NOVPUB'I hope the Second Princess was watching…' Arthur thought to himself, scanning the crowd another time as he walked forward.
His eyes flicked from face to face, searching, but he couldn't catch even a glimpse of her.
A pang of disappointment settled in his chest.
Still, on the other hand, if she was watching, Arthur had no doubt that he had managed to leave an impression.
His fight had been flawless—dominant, even.
The way he had dismantled a noble had surely caught some eyes.
As Arthur made his way to the used weapon stash to return his sword, he noticed something amusing.
The teachers, who had been observing the fights, were now speaking in hushed voices, their expressions a mix of shock and intrigue.
Some stole glances at him, their curiosity evident.
Arthur smirked, rubbing under his nose. 'Can't blame them. I am pretty great.'
He basked in the attention for a moment, enjoying the recognition.
But his thoughts quickly shifted back to the real reason he had fought so hard.
The Second Princess…
Had he done enough to make her take notice?
Would she remember his name?
Arhur's chest swelled with confidence as he imagined the possibility of her acknowledging him.
If things went his way, he might even get the chance to speak with her soon.
Unfortunately, reality was far less kind.
High above, in a private viewing box hidden from everyone, the person Arthur had been so desperate to impress wasn't thinking about him at all.
Charlotte sat elegantly in her seat, her gaze locked onto someone else entirely.
Her piercing blue eyes weren't following Arthur's movements—no, she was watching a different figure, one who was quietly leaving the stadium.
She rested her chin on her hand, a contemplative expression crossing her face as she murmured, "This Luka Junker… He really is something."
"I agree, Your Highness. I still can't believe he took down a genius mage without even looking tired… especially when Zephyr had magic light armor on," one of the maids remarked, her voice laced with disbelief.
The other maids nodded in agreement, murmuring their own astonishment.
"Right," Charlotte responded with a small smile, her eyes glimmering with intrigue.
She cast a glance at all her maids before rising gracefully from her seat.
"Alright, there's no point in staying here any longer… Besides," she added with a soft giggle, "I think my fight is coming up."
As Charlotte made her way toward the exit, her knights instinctively stepped aside, forming a respectful path for her.
The maids hurried behind her, their skirts rustling as they followed.
Just as Charlotte reached the door…
One of her maids, carrying a massive, black greatsword—easily double her size, handed it over.
"Thank you." Charlotte accepted the weapon, effortlessly gripping its handle despite its daunting size.
"Make sure to thank the Headmaster for me," she said casually, inspecting the greatsword with an approving glance.
"He did well in ensuring I had a weapon befitting my skills."
The maid who had handed over the weapon bowed slightly. "Of course, Your Highness."
With that, Charlotte strode out of the private viewing box.
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
Currently…
Luka sat in a moderately sized examination room, a page in front of him and a pencil idly twirling between his fingers.
His eyes skimmed the questions with disinterest, his expression betraying sheer boredom.
The test was nothing more than a formality to him—just recycled game knowledge he already knew inside and out.
With a quiet sigh, he sped through the answers, barely pausing to think.
His hand moved swiftly, filling in response after response with an almost mechanical efficiency.
Not even five minutes had passed before Luka leaned back, stretching his arms lazily.
Then, without hesitation, he stood up.
Dozens of eyes turned toward him, from students to the numerous staff members stationed around the perimeter to ensure no cheating took place.
Even the teacher at the front of the room looked up, his brows furrowing in confusion.
"Are you giving up, young man?" he asked, his tone uncertain.
Luka let out a light chuckle, shaking his head as he walked down and handed over his paper. "No, no. I just finished, is all."
A stunned silence followed.
The teacher stared at him for a few seconds before hesitantly taking the paper, his lips parting as if to say something but stopping himself.
Instead, he muttered under his breath, "Finished…?"
Without another word, Luka turned on his heel and strolled out of the room, indifferent to the incredulous stares burning into his back.
Just outside, he spotted Serene and Snow waiting for him.
Serene raised an eyebrow. "That was fast."
On the otherhand, Snow let out a small noise as he jumped onto Luka's shoulder.
"Rarr!"
Luka simply grinned. "What can I say? I'm just that good." He began walking down the hall.
"You really are!" Serene nodded enthusiastically, her head bobbing up and down as she followed alongside him, her hands tucked behind her back.
As they walked down the hallway, chatting idly…
"Hmm?" Luka suddenly noticed someone approaching from the opposite direction—the main character.
Arthur was walking with a confident stride, his presence commanding attention.
The people around him cast glances, most of which were of annoyance.
After all, the main character is always looked down upon.
Luka narrowed his eyes. 'So, he's not playing passive anymore?'
His gaze lingered on the main character as they passed each other, his mind already working through the implications.
'I should still confirm… but if I assassinate him tonight, I could complete the main quest…'
A smirk tugged at Luka's lips. 'Might as well get that out of the way.'
He knew exactly where the main character's dormitory room was.
Luka was certain Arthur would pass the test, and he also knew that he couldn't afford a private residence on Academy grounds.
As a result, the main character would be stuck in the standard student dorms—a far cry from the high-security accommodations reserved for the wealthy.
'A well-placed shot with a bow should do the trick,' Luka thought.
His fingers twitched slightly at the thought.
With the main character out of the picture, he could have all the opportunities to himself.
No competition.
No unexpected surprises.
Luka's smirk deepened as he glanced back at main character for a fleeting moment before continuing forward.
He knew one thing for certain—he couldn't take him on in a head-on fight. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
So…
Assassination seemed like the best option.
'It really would be ideal for the main character to be killed in Act 1.'
