Who will become the king to govern this unruly, fiery Special Advancement class, and how will they be chosen? The answer had already been suggested by Mr. Vault's earlier prodding, and nearly all the students—especially those from the Examination Group—responded immediately.

"The strongest one should be the leader here. There's no other way," declared Gaina Buster, the head of the Examination Group.

"That sounds right. It's a method everyone can agree on. But there’s one condition—"

This sentiment was naturally affirmed by Prince Chronos, who had taken the role of rallying the Recommendation Group.

I found myself growing weary of how smoothly the discussion was progressing. As expected from the Chronostaria Academy of Magic and Swords, everyone here seemed hopelessly muscle-brained. Even that prince, without a moment's hesitation, had chosen combat as the solution. That was a surprise.

—The first time around, he left a much more thoughtful impression.

But ultimately, he’s someone I barely interacted with. Any knowledge I gained in my first life was essentially common sense, accessible to anyone with minimal research. Given that royalty, by nature, often settle disputes over succession or factional strife with violence, it wasn’t surprising upon further reflection.

"Then, as for the specific format—"

Both the Examination Group and the Recommendation Group began working out the details with serious expressions, each adhering to their principles.

They discussed selecting one representative from each faction, who would then duel in earnest, among other ideas. Initially, the Examination Group had suggested a chaotic free-for-all, but it was dismissed as too time-consuming, with some students outright refusing to participate. Naturally, I had no intention of getting involved in unnecessary conflicts either. I decided to leave it to them to sort things out without me.

"A duel! That’s it! Clay, fight me!!"

"Uh... were you even listening to the discussion?"

Caught up in the excitement of the riled-up classmates, the combat-obsessed Freesia shouted, entirely missing the point of the conversation.

"If you keep making noise, things will get complicated. Quiet down for a bit, okay?"

"Humph!!"

"‘Humph’ is not a valid response."

If she genuinely wanted to become the leader of this class, that’d be one thing, but this battle junkie just wanted an excuse to swing her sword. Silencing her was the best course of action. And seriously, what’s with the overly cutesy sulking since yesterday?

—Your character is all over the place...

As this exchange unfolded, Prince Chronos addressed me.

"Clay, you and Freesia are part of our faction, right?"

"Uh, yeah... I guess so."

He seemed to be confirming whether Freesia and I were aligning with his faction. While being lumped together with her was mildly irritating, as members of the Recommendation Group, we didn’t have much of a choice. Even if we tried siding with the Examination Group, they wouldn’t likely accept us.

"Good. Then join us in the strategy meeting."

Satisfied with my halfhearted response, Prince Chronos nodded enthusiastically.

"Uh, sure."

As I said, I had no interest in this leader selection business. But standing out by refusing would only make things worse, so I reluctantly decided to join their circle. The breakdown of the Special Advancement class was straightforward: ten in the Recommendation Group and fifteen in the Examination Group. The latter had the numbers advantage by five.

"Is there anyone here willing to volunteer as leader?"

"..."

At Prince Chronos's query, everyone in the Recommendation Group, including me, stayed silent. I’d assumed the prince would naturally step up, and it seemed the others thought the same. Even if someone wanted to volunteer, it was obvious they’d defer to the prince.

—What happened to meritocracy?

Though that thought crossed my mind, expecting young students barely two days into the academy to understand its principles might be asking too much. Most hadn’t even adjusted to the academy’s norms yet.

"In that case, if I win the duel, I’ll become the leader of this class. But honestly, I’m not very good at fighting. So, I’d like one of you to fight on my behalf. Would anyone here be willing to act as my sword?"

The prince smiled wryly as he bowed his head to us, almost pleading. Seeing a royal bow to a fellow student was startling, but his sincerity was clear. However, none of us responded—likely gauging each other's reactions more than outright refusing.

After all, it was only the second day, and many were still speaking to each other for the first time. No one had the nerve to stand out. Besides, I wondered if the rules even allowed someone to delegate. But since the prince suggested it, I supposed it was fine.

Still, the group remained at a standstill. Eventually, the prince made a proposal.

"Then... Miss Greyfrost, would you be willing to fight as my representative?"

"Me?" Freesia tilted her head in surprise.

—That’s perfect.

Considering how excited she’d been about the idea of a duel, I assumed she’d leap at the opportunity. Perhaps the prince also noticed and pushed the suggestion with confidence.

"Yes. You placed highly in last year’s swordsmanship tournament. I’d feel safe entrusting this to you. What do you think?"

"Hmm..."

Despite his convincing words, Freesia’s reaction was unexpectedly lukewarm. For someone usually thrilled to fight, her subdued response was odd.

—She’d jump at me for a duel in a heartbeat...

Watching her deliberate with an unusual sense of unease, I caught her gaze. She grinned wickedly and spoke.

"Well then, there’s someone here stronger than me!"

"Oh? Who might that be?"

Seeing her confident demeanor, everyone, including the prince, turned their attention to her. On the other hand, a bad feeling crept over me.

—No way...

"My neighbor here, Clay! If he represents us, we’re guaranteed to win! After all, I’ve never beaten him, not even once!"

How could she proudly boast about losing? Whatever her intentions, my bad feeling proved accurate.

"I see..."

"..."

All eyes from the Recommendation Group shifted to me. Some appeared convinced, like the prince and Lady Gravitell, while others, whose names I couldn’t recall, seemed skeptical, murmuring among themselves.

Although they clearly believed some of the rumors about me, it would’ve been convenient if they protested against my selection. But fate rarely worked in my favor.

"Being directly chosen by your fiancée is quite an honor. Clay, would you fight as my sword?"

"Uhh..."

His words carried a subtle implication of “and beyond this.” I didn’t want anything to do with it. However, refusing outright wasn’t an option here.

"Are the deliberations still ongoing?"

The Examination Group had already finished their discussions. Dragging things out now would only inconvenience everyone further. Sensing that, my Recommendation Group peers silently urged me to accept with their gazes. Most annoyingly, Freesia, with her strategy-game heroine act, was staring at me with sparkling, expectant eyes.

—Seriously, don’t pull this kind of stunt here...

Resigned, I steeled myself. Whether I liked it or not, I had no choice but to play along.

"Fine. Just this once, I’ll fight as your sword, Prince Chronos."

"Not just this once—I’d be glad if you continued to serve as my sword."

"—I’ll consider it."

While at it, I’d try to use this as an opportunity to lessen any hostility from the Examination Group. Though I’d initially abandoned the idea, fate had brought it back.

—Time to shift gears.

But I’d never forgive Freesia for dragging me into this.

And so, the representative duel began.