Free Web NovelChapter 135: Duel [1]
Luca was about to head back to his dorm.
He didn’t intend to watch the duel.
His plan had been simple: change clothes, grab his practice gear, and train alone in one of the quiet yards near the outer Academy walls. He’d been thinking through what he wanted to improve. Footwork, mostly. He’d noticed during the last combat session that his transitions between water and lightning forms weren’t quite as smooth as they should be. Not a weakness someone could exploit, but enough of an inefficiency that it bothered him.
Before he could leave the training hall, Grace stopped him.
"We’re going to watch the duel."
Luca frowned.
"What duel?"
Grace looked at him like he’d forgotten something obvious.
Luca paused, thinking back. Then he remembered.
Right.
Ronan Ashbourne versus Brutas Pollundini.
He’d overheard students talking about it days ago, but it hadn’t registered as something worth his attention. Two S-Class students. One recently promoted after the Inter-Class War. The other established as a direct Steel Path combat specialist.
The duel had grown bigger than Luca expected. It wasn’t just a personal grudge anymore. It affected rank, reputation, maybe even how the Academy viewed Ronan’s sudden rise into S-Class.
Luca glanced at Grace.
"Do you really want to go?"
"Yes."
Her answer came immediately.
He tilted his head.
"Do you know Ronan well?"
Grace hesitated, then gave a vague, careful answer.
"Not well enough."
Luca didn’t press.
Whatever her interest was, she clearly didn’t want to explain it.
He thought about refusing. He’d wanted to train. He didn’t care much about noble disputes, and he had no personal reason to cheer for either side. But Grace was clearly interested, and Luca could tell this wasn’t casual curiosity. She wanted him there for some reason.
So he agreed.
As they headed out, Luca noticed the others were already waiting.
Iris stood near the training hall entrance, arms crossed loosely, expression composed but not particularly excited. She didn’t seem eager about the duel. If anything, she looked like she’d come because the others were going, or because she couldn’t fully avoid it.
Irene was there too.
Her expression remained controlled, but Luca noticed the difference immediately. Irene was interested. Not openly. Not in a way most people would notice. But her attention kept drifting toward the direction of the duel grounds. Her posture was slightly tighter. Her gaze sharper.
Luca understood why.
Ronan was her brother.
But that only explained part of it. Irene’s interest didn’t look like simple sibling concern. It looked deeper than that.
While they walked, Luca thought about Ronan.
He didn’t like him. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
At first, Luca had planned to ignore the rumors. Ronan Ashbourne’s reputation was bad, but Luca knew better than to trust rumors. Nobles exaggerated. Students liked gossip. That much had been obvious even before the Academy.
So Luca had intended to reserve judgment.
Then Iris told him about the engagement.
She confided in him.
Iris Lockhart was not the type to show weakness easily. She was strong, controlled, and proud. Seeing her speak about the engagement with even a crack in her composure made Luca think worse of Ronan.
Not because he knew the whole story. He didn’t. And Luca was fair enough to acknowledge that. He told himself he didn’t know every detail. He didn’t know what happened between Ronan and Iris. He didn’t know why the engagement was reopened.
But emotionally, it still affected him.
Because Iris had looked hurt. And Luca couldn’t fully ignore that. Iris was his friend now. He’d protect her.
He also knew that Iris was getting nasty rumors surrounding her too.
They came randomly. He didn’t know where they were coming from, or what they were, but he knew they were happening. He never paid attention to them, because he didn’t want his opinion of Iris muddled, but he wondered secretly if those rumors were affecting her. She never showed any reaction, but he knew better than to take that at face value.
Grace noticed his silence and asked what he was thinking about.
"Nothing important."
Grace didn’t believe him, but she let it go.
The group reached the duel area.
It was much larger and more packed than Luca expected.
The official duel grounds had been prepared properly. Faculty were present. Selene stood near the far side as a witness, as she’d suggested the official duel. Students from multiple classes filled the stands and outer areas. Some were there because Brutas was popular among direct combat students. Some were there because Ronan’s recent rise made him impossible to ignore. Others only came because they wanted to see whether the infamous Ashbourne heir would be humiliated.
The crowd was noisy.
Luca heard different opinions as they passed.
Some students thought Brutas would crush him.
Some thought Ronan must have a trick.
Some mocked Ronan for betting above his ability.
Some mentioned the Ashbourne family skill wager.
That caught Luca’s attention.
He hadn’t known Ronan wagered something like that.
He glanced at Irene.
Her expression didn’t change, but her fingers tightened slightly against her side.
Now Luca understood why she came.
Ronan had dragged the Ashbourne name into it.
Irene was staring intently at the duel.
The group found a place to watch. Elara was already there, sitting with a boy named Kazuma beside her.
Luca always saw those three together. He knew Elara and Ronan worked closely during the Inter-Class War.
That complicated Luca’s view a little.
If anything, at least it shows that his comrades can come to trust him. I need to find out the details of the engagement myself before I jump to conclusions.
Then Brutas entered.
The crowd reacted loudly.
He looked exactly like the kind of opponent Luca expected. Large, steady, physically dominant, with a steel-like presence radiating from his reinforced frame. He wasn’t subtle, but that didn’t mean he was stupid. He looked confident because he had reason to be. He had no reason to think he would lose to a rank 2 initial stage.
"What rank is Brutas?" Luca asked Irene.
He asked her rather than Grace because with how interested she was, and considering it involved the Ashbourne name, he was sure she did her research.
"Rank 2, upper stage," she replied grimly.
Ah. No wonder she’s so tense. He’s two minor stages above her brother. This won’t be a fight.
Then Ronan entered.
The reaction changed.
Some jeered. Some went quiet. But Luca couldn’t hear any cheers.
Luca studied him carefully.
Ronan looked calm. Too calm. He didn’t look like someone walking into a duel against a physically superior opponent.
But what Luca noticed was that... he looked pale. Tired. The physical condition compared to Brutas was too different.
But despite that he had the same small smile he always did as he stared directly at his opponent.
Arrogance, Luca thought immediately. Or perhaps a strategy? Psychological?
Grace stared at Ronan with unusual focus.
Selene stepped between the two duelists and stated the rules.
Official duel. Rank wager. No killing. No outside interference. Victory by surrender, incapacitation, or instructor call. Everyone knew the rules already.
The two exchanged some words.
Luca couldn’t hear every word from where he was, but he could see Brutas’s grin fall slightly as his expression became more grim.
Then Selene raised her hand.
And the crowd quieted.
