Chapter 16 — Duel Aftermath [2]
Tch… I'll go alone."
"But Sara, just in case, you should—"
"I said I'll go alone! Alone!"
Sara suddenly shouted, her expression full of anger and frustration.
"…Tch."
She grabbed her fallen rapier with her uninjured hand and walked toward the gym exit.
Lucas sighed and scratched his head as he watched her go.
"She's still the same, huh. Anyway, Alex, good work. And congrats. Blocking all of the Istinbloom family's sword techniques and winning… that's really—"
"That guy didn't win!"
Sara, who had been walking toward the exit, suddenly turned around and shouted.
"It's not… it's not over yet! Alex Vanehart! The match isn't finished! I could've kept fighting, but Professor Lucas interrupted us, so the duel isn't decided yet!"
"Hey, hey. Sara. Stop it, you're embarrassing yourself."
Cedric cut her off and stood up, walking toward her.
"Anyone can see that you lost. Refusing to accept that even now… it's not a good look."
"Shut up, Cedric! I could've kept fighting! The professor ended it too soon—"
"The moment your wrist was cut and you dropped your sword, the match was over. Why's your pride—"
"I said shut up! Anyway, the match isn't over!"
Sara shouted again and glared at me, her expression a mix of humiliation and anger.
She seemed like she had a lot more to say, but in the end, she turned her head and stormed out of the gym.
Cedric, watching her go, gave a hollow laugh and turned to Lucas.
"Professor, I'll go with her. I don't feel right letting her wander off alone like that."
"Alright. I'll leave it to you, Cedric."
"Yes, sir."
With that, Cedric followed after Sara and exited the gym.
Once things settled down, I glanced around.
"Wait, so Sara-nim… actually lost? That Sara-nim?"
"No way. Isn't it basically impossible to beat a swordsman from the Isrinbloom Ducal Family unless your skill level is miles above theirs?"
"Who even is that Alex guy? He's got a noble surname, but I've never heard of him."
"Same. That family name's new to me too."
Everyone around was talking about the duel between Sara and me.
And it wasn't just the other first-years —
upperclassmen from the second and third years in the gym's second-floor spectator seats were also talking about me.
'I don't care what anyone else says. What matters is… that person.'
My eyes shifted to a red-haired girl sitting alone in the stands.
Eleanor Blackwell.
She was looking at me with clear interest, and when our eyes met, I quickly looked away — but I could still feel her gaze lingering on me.
'Well, I definitely left an impression on Eleanor.'
Of course I did.
An unknown baron's son had just defeated the genius of the great Isrinbloom Ducal Family.
'Things turned out better than I expected.'
Not only had I left a good first impression on Eleanor, but by defeating Sara, my name had probably spread a little.
That bit of fame might help me later when it came to rising through the ranks.
"Alex."
"Hm? Oh, yes, Professor."
While I was lost in thought, Lucas called out to me again.
"If you want, you can head back early today. Facing Sara wasn't exactly easy, right?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Honestly, I'm not that tired."
That wasn't just something I said.
Partly because this body I transmigrated into had excellent physical ability — but more than that, defense consumed far less stamina than attacking.
So while Sara's stamina had quickly run dry, I was still perfectly fine.
"You've definitely got good endurance. Alright then. Take a breather while the others spar. Once they're done, we'll have a short orientation before I dismiss you."
"Understood."
After replying, I walked to a chair in the corner of the gym and sat down.
As I did, I stole a glance at Lucas — he had a somewhat uncertain expression.
"Still, did he really mimic Sara's swordsmanship at the end? No, that shouldn't be possible… I might have to check that myself later."
He looked like he was deep in thought, but I stopped paying attention to him.
Physically, I was fine — but mentally, I needed a short break.
'Phew… finally, a moment to breathe.'
When Sara had suddenly challenged me to a duel, I'd honestly thought things would get complicated.
And, in a way, they had — she probably hated me now.
Still, the important thing was that I'd left a strong impression on Eleanor.
That alone was a gain.
'Speaking of Eleanor…'
I glanced up again toward the second-floor seats.
Now that another first-year duel had started, Eleanor was watching it seriously like the other upperclassmen.
But I could still catch her sneaking glances at me from time to time.
'I need to think about how to get closer to Eleanor.'
The path I'd chosen — becoming a knight, the so-called Disciplinary Committee Route — required me to first join the Academy's Disciplinary Committee.
And right now, the only active member left in that committee… was Eleanor Blackwell.
'For certain reasons, she ended up managing the committee alone, running it by herself.'
From what I remembered, the committee would soon recruit one new member from each grade.
And I had to become the first-year representative.
To do that, I needed to impress Eleanor — prove that I was capable and strong.
And of course…
'…I'll have to pass the entrance test.'
The Disciplinary Committee's entrance test — it wasn't easy.
I'd need to prepare for it.
That meant one thing: I had to become stronger.
'Not just for the committee. If I want to rise and survive in this world, I have to get stronger.'
There was a lot I needed to do.
First, train to fully adapt to this body. Then, acquire the right items.
'The gear set that boosts physical attack… and most importantly, the rune. If I'm sticking with the defensive swordsman build, that rune's essential.'
Honestly, I wanted to go find those items and runes right now.
But at my current level, it was impossible.
'Even if my physical ability and swordsmanship are good, the top-tier gear I want… is out of reach for now. I'll have to start small and farm lower-level equipment first.'
There was no need to rush.
Since I'd likely be spending a long time in this world, I just had to grow stronger step by step, like in the beginning stages of a character build.
'Still, the Disciplinary Committee entrance exam is coming soon. I'll need a way to get stronger fast. And right now…'
I looked down at the Mistcatcher hanging at my waist.
'…let's start by strengthening my weapon.'
As I'd said before, this world was no longer a game for me.
So strengthening my weapon wouldn't directly increase my stats.
But somehow… I had a feeling that it'd be much better than leaving it as it was.
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[To be Continue]