The day of the tournament. I have attended it as an audience on the side. Sitting a bit in the middle of the crowd. I made sure to choose a position where I am neither on the front not at the back most seats. I only need to be in the center so I can blend as a mob.

I was actually planning to increase the chance that Claire can win. Though I dumped all of those idea after thinking about it for awhile.

I can't just ask her and train her like that. That will break my character, and if she didn't go along with me, everything I've done to maintain my public persona will go to waste.

It'll be just like my past life when I was still at elementary school. Boasting about my dream and then the others spreading it around, which makes the other laugh at me. Looking like I was an idiot. I'll be forced to leave this kingdom and find another place to do my shadowbroker play if that happens!

I can't also just ask Alpha and the others to train her in my stead. I'm sure they also think it is embarrassing if they let someone who doesn't understand us learn about what we are doing. They have their own lives. I can't really tell them to just throw it away because of my selfish wishes.

So... I came here to look for myself and cheer her on.

I can't do anything after all. I want her to win because she promised that she will share the rewards from me!

Actually that's my own interpretation, but she said she will pay me back on those sweets, so whatever!

"Hm?"

Now, there is just something weird around me. I just noticed it now, but most of the people sitting around me are girls my age. I also recognized some of them. That one is an important member from the Alexia's Fanclub. That other one is a good contributor to the Rose's Fanclub.

Also, isn't this person sitting besides me the daughter of the Assistant Principal himself!?

The pink haired girl seems to have noticed my gaze. I saw her glancing at me, before quickly covering her face with the large book she has been reading for awhile now.

... If you didn't want to be gazed at and recognized, why are you here!?

Well, it doesn't matter. I just felt a bit distracted because every girls who are sitting near me kept glancing at me. Even if they try to do it secretly, I can feel their gaze on me.

Yes, even the daughter of the Assistant Principal kept stealing glances at me while she is hiding her face with her book.

I don't know what's wrong with them. Is there something wrong with my face?

I can only act like I haven't noticed them while waiting for the first match to begin.

'The time has come!'

Claire thought to herself as she looks forward on the ring. Walking onto it and then looking at her opponent.

Her current opponent is a very tough one. It's because her opponent is the current strongest dark knight student on this academy. The princess from the kingdom of arts who has accrued a lot of gathering, and is well-known for her grace and beauty when she fights.

Rose Oriana.

Normally, a person would be daunted fighting against her. The one who has taken Iris' throne as the strongest student in this school after Iris graduated. Though she didn't feel nervous at all. In fact, she is hoping she can fight against her.

'Arisa is part of her fanclub isn't it?' Claire thought as she gazes at the blonde haired foreign princess. 'If I defeat her, will Arisa look up to me too?' She thought. Making her feel a bit giddy at that thought.

Most popular students have their own following. This is why there are a lot of fanclubs. There are fanclubs for the top students in academics, and there are even fanclubs for the sons of dukes or daughters of marquesses her. It's not really a surprise as all of them are renowned for their skills or their intellect.

Claire also have her own following, albeit it's a very small one. She is aware of her own fanclub, but she is a bit depressed because Arisa hasn't joined it yet. Also, most of the people on her fanclub are guys who just wanted to have a chance with her, so she is mostly ignoring the fanclub.

'If Arisa joins my fanclub... I might just go and visit it...' She can already imagine the starry eyed gaze of Arisa when she visits her fanclub, and her being a member of it.

As the flames of ambition burns in her eyes, the princess in question, Rose Oriana is just staring at the obsidian haired baroness with a curious expression.

'What is wrong with her? Why is she looking at me like that?'

She can't understand, but she decided not to think too much about that as they prepared their stances.

The referee in the middle steps in-between them, raising his hands.

"Claire Kagenou versus Rose Oriana! Begin!"

After that announcement and the fall of his hands, the two immediately moves at extreme speeds. The referee quickly getting to the side of the ring before their blades clashes.

'Amazing!' Rose thought.

'As expected of the strongest student here!' Claire thought.

In that single clash, they managed to gauge the relative strength of the other party. Their eyes immediately narrowing before quickly going for their varied style.

Claire's is more brutish. Her strikes uses more strength, but there is a finesse in it that seems like she is trying to break the guard of her opponent. Rose's is more refined, as if she is dancing with the sways of her body, and the swings of her blade that seems to sparkle.

Both are skilled despite the difference of their sword styles. The two aren't stepping back. They were being more enthusiastic with their strikes.

"Ah!?"

Though, despite the both of them being talented, the one who is more talented can defeat the weaker one.

Claire was hit by her gut by the tip of the princess' sword. Despite the weapons they are using being blunted, it is still made of steel. As their strikes are infused with their own comprehension of magic manipulation, the strikes are not a joke. It is on the same level as being hit by an artillery.

Of course, Claire was blown to the other side of the ring. Though she easily manages to recover her footing before she fell on the ring.

"Tsk! I got careless!" Claire muttered to herself while feeling a bit frustrated.

Rose is more calm. There is a bead of sweat falling on the side of her cheek, but she wasn't that tired. Only feeling a bit strained due to the surprise that Claire is actually very skilled.

"What an interesting swordsmanship. What school of sword is that?" The princess asks. Genuinely curious about it.

Claire only smiled before taking another stance. "It's just something I came up with. It's nothing special!" She said.

What she is saying is the truth. She has deemed the normal and popular swordsmanship not enough if she wanted to protect Arisa. Since the day she saved her, Claire has been thinking of how to become more stronger.

Arisa's survival is the reason why she manages to hold off her Demon Possession (she assumed). It is why she trained a lot more harder. Forgoing the standard swordsmanship of this kingdom, and creating her own.

This actually shows how much of a genius she is. She is truly a prodigy of her generation as she manages to create a series of techniques that is rational enough to be used on a real battle.

Though it is incomplete. In fact, it's still premature. She knows about it, so she can't feel proud of it.

Rose also noticed it. She admires her swordsmanship as she can feel that this type of style seems a bit revolutionary. Though she knows that it lacks a lot of things. The discipline. The principle. It only has the basic ways of using the sword, and some unnecessary movements were added to it, making it seem like it's used for a street fight instead of a proper match between knights.

"Do you still want to continue?" Rose hopes that Claire stops this. She thinks Claire will see how futile it is to fight against her.

Regardless of how smart Claire is, she can't possibly contend against a mature school of swordsmanship. Hers might have the foundation behind it, but it is still too premature to be called an art at all.

"Just stop holding back and come at me!" Rose gasps at Claire's confident words. "I can't afford to lose here, after all!" She added.

Rose looks a bit confounded at that, before deciding to look seriously at her.

"Okay."

She can see that there is a burning passion within that crimson gaze that Claire has. She can't refuse that, now seeing the resolve from her opponent.

The two restarted their positions, before taking their stances. The other audiences cheered as the two participants clashes once more.

A/N

Thank you for reading this story~

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See you later~