Chapter 263: The Joint Demonstration

By the following afternoon, the western training grounds had been transformed into something resembling a small military exercise field.

Temporary fortifications occupied several sections of the arena, while wooden barricades and artificial terrain divided the grounds into separate routes. Instructors from both departments supervised the preparations, occasionally arguing over the placement of obstacles and the conditions imposed on participating students.

Ilya found the disagreements rather familiar.

During his childhood in the North, he’d watched experienced officers spend entire mornings debating the placement of defensive formations.

Some preferred aggressive tactics, others favored maintaining fortified positions, and almost everyone believed their particular approach was the most sensible.

Apparently, becoming an academy professor did little to change that habit.

The final demonstration would begin shortly after lunch, with several groups participating in separate exercises before the main event.

Ilya’s group had been selected to face Tristan’s.

Their objective was straightforward: secure the opposing team’s standard while preventing their own from being captured. Each side would begin with four participants, consisting of two knights and two wizards, and the exercise would conclude once a standard had been carried into the designated scoring area.

The instructors had also imposed a time limit.

If neither group accomplished its objective, the faculty would evaluate their performance according to territorial control, coordination, and remaining combat effectiveness.

That last condition interested Ilya.

A group could win by capturing the standard, but a reckless attempt that left everyone incapacitated might prove more embarrassing than a cautious draw.

Fortunately, their opponents faced the same problem.

Ilya spent the morning reviewing the exercise’s conditions with Elise and their two knight teammates.

The terrain provided several possible approaches. A central passage connected the two starting positions, while narrower routes curved around the eastern and western boundaries. The standard itself stood behind a low defensive wall, protected by a formation that prevented participants from simply destroying it with ranged magic.

The obvious strategy involved attacking through the center.

Ilya had no intention of doing that.

Tristan possessed superior mana reserves and specialized in redirecting spells through translucent planes. Giving him a clear view of the central approach would allow him to establish several overlapping attack trajectories before their group could reach the objective.

Instead, Ilya proposed dividing their attention between two routes.

The defensive knight would remain near their standard, while the offensive specialist advanced through the western passage alongside Elise.

Ilya would operate near the central approach, creating enough pressure to prevent Tristan from concentrating entirely on the western team.

The arrangement carried risks, particularly if their opponents decided to attack aggressively.

However, they had prepared several signals for requesting assistance, and Ilya’s mobility allowed him to withdraw more quickly than an ordinary wizard.

Elise understood the reasoning.

"You’re expecting Tristan to concentrate on you."

"He’ll certainly be interested."

"That’s putting it mildly."

Ilya smiled.

Their previous engagements had established an irritatingly consistent pattern of draws. Tristan had spent considerable time improving his techniques specifically to counter Ilya’s movements, and the prospect of defeating him in front of an audience would undoubtedly appeal to the southern nobleman.

It was a weakness Ilya could exploit.

Although, knowing Tristan, the fellow had probably reached a similar conclusion about him.

Their preparations concluded shortly before noon.

The academy’s viewing stands had already begun filling with students from different departments, and several instructors were discussing the upcoming exercises with invited military representatives.

Ilya recognized a few officers by their uniforms, although none belonged to the Northern Army.

That was probably fortunate.

He wasn’t particularly interested in explaining to someone acquainted with his father why the Grand Duke’s son was representing the Magic Department against a group of knights.

The first demonstrations proceeded without incident.

Several participating teams displayed coordinated defensive formations, while others demonstrated methods for suppressing enemy wizards during an advance.

The performances were competent, although Ilya noticed that some students remained more concerned with displaying impressive techniques than completing their assigned objectives.

That was understandable.

An audience had a remarkable ability to encourage foolish decisions.

By the time his group’s turn arrived, the spectators had become considerably more enthusiastic.

Tristan was already waiting on the opposite side of the arena.

Their eyes met briefly across the field.

The southern nobleman offered a confident smile.

Ilya returned it.

Then he turned his attention toward the terrain.

The supervising instructor announced the participants, explained the conditions once more, and activated the protective formations surrounding the arena.

A moment later, the signal sounded.

Their opponents advanced immediately.

Two knights moved through the central passage, maintaining a compact formation while Tristan followed several meters behind. The fourth participant, another wizard, remained near their standard to provide defensive support.

Ilya recognized the arrangement.

Tristan had apparently decided to control the central approach while relying on his knights to prevent anyone from closing the distance.

A sensible decision.

Unfortunately for him, Ilya had already anticipated something similar.

The two knights approached cautiously, keeping their weapons ready as several translucent planes appeared around Tristan.

Ilya released a thin current of freezing wind across the ground.

The temperature dropped.

A layer of frost spread along the central passage, reducing traction without creating an obstacle large enough to justify abandoning the route.

The knights adjusted their movements.

Tristan immediately constructed several mana blades and sent them toward Ilya.

He avoided the first attack and intercepted the second with an ice javelin, allowing the third to pass before retreating several meters.

The exchange accomplished exactly what he wanted.

Tristan’s attention remained focused on the center.

Meanwhile, Elise and the offensive knight were advancing through the western passage.

Their progress was initially unchallenged.

However, the opposing wizard noticed them before they reached the final bend and released a signal spell.

Tristan responded immediately.

One of his translucent planes shifted toward the western boundary, followed by a blade that accelerated through its surface and emerged near Elise’s position.

She intercepted it with lightning.

The impact scattered sparks across the passage, briefly illuminating the surrounding barricades.

Their advance had been discovered.

Ilya expected Tristan to redirect more attacks toward them.

Instead, the southern nobleman began advancing with his knights.

Interesting.

He intended to overwhelm the center before Elise could reach the objective.

That was a reasonable response.

If Tristan captured Ilya’s standard first, the western attack would become irrelevant.

Unfortunately, the central passage was precisely where Ilya had prepared his defenses.

He increased the freezing currents, creating several uneven patches of ice beneath the approaching knights.

Their movements slowed.

Tristan compensated by redirecting his mana blades through the surrounding planes, attempting to force Ilya away from the passage.

However, Ilya had no intention of maintaining a prolonged exchange.

He withdrew toward their defensive position, allowing Tristan’s group to advance while carefully preserving enough mana for a sudden acceleration.

The southern nobleman recognized the danger.

Several planes appeared near the entrance to Ilya’s territory.

They were positioned to intercept an attack from almost any direction.

Ilya examined the arrangement.

Then he smiled.

Tristan had improved considerably.

But he was still watching the wrong person.

A sharp signal sounded from the western passage.

Elise had reached the opposing defensive position.

The remaining wizard attempted to stop her with a barrier, but Elise’s lightning struck the formation’s supporting structure, forcing her opponent to divert mana toward maintaining its stability.

The offensive knight immediately advanced.

Their combined pressure pushed the defender away from the standard.

Tristan noticed.

His expression changed.

For the first time since the exercise began, the southern nobleman appeared genuinely troubled.

He had committed too many resources toward the central approach.

Returning to defend his standard would take time.

Unfortunately, Ilya had already begun preparing his next movement.

A burst of freezing wind carried him across the central passage.

He accelerated toward Tristan’s exposed side, forcing the southern nobleman to abandon his intended retreat and raise a defensive plane.

The resulting exchange lasted only a few seconds.

Ilya struck the barrier with a reinforced punch, using the impact to propel himself away before Tristan could retaliate.

The maneuver accomplished very little damage.

However, it delayed Tristan long enough for Elise and her teammate to secure the standard.

A moment later, the supervising instructor announced the result.

Victory for Ilya’s group.

The viewing stands erupted into applause.

Ilya allowed the freezing currents surrounding him to dissipate as the protective formations deactivated.

Tristan remained near the central passage, staring toward the western boundary where Elise was carrying the captured standard into the scoring area.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he sighed.

"You used yourself as bait."

"More or less."

"And you knew I’d respond."

"I thought you might."

Tristan looked thoroughly dissatisfied.

However, after considering the sequence of events, he eventually acknowledged that Ilya’s group had executed its strategy effectively.

Their victory had depended on coordination rather than individual superiority.

That was precisely what the instructors had intended to demonstrate.

As the participants gathered near the center of the arena, Professor Eklund announced the results and commended both groups for their performance.

He particularly praised Elise’s controlled spellcasting and the knights’ ability to maintain their assigned responsibilities.

Ilya was satisfied.

They had accomplished their objective without unnecessary risks, and every member of the group had contributed meaningfully to the result.

More importantly, he had finally defeated Tristan.

Well, technically.

The southern nobleman appeared unwilling to count a team exercise as a personal victory.

Ilya decided not to argue.

There would be plenty of opportunities to remind him later.