The following day, Lusian and the others returned to the academy to resume their classes. Emily, walking alongside her brother, ran into Alejandro in the main hallway.

  "Emily, how are you?" he asked kindly. "I heard what happened. The entire capital is shaken by the appearance of those evil creatures."

  "Yes, it was horrible," she replied, lowering her voice slightly. "They killed people and turned them into undead. Luckily, Lusian decided to eliminate them. He led his troops magnificently."

  Alejandro smiled, though with clear discomfort.

  "You seem to be praising him a bit too much. Maybe he's just trying to act like a good person to win you over."

  Emily frowned.

  "He knows perfectly well he doesn't want to marry me, and he still acts that way. Besides, you weren't there. You didn't see how he behaved."

  Without waiting for a response, Emily walked toward her dormitory, leaving Alejandro and Manuel behind.

  "She's getting awfully close to that idiot," Manuel muttered, his voice mixing jealousy and concern.

  "Why doesn't she recognize our efforts?" Alejandro replied irritably.

  "Relax," Manuel said coldly. "Once we deal with the Douglas family, she will."

  Later, in Classroom 1A, Professor Carla was teaching history.

  "Seven hundred and fourteen years ago," she began, "due to constant barbarian invasions into our lands, the four great clans decided to unite against them. After defeating and driving them out, they founded what we now know as the Kingdom of Carpatia. The kingdom's creation was not a bloody one. Over time, neighboring tribes, seeking protection, joined through treaties and alliances that still endure today. Representing the oldest noble houses are the three duchies and, of course, the royal family…"

  Across the room, Lusian struggled to stay awake, resting his head on his arm. Emily, seated beside him, nudged him with her elbow.

  "Don't fall asleep. Pay attention."

  "This is incredibly boring," he muttered. "Can't we skip this class?"

  "Don't be lazy, Lusian," she replied, frowning.

  "When you spend your days running from a destructive lunatic who keeps chasing you nonstop, listening to lectures becomes the least of your worries," he complained, only half joking.

  "Is Kara still bothering you?"

  "Yes. She hasn't learned her lesson. She's… exhausting."

  At that moment, the professor's voice interrupted them.

  "Well, since we have among us a representative of one of the ancient duchies," she said with a faint smile, "perhaps young Lord Lusian can answer this: what reasons justify a territorial war, and what are its proper procedures?"

  Lusian blinked, slightly surprised, but quickly skimmed Emily's notes before answering.

  "Professor, there are several justifications. The first is territorial defense; the second is protecting honor and prestige; and the third is resolving disputes that cannot be settled peacefully. As for procedures, the king and the nobles involved must be formally notified of the declaration of war."

  Professor Carla nodded, mildly impressed.

  "It seems you are somewhat informed, Lord Lusian," she said with a smile. "However, do try to pay attention to class rather than simply reading your classmate's notebook."

  Lusian sighed while Emily tried to hide a smile.

  Lusian sought refuge in the library—the only place where, at least temporarily, he could escape Kara's relentless pursuit. The silence, the faint scent of aged paper, and the soft glow of light filtering through the tall windows seemed to promise him a moment of peace.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  It did not last long.

  A cheerful voice broke the silence.

  "Lord Lusian! What a pleasure to see you!" Isabella exclaimed, approaching with a bright smile.

  Lusian lifted his gaze from the book in his hands and responded politely.

  "Lady Isabella, the pleasure is mine. How are you today?"

  "Very well, thank you," she replied, her eyes shining sincerely. "Actually, I came to apologize for what happened the other day. I'm truly sorry."

  "There is no need to apologize," Lusian said, gently closing his book. "It wasn't your fault. Though I must admit, Prince Leonardo's behavior surprised me… he was rather aggressive. Is he always like that?"

  Isabella sighed in mild frustration.

  "Yes, always. The prince and Lord Caleb make it their mission to drive away any man who tries to speak with me. It's… exhausting."

  "I apologize for my brother's behavior," Lusian said sympathetically. "And it seems the saying is true."

  "What saying, Lord Lusian?" Isabella asked, tilting her head curiously.

  Lusian gave a faint smile.

  "That beauty can sometimes be a curse. And in your case, I'm afraid the saying fits quite well."

  A brief silence formed between them, broken by Isabella's playful smile.

  "Perhaps," she replied teasingly. "By the way, when do you plan to visit the art hall again? I'm certain Prince Leonardo has learned his lesson, and Lord Caleb seems to respect you. If you don't mind… would you consider me your friend?"

  Lusian raised an eyebrow, sensing the implication behind her words.

  "Let me guess," he said with a sly smile. "You want to keep those two away, don't you?"

  Isabella covered her mouth to hide a soft giggle.

  "Don't misunderstand me, Lord Lusian. I only wish to learn more about music," she said, attempting innocence, though her eyes betrayed a charming cleverness.

  Lusian chuckled lightly.

  "Then, Lady Isabella, it will be my pleasure to teach you."

  Lusian was enjoying the calm conversation with Isabella. For a moment, he believed he might finally have a peaceful day. Then an uncomfortable sensation crept down his spine.

  He knew that feeling all too well.

  Danger.

  He glanced toward the library's second floor—and to his dismay, he saw her.

  Kara had just entered.

  And her expression was that of someone who had sworn vengeance.

  (Perfect… just when things were starting to improve.)

  From his position, he watched as she scanned the room, clearly searching for him. Her presence there was as unusual as seeing a hippopotamus in the desert.

  There was no doubt about it.

  She was hunting him.

  "Lady Isabella, I'm afraid I must excuse myself. I just remembered… an urgent matter," Lusian said, forcing a polite smile.

  "So soon? What a shame," Isabella replied with a slight pout, though her amused gaze suggested she suspected something.

  Lusian bowed slightly in farewell and began climbing toward the third floor, intending to slip out through the side exit and avoid confrontation.

  Fate, however, had other plans.

  "YOU'RE HIDING FROM ME, COWARD!" Kara shouted from below, her voice echoing through the entire library.

  Students looked up in alarm as Lusian stopped halfway up the stairs, pressing a hand to his forehead in resignation.

  "I know you're here… Let's skip the insults and head to the combat arena," he said calmly while descending the stairs.

  The duel began with Kara's trademark ferocity. She unleashed every technique her father had taught her, confident that this time she would win. She charged at Lusian, whose defenses held against the first strikes—until he noticed something strange.

  She was using a sequence she should not have mastered yet.

  (That's impossible… That technique belongs to a later version of the game. How the hell did she learn it this early?)

  Still, Lusian knew the sequence perfectly. At the right moment, he channeled his magic, combining lightning with dark energy—a spell he had secretly perfected. The blast struck Kara's leg, throwing off her balance. Seizing the opening, he disarmed her and drove his sword into the ground in front of her.

  "You know what comes next, don't you?" Lusian said, clenching his fists.

  "W-Wait! Weren't you a mage? How did you do that?" Kara asked, stunned.

  "With enough practice, anyone with high magical affinity can master advanced spells," Lusian replied confidently.

  The assault continued. Though he avoided striking her face, Lusian showed no mercy. Kara, panting and drenched in sweat, could barely remain standing.

  "Don't make those sounds," Lusian joked. "People might think I'm doing something else to you."

  "IDIOT! I'M NOT DONE YET!" she shouted, launching herself forward again.

  Even so, the battle was already decided. Lusian defeated her with a swift, precise strike.

  Later, in the third-year classroom, Kara sat with her arms bandaged while Elizabeth observed her with a mixture of mockery and pity.

  "So this is how you get the attention of boys you like. How unpleasant," the princess said with a sly smile.

  "L-Like him? Of course not! That idiot just got lucky! Next time, I'll beat him!" Kara snapped, blushing furiously.

  "Well, at least he was kind enough not to hit your face," Elizabeth added, gently lifting Kara's chin.

  "That doesn't matter, Princess. I'll prove I can defeat him," Kara declared, clenching her fists with determination.

  The weekend arrived, and the qualifying matches for Class 1A resumed. Lusian stepped onto the platform to face his opponent, Craig Denisse.

  The duel lasted only seconds.

  Four strikes were enough to leave young Denisse unconscious on the floor.

  Kasper's victory over Corwin followed, as did Conwick's defeat of Nilson, marking the beginning of a new stage in the academy's competitions.