An Unexpected Ranking

The matches proceeded one after another, and the most outstanding students quickly rose to the forefront.

Iona claimed first place with three victories in the shortest time. Baron came next; he had been fortunate in the draw and had not encountered any formidable opponents. Mick had also won three matches, but his first battle against Ray had been grueling, costing him a great deal of stamina.

Though Solin had suffered one defeat, he had barely made it into the second round with two wins.

"The champion will most likely emerge from among those four." Viscount Xuefeng stroked his short mustache and had a maid bring over chilled tea.

Living near mountains and grasslands, people in the southern Regas Kingdom preferred cooled tea to steaming hot tea.

"Other than Iona, whose victory is beyond doubt, who do you think will take second place, Scholar Heide?"

"I never make predictions in advance." Scholar Heide smiled and shook his head.

"Still, I favor Mick and Solin."

"Haha, indeed. Those two are more diligent and hardworking than Baron." Viscount Xuefeng nodded as well.

"However, my nephew Baron has prepared an extra trump card for today." He seemed to know something.

As the two conversed, a new round of matches began. After the first round of eliminations, five people had entered the second round: Iona, Baron, Toss, Mick, and Solin.

In the resting area, Sylutia helped Comia sit beside Karen, letting the two lean against the chair backs and watch the remaining matches.

"If that Solin hadn't been such a tough nut to crack, I'd have made it to the second round too." Comia sounded unconvinced.

"Alright, settle down a little now." Sylutia soothingly patted Comia's head.

The Illusion Spell Eye was powerful, but with Comia's current strength, using it twice in one day was already impressive. Besides, Solin was no ordinary person without preparations. He had been highly vigilant throughout the match. Defeating him had drained Comia tremendously, and if she faced anyone else afterward, she would have had no strength left to use the Illusion Spell Eye again.

"What about Karen? Are you feeling better now?" Sylutia brought over some water and fed it to her classmate, who had difficulty moving.

"A little better." Karen's face had been pale earlier, but she had recovered considerably by now.

The three sat on the bench, watching the battle on the platform.

Baron was currently defending the platform, with Mick challenging him. The two were locked in a fierce, evenly matched fight.

After several exchanges, Baron was beginning to tire. His Breathing Technique was only at the first stage, while Mick relied on a second-tier Breathing Technique and clearly surpassed him in endurance.

Baron panted as he gripped his sword with both hands, his gaze fixed tightly on Mick. He slowly circled the platform, avoiding a direct clash.

How did this guy become so strong? he silently wondered, then glanced at Solin below the platform and at that golden-haired figure.

He could not wait any longer. If he dragged this out, he might not get another chance. Baron flexed his wrist, removed one hand from the sword hilt, and reached for his collar.

That was...

From within the resting area, Sylutia saw an invisible radiance spread from Baron's chest. The ripples and sensation were exactly like what she had seen back in Linden Village.

Sure enough, the moment the ripples swept over him, Mick—who had seized the chance to rush forward—suffered a drastic change in expression. His Breathing Technique, which had been running at high speed moments ago, was instantly suppressed. It felt as if an invisible iron hammer had struck his chest, then clamped down viciously on his blood vessels.

His movements stalled, but Baron did not stop. Seizing that rare opportunity, he knocked Mick's weapon flying with a slash, then swung back and smashed his sword into Mick's shoulder, cleaving through the inner layer of his leather armor. The pain distorted Mick's movements. He fell backward and crashed to the ground, then tried to shift aside to evade the next attack. Unfortunately, Baron gave him no such time. He planted a foot on Mick's shoulder and pressed his sword against Mick's throat.

"Concede." He panted, unable to hide the hint of smugness in his voice.

"Pah." Mick spat, turning his face away.

"Baron wins." The referee quickly announced the result, and bursts of applause rose from the stands.

Most ordinary people had noticed nothing unusual about Baron's method. Only a handful saw through the trick.

"Boring." Iona shook her head and turned away in distaste.

After defeating Mick, only three people stood between Baron and first place. Toss was also a noble and had a good relationship with Baron. Knowing that he was far inferior in strength, he was in no hurry to take the stage. Iona likewise remained seated below, clearly reluctant to fight Baron.

"So, is it my turn now?" Solin picked up his sword and slowly walked toward the raised platform.

The two had fought from the very first day of school and become bitter rivals. One was the leader of the noble students, the other the leader of the commoner students. During their time studying under Scholar Heide, they had openly and secretly competed, constantly measuring themselves against each other.

In the secret history classes, Baron's stronger foundation gave him a considerable advantage over Solin. But Solin had trained with his father since childhood, giving him an edge over Baron in physical fitness and combat techniques. Overall, the gap between them was not large. Scholar Heide was happy to see such healthy competition and had not interfered.

As noon approached, the light became somewhat glaring. Solin adjusted his breathing and focused his mind on the match about to begin.

Having been pressured unconscious by Comia's Illusion Spell Eye earlier, he was still suffering some aftereffects. His head felt a little muddled.

Though he was not in his best condition, Baron had revealed his trump card early, so Solin was no longer completely unprepared. That made them even.

"Baron versus Solin, begin!" the referee shouted.

Neither attacked immediately. Instead, they cautiously circled the platform, probing each other. From time to time, they made feints to force the other into reacting for nothing.

Baron wanted to perform well in front of Iona, and to do that, he had to defeat Solin, so he was extremely cautious. Solin also hoped to earn a ranking, so that he could gain Viscount Xuefeng's appreciation and make a name for himself in Scorched Stone City. His background was inferior to those noble students to begin with. If he failed to seize such a rare opportunity, he might end up buried in obscurity.

After several rounds of probing, their patience and concentration were nearly spent. Once again, Solin feigned an attack. Baron did not react hastily, but Solin suddenly shifted his footing and turned the feint into a genuine ambush. He activated his Strength Burst almost during the charge itself, making him incredibly fast. Baron had no time to activate his trump card before Solin closed in.

The speeding blade swung in its widest arc. After fully accelerating and gathering force, it whirled around and chopped downward. The violent blow sent Baron's blocking sword flying, then struck his arm.

With a faint crack, Baron's arm broke and was pressed against his face. His body involuntarily buckled to its knees, smashing through the wooden boards.

After that one move, Solin was nearly exhausted, while Baron clutched his arm and knee, groaning in agony on the platform with a twisted expression.

At the sight, many watching noblewomen let out soft cries of alarm, and then the referee announced:

"Solin wins!"

The remaining matches ended quickly.

Although Solin had defeated Baron, his condition was even worse afterward. His entire body ached, and he could no longer use his Breathing Technique. As a result, Toss took advantage of his weakened state and defeated him with ease.

In the end, Toss faced Iona. He too had admired the golden-haired noble lady, but Baron had ranked above him before, making him feel that he could not compete, so he had never shown it.

Today, Baron had not only suffered a crushing defeat and made a fool of himself, but would likely need a long time to recover from his injuries. As the noble student of their cohort whose grades were second only to Baron's, Toss immediately sensed an opportunity. Biting a fresh Red Thorn Rose between his teeth, he stepped onto the raised platform.

When faced with Iona's blade, he did not fight back at all. Instead, he offered her the rose, expressing his admiration.

Such a romantic gesture drew applause from the noblewomen and young ladies in the stands. Unfortunately, Iona was not moved. She simply turned and left the dueling platform.

The final results were: first place, Iona; second place, Toss; third place, Solin.

Though Solin had lost, he had lost with honor. Many people present had seen his strength and potential, and some young ladies from wealthy families had even secretly given him their hearts.