“Long time no see, Professor.”
After finishing his meeting with the rector, Fernan didn’t take a break and moved immediately.
The next person he sought out was Professor Rosalia.
“Well, that was quite a long trip.”
“Yes, there was quite a bit of work.”
After those words, a brief silence filled the room. Fernan took a sip of coffee without saying anything.
“Why such a pause before speaking? What do you want to say?”
“I have some news I’m sure you’ll love.”
“Then why drag it out?”
“Because I also bring other news for which I must ask your forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness?”
Rosalia brought a cigarette to her lips.
“Will you grant it to me?”
“Normally, one explains what happened first before asking for forgiveness.”
“Will you grant it to me?”
“You’re scaring me.”
Fuu—
With mana-infused smoke, she formed the image of a sailing ship in the air.
“In my memory, you’ve never said anything like this before.”
“A sailboat? How did you do that?”
“I manipulated the mana. Now tell me why you want forgiveness.”
“If the good news is good enough, grant me the forgiveness.”
“You want to negotiate with me?”
What kind of matter was this to bring it up as a trade?
Rosalia’s curiosity only grew.
Though the same could be said about the “good news”—Fernan wasn’t someone who uttered empty words, so it had to be something truly important.
“Alright. I’ll listen first and then decide.”
“Thank you.”
“I said I’d decide after listening.”
Fernan pulled from his chest a book he had carefully kept.
“…Is this?”
Rosalia’s eyes widened—the cover was familiar to her.
“It’s what you think.”
“A corrupted’s book?”
Rosalia opened it urgently. As expected, nothing was written inside. She injected mana. Nothing.
“It’s authentic, for sure.”
“Do you like it?”
“How could I not? I was just intrigued by its principle.”
The will to unravel all its secrets burned within her.
“It’s the first time I show it to you, Professor.”
Within the Academy, Rosalia was the mage Fernan trusted the most. And also the most brilliant.
That’s why, if there was anyone to entrust the book to, it was her.
“Not even the rector knows?”
“No.”
At that response, Rosalia’s eyes softened, pleased.
It was quite the privilege to research something even the rector didn’t know about.
Fernan didn’t miss the chance.
“Do you happen to know Alpion Alprosen?”
“The first prince of Alprosen, right? Why mention him suddenly?”
“His Highness said you used to talk a lot with him.”
“…What?”
Rosalia furrowed her brow, incredulous.
“Spreading baseless rumors now? Using me for those tricks?”
“I found a photo of you two, very close together.”
“……!”
Rosalia stopped cold.
Fernan expected her to deny it or get flustered.
But no—she simply seemed to remember.
“It was nothing special. He just insisted a lot on taking a picture with me, so I agreed.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all. We barely exchanged words, didn’t share anything special.”
Well, they were practice partners at one point. That’s why there was a photo.
“He wasn’t bad. At least he wasn’t a burden, so it was worth showing a bit of courtesy.”
“And nothing more?”
“Nothing more? Should there have been?”
“I got the impression you still hold him dear.”
“So what?”
Rosalia tapped ash into the ashtray.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Ah…”
“So you used me to get close to Alpion. If you were anyone else, I’d turn you into an ice statue right now. But since you brought me a corrupted’s book, I’ll let it slide…”
Harder than hatred was that absolute indifference.
Fernan felt sorry for Alpion.
“Did he really talk about me? Well, if so, I hope you at least spoke well of me…”
He still held feelings.
***
The highlight of the Academy’s foundation anniversary festival was, of course, the two tournaments—the knight’s jousting tournament and the mage’s magic tournament.
Fernan, accompanied by Luina, went to watch the jousting and sat in the VIP seats, where an attendant offered him a cocktail.
“Who do you think will win?”
“Almon.”
In the arena stood the third-year vice-leader of the Knight Department, Almon Donertz, and the fourth-year third-ranked, Alkan Domirn, facing off.
Though Alkan was from a higher year, to Luina the difference between them was obvious.
“Then I bet right.”
“You placed a bet?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Let’s just say I used all the staff. Nothing special.”
“…Very modest, of course.”
Luina clicked her tongue at Fernan’s scale.
As they talked, Almon and Alkan charged at each other.
────!
The first clash didn’t decide anything, but Almon’s calm expression, compared to Alkan’s tense face, made the difference clear.
“If nothing strange happens, the winner will be either Almon or Valoshi. One of those two.”
“I think so too.”
That day, Fernan had only come to confirm with his own eyes what he already suspected.
The match went as expected—after three indecisive charges, the sword duel gave Almon an easy victory.
For a quarterfinal, it had been too brief, which only proved Almon’s superior level.
With the joust over, Fernan turned his attention to the next event.
In fact, for him, this was the main course.
“The fourth-year leader of the Magic Department, Liana Horton! Her opponent, third-year third-ranked, Carlo Deneb!”
A duel between two of the tournament’s favorites.
Although Carlo held the third spot, in Fernan’s opinion, he should’ve been the true first.
The difference lay in the assigned partners—Fernan had Luina, Ludger had Almon, but Carlo had no teammate of that level.
And his opponent was none other than last year’s champion, who had never lost first place.
“Who do you think will win between them?”
“Mages always keep hidden cards, it’s hard to say. You should understand it better than I.”
“If my calculations are correct, the winner should be Liana.”
However, there was a detail—during the break, Professor Dominique had taken Carlo as his direct pupil.
If that were all, Fernan would’ve ignored it—but something made him uneasy.
“Is something bothering you?”
“I can’t say exactly… I just feel something changed.”
Was it his heightened sensitivity after consuming the Dragon Heart? He had a bad feeling.
He had come to verify that feeling and, along the way, place the right bet.
“Did you already bet?”
“No, not yet. Betting on Liana doesn’t pay much, and if I lose, I lose everything.”
Most people believed in Liana’s victory. It was logical—Carlo had even lost to Aria in his first year, while Liana had been crowned champion.
“But if I bet the other way just on a hunch and lose, it would be unbearable. Better not to bet.”
“Makes sense.”
“Want some chocolate?”
“Thanks.”
At that moment, Liana and Carlo stood facing each other.
“Begin!”
────!
At the start, a white lightning bolt covered the entire arena.
“What speed in spellcasting… a bluff?”
“Yes, pure distraction.”
Most of those lightning bolts were luminous illusions meant to steal the eye.
The real ones were only a few.
Liana wasn’t naïve—she blocked the discharge with a wall of fire without any problem.
─!
The fire not only resisted—it pushed the lightning back, flooding the arena with real heat and light.
Carlo responded immediately—this time, he launched real lightning bolts.
Fire and thunder clashed. The shockwave shook the arena. Scorching fragments and electric discharges flew in all directions.
“Wizard battles really are spectacular.”
“The Royal Knights aren’t far behind—a single strike from one of them can split a building or a mountain.”
Fernan knew this well after seeing Kimaris fight two Royal Knights.
“Isn’t that comparison a bit exaggerated?”
“At this age, with this level, they’re candidates to become Archmages.”
────!
Fire and lightning entwined.
Carlo was reduced to ashes—just a decoy.
A lightning bolt struck above Liana’s head, but she had already reappeared further away.
The magical barriers protecting the audience vibrated at their limit.
“Who’s winning?”
“I can’t understand a thing!”
The flames and lightning were swallowing everything, and few could follow the action.
Until a moment ago, neither could Fernan.
‘What is this…?’
Suddenly, he could see it.
The flows of mana.
The magical formations.
The movements of both.
As if he had obtained the legendary dragon’s eyes.
No—more than seeing it, he was sensing it.
His vision was sharper.
His hearing more acute.
His touch more refined.
And a sixth sense he couldn’t explain.
Unknown sensations had opened before him.
Every mage sharpened their senses as they advanced.
But this was on another level.
“…What is this?”
“What’s going on?”
“…Nothing.”
‘Could it be because of the Dragon Heart…?’
It was the only explanation.
‘Then this is… a dragon’s perception?’
At that moment—
“……!”
A searing headache and a brutal mana drain struck him.
Fernan was used to the pain of prophetic visions, but this was worse.
Cold sweat drenched his back.
He forcibly shut off his senses. The false omnipotence disappeared, but the pain remained.
“…Your face? Are you okay?”
Luina, alarmed, supported him.
“…It’s nothing.”
“With that face, you say it’s nothing?! We’re going to the infirmary now.”
“No, I’m…”
“I’ll drag you there if I have to.”
She wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled him firmly.
The curious looks didn’t matter to her.
“…Fine. I’ll go.”
‘In any case, I’ve already confirmed what I needed.’
Even if it lasted only a moment, he had seen enough—in every aspect, Liana held the advantage.
Carlo had improved, but the reigning champion was too tall a wall to overcome.
‘The winner is Liana. I’ll bet everything on her…’
And then—
Uwaaaaaahhhh!
The roar of the crowd shook the arena.
Fernan realized the outcome had already arrived.
“Luina, wait. I just want to see who won and—”
“Liana lost!”
“Carlo won!”
“Incredible! He cast a spell into the air and used the opening to hit her dead on!”
‘What?’
Fernan turned sharply.
Just as they said—even though the flames still burned and the winner was as battered as the loser—standing was Carlo Deneb, not Liana.
“The winner, Carlo Deneb!”
The referee announced the result.
T/N:
I’ll upload another 10 chapters in a couple of hours if I have time, I’m at work right now.
