Helpless.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Thud-thud!
“…Keuk!”
As he was pummeled and screamed in pain, Dias harbored this thought.
There was nothing he could do.
‘What should I do?’
Despite his initial boldness, driven by the idea that he needed to attempt an unexpected attack due to the significant gap in their strength, his plans fell apart as he was slammed into the ground.
In the midst of his confusion, Ian quickly climbed on top of him and began throwing punches.
Losing the upper position and being on the receiving end of blows was the worst possible situation.
Of course, it wasn’t that there was no way to deal with it.
He could try to move his legs as close to his hips as possible and then use a sudden jerking motion to escape.
He knew it. The problem was, he couldn’t put it into practice.
‘Damn it! My bones!’
With his body in no state to make such a move, what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t even move his legs right now.
“Ugh!”
His body was screaming in agony. It felt as if it was begging for mercy.
It wasn’t just a feeling.
Even while he was getting beaten, Dias looked at his crushed arm.
‘It’s broken… It’s definitely not just cracked but turned to powder!’
Although the injury wasn’t visible on the surface, his arm was gradually swelling up.
He knew better than anyone what condition his body was in.
Thus, he was certain.
‘There’s no solution. It’s over! It’s over!’
There was no longer a way to defeat Ian.
Wasn’t it said that even if the possibility was slim, there was no result of 0%?
‘Why isn’t it possible? It’s right here!’
If there was someone who said such a thing, he wanted to run up to them and punch them in the face immediately.
How could one win against this monster?
Of course, he had recklessly charged in without fear.
But now he knew for sure.
He realized the gap was so vast that it was beyond the realm of competition.
Just one punch from this person made him question why he had fled from a Demon King.
Feeling the overwhelming disparity, Dias could no longer continue the duel.
“P-Please… Stop. Just stop.”
Only after his pleas in a very polite tone did the relentless punches finally cease.
“Stop. Student Ian Volkanov, step back as well.”
Only after the instructor’s intervention did Dias finally release the breath he had been holding.
“…”
The murmurs of the crowd struck his ears.
The 1st Platoon, with downcast faces, and the 2nd and 3rd Platoons, smirking as if they were pleased with the outcome.
It was over. He had been defeated terribly, so mockery was inevitable.
‘They’ll probably say something about me being a commoner.’
They would likely be arrogant. He expected as much. He might even hear similar taunts.
Under normal circumstances, he would have raised his arm to cover his eyes from such gazes, unable to face them.
But Dias was different now.
‘I don’t even know…’
He didn’t want to be dragged down by their lowly gazes.
Even if they laughed at his bloodied and swollen face, it didn’t matter. His mind was too preoccupied with reflecting on the battle that had just occurred.
‘Master… You said you were the strongest in the hero party. You mentioned that only one person in this continent could stop this.’
If that’s the case, then why isn’t it so? He was confident that even his master would lose to Ian.
‘Instead of saying such absurd things, why not just tell me not to challenge Ian Volkanov?’
If he met his master later, he would have to vent his frustrations.
Thinking this, Dias exhaled.
‘Complete defeat.’
As always, he hadn’t adapted to losing.
When helping his father with a hunt and facing a great bear, he thought he had talent when he won.
His belief solidified as he learned from Hexar.
He thought there was no rival in his age group and that even nobles couldn’t easily match his skills when he showed good performance in practical tests at Ark Academy.
He had only faced defeat twice in his life.
The first was in a duel with his master, and the other was against Ian.
‘So now it’s three times… I thought I could win.’
In the end, he was defeated. But unlike before, he didn’t feel despondent.
‘Still, it feels refreshing.’
Thinking that he was a strong man of a different level, he didn’t even feel regretful.
The moment he was being pummeled, Dias realized it was the end.
At that instant, he could accept the result with relief.
‘I can’t win… Absolutely not.’
He was facing an insurmountable wall.
***
Splash!
“Hoo…”
– Ian… Does it hurt a lot?
‘It’s fine. It’s just a slight bruise.’
– But. It’s bleeding.
‘A little blood is nothing. I’ll just heal it up.’
After calming the fidgety Neltalion, Ian shifted his gaze to the mirror.
After rinsing off the flowing water, he checked the visible wounds.
They weren’t major. Even upon closer inspection, it was just a small puncture.
Of course, there could be a scar, but it wasn’t something worth worrying about.
‘In a duel, minor injuries are to be expected. Scars don’t matter.’
If one were holed up in a room doing paperwork or had a profession that involved standing in front of people, it might be a concern.
But if that wasn’t the case, a scar on the face wasn’t a big deal.
In a positive light, it could even be seen as a mark of honor.
However, Neltalion’s concern stemmed from another issue.
– It was dangerous… If it had been just a little higher, it could have been a big problem…
‘That… I can’t deny.’
The point where Dias’s spear had struck was just below his eye.
If it hadn’t been blocked in time, the spear would have driven into his eye, potentially causing a horrific outcome.
It was only natural for Neltalion to react this way.
His anger over a wound that wouldn’t even leave a trace if he used Super Regeneration was understandable.
‘Come here, I’ll give you a hug.’
– Okay….
As Neltalion waddled over and nestled into his embrace, Ian smiled.
He understood her anger. For her, it would seem strange to remain passive after such an ordeal.
However… Ian wasn’t particularly concerned.
‘After all, I’ve already avenged myself against Dias.’
Hadn’t he made sure to repay the damage to the eye? He had endured various techniques and was thoroughly beaten in the end, rendering him unable to move for a while.
That had already satisfied his need for retribution, and the advantages didn’t stop there.
‘With Dias’s outburst, the situation actually improved.’
Whether or not Leviathan bit Ariel was still unknown.
Thus, Ian had to use all means to isolate her.
‘First, I’ve taken all the heroines. The problem was Dias.’
Trying to win his favor by rubbing up to him wasn’t Ian’s style.
He would have preferred to run straight to Astelgia and bring Leviathan here instead.
‘It was troubling. With Dias still around, I was worried Leviathan might hesitate.’
And so, Dias had created the situation for him.
Anyone who could read the battle would know that Dias had messed up his manners. The 1st Platoon wouldn’t be able to cover for this.
‘At the same time, there would be those who would hold Ariel accountable…’
Though she had no fault, Ariel had already lost her credibility due to her disastrous performance in the war game.
She would likely be seething with anger over her ruined results and would probably lash out now.
‘They’ll criticize her, saying she’s not managing her party members well. Is it right for a hero to carry such a person?’
At that moment, Ariel would be completely isolated.
Not only would the heroines turn against her, but even the first platoon members who had been considered allies would turn their backs on her.
This was the solution to a difficult situation.
This was why Ian couldn’t hate Dias.
‘Well… This is even better. Now I just have to wait until the bait is taken.’
As he was about to step out of the bathroom after setting aside Neltalion’s true form, he was confronted with.
“Reina?”
“…Senior.”
The moment he saw her, tear-streaked and waiting, he wondered why she was like that.
Was she crying because her childhood friend had been beaten so badly?
What should he say? Should he apologize first?
Ian thought about this, but it seemed unnecessary.
Thunk!
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. Senior.”
Reina immediately rushed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
***
Ian Volkanov.
At first, Reina didn’t think well of him.
‘I thought he was a bad person.’
It might have been rationalization, but the nobles she had seen were all unsavory.
She thought Ian was no different from the arrogant and indulgent ones, and naturally, she had no inclination to like him.
‘At least he seemed like that when I heard Ariel talk about him.’
She believed that Ian was the perpetrator of the pain she had always harbored and hated him for it.
However, Reina did not hate Ian once she realized that it was all a misunderstanding.
That was the reason.
‘Please win, Senior!’
The reason she fervently wished for Ian’s victory, instead of her childhood friend’s, was:
Though she had no doubt that Ian wouldn’t lose, wouldn’t it be great if he displayed an overwhelmingly dominant performance?
It might turn the skepticism of those who doubted him into admiration.
She had been enjoying the pleasant fantasy while watching the duel, but her expression hardened soon after it began.
‘W-what is he doing? Does Dias have any sense?’
Dias initiated the attack against Ian.
That part wasn’t bad. The problem was with the manner of the attack.
‘He tried to stab the eye with a spear!’
It was a despicable and deliberate attack, evident to anyone watching.
It wasn’t a fight to the death or a duel; such a horrendous foul play was unacceptable.
‘If he had stabbed just a little higher, Senior’s eye…’
To think of such an attack that could cause blindness—was that even acceptable?
Ian was the eldest son of a count, not just any count, but a Frontier Count.
No matter how much Ark Academy preached equality among students, it was inconceivable for a commoner to commit such a foul against the eldest son of a prestigious family.
‘W-what should I do…?’
She was terrified.
She couldn’t bear the thought of Ian truly becoming enraged.
It didn’t matter if her childhood friend was counterattacked. Though they had shared childhood memories, the moment she saw that attack, any affection she had as a friend had long disappeared.
What terrified her was the thought that Ian might lose interest in the village.
‘Thanks to Senior’s interest and help, the village is somewhat recovering… If he loses interest…’
The village would revert to its previous state, potentially returning to a life of poverty and suffering.
What Dias did was that dangerous.
That was why she ran out to find Ian after the duel.
‘I have to apologize…’
Reina believed that asking for forgiveness from someone who would be furious was the right thing to do.
What should she say? Was it best to start with an apology?
As she sorted through the words in her mind, she found herself staring at Ian’s bewildered face.
Without any further thought, her body moved on its own.
“Reina?”
“…Senior.”
When she saw Ian’s embarrassed face, her mind seemed to go blank.
In the end, her body jumped out first.
Thunk!
“I’m so sorry… I’m really sorry, Senior.”
Her tears flowed endlessly. She knew this wasn’t the right time for tears and that she should be apologizing, but she couldn’t find the words.
‘What do I do about the wound…?’
It was a small injury, but seeing the cut just below his eye made her mind go blank.
Ian, unfazed, embraced her as she fidgeted.
‘I don’t know what’s going on…’
She wasn’t sure why she was crying.
Maybe it was because she hated seeing Dias being beaten or because the sight of Ian’s injury was too painful for her.
However, given the situation, it seemed more likely to be the latter.
‘If she really hated it, she would have slapped him or at least yelled.’
That wasn’t the case, was it? It seemed unlikely that this was the reason for her distress.
Once she came to this realization, there was only one thing left to do.
As she clung to him, sobbing, Ian calmly said:
“Don’t worry about it. Nothing you’re concerned about will happen.”
Though there was no miracle to stop Reina’s tears, he offered his shoulder to comfort her.
“…What are you doing?”
A familiar voice came from behind them.
Turning around, Ian saw.
“…Ariel?”
“Tell me. What are you doing right now!”
His younger sister, whose face was covered in wounds, was looking at him with murderous eyes.
