Chapter: 56
The Krasius family is one of the Empire’s most prestigious martial families. While it’s a bit lacking to call them the foremost lineage, they have never been left out when discussing martial families in the Empire’s 300-year history. A steadfast family.
They are one of the Emperor’s direct vassals and a member of the Imperial Council. That’s the Krasius family, and that’s the name resting on Erich’s shoulders. Of course, since he isn’t the heir, the weight is a tad lighter.
Still, being the second son of a distinguished martial family has had a massive impact on Erich’s path. He received training within the family even before entering the Academy. Thanks to that, it’s tough to find an equal among his peers, including his seniors. Rutis might be an exception. Usually, status, opportunities for education, and skill go hand in hand.
‘My luck in the matches isn’t bad.’
Even though he had no thoughts of losing to anyone, the chance of a variable popping up with a difficult opponent was practically negligible. It looked like he would easily score well in the practical exam.
‘I wish Louise were here.’
Watching his anxious opponent didn’t boost his motivation. Sorry, but the victory seemed too obvious. If only Louise had been watching, he would’ve felt more inspired, but she was in the Magic Department, too busy preparing for her own duel. It was a bummer.
‘It can’t be helped.’
He could only find satisfaction in cheering for Louise as she fought.
With that thought, he grabbed his sword, and just then, he spotted a familiar figure entering the arena.
“Hyung?”
His voice slipped out due to surprise. Luckily, his opponent probably didn’t hear him, but Erich’s gaze was already drawn to the sword behind his opponent.
Out of nowhere, someone he hadn’t expected to see at the arena showed up. He only realized that the person next to him was the Principal a beat too late. What on earth was going on?
‘I’m going nuts.’
Seeing Carl looking over with his arms crossed made Erich bite his lip. They had grown accustomed to each other over time. After all, Erich had spent more time with Carl after he came to the Academy than the time they had spent together before Erich enrolled.
Carl’s gaze didn’t make him nervous anymore. They had restored their relationship to the point where they could greet each other naturally when their eyes met. There had been no reason for their relationship to sour in the first place; it was just that time had made things awkward.
But at this particular moment, holding the sword, Carl’s gaze landed upon him. Those pitch-black eyes, so reminiscent of their father, were bearing down on him. Despite being on a higher platform, Erich felt like he was the one being looked down upon.
‘How embarrassing.’
He gripped the sword tighter. Being intimidated by someone who just looked at you without saying a word was humiliating, especially when that someone was family.
‘How long is this going to last?’
He had often heard that if he were half as good as his brother, he would truly shine in social circles. But Erich had never been bothered by this sort of comment. The gap between them was so vast that he didn’t feel jealousy or self-loathing—just plain old acceptance.
In the first place, those comments were meant to elevate Carl’s abilities, not to belittle Erich. After all, at that time, Erich hadn’t even started attending the Academy.
But not anymore. Under the Empire’s law, he was officially an adult now, and he had grown somewhat closer to his brother, who had always felt so far away. He didn’t want to live forever in the shadows of his brother. He didn’t want to be that pitiful little brother shrinking under scrutiny. He wanted to stand tall as a proud noble and a member of the Krasius family.
‘This is rather a good opportunity.’
Those eyes, similar to their father’s, appeared rather invigorating now. If he gained recognition from someone who bore those eyes, it would feel like gaining his father’s acknowledgment too.
A fire of determination surged in Erich’s eyes, replacing his earlier surprise. His earlier casual approach transformed into a fierce resolve to prove himself. He was going to etch admiration and satisfaction into Carl’s eyes, which currently seemed to observe him as merely a tool.
Erich could sense his opponent’s discomfort. He felt a little guilty, but he now had a reason to give it his all. If his opponent ended up badly injured, he’d apologize later.
That day, Erich was treated to the sight of Carl nodding with a satisfied smile.
*
For a moment, I thought I might be the totem making Erich go berserk, but I didn’t mind as long as he benefited from it. Where else in the world would you find a brother like me?
Anyway, with his sudden surge of confidence, Erich forcefully cornered his opponent and swiftly secured victory. He already had the upper hand in skill, and with this newfound determination, there was simply no way for his opponent to hold out. Still, I was surprised at just how impressive Erich’s abilities were.
‘He’s really put in the work.’
He displayed a prowess that did justice to the name Krasius. Well, it’s not like the patriarch would let his son slack off and play around, right? But even among his peers, it would be rare to find someone who could challenge him. He deserved all the praise.
I didn’t want to clap since it seemed too humiliating for the defeated opponent, so I gave a nod to Erich, who was looking my way. His grin suggested my support had gotten through to him.
“As expected of the Krasius family. Both siblings are exceptional, just like their father.”
While I thought about giving him a half-hearted thumbs-up, the Principal’s voice rang out. His tone suggested he had a connection with the family patriarch.
“Have you met my father before?”
“Of course. He was just starting out in the military right before I retired.”
The Principal absentmindedly stroked his long beard, likely reminiscing about those days. But something felt off. If the patriarch was just entering the military as the Principal was about to retire, it meant the patriarch had reached the end of his military career by now. And twenty years later, he was somehow the Principal of the Academy?
‘What a veteran.’
A veteran who had completely maxed out even his secondary job. Indeed, it seems that magicians become more formidable as they age.
“He was a quietly awkward fellow, not too good with expression. But he had a strong sense of responsibility and was surprisingly warm-hearted.”
“I’m not sure about the warm-hearted bit.”
“Doesn’t he take good care of his people? I’ve never seen anyone among his colleagues or juniors who had anything bad to say about Wilhelm.”
If affectionate means fiercely holding onto one’s circle, I can follow that reasoning. The vassals of the Krasius family are known for their high loyalty. If he was a master who strictly maintained order with clear boundaries and punishments, he’s undoubtedly top-tier.
After the last sword duel concluded, we made our way to the magic duel arena. Given the abundance of ranged magic spells flying around, using the same arena as the sword duels often didn’t meet appropriate standards.
Since the arenas were different anyway, conducting both the sword and magic duels simultaneously wasn’t a problem, but due to a lack of medical staff, they decided to proceed one after the other. One student from the sword matches was undergoing treatment for a leg injury, and if someone in the magic duel had a burnt arm, it would certainly be chaotic.
And now, in front of me, I saw a poor victim collapsing after being struck by the icicles that Lather had launched.
‘That guy is an ice magician, huh?’
It seemed he had picked skills that matched his hair color perfectly.
“Oh, that ended quickly.”
“Well, how could he hold up while getting shot at from so far away?”
Also present were Rutis and Erich, who had just finished their duels. They had nothing more to do, so they figured they might as well watch the magic duels. Of course, their primary interest was undoubtedly Louise.
As I glanced around, it appeared as if a barrier had been set up, preventing anyone from advancing towards us. Just having the Chief Inspector and the Principal was intimidating enough, but there were also members of royalty among us.
“Brother, over here!”
“Great job, Lather!”
Thanks to Tannian and Ainter welcoming Lather, the barrier had tightened further. Even those who hadn’t even been visible during the sword duel were sneaking in. Anyway, the other students seemed terrified at the thought of accidentally stepping on the shadows of this powerful crowd, making them hastily avoid our vicinity.
“Now, all that’s left is to wait for Louise’s match!”
At Rutis’s words, I involuntarily glanced at him. Memories of the silly debate between Rutis and Lather about swordsmanship and magic came rushing back.
‘What’s with this idiot?’
Rutis was boasting about the superiority of the sword, but ironically, Louise was learning magic. Back then, I hadn’t known what skill Louise chose, so I thought nothing of it. But what in the world was wrong with this guy?
Knowing that Louise was learning magic while he was acting that way? That’s either absurd courage or complete idiocy.
‘It’s probably the former.’
He must be a temporarily crazy prince from the knight nation of Armein. I had to sort my thoughts this way to save whatever dignity Rutis had left.
And just like that, as they all engaged in their silly back-and-forth, they simultaneously turned their heads toward the duel arena the moment Louise’s match began.
“Louise! You can do it!”
“Hang in there, Louise!”
You crazy bastards, stop it.
Feeling confused, I took a bit of distance from those five clowns. The cheers from the two who were the loudest echoed through the arena, but the other three were also vigorously moving their mouths in encouragement.
As that unfolded, Louise’s opponent’s expression began to harden. Who could casually use magic against someone cheered on by imperial royals and the next saint? I couldn’t even imagine doing that.
‘Poor guy.’
Even Louise seemed a bit embarrassed by the booming cheers as her face turned red. But in spite of that, she awkwardly waved her hand in gratitude. The five guys cheered even louder, and she waved again…
‘What a duel filled with nothing but getting wrecked.’
It was genuinely pitiful.
The duel between Rutis and Lather executed flawlessly, leaving nothing more than a couple of torn hearts behind. I was also satisfied, having noted a few students with impressive potential for the future.
Not to mention, I had directly observed Erich’s growth. It seemed that this day was going to end on a high note once Louise’s duel wrapped up. That’s what I thought.
That was the setup for what would come next.
“Phew…”
“Wow.”
It appeared the Principal was at a loss for words, and I just softly muttered in disbelief.
What the hell was that?
No, seriously. What was that?
No, damn it. Why was this happening?
“I-I lost!”
Louise’s opponent, caught off guard and battered by her magic, hastily declared his surrender while dazed.
Honestly, I could understand the shock. Louise’s magic was bizarrely unique. There was definitely only one incantation, and suddenly, it split into three. One shard flew straight, while the other two came from different angles, slicing horizontally. The sheer surprise of a three-dimensional attack left her opponent absolutely reeling.
“What on earth…”
Still stiff, I turned my gaze toward the Principal, who also looked back at me.
“Chief Inspector, tell me you don’t mean…”
“Yes, you guessed it right.”
As I nodded grimly at what the Principal hoped was a denial, he buried his face in his hands. If I were just a spectator, I would’ve dashed to the dorms without a backward glance and turned on the communication device.
Damn it…
Why was Louise using the unique magic of the Mage Duchess?
Before my eyes, everything darkened in response to this unexpected calamity.
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