Arc 2 Chapter 17 : Marquis Fran de Cataluna

[Elena PoV]

The whole arena suddenly fell silent after the announcer declared the winner. Even some of the seniors in the stands sat there with their mouths hanging open, watching what had just happened in the arena.

That's right—the one still standing in the arena right now was the black-haired man everyone had assumed would lose this match.

"Listen up, Lancer Club members!"

The black-haired man's shout broke the silence hanging over the arena.

"With this, your club's budget will be cut by the Student Council starting next year!"

The moment Raul shouted those words, jeers and insults erupted from the section of the stands where the Lancer Club members sat.

"You fought dirty, you rotten noble! We don't accept this result!"

"You're a coward, faking that pain like that!"

"Disgusting! Just die! All you can do is win through cheap tricks!"

Raul then limped his way toward the arena corridor, clutching his stomach. The Lancer Club members started throwing food and fruit at him, forcing the disciplinary committee members on duty to step in.

"Your committee leader is trash!"

"Are you proud of yourselves, winning with such a cheap trick!"

A scuffle broke out in the arena as the disciplinary committee clashed with the Lancer Club members, delaying the next match slightly.

I doubted he'd been faking that pain at all. Senior Emilia's attack must have genuinely hurt terribly.

It seemed he hadn't just suffered a stab wound—the fire magic from Senior Emilia's Nature Mana had also left a fairly severe burn on the right side of Raul's stomach.

[Fran de Cataluna PoV]

Once the match ended, I watched as my daughter, Emilia, was carried off by the priestesses to receive treatment.

"Marquis Fran, I never expected your daughter to be defeated by a second-year student!" a Count-ranked noble seated beside me remarked.

I had to admit, I never expected Emilia to lose to a junior student, one who hadn't even used a single Profound Codex or Nature Mana throughout the entire match.

Who exactly was that student?

"Wasn't that student earlier the son of Duke Alvaro?" the Count asked.

Huh? Duke Alvaro's son? That cunning old snake? No wonder that boy looked somewhat familiar to me.

"Count Angmar, forgive me, I need to excuse myself," I told him. "I'd like to check on my daughter's condition."

Rising from my seat in the stands, I made my way toward the infirmary where Emilia was being treated.

With this outcome, she'd have to remain at Cataluna Fortress City, where our family's territory lay.

Raul de Garcia, is it?

Defeating my daughter without using a single Profound Codex or Nature Mana proved he was an extremely cautious man. He clearly hadn't wanted the other competitors to see his true abilities, saving them instead as an ace card for future matches to come.

His strategy against Emilia had been excellent, executed flawlessly.

After trading blows to wear my daughter down, I was certain his plan had been to catch Emilia off guard and lure her in close.

Still, if Emilia had simply been more cautious, I believe the match would have dragged on considerably longer.

Given the wounds inflicted by Emilia's finishing attack, that boy shouldn't have been able to hold out much longer before collapsing from his injuries.

All Emilia had needed to do was stall for time, and she would have won that match without question.

Arriving at the infirmary, I found Emilia sleeping soundly.

I walked over and pulled up a chair to sit beside her.

"You fought hard, Emilia."

[Emilia PoV]

Ughhh... my head is pounding.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in the infirmary.

"That's right, how did the match go...?" I murmured.

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"You're awake, Emilia?"

I heard a voice from my left side. Turning my head, I saw a middle-aged man sitting there, smiling at me.

"Father...?"

"How are you feeling?" Father asked gently.

My body no longer ached, but I still felt weak. I suspected that man had thoroughly beaten me down with that final combo of his.

"Guess I lost, huh...?" I murmured, clutching the blanket.

"That's right, Emilia. You lost to that boy."

Which meant... the Student Council had won the deal we'd made earlier...

Our club's budget for next year would be cut, and everyone in the club would now face far harder times at the academy.

Knowing this left my heart heavy with grief.

"I let them down, Father," I murmured, my voice trembling.

They'd trusted me so much, expected so much from me.

From now on, other academy students would mock the club members, dismiss them as weak and unaccomplished.

More and more people would look down on them, bully them, and fewer students would choose to join our club going forward.

All of this happened because I lost to him...

How disappointing...

I really am a useless leader...

I should have been a symbol of their strength, yet I lost so shamefully to a second-year student. As leader, I should have made them proud to be part of this club.

My vision blurred with tears.

I'd also made a promise with Father...

After this defeat, that meant I'd have to stay home now, unable to join the Calvatra Knight Order to pursue my dream of becoming a Grand Espada.

"As promised, Father," I said quietly. "I'll let go of my dream and return home."

I thought I had enough skill and talent to become a Grand Espada. I ranked among the top five at this, the most prestigious academy in the land, and my combat ability was the strongest among all my fellow third-years.

But it turned out I was still naive...

There were countless other talented people out there. How foolish of me, believing I could reach my dream with abilities like these.

I'd let myself grow arrogant, simply for being the best at this academy.

"Father... I know the real reason you've been trying to stop me from chasing this dream," I told him. "I don't have the talent to become one of them, do I?"

At my words, Father's body trembled slightly. He turned his face away from me as well.

"I'm sorry, Emilia... that's the truth," Father answered. "Becoming a Grand Espada isn't as simple as you imagined."

What good is being the strongest knight in the Empire, if I lose to an academy student who didn't even use his Nature Mana...

Hugging my knees to my chest, all I could do was cry, forced to accept this bitter reality.

"The truth is, I'm still incredibly weak."

[Raul PoV]

Two hours had passed since my match with Emilia. The spectators' loud cheering kept disturbing me as I tried to rest and sleep after taking so many hits during that fight.

My wounds had fully healed, but my body still felt far too weak to move much.

That match had been quite the gamble on my part.

If Emilia had simply been more patient, waiting for my body to weaken from the wounds she'd already inflicted, I would have certainly lost.

Fortunately, she'd been too eager to finish me off quickly, which left her guard down and gave me the opening I needed to secure the win.

—Click

The door to the room opened, and a middle-aged man in military uniform stepped inside.

He walked over toward me. His upright posture, thick beard, and sharp gaze gave off the distinct impression that he hadn't come here with the best of intentions.

"Raul de Garcia..." he murmured. "You're remarkably similar to your father."

Ughhh... being compared to a madman like Duke Alvaro was pretty irritating. Still, biologically speaking, he was indeed my father.

"Your dirty fighting style always reminds me of that man," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"What brings you here, Marquis Fran?" I asked him.

Yes... this was Fran de Cataluna, Emilia's father and an imperial general responsible for guarding the Empire's northeastern border region.

Honestly, I'd already planned on meeting him at some point, to start preparing in case war between the Empire and the Republic of Venetia actually broke out.

"You defeated my daughter, shattering her dreams and hopes for her club," Marquis Fran said, his tone cold. "My daughter is crying right now, mourning her fate. I've never seen my only child suffer and grieve this deeply before."

Is that so? Was he here to give me some kind of warning, or something along those lines?

"As a parent, honestly, my heart aches seeing her like this."

The moment the Marquis said that, the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew heavier, and my breathing began to feel constricted.

This was the pressure of a mana aura. The last time I'd felt anything like this was during my first meeting with Duke Alvaro.

"You need to pay for making my daughter suffer like this, Raul de Garcia..."

He increased the pressure of his mana aura even further, and I saw the flower pot on the table beside me start to crack from it.

"But I also owe you my thanks, for giving her a much-needed dose of reality," Marquis Fran said, his tone shifting to something gentler.

He also released his powerful mana aura, letting me breathe normally again.

"She dreamed of becoming one of the Grand Espada," the Marquis revealed. "But with the Nature Mana and Profound Codex she possesses, it was always certain she'd never reach that dream."

The Grand Espada, huh?

It was true—becoming a Grand Espada required more than just hard work and skill. Combat talents like Nature Mana and Profound Codex, blessed by the Goddess herself, also played a significant role in that.

They were the best of the best, the Empire's most powerful weapons, and role models for every knight across the nation.

"I struggled to make my daughter understand this, given how stubborn she is," Marquis Fran said. "That's why, once again, I thank you for making her realize this truth."

"You're mistaken, Marquis Fran," I told him. "Emilia has the potential to become a Grand Espada, even with the relatively weak Nature Mana and Profound Codex she currently possesses."

The Marquis's eyes widened, clearly caught off guard by my words.

"If she can rise from this setback and figure out what she truly wants, I believe she'll succeed in reaching that dream," I said, looking directly into Marquis Fran's eyes. "Becoming a Grand Espada isn't the end of Senior Emilia's dream. I believe that firmly. She has a higher dream than this, even if she hasn't realized it yet."

Hearing my words, the Marquis paused, seemingly deep in thought. It looked like he was mulling over what I'd just told him.

"Is that so? She still hasn't realized her true dream yet...?" the Marquis murmured.

He then looked at me again and offered a smile.

"Raul de Garcia, it's been a pleasure talking with you," the Marquis said, extending a hand for a handshake. "Since you've helped me today, I'll offer you one favor, should you ever find yourself in trouble down the road."

I accepted his handshake and answered, "The pleasure's been mine as well, Marquis Fran. Thank you for your generosity."

After chatting with me for a moment longer, he left the room.

This just made things considerably easier...

Cataluna Fortress City was exactly the region I intended to head toward for my upcoming field practicum. That's because a disaster was set to strike there within the next few months.

This also tied directly into my plan to awaken Ariel's Blessing and push her toward becoming a Saint.

Because her power would prove absolutely critical, in the fight against the demons set to invade this world in the years ahead.