Chapter 123

“Whoa!”

A second-year student let out a startled gasp and quickly dodged an arrow that had suddenly flown his way.

He managed to avoid the arrow but lost his balance.

Camian seized the opportunity and swung his sword.

It was the sixth form of the Imperial Eight Styles, a double slash.

A flawless and clean form.

Just from that, it was clear that Camian had mastered over 70% of the Imperial Eight Styles.

Thud, thud!

Beep, beep!

“Ugh!”

The second-year student who took both hits from the double slash was pushed back and marked as a casualty.

“Impressive, Camian.”

Grey, who had taken down another student almost simultaneously next to Camian, spoke up.

“It wasn’t just my effort.”

Camian was calm.

As he said, without Lucia’s arrow from behind, he wouldn’t have been able to take down the student so easily.

“Coordination with comrades is an important part of war.”

“…”

Camian remained silent at Grey’s words.

Because they were true.

“Alright, let’s keep going.”

Grey encouraged.

With the Princess gone, they were now 11.

Despite facing more than twice as many second-years, they were gaining momentum.

The superiority of individual skills.

In a strength-against-strength clash, that superiority was decisive.

“Tch, everyone watch out for arrows!”

Brett, looking frustrated as the battle wasn’t going as he hoped, shouted.

Close-quarters combat.

Shooting arrows in such a tightly packed space was extremely dangerous.

There was a risk of hitting their own allies.

But the enemy archer was doing it without hesitation.

Even if only half-elven, an elf was still an elf.

“Fire Arrow! Fire Arrow! Fire Arrow!”

Lana, standing nearby, supported with continuous magic.

But.

“Shield! Shield! Shield!”

Annette’s defensive magic blocked each one.

“Ugh, what’s with her blocking all my magic? Does she want to go against me?”

Lana shouted in frustration.

Annette was running around, sweating profusely, providing comprehensive cover.

The results of Max’s rigorous training were paying off.

Though it wasn’t good for the second-years.

“Tch, this isn’t good.”

Brett muttered, frowning.

The number of first-year Royals had significantly decreased.

He thought they could manage strength-against-strength.

But the actual clash showed their strength was beyond his expectations.

They were clearly being pushed back.

“Ugh!”

“Gah!”

Meanwhile, the sounds of pain continued from the front lines.

“Ah, we lost two more already!”

Lana clutched her head.

Brett’s eyes wavered.

His mind was racing with desperate thoughts.

‘Damn, what do we do? Should we fall back and rely on the fortress?’

He was considering switching to defense due to their dire situation.

If he had just five more seconds, he would have decided to defend with the fortress.

But.

Swoosh!

Thud!

“Ugh?”

Suddenly, an arrow struck a first-year’s back from behind.

Beep, beep!

“What the hell is this?”

The first-year, with an incredulous expression, fell helplessly.

“Damn, it’s the rear!”

“Did the Princess get breached? Is that possible?”

“What’s going on? What happened?”

The first-year formation quickly became chaotic.

Grey, who checked the rear, shouted.

“Everyone, stay calm! It’s just one enemy!”

The other first-years confirmed that the only enemy was Max.

“That guy… Max Celtrine?”

“Damn, he’s the one who took down Slane in one hit.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. That must’ve been a fluke.”

“Yeah, he’s just an archer. Nothing special.”

The first-years somewhat regained their composure.

Seeing that it wasn’t Elaine or Riviera who had launched the powerful magic helped.

However.

Brett’s expression brightened noticeably, as if a lifeline had been thrown from the sky.

“Everyone, this is our chance! We have to push now with all our might!”

It wasn’t just that the first-years had lost one member.

It was more than that.

The first-years would now have to fight while worrying about their rear.

A troubling and distracting rear was mentally exhausting.

Brett was sure.

They wouldn’t be able to concentrate their full strength on the front lines as before.

* * *

“Alright, one down cleanly.”

I chuckled.

There was no way my surprise shot would miss.

Now there were 10 left on their side.

But since one would have to come after me, it was practically 9.

With 9, the second-years had a fighting chance.

“Who will it be?”

Depending on who came, I could gauge how much the first-years valued me.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Someone was running towards me.

Seeing who it was, I couldn’t help but laugh.

A completely average face, average family, average skills, even an average name…

Everything about him was average—Ben.

Of course, even if he was average, he was still a Royal, so he was in the upper tier.

But he was still the bottom of the Royals.

Sorry, but if you party with a guy like him in a game, that game is already doomed.

“Who is this? Isn’t it Average Ben?”

I greeted the approaching Ben cheerfully.

“Ugh, what’s with that creepy nickname?”

Ben shuddered instinctively.

Kid, you might not like it, but that’s the nickname you’ll carry for four years.

If you survive that long, anyway.

“Well, are you here to stop me?”

“Stop you? I’m here to take you down.”

Good confidence.

Even if he’s rotten, he’s still a Royal.

I grinned.

“Go ahead and try.”

I didn’t even switch to my sword.

I just ran with my bow.

“Huh? Where are you going without fighting?”

Ben, startled, even shortened his speech.

“That’s your fixed mindset.”

I said, nocking an arrow while running.

“Ugh.”

Camian frowned.

He could feel the increased pressure from the opponent all over his body.

Was it because one had fallen and another had withdrawn?

Everyone knew it wasn’t just that.

Swoosh!

“Tch!”

Grey barely dodged an arrow from behind.

He shouted in frustration.

“What the heck? Why are arrows still flying at us?”

Arrows are long-range weapons.

They shouldn’t be flying if Ben was sent to handle it.

He shouldn’t have the chance.

But what was this?

“Huff, huff… He’s still shooting arrows while running away.”

Annette said while continuously casting defensive spells without a break.

“What? How can he not catch him?”

Grey raised his voice in disbelief.

“I told you. Ben alone isn’t enough.”

Camian said while struggling to fend off the second-year’s attacks.

Camian had insisted from the start.

Ben wasn’t enough to handle Max Celtrine.

But the first-years, unwilling to allocate more significant resources, had chosen Ben.

“No choice. I’ll go.”

Lucia spoke up.

“What? If you leave too, it’ll be even tougher here!”

Grey shouted in disbelief.

“Can you catch two rabbits at once? Think about which side we need to handle more urgently right now.”

Lucia said calmly.

“She’s right, leader.”

Camian agreed.

He continued.

“We’ll manage here somehow. Take care of that side, Lucia.”

“Of course.”

Lucia quickly ran back.

Another key member was gone.

“Damn it, fine. Let’s do this!”

Grey ignited his fighting spirit.

“Numbers don’t matter. We fight with all we’ve got. That’s all.”

Camian said with a cold gaze.

…Numbers do matter, though?

Grey thought, bewildered.

Was Camian always like this?

He seemed different somehow.

“Hah!”

A spear grazed his side.

Now wasn’t the time for idle thoughts.

“Stop coming at us, seniors!”

Grey swung his wooden sword with all his might.

The battle, now even tougher, engulfed the first-years.

* * *

“You’re slow, too slow.”

I said, easily outmaneuvering Ben.

I hadn’t trained so hard to get caught by someone like him.

I chuckled as I prepared another arrow.

“Huh?”

Someone else was approaching quickly.

Pointed ears.

Not human.

It was the half-elf, Lucia.

“Finally coming seriously?”

I chuckled.

Lucia, the fierce half-elf.

Alongside Slane, she was known as one of the twin fangs of the mercenary group “Scorpions of Fire” led by the Mercenary King.

Calm usually, but incredibly fierce in battle.

Like Slane, she was a mercenary used to combat and killing.

A formidable opponent.

No, a tough enemy.

Honestly, too much for me right now.

“First, I need to take care of one.”

My hand subtly reached for my sword hilt.

“Huff, huff, finally caught you. Damn it.”

I heard Ben’s tired voice behind me.

I gauged the distance by his footsteps without looking back.

Seven steps, six steps, five steps.

‘Now!’

An executioner’s strike that could attack from any angle.

The powerful strike was delivered instantly.

“Huh?!”

Ben flinched in shock.

He tried to raise his weapon to block, but it was too late.

Thud!

Beep, beep!

“Gah!”

Ben was sent flying.

The impact and feel were perfect.

Thud!

Ben lay on the ground with a dazed expression.

A perfect ambush success.

Avoiding a 2-on-1 situation.

“Impressive, Max Celtrine.”

Lucia approached with a cold gaze.

“Hah, I took down Slane too, you know.”

I boasted.

“That’s…”

Lucia frowned.

“What, something bothering you?”

“…No.”

Lucia decided to keep it to herself.

“A miracle doesn’t happen twice.”

Lucia drew her rapier.

Her archery was impressive, but her most feared weapon was the rapier.

It had pierced countless humans and monsters.

Luckily, it wasn’t sharp now, so it wouldn’t pierce me.

“Well, we’ll see. Besides…”

I smirked.

“Just having you here means the second-years have won.”

A tactical victory.

Drawing out Lucia was a success in itself.

“You underestimate the first-years.”

Lucia glared at me.

“Underestimate? You don’t see the cracks forming over there?”

A single stone creating cracks.

The cracks weren’t being sealed; they were growing.

“Don’t underestimate the second-years.”

I retorted.

Despite being called a failed generation, they bore the name of the Royals.

I believed in them.

They would seize this golden opportunity and uphold the second-years’ pride.

“A mistake.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve wasted too much time.”

Whoosh!

Before she even finished speaking, she launched a surprise attack.

But I couldn’t be fooled.

I could sense the danger from her words.

When she said “a mistake,” I had already shifted my weight backward.

“…Too slow?”

Lucia looked at her rapier in disbelief as I easily dodged.

“Yeah, too slow.”

I taunted.

If not now, I might not get another chance to boast.

“…Embarrassing. I’ll go all out.”

…Why the sudden formality? Scary.

It meant she recognized me as a worthy opponent and senior.

Not ideal in this situation.

Lucia’s expression changed.

A strong aura emanated from her.

“No, wait… You don’t have to go all out…”

“Until one of us dies.”

Hey, that’s intense.

“Here I come.”

“You don’t have to.”

Clang!

Our swords clashed for the first time.