I had long awaited this day.

At the Chronostaria Academy of Magic and Swords, I would finally reunite with the one I swore to defeat. Since that day, he had ceased to be merely an adversary I had to overcome. Instead, he had become a guiding light I aspired to stand beside.

—He was no longer the person I once knew.

After Alice, a dear friend who was as important to me as a younger sister, received the cursed blessing, he devoted himself even more intensely to his training. To the extent that there was no space for me to intervene—he threw himself into it as if his life depended on it.

There was an incident, and for a month, he was forced to recuperate at home. It caused a great deal of worry and trouble for his father, mother, and sister. To reassure his family and the servants, I distanced myself from him.

When his wounds finally healed, and he was permitted to go outside again, I saw him for the first time in a long while—and I was astonished.

"Is that all you've got, Clay?! You’re going to kill a dragon, aren’t you? You can’t do it with that level of effort!"

"Shut up! I already know that!"

He was, as usual, training in the backyard with Lord Feid. But this training was utterly different from anything I had seen before. His intensity, ferocity, and determination were on a completely different level. I could tell—his resolve had changed.

It was obvious that nothing about him was the same as before.

Seeing him like that made me realize I couldn’t stay the way I was. I wasn’t even worthy of challenging him yet. That’s why I decided to put some real distance between us. The resentment from the past would never vanish, but an overwhelming surge of emotion buried it within me.

—What would society call this feeling?

If it had been the old me, I would have understood immediately. But now, if I had the time to think about such things, I wanted to spend it advancing, even if just a little.

The last time we’d properly faced each other was four years ago. When I saw him again after all that time, he had grown far more than I had imagined. His entire demeanor had changed.

If someone asked, "In what way?" I couldn’t clearly explain. But he had genuinely transformed. Not just in appearance, but—

"He’s strong…"

I could tell just by looking at him. Even after years apart, I could see it. I had worked hard myself, participating in last year’s national swordsmanship tournament and earning a spot among the top finalists. I thought I had become stronger.

But the gap between us was so overwhelming that it obliterated my confidence.

—I'm still not there yet…!

I was frustrated and angry at my own immaturity. But at the same time, I felt joy. He had far exceeded my expectations and shown me something beyond my imagination.

To be honest, my heart skipped a beat. I was so moved I trembled to my core. Realizing this filled me with embarrassment, and I didn’t know how to face him. So, I reverted to treating him brusquely, as I used to. He didn’t seem to mind and accepted it as if it were natural—but that irritated me even more.

—Does he think all I care about is fighting?

But the truth was, I did want to fight him. Even knowing I couldn’t win, I wanted to test myself against him.

"I won’t fight you."

"Why not?!"

In the end, I didn’t get that chance. After seeing his recent battles, I didn’t need to.

On the first day, absurd rumors about him began to spread. Most people underestimated him, mocked him, and ridiculed him. I couldn’t stand it. I was also dissatisfied with him for not denying the rumors.

Because I knew the truth—he had reached this point through grueling effort. Yes, perhaps he should have shown his face in social circles more. But even so, the rumors were absurd. I wanted to deny them outright, but he didn’t wish for that.

His reasoning was simple yet unbelievable.

"Because it’s true."

"…What?"

What was? In what way? Based on what?

It didn’t make sense. He was far from satisfied with his current state. He considered the extraordinary effort he put in as nothing out of the ordinary. His gaze was fixed on a different horizon. I couldn’t fathom how much effort I would need to catch up to him.

I was reminded just how monumental a task it was to defeat one of the Seven Dragons that looked down upon the world.

—Even so, I want to get closer. I want to understand him. I want to support him.

Is that strange? Foolish? Out of my league?

Even if it is, I don’t care. Since that day, I’ve been captivated by his gallant figure.

Three days had passed since the class leader election.

Since my duel with Gaian Buster, I hadn’t received any strange hostility from them. In fact, my life at the academy had become—

"Good morning, Mr. Claim!"

"Good morning!!!"

—anything but peaceful. On my way to the classroom, Gaian and the other test group classmates would run up behind me and shout greetings.

"Ah… morning."

Since that duel, they had decided I was "not someone to mess with." They were overly cautious around me, treating me with deference akin to knights addressing a superior officer.

—The greetings are fine, but it’s too loud…

Other students would naturally look over, startled by Gaian and his group’s volume. Their efforts to stay on my good side were so exaggerated that it felt like a new form of harassment.

"It’s good to be lively in the morning, but maybe lower your volume a bit? It’s bothering others."

"Understood!!!"

—Yeah, they’re not listening at all.

As I entered the classroom, Gaian’s group rushed ahead to open the door for me, dramatically announcing, "Please, after you!" Maybe I was being bullied.

Inside, Chronos, the leader of the advanced class, approached me.

"Good morning, Clay."

"…Good morning, Your Highness."

"Hey, didn’t I tell you to just call me Chronos? No need for formalities here."

"Ahaha… sure."

After our duel, I had somehow earned the prince’s trust to a ridiculous degree.

"So, have you thought about becoming my retainer?"

"Uh… I’m honored, but I don’t think I’d be much help to you, so…"

"Well, no need to decide right away. Take your time."

—You were the one pressuring me in the first place…

"Right…"

Unable to say that aloud, I could only offer a strained smile.

Why is this my life now? What happened to the peaceful academy days I’d dreamed of?

As I sat in my usual spot and stared out the window, someone took the seat next to me without asking.

"Good morning, Clay."

I didn’t need to look. Only one person would do this.

"Morning…"

It was Freesia. In the few days since we reunited, she had claimed the seat beside me as her own. I had initially wondered why she bothered, but now I didn’t care anymore.

"Clay, hypothetically, if I used Frost Arts to immobilize your legs—how would you counterattack efficiently?"

"Why are you asking me how to kill me?!"

"Just answer."

"Ugh…"

Though her insistence on discussing combat strategies had replaced her earlier demands for duels, her obsession with battle hadn’t changed.

Thus, in just three days, my world had been upended. Peaceful days were a distant memory, but at least my room and training sessions remained calm—for now.