Chapter 28: A Duel That Won’t Be Forgotten

“…??”

Estroza’s face twisted into a grotesque expression.

Sion blinked in shock, utterly taken aback.

But when he blinked again, her face had returned to its usual picturesque smile—

As if that distorted expression had never existed.

“I accept your apology. A duel should always be fought fairly… If anything, it was my own lack of skill that failed to match yours, despite your efforts to hold back.”

“So, there’s no need for you to apologize.”

She smiled sweetly.

Then, as if brushing past him without a second thought, she gracefully walked away.

Sion stood frozen, still unable to process what had just happened.

But as she passed by him, she whispered softly—so softly that only he could hear.

“I won’t forget this.”

“…!”

Sion’s eyes widened in surprise.

By the time he turned around to look at her, Estroza was already striding away confidently.

Her followers naturally fell into step beside her, moving as if they had been waiting for her signal.

Watching the scene unfold, Sion thought to himself—

‘…She really is a terrifying woman.’

A shiver ran down his spine.

He rubbed his arms, trying to shake off the eerie feeling.

That disturbing, twisted expression he had glimpsed for a split second—

The whisper that still echoed in his ears—

It all clung to his mind like a lingering nightmare.

“Hey! Sion!”

Suddenly—

A strong arm wrapped around his shoulders from behind.

There was only one person who would do something like this.

“Patrick?”

“Wow… You really stabbed me in the back, man. Why are you so good? Huh? So all that talk about ‘1st Circle magic’ was just a lie?”

“No… It wasn’t like that.”

“Oh, sure it wasn’t, you bastard. Still, you did great.”

Patrick laughed heartily and gave Sion a firm pat on the back.

Sion scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

Then Patrick leaned in and whispered,

“You probably didn’t see it, but Estroza totally wiped out. It was hilarious.”

“…Wiped out?”

“Yeah. She totally lost her footing and fell backward. Dude, if she had done a full backward roll, I wouldn’t have been surprised.”

“……Ah.”

That explained the dirt all over the back of her uniform.

If she had rolled on the ground, then it made sense why she looked so furious.

‘…It feels like I’ve pissed off someone I really shouldn’t have.’

If someone asked whether he found it satisfying—

Sion would have had to admit, “Yes, definitely.”

But at the same time, the fact that she was a noble from the Farawell family—one of the Empire’s Three Great Magic Houses—kept nagging at him.

Would she try to get back at him later?

Would she start scheming against him?

Before he could dwell too much on it, a familiar voice rang out—

“Hahaha! Sion, my friend! That was a truly remarkable performance!”

“…”

Gae Bolg had appeared before him.

“I was absolutely astonished! Not only are you skilled in swordsmanship, but you also made a spirit contract on your first try, humiliated that insufferable Rhonda Margaret, and now, you’ve even taken on Lady Estroza! And all of this in just one week! I can hardly believe it! Hahaha!!”

With a grin, Gae Bolg dramatically pointed a finger toward the sky.

“J-Just keep it down…”

“Why should I? Your achievements transcend status itself! If you wish, once you graduate, you could join the Rodenburg Kingdom—”

“Gae Bolg. We’re still in the middle of class. What’s with all this commotion?”

Professor Mehden’s cold voice cut through the air.

Gae Bolg immediately shut his mouth.

His voice had been so loud that the professor himself had to step in to scold him.

Gae Bolg quickly straightened and bowed in apology.

“My deepest apologies, Professor! I got too excited celebrating my friend’s achievements!”

“…As long as you understand.”

Mehden didn’t dwell on it.

Was it because Gae Bolg was a prince of Rodenburg?

“Sion, is that your name?”

“Uh—yes, sir.”

“…Do you truly believe you used only 1st Circle magic?”

At Mehden’s question, Sion immediately nodded.

“I simply modified 1st Circle spells to suit my needs.”

“…Is that so? Very well.”

Mehden didn’t press further.

Turning away, he resumed walking toward the dueling arena.

But just as he was about to continue observing the students, he suddenly stopped.

Without turning to face Sion, he spoke once more.

“In this class, your grade is a perfect score… An A+.”

“…!”

“So next time, control your power properly. If your opponent’s abilities can’t even be measured, it disrupts the lesson.”

“Th-Thank you!”

An A+ on his very first class.

It was essentially the professor admitting, “There’s nothing left for me to teach you.”

Sion bowed deeply in gratitude, his heart pounding with excitement.

‘An A+…! If I keep this up, I might be able to earn a scholarship!’

According to Professor Noias, starting next semester, he would have to pay for his own tuition.

While making money on the side was an option, securing a scholarship would be the best approach.

With one class already secured with an A+, he just needed to aim for the same in his other courses.

Encouraged by Mehden’s words, Sion sat down and watched the remaining duels alongside Patrick and Gae Bolg.

After Class: An Unexpected Offer

After all the lessons had ended, Professor Mehden Demourniza called Sion in for a private meeting.

The conversation was simple.

“Where did you learn magic?”

“Uh… Before enrolling at the academy, I learned through trial and error. But I’ve improved a lot since coming here.”

“…You learned here?”

“Yes. Things like Barrier magic and elemental spells…”

Mehden bombarded him with questions.

And with each answer, his expression grew more and more astonished.

Finally, he made an offer.

“Your talent is something that appears once in a millennium. Have you considered studying under me?”

“…Studying?”

“Yes. I will personally mentor you, and after graduation, you can pursue graduate—”

“I’m sorry.”

The moment the words “graduate studies” were mentioned, Sion immediately stood up and walked out.

Anyone else might have jumped at the opportunity.

After all, Demourniza was from one of the Empire’s Three Great Magic Houses and was rumored to have dragon blood in his veins.

But becoming a graduate student was absolutely not an option.

Anything but that.

Sure, this world didn’t have computers that crashed during thunderstorms, erasing hours of saved work.

There were no sadistic advisors who overworked and tormented their students.

But still—

The very idea of graduate school and the title “graduate student” gave him an undeniable sense of dread.

“I need to clear my head… Maybe I should head to the training grounds.”

At the Academy’s Lake Park

Instead of the training grounds, Sion ended up at a lake park on campus.

A pair of students, likely a couple, were strolling nearby.

He found an empty bench and sat down heavily, massaging his temples.

The thing that bothered him most during today’s class was the definition of 1st Circle magic.

‘I was sure I was using 1st Circle magic. But Professor Mehden said I was casting 2nd or even 3rd Circle spells.’

Sion’s magic was just a modified form of 1st Circle spells.

Sure, he adjusted the shape, speed, angle, and firepower—

But he never actually learned 2nd or 3rd Circle magic.

His mana core was still at 1st Circle.

He had wanted to ask Mehden more about it, but the moment “graduate studies” were mentioned, he had bolted out of there.

“Well, that aside… My top priority is reaching the 2nd Circle.”

There were two ways to achieve 2nd Circle:

1. Accumulate mana on his own through intense self-training.
2. Ask a professor for help in creating the right environment for advancing.

He had already failed once at doing it alone—

And that failure had almost killed him.

So self-training was not an option.

That meant asking a professor for help.

But who?

Sion picked up a stick and began scribbling names in the dirt.

Professor List:

• Rhonda Margaret
• Horiju
• Lunia Yggdrasil
• Mehden Demourniza
• Baries
• Shivrina
• Noias

These were the professors he had encountered so far.

“First, let’s rule out the non-magic specialists.”

To advance his Circle, he needed someone with direct experience in magical progression.

That meant Horiju and Baries were out.

“Lunia is the professor I’m closest to… but I don’t really trust her with something this serious.”

She lacked confidence in her own lectures.

In fact, Sion had to help her teach instead of the other way around.

Could he really ask her for help when his life might be on the line?

…It was harsh to admit, but Lunia wasn’t reliable enough for this.

That left:

• Rhonda Margaret
• Mehden Demourniza
• Shivrina
• Noias

“If I ask Mehden, he’ll probably say, ‘I’ll help you… but you have to become my graduate student.’ So he’s out.”

“Shivrina… seems friendly, but I’ve only met her once during orientation. It would be awkward to suddenly ask her for a favor.”

“Noias already told me directly, ‘I can’t help you anymore.’ So that leaves…”

As he crossed out the names one by one, only one name remained.

“…Rhonda Margaret.”

Professor Rhonda Margaret.

She taught Fundamentals of Magic to first-year students.

She was also the professor he had soaked with water in front of the entire class.

“If I bring her a gift as an apology… and ask at the same time? No, that might be too shameless.”

“Maybe I should ask Shivrina first. And if she refuses, then go to Lunia.”

Sion quickly shook his head.

No, that wouldn’t work.

He had humiliated Rhonda Margaret in front of the whole class.

Why would she ever help him advance his Circle?

If anything, she’d probably find a way to get back at him.

“Yeah… Rhonda Margaret is definitely a bad idea.”

“What’s a bad idea?”

“…Huh?”

A voice came from right next to him.

Sion froze and slowly turned his head.

The voice was low, sharp, and unmistakably familiar.

A voice he had heard many times before.

A voice he never wanted to hear in this situation.

“What are you doing here, Sion?”

“…Professor Margaret?”

There, sitting right next to him on the bench—

Was Professor Rhonda Margaret.

And she was staring directly into his face.

To be continued.