The students were equally flustered when their friend was suddenly about to be dragged to the high society’s arena where duel maniacs ran wild.

“W-wait a moment, Professor.”

Siana hurriedly stepped forward.

Professor Boladi stared at Siana. It was to hear what the student had to say.

“…Take him.”

“Priestess Siana…!”

Yi-Han spoke with a voice full of betrayal.

He had praised the Flameng Order so much!

“I-I’m sorry. I was too scared.”

‘I understand.’

Seeing Siana run away in fear among her friends, Yi-Han felt very sympathetic.

Having just witnessed Professor Boladi slamming his junior and attacking Yi-Han as if to kill him, one wouldn’t be human if they weren’t scared.

“We need to think of a way. If we leave it like this, Mr. Wardanaz will end up being dragged to an underground arena!”

“A duel club isn’t an underground arena though…”

“Professor! Mr. Wardanaz’s leg is broken!”

Ratford stepped forward cunningly.

Surely he wouldn’t take a student with a broken leg to a duel club.

Professor Boladi looked at Yi-Han’s leg once and said indifferently,

“It’s fine.”

“…In that case, we have no choice. We’ll have to actually break one.” seaʀᴄh thё Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“I-I don’t think Yi-Han would like that.”

“We can’t just leave him like this!”

The friends argued about whether they should break Yi-Han’s leg or arm.

Professor Boladi, who had been waiting, checked the time and said,

“Let’s talk about the rest on the way. It takes time for everyone to enter.”

“…”

“…?”

The students paused.

Something felt off.

“Everyone?”

“By everyone, do you perhaps mean… um… all of us?”

The professor agreed. Gainando shouted in shock.

“Pro-Professor. Unlike Yi-Han, I don’t even take your lecture!”

‘What a cowardly bastard.’

Yi-Han grumbled inwardly as he watched Gainando trying to escape alone.

Of course, he understood being scared, but to try to escape so blatantly!

“It’s fine. It wouldn’t be fair to introduce only Wardanaz.”

Professor Boladi was surprisingly someone who paid quite a bit of attention to teaching methods.

If it were Professor Verduus, he would have taken Yi-Han alone (he might not have taken him at all in the first place), but Professor Boladi thought it wasn’t very fair to take only Yi-Han to the duel club when he had met other students during the break period.

No matter how much Yi-Han was Professor Boladi’s disciple, wouldn’t students feel disappointed if he specially cared for his disciple?

Just as he had treated everyone to a meal, he intended to take everyone to the duel club.

“…N-no, I didn’t mean I wanted to go…”

Gainando was at a loss for words at Professor Boladi’s talent for incredibly interpreting ‘I don’t take your lecture’ as ‘Can I go to the duel club too even though I don’t take your lecture?’

Seeing this, Yi-Han felt oddly pleased.

‘Should I have made other guys take the lecture too after all?’

***

The Flaher City duel club was a relatively recently opened club.

A club established by some belligerent lower nobles and duelists of the city, and merchants who smelled gold coins from them.

Still, the atmosphere wasn’t bad.

Usually, when history is short, they tend to rely on luxury.

The merchants who invested in this duel club had spared no expense in gold coins to reap proper results.

First, upon arriving in front of the building, the duel club sign hanging above the door was admirable.

Even without any special modifiers, when light magic was applied to twisted gold and silver threads, it naturally gained dignity.

Opening the heavy bronze door and entering, magic stone chandeliers hanging from the ceiling emitted warm light, and below, people could be seen gathered in neatly divided areas talking.

Starting from the dining area selling simple sandwiches or rice balls, coffee or tea, to the area where club members gathered to share recent events.

“So in my opinion, Prince Bogajun…”

“You have a tendency to worship the royals too much!”

“Wh-what?! Then are you a shameless aristocrat or separatist?”

“If you don’t take back those words, it’s a duel!”

And the duel area prepared for dignified duels and the spectator seats to watch them from the side.

The duel arena floor made of magic-treated mahogany wood was sturdier than most shields, and the defensive barrier blocking the spectator seats had enough strength to sufficiently block anyone who might be flung or fly off during a duel.

‘Not bad.’

Palga, from the knight family Ukim and now advancing to 3rd year at Einroguard, was satisfied with the atmosphere of the duel club.

Compared to the poor environment of the duel club established by Einroguard students, this was practically heaven. Although a bit flashy, it seemed like it would last quite a long time at this rate.

Palga planned to practice dueling here during the remaining break.

A duel was basically a tense fight where one had to think dozens of thoughts in less than a second.

As such, it was important to sharpen one’s senses.

If he went back rusty after resting all break, he might be laughed at by his duel club friends.

“Who do you think will win today?”

“Well, Lord Celese’s swordsmanship is certainly excellent, but the guy called Gorang facing him isn’t to be underestimated either.”

“I heard rumors he’s a former mercenary with the nickname ‘Razor’. Razor Gorang.”

‘Lord Celese, Gorang. Good.’

Palga’s last visit was 4 days ago.

He had been worried if there would be new duelists who had shown their faces at the club in the meantime. The most dangerous thing in a duel was always an unfamiliar opponent seen for the first time.

But he had seen both Lord Celese and Gorang before.

While resting, Palga had prepared strategies to face both of them. That preparation would surely shine today.

“But who on earth was that guy yesterday?”

“Well, I heard the count was surprised and looking into it. Probably a famous duelist? My goodness. To think all the members would be defeated!”

“I heard Lord Celese said he would definitely get revenge. Isn’t it exciting?”

“Well, I think that guy might be banned from the club. How would members remain if there’s someone like that?”

“What nonsense! To ban someone for being strong. Is there no honor as a duelist?”

“No matter how good honor is, there’s a limit, isn’t there? If he crushes everyone every time like that, there won’t be any worthy opponents.”

“…?”

Palga wondered what they were talking about.

Had something happened while he wasn’t here?

‘Did a new duelist come? What kind of person could it be?’

Palga felt his heart pounding.

Some incompetent and cowardly duelists were reluctant to fight when someone stronger than them appeared.

But not Palga.

If it was an opponent stronger than himself, wouldn’t it be a good thing since he could learn from them?

Resolving to politely ask for a match if it was really a strong opponent, Palga moved his steps.

“Excuse me, are you Sir Palga of the Ukim family?”

“Yes. But I’m not a formal knight yet.”

“I know. We talked last week! You’re the one attending Einroguard!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Palga gave a proud answer to the member’s words.

Although Einroguard students badmouthed Einroguard the most in the empire, that didn’t mean they had no pride.

How could they attend this school if they didn’t have at least pride?

“Here, there are Einroguard students, what a wonderful coincidence! I’d like to introduce you!”

“?!”

Palga was surprised at the member’s words.

To think he would meet fellow Einroguard students here, even though the empire was small.

Dolgyu and Yi-Han, who were sitting in front, exchanged awkward glances.

-I’m sorry, Yi-Han.-

-No… It’s not your fault.-

While all their friends were scattered in twos and threes looking around the duel club, Yi-Han and Dolgyu were also looking around the duel club.

-Hey, can’t we set traps in advance? To prepare for fighting the professor.-

-…Yi-Han…-

-Haha. It’s a joke. A joke.-

-Your eyes don’t look like you’re joking at all.-

In the meantime, a member suddenly spoke to them.

-Are you perhaps from the Choi family?-

-Oh, that’s right.-

-Wow! I’m from the Aldara family…!-

The duel club member from the Aldara family was a distant relative’s relative of the Choi family.

But in a club gathered for social purposes, this level of connection was almost like family.

In fact, this orc uncle took a great liking to the two and started buying them food.

-As students, you must still be in your growing years. Haha. Eat, eat! It’s my treat.-

-No… We can’t accept this from someone we just met today…-

-Could you bring some more pancakes here? Come on. Eat. You must be very hungry.-

-W-we just ate…-

-Eat more. You’re so skinny!-

Yi-Han and Dolgyu couldn’t bring themselves to refuse the kindness and started inhaling pancakes and sandwiches.

The only fortunate thing was that the club’s food was delicious.

But Uncle Aldara didn’t stop there. He recognized a passing Einroguard student and immediately spoke to him.

-Excuse me, are you Sir Palga of the Ukim family?-

And now.

Yi-Han and Dolgyu were sitting face to face with their senior with awkward expressions.

Only Aldara was smiling broadly as he filled their cups with tea full of sugar.

“My goodness. I ordered bacon ages ago, why isn’t it out yet? I’ll go check for a moment.”

“You don’t need to…!”

Only after the orc uncle got up could the three let out sighs of relief.

Palga realized that these two juniors had also been half-forcibly caught and felt a sense of kinship.

“It seems you two were also suddenly dragged here. That’s how imperial clubs are. People gathered for social purposes, and before you know it, you’re sitting in front of strangers you’ve never seen before.”

“We felt it keenly today. Thank you. This is Dolgyu of the Choi family. And I’m Yi-Han.”

Yi-Han subtly avoided mentioning the Wardanaz family name.

The name of the Wardanaz family wouldn’t be very good in front of someone from a knight family.

“I’m Palga of the Ukim family. So you are White Tiger Tower juniors. Nice to meet you.”

Palga welcomed the two with a smile.

Being from the same tower was special even within Einroguard. From Palga’s standpoint, it was worth welcoming them.

“What were you doing here, Senior?”

“The Einroguard duel club… Ah. It should be fine to tell you guys. You’ll learn about the club from next semester anyway. I’m a member of the Einroguard duel club. I visited here to hone my senses through practice.”

“Don’t you bet money?”

Palga burst into laughter at the naive junior’s question.

“You must have heard some wrong rumors. Not all duelists bet money. Think about it. A duel is a sacred act where two prepared individuals give their all to decide the outcome. It’s hard to even exceed a 50% win rate. Betting large sums on such gambling isn’t a good choice.”

Palga told stories of duelists who went bankrupt instantly after betting their fortunes for fun.

While it was unfortunate, in Palga’s opinion, their misfortune was clearly a punishment that came because they had desecrated the sacredness of duels.

However, Yi-Han only pretended to listen.

‘To just enjoy dueling without even making money. The culture of the Einroguard duel club is very strange.’

“What were you doing here? Did you come to train in dueling like me?”

“Ah, no. We came with a professor. The professor said he would introduce us to the duel club.”

“You’re hanging out with a professor during the break?! Why on earth would you do that?”

“Haha. We met by chance.”

At Yi-Han’s answer, Palga looked at his junior with pity.

How unlucky must one be to meet a professor during the break?

“Which professor is it?”

“Professor Bagrak.”

BANG!!!

With a loud noise, Palga fell backwards.

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