The mock battle exercises began.
Naturally, no eccentric was lining up for a match with a pariah like Albert.
The other students were busy pairing up and preparing for their bouts. It looked like I would be spending the day spectating with Princess Eliana again.
I felt eyes darting toward me every now and then...
When I looked to see who it was, I found Luna.
I thought I’d successfully pushed her away with my abrasive attitude, but surely she wasn't actually planning on speaking to me, was she?
Just as the thought crossed my mind, someone else approached me from behind.
"Kronstadt, I would like to request a match with you."
I turned around to find a beautiful girl with silver hair and blue eyes standing there.
Silvia von Osterreich. She was an international student from the Duchy of Osterreich and one of the main characters of the original game.
She was known for being a calm, intellectual character, but she had a hidden setting: she was actually the Princess of the Duchy of Osterreich.
On the surface, she was just an ordinary student, but she was hiding her true social standing. Apparently, she did it simply because her real title would attract far too much attention.
...But why was she approaching me?
"Hah, I suppose there are some oddballs in this world."
I met Silvia’s gaze directly.
"I don't mind, but don't blame me if you end up in a world of pain."
Since she was a character on the Hero's side, I switched on my villainous persona. I needed her to hate me so she would keep her distance.
"I was about to say the same to you," Silvia replied with a cold smile.
There was something calculated in her expression. What was she thinking?
We moved to the center of the training grounds. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luna watching us with a gloomy, disappointed look. I wondered what that was about.
The other students watched us with curiosity. A notorious villain of a noble versus an international student—it was certainly a high-profile matchup.
The mock battle began.
Silvia readied her sword. Her movements were refined, and her fundamentals were clearly rock-solid. Her footwork, her center of gravity, the way she gripped her blade—it was a textbook-perfect stance.
Even in the game, Silvia was a high-spec character. Her mere presence now confirmed that.
How would she move?
In an instant, she lunged.
She was fast—faster than I had expected.
As members of Those with Magic Power, we use mana to boost our physical abilities during combat. Her speed clearly demonstrated the depth of her training.
Silvia’s sword aimed straight for my neck. Even though it was a practice weapon with a dulled blade, her strike was utterly decisive.
...But that was it.
I pulled back with minimal movement, letting the blade glide past. It wasn't a problem. My Magic Boost was simply of a higher caliber than hers.
Her sword cut through the air, missing me by a hair’s breadth. Dodging at the last possible second was easy.
A flash of surprise crossed Silvia’s eyes. She immediately transitioned into her next attack, a return strike aimed at my side.
I swung my own sword and parried the blow.
Hmm, it was heavier than I’d anticipated. Her Magic Boost was quite substantial.
Silvia’s offensive didn't let up. With swift, fluid movements, she rained down a flurry of slashes—high, low, horizontal, and diagonal. Each strike was a testament to her disciplined training. As expected of a named character, she was already among the top elites in the Academy.
And on top of that...
"Spell: Magic Bullet!"
Skillfully using her free left hand, she fired off a spell in the middle of the exchange. Even for a low-level spell, it required intense concentration to manifest mana while fighting so aggressively.
The strike hit me squarely in the chest.
A look of certain victory flashed across Silvia's face.
But she had underestimated me.
The Magic Bullet dispersed the moment it made contact. It couldn't even penetrate the Magic Barrier enveloping my body.
The moment her focus wavered, I drove a heavy slash into her blade. Silvia couldn't withstand the impact; her stance crumbled, and her sword went flying from her hand.
"Kh—!"
By the time she looked up, the tip of my sword was already at her throat.
"That’s enough."
"...I surrender."
A small stir broke out among the spectators. The watching students were staring at us in pure astonishment. Silvia’s excellence was well-known, and the academic hierarchy was already starting to solidify.
"Impressive," she said, her eyes gleaming with clear interest. "I did not expect you to possess such strength."
Good grief, this was exactly what I didn't want. I was hoping for something simpler, like her being frustrated or shouting about how much she hated me.
Piquing her curiosity was a failure. I needed to re-establish some distance.
I leaned in and whispered something softly into her ear.
"I’m honored by your praise, Princess of the Duchy."
Silvia’s expression froze. Her blue eyes widened in shock.
"Wh—!?"
She was left speechless. I leisurely walked past her and left the training area.
No girl wants a creepy man who knows her secrets hanging around. This should be enough to make her keep her distance. Princess Eliana, Luna, and now Silvia—that made three anti-Alberts. Mission accomplished.
Silvia von Osterreich stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding violently.
(How... how does he know my true identity!?)
Her status as the Princess of the Duchy of Osterreich was a state secret within the Academy. She was posing as a mere international student and had not revealed her background to anyone. Only Princess Eliana and the Academy Director were supposed to know.
So how did Albert von Kronstadt know?
Had the Princess or the Director leaked it? No, that was impossible. Neither of them were the type to be so careless.
(Does he have some kind of information network? No, even then, it's too fast! We only just enrolled!)
Silvia tried to analyze the situation calmly, but her heart wouldn't settle. It wasn't just his parting words—his performance in the mock battle had shaken her to the core.
It wasn't just the overwhelming strength he used to deflect her attacks. It was the way he had withstood a direct hit from her Magic Bullet.
(Just how much mana does he have?)
Back in her home country, that was a strike that would have knocked out a Royal Guard. How much mana would a person need to simply shrug it off?
As a fellow practitioner of the arts, Silvia’s curiosity was beginning to surge uncontrollably.
She recalled her original intention for requesting the match: to understand the man known as Albert von Kronstadt.
The rumors about him were terrible, yet she had seen him studying with a manic intensity in the library. He handled his coursework perfectly. His actual behavior didn't match the stories. Furthermore, her own sources had informed her that Albert had saved Luna, beating down Lady Cecilia and her entourage in the process.
(What kind of man is he?)
From a political standpoint, she needed to decide quickly if he was an ally or an enemy. If he was as boorish as the rumors suggested, she would have ignored him. But if he was a man of promise...
(Since he is currently an outcast, this might be the perfect chance to recruit him to my country.)
That was why she had challenged him. And the result?
(Far from solving anything, the mystery has only deepened... Just who is he?)
But this wasn't a bad thing. Silvia found herself fascinated by the man. She wanted to know more—and if possible, she wanted him as her subordinate.
Silvia began to formulate a long-term strategy.
Albert von Kronstadt was far more mysterious and powerful than she had ever imagined. And for Silvia, nothing was more stimulating than an unsolved mystery.