Chapter 101 – 1st Place vs. 152nd Place (1)

The struggle to distinguish between superior and inferior skills has a long and enduring history, an ancient and living culture.

Colosseum. Tournaments…

The arena serves as a stage to prove one’s efforts and a battlefield for duels. The weapons wielded there possess more power than a judge’s gavel.

The place where cadets engage in combat does not deviate much from this meaning. A single competition called a tournament is held. While waiting for it, they sharpen their swords and fully display their honed skills in the contest.

The act of pouring everything into this series of challenges is what defines the competition.

[Victory in Group A – Cornus]

In such a glorious battleground, it is rare for someone who hasn’t put forth effort to step forward.

[Victory in Group C – Lim Jong-hyun]

Some may stumble, intoxicated by their own talents.

[Victory in Group G – Jung Si-woo]

There will be those who quite literally shatter what they have toiled on for decades.

[Group H Victory – Lee Si-heon]

At times, there exist extraordinary anomalies, but even they have undoubtedly exerted great effort, a fact no one could deny.

[Eliminated Participants – Kim Young-hoo, Shin Young-ah…Azalea]

However, there are also those who must endure the bitter taste of defeat.

In this academy, a well where skill is the ultimate currency,
the victor is regarded as having labored longer, earning praise.
As it is a well that fosters competition, there are those who crumble while chasing their own achievements.

The despair felt when a trivial mistake causes one to falter on the stage they have prepared for their entire life.
Champions eliminated in the preliminaries solely due to ill fortune. Those who ascend without merit, carried by a stroke of luck.

Participants in the tournament grow more desperate than anyone else,
as producing results becomes increasingly challenging.
They fear the possibility of those lacking skill rising above them.

*Click.*

Siheon, tightening the belt of his cadet combat uniform, looked at the results and smiled bitterly. It seemed there was no avoiding the worry that came first. With a temperament prone to internal frustration, he made an effort to appear cheerful.

“Beep, beep!”

At the front door, Shiba, dressed in bright yellow outdoor clothing, cried out. Siheon stroked his daughter and offered a smile brimming with paternal love.

“Will our daughter have a good day at kindergarten today?”
“Beep.”

After hugging his daughter, who replied nonchalantly, Siheon turned his gaze to a peach standing behind him.

Lying on the sofa and still giggling… White Peach, with her snowy white hair, wiped away tears.

“…Pfft.”
“Ah, enough!”
“Chuckle.”
“For how long are you going to tease about that?”
“Well, I can’t help it, can I? It gets funnier the more I think about it. A disciple who had every form… came back covered in beehives.”

The evening of the first match with Gu-seul.
When I reported to my master about the match, Baekdo’s careless remarks, which I had suspected, indeed came to pass.
This is why one shouldn’t trust those who act ostentatiously. I heard all kinds of comments related to the match, but even that wasn’t enough, and they continued to tease me until this morning, days later.
Of course, it was well-known by everyone that when Baekdo first teased Si-heon, they ended up grabbing each other by the collar.

“If I really catch a break later, just watch.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“We’ll see if that’s true.”

Whether Baekdo’s humiliation would explode first or Si-heon’s bravado would crumble remained to be seen.
Let’s see how far this goes, thought Si-heon. When twilight arrived, it was clear that their battle would determine who would shed tears.

Si-heon placed the provisions he had prepared himself into his backpack, stood up, and grumbled:

“Don’t lose heart. It’s an important day.”
“It is important. Si-woo, was it?”
“Yes.”

“It seems like a name you’d come across while hanging out at a host bar.”

Baekdo uttered the coarse words. Siheon stuck out his tongue and opened the front door.

“Fine, the match starts at 1 o’clock, so take your time getting there. See Shiba home safely.”
“Understood.”

Feeling the corners of his face tense, Siheon stepped outside. His trembling heart served as a potent stimulus for him.

Today was the day. On the most crucial day of the midterm exams, the first round of the tournament main event would take place.

* * * * *

Waaaaaa – !

The cheers of the audience filled every void in the surrounding chatter.

The most renowned El Academy in the world. A tournament featuring the elite cadets who attend there.

The spacious stadium was packed today, as the high-quality matches could be watched without purchasing any special tickets.

-Beep!

Whistles echoed throughout the area.
The morning session cadets began making their way to the waiting room.

Every cadet descending the stairs wore an expression of tension.
Guards dressed in black suits encircled them, keeping close watch on their surroundings.

Families of the cadets, guild officials, reporters, newspaper writers, and tourists all observed this astonishing scene.

“It looks like the Olympics or something.”
“It really does.”

– Slurp.

Azalea sipped her flat cola and chuckled as she gazed at the expansive stadium. Her eyes held a mix of relief and bitterness.

“Oh, I wanted to join too. What a pity. I just had to run into him there.”

She was referring to Lim Jong-hyun.
He had been determined to apprehend Jung Si-woo, so confronting him had undoubtedly been overwhelming for her as a mage.

Rumor had it that the difference between them was incredibly close.

If only a single attack had been blocked, or a single spell had landed, the fortunes of the two would have been reversed.

Indeed, it was quite astonishing that even a single blow had been dealt against the prosecutor. Lim Jong-hyun had been heavily medicated, so considering that, perhaps it was a significant achievement after all. In reality, it had revealed him to be the most proficient mage among the first-year Korean students at El Academy.

“Next time will be better.”

Of course, all I could offer was a hollow consolation, rather than a hundred eloquent words. After all, Azalea knew best her own regrets.

“Still, I’m grateful.”

Azalea, with a sullen expression, looked at me and spoke.

“For what?”

I asked, and she replied with a sly smile.

“Because I was able to support you, thanks to you.”

Her words were slightly touching. Just slightly. I forced a laugh at the cheesy remark and steered the conversation elsewhere.

“What about Si-woo?”

“That makes sense. I just want the winner to be on my side.”
“I must win at all costs.”
“…Hehe.”

Perhaps my determination had put her at ease, for Azalea gazed into the arena with a more relaxed expression. From her handbag, she produced a small container of medicine that I hadn’t seen her retrieve.

“Feeling nervous? Would you like some Cheongsimhwan?”

Truth be told, I wasn’t particularly nervous. Though the match was scheduled for the afternoon, it hadn’t quite sunk in yet. The sensation paled in comparison to the heart-pounding intensity I’d experienced in life-or-death situations. If I had to describe my current emotions, it would be a flutter of anticipation before the competition—rather exhilarating, actually.

“Thank you.”

I accepted her kind offer, seeing no harm in it.

Perhaps I should visit the restroom before it all begins. It might also be a good opportunity to catch a glimpse of Sansuyu’s face in the waiting room.

“I’ll be right back. Just heading downstairs for a bit.”
“Alright.”

After notifying Azalea, I made my way down to the first floor. Stepping away from the bustling second-floor audience seating felt like a breath of fresh air, as if a weight had been lifted from my chest.

Of course, it was inevitable that even the first floor would be bustling with spectators.

As I stepped outside after using the restroom, someone covered my eyes from behind.

“Guess who?”

A unique voice I could never forget. Bright yellow stars flickered before my eyes. Well, it’s not surprising since the matter at hand is directly related to talent.

“Byul-unnie?”
“Gasp! How did you know?”

When I took hold of her hand and pulled it away, Byul blinked her bright yellow pupils, making a surprised gesture.

“I can tell just by hearing Byul-unnie’s voice.”
“Hehe… I just happened to have some work here, so I thought of Siheon and came right over to hang out.”

It’s been a while since we met due to our busy lives, so seeing her like this felt heartwarming. I held her hands, and Byul started hopping around like a high school girl.

“Right, I have to go now, but I’ll be cheering for you. Who’s your opponent today?”
“Jung Siwoo.”
“Oh, I see… Wait, Siwoo?”

Upon hearing my words, the star seemed at a loss, momentarily stunned. He appeared to be contemplating what to say to me.

“That, that, Dae Jinwoon is truly formidable…”

A statement that emerged after much deliberation. As well-acquainted with Jung Si-woo’s abilities as a cadet, he was careful not to offer assurances like “You can win.”

“Thank you for your encouragement.”

Although word about me had spread a little, Jung Si-woo was undeniably far more popular. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that half of the audience gathered here had come to see him.

It made sense, given the attention he had received since his time at the military academy. I, on the other hand, was an outsider with no record of being in this world until just a few months ago.

‘Was it 92%?’

That was the probability of Jung Si-woo’s victory, as predicted by an illegal gambling site using the academy tournament as its basis. Of course, the 8 percent betting on my win was nothing more than a playful long shot.

“I’ll do my best. Let’s go.”

“Uh-huh, call me when it’s over~~~!”

As I watched the spirited stars darting across the sky, I couldn’t help but smile for a moment.

Before ascending to the second floor, I purchased a cotton candy from the sales stand and sought out the athletes’ waiting room.

“Shion?”

As I opened the door, Sansuyu turned towards me, her eyes widening in surprise.

“I brought you a present. As a show of support.”
“Support… Why? We’re rivals, after all.”

Sansuyu, who had accepted the cotton candy somewhat bewilderedly, gazed at it in wonder for a moment before voicing her doubts about my words.

“Friends are supposed to cheer each other on. It’s not like we’re competing against each other right now.”
“…Is that so?”

Despite the snug fit of her simple battle attire, her chest protruded slightly. It must be quite uncomfortable when fighting, yet she still managed to expertly wield her sword.

Sansuyu stared intently at the cotton candy before tearing off its wrapper and placing the contents in her mouth. Her soft cheeks moved as she bit into the melting sugar confection.

While observing the hamster-like demeanor, Sansuyu, who had unwittingly finished the cotton candy, licked her finger.

“About the match…”

“Hm?”

She then expressed her gratitude.

“Even if I lose the match, I can still treat you.”

“…?”

Although her voice was gentle and composed, the content of her words was more vulgar than anticipated.

– Beep!

The sound of a whistle reached their ears. The event seemed to be gradually commencing. After offering Sansuyu some light words of encouragement, I returned to my seat and observed the matches.

Though it was an academy, for some reason, they sang the existing school anthem. As the opening ceremony commenced, the students participating in the morning matches appeared one by one. Since tournaments for foreign students were being held simultaneously, the Korean students’ matches were limited to Group A versus Group B and Group C versus Group D in the morning.

As time passed, the first match of the tournament began.

The audience’s gasps and tense duels unfolded multiple times.

The outcome of the subsequent Korean match aligned perfectly with my expectations, concluding with Sansuyu and Lim Jong-hyun advancing to the semifinals.

The elation that showered Sansuyu, who effortlessly deflected her opponent’s sword and swiftly ended the match, was an added bonus.

[This concludes the morning session of the El Academy Freshman Tournament.]

These words fell from the lips of the final commentator, and only then did I sense that my turn was approaching.

1st and 152nd.

A remarkable match between two individuals with a staggering disparity in rank, the likes of which might never have taken place. I couldn’t help but feel pity for Jung Si-woo’s opponent. It was the beginning of a match where the outcome was utterly unpredictable, with murmurs of sympathy echoing throughout the crowd.