Cut Out That Nonsense!!

-Gulp.

The sound of swallowing saliva echoed in the silent scene.

I too felt my throat tightening, though for a different reason.

There was only one piece of chicken left in the box in front of me.

Damn, should I give the last piece to Teacher Lloyd?

“Is it… over?”

No, now’s not the time for the teacher to eat either.

“Yes, it’s over.”

I too put the last piece in my mouth while quietly observing the training ground beyond the spectator seats.

The floor of the training ground, ruined from gathering mass.

The long, torn part in between was due to the aftermath of Dale’s previous attack.

Anyone would find it inconceivable that the floor was split in half just from the aftermath, not even a direct hit.

“Huff…”

But the boy who made such an absurd attack wasn’t in a normal state either.

After all, the boy doesn’t handle physical force that can be sensibly confirmed like mana.

Naturally, it would require tremendous concentration to stably compress the force, so both his mind and body must be exhausted.

“I did it…”

Nevertheless, the boy was expressing joy with his body sprawled out.

Clearly receiving the sunlight shining through.

The glass covering the ceiling.

“I did it, hehe.”

Yes, certainly, if he poured out that much, it would feel refreshing regardless of win or loss.

Of course, from the standpoint of those watching, anyone would find it inconceivable.

This applied not only to the students but also to the teaching staff like me, and even to Harsion who was judging.

“Binz. That just now, if I hadn’t blocked it, you would have died.”

That damn bastard.

On the front lines, he used to hit home runs with the stones I threw, but now he’s tensing up and sweating over a pebble thrown by the child I taught.

Should I find this satisfying, or should I regret falling behind my student?

“You have no objections, right?”

“…No.”

But the one who realizes that greatness most keenly must be the child who was his opponent.

No matter how strong her competitive spirit, she knows her own level even better, so she’ll accept the current result gracefully.

“I’ll acknowledge it.”

And she’ll surely challenge again later.

The competitive spirit that girl showed in this fight wasn’t something that would easily be extinguished.

Yes, if both of them acknowledge the current result and it becomes a friendly competition… they’ll surely be able to promote each other’s growth as good rivals in the future.

If this duel ends warmly here.

“The winner, Dale…”

But coincidentally, I couldn’t feel at ease.

They say the duel between the top and second-ranked students is an annual event.

But this was the first time a duel between a commoner and a noble had taken place.

-Clang!

Yes, anyone could predict it.

The result of this fight wouldn’t end as just a duel between two young people.

“This is fraud!!!”

The sound of metal colliding in the middle of the training ground.

Harsion’s gaze moved to where the shout came from following that sound.

What fell in the center of the training ground where the barrier had disappeared was a metal cup.

This item, too luxurious to simply hold water for drinking, was thrown from the opposite side of where I was sitting in the regular seats.

Yes, the place where mainly noble-born students were positioned.

“…Esther from the high school division?”

“Teacher Gale. Were you… about to declare the victory of that commoner over there just now?”

A student who stood up from there began to glare at Gale indignantly.

As if unwilling to accept the current result.

“Esther. Are you raising an objection to the judgment I’m making right now?”

But coincidentally, Harsion is someone who values fairness.

Whatever the reason, he would find it unpleasant if someone tried to interfere with the judgment he made.

“Of course I am. No, anyone here would think that’s natural.”

The student gritted his teeth, seemingly unable to read Harsion’s emotion.

Then his gaze gradually turned towards Dale, who had collapsed on the floor.

Towards the boy who had raised his upper body, startled and bewildered by his shout.

“…Dale Enberton.”

Soon the noble student uttered Dale’s name and looked around, asking:

“Among the students here, is there anyone who had heard such a name before this year’s class started?”

“……”

No answer came back.

As if gaining confidence from that, the corners of the noble boy’s mouth began to curl upwards.

“Yes, that’s right. He was an unknown student until he came to this academy. I even heard he’s an orphan from a lawless area…”

An orphan?

That’s not something you should say out loud where people can hear, is it?

“Looking at that background, anyone would know that the current result is wrong. It’s absolutely impossible for that child to achieve this result with individual power!!”

“…Impossible?”

“Isn’t that obvious? What just happened was too much, no matter how amazing it was! There’s no way that guy could have done that alone!!”

Well, even surpassing the assumed limits can become a point of contention.

Because it’s such an inconceivable thing, it’s natural not to accept it immediately if it’s hard to believe even after seeing it with your own eyes.

“In other words, you’re saying it’s impossible for that child to win against Binz, who is a noble, because his status is that of a commoner? And he used tricks to overturn that result?”

“Yes, isn’t that obvious? There has never been such a precedent until now…”

-Boom!!

A sudden intense vibration.

Though it was just a single shock, it was enough to shut the mouth of the boastful noble boy.

“Indeed, a commoner competing against and defeating a noble… especially a high-ranking noble of the Empire, is unprecedented in Maris’ history.”

Harsion quietly continued speaking in that silence.

Quietly pulling out the foot he had planted on the ground.

-Clatter.

The stone fragments falling from it showed that the force in his foot was by no means light.

As if to show that the strength from when he used to roam the front lines wasn’t a lie, he overwhelmed everyone here with just one stomp.

“But there are a few things you’ve overlooked. If the outcome was clearly decided from the start, wouldn’t there be no meaning in having a duel in the first place?”

“Th-that’s…”

“Even if there was a reason for having such an obvious duel, it was I, not you, who allowed it to be observed and decided to watch it to the end. And for you, who is merely a spectator and not the judge, to raise objections to my decision, it wouldn’t be strange to interpret that as challenging me.”

A spirit that could choke the person facing him, while speaking calmly and clearly.

Just a little, but it reminded me of the sensation I felt when I competed with that guy on the front lines.

Yes, displaying killing intent like that is essentially no different from pronouncing a death sentence on the opponent.

The fact that he, who had roamed the front lines so fiercely, was ending it with just words was only possible because he respected students as much as possible in his role as a teacher.

“And lastly, one more thing.”

Harsion, who suppressed his displeasure with such mercy, soon turned his gaze to the front seats where the nobles were gathered.

“I’m not the only teacher who watched this duel.”

The noble-born teachers who watched the duel from in front of the students.

Their eyes are surely more accurate than the students’, and the judgments uttered from their mouths must be fair.

Even if their current expressions are all unpleasant, it’s the same.

Unlike the immature students, they knew the responsibility that came with their positions.

“I ask you all. In your eyes, was there any trace of cheating found in the previous match? For example, if you found any use of unauthorized magic tools, someone from outside transferring power, or attempts to interfere with Binz, please speak up right here.”

“……”

A situation where no one answered.

There were teachers whose lips twitched as if they had a lot to say, but in the end, they firmly closed their mouths and avoided Harsion’s gaze.

It’s natural. No matter how different Dale’s power is from magic, there was no rule saying that non-magical power couldn’t be handled in this duel.

If there’s no outside intervention, everything that happened inside the barrier would be considered individual power.

Claiming that they allowed tricks by not filtering it out in advance is essentially no different from claiming that Maris’ defenses are that sloppy.

How could an honorable teacher of Maris claim that at face value?

“Now, you see? Even the teachers are staying quiet like that, so I hope you won’t push any further nonsense.”

“Ugh……”

The noble student reluctantly prepared to sit down, grinding his teeth.

Yes, with even the teachers present and watching, there’s no way to argue any further.

But personally, I couldn’t help but find this situation a bit unsettling.

Those guys are even more arrogant than the students.

Even if there’s nothing to nitpick about, they’re backing down so quietly?

“Yes, Teacher Gale. Certainly, it doesn’t make sense to insist based on class alone.”

As I felt doubtful about this, someone else spoke up and stood, following the previous noble student.

A cold-looking girl wearing glasses.

Unlike the initially emotional noble student, this girl seemed calm.

“Did I explain poorly? Or was my explanation insufficient?”

“No, I think your opinion is valid. Certainly, no cheating was found in the previous duel.”

The high school girl from the advanced class sharply opened her eyes while pushing up her glasses.

Then her finger pointed at Dale lying on the training ground… more precisely, at the bracelet wrapped around his hand.

“Only as far as magic directed at each other is concerned.”

…Damn, I forgot for a moment, caught up in the joy of victory.

Certainly, if they nitpick about that bracelet, even Harsion would be in a difficult position.

He values fairness more than anyone, and he believes that fairness must exclude flexibility as much as possible.

“Teacher Gale. Please look closely at that child’s bracelet now.”

“…This is?”

“Yes, as you can see, its function has stopped.”

Indeed, Dale’s bracelet has been in a state of suspended function due to his ability since the match started.

And Harsion said when explaining the rules at the beginning:

When one side surrenders or when he judges that further combat is impossible under his judgment…

And if the bracelet’s energy is all consumed, it would be treated as an immediate defeat.

“Come to think of it, that kid. There’s blood flowing from his body now.”

“That’s right, doesn’t that mean the barrier didn’t protect his body in the first place?”

Students began to point at Dale as they belatedly realized this point.

Dale’s body began to shrink under their collective gaze, but their malice didn’t stop.

As if they had found a blocked path.

“That guy was already disqualified from the match. Isn’t this result because he forcibly continued the fight after being defeated?”

“This seems to be because the magic tool didn’t work, but…”

“That’s impossible! We who have had duels here know best that this academy’s equipment is perfect!”

“Th-that’s right. I thought it was strange from the beginning. All the magic used by the Jogret young lady didn’t work at all from the start!”

“It’s not that they didn’t work, he hid the consumption of his barrier with illusion magic. This was nonsense from the beginning!”

Eventually, as opinions converged to one point, even students who had been cautious before agreed with that opinion and made the spectator seats noisy.

That too is a part that anyone who knows all the circumstances would find amusing.

No, even without knowing everything, one could connect the blocking of magic from the beginning and the non-functioning of the bracelet.

Even if the bracelet didn’t work, they should know that it was that child who won in the final all-out battle.

“This fight was already won by the young lady of the Jogret family!”

“It’s invalid, invalid!! Pull out that commoner right now!!”

“No, expel him!! How dare he do such a thing in a duel!”

Nevertheless, they began to push their unreasonable claims more strongly, grasping at the pretext they had barely found.

Knowing it’s amazing but not wanting to acknowledge it nonetheless.

At the moment when their feeling of absolutely not wanting to acknowledge that a boy of lowly birth not only surpassed them but did something that made everyone here tremble became palpable.

“Hmm……”

Harsion made a troubled expression at the students’ reaction and began to look around at the noble side’s teaching staff again.

At the teachers who were silently observing the situation despite clearly knowing that opinion was unjust.

Yes, they only allowed Dale’s victory because there was no reason to argue until now.

But now that they’ve found a loophole in the rules, they have a chance to claim invalidity on the surface.

If Harsion dismisses the claim of invalid defeat here, the possibility that they might rise up can’t be denied. No, it would surely happen.

“Cut out that nonsense!!”

But the shout that rang out right after.

Along with it, the clamor of the noble students subsided, and everyone’s gaze turned towards where the sound had echoed.

The one who shouted was from the spectator seats where I was sitting.

It was a high school student located not too far from where I was.

“Anyone can see that this fight was that child’s victory! Are your eyes just for decoration!?”

The shout continued as if screaming.

Along with it, the two eyes that flashed were tinged with hatred that one could hardly think was directed at fellow students.

As if thinking they couldn’t let this opportunity that had just arrived pass by.