Chapter 18
“Hey! I just want to talk!” Kaelon shouted as he ran up beside me.
He was oddly persistent, his footsteps quickening to match mine as if he refused to let me slip away.
I let out a quiet sigh. “Alright… what is it you want to talk about?”
“You know those people are talking about your performance, right?”
“Yeah, I know. What about it?” I replied flatly, not slowing my pace.
“Really? That’s your reaction? Aren’t you at least going to do something with all these rumors spreading about you?”
“What do you expect me to do?” I shot back harsher than I intended. “Even if I explained myself, do you think any of them would listen?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “And why do you suddenly care so much? Don’t tell me you’ve started worrying about me— a commoner?”
Kaelon faltered at my words, his composure cracking as he stumbled over his response.
“I—” He let out a defeated sigh. “Look… I’ve never been the best at expressing myself, but seeing them mocking you reminded me of how the other nobles started treating me and my sister after my father fell ill. That’s why I can’t ignore this, ignore you.”
“...” I said nothing. For once, he seemed genuinely sincere.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Is there something on my face?” Kaelon asked, tilting his head in confusion.
“Pffft— You should’ve seen the face you were making just now,” I said, pointing at him with a laugh.
Kaelon’s face flushed red in embarrassment, and he raised his hand, trying to swat at me.
“You piece of shi—! I was actually trying to be nice for once!”
I casually sidestepped his half-hearted swings, struggling to hold back my laughter. After a while, he stopped, realizing he couldn’t land a single hit on me.
“Giving up?” I smirked.
“Fuck you. I’ll get you next time,” he scowled, trying to sound intimidating.
“Good luck with that,” I replied, raising both arms in a shrug, a smug grin spreading across my face.
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop messing with you now.” I added, “Anyway, thanks for checking up on me. I appreciate it.”
“Tch. Forget it,” Kaelon muttered, crossing his arms and turning his head away. “You still haven’t answered my question from before—what were you doing back there?”
“Believe it or not, that was me trying my best to cast a spell,” I answered, lowering myself to sit on the ground.
Kaelon raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my words. “You’re messing with me right? That puny little spell?”
“Nope. That puny little spell you saw took every ounce of strength I had just to maintain it.”
In the end, I decided to tell him about my current condition.
“So… you’re saying you have this thing called Mana Resonance Deficiency, and it's preventing you from casting spells?”
“Yeah basically.” I said, staring up at the clouds above.
“Then what do you plan on doing for the second half of the exam?” Kaelon questioned, sitting down next to me.
“I’ll manage. Unless they pair me up against someone crazy strong like Lyra, I should be fine.”
“Awfully confident, aren’t you? Is that the real reason why you’ve been lugging around that sword?”
“Maybe.” I replied with a cheeky grin.
Kaelon’s eyes drifted to the sword strapped to my back before he asked, “Hey, mind if I take a look at that?”
I shrugged. “Sure, why not?” Carefully, I unhooked the scabbard and handed it over to him.
The instant Kaelon took hold of it, his arms sank, and his body hunched as he struggled to keep himself from toppling over.
“H-how the hell have you been carrying this thing the whole time?!” he grunted.
‘Huh? Was it really that heavy? I barely felt any weight when I was holding it.’
“Are you sure you’re not just weak?” I teased.
Kaelon shot back instantly. “Hell no! I’m not weak. There's got to be something wrong with your sword—here, take it back.”
I took Balmung back without hesitation. Casually, I swung it once before resting it across my shoulders, giving Kaelon a look.
“Feels normal to me.”
Kaelon’s eyes practically popped out of his head as he alternated between staring at the sword on my shoulders and back at me.
“Seriously? How are you able to do that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you really are just weak,” I said, giving his shoulder a pat.
Kaelon gave me a glare but held his tongue. We ended up chatting about a few other things to pass the time, until his name was finally called up.
I wished him luck as he stepped to the front, though he didn’t really need it, since he actually managed to do pretty well.
Soon it was nearing the end of the 1st half, my attention drifted. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed one of Dorian’s three lackeys slip up to him, leaning in to whisper something in his ear.
An unsettling smile crept across Dorian’s face, the moment I saw it, a cold unease settled in my chest.
‘What is he up to now?’
Before I could dwell on it, a tap on my shoulder snapped me back.
“Yo, Caelith, did you see that? I absolutely crushed it!” Kaelon grinned.
“Hm? Yeah, I saw…” I replied halfheartedly, my eyes flicking back to where Dorian had been—only to find the spot empty.
“You don’t seem all that enthusiastic,” Kaelon said, noticing my distracted look. “What are you staring at?”
I shook my head quickly. “Nah, it’s nothing. But hey—you did pretty good up there.”
“Heh, the professors gave me eighty-two points for my spell,” Kaelon said, puffing out his chest in satisfaction.
“Yes yes, very impressive. Now stop rubbing it in my face,” I said, rolling my eyes.
A sharp clap echoed through the courtyard, cutting through the commotions and drawing everyone’s attention.
Professor Lucian stepped forward, flanked by Professor Seris and Axton, before opening his mouth to speak.
“This concludes the first half of the exam,” his voice echoed across the courtyard. “Before we move on, I want to say how impressed I am with this year’s results.”
“As stated earlier, the second half will be a mock battle, where each of you will be paired to duel another student. For those who felt they performed lackluster in the first half, this is the perfect opportunity to prove yourselves.”
“The use of weapons is allowed, but any artifacts are strictly prohibited,” he continued. “The conditions for victory are simple: either your opponent surrenders, or they are rendered unable to continue fighting.”
His eyes suddenly darkened as he issued a warning. “But make no mistake—killing will not be tolerated.”
He snapped his fingers, and a massive projection materialized behind him, displaying a cascade of names in glowing letters.
“Your opponents have already been decided. Feel free to come forward and check. The final part of the exam will begin in one hour.”
Instantly, a large group of students began shuffling to the front, scanning the projection for their names. Some sighed in relief, most likely pleased with their pairings, while others frowned, already anticipating the challenges ahead.
Kaelon and I pushed through the crowd, making our way toward the front to check our own names.
A vicious glint appeared in Kaelon’s eyes as he stared, frozen, at the projection. I looked over and saw the reason why.
Round 14: Kaelon — Dorian
“I’ve been looking for an opportunity to beat that bastard ass.” Kaelon growled, clenching his fists.
“Certainly looking forward to it. Wish I could’ve joined in too,” I replied.
I scanned the projection for my own name before finally finding it. The moment I read my opponent’s name, I felt like I could die on the spot.
Round 17: Caelith — Lyra
‘Okay… who the fuck did this?’
