students' safety is the top priority, right?"

"Don't worry about that. We've taken all necessary safety measures."

Mari Ross answered for him from the side.

Even if the duel was a simplified version, there was a high chance of injuring the opponent.

Therefore, they wore light protective gear before the duel.

Metallic protective gear on the chest, shoulders, and knees. These resonated with each other, forming a thin magical barrier around the student's body.

The magical energy would consume itself to block external magical impacts.

In other words, if the energy was completely consumed first, the student would be declared the loser, but this method ensured no harm to life.

"That's a relief."

"Ah, the contestants are here."

The first to stand in the center of the training ground was Eidan, who looked extremely nervous.

He seemed unaccustomed to the spotlight, as he already looked like he might throw up.

However, given the setting, he was trying his best to endure it.

"Eidan! Go for it!"

"Break that arrogant Jeban's nose!"

Thanks to Tae-si and Leo's loud cheers, Eidan nodded with a more relaxed face and waved to the audience.

The commoner students cheered for Eidan, hoping he would elevate the status of commoners.

Then, Jeban appeared from the opposite entrance.

"Jeban! We're counting on you!"

"Show the pride of the nobles!"

The noble students cheered for Jeban. Jeban, who seemed used to such situations, nodded with his usual annoying smile.

The two stood facing each other. Jeban sneered at Eidan.

"Surprised you didn't run away?"

"..."

"Are you nervous? Tsk tsk. A commoner wouldn't be used to such a stage. You should have run away. Then you wouldn't have to face a humiliating defeat in front of everyone."

"..."

"If I win..."

"Huh?"

"Apologize to Tae-si for the harsh words. And to Leo too."

"What? Hahaha!"

Jeban burst into laughter, not expecting Eidan to say such a thing.

"Sure, I'll kneel if you win."

"I heard you loud and clear."

"But you have to win me first, right?"

Jeban was confident.

The powerful magic power surging inside him was from the magic power amplification potion he drank before stepping onto the stage.

It was a short-lived effect, so it was uncertain whether he had taken it or not.

However, with this power, he felt it wouldn't be too difficult to win within the 5-minute window.

'If we use the same magic, the one with overflowing power will win.'

In a mage's duel, nothing is more advantageous than having superior firepower.

Even if the same magic is cast at the same speed, the one with more power can overpower the other.

Currently, Jeban was in that position.

Just 5 minutes, but it felt like an abundance of time.

Before the duel began, the referee checked Eidan and Jeban's conditions.

To ensure there was no foul play involved in the duel. Jeban, trusting Chris's words, responded confidently.

The referee didn't notice anything unusual about Jeban.

However, when checking Eidan's condition, the referee's eyes widened at something hanging from his waist.

"Student, what is this?"

"Oh, this is my special wand for this duel."

Eidan smiled, but the referee still looked puzzled.

Eidan's wand was different from the typical wands used by mages, both in material and shape.

It was

in the form of a sword.