"What's wrong with that girl?"
Before Gilbert had the chance to dwell on the strange encounter any longer, the current match came to an end, and the examiner's voice echoed across the arena.
"Gilbert Klein and Beatrice Dresen. Step forward."
The moment his name was called, Athena glanced at him before giving him a light shove between the shoulders.
"Now isn't the time to lose focus. Go put on an entertaining match."
A faint smile crossed Gilbert's face. He waved at her over his shoulder before walking straight toward the arena.
As soon as he stepped onto the dueling platform, he was greeted by a somewhat familiar face.
It was the girl from earlier.
The moment their eyes met again, she smiled brightly and gave him a small wave.
That only made Gilbert even more confused.
He let out a quiet sigh and adjusted his stance.
The girl, meanwhile, stood there with an almost careless posture, leaving what looked like countless openings.
Is she even taking this seriously?
Or does she simply not realize what kind of situation she's in?
Should I even expect anything from her?
He cast a brief glance toward Athena and Ethan, who were watching from the sidelines.
Then he pushed every unnecessary thought aside and cleared his mind.
The examiner raised his hand.
"Begin!"
As the duel started, the girl finally assumed a proper fighting stance and spoke in a soft, friendly voice.
"I hope this will be an enjoyable match, Gilbert."
Something about her had changed.
A strange sensation ran down his spine.
Everything he had thought about her just moments ago—that she was full of openings and easy to read—had vanished completely.
Can a person's presence really change this much in the span of a single second...?
Gilbert made the first move.
His attack was direct, fast, and precise.
Yet before the blade could reach her, she slipped to the side with a flawless sidestep, followed by a smooth turn that carried her around him.
The tip of her sword lightly brushed against his arm before she retreated without causing any real harm.
It was an incredibly refined movement.
Effortless.
As though it required no strength at all.
His opening strike had merely been meant to gauge her ability...
But the result was nothing like he had expected.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Then he became serious.
Steel clashed against steel.
Again.
And again.
The faster Gilbert's attacks became, the more fluid her movements grew in response.
She slipped through every opening with astonishing grace, weaving between his strikes as though she could predict every swing before he made it.
Each time she countered, her timing was impeccable.
Every collision sent a heavy vibration through both blades.
Despite her delicate appearance, every strike she delivered carried unexpected weight.
There was an immense strength hidden beneath that slender frame.
Never, not even for a moment, had Gilbert imagined that she would push him this far.
He hadn't expected anyone his own age to put him under this much pressure.
In a quiet corner beneath the shade of a large tree stood a lone young man.
He had silver-blond hair and dark eyes, their color resembling storm clouds moments before the rain.
His expression was calm—almost indifferent.
Yet his gaze remained fixed on every detail unfolding within the duel.
He stood apart from the crowd, completely alone.
Even so, his mere presence was enough to draw the attention of anyone who happened to pass by.
She's playing with him.
Yet she's careful not to reveal too much.
At the same time, her opponent is far from weak. His movements are disciplined, precise... and despite the relentless exchanges, he still doesn't show the slightest sign of fatigue.
Looking more closely... he's deliberately controlling the force behind each swing to avoid breaking his own sword.
Impressive.
I wonder... could he be the same as me?
As for the girl... although her style appears random at first glance, she intercepts every strike at the perfect moment.
She even begins dodging before the blade can reach her.
The gap in experience between them is obvious.
If things continue like this... the outcome is already decided.
Unless... he's still hiding something.
Nearby, a wave of hushed whispers broke Raymond's concentration.
"Isn't that Raymond Baskerville?"
"Yeah, that's him... But what's someone like him doing here? Don't tell me we'll end up attending the same classes."
"Don't say something so unlucky. I'd be grateful if I never had to see him in my classroom."
"Forget the classroom. Imagine being assigned the same dorm room as him. I'd request a transfer immediately."
"I hadn't even thought of that... Just imagining breathing the same air as him gives me chills."
Raymond's expression darkened almost imperceptibly.
He said nothing.
He simply turned his cold, piercing gaze toward them.
The moment one of the boys met his eyes, a shiver ran down his spine. He quickly grabbed his companion, and the two hurried away without another word.
Raymond looked back toward the arena, trying to ignore them.
Yet the murmurs had already unsettled him enough that he failed to follow what had happened during the match.
"...Damn it."
Damn...!
Gilbert gritted his teeth inwardly.
He had been trapped in the same cycle for far too long.
Every attack he launched was answered by another flawless maneuver.
The longer their blades crossed, the more clearly he realized the gap between them.
If this keeps up without me finding a way to turn the tables... this duel will become nothing more than a battle of attrition.
Athena, who had been watching Gilbert's match with unwavering focus, found her attention momentarily drawn to the gossip taking place nearby.
People like them exist everywhere...
What's so satisfying about talking behind someone's back?
They don't even have the courage to say those things to his face... How shameless.
She let out a quiet sigh.
Judging by the look in his eyes... that boy has probably been through more than most.
Choosing not to respond... perhaps that was the wiser decision.
Shaking the thought away, she turned her attention back to the duel.
I never imagined I'd see someone capable of matching my brother...
No... she almost looks stronger.
Is that really possible?
Her hand tightened into a fist until her knuckles turned white.
You can do this, Brother...
Beside her, Ethan noticed the anxiety she was trying so hard to suppress.
He remained silent, his face betraying nothing as he continued watching the fight.
The exchange dragged on longer than any previous match.
Steel rang against steel without pause.
Her movements are so refined...
It feels like I'm fighting a seasoned veteran rather than someone my own age.
Then, at last—
...She's not trying to win.
The realization struck him.
Her attacks never aimed for decisive points.
Her movements weren't purely defensive.
She wasn't trying to defeat him.
She was testing him.
He wasn't fighting an opponent...
He was being evaluated.
Gilbert clenched his jaw.
A sharp light appeared in his eyes as irritation slowly replaced confusion.
Without hesitation, he changed his approach.
He pressed forward more aggressively, increasing the pace of his attacks while making full use of his speed and agility.
He refused to remain nothing more than a toy for her amusement.
If she wanted to test him...
Then he would force her to fight seriously.
For just five seconds...
Something changed.
A different light flickered in Beatrice's eyes.
A smile spread across her lips—
Not the playful smile from before...
But one filled with genuine excitement, as though she had finally found what she had been searching for.
The next instant, she vanished.
Her sword flashed toward him with explosive speed.
Gilbert barely managed to block it.
Then—
He noticed it.
She stopped.
Right before completing the strike.
As though she had deliberately held herself back.
Despite the overwhelming momentum behind her attack...
She withdrew.
For some reason.
Gilbert seized the opening without hesitation.
His blade drove forward with enough force to knock her backward.
Before she could recover her balance, he followed up with another precise strike.
For an instant, Beatrice's body tilted as though she were about to fall.
Instead, she planted her right hand firmly against the ground, using it as a pivot to propel herself backward in a graceful arc.
She landed smoothly, already raising her sword—
But Gilbert gave her no chance to regain a proper defensive stance.
His next strike came immediately.
Fast.
Precise.
Calculated.
The blade struck her left wrist.
Her sword slipped free from her grasp and spun through the air before clattering onto the stone floor.
Beatrice's eyes widened ever so slightly.
Then...
She smiled.
Her breathing was uneven from the duel, yet the smile on her face held neither frustration nor regret.
It was the smile of someone who had lost...
And enjoyed every second of it.
It was the expression of someone who had finally found exactly what they had been searching for.
Silence swept across the arena.
Moments later, the examiner's voice broke it.
"Winner—Gilbert Klein!"
Gilbert and Beatrice exchanged a brief glance.
Despite her defeat, Beatrice was the first to speak. Her voice was low, yet it brimmed with unmistakable excitement.
"That was fun. Especially near the end—those consecutive attacks of yours were incredible. They completely threw me off."
Her smile widened.
"Let's do it again sometime, Gilbert."
Gilbert looked at her for a brief moment, unable to understand her reaction.
Then he looked away with a quiet sigh.
"Fighting someone who pushed me this far..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'd say that would be worthwhile."
Beatrice's eyes lit up.
"So that's a yes?"
Her grin grew even brighter.
"Then I'll be looking forward to our next duel."
She gave him one last cheerful wave before stepping back and leaving the arena.
Gilbert watched her go for only a moment before turning away himself.
Although the duel had barely taxed his body, his mind felt considerably heavier.
When he returned to where Athena was waiting, she was the first to speak.
"She was a formidable opponent."
Gilbert gave a small nod before replying with a wry smile.
"It felt more like she was playing with me than actually trying to win."
He paused for a second.
"...She reminds me of someone."
Athena's eyes widened for an instant.
She averted her gaze and muttered with an awkward smile.
"...Mother."
Gilbert let out a dry chuckle.
"Exactly."
He took a step backward, casually waving a hand.
"I'm going to look around for a while."
"If you want to stay and watch the remaining matches, go ahead."
"We'll meet up later."
"I understand."
Athena watched him walk away until his figure disappeared into the crowd.
A familiar tightness settled in her chest.
Still...
She chose not to stop him.
He probably needs some time alone.
Her gaze shifted toward Ethan beside her.
His expression had remained unusually calm for quite some time now.
Those unreadable features of his had never been easy to decipher.
Although she often found his exaggerated behavior irritating, she couldn't deny one thing—
Whenever the atmosphere grew tense, Ethan was usually the one who lightened it.
And now...
For the first time in a while...
She found herself missing that side of him.
Without realizing it.
It was rare for Ethan to stay this quiet.
That alone was enough to make her uneasy.
Deciding there was no point dwelling on it, Athena turned her attention back to the arena.
The number of spectators had begun to thin little by little.
The examiner called out the names of the next competitors.
"Raymond Baskerville... Luke Mervale. Step forward."
Athena frowned slightly.
That first name...
Why does it sound so familiar?
Only a few seconds passed after the match began—
CLANG!!
A deafening metallic crash echoed across the arena, followed immediately by the sound of something heavy scraping against stone.
Then...
Silence.
Luke's sword had split cleanly in two.
One half remained frozen in his hand.
The other spun high into the air before crashing onto the stone floor with a sharp, lifeless clang.
By then, Gilbert had already left the area and hadn't witnessed what happened.
But Athena and Ethan had seen everything.
The same young man from earlier...
Had shattered his opponent's sword.
In a single strike.
The sheer force behind that blow left the spectators speechless.
Luke's arm trembled violently from the impact.
He couldn't even react.
He simply stood there...
Staring at the broken remains of his weapon, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
The spectators erupted into hushed whispers.
"No way... That fast?"
"A monster... just as they say."
"I'm so glad I wasn't the one facing him."
"I don't even want to imagine being in that position."
Amid the murmurs surrounding the stone arena, Athena remained frozen, still processing what she had just witnessed.
Yet what caught her attention even more than the overwhelming display of strength...
Was the young man himself.
On the surface, Raymond appeared as calm as ever.
But his eyes told a different story.
It wasn't anger.
Nor was it satisfaction.
Rather, it was as though an invisible weight rested heavily upon his shoulders.
His breathing had become noticeably uneven.
Perhaps no one else had noticed.
Most of the audience was too captivated by the match itself.
But for Athena—
Who had spent most of her life observing people, reading their body language, and searching for the slightest weakness in an opponent—
Such details were impossible to miss.
The examiner finally raised his voice.
"Winner—Raymond Baskerville!"
Without waiting another moment, Raymond turned and left the arena.
Athena unconsciously followed him with her eyes.
A thought quietly surfaced in her mind.
The earlier incident affected him more than I first thought...
He's similar to my brother.
Neither of them expresses their emotions through words or facial expressions.
Instead... their feelings reveal themselves through their actions before they even realize it.
The difference is...
My brother confronts himself.
That boy... runs from himself.
As the competitors left the arena, only three matches remained before the examinations concluded.
Yet everything Athena had witnessed today had already overturned every expectation she had held before arriving here.
So this is the Imperial Academy...
The greatest talents in the Empire have all gathered in one place.
It seems our days here won't be peaceful after all.
She instinctively glanced toward the direction Gilbert had gone.
At that exact moment, Raymond Baskerville happened to walk past her.
For the briefest instant—
Their eyes met.
Only for a heartbeat.
Raymond looked away immediately and continued on without a word.
Yet that fleeting exchange left an inexplicable feeling behind.
A gaze that cold...
It sent a chill down my spine.
...Or was I only imagining it?