“I heard that you lost your first match, Aconte,” I said with an extended hand.

Aconte nervously looked at the crowd and slowly shook my hand. “Yes…it seems I’m a very unlucky person,” he mumbled dejectedly.

Unfortunate indeed. I suppose I could throw the match, but that’s not something I can do at this point. It also wouldn’t help him in the long run.

“Well, good luck, and do your best,” I told him with a smile.

Aconte’s face twisted into a sad excuse for a smileas he laughed without emotion. “I’ll be needing all of that luck.”

The two of us separated and took our positions opposite each other. Aconte unsheathed his duel sabers from his hips as the crowd roared from the fights around us. The silver blades twinkled in the sunlight, but they were nothing special, just from their general appearance.

I took a stance with my spear and waited for the match to start. The referee gave each of us one final look to see if we were ready and promptly started the fight once he confirmed we were both ready.

A few moments of nothing transpired as we sized each other up from a distance. Aconte wasn’t a mage, and I didn’t launch any spells at him to start the fight. I was curious to see what a student of Saber Academy was capable of, even if they weren’t the cream of the crop.

Aconte was the first to move. He dropped into a low stance and sprinted straight toward me with a surprising amount of speed. Usually, it was my style to attack first with overwhelming force, but I decided against it.

Now…let’s see what’s got you so worried, Aconte.

Aconte entered my range, and I thrust my spear toward him. He deftly dodged to the side, but I swung my spear up into a slash forcing him to block with one of his swords. He tried to maneuver around while pinning my spear, but I pulled it back for another quick set of thrusts.

Any time Aconte dodged, I followed up with a slash, and when he parried, I disengaged into another thrust. I had a clear advantage in range, and his fighting style seemed to be hyper-aggressive as he coolly and calmly attempted to close the distance with speed and well-polished technique.

Aconte was focused intently on the match. His gaze hardened and purpose clear. It was in stark contrast to the person I had just spoken to moments ago.

What happened to the nervous Elf from just moments ago? Was he attempting to trick me with his timid personality? No…I don’t believe that to be the case.

I wasn’t casually letting Aconte do whatever he wanted as well. As we traded more blows, I picked up the speed. My thrusts became faster as I struck at vital points. I aimed my slashes at his face, wrists, and legs. I increased the speed of my footwork, never letting Aconte get too close to strike me.

I was winning the fight and would win in the end. However, Aconte was keeping up. Sweat dripped down his face as he maintained a visage of serenity. Whenever my strikes nearly landed, he never cursed or lamented the situation. Instead, he continued to push forward with a firm determination to succeed. It was truly admirable.

Finally, Aconte faltered ever so slightly as he landed on his foot wrong and stumbled. It was his first mistake of the entire fight, and I immediately seized upon his moment of weakness. My spear tip bit into the side of his abdomen, and Aconte let out a pained grunt.

Although I saw it coming to an extent, Aconte had purposely taken the hit. He even mitigated the strike that was aimed at his stomach by spinning on his opposite leg just enough. And now I was in range for a counter.

The silver blade wooshed past my face, barely missing the bridge of my nose. Aconte locked my spear using his own body while he sent another saber toward me in the form of a thrust.

Not bad at all.

I freed the tip of my spear by yanking far harder than before and unsummoned my spear using my Spatial Ring the moment it left Aconte’s body. My ring counted as the one “dungeon” item that I could use. That meant I couldn’t use any other dungeon items, but it wasn’t much of a problem since I didn't have any.

Aconte stumbled forward with wide eyes, the tip of his sword about to pierce through my chest. It was too early to show off my defensive equipment, so I resummoned the spear into my hand just in time.

Metal on metal screeched against each other as the stadium burst into cheer. I had blocked his sword, and Aconte was off balance. So, I just kicked him in the leg.

A meaty thump sounded off as my foot impacted his thigh. Aconte groaned again and hastily retreated, limping all the way. I hadn’t broken any bones with that kick, but it was enough to stagger him and force him to back away.

Should I end it here? A few earth spells would be enough to finish this. Even a single low-powered Lightning Bolt to knock him out would suffice…but it’s still too early for that.

Instead, I let Aconte recover on purpose. He hastily shook his leg, trying to get the feeling back in it as he watched me from a distance. I was genuinely impressed with him. He was far more skilled than…whatever his name was from Sandervile.

I could tell he had a small amount of real combat experience, perhaps against monsters or wild animals. He was disciplined, focused, and clearly honed his technique. His mana enhancement was also beyond average in capacity and usage, and Soul Sight told me he had the potential to be at least a Ruby adventurer in the future.

So why was this young man so disheartened? Well, I think it’s rather apparent when I look at him now. Once upon a time, I wasn’t too far off from his station.

He has no last name, which means he is a commoner. He’s a half-Elf, attending an elite school that is filled to the brim with nobility and royalty. And after seeing how the princess acts so brazenly in a public space, it’s not hard to imagine that it empowered even lower-standing nobles.

Perhaps they have gone as far as to harass Aconte physically as well as verbally. And the only thing he has is his talent which he has worked so hard to cultivate, only to lose in the preliminaries of the biggest tournament and the first time his nation ever got invited.

Or maybe I’m just reading too deeply into a person I don’t know. Perhaps I’m just dead wrong about all of this. I was never good at reading people, but I like to think I’ve gotten better…that I could see another kindred soul if they appeared this clearly in front of me, so to speak.

Well, whatever. It doesn’t change the outcome of this fight. But maybe I can change the outcome of something else.

Aconte shook his leg one more time and stood on it, testing it out. He seemed ready again; this time, I rushed him without holding back. I was going far faster than before, but Aconte ran straight for me, albeit slower than his original state. My spear tip arrived at Aconte’s chest, and he tried to parry it to the side.

But it didn’t budge.

Aconte looked mortified that his attempt was useless and frantically attempted to step back out of my reach, but I was just too fast for him. The tip of my spear pierced his armor, and I felt the flesh underneath. It was a shallow wound as Aconte managed to back away in time.

I pushed forward, thrusting at blinding speeds. Aconte desperately retreated, and whenever he couldn’t, he blocked or deflected my blows with all his might. The veins on his hands and face bulged with strain as I pushed him further and further back until he nearly reached the platform's edge.

Realizing he was about to be forced off, Aconte planted his feet and tossed his sword at me. It was a wild move, one I had not expected as swords were not typically used for throwing, let alone a saber. But with a quick swing of my spear and a clank of metal on metal, the silver sword spun off to the side.

Aconte went for one final chop now that my spear tip was away from him, but I used the shaft of my weapon to deflect his blow easily. Aconte’s arms went straight up, and he gritted his teeth in anticipation. In a typical fight, I would have plunged my spear through his throat or used a close-range spell to end him.

Instead, I just pushed him in the chest. Aconte stumbled backward and off the platform. The stadium, pleased with the spectacle, announced their approval with cheers as the referee called the fight in my win.

I hopped down and extended a hand to the downed Aconte. I ignored the tears pooling under his eyes and smiled down at him. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Aconte. One day, when you graduate from Saber Academy and you feel lost or hopeless, find me. The Dragonheart Foundation needs people like you.”

Aconte blinked helplessly as he nursed his wounded side. It seemed I had stunned him with my offer. If someone of his caliber had gone unnoticed, I should take advantage of it. Of course, I would investigate the half-Elf using Lin’s connections, but that was something that could be done over time.

After all, he could be a serial killer for all I know…

Aconte hesitated and swallowed the tears as he grasped my hand. “Okay…”

—

Linnetia "Nyx" Paine’s POV

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I watched as Kaladin hoisted the half-Elf up and patted him on the shoulder like a proud father or coach would. It was heartwarming to see that side of him. Even in our previous life, Kaladin was an excellent teacher to many people, myself included. Whether that was because he was programmed to be that way was debatable. But a part of me liked to think that was just who he was deep down.

However, Kaladin’s fight was decided from the beginning. He would have to have a heart attack mid-battle to have lost that match. Either way, the half-Elf from Saber Academy showed promising skills for someone his age. Perhaps he will be a competent and well-respected swordsman in a few years. After all, not everyone can take on Kaladin, even if he isn’t using his full strength or arsenal.

But it seems that those two are actually talking about something…has Kaladin already scouted his abilities and is attempting to recruit him? Leave it to the commander to see one’s potential, even if he has a little bit of a cheat.

Cerila signed from beside me.

I simply nodded in agreement.

Cerila smiled faintly.

Who wouldn’t at this point? He’s two for two in his matches. He’s killed a Dragon. He’s also a Ruby adventurer and a knight of Luminar capable of body enhancement and magic of all high quality and skills. And he isn’t even sixteen yet. Oh, and he has the memories of an elite soldier, not that anyone else really knows that part.

Cerila just smiled and sighed slightly. I couldn’t be sure if she was happy with that response or not. These last few months, I’ve tried my best to get closer to Cerila as I am one of the few people who are not her family that can use Sign Language. Kaladin took the liberty to alter the language to fit his needs, but with a bit of trial and error, I’ve managed to re-learn it at a conversational level.

But I’ve noticed a change in Cerila’s demeanor and general attitude. She seemed more…calm, I suppose. No, maybe saying she was calm wasn’t quite right. She had become more composed over the last few months.

I’m aware she was training with King Maxwell and the headmaster personally, so perhaps that had something to do with the change, or maybe she had become more confident in her abilities. Or maybe it had nothing to do with any of that?

Could it be that her reunion with Kaladin had eased her mind and heart? Or was it something Kaladin did or said? Or was it that she had plans that I or anyone else was unaware of? I wasn’t sure, but I’m certain she has changed.

I should bring it up with Kaladin.

I joined Cerila in her sigh as the announcer for the fights rattled off names to head out to the platforms. Shortly after, those who were called forth were those who needed to be prepared. My name was included in that list, so I parted ways with Cerila and grinned at Varnir, who had been cornered by a certain ecstatic prince.

He pleaded with me with his eyes to save him, but I just laughed internally and left him to his own devices as I had a fight to prepare for. My opponent was someone I’d rather not face off against. I genuinely wanted to bow out of the match for a multitude of reasons.

If I fought him with all my might and won, it would upset the power balance and cast a spotlight directly on me, something I could not afford as a member and future matriarch of House Paine. As a noble daughter of doctors and healers and an archer with no magic abilities, it’s basically guaranteed that I would perform poorly in tournament-style fighting.

Within common knowledge, that is.

Naturally, I couldn’t be considered “normal,” but it was best that others did not catch on to me or my family. So, in the first match of the tournament, I threw it on purpose. I fought my “hardest” but lost to a mage from Sandervile as they “overwhelmed” me with magic. In reality, I could have sent an arrow through that student’s head at any moment, but that’s neither here nor there.

I simply scurried around the arena, pretending to frantically dodge magic as I fired near-miss arrows at my opponent. Internally, it was a shameful display of my abilities. Be that as it may, externally, it was the perfect show. I displayed enough prowess not to tarnish my school’s or family’s reputation.

Which is why fighting against this bastard gains me absolutely nothing in this situation…how annoying.

I felt a gaze bore into me as I checked the string of my bow. I turned around and caught a pair of light, smokey gray eyes watching me intently. Terstus was to be my opponent, a very annoying one at that. Because if I had it my way…

I would just kill him.

But I can’t do that. I’m not supposed to be able to do that. Honestly, pretending that I’m weaker than I am is such an annoyance, even if it’s necessary, because it’s not only my life on the line but the lives of hundreds of undercover operatives serving my family.

“Linnetia,” Terstus called out to me.

I held in my sigh and smiled at him. “Terstus.”

“I would prefer it if we didn’t fight. Would you mind respectfully surrendering this match?” Terstus asked me with a bit too much confidence.

This bastard, does he not realize that I am friends with Kaladin? I could make you disappear at any moment with my bare hands, regardless of who your mother or father is. For what you did to Sededa and tried to do Kaladin…

I maintained a practiced smile. “Sadly, I can’t do that, Terstus. It would be very dishonorable for me, as a noble lady of an Archdukedom, to surrender without a proper fight. Even if we are allies.”

Terstus shook his head like he heard some disappointing news. “That truly is a shame, but I understand and respect your pride as a noble. Please don’t hold any grudges against me for this match. I truly don’t mean to hurt you.”

“Of course not. Getting hurt in a match like this is simply just a part of things, so there is nothing to be concerned about,” I said dryly, calling upon my years of experience as a noble to suppress my urge to strangle him.

“Yes, yes, of course,” Terstus said with a nod as he extended his hand. “Well, I wish you the best of luck. I’ll try to end the match quickly for both our sakes.”

I put my bow down and shook his hand with a smile. “Thank you for your consideration, Terstus. You are truly a kind gentleman.”

But I wonder what you would look like with an arrow through the knee?

—

Twang.

Another arrow whizzed by Terstus, just barely “missing” his forearm. Terstus cursed under his breath as he sprinted to the perimeter of the platform. I just followed his lead and went the opposite way of him as we circled each other like a clock.

I vastly overestimated Terstus’s abilities. I thought he was being raised as the next prodigal chief of the Shadow Clan, but he was just so lackluster it was almost embarrassing.

Terstus was bigger, faster, and stronger than me. He had more mana than me. He was capable of using magic and strengthening his body with his larger mana pool. But unlike Kaladin, and like most of the world, he couldn’t form spell cores and enhance his body simultaneously.

This was a flaw for those who utilized magic and mana enhancement and why nearly everyone picked one or the other. But Terstus, either blinded by his natural abilities or just simply lacking experience, has not decided on his path. It reflected poorly on Forward University and the Shadow Clan’s teachings.

Or Terstus is just a blundering fool with no knack for combat. That is more likely the case. I mean, Kaladin’s father is beyond component with his mana enhancement and magic usage. I guess this is why some Elves need a few decades of experience.

Although I was supposed to be inferior to Terstus, that didn’t mean I needed to be dumber than him. Every time he stopped enhancing his body to form a spell core, his speed, reflexes, and strength nose-dived. I capitalized on that opening with a well-placed arrow somewhere, forcing him to abandon the spell core and re-enhance his body.

And every time he ran at me with his mana enhancement on full blast, he panicked as I unleashed a hail of arrows at him. His spear was not enough to block my arrows in rapid succession, and I could maintain my mana enhancement while shooting on the move.

I clicked my tongue as I felt the last arrow leave my back quiver. I had a feeling the fight would turn out this way, so I brought more ammunition. It was a shame that non-magical poison was banned in the tournament. Even a non-lethal numbing agent on the tip of my arrow would be enough to cripple him if I hit him in the leg or arm.

But truth be told, Terstus has had me dead to rights this entire match. I would lose if he pushed me with all his might, risking one or two arrows hitting him in a non-vital area. But his indecisiveness and fear of the unknown was the only thing keeping him back.

Archery as a whole was relatively undeveloped on this side of the world, which was a bonus for me. Human archers were only used in war and hunting animals or weak monsters. Some adventurers used bows and arrows, but they were mostly filling a role of a cheap mage, or at least that’s what most people thought.

Archery was in the domain of the Elves, especially the Wood Elves. So, it was rare for a person in this area to find an archer at that level. I can’t say that I’m an elite archer by any means, but I’m positive there is not a single Human as skilled as me in Luminar.

And I’m not even using my favorite bow. If I just brought out my big one, I could rip a melon-sized hole through Terstus’s chest.

“Enough!” Terstus roared as he slammed his spear into the ground.

Unfortunately, I was too slow in unhooking my waist quiver to refill. Terstus took the opportunity to cast a spell as quickly as he could muster. I furrowed my brows as a wave of shadows snaked toward me along the ground.

I had no idea what would happen if those shadows touched me, so I jumped around and fired more arrows at Terstus, but they vanished into the darkness. That’s when I felt it, no, I sensed him. I snapped my neck to the left, dagger drawn, and stared down at Terstus, who was morphing out of a shadow.

His face dripped with inky blackness, but fear was evident in his facial features. He hadn’t expected me to react to him so quickly. Honestly, it was a mistake on my part. I just responded out of pure instinct and in response to his unfamiliar magic.

So, in order to save some amount of face, I acted like I overlooked him and misstepped into a shadow on purpose. I felt the spell pierce my calf, and I let out a fake yelp of pain to really sell it.

The crowd responded with shouts and jeers, some in support of me and others not so much. But there was one voice amongst the crowd that I could always pick out, even with thousands of people yelling.

“Go, my dear sister! Crush that bastard’s skull!”

I smirked at my brother’s fervor and wondered where he got the violent streak from. Perhaps Kalaidn and I were rubbing off on him too much.

Well, I can’t disappoint my brother now, can I? But wait…shouldn’t he be in the family box sitting? Why is he in the regular stands?

Well, whatever.

I “accidentally” stepped back and “miraculously” dodged his spear thrust. And I just so happened to have kicked Terstus in the testicles in a panic. What a shame.

Terstus spit out saliva with a moan as the shadows around us wavered from his loss of focus. The last thing I needed was to win this fight, so I made sure to let the shaft of his spear tap me in the leg and then proceeded to fall to the ground as if he had knocked me down on purpose.

It wasn’t my best showing, but it would have to do.

Shadows wrapped around my legs, and I was whipped around like a wet towel, flying off the platform and into the dirt. I landed hard and made sure to make plenty of noises and roll as far as I possibly could for that added dramatic effect. Oh, and I pretended to be unconscious until the medics arrived to heal me.

This is such a pain in the neck…

One of these days, I really am going to kill Terstus.