The rest of the tournament went on as planned, but as expected, it was disappointing.
Other than a few other S-Ranks who matched up, most were once again... well, underwhelming just like before.
Even when it was finally time for me to fight against Marcellus.
One of the few other most-awaited fights from the entire lineup.
It didn’t even matter.
Marcellus quickly surrendered before the match had even started.
He had already shown quite a good performance from prior fights; he was guaranteed a high ranking, and after seeing Julius get beaten so easily despite his breakthrough, he knew it was useless to fight against me.
And just like that, the tournament had finished cleanly without any other interference.
The most disappointing one in the academy’s history.
At least the sheer boringness of it made finalizing the list easier.
Most of the professors and faculty didn’t even need to think about it; the moment the tournament ended, they already had something that looked final.
"Everyone is dismissed."
Corvus announced, looking over at the new rankings before releasing them.
Even the dismissal was nothing special, just a simple word, and the tournament was finished.
But....
At least I had something to look forward to after such a boring watch...
*** Academy Hallway
Even with my reward close approaching, something definitely didn’t sit right with me.
My body was weaker than initially expected while I was fighting.
And after just a quick look at my hands, the reason was already obvious.
Just as I had worried before, obtaining divine energy not only weakened my overall magic but also reduced the chaos recovery that strengthened my physical body.
"Looks like I need to work out again..."
I roll my shoulders, feeling the difference compared to before.
"Not much of a setback, earning back my strength is definitely better than just cheating it with magic. Makes sure I don’t get complacent."
And that wasn’t me just being paranoid; this novel still had a hell of a lot planned in the future.
"Can you believe that? Achieving a breakthrough right in the middle of the match!?"
"Julius is such a hottie, don’t you think?"
"Man, wish that was me beside Lillian."
E-Eh...?
Seriously, they just saw me and Evelina completely dominate the entire match.
And that’s what they’re talking about?
I guess Julius and Lillian’s display of magic did look far better since the two of us were holding back...
But still, not even one compliment?
"I don’t know, man... Lady D’Arclight with those sadistic eyes is kinda hot."
"A-Are you right in the head?"
And speak of the devil, another group of students walked past me.
Good, at least Lillian and Julius didn’t take all the attention from Evelina.
I’m not so crazy that I feel jealous over comments like that after all.
Because why would I? None of them should have a chance with her...
"Right, I wonder how late it is already."
[1:34]
"Better than never to grab lunch... come to think of it, where did she go after the tournament?"
I was so caught up in the boring fights that I doze off and managed to lose track of her, that’s something I didn’t even know was possible for me...
Boredom really is one of my greatest enemies.
"You’re Cael Arden, right?"
A student of the same age approached me from behind in the academy hallway. If I didn’t know any better, it seemed like he was going to stab me right on the spot.
He was trying his best to seem secretive and stealthy, but instead, he looked like someone roleplaying.
It was clear he was one of Evelina’s pawns.
Amateurs always end up as easy recruits, but they do end up fairly useless in the grand scheme of things.
But still useful, I guess.
"What do you want?"
"Here, Lady D’Arclight told me to hand this to you."
A transceiver, the closest thing this world had to a phone, and it was stupidly expensive, costing as much as an entire manor just to get one.
But it was definitely the best way to communicate, unlike magic; nobody in this world knew how to intercept radio signals.
"Thanks, also... act more natural."
"What do you mean? This is an important task; I need to make sure I’m not seen."
"Well, you’re doing a horrible job of it."
"S-Shut up! Like you would know anything about secrecy."
The student immediately left, creeping around the academy and being the complete opposite of stealthy.
"Nobles... weirdest people I’ve ever met."
I shrugged and clicked on the transceiver.
And on the other end, Evelina immediately picked up, her voice sounding static and distorted, another security measure by the likes of it.
But despite that, I could still tell it was her beautiful voice behind it.
"Meet me on the third floor of Farnial Gourmet, that is all."
CLICK!