Chapter 153
It’s important to quickly give up on a match that has no chance of victory. Distinguishing between what is difficult and what is impossible is one of the most crucial tasks in life.
That’s why I gave up the moment the announcer mentioned the advisor’s name. If it were Rutis, the odds might be fifty-fifty, but against the advisor, it’s zero. Not close to zero, just solidly zero.
‘This lineup is futile.’
Even if my team teamed up with Rutis and the eight of us charged simultaneously, it wouldn’t be enough. How could a hastily assembled team of eight from the academy possibly stand against Kagan’s killer?
In the past, our kingdom collected information on Kagan and concluded that to face him, the entire royal mage corps would need to be involved just to achieve a stalemate. And even that conclusion was made after running the numbers with the most optimistic simulations.
The conditions were stacked: if Kagan wasn’t leading an army, if the intel we had wasn’t overly embellished, and if we assumed his defense was merely that of an average superhuman. Only by piling on those conditions could we even entertain the idea of a fair fight.
And yet, Rutis seemed bent on challenging the advisor.
‘Seriously, he’s out of his mind.’
I clicked my tongue at this baffling behavior. Surely he wasn’t thinking of actually winning, right? He was just hyped about the chance to confront a strong opponent.
This is why I just can’t understand swordsmen. There’s gotta be a limit on how strong your opponent should be; what’s the point if the gap is so wide?
Once Rutis goes down, I’ll throw in the towel immediately. It might bruise my pride a bit, but hey, I’m already fleeing the throne, so this is actually a win-win for me.
– BANG!!
That decision turned out to be a wise one.
‘This is insane.’
The distance between the advisor and Rutis was no joke; even a trained knight would take several seconds to cover it.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, the advisor appeared right in front of Rutis and slammed him to the ground, creating a shockwave that nearly shattered the arena’s floor!
‘This isn’t just any floor.’
Unintentionally, I glanced down at the cracked floor beneath me. This was the empire’s top educational institution; even the smallest facilities wouldn’t be overlooked.
Besides, this academy was built on the legacy of Apels, the wealthiest in continental history. I heard they constructed the arena with materials that even the sharpest swords or the strongest spells couldn’t scratch.
I raised my gaze again to see where Rutis was lying. The area around him was completely wrecked, only scattered stone fragments remaining.
‘Is he alive?’
Honestly, that thought crossed my mind. If the ground got busted up like this, the impact must not have been a minor one.
“I surrender.”
I tucked my wand at my waist and lifted my hands. The advisor had rushed over with a speed I could barely comprehend. If I hesitated even a moment, I could be lying next to Rutis before I managed to surrender.
I’d prefer to skip that. Unlike Rutis, I hadn’t trained my body much. If he ended up like that, I’d likely be toast.
– The final winner of the four-person event is 1st year class 3!
The announcement erupted the instant I declared my surrender.
*
What’s the big deal about life? Everything will work out somehow, right?
Damn it.
There’s definitely a big deal; somehow, this doesn’t seem like it’s going to work out on its own.
Lather’s quick surrender, the immediate follow-up announcement, and the healers rushing in.
Watching all this unfold, I realized I’d failed to escape from reality. No matter how much I thought about it, this was indeed a complete mess.
“O, oppa? Rutis is okay, right?”
Louise rushed over, looking pale as a ghost.
It was a shocking situation where someone she cared about was put on the brink of death by another she knew. It’s only natural that she wouldn’t know how to react.
“He’s fine. Even if he’s injured, he’ll recover quickly with a competent healer.”
That was true. Coughing up blood? In a world where limbs could be severed and reattached like nothing, that was basically a mere scratch. A few healing spells and he’d be up, heading home in no time.
The actual problem was that I had made a royal bleed.
Damn it.
No matter how I tried to rationalize it, my go-to thought was always “damn it.”
There are excuses I could throw around. It was an academy event; swords and spells fly around, and injuries might happen. Rutis wasn’t the type to get mad over such things.
But even considering all that, probation would be the least of my worries. Even if Rutis defended my actions by saying, “I’m fine, really,” probation was still practically guaranteed.
“Hyung, that was too much.”
That bastard.
Erich’s comment, as he trudged up, made my hand twitch. If he weren’t my brother, I might just have laid him out next to Rutis.
But cursing him was not something I could muster. Even I thought I’d crossed the line.
“I should’ve just given him a light slap on the forehead.”
That would’ve been enough to make him bounce back happily.
I sighed and found myself making eye contact with Sir Villar in the stands.
Shock, resentment, and a touch of envy swirled in his eyes.
‘I got wrecked, but damn, that was satisfying for a moment.’
The inter-class competition concluded with Lather’s class hoisting the trophy of victory.
Although I took the win from the four-person event, which tied Rutis’s and Lather’s classes, a joint victory wasn’t possible. They decided that since Rutis’s class went down first, Lather’s class was thus proclaimed the winner.
It must’ve felt unfair for Rutis, knocked out from the first strike. However, second place is still commendable. He shouldn’t get disheartened.
“They say he recovered without any issues.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Yes, indeed.”
But it seemed like I was the one set to suffer.
After the award ceremony and closing speech, the principal led me directly to his office. While I felt like a delinquent, at this moment, I felt more like an assaulter…
I quietly lowered my gaze as the principal set down the communication crystal, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. In this situation, I was just a scoundrel with no grounds to speak.
“I’ll trust only you, Executive Manager.”
I recalled the principal’s words before descending to the arena, leaving me even more speechless.
“I didn’t think it would end in one hit.”
Still, I felt a twinge of unfairness. Of course, I had been cautious. Who would go so far as to make a royal bleed, given any past grievances?
But regardless of my intentions, that was the reality we faced. The sin of not controlling my strength carried immense weight.
“…I understand the Executive Manager had a tough position too.”
After a moment of silence, the principal finally spoke up.
“They would’ve been more upset if we showed leniency in that situation.”
I found myself nodding instinctively at his words. The kingdom of Armein was a land known for its knights. Being part of its royal family, Rutis embodied their competitive nature and pride.
Facing him barehanded could be interpreted as a master taking pity on a novice, but if I openly showed leniency or deliberately lost? They’d surely think I was looking down on them, encasing me in even more trouble.
“They say injuries in matches are just part of the game. He said he didn’t care.”
He didn’t specify who he was referring to, but it was clear; after regaining consciousness, Rutis probably requested mercy.
Speaking of mercy made me feel like a real criminal. Well, technically, I was.
“Fortunately, the Armein side didn’t intend to escalate the matter. They plan only to report that he received a healer’s examination post-match.”
Hearing the principal’s relief signified that things had settled down. Considering Armein’s standpoint, reporting that the prince they were protecting had bled would probably be beyond nerve-wracking for them.
Most likely, they coordinated with the other two countries, relaying the news to their home base in as vague and minimal fashion as possible.
“However, the academy will be reporting the facts to the Ministry of Education. Please bear with us.”
“Of course. I apologize for causing such a ruckus.”
I dipped my head in response to the principal’s words. Though he asked for my understanding, it was clear he’d already done his utmost to accommodate me.
He worked hard to keep the incident from escalating into a diplomatic issue, containing it within the academy. Asking him not to report it to his superiors would be utterly shameless.
After several rounds of gratitude and apologies, I finally managed to leave the principal’s office.
I’m screwed.
Armein did its best to avoid the label of “escorts who failed to protect their charge.” Villar would likely get off easy as well.
But I couldn’t sidestep my accountability. Someone had to bear the responsibility for Rutis’s injuries.
It looked like my communication crystal would be glowing brightly soon…
*
One day passed, and it felt like my blood had turned to ice.
It seemed the Ministry of Education was stunned by the sudden royal assault report. This was definitely not something that should take a whole day to address.
What a life.
Yesterday I was all set for an immediate summons. If I get called to the capital now, then probation is a certainty. I might even be barred from coming back to the academy for a while, so I should wrap up my business before then.
First, I went to pay Rutis a visit for an apology and to check in on him.
“Since I asked for your guidance, suffering an injury is only natural, isn’t it? Let’s do this again next time!”
I spouted some exceptionally terrible lines. I couldn’t even scold him for his absurd words due to my own guilt.
Next, I made sure to show my face to the club members.
“Oppa, don’t worry too much since Rutis is okay.”
“It was his own choice. If he’d surrendered like I did, this would’ve been a non-issue.”
They offered me comfort first. Maybe they held some warmer feelings for me after everything we’ve been through. I felt a bit touched.
Finally, I met with Marghetta, but seeing her expression—so distant—left me unable to speak.
It was like the look on a mother’s face catching her trusting son with his hand in her purse. She must never have imagined I could cause such a monumental incident.
“Carl, no matter what happens, I’m on your side.”
Her gentle smile and supportive words stung my heart. “I’m the criminal; please just blame me instead.”
I sighed, casting my gaze toward the communication crystal. This criminal had a long road ahead of him.
“Come to the capital immediately.”
Exactly one day after the legendary royal assault incident, a direct message from the Crown Prince pinged in.
Was it just my imagination, or did that curt text convey just how furious he was?
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.