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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“What did you just say?”
“I said, let’s fight, you idiot.”
Kaspar, or whatever his name was, looked stunned.
But slowly, gradually, his face contorted as he processed my words, and then he exploded.
Shing!
“You insolent—!”
“Stop! Are you out of your mind?!”
Another student, presumably Kaspar’s friend, intervened and stopped him from drawing his sword.
Kaspar’s eyes were bloodshot as he yelled,
“Let go of me! Didn’t you hear that disrespectful brat insulting me?!”
“I said, calm down! Have you forgotten where we are? Look around!”
Kaspar finally noticed the murmuring students and froze.
If they were just random bystanders, he probably would have ignored them.
But the Academy was filled with high-ranking nobles and even royalty, who would be treated like kings in their own territories.
He was the type to act recklessly just because someone was of a lower status than him, so naturally, he had to be cautious in front of students with higher status.
And naturally, his two-faced nature made me even more disgusted.
As Kaspar calmed down, the male student who had stopped him, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, sighed and addressed me.
“I apologize for my friend’s behavior. He’s a bit hot-headed. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again, so could you please let it go?”
I was slightly impressed that he was lowering his head to someone of lower status and age.
Whether it was genuine or an act for the onlookers, he was certainly more mature than the boar beside him.
Thinking I’d rather face someone like him in a duel, I said,
“Please, raise your head. There’s no need for apologies.”
My response seemed to reassure him, and his expression brightened slightly.
Of course, one should always hear someone out completely.
“If an apology is needed, it should come from the person who committed the offense, not someone else.”
Kaspar’s face, already contorted, crumpled further as he watched his friend bowing.
The apologetic student’s expression also darkened, sensing what was coming.
He said,
“I understand that my friend’s words may have been insulting. But everyone makes mistakes, especially at a passionate age. Why don’t we just let this go?”
“Yes, everyone makes ‘mistakes.’ But they should be the ones to take responsibility. What’s the point of someone else apologizing while the offender stays silent?”
“Listen—”
“Sigh…”
I clapped my hands and added:
“Now that I think about it, there is a situation where that’s acceptable. When a clueless child who can’t take care of themselves causes trouble, their guardian apologizes for them.”
Instantly reduced to a child in need of a guardian, Kaspar shoved his friend aside and stepped forward.
His friend, realizing he couldn’t stop him this time, shook his head with a gloomy expression.
Kaspar growled,
“You’re throwing away your only chance for mercy.”
I replied with a bored expression,
“We’ll see who’s throwing what away.”
Kaspar’s face flushed again, but perhaps mindful of the onlookers, he didn’t immediately swing his sword.
“One hour from now. Meet me at the training grounds in the western part of the Academy. You’re not going to run after challenging me to a fight, are you?”
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“Hey, did you hear? Kaspar Hundreth and Chrom Midas are having a duel.”
“I know Hundreth, but who’s Midas? He doesn’t seem like an Imperial noble.”
“He’s a commoner. A merchant family with a bad reputation in Sphero.”
“A noble from a knight family dueling a commoner from a merchant family? Is he crazy?”
Reactions varied.
Some students were simply intrigued by the gossip.
Others, upon hearing about Chrom’s provocation, considered him disrespectful or reckless.
A few, having heard the insults Kaspar hurled at Chrom, argued that Kaspar was more at fault.
But even they lamented Chrom’s response, saying he had let his anger cloud his judgment.
It was understandable.
It had only been a week since classes began.
Combat focused on basic physical training.
Magic focused on understanding mana attributes and the basic structure of formulae.
Neither class had yet delved into the practical application of mana, meaning the students’ current abilities were largely unchanged from before enrollment.
Kaspar, in his mid-twenties, trained from a young age in a knight family, versus Chrom, barely meeting the minimum age requirement, pampered in a merchant family.
The advantage was clear to everyone.
Therefore, when the two faced each other in the training grounds, the students murmured,
“Huh, he actually showed up. He’s got guts.”
“He’s clueless. I heard the Midas family is notorious for exploiting commoners within their sphere of influence. He probably hasn’t learned his lesson.”
“Don’t be so harsh. He showed up instead of running away, that’s something.”
“Shouldn’t someone stop this? Is it okay to have private duels within the Academy?”
The students who remembered Chrom’s performance in the entrance exam noticed something different.
“Wasn’t Midas’s weapon a crossbow? Why are they both holding wooden swords?”
“He probably couldn’t get his specialized bolts in time. You can’t use real arrows in a duel. Unlike swords or spears, you can’t stop them once they’re fired.”
“…Does that sound like someone who used poison in the entrance exam?”
“…I guess not?”
“Why did we have to fight for our lives just to enter an educational institution?”
“I don’t know.”
As some students grappled with fundamental questions, Lotto fussed over Regret and the others.
“R-Regret-ssi! We should stop them! The size difference is huge, and he can’t even use his usual weapon. It’s too disadvantageous!”
Crow, who was listening nearby, interjected,
“Don’t be ridiculous. Things have gone this far; if he backs down now, his Academy life is over. It’s better to face it head-on and get knocked down, even if it means enduring some pain than to run away.”
Akasha added,
“Fiore, what is your brother thinking? He didn’t seem like the type to do something this reckless.”
Fiore replied,
“I don’t know. I think things just escalated beyond his initial plan. I’m not sure what he’s thinking right now.”
Pino chimed in,
“Public opinion is 30% blaming Chrom, 10% blaming that Kaspar noble, and the rest are neutral.”
Lavaul frowned.
“I can’t understand how people can blame Chrom-nim more than someone who interferes with others’ relationships and resorts to violence.”
While Lavaul’s words seemed reasonable, Chrom’s ambiguous position played a significant role in public opinion.
The Hundreth family wasn’t particularly influential, but they were nobles, Imperial nobles at that.
Many noble students resented a commoner like Chrom provoking Kaspar.
And Chrom wasn’t charismatic enough for the commoner students to actively support him.
First impressions heavily influenced judgment, and for students who didn’t know Chrom personally, the negative rumors about the Midas family inevitably colored their perception.
And this duel would solidify that vague image.
“…”
Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Regret focused on the two figures facing each other in the center of the training grounds.
Kaspar sneered,
“I’ll give you credit for showing up.”
He seemed much more relaxed than before, realizing that public opinion was in his favor.
Earlier, Kaspar was the unreasonable one, angered by a commoner’s provocation and attempting to attack him with a real sword.
Now, he was the noble representative, about to teach a lesson to an impudent upstart.
Although unintended, he was secretly pleased with the situation.
Kaspar raised his chin arrogantly and said,
“If you kneel and beg for mercy now, I might be generous and forgive you. I don’t want to bully the weak when the outcome is obvious.”
Of course, he wasn’t genuinely concerned for Chrom.
It was a performance for the onlookers, showcasing his supposed mercy.
Chrom chuckled.
“Just get on with it.”
“…Ha! Still arrogant to the end.”
Even Chrom’s attitude, which had irritated him so much before, now seemed pathetic.
He was almost glad Chrom hadn’t backed down.
The insect’s crimes were too grave to be forgiven with a few words.
‘Don’t expect a quick end. I’ll crush you slowly.’
Kaspar took a step forward and raised his wooden sword.
The first blow, signaling the start of the execution, swung towards Chrom.
Thwack!
A dull thud echoed.
Beyond the wooden sword striking Chrom’s right shoulder, a sharp impact resonated in his palm.
He smiled reflexively—
“Is that all?”
Then, Kaspar’s eyes widened as he met Chrom’s indifferent gaze through his gold-rimmed monocle.
Chrom’s open left palm slammed into Kaspar’s right cheek with full force.
—No, it smashed into it.
Crack!
A sickening sound echoed as Kaspar’s head snapped to the side, and he stumbled backward.
The commotion died down as the audience fell silent.
Only Regret muttered softly,
“…Why provoke someone who’s hiding their bad temper?”
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I expected as much when it was said Chrom brought a sword: he simply has higher stats than Kaspar because of all the training supplements