Aurelius stood in the center of the arena, his chest heaving with exertion. Waves of exhilaration washed over him as he heard the scattered applause from the crowd. However, as he looked up, he noticed not everyone was clapping or cheering for him. In fact, most spectators seemed more wary than excited, some even gazing at him with fearful expressions.

“Well, shit,” Aurelius mumbled. It was his first official day at the academy and he had already put a name on his head and a target on his back. As the noise subsided, Aurelius made his way towards the arena exit, where the academy healers were attending to Matthias. Taking a seat, he felt the cool rush of the life mage's magic washing over him, slowly but visibly healing his wounds.

As two new combatants entered the arena, signaling the start of the next match, Aurelius glanced at Matthias, who was staring back at him. Despite their intense duel, Aurelius saw a glimmer of respect in Matthias' eyes. Just as Aurelius was about to speak up, Matthias beat him to it, uttering words he hadn't expected to hear.

"Good fight," Matthias said, his voice carrying a tone of seriousness. Aurelius looked at him, a perplexed expression on his face. Sensing Aurelius' confusion, Matthias continued.

"Yeah, it's going to be tough being known as the third-year who lost to a first-year. I doubt I'll ever live it down, and my brother will probably give me hell for it, but you live and you learn. I shouldn't have been so arrogant at the start of the duel, but now I doubt I'll ever make that mistake again," Matthias said, with a resigned sigh.

Aurelius glanced at Matthias, a look of admiration slowly spreading across his face. He never expected the third-year to be so cool about it. Matthias shrugged and said, "Anyways, I think it was pretty obvious for everyone to see that you possess some incredible strength, especially as a first-year. Hell, I'd even say you're stronger than most of those second-year fighters. Hopefully, that will earn me some leniency. Just do me a favor and don't let any first-year rookies take you down, okay? At least for my sake."

"I'll give it my all," Aurelius replied, a touch of gratitude in his voice. "And I appreciate your words, Matthias. You're a formidable opponent, and I have no doubt that you'll continue to excel in your own right. Maybe one day we'll cross paths again and have another exciting duel."

Matthias nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I’ll look forward to it.”

With that, Aurelius stood up, acknowledging the healing mage who signaled that he was done. As he made his way to the exit, an attendant approached him, informing Aurelius that he had received his first 25 points for the victory. The attendant also inquired if Aurelius desired to engage in another round. He promptly declined, citing exhaustion from the recent duel and his prior sword class.

Making his way out of the coliseum, Aurelius caught sight of Valen waiting for him, wearing a serious expression. Spotting Valen, a small grin began to emerge on Aurelius' own face.

"Well fought, Aurelius," Valen greeted him as he approached. Aurelius simply gazed at Valen, who struggled to maintain his serious demeanor. However, cracks soon appeared in Valen's facade, and before long, a broad grin illuminated his face.

"Holy shit, man!”

Valen clapped him on the back a little too enthusiastically, almost knocking him off balance. "Damn,, you really know how to make an entrance! You were amazing out there!"

"I knew you were talented, but that was something else! You really held your own against a third-year! You're going to make a name for yourself here," Valen said, excitement brimming in his voice.

Aurelius chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's not get carried away, Valen. I just got lucky."

Valen playfully nudged him with his elbow. "Luck, skill, whatever it was, that was amazing! I can just imagine the looks on some of the other student’s faces when they hear that a first-year beat a third-year."

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As they walked back towards their dorm room, Valen continued to praise Aurelius's performance. It felt good to have someone in his corner, cheering him on. However, as much as Aurelius appreciated the praise, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of unease. The crowd's mixed reaction and the wary looks he had received made him wonder if his victory had created more enemies than friends. He decided to voice his concern to Valen.

"You noticed the audience, right?" Aurelius asked, a touch of uncertainty in his voice. "Some of them didn't seem too happy about my win."

Valen's expression turned serious once again as he nodded. "Yeah, I noticed. But don't let it bother you, Aurelius. This is the academy, and there's always competition and rivalries. Some people might not be happy with your success, and there are those who resent witnessing someone else achieve what they couldn't. However, ultimately, that's their problem. You proved yourself today, and that's what matters."

Aurelius considered Valen's words, finding some comfort in them. It was true that competition and envy were common in any place where people strived to excel. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that there might be more to the audience's reactions than just typical rivalries.

"Thanks," Aurelius said, appreciating his friend's support. "I'll try not to let it bother me too much. I just need to focus on improving and proving myself."

Valen smiled reassuringly. "That's the spirit! And remember, you've got friends here who believe in you and have your back. Just keep doing what you're doing, and things will work out."

“Well maybe not friends yet,” Valen corrected teasingly. "More like a single friend who believes in you."

Aurelius chuckled. "Well, one friend is all I need, right? Quality over quantity."

Valen laughed, his cheerful demeanor contagious. "You got that right. And trust me, I'm a friend you can count on.” He finished with a wink, causing Aurelius to roll his eyes.

Despite the sarcastic remark, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for having Valen as a roommate. He knew that certainly without Valen's help navigating the way for him the past couple of days, Aurelius would have had a remarkably different experience.

Settling into their room, Valen plopped down on his bed with a sigh. "So, what's the plan now, Aurelius? Are you going to continue to participate in the tournament?"

Aurelius pondered for a moment, mulling over his next course of action. The gravity of the day's events started to weigh upon him. The adrenaline that had propelled his victory in the arena now waned, leaving him fatigued both physically and mentally. He slouched onto the bed, running a hand through his damp, sweat-soaked hair.

At first, he was hesitant to continue to participate in the Tournament of Elites. For all of its benefits, it carried the undeniable risk of exposing him. It wasn't even the second day of the semester, but his fight at the dueling arena had already made a name for himself, at least according to Valen. It came back down to the question Aurelius had been grappling with ever since he had been chosen. Was it better to conceal his identity, even if it meant hindering his growth?

For now, Aurelius decided he would continue to participate. It helped him stay on his toes and honed his skills; if he really needed to, he could always stop participating in the tournament.

"I am probably going to take a break for a bit, rest, recover, and all that," Aurelius said, his voice wary but determined. "I would like to continue in the tournament, as it was both fun for me and it felt like it helped me with my skills. I just need to pace myself out."

Valen also leaned back on his bed, taking out his book when he responded to Aurelius. "Just be careful. Whatever miracle occurred today, you can’t always count on it to carry you through. Soon, you might face stronger opponents, including mages."

Aurelius nodded, appreciating Valen’s advice and care. "Thanks, Valen. But now we've got to look towards tomorrow. For all that has happened today, it's still just the first day of the semester, and I've got two fresh new classes to look forward to," Aurelius said, letting out a small chuckle and a sigh.

Today was intense for Aurelius, and it really set a tone for his time at the Lothern Academy. While this pace would certainly help him improve quickly, he still needed to be careful not to burn himself out. But as Aurelius laid down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but let out a small happy sigh. So far, things were looking promising for him.

Before Aurelius could relax however, there was one thing that Aurelius needed to get out of the way, something that had been on the back of his mind ever since the duel with Matthias had ended. Getting up from the bed, Aurelius walked towards the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Letting out a small grin, Aurelius clicked on the blinking notification in the corner of his vision.

Duel won. Essence Received: 500.

Level Up! You have reached level 7. You have been granted 2 Attribute points for allocation.