#Chapter 99
—
“Winner… Arthur Bayern.”
At Professor Norse’s declaration, Arthur scratched his head.
‘Tch… I lost control of my strength.’
Thanks to that, Elin had fainted once again.
After a brief thought, Arthur turned his head and asked,
“Uh, Professor? May I take Elin to the infirmary?”
Professor Norse nodded.
“…Do so.”
With permission granted, Arthur turned and left the training ground.
The students who had been watching clicked their tongues in disbelief as they muttered,
“Good heavens… just what did I witness?”
“Th-that Elin Leverkusen lost without even swinging her sword once?”
“You’re kidding me. This result is real?”
Amidst the confusion, Professor Norse unknowingly nodded to himself.
He, too, could not make sense of what had just happened.
‘What on earth is going on here?’
The problem child who couldn’t even solve a simple logic question.
The mediocrity who had planted doubts in him.
Now, a monster who had displayed swordsmanship beyond the level of a genius he could follow with his own eyes.
All of those aspects were embodied in this one boy.
‘…Just what are you, Arthur Bayern!’
With a silent cry, Professor Norse clenched his fist.
Watching Arthur leave the training ground carrying Elin on his back, his eyes gleamed.
‘Everything’s a mystery, but one thing is certain….’
For the first time in his 30 years of teaching, he had been struck with awe by a genius.
He wanted to teach that genius desperately, madly.
And the reason was very simple.
‘That boy… he just might succeed.’
The pinnacle that even his greatest disciples had never reached.
‘Swordmaster. He might truly reach that realm.’
—
—
Carrying Elin into the infirmary, Arthur muttered,
“Hm… maybe I knocked her out too hard.”
Now that it was done, regret belatedly crept in.
Had he controlled his strength just a little better, he might have ended the duel with Elin merely dropping her practice sword.
But Arthur shook his head.
‘No. Elin’s skill wasn’t so shallow that it would have ended there.’
If not for consuming the Dragon Heart during the recent mission, he would never have won so easily.
That was how lofty Elin’s skill and realm truly were.
‘Elin’s a real genius too… To be at such a level at her age.’
At that moment, Elin, who had been unconscious, stirred.
“Uh…?”
Blinking blankly, she looked around.
Arthur’s face lit up.
“You’re awake? Elin?”
“…Arthur?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Why are we… here? Our sparring…!”
Her eyes widened as she sprang up.
“No way…”
Arthur nodded to her trailing words.
“Yes, Elin. You lost.”
“……”
“You fainted midway, so I brought you here to the infirmary. They say the crown of your head swelled up—are you okay?”
At Arthur’s words, Elin’s lips parted soundlessly.
‘I lost?’
Thinking it over, she groaned inwardly.
‘Fine. I can admit I lost….’
But why didn’t she remember the process of losing?
‘…Don’t tell me, I lost so overwhelmingly that I can’t even remember it?’
The moment she realized that, Elin shuddered.
“……”
The forgotten memory resurfaced.
Her sword, thrust forward in confidence.
And then Arthur Bayern’s strike that came crashing down against it.
That strike was on an entirely different plane from the one she had seen before.
‘A strike that could neither be blocked nor avoided.’
The kind of strike only her grandfather, Holan Leverkusen, had displayed when fighting with all his might—that very strike had appeared in Arthur Bayern’s sword.
The instant she realized this, Elin unconsciously murmured,
“Arthur… you’ve been hiding your true strength, haven’t you?”
Arthur tilted his head.
“No? I never hid anything.”
“Then what was that strike….”
“Oh! That was from a fortuitous encounter I had.”
“Fortuitous encounter?”
“Yes. And a really good one, too. My skills just shot up all at once.”
At his explanation, Elin muttered blankly,
‘What kind of encounter could make one’s skills skyrocket like that?’
By her understanding, such a thing was impossible.
Unlike magic, the sword had no use for fortuitous encounters.
‘Time and effort. Only by pouring those in can one grow with the sword.’
To shatter this truth, one would at least have to consume something on the level of a legendary Dragon Heart.
Unable to say anything, Elin fell silent as Arthur rose to his feet.
“I should get going for the exam now.”
“…You’re leaving?”
“I’ll come see you again once the exams are over.”
“…Arthur.”
“Yes?”
“…Nothing. Do well on your test. And….”
Turning her head aside, Elin muttered,
“You’re strong.”
Arthur grinned.
“I had fun too.”
“……”
“Let’s spar again sometime, Elin.”
Bowing his head, Arthur left the room.
Watching his retreating back, Elin whispered,
“I’m frustrated… Frustrated to death… ha.”
Because the defeat was so overwhelming, that was all she felt.
There was no anger that her efforts had gone to waste, no regret.
“Haah….”
With a long sigh, she propped her chin on her hand.
At that moment, a dull ache throbbed from the crown of her head where Arthur had struck her.
“…Ow.”
Groaning softly, she pouted.
“Arthur Bayern, you made a mistake….”
She brought her knees together, murmuring,
“You just lost the chance to be confessed to by a girl like me… you.”
—
—
Leaving the infirmary, Arthur scolded Leon, who was chattering at his side.
“You’re not a sparrow, so why are you talking so much, Your Highness?”
“I can’t help it! I’m curious! That sword of yours! What on earth was it?”
“What else? My skill.”
“You were certainly an excellent swordsman before, but not to *that* degree! What was that strike, really!”
As Leon bombarded him with nonstop questions, Arthur shook his head and entered the \[History] classroom.
“……”
In the heavy silence, students were making their final preparations for the exam.
Even Leon, who had been jabbering away, quieted down.
Arthur and Leon waited side by side for the exam to begin.
When the \[History] professor entered, accompanied by assistants, Leon muttered,
“Huh? Someone’s missing.”
“Who?”
“Who else! Your partner, Yenika Hazel!”
At his words, Arthur’s eyes widened.
‘Huh?’
Indeed, Yenika Hazel was nowhere to be seen.
‘I definitely took the class with her… what’s this?’
Could she have skipped without permission?
Thinking that, Arthur let out a short sigh.
“Yenika really is a problem child.”
“Hm… If that’s the case, I can’t deny it. Even I don’t skip class on exam day.”
In the meantime, the exam papers were distributed.
“……”
The scratch of pens echoed across the classroom.
Arthur skimmed the paper in front of him and smirked.
‘Hmm… easy.’
The questions didn’t stray far from the material he had memorized.
Thanks to that, Arthur filled in the answers swiftly, handing in his paper in less than ten minutes.
“…Did you really finish already, Arthur Bayern?”
“Yes, Professor.”
The professor narrowed his eyes but asked no further questions.
As Arthur left, Leon too proudly submitted his paper.
Glancing over his answers, the professor looked up.
“Leon.”
“Yes, Professor!”
“Do you want to take this class with me again next semester?”
“Yes, Professor, I do!”
The professor fell speechless for a moment before waving his hand.
“…Fine. Then we’ll see each other again next term.”
“Thank you, Professor!”
Bowing, Leon hurried after Arthur, who was walking ahead.
“Hey, Arthur!”
“…You again?”
“Of course it’s me! Now explain! What on earth is going on! Starting with the back-alley mess, and this duel—”
Leon’s words cut off mid-sentence.
At the same time, Arthur’s gaze turned.
“Hm?”
“Oh?”
With surprise, both their eyes lit up.
“That’s….”
“Search Police, isn’t it?”
The official armed force representing Arcane City.
The Search Police.
They were the law and order of Arcane City.
And beyond that, guardians of the citizens’ safety.
Yet here they were, patrolling the grounds of Arcane University where outsiders never set foot.
Watching the scene, Arthur murmured,
“Looks like something happened.”
“Seems that way.”
Leon frowned briefly, then said,
“Shall I find out why?”
“Oh… you can?”
“I have connections in the police bureau. Wait here.”
With that, Leon disappeared somewhere.
Arthur remained in place, eyes following the Search Police.
‘Strange. What could it be?’
As Leon had said, for them to enter Arcane University, it had to be something as serious as murder.
‘But it’s exam season right now.’
Even if someone were to commit murder, why now of all times?
At that moment, a harsh alarm blared.
\[Exams suspended! Exams suspended! All students are to immediately cease all internal and external activities and return home…]
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“Uh… what?”
Exams suspended?
The midterms—Arcane University’s most important event?
Just then, Leon returned, breathless.
“Arthur—!!!”
Arthur turned.
“Oh, that was fast, Your Highness.”
“That’s not the issue!”
“Then what is?”
“Yenika Hazel! She caused the incident!”
Arthur’s eyes went wide.
Leon, panting, explained,
“She stole one of Arcane University’s treasures and ran! That’s why the Search Police are here on campus!”
—
—
Catching his breath, Leon continued.
“Yenika Hazel… she stole one of the University’s treasures. And not just any treasure—an extremely precious one.”
Arthur frowned.
“What treasure did she steal?”
“That much, even I don’t know… but apparently, it was something of immense value.”
Arthur stroked his chin.
‘Hmm… Could this be the “goal” Yenika mentioned?’
Her true identity was not the eldest daughter of the Hazel family.
She was the leader of one of the underworld factions—\[Black Cross].
That was her real identity.
And when she had revealed herself, she had told him,
‘How about we keep each other’s secrets until we’ve both achieved our goals?’
Recalling those words, Arthur chuckled.
“So that’s why she skipped the exam.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Blinking at Arthur’s answer, Leon shifted expression.
“But that’s not all.”
“There’s more?”
“Yenika Hazel! She was concealing her identity! She’s none other than the leader of \[Black Cross]! Those vile cult fanatics!”
“And?”
“What do you mean *and*? The girl who was chatting with you until just recently is the leader of those fanatics!”
Arthur shrugged.
“Not like we can say much either, right?”
“Huh, what do you mean?”
“You’re also a bad guy who tried to kill your own brother.”
“……”
“From my perspective, Leon, you and Yenika aren’t all that different.”
Leon fell silent, then nodded.
“…Fair point. But how about this.”
His eyes sparkled.
“The treasure she stole from Arcane University… it’s connected to a certain family.”
“What family?”
At Arthur’s question, Leon’s lips curled upward.
“Dormund.”
At that very word, Arthur’s smile vanished.
Lowering his voice, Leon whispered,
“She stole a treasure linked to the House of Count Dormund.”
—
