After the strange encounter with that suspicious woman and a quick trip to the restroom, I returned to find our club members gathered in one place.
“Mars! What took you so—wait, are you feeling okay? You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine. I just… ran into someone weird.”
Hearing that a clearly powerful person I had never seen before wanted to win just to spar with me drained my energy in an instant.
Receiving that kind of competitive spirit from a total stranger didn’t feel particularly good.
“Why? Were they that weird? Want me to go teach them a lesson?”
“Are you treating me like a five-year-old now…? It’s not that. The person was just… genuinely weird.”
I replied like that and walked over to Pollo, who was warming up. I then placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“M-Mars?”
“Win. Defeat all the strong opponents and show everyone that you’re the count’s son!!”
“Huh? Uh… Okay, got it.”
Pollo looked a bit confused by my sudden outburst, but after seeing the intense energy radiating from me, he just nodded blankly. I let go of his shoulder once I confirmed it.
If that woman from earlier really does win and asks to spar with me, I might have to play along and put on a show in front of everyone.
It’s not that I hate dueling or anything, but honestly, it was just a hassle…
“What, you’re not cheering for us too?”
“Of course I am. Your magic duel is in the afternoon, right?”
“Right. You better not go anywhere. You have to cheer for me, okay?”
“I said I got it.”
The noble lady and the imperial princess were both participating in the magic division of the No Entrance Exam Festival.
The princess probably wouldn’t make it all the way to the finals, but since she had a decent grasp of magic, she’d likely produce respectable results.
As for the noble lady, everyone already knew she was a magic prodigy, so there was no need to worry about her.
In fact, it was her opponent who’d be hit directly by her barrage of spells that deserved sympathy.
“Pollo Helios. Please proceed to the waiting area for your upcoming match!”
“Ah, yes!”
Finally, Pollo was called by an event staff member and got ready to head to the waiting area.
“Well then, I’ll be off.”
“Do your best~”
“Give it your all.”
“Good luck!”
“Fighting.”
With all of us cheering him on, Pollo headed off.
I silently wished he’d take care of every opponent who tried to stand in his way.
***
So many people… I really hate these crowded places.
Count Helios had secretly snuck into the academy after hearing that his son Pollo would be competing in the preliminaries today….and to check on Mars’s condition while he was at it.
He had suppressed his presence and covered his face with a mask, so no one noticed him.
Some of the more skilled professors seemed to sense something and began to move subtly, but none could locate him, someone who had already reached the pinnacle of power in the world.
The count made his way through the dense crowd and found a suitable seat.
Since it was a relatively high position, he had a full view of the stage and could also observe the other spectator areas. This was an ideal spot.
– …Next up, we have a duel between Pollo Helios of Amor Academy and Tsusei of Hwaryun Academy!
There he is.
Letting the host’s lively voice pass through one ear, the count quickly spotted his son stepping onto the stage and among the group cheering for him was a boy surrounded by girls, smiling brightly.
That boy who was entirely unaware of the count’s presence was enthusiastically cheering for Pollo.
Though he was quite far away, the count used his naturally sharp physical senses to instantly assess Mars’s current physical condition and clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Tsk, tsk. It’s obvious he’s been slacking off lately. He’s put on some weight and lost his edge. Even if I’ve suppressed my presence to the extreme, to not notice at all… sheesh.”
Noticing how lax his prized student had become in his absence, the count resolved to set him straight during the special training match scheduled in a few days.
Clang! Clang!
Creaaak!
“Hm… Not bad. A textbook application of the Helios sword style.”
Next, as he analyzed his son’s swordsmanship, the count showed a somewhat regretful expression.
Though part of that strength came from sharing his bloodline, even as a swordsman on his own merit, Pollo was exceptionally strong.
However, for some reason, the latent potential hidden deep within him remained dormant, never blooming, and as his father, the count couldn’t help but feel somewhat regretful.
“It doesn’t seem like he’s been consumed by inner demons… Could it be a lack of self-belief?”
Having watched his troubled favorite win the sparring match, the count rose from his seat and prepared to leave.
“Oh right, before I go—”
—–!!
Just for a moment.
In the blink of an eye, or even faster, the count lightly revealed his presence. But the thought of his disciple trembling in fear made him snicker as he vanished and returned to his quarters in an instant.
Up until that moment, not a single soul knew that the continent’s strongest Aura Lord had paid a visit to the academy.
***
Shiver—!!
Flinch!
“N-No way?!”
“What’s wrong, Mars?”
Luna, who had been smoothing out the crumpled robes of the Saintess beside her, looked puzzled as I suddenly shuddered.
But I couldn’t even think to answer; I was overwhelmed by a familiar sensation. Only after scanning the audience section carefully with aura did I finally speak.
“W-Was I mistaken…? Haa…”
“Did something bad happen?”
“If I had to say… yeah, it’s something bad.”
That chilling pressure that gripped my heart—
The sense of crisis transmitted by the pain engraved into my body was an instinct of the prey, something impossible to forget.
“Maybe I’ve just been tired lately. There’s no way that man would come here.”
Someone who hates showing up at formal events like this would never bother to make an appearance.
If Pollo makes it to the finals, he might drop by to show support, but at this point, when it’s still just the preliminaries, I know very well he’s not the kind of person who’d waste his time coming all the way here.
“Oh, Pollo won.”
“Of course. Whose son do you think he is?”
While I had looked away for a brief moment, Pollo had confidently won the match and was now shaking hands with the defeated opponent.
As the announcer praised Pollo’s upright and disciplined swordsmanship, we all reacted as if it was completely expected.
I steadied my racing pulse and waited for Pollo to return after finishing the match.
“I’m back.”
“Good job.”
Pollo and I didn’t exchange many words and simply bumped fists.
That signature pose, symbolizing a bond only between men, made my chest swell with pride.
“Oh, Pollo. Did the Count ever say he’d be coming to the academy?”
“No? I did let him know I’d be competing, but all I got was an ‘Alright’. He didn’t really give me a clear answer.”
“I-I see.”
Just as I expected, the Count wasn’t one for this kind of atmosphere. He wouldn’t have bothered to come.
If he had, by now he’d have dragged me off while yelling, “What’s with that body of yours?” and made me start running 100 kilometers.
Of course, with iron weights strapped to my whole body.
– Next up is a match between Frezia Auros from Bellum Academy and Melcom Torso from Amor Academy!
“Senior Melcom?”
“What? You know him?”
“Yeah. He’s a senior from our department and quite skilled. His specialty is overpowering opponents with brute force, and he’s so strong that he’s tough to deal with.”
Thud—thud—
With the announcer’s introduction, a hulking man appeared.
With a greatsword slung over his shoulder that was even larger than his massive frame, he resembled an ogre from old legends.
“Is that a person? Not a gorilla?”
“Young lady. Shh.”
Trying hard not to burst into laughter at the princess’s uncensored comment, I watched his entrance.
Just as Pollo said, his presence overflowed with intensity.
The sheer muscle on his bulging arms alone gave off such an overwhelming aura that I could already imagine being crushed by his strength.
Though that doesn’t apply to me.
Thinking that, I turned to look at his opponent—
“Ah.”
Click, clack.
As a stunning beauty stepped into view, the crowd buzzed with excitement.
The men were awestruck by her looks, while the women seemed dismayed that she was up against Melcom.
But I recognized her as the woman I had just met and found myself rooting for Senior Melcom instead.
Judging by the few students in the stands smiling at Frezia, they seemed to be from the same Bellum Academy as her.
“Wait a moment. Did the host just say Frezia?”
“Yes. Do you know her?”
“I’ve heard the name. Word is, someone with the blood of a ‘dragon’ has appeared in the North—”
– The match begins!
Beeep—!
Boom!!!
“I heard that…”
“….…”
Before the princess could even finish her sentence, the duel had already reached its conclusion.
“Ugh… uuugh…”
With the sound of the whistle, Senior Melcom was sent flying and crashed into the wall.
Without ever getting the chance to use his prideful muscular arms he ended up embedded in the wall like some bizarre piece of art. Frezia simply stared at him blankly.
– Uh… th-the match is over! Th-The winner is Frezia Auros from Bellum Academy!!!
“Wooooaaaah!!”
Amid the thunderous cheers that seemed to be coming from students of Bellum Academy, I watched her trudging back toward the waiting area and couldn’t help but feel a sudden worry creep in.
Maybe… Pollo might actually lose.
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