Chapter 115

“They’re a bit late.”

Alfred stopped and looked back.

“Two of them went. What could go wrong?”

Leon said.

If there was anyone in the second year who could handle those two, it would be Elaine, the master of fire and ice.

But she was sure to be with the second-year Royal Class, their core strength.

So, there wasn’t any real threat.

“Hmm.”

Even so, Alfred didn’t relax his expression.

Perhaps something about that sense he mentioned earlier was bothering him.

At that moment, Leon’s expression also changed.

He sensed an unusual approach.

Something was coming very quickly.

His hand gripped his wooden spear.

“Looks like you were right.”

“I wish I wasn’t.”

Alfred smirked bitterly, holding a wooden sword in each hand.

Interestingly, the swords were of different lengths.

One was long, and the other was short.

A longsword and a shortsword.

Unlike most dual-wielders who used swords of the same length for ease of handling, Alfred’s style was unique.

“The Royals must have secretly sent some people to the rear. I don’t know how, but they did.”

“It’s because they’re divided. We should have gone with our plan. This so-called golden generation is full of strange people, causing headaches.”

Leon and Alfred were convinced the approaching enemies were members of the second-year Royal Class sent to the rear.

But their certainty was quickly shattered.

The moment they saw who the opponents were.

“Hey there, arrogant first-years. As your senior, I’ll teach you some discipline.”

A girl with pale skin, looking frail and sickly.

She was tiny.

Her words were so absurd that they couldn’t even laugh.

“…Who the hell is she?”

Alfred’s reaction.

He didn’t even know who she was.

It was a natural reaction.

None of the five first-years there knew her identity.

Meanwhile.

Leon was frozen for a different reason.

“Allen of the Benesse family. Let me teach you a lesson.”

The human holding a wooden spear and striking a pose was unmistakably his older brother.

So, Leon was left speechless.

How did he get here…?

What is he doing?

What? Teach me a lesson…?

Despite being so weak, what nonsense is he spouting?

Leon had so much to say that he was left speechless.

“Well, isn’t this my friend’s completely unlikeable older brother? This is infuriating.”

Alfred clicked his tongue.

“This is ridiculous.”

“Exactly.”

The other Kingdom faction students were also dumbfounded.

The two of them looked as threatening as herbivores.

“Where are the others? We can wait if it’s just a bit.”

Alfred spoke leisurely.

He was convinced.

There had to be more main forces coming.

Otherwise, there was no way Bain and the others could have been taken down.

“They’re not coming. They went elsewhere.”

Riviera shook her head.

Allen panicked.

“R-Riviera, why did you say that?”

“Oops.”

Riviera covered her mouth too late.

Everyone had already heard it clearly.

“Don’t take it at face value. It could be a deception.”

Leon said.

“They don’t seem smart enough for that.”

Alfred shrugged, smirking.

The meticulous Masked Duke.

Their demeanor was so convincing that they even made Alfred lower his guard.

“Heh, that’s true.”

“Such a naive little girl wouldn’t lie. Too innocent.”

The other students mocked and laughed.

“Damn it!”

Riviera glared.

But to the others, it only looked cute.

“Don’t insult my friend! The Spear of Benesse won’t forgive you!”

Allen thrust his wooden spear forward in anger.

Of course, no one flinched.

“What should we do?”

“No need to drag this out. Let’s finish it quickly.”

“Got it.”

At Alfred’s command, three Kingdom faction students moved.

In an instant, they surrounded and formed a siege, showing their combat proficiency.

Allen swallowed nervously.

This was the pressure of the golden generation.

It was no joke.

Could he really get out of this safely?

His confidence began to waver.

At that moment.

Allen saw Riviera’s calm demeanor.

Suddenly, strength surged into his hands.

‘I can’t keep falling behind like this!’

He believed in his strength.

And he believed in his friend’s strength.

They could break through this situation.

“Not coming? ill go ahead?”

Riviera’s short words were more effective than any taunt.

They were strangely infuriating.

“Ha, this little girl thinks we’ll keep indulging her cuteness?”

Before he could finish, one of them charged.

A swift thrust.

With enough power and clean movement.

It looked like an attack that a frail girl couldn’t possibly block.

But.

“Too slow.”

Riviera dodged the thrust with a slight movement.

Whoosh!

The attack sliced through empty air.

The attacker’s eyes widened in disbelief.

And then.

“Take this.”

Riviera’s small palm struck the attacker’s abdomen.

Boom!

A sound like a drum tearing echoed, and the attacker flew back.

Thud!

He crashed into a tree and slumped to the ground.

Beep beep!

The warning alarm sounded, but it didn’t matter.

He was already unconscious from the impact.

“…”

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence ensued.

The scene was so unbelievable that everyone was momentarily stunned.

“A close-range hit has more impact.”

Riviera’s words broke the silence.

“What… what is this?!”

“D-Damn it! She was hiding her strength!”

The two remaining Kingdom faction students took up defensive stances.

“Annoyingly, we fell for a trick. We’re joining in.”

“…Alright.”

Alfred and Leon finally stepped forward.

“Be careful, Riviera. My brother is strong.”

Allen warned.

The genius younger brother who had always made him feel inferior.

He acknowledged his skill.

It was a fact.

“Ho.”

Riviera looked at Leon with interest.

She seemed eager to test how different he was from his strange older brother.

The opportunity came quickly.

Thud!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Leon’s spear thrust forward with a powerful step.

The thrust was so fast it was almost invisible.

It was an attack that proved why he had the nickname “Spear of Thunder.”

“Fast.”

Riviera quickly acknowledged.

Her judgment was swift.

She decided she couldn’t dodge all of it and cast a shield spell in front.

Clang! Clang!

But the shield quickly shattered.

The attack was so powerful that the shield couldn’t hold.

However.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The spear didn’t penetrate further, only the sound of the shield breaking continued.

This meant one thing.

She was casting the shield as fast as it was breaking.

Leon’s face turned to one of disbelief.

The others were also speechless.

“Where did such a person come from…?”

“And she’s a commoner? Is she some hidden powerhouse from a novel?”

The students were flustered.

“Shut up and deal with that idiot brother.”

Alfred said with a stern face.

He didn’t look pleased.

“Y-Yeah.”

They turned to Allen.

Alfred gripped his dual swords tightly.

“I hate people who deceive me. You must be one of them. You’ll regret crossing my path.”

“I’m busy, don’t talk to me.”

Snap.

Alfred’s composure snapped.

How many people had made him this angry?

Less than five.

Today, one more would be added to that list.

“Damn you!”

Alfred attacked Riviera.

* * *

“Who is this guy, he’s totally weak?”

“Man, this is boring. I thought this guy was hiding his strength, and I got all tense for nothing.”

Two students were fiercely cornering Allen.

“Huff, huff…”

Allen was busy running away.

But his unhesitant attitude in fleeing was what had kept him alive so far.

If he had let his pride get in the way and faced them head-on, he would already be marked as a casualty, lying on the ground.

“Let’s finish this quickly.”

“Got it. Drive him that way.”

The two Kingdom faction students began a full-fledged chase.

A method to block escape routes.

Soon, Allen would be cornered with no way out.

What should one do in such a situation?

“Ahhh, save me, Riviera!”

Even if it’s embarrassing, you should ask your strong friend for help.

Even if that friend seems a bit out of it.

“Huh, who’s saving who?”

Alfred sneered.

This side’s outcome was already decided.

Riviera was only firing defensive magic non-stop, unable to switch to offense.

Victory was just a matter of time.

But then.

“Hmm, got it.”

Riviera, who seemed cornered by Alfred and Leon’s attacks, spoke unexpectedly calmly.

And then.

“Take this.”

Suddenly, dozens of thick magic arrows appeared.

“What, no?!”

“Damn?!”

Alfred and Leon’s eyes widened in shock.

No one could instantly cast this many magic arrows.

Which meant…

She had been continuously casting and accumulating them while also using shield magic.

Does she have two brains or something…?

“Damn, what a monster!”

Alfred exclaimed in disbelief.

“Be careful! These aren’t just regular magic arrows.”

Leon warned, frowning.

“I know, just look at their thickness.”

They were not ordinary magic arrows but three times thicker and sturdier.

Even just by their appearance, it was clear they would hurt a lot if hit.

“Damn, here they come!”

Alfred and Leon moved their weapons to block the barrage of magic arrows.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

The sounds were terrifying.

Meanwhile, Riviera had already approached Allen like a cat.

“Escape.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Vroom!

Riviera and Allen took off in low-altitude flight.

“Damn it.”

“Damn, what now?”

The Kingdom faction students hesitated, like chickens on a roof.

At that moment.

“Chase them!”

Alfred broke through the wall of magic arrows.

His face was twisted with fury.

“Don’t let them get away! We have to catch them and finish them off!”

Alfred realized.

Riviera was the biggest threat in the mock battle.

If they didn’t deal with her now, she would continue to be a problem.

“…I agree.”

Leon, who had appeared beside Alfred, said.

And then.

“Run at full speed!”

At Alfred’s command, everyone sprinted with all their might.

* * *

A breathless chase.

Fortunately for them, the flight speed had noticeably slowed, likely due to the mana expenditure from the previous battle.

‘They’re exhausted.’

Alfred was certain.

That incredible magic from earlier.

It must have been a desperate measure to escape.

She had to fend off both him and Leon, so it was inevitable.

‘We can catch them.’

Leon thought as well.

The distance was closing.

They would catch up in less than a minute.

Vroom!

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

A little more time passed.

“No more.”

“Huh?”

The flight abruptly stopped, and Riviera collapsed.

Allen, who also fell suddenly, rolled ungracefully on the ground.

“Phew, this is exhausting.”

Alfred wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Get up. I don’t want to attack someone who’s down.”

Leon, true to his noble warrior upbringing, said even in this situation.

“Huff… huff…”

“Phew… phew…”

The other two were busy catching their breath.

Even so, it didn’t seem like a problem.

They had clearly secured the upper hand.

But.

Sometimes, danger comes when you feel the safest.

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

“What’s this?”

Alfred and Leon quickly turned around.

But it was too late to react.

Thud!

An arrow shot from somewhere struck one of the exhausted Kingdom faction students in the back.

“Ugh…?! What…?!”

The student reacted only after being hit by the unexpected ambush.

But it was already over.

Beep beep!

The warning alarm sounded.

“Damn it…!”

The student reluctantly lay down.

Alfred and Leon’s expressions turned grim.

They realized.

They had been lured into a trap.

“Well, well, who do we have here? The esteemed Masked Duke of the Four Seas.”

Max Celtrine appeared, mocking them.

Elaine was beside him.

“Welcome. You’ve fallen into my trap, foolish juniors.”

Max grinned wickedly.