Victor von Eldridge had lived a life of uninterrupted glory.
Born into a ducal house that served as a pillar of the monarchy, he possessed immense potential in both academics and the martial arts. However, his draconian father was never satisfied with "potential" alone.
—I command you: graduate as the top of the class at Arcana Academy. Accept nothing less.
To Victor, this hadn't seemed like an impossible demand. His only real rival was Princess Eliana, and he had no intention of letting her surpass him in academic prowess.
And yet!
Yet, yet, yet!
To think he would fail to secure first place in the very first academic test—the one place where his victory should have been absolute!
To make matters worse, he had lost to Albert von Kronstadt, a man famous for his utter debauchery. A fool who had been causing scenes since the entrance ceremony’s welcome party!
Even if he had to lose, he had lost to the worst possible opponent.
In the original timeline of the game, Victor would never have missed out on the top spot so early. Even if Leon eventually surpassed him, it wouldn't have been until the latter half of the story, long after Leon had been recognized as the Hero.
Back then, Victor would have had the mental fortitude to find peace, and depending on Leon’s choices, there was even a future where he could have become an ally.
But this—this was different.
To be utterly defeated by a man of lower standing who shouldn't have been a threat, and by an unprecedented Perfect Score Breakthrough...
How could he possibly explain this to his father?
"I have my responsibility and my pride. I will prove with my own hands, right here, that I am the superior man."
Victor could not afford to lose.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
With the announcement of the Written Exam results concluded, the Practical Exam began.
I stood in the outdoor Training Ground on the Academy grounds.
Well, it wasn't just me; the entire freshman class was there. Since the student body consisted almost entirely of high-born nobles, our numbers weren't particularly large.
A series of Humanoid Dummies were lined up against the Training Ground walls at equal intervals.
The presiding instructor spoke up.
"Now then, we shall begin the Practical Exam. The test consists of two stages, starting with Target Practice. Your targets are those dummies. Strike them with your most proficient magic as if you truly intend to take down an enemy. Sensor Magic has been embedded within the dummies to evaluate your power, accuracy, and control. Only those with the highest marks will proceed to the second half of the exam."
"I have a proposal regarding the second half."
The one who raised his hand was Victor von Eldridge, the second-ranked student who had tried to pick a fight with me the other day.
"Hmm? You, Victor. What is it?"
"I understand the second half of the exam is a Duel-Style Practical Exam between pairs?"
"Correct. Specifically, you will take turns exchanging Attack Magic and Defense Magic while the faculty evaluates your performance."
"And how will the pairings be decided?"
"The instructors will consult and decide based on your current grades."
"In that case, I wish to make my intentions clear. I, Victor von Eldridge, desire a duel with Albert von Kronstadt!"
The sudden declaration sent a ripple of murmurs through the students, and the teachers' gazes sharpened.
...As someone who had already received a formal declaration of war, I wasn't particularly surprised.
"I have already challenged Albert to a duel! Given our respective rankings, it is only logical that we be paired together!"
"Hmm. Well, it is certainly an interesting matchup. We shall take it under consideration."
...Yeah, they’re definitely going to pair us up.
Victor shot a piercing glare in my direction.
—You’d better not fail and get eliminated in the first round.
That’s what his eyes were saying.
It was irritating beyond belief. The lingering will of the original Albert inside me was screaming in a fit of pique.
I just wanted a quiet life, sure, but I hadn't exactly resigned from my role as a Villainous Noble who crushed everything in his path.
If you’re going to snap at me, I might as well give you the response you deserve.
"We will proceed in order of the Written Exam rankings, starting from the bottom."
At the teacher’s command, the test began.
Students formed lines in front of the dummies, firing off spells one after another. The targets seemed to be reinforced with incredibly sturdy Defense Magic; no matter how many spells hit them, the dummies didn't so much as flinch.
When it came time for the high-rankers, the line dwindled to a single queue.
The top twenty scorers approached the line one by one. Since the students who had already finished were now acting as spectators, the level of scrutiny intensified.
The atmosphere grew particularly heated when Princess Eliana stepped forward.
"Spell: Magic Bullet."
Her magic was, in a word, refined. To use an analogy, it looked like a standard piece of equipment at first glance, but a closer look revealed a terrifying level of craftsmanship and mastery of materials.
Overall, it was incredibly high-level.
Excellent tutoring, rigorous training—and her own natural talent, I suppose.
"Score: 97 points!"
"Whoa!"
Gasps erupted from students and faculty alike. Small wonder; it was the highest score of the day.
It was a tough act to follow, but the mood shifted the instant the next name was called.
"Next: Victor von Eldridge!"
The students' excitement spiked. It made sense—the guy had acted so flashy and confident before the test.
Most people would be buckling under the pressure, but Victor looked perfectly at ease. He was in a state of deep concentration. His mind was too well-trained to be disturbed by a crowd—his mental discipline was as sharp as his magic.
Victor squared up against the target.
"Spell: Wolf Stream Piercing Fang!"
The spell Victor used was a high-output attack that I recognized from the game. It wasn't something a fresh-faced student should have been able to use with such ease.
He handled the difficult control requirements effortlessly, driving the spell straight into the dummy's head.
BOOM!
A heavy roar, far louder than any previous impact, echoed through the grounds as the dummy vibrated violently. Not even the Princess’s magic had managed that.
"Amazing..."
The whispers of awe from the students were drowned out by the announcement.
"Score: 100 points!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
No way! Actually, I should have expected as much!
Victor von Eldridge’s brilliance was legendary among the noble circles. He had produced a score that perfectly matched his bravado.
Plus, considering my own reputation was in the gutter, the crowd was firmly on his side.
Looking satisfied, Victor threw a look my way.
"I expect you to produce a score worthy of facing me."
It was a victory lap in all but name.
—This guy really knows how to get under my skin.
"Next: Albert von Kronstadt!"
I swapped places with Victor and stepped up to the target.
Now, which spell should I use?
The Magic Bullet used by most students was simple and reliable, but since Victor had gone all out, using something like that would be a total buzzkill.
I had to respond in kind.
—I guess I'll go with Thunder Emperor's Flash.
If it’s a legendary Ancient Magic, that should be enough to answer your provocation, shouldn't it?
Be happy, Victor. You're the one who dragged this out of me.
The unique thing about Ancient Magic is that, unlike Modern Magic which circulates mana through the body, it requires you to connect your consciousness to something far away.
Presumably, that "something" was the Ancient Magic Will—
The moment I opened the path for my mana, a woman’s mocking laughter rang through my mind.
—Ho ho ho! To think you would use my power against a clever little monkey like that. How petty of you.
Whatever. I’m fifteen; I’m allowed to be petty.
I thrust out my right hand.
Crackle, snap. Lightning began to spark and pop in my palm.
Ancient Magic is passed down through the "Jester," but it's hidden within other grimoires through clever disguises. I don't know if it's a byproduct of that, but when you cast an Ancient Magic spell, you can mask the incantation with the name of a Modern Magic spell.
Of course, it suffers a massive drop in power compared to its true output, but...
"Spell: Lightning Bolt."
In that instant, a blinding flash erupted, and a surging torrent of lightning swallowed the dummy whole.
KRA-KOOOOOM!
It was the most thunderous sound yet.
The dummy didn't just vibrate—it exploded.
Wait, exploded?
"Oh."
That was... more power than I’d anticipated. I thought I’d dialed it back enough, but I guess I was wrong.
Dead silence fell over the grounds. Every eye was fixed on the charred, half-melted remains of the dummy.
In the middle of the hush...
"...I have to... take a hit from that...?"
The words leaked out of Victor’s mouth. His face had turned a ghostly, ashen white.