The Prince rose to his feet with the fluid grace of someone who'd been trained in movement since childhood. He adjusted his white uniform—still pristine, not a speck of dust despite sitting on the hillside—and repositioned his spear to rest at his side.

  He wasn't wearing armor or any combat gear, just his standard uniform with its silver laurel crown embroidery. The spear itself was a work of art. Looking at it now in more detail, it had gold accents running along its length, the blade gleamed with what was definitely magical enhancement.

  His eyes met mine and didn't waver for a single second. The intensity of his gaze was almost physical, like he was trying to pin me in place through sheer force of will. As soon as I was close enough to hear normal speech, he began talking.

  "You were so slow I was beginning to think your team would just forfeit the first challenge." His tone carried just enough mockery to be insulting without being overtly hostile.

  I forced myself to maintain eye contact, to not show any anxiety. "Sorry, I didn't see any reason to rush." I kept my voice casual, almost bored, while my right hand drifted into my pocket. If I kept it hidden, I could probably write a small rule without anyone seeing. The motion looked natural enough to not draw attention.

  "How disappointing." The Prince's smile didn't reach his eyes. "I expected more urgency from someone who supposedly beat Mary in seconds. Or was that performance purely for show?"

  "Guess you'll find out."

  "Indeed." He shifted his stance slightly, spear moving with practiced precision. "This is a perfect opportunity, really. We can finally test whether that defiant attitude of yours is backed by actual skill or just desperate bravado."

  He gave a light thrust in my direction—not a real attack, just a testing motion. The spear tip came within inches of my face.

  I didn't flinch. Couldn't flinch. He was a predator, and the moment I showed fear would be the moment he struck for real.

  Instead, I let the wind pressure from his strike cut my cheek—a tiny line of red, barely more than a scratch. It stung, but I kept my expression neutral.

  "Interesting," the Prince murmured, eyes tracking the small wound. "Most people dodge. Even when they know it won't actually hit them."

  "Most people care about looking scared." I wiped the blood from my cheek with my left hand, keeping my right hidden in my pocket. My finger moved carefully, writing symbols only I could see: 'I have no aura.'

  A simple rule. Just enough to plant doubt.

  The effect was immediate. The Prince's confident expression flickered, replaced by confusion for just a moment. He blinked, clearly trying to sense my mana signature and finding nothing.

  "What..." He stepped back slightly, his grip on the spear tightening. "What did you just do?"

  "Me? Nothing." I kept my voice level. "Why, is something wrong?"

  "You're hiding again?" His confusion shifted to something approaching anger. "In a situation like this? It's an insult to whatever power you actually possess! If you really have something worth showing, then let it be the mantle you wear! Face me like a man instead of cowering behind tricks!"

  He leaned forward aggressively, spear point lowering to aim at my chest, trying to provoke a reaction.

  I stayed calm, grateful that my heart was pounding too hard for him to notice the acceleration. "I just don't feel the need to show off. I'm perfectly fine being underestimated by people like you."

  "People like me?" His voice took on a dangerous edge. "And what exactly does that mean?"

  "People who think power is something you wave around like a flag." I was making it up as I went, but the words came easier than I expected. "People who need everyone to acknowledge them constantly. Must be exhausting."

  For a moment, I thought I'd pushed too far. His knuckles went white on the spear shaft, and something flickered in his eyes that looked genuinely hostile.

  Then he laughed, a short laugh without real humor. "Impressive deflection. But don't pretend you're humble, Kai. This dispute is as much about your image as it is mine. You could have apologized. Could have submitted. But your pride wouldn't allow it."

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  He wasn't wrong. If I'd had my way, I probably would have ended up in this exact confrontation eventually, even without Aurora's plan. But I had something he didn't have in this one specific situation.

  For the first time in a while, the truth was actually on my side.

  "Actually," I said, letting my voice drop slightly, as if admitting something shameful, "this was all Aurora's plan."

  The change in his expression was immediate and satisfying. The confident mask cracked, revealing genuine anger beneath.

  "What did you say?"

  "She planned everything. Knew you'd come after me. Knew exactly where you'd be." I shrugged, trying to look embarrassed. "I'm just following orders."

  "Nonsense!" The spear moved again, faster this time, stopping just short of my throat. "SHE COULD NOT POSSIBLY PREDICT MY TACTICAL DECISIONS!"

  I held perfectly still, feeling the enchanted blade's heat against my skin. "And yet here we are. Exactly where she said we'd be."

  His eyes narrowed dangerously. "If this is truly her plan, then what are you? Some sort of bait to draw me into a trap?"

  As if responding to him, I saw a presence in a tree at the distance. He probably also noticed it, because I saw it in his eyes. They wavered from mine for just a fraction of a second, scanning the hillside around us for hidden threats.

  There. That moment of doubt. That tiny slip in his absolute confidence. Whoever it was, had given me the perfect opportunity.

  It was exactly what I needed.

  My hand moved in my pocket, fingers tracing a quick correction: 'Undo my last rule.'

  My mana signature returned, probably flooding back in a way he'd notice immediately.

  "No, I'm actually alone here." I focused on that awful feeling—the guilt of lying to Lina, the discomfort of hiding my power, the constant anxiety of keeping secrets. Let it show in my expression, in the way my jaw tightened, in the slight fluctuation of my barely-controlled mana.

  The Prince's expression shifted immediately to satisfaction. "Hah! You're a terrible liar. Your mana control is atrocious, it’s fluctuating all over the place. I can read you like an open book."

  He lowered the spear, actually smiling now. "So Aurora really has no qualms about using a first-year as bait? I must admit, I underestimated her ruthlessness. That's almost admirable."

  Perfect. He'd bought it completely.

  "I'm not just bait!" The indignation in my voice was at least partly genuine. Being used as a distraction stung, even if I'd agreed to it.

  "Right, right. Of course not." His tone was patronizing now, like he was humoring a child. "Then tell me, what was the plan if you failed to distract me? Because clearly, I won't fall for whatever trap she's prepared now that I know about it."

  He was absolutely confident again, convinced he'd seen through everything. Time for the final step.

  "Then you should have no problem letting me through to the challenge, right?" I tried to sound defiant but uncertain. "I'm sure if I get there, I'll beat you in the actual competition!"

  I didn't even believe the words myself, which made them perfect. The lie was so transparent, so obviously false, that it became believable in its desperation.

  The Prince actually laughed with genuine amusement this time. "You? Beat me in a precision challenge? With your level of control?" He shook his head as if pitying me. "By all means. Go ahead. This will be entertaining."

  He stepped aside, gesturing magnanimously toward the path ahead like he was granting a great favor, his expression was daring, as if trying to catch me in a lie.

  I had to suppress the urge to smile. I'd done it. Bought time, avoided capture, and he'd let me walk away thinking he'd won the exchange.

  "Thank you," I said, trying to sound bitter about it. And hesitated to advance for a moment to sell the moment a bit more.

  "Don't thank me yet." He settled back against a rock, clearly planning to follow at a leisurely pace. "I'm looking forward to watching you fail. It will make an excellent point about knowing one's place."

  I started walking, keeping my pace steady, not too fast. My back was to him now, which made my skin crawl, every instinct telling me to not turn my back to him, but I forced myself to maintain casual confidence.

  Once I was far enough away that the motion would be hidden by my body, my smile finally broke free.

  My hand moved in my pocket one more time, fingers tracing symbols with practiced ease: 'My magic never misses.'

  The rule settled into place, warm and certain. Not enough to draw attention. Not enough to seem impossible. Just good enough to win a precision challenge with my pathetic magic missiles.

  Behind me, I heard the Prince start walking as well, maintaining distance. Probably enjoying what he thought was my humiliation.

  Let him enjoy it. In a few minutes, at the challenge, his confidence was going to take a significant hit.

  And the best part? He'd have no one to blame but himself for letting me through.

  Aurora had been right. The Prince's ego was his weakness. He couldn't resist the opportunity to prove his superiority, even when he suspected a trap. Especially when he suspected a trap, it just made the eventual victory sweeter in his mind.

  As I went towards the challenge zone, I caught sight of something that made me pause, a brief flicker of movement in my peripheral vision. For just a moment, I could have sworn I saw Nico's outline against a tree before he vanished completely again.

  So it was him that helped me. He probably was there the entire time listening in.

  I thanked him in my mind while I walked.