“The lady has something to testify about the duel as a wizard,” said Ria.
Everyone’s gaze lifted to the high seat where Eliya sat.
Eliya descended the stairs with an elegant stride.
Everyone held their breath, focusing on her.
Amidst the hundreds watching, she stood aloof.
Her leisurely pace suggested she was not concerned about who waited for her.
I took a slow breath, waiting for her.
My body ached all over.
It was the first time in my life I’d been hit so badly.
Especially in this young and weak body.
Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to collapse and rest, but I endured.
When Eliya reached the front, Gawain hurriedly knelt on one knee.
I forced my numb body to pay my respects.
“I saw it,” Eliya said bluntly.
“He used his magic first.”
Gawain lifted his head.
Eliya gestured to the fainted Galliot.
“But I…”
“Are you implying my words are lies?”
Eliya looked down at Gawain with an air of boredom.
“I didn’t know you were more knowledgeable about magic than I, Sir Gawain.”
“No, I was careless, my lady.”
“If you’re so curious, check it out. There’s still some residual energy left.”
Gawain felt around Galliot’s body.
After touching his right fist, he nodded.
“Your words are true, my lady. I was incompetent. I apologize.”
“Indeed.”
Eliya boldly pointed out Gawain’s ineptitude.
Unable to lift his head, Gawain bit his lip.
But soon, as if resolved, he shook it off and stood.
“I correct my verdict as the judge. The winner is…”
He looked down at me.
“Judas. Therefore, the champion of the duel tournament belongs to the 13th Room.”
Although it should have caused a ruckus, the surroundings fell silent.
It was because of Eliya, who had stepped into the center of the arena.
Clap, clap, clap.
Eliya slowly clapped her hands.
Only then did the audience follow suit, clapping for her.
It was quite a dignified celebration.
“Judas.”
Eliya approached me.
Just like when we first met, she grabbed my chin and lifted it.
Eliya’s face, flushed with makeup lately, resembled a cat’s, with its upward-turned eyes and a tear mole under her right eye.
She looked just like the murderous Eliya I knew.
I wondered why she seemed different today.
“…Yes, my lady.”
“It was fun. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“I never thought you could use magic. How much are you hiding from me?”
“……”
“But using it so openly confuses me. Is it that you want to hide it from me or that you want me to notice it? It’s hard to tell.”
Neither.
If I had to say, it was the former.
Not that I was hiding anything special, but I absolutely didn’t want her to notice.
How she interpreted my silence made Eliya smirk.
Her doll-like face twisted into a chilling smile.
“By the way.”
Eliya still held my face as she spoke.
Her gaze cut through Galliot and Gawain like a knife.
“What kind of punishment fits a candidate who violated the rules by using magic to try to kill their opponent, and the judge who failed to notice it, the one ultimately responsible for the academy?”
Eliya caressed my face gently.
It was dirty with sweat, blood, and dirt.
Yet Eliya, without caring at all, gazed at me as if questioning.
“What should we do?”
It was a pure, child-like smile.
Except it was asking whether I should kill or save a person’s life.
Her small, soft hand made my face sting.
Perhaps it touched a wound.
I simply lowered my head.
“It’s something wise people like you should decide, my lady.”
“Hmm. Okay, I see.”
Eliya left the duel arena.
The tense applause died down, and the surroundings became chaotic.
“I apologize for my misjudgment. I’m sorry, Judas.”
Gawain bowed respectfully before me.
I was taken aback since I hadn’t expected it at all.
“To clarify, it’s nearly impossible to detect enhanced strength unless the power is released. It’s almost impossible unless you’re an extraordinary wizard like my lady.”
I hadn’t known that either.
Since it might be crucial for my future, I listened carefully.
“Galliot must have walked at the end, then rushed at the last moment, trying to suppress his power as much as possible. If you touch where he enhanced himself with magic, you can feel that residual energy. Just as you said, Galliot was trying to kill you. With this right hand charged with magic. It seems he tried to hide it as much as possible by enhancing just one side.”
I nearly died.
But it didn’t feel real.
Perhaps it was because I won.
Or maybe it was because the act of killing someone felt so unrealistic.
What’s more, this Gawain was quite a remarkable individual.
Knowing full well what could happen to him at Eliya’s hands, he graciously apologized and explained everything logically.
“While it’s possible to kill while battling, excessive attempts to kill are prohibited.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Consequences will be imposed accordingly. On Galliot. To prevent your frustration, I say this.”
“I understand.”
I didn’t really have the desire for that.
I thought Eliya must have already planned how to handle it.
“There will also be appropriate punishment for my error, and I am prepared to accept it. I apologize once more.”
“No, it’s… It’s alright.”
“By the way, since when were you able to use magic?”
“Today was my first time.”
“…I see. You’ll need to be checked separately later.”
Gawain hurried off to summon a knight and took Galliot to the medic.
As he tidied up the scene, people from the waiting area of the 13th Room rushed out.
“Judas-!”
Richard came running ahead.
“Hey, man! What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m almost dead.”
“You look fine to me.”
“I’m on the brink of death.”
“Oh, you’re fine, you’re fine.”
His nonchalant words made me chuckle.
Dillon, supported by Argon, arrived late.
“Judas….”
“I told you I’d win.”
“You really… Ha….”
Dillon trailed off with a deep sigh.
That sigh quickly turned into a laugh.
Richard watched him with a chuckle.
“Do you know how worried he was behind the scenes? He acted like a parent!”
Other companions chimed in.
“I heard too!”
“This fool was desperate to keep him from rushing out.”
“…But, Richard, didn’t you curse several times because Sir Gawain wasn’t stopping?”
“You, you…! What do you think you’re doing!”
Richard chastised Dillon while glancing at Gawain.
Fortunately, Gawain was busy sorting things out.
“Thank you for winning, Judas.”
“My words exactly. Honestly, I thought I’d lose.”
“Me too.”
“Who would have guessed I’d take down Galliot?”
Starting with Dillon and Richard, the room’s companions offered their words.
Thank yous, congratulations, words of encouragement.
It was nice to hear, but one thing puzzled me.
Without realizing it, I had to shatter this touching atmosphere.
“Why don’t you ask how I was able to use magic?”
At that, everyone fell silent.
Richard broke the awkward silence.
“Hey. Is there anyone here without a story?”
At his words, I looked around at each face.
Richard, who would later be called the Lion’s Knight.
The rest of their futures were unknown to me.
Dillon, Lindell, Argon, Perlyn, Esmo, Dyke.
And more, names I remembered but wasn’t close to yet.
Characters who perhaps wouldn’t even make it into the game.
But they were people too.
“More than that secret, isn’t it more important that our same-room comrade brought us victory? Right?”
“Playing it cool, huh? You were cursing Gawain and Galliot just a moment ago…”
“Dillon, shut up. Do you want to get hit again?”
As they bickered, laughter spread.
The atmosphere was noisy and cheerful, creating a warm environment.
Whether I liked it or not, memories of my past life resurfaced.
I had comrades back then too.
Friends during training.
Rivals challenging each other.
But….
“Why do you stick out so much?”
“Does doing sports suddenly make you special?”
“Hey…. Damn it, you got us in trouble with the seniors. This is driving me crazy.”
Only mockery was present.
Those who first cheered turned their backs all too quickly.
That wasn’t my intention.
I hated seeing someone get hurt for ridiculous reasons or being excluded from training because they lacked connections.
That was all.
I didn’t want to look good to anyone, so I stood alone, facing ridicule.
The result was….
“Uh…? Judas, are you crying?”
Lindell asked, surprised.
Next to him, Richard said with a smirk, “Huh? Crying? Are you crying? Hey, you’re crying?”
“No, I’m not crying…”
“Haha! He’s crying! He really is! Haha!”
“Oh, for real!”
Dillon pushed Richard with a kick.
“Oof!”
“What are you doing to someone who’s crying!”
“What does it matter?! Go tell someone above! I’ll tell Sir Gawain too!”
“I’ll forgive you with my broad heart.”
Listening to their argument, I felt ridiculous.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
They were such fools.
“The one who did the best today is crying, why?”
“…I didn’t cry.”
“Sure, sure. We’ll believe you.”
The embarrassment crept in late.
Being grown and being fussed over by kids made me want to die.
I truly wished someone would knock me out.
“This is probably just the influence of being young…”
Though my mind was still adult, my body had only just turned 13.
Even the gazes I attracted when I reported on Kale made my body tremble.
I reacted against my own will because of this childish body.
So, the moment I just cried was just a childish effect.
It wasn’t me. Really.
*
The finals took place on a Saturday, a weekend.
Thus, there was no schedule after the duel ended.
First, I sought out the medical room.
I surely had a worse condition than Galliot.
He fainted with a single hit, but I had taken countless blows.
‘He might not be fine either…’
We had talked about this before.
How painful would a body slam be?
It had been a drunken talk, yet we were all serious.
Even me, and those who were still my friends at that time.
After a fierce debate, I made a clear analogy.
“Imagine swinging a baseball bat as hard as you can against the ground. How much would that hurt? Now, if you were swinging that bat against someone, how much would they hurt?”
“Hey, even so, the bat would hurt more because it’s harder!”
“That’s because the bat can’t break fall! If they can break their fall, it’ll hurt less! Can you be confident if they’re slammed into concrete without being able to break their fall?”
In that answer, everyone participating in the discussion was in awe.
It was a moment where fierce conflict unified into one thought.
“Oh….”
“…Oh!”
“Ah-ha!”
Anyways, the conclusion was that “swinging a person against the ground hurts a lot.”
I still don’t know what kind of conversation that was.
It was silly since it happened while drinking.
‘Anyway, even though it was just one hit, Galliot can’t be normal either.’
Lindell and Richard supported me as I walked.
“But you really are ruthless. How can you keep going after taking that many hits?”
“If it were me, I would have surrendered….”
Lindell agreed with Richard’s words.
“How could I do that? If I lose, it’s over.”
“That’s why you’re ruthless. There’s no fool like you.”
“By the way, what was that you used at the end? You didn’t learn that during training.”
Lindell asked.
He must be referring to the body slam.
Though unarmed techniques like takedown are taught as part of swordsmanship training here, it’s closer to wrestling than judo.
“Oh, it’s just something I learned a long time ago. It came to me suddenly in that moment.”
“Can you teach me sometime? I’d like to learn.”
That brought back memories.
When I had quit being an athlete and was thinking of dropping out of college.
I worked as an instructor at a gym.
That’s when I earned the nickname ‘Elementary School Slayer.’
Even if my opponent was an elementary school kid, I gave it my all.
“I’m happy to teach you whenever I have the time.”
The medic in the medical room looked to be an exhausted middle-aged man.
He pressed over my body, checking bruised areas before shaking his head.
“I don’t know if I should call this remarkable mental strength…. or say you’re out of your mind.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Out of your mind it is then. You should skip all training for a week.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t exercise at all?”
I could use any extra food or movement I could get.
But to be told to not exercise?
“A light level should be fine, right? For rehabilitation purposes. Just avoid competitions where the body can get hurt…”
“Is he normally like this?”
The medic asked, and Richard nodded.
“He’s kind of crazy.”
“Kind of crazy is an understatement…. Stop babbling and make sure to rest. Resting is also training.”
He was right, but….
I had no choice but to nod.
*
“Phew….”
Water from the shower hit my body.
It hurt as if it actually hit me, not just a metaphor.
‘I guess I need to rest.’
As my body’s excitement calmed down, the pain intensified.
It was no ordinary injury.
Training like this would be self-harm.
‘I’d better not worry about losing muscle mass…’
A few candidates entered the shower room and recognized me, greeting me.
Most were friendly.
I had sent Galliot down with my bare hands, so I deserved some praise.
While washing up, I belatedly checked the system message.
‘Magic release… is that what gave me that power?’
In any moment while dueling Galliot, a sudden surge of vigor erupted from my body.
Even the pain was negated in that instant.
Thanks to that, I could slam Galliot down with full power.
‘It’s useful. I didn’t expect it to be this advantageous. Is it because of the lunar attribute? But how did it happen?’
I couldn’t remember the moment I used it.
Naturally, I had no idea how I did it either.
I tried to replicate it later on, but to no avail.
Magic must’ve depleted too. So I stopped.
I’ll have to research it later.
After washing up, I stopped by the medical room again.
The medic disinfected my injuries, applying bandages all over.
“Keep it in mind. You’re prohibited from training for the time being. I’ll inform Sir Gawain, so be prepared.”
“Understood.”
I received stern warnings.
I faced reproaches from Richard and Lindell as we headed to the restaurant.
Everyone from the 13th Room was waiting for me.
“Judas! Over here!”
“What’s all this?”
The large table was piled high with greasy meat.
It was food not typically served in the restaurant.
“We bought it from outside.”
Dillon explained on behalf of everyone.
“Normally today is free since it’s a weekend, so while you were showering, we pooled our money and ran to that butcher over there.”
The restaurant doesn’t only serve fixed dishes.
There’s a cooking space in a corner.
You can use it freely as long as you have permission.
Few people actually use it.
“Everyone wanted to reward you for working so hard.”
Argon rubbed his chin shyly from the side.
“Honestly, without you, would we have even won? It’s all thanks to you.”
“It’s not just my effort…”
It wasn’t undue modesty.
Had Dillon not held his ground earlier, I might not have faced Galliot at all.
While my luck in match-ups was good, it was ultimately the efforts of my roommates that led to our victory.
Especially in the matches prior to the finals, Richard had often contributed.
“Well, it’s not like we expect you to eat alone, and we’re all eating together, so don’t feel too burdensome.”
Richard said leisurely from the side.
At that remark, Dillon nodded.
“And the money spent on this meat isn’t even half the cost of the cookies you brought. And that’s without considering the chocolate!”
“…Ah.”
The pressure lifted off me.
“Then I’ll graciously enjoy it.”
A few of them took turns grilling the meat.
The five of us, including Dillon and me who had fought today, were busy eating.
Other candidates from different rooms passed by, looking at us enviously.
‘When was the last time I enjoyed such rich fats and proteins…’
Even though it wasn’t particularly good meat.
It was tough and overly greasy.
It had a distinct gamey smell, but it tasted good.
Suddenly, a question arose.
“Where did the salt come from?”
The meat had a salty taste.
This meant it was seasoned with salt.
Salt is a rare seasoning to find in this world.
“It was given to us by Sir Gawain passing by.”
It had been part of his apology.
As I devoured the meat like a beast, a group entered the restaurant.
It was the residents of the 15th Room.
Their expressions were all dark.
Especially Galliot, who stood at the front.
When we made eye contact, he flinched surprised and immediately averted his gaze.
‘Looks scared.’
The 15th Room sat at a table separated from ours.
Our team openly stared at them.
“This won’t do.”
Richard stood up suddenly.
“Judas, let’s go.”
“Excuse me?”
He picked up a plate piled high with meat and led the way.
I could guess what he was up to.
Laughter barely contained within me.
Thud!
Richard slammed the plate down loudly onto the table where the 15th Room was seated.
“What are you looking at?”
Richard said as he took a seat.
I followed suit beside him.
“Is this your table? Is there a rule against sitting here? Should I leave?”
“…No.”
Galliot replied in a muted voice and returned to his meal.
Stale bread and jerky. A bland soup.
They looked unappetizing.
Right in front of them, Richard and I munched on the juicy meat.
Making a tupping sound as the chewy meat and grease burst open.
We deliberately chewed so loud.
“The taste of the meat is rich and great!”
“Exactly, it’s very well chosen. Who’s responsible for this salt we got? Should we re-invest from this prize money again?”
“Sounds like a great idea. This time I will…”
“Hey, let it go. It’s not even half the cost of the cookies you brought.”
“I’ll graciously accept it then.”
As we chatted and laughed while nonstop eating meat, Galliot’s expression darkened further.
Richard grinned maliciously at the sight.
“Why? You wanna kill me?”
“……”
“You said you raised your magic. Are you going to do it here as well? Give it a shot, brat.”
Suppressing his anger, Galliot took deep breaths.
The other 15th Room candidates seated nearby appeared uncomfortable but dared not contradict.
Galliot chewed on his jerky furiously while casting glances my way.
I met his gaze directly, as if to suggest he say something if he had an issue.
To be honest, I didn’t think I’d win if we fought right now.
But Galliot had been soundly defeated by me.
The memory of his loss would stay as trauma.
Just as expected, he looked down and turned away, unable to bear it.
Unable to take it, he got up and switched tables even.
“What a pathetic guy.”
Richard spat that back at his departing figure.
I thoroughly agreed.
*
Eliya returned to her office.
Before dinner.
There was a mountain of tasks to handle.
As soon as she opened the door, two neatly arranged flowers greeted her on the desk.
Anemone.
The flower Judas gave her.
Every time she looked at it, she found herself smiling.
A light chuckle escaped her lips.
‘So trivial.’
Before Eliya could settle into her seat, Miguel immediately handed her a folder.
“Information regarding candidate Judas.”
Eliya grinned.
He was currently the most interesting and amusing subject.
“How did you find records that didn’t exist?”
Eliya asked as she pulled out the documents.
“From Judeca.”
“Judeca? Where have I heard that before.”
“It’s an arena that trains slave fighters and profits from using those fighters.”
“Ah, that place.”
Eliya had visited there a few times.
An enormous circular venue incomparable to the academy’s arena.
It was a place where fighters from all over the world displayed their duels.
It was a standard to have humans fight each other, and there were instances where humans were pitted against beasts like lions or bears.
Sometimes, there were special matches against demon races.
Eliya wasn’t particularly interested.
Someone dying or getting killed was too commonplace.
Her life was a constant tightrope walk between life and death.
Recalling the impressive spectacle Judas had shown her today, Eliya pulled out the documents.
Defiance against an unbeatable opponent.
Even with everyone anticipating his loss, his will to never give up left a powerful scar in her mind.
She liked it very much.
Why did he always choose to do things that pleased her?
“Currently, this is the only official documentation I’ve been able to find.”
As Eliya quickly skimmed through the personal information, she noticed something unusual while cross-referencing it with her own data.
‘It’s suspected that he underwent special training in the past…?’
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.
