“I was watching the match closely. Both of you used swords, so it was impossible not to notice. Especially Irene. You were incredible. How you took down the opponents before Theo needed to act is still fresh in my mind.”

Seria spoke with a polite tone.

Usually, students at the academy use casual language with their peers, but Seria is an exception.

And for a good reason: her full name is Seria Rune Hestia.

The middle name ‘Rune’ indicates her high and noble status.

In this world, a middle name is a privilege only granted to those of the highest class.

Seria, like Theo and Piel, is a direct descendant of a prestigious family.

At a glance, her formal speech might seem similar to Aisha’s, but there’s a subtle difference.

While Aisha speaks politely to make a good impression on others, Seria does so to hide her true nature, which would shock many.

‘Whew…’

In any case, the sense of unease has become real.

The only thing Seria knows about me is my voice.

Naturally, she must remember the voice from that night.

She will eventually find out who I am but now is not the right time.

Instead of replying, I looked at Seria nonchalantly.

She tilted her head slightly, as if puzzled, and said,

“Ah, Theo, you’re pretty quiet. Perhaps it’s because you’re the heir to the Waldeurk family, you always seem so dignified. Anyway, I look forward to our next match, Swordsmen.”

With that, Seria reached out her hand to me.

“…”

Silently, I shook hands with her.

Irene, looking a bit confused, also shook hands with Seria.

“I look forward to our match, Seria Rune Hestia. I’ve heard you’re the top student in the Magic Department, particularly skilled with debuff magic.”

“Oh, I’m honored, Irene Aslan. You even remembered my full name. I’ve heard that you’re also the top student in the Knight Department. Seems we have an unintended face-off between the top students. Let’s have a wonderful match~”

Afterward, Irene and I also shook hands with Jamie, who was on the same team as Seria.

Jamie reached out to Irene.

“I’m looking forward to it, Irene. I may have lost during our previous spar, but I plan to redeem myself this time.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best, Jamie.”

With a slight smile, Jamie reached out to me.

“Nice to meet you, Theo. You’re Irene’s fiancé, right? I saw you a few times from a distance when you visited the Knight Department. Your recent duel with Julia is still a hot topic in our department.”

“…”

Just like with Seria, I silently shook hands with Jamie.

Jamie.

Though she’s not exactly a named character in the main story, she’s still a notable figure.

She maintained top grades during her academy days and, after graduating, joined one of the empire’s elite knight orders.

She’s a typical elite character, steadily following the traditional path.

Her hand didn’t feel delicate like a girl’s; it felt strong and solid.

A feeling quite different from the soft palm of Seria.

Jamie eyed my silence with a hint of annoyance.

“I remember you weren’t much of a talker before, but at least you’d open your mouth… You seem especially quiet today. In any case, I look forward to our match today.”

With that, Jamie let go of my hand.

…It’s as if I’m sitting on pins and needles.

I wanted to at least say something like, ‘Yes, I’m looking forward to it too.’

This situation is just suffocating.

I want to get out of it as soon as possible.

“Oh, The… Theo?”

I wrapped my arm around Irene’s shoulder and quickly left the spot.

Soon after, it was time for my round of 32 match against Seria.

The treatment from the round of 32 onwards was very different.

The spectator stands were packed with students from other departments who had finished their exams.

The academy also began to officially broadcast and provide commentary for the matches.

Irene and I hadn’t yet made our way to the arena.

We stood by the waiting room’s door, waiting for an official to signal our entrance, looking out at the arena through the window.

From the commentator’s booth, the announcer spoke into a magic microphone,

[Now, we will begin the first match of the round of 32! But before that, let’s welcome our guest commentator. Everyone, give a warm applause for Professor Mari Jane from the Hero Department! Known as the youngest professor in the Hero Department!]

Applause thundered throughout the arena.

Mari, looking out at the audience, took the microphone.

[Hello, everyone~ I’m Mari Jane, a professor from Elinia Academy’s Hero Department. Thank you for the warm welcome. Firstly, I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to all the distinguished guests present today…]

Unlike during the Hero Department’s practical evaluation three weeks ago, Mari wasn’t wearing her usual shabby shirt and pants.

Instead, she wore a shirt and skirt that emphasized her voluptuous figure, resembling a glamorous reporter.

‘This has changed from the game.’

In the game, Mari didn’t provide commentary for this tournament.

Really, how much is the future going to change?

Piel, who participated before, isn’t participating now, yet Andrew is.

Even Noctar making it to the round of 32 is different.

Now, beyond feeling fearful, I’m almost resigned.

I don’t worry anymore. Worrying is a luxury.

All I can do is overcome whatever comes my way.

After Mari continued her commentary for some time,

“You may now enter.”

An official opened the door leading to the arena.

‘The real battles start now.’

I used the [Camouflage Scroll] on the [Amplification Orb].

After being checked with the artifact detector, Irene and I entered the arena.

[…and that wraps up the introduction for Team Jamie & Seria! Now, let’s welcome Team Irene & Theo! Give them a big round of applause! Irene is renowned as the top student in the Knight Department! And while Theo is ranked 181st in the Hero Department, his recent achievements have been outstanding…]

Using Mari’s commentary as background, I calmly surveyed the arena.

With Mari’s commentary in the background, I calmly observed the arena. I had seen it before, but compared to the Hero Department’s dome stadium, this one was smaller and felt a bit lackluster.

‘The atmosphere in the spectator seats feels more intense.’

The seating capacity is probably about a third of the Hero Department’s, right?

Well, it’s better than that one baseball team that hasn’t won in nearly 30 years, but boasts a large home stadium.*

Next, I scanned the audience.

There were many familiar faces.

I spotted Jang Woohee and Siena.

Amy, holding Little Fist, and Noctar with his orc friends from our year, as well as many other orcs from different departments.

Noctar, towering above even the orcs, was staring sternly at me.

There were also numerous reporters, guild, and government officials.

I even noticed some named characters from the main storyline.

‘Ah, that woman is Hailey, the Chief Administrator of the Ataraxia Guild.’

The ‘Ataraxia’ Guild had many interactions with Neike throughout the main story.

Irene and I made our way onto the arena floor.

Seria was still giving me that ambiguous look, and Jamie looked ready to draw her sword and charge at any moment.

[Let the round of 32 of the Knight Department’s 2v2 Tourname-]

Mari’s commentary was abruptly interrupted.

Because Noctar, who was sitting solemnly in the stands, stood up, and as he raised his right arm, the Orcs, led by Tarcan, all rose in unison.

“Warrior! Unleash the War God’s wrath upon that mage!”

“Fight on, true warrior, Theo!”

“Fight! Win! Tear apart that mage wench’s limbs!”

The shouts of what seemed like at least fifty tall orcs filled the arena.

Orcs have powerful voices, so even just a few can resonate throughout an entire arena.

And now, there were more than fifty of them.

The other spectators looked back and forth between me and the orcs with wide eyes.

Reporters were busy capturing the scene, and guild & government officials began feverishly jotting down notes.

Even Mari in the commentary box seemed shocked, as she audibly gasped.

“…”

Of course, I’m grateful… but it’s embarrassing.

I can feel my face turning red.

In a hurry, I strengthened my [Twisted Noble’s Dignity] and tried to act composed.

Seria looked at me with curiosity and said,

“You’re quite popular, Theo. I’ve never seen a human so adored by orcs. It reminds me of stories about our founding headmaster, Ryuk… How mysterious. It’s also amazing how you show no reaction to such fervor.”

Then, Seria chuckled with a playful ‘hehe.’

‘Heh’…

I had to hold back a smirk.

That was Seria’s genuine laughter.

Still, I didn’t utter a word.

Mari, having composed herself, resumed her commentary.

[Ahem, ahem! Theo’s popularity is truly impressive. There were rumors of his close relations with the orc students, but I never imagined such passionate support! Anyway, let’s finally begin the match!]

And so, the match began.

—Toggle New Ads

Uh sorry sorry for the wrong chappy. Uploaded the wrong one. I usually check on the website right after I post just to make sure I got the right one but the one time I don’t, I post the wrong one. ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡

*LOL no idea what baseball team they’re talking about, might be from a league in Korea.