Chapter 25

Time rewound, back to the arena.

I was hit by another unforeseen situation.

While I was on the defensive, I thought, "At this point, I might as well slip and fall, right?" As I was timing it, Parly suddenly dropped to one knee.

His shoulders were heaving up and down, and he seemed to be having difficulty breathing.

...Huh?

Parly, that's just too much of a setup, no matter how you look at it...

It hasn't even been 10 minutes yet.

I held back my embarrassment and pretended to be off guard, approaching him in a completely vulnerable stance.

"Enough.

...You're out of mana.

Someone, lend him a shoulder."

Out of mana?!

...What kind of mana usage would drain someone in 10 minutes?

Even if his mana reserves were barely enough, it's way too early.

In a sparring match, no matter how intense the movements, there's always a moment to catch your breath between actions.

The theory is to close in on that breath if you have the upper hand, but I haven't attacked once this time.

It's not like I've been sprinting for 10 minutes, right?

Well, that should be impossible for anyone in this world, too...

As I struggled to understand the current situation and desperately tried to think, Ryo took a step forward and said quietly,

"...Allen Lovaine.

Would you like to spar with me?"

He already had a wooden sword in his hand, and a smug smile on his lips.

Ryo...

In a way, this could be a chance.

I don't know what happened, but thanks to Parly's mistake, this is a good opportunity to lower the unexpectedly high expectations for me.

Besides, I've been wanting to spar with him at full strength.

It might be hard to get another chance after transferring to Class E.

It's also a good opportunity to test my current position, which is becoming increasingly unclear.

I silently bowed 30 degrees and then raised my head.

◆

Ryo waited calmly for me to get into position, then, as if it were a preliminary test, he launched a beautifully clean horizontal slash.

It was quite fast, but not so much that I couldn't react.

While thinking about the next move, I blocked the attack with my wooden sword.

At that moment, I was blown back nearly 3 meters by an unexpected force.

I immediately used body reinforcement to cover myself, took a fall, and rolled backward to gain some distance before standing up.

...So this is the output of the body reinforcement of someone aiming for a perfect score in the royal academy's entrance exam...

And he's not even at full strength yet.

From that one strike, it was clear.

He's in a completely different league.

It would be difficult to close the gap during this sparring match.

But...

Ryo showed no signs of following up, and his smug smile remained.

...I felt like crying!

◆

Judging that using strength wouldn't work, I decided to overwhelm him with speed.

If we got into a close-range clash, I'd be in trouble.

Speed was the priority.

I swung with just enough force to knock him down if I hit, and if I missed, I immediately followed up with the next strike.

If he blocked, I instantly retreated.

If I could add a twist before the block, I would.

Sometimes Ryo would knock me back, but I used those moments to catch my breath, compress my mana as quickly as possible, and prepare for the next attack.

But I couldn't land a hit.

We've been repeating this for nearly 30 minutes, but unlike Parly, Ryo shows no signs of running out of mana.

That annoying smug smile is gone, but he's flawlessly maintaining his guard.

I decided to go for a decisive move.

So far, I haven't used any thrust techniques.

From an upper guard position, I changed to a thrust technique that I hadn't considered and thrust straight at Ryo's forehead with all my strength, without pulling back.

But Ryo dodged by turning his head.

I knew you'd dodge!

I kept my eyes fixed on Ryo's forehead and, taking advantage of the close distance from the thrust, I kicked him in the groin with all my might.

I hadn't used any physical techniques before, but this was the setup, Parly!

To my surprise, Ryo managed to close his legs at the last second and took the hit.

"Ugh!"

But his stance wasn't solid, and his body was pushed back.

Just as I was about to deliver the final blow, I was shocked.

A red fireball was launched from Ryo's left hand as he was pushed back, heading straight for me.

◆

Since I was leaning forward, I judged that I couldn't dodge and instantly let go of the wooden sword, using full body reinforcement to cover my arms and deflected the fireball.

But the moment I swung my arms, Ryo's wooden sword was placed against my neck.

I fell backward and lay flat on my back.

"I lose," I declared.

I had no intention of losing on purpose.

I fought with all my might, like a challenger.

But I lost.

If Ryo had used external magic from the start, the match would probably have ended much sooner.

He was holding back.

It's frustrating, but that's the reality of my current situation.

I have to accept it and move forward.

In the rural viscount's territory, I never thought I'd lose to someone my age, so tears streamed down my cheeks.

They were tears of frustration.

On the other hand, I felt a sense of relief.

Ryo Zaitzinger.

I'll make you cry someday!

I reaffirmed my resolve to start over from Class E and train from scratch.

◆

"What kind of training do you usually do?"

Ryo asked, extending his hand.

His eyes weren't those of a victor looking down on a loser.

He's not a bad guy.

We just don't get along.

"Nothing special.

I run every morning, do some swings, and do basic mana compression exercises before bed.

I've been busy with studies."

I took Ryo's hand and stood up.

"...You still seem to have some stamina left...

Do you realize that your stamina is off the charts?"

Ryo asked, genuinely curious.

...Off the charts?

"Hmph, I run seriously every morning."

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I didn't want to say I didn't know right after losing, so I answered casually.

Ryo's smug smile returned, and he turned to Godolphin, placing his right hand on his chest.

"Ryo Zaitzinger, by my name, I recognize Allen Lovaine as a suitable candidate for the first-year A class."

"...I have heard you."

"Huh?"

Why is it like that...

"I'll run with you from tomorrow."

"Hey, no way."

Why do I have to run every morning with someone I don't get along with?

It would be hell.

And he even recommended me...

Yesterday, he said we'd never understand each other, and now he's acting so easily.

Ryo's smug smile remained.

But this is bad...

Losing both Parly and Ryo as cards is unexpected...

I'll have to be more cautious for the rest of the period to avoid being demoted from A class.

Then, Godolphin said something unexpected.

"By Ryo's recommendation, all of the first-year A class students have recommended Allen Lovaine.

Last night, we received the recommendation of all the examiners and the approval of His Majesty.

Therefore, I hereby recognize Allen Lovaine's official enrollment in the A class."

What?

I was confused.

What is this old man talking about?

Is he senile?

"Ho ho ho!

To have all your classmates recognize you in less than a day, and for all of them to recommend you by their family names...

What kind of magic did you use?"

Hehehe.

If there was such magic, I'd want to learn it.

Even if it existed, I couldn't use it.

Is he joking?

This morning, when I entered the classroom, all my classmates were looking at me with cold eyes—

"Ha!"

—Was it his doing?

I slowly turned around.

There, Fay was smiling, and the classmates who had been looking at me coldly this morning were now grinning.

"Wow, Allen!

That's not the endurance time of someone with a C mana rating!

To go that long against Ryo, whose mana exceeds 50,000, what kind of trick did you use?"

Al approached with a good smile and put his arm around me.

"Allen.

Did you really think you could escape from me?

It's better to give up early, because I'll chase you no matter what."

The stalker said with a good smile.

Then, a well-mannered girl with long, dark blonde hair tied with a red headband approached.

This morning, she was standing next to Fay and was trembling in fear.

"Nice to meet you, Allen.

I'm a magic specialist, Jewellery Levarance. Call me Jewe.

If you find Fay's stalking annoying, feel free to talk to me."

Levarance... Why is someone from the same marquis family as Fay suddenly so friendly?

Her cute wink made my heart race, but...

Knowing my sister, I can't trust this easily.

"...I thought I was being despised by the girls..."

When I asked, a girl with purple hair who looked like a class representative answered for her.

"Can I call you Allen?

I'm Kate, from the civil servant course.

Everyone in the class knows you're in D.

Fay was teasing you, right?"

No way!

I've never heard of such a magic tool!

What principle does it use to judge?!

"Anyway, I'll join your morning run.

I'm Stella, from the knight course.

Nice to meet you."

A pink twin-tailed, competitive-looking girl declared.

I can't keep up with the speed of the developments...

"Allen. I want to run with you too.

I'll make sure not to be a burden, please."

"Ah, ah, Coco, that's fine."

I barely managed to answer.

"So, what time are we running tomorrow?"

"Let's decide a meeting place too!"

A and B, who looked like extras, spoke to me familiarly.

"Hey! Of course I'm running too!

Don't forget me!"

Parly, who had been looking around, hurriedly stood up.

Is this it? It seems I've been accepted into this class...

"Ho ho ho.

To have subdued everyone with just your 'vessel.'

That's one of the classic political moves."

The old man started talking about politics again, as if he knew everything.

I looked around at the grinning classmates.

Each of their faces said, "Serves you right."

It seems I've been hit by the cliché "serves you right" in a reincarnation story.

Fay, representing the class, called out with her right hand on her chest.

"Allen Lovaine"

Everyone echoed her.

"Welcome to the Royal Academy, 1st Year A Class!!"

Everyone was in sync except for Parly.

◆

In the long history of the Ygralian Royal Academy of Knights and Mages, the 1127th graduating class, known as the Unicorn Generation, stands out for its achievements.

At the center of this generation were:

"Unbeaten" Ryo Zaitzinger

"Form is Emptiness" Faylun von Dragoon

"Great Waterfall" Aldore Engreaver

"Friend to All" Cocorial Canaldea

Their generation, which produced many great figures, was even called the "True Geniuses."

This is the beginning of one of their small legends.

Allen Lovaine, in just one day, made his outstanding classmates recognize his worth, overturned the unprecedented four-subject unfair judgment, and secured his place in the A class.

This marks the end of the first chapter.

If I were to give it a title, it would be "Constant Battlefield" - The Exam War Chapter.

I started writing with the goal of updating daily, but I didn't realize how tough it would be to write a story every day...

To be honest, the last part was sheer stubbornness (laughs).

I have no idea how you found this story, but the number of visitors is gradually increasing, and that's been a great motivation, allowing me to finish the first chapter.

Thank you so much.

This holiday, I have many plans, including camping and fishing, so it might be physically difficult to update. I'll take my time to enjoy and think about the structure of the second chapter.

If I have time, I'll write and post some side stories.

The second chapter, as I currently imagine it, will be "Substance and Strength" - The Academy Chapter, but I might change it on a whim (laughs).

Once again, I'm deeply grateful to everyone who has supported this very niche work.

Everyone, have a great holiday!