The classroom was now empty, the students all having left.
Graad and Rosalia projected a full map of the northern mountain region onto the front wall.
On the wide map of the northwestern mountainous area, the locations of each pair were being updated in real time.
This was possible because the maps handed out to the students were embedded with not only a defensive magic that determined elimination, but also a real-time location tracking spell.
An assistant instructor reported the situation.
"Student eliminations are happening faster than expected. More importantly, none of them were eliminated by monsters."
Though only four hours had passed since the practical training began, eleven pairs had already been eliminated.
Nearly one-tenth of all participants were out—far exceeding their expectations.
The fact that none had fallen to monsters meant only one thing: conflict between students.
"There are three pairs that stand out. Rudger Schwaben and Almon Donertz; Carlo Deneb and Alia Torta; and Ruina Berchef and Fernan Pallenberg."
"Fernan Pallenberg? What do you make of that, Professor Rosalia?"
"It's a bit unexpected. Fernan isn't the type to step forward like that."
"Perhaps he's just following Ruina's lead. She's the kind of student who always gives it her all—almost frighteningly so."
To Professor Rosalia, it was indeed a surprise. The Fernan she had observed over the past year was more of a merchant than a noble.
He valued profit and pragmatism over honor or prestige. Frankly, the fact that he paired up with Ruina in the first place was hard to understand.
"Could it be about money again? But if that were the case, there's no reason for Fernan to accommodate Ruina."
"If he's doing it, it must be because it's more profitable for him that way."
Fernan was the kind of student who always put profit first. That was the Fernan Rosalia had come to know over the past year.
"The only gain he could get from pairing with Ruina and matching her pace would be high scores. But hasn't he been largely indifferent to grades until now?"
"Fernan recently visited the Pallenberg household. It's possible the Duke gave him new orders."
"That would make sense."
Graad stroked his chin.
"Well, it's not particularly important. Professor Rosalia, in your opinion, who do you think will come out on top?"
"Most likely one of the three pairs I mentioned earlier."
"More specifically?"
"They're all strong contenders. I can't give a definitive answer."
"Stiff as always."
It was then that Graad's gaze shifted as he noticed two markers converge.
"At the very least, we're about to go from three possibilities to two."
"They might just cross paths and then move on separately."
"Well, maybe."
Graad stepped onto the magic circle.
"Are you going out?"
"If they clash, the assistants alone won't be able to guarantee their safety. Stay here and keep monitoring the situation."
"Yes, sir."
With a flash of light, Graad vanished.
Left alone in the classroom, Rosalia sat back down and resumed watching the map.
She could see many markers moving busily.
Some met and clashed before fleeing. Some sought out other students to earn bonus points. Others steadily moved north, focused only on their goal.
Among the chaotic dots, Rosalia's gaze focused on two specific points.
"…Rudger Schwaben, Fernan Pallenberg."
The two most important second-year students.
"Knight Department's Jane Hux and Magic Department's Ned Pallan eliminated. Bonus points awarded to Knight Department's Ruina Berchef and Magic Department's Fernan Pallenberg."
Right after Ruina rendered Jane incapable of fighting, an assistant appeared and teleported them away.
The map not only indicated location—it also protected students and served as official proof of elimination.
"With the defensive magic in place, we no longer have to hold back during combat."
"That was you holding back?"
"I tried to stop just before the strike. Though, with the defensive magic, there was no need."
"She looked like she was about to faint."
"Jane tends to be a bit timid. She'll have to fix that if she wants to become a knight."
Ruina was genuinely concerned for her. Fernan, realizing further discussion would only give him a headache, changed the subject.
"So, where to next?"
The two were currently floating high above the terrain using Fernan's magic, surveying the land below. A vast mountain range stretched out beneath them.
"The marked area on the map is the northern coastline, and we should be somewhere around here."
"The western mountain range, huh."
The northern region was the largest section of the academy grounds, divided into east and west.
"We'll need to head northeast."
"Alright then."
Fernan dispelled the magic. The towering cliff beneath them sank back into the ground.
"There were quite a few people nearby, right?"
"Yes."
"What do you want to do?"
"Do I even need to answer that?"
As expected, Fernan's lips curled into a smirk at her reply.
'Every year there's a top and second-ranked student. But only a few have ever become Royal Knights.'
Yet the prophecy had mentioned it, and so far, all the prophecies had come true.
Which is why he chose to verify it for himself.
'One can never verify too many times.'
He was a merchant, after all. One mistake or piece of misinformation could result in catastrophic losses. He was someone who always questioned, investigated, and sought layer upon layer of certainty.
He had no intention of settling for one or two rounds of proof. His partnership with Ruina was both a means of gaining her favor—and a test of her capabilities.
"To the west."
"The west, huh."
The presence was coming from the west.
"I'll go ahead before we lose them."
Ruina kicked off the ground and shot out like an arrow.
"Not that I planned on falling behind."
"…What is that supposed to mean?"
"A person should use magic. Saves the body a lot of trouble."
Rumble—
Fernan stood with his arms crossed, unmoving. Yet the ground flowed on its own, forming right next to Ruina and keeping pace.
"I've never seen that magic before."
"I picked it up quick from a family mage. I despise sweating."
"Only by moving your body do you keep illness at bay."
"Mana takes care of that. Keeps me healthy."
"…You're such a lazy merchant."
"…What did you say?"
"Nothing."
Ruina drew her sword. The polished blade reflected the sunlight sharply.
"That's Ruina!"
"Run!"
"Dammit, of all people!"
The battle began.
Indeed, the second-rank student was worthy of her title.
As he watched Ruina fight, Fernan thought so.
Aint Armian's impression of her as "beautiful" wasn't wrong.
Ruina Berchef's sword was fast, elegant, and noble in appearance.
'So that's…'
…the secret swordsmanship of the guardian family that had protected the empire's northern frontier—coveted by his father.
Watching it stirred a desire within him.
But he quickly shook his head.
A great merchant must chase the greater profit in the distance, not the small gain right before his eyes.
The battle ended in a flash, without Fernan needing to intervene. Part of it was because the pair they encountered were lower-ranked, but the bigger reason was Ruina's overwhelming strength.
"Good work."
"It wasn't particularly difficult."
"You say that, but you look like you rolled around quite a bit."
"I'm not injured."
Ruina responded casually. Her armor was just dirty from the dust stirred up by magic.
"Then we saved a potion."
"You really have a way of making even ordinary comments sound annoying."
"And you have a knack for taking jokes too seriously."
Fernan shrugged and handed her a piece of jerky. Ruina took it silently and began chewing.
"Should we start looking for the next pair…"
She stopped mid-sentence. Fernan's gaze followed hers.
From not too far away, they sensed a presence. It felt completely different from any of the previous encounters.
And then—
"…Carlo?"
Someone appeared.
Carlo Deneb, the top student of the second-year Magic Department.
To stand as the top among a hundred prodigies gathered from across the empire—and even neighboring kingdoms—was no easy feat.
The title of "top student" alone was proof of his skill and strength.
And now, of all times, they were running into him this early.
"Carlo Deneb."
"Fernan Pallenberg."
Their eyes met.
"What a coincidence. To run into you this soon."
"Agreed."
"It's still early. No point exhausting each other, don't you think?"
"Who knows."
That vague answer made Fernan realize that Carlo had no intention of backing down easily.
Even though it wouldn't necessarily benefit him, he was still pushing forward. Why?
Rivalry? Pride over having "lost" Ruina?
Or maybe it was just about the bonus points. After all, Ruina was the second-highest ranked knight student—defeating her would yield high rewards.
What mattered was that there seemed to be no way to avoid this fight.
"Can you handle Carlo Deneb for a little while? I can take care of Alia."
Ruina whispered quietly.
"You don't think they'll let us go, huh?"
"Do we really need to run? As long as it's not Almon, there's no reason to."
Her eyes were filled with confidence.
Realizing there was no escaping this, Fernan gave a nod.
"Guess there's no choice. Go wild, if you must."
In a way, this would be the perfect chance to see Ruina Berchef's true abilities.
"…You're not just going to stand there and watch, are you?"
"I mean I'll support you. We're a pair—why fight separately?"
Surely not what the professors intended.
"Work together and the assistants will probably award us more points."
"…We've never even tried working together once."
"Trust me."
"Trust what, exactly?"
"If you can't trust me, then trust the elixir I gave you. It should be enough to forgive a few missteps."
"..."
Ruina made a sour face. Something about it felt wrong, but she couldn't find anything to refute.
"Fine…"
—!
At that moment, a lightning bolt struck. It came crashing down vertically, aimed directly at Ruina.
Or so it seemed—until a thick wall of rock rose up and protected her.
"Lightning, huh. Brings back bad memories."
Fernan clicked his tongue.
"Attacking in the middle of a conversation. How cowardly."
Ruina gripped her sword tightly.
"Talking during battle is the real issue, if you ask me."
"Whose side are you even on?"
"Yours, of course."
"…Then I'll count on that 'support' of yours."
With a low mutter and a sigh, Ruina didn't wait for a reply—she dashed forward.
Her first target was the magician: Carlo.
"Not so fast!"
Alia quickly rushed forward, intercepting Ruina's sword.
A metallic clang rang out, sparks flying. Simultaneously, lightning and stone collided in the air above Ruina's head.
Boom!
Having fulfilled its role, the shattered fragments of rock fell to the ground. Through the rising dust, the swords of the two knights tangled like serpents.
After exchanging two quick blows, Ruina realized her body felt lighter and stronger than usual. Without her noticing, Fernan had cast a buff spell.
'When did he…?'
His casting speed was faster than she'd expected. It was puzzling, but now wasn't the time to be distracted—her focus had to remain on her opponent.
—!
——!
Ruina quickly adapted to the changes in her body. With her now heavier sword and faster reflexes, she launched a relentless assault on Alia.
Steel clashed with steel, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Shattered bits of earth scattered in all directions, and the sword's edge carved wounds into empty space.
She maintained constant pressure on Alia. She had already held the advantage, and with Fernan's buff, she was now utterly overwhelming.
But Carlo wasn't just standing idle.
Crackling—
A massive net of lightning spread across the sky. Its range extended beyond Ruina and even reached Fernan.
The net descended. Ruina swung her honed aura to cut through it, but the lightning was more resilient than expected. Unable to sever it entirely, she had no choice but to dive through the holes.
At that moment, the wide-looking net began to constrict.
"…Ghh?"
"Got you, Ruina!"
The lightning ensnared her, its shocks interfering with the flow of her aura. And Alia didn't miss the opening.
The time needed to cut through the net was only an instant—but Alia's attack was faster.
Her sword came crashing down. Ruina, still tangled in the net, braced herself—willing to trade a wound to strike back.
And at that precise moment—
—!
Alia's sword cleaved through rock, while Ruina's blade missed, slicing empty air.
"…What is this?"
Ruina was startled by the sudden change. Just ahead, where she had been moments ago, stood a large rock—split clean in two by Alia's sword.
"That's an artifact. One that swaps objects of equal weight."
"…Using an artifact in a training exercise? That's so cheap."
"There's no such thing as 'cheap' in combat."
"Well, that's true, but—wait."
Equal weight…?
Ruina's face turned red.
"How…?"
"It was listed in the student directory."
"Y-You…!"
Her outburst was cut short—spells and swords suddenly came flying at them from both sides.
Ruina instinctively grabbed Fernan and leapt away. Lightning struck where they had just stood, tearing the earth apart.
"Ugh!"
Fernan hit the ground with a groan.
"Couldn't you have pulled me a little more gently? The ride was hell!"
"I'm going to burn that student directory you got your hands on!"
Ruina shouted while blocking Alia's sword. Another bolt of lightning fell, giving Fernan no time to even brush the dust off before rolling away again.
Fernan looked up, spitting out dirt.
"Pfft. Took you long enough to double-cast."
That was the move that made you top-ranked.
Above them, another massive spell was forming alongside the lightning.
A towering pillar of light—a congregation of dozens of bolts. Its destructive force was far beyond student level.
"Fernan!"
"Don't worry and just focus. Finish them off."
Fernan ignored her concerned cry.
He pulled something from subspace, threw it, and began chanting.
——!
A brilliant white beam shot toward Fernan, Ruina, and even Alia, who was trying to gain distance.
Or so it seemed.
Three orbs Fernan had thrown intercepted the spell.
Though the orbs burned to ash, they weakened the spell enough for a forest of metal spikes to rise and scatter the remaining energy.
And then, slightly delayed—
"Kyaaa!"
Alia's sword sliced through air.
"…What is this?"
"I've done a lot of research since you beat me. How's that for effective?"
Fernan smirked as he looked at the flustered Carlo.
Ruina, now holding her sword to Alia's neck, pointed to the three blackened orbs.
"…What are those?"
"Mana-absorbing storage spheres."
"…You used mana storage spheres to absorb the spell?"
"Of course I modified them. Expensive and hard to make, too. And now they're all destroyed in one go. I guess you really are the top student."
Those things cost a fortune. Fernan clicked his tongue.
Carlo's eyes went wide with rage.
"Using artifacts?! That's cheating!"
"If a merchant fights like a merchant and that's cheating, then stop using magic too."
"What kind of nonsense logic is that…!"
"We can argue later."
Ruina.
Fernan muttered calmly.
"Finish it."
Carlo and Alia's map burned to ash.
Gyaaaah!
Run!
KABOOM!
Block it!
"It's started."
Rudger scratched his chin as the sounds of screams and explosions echoed from all directions.
It had been inevitable ever since the idea of trading points between pairs came up.
"What will you do, Your Highness?"
"What about you?"
"I'll follow Your Highness's lead."
The top knight student, Almon Donertz, bowed expressionlessly.
"Can you beat Ruina Berchef?"
"I'm the top student."
"Excellent. I'm confident I can take Fernan, so there won't be any problems."
Rudger smiled.
"Let's go join the chaos. I care about grades too, you know. If a prince's performance drops, there's a pack of wolves ready to tear him apart."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Oh, and don't eliminate everyone."
"Is there a reason?"
"Of course there is."
The prince and the top knight student began their hunt.