novelraw Chapter 57 : The Semester of Upheaval (4)
Chapter 57 : The Semester of Upheaval (4)
Chapter 57: The Semester of Upheaval (4)
-That’s all you wanted?
“If that’s the case?”
The Underworld was the only realm where commoners, swordsmen, and mages mingled together.
However, because of ancient regulations, they simply avoided interference or conflict with one another.
As a result, the reality of the Underworld was that swordsmen and mages treated each other like ghosts, with commoners caught in between.
A perfect disharmony.
The only reason it seemed quiet was because they didn’t collide directly—there was nothing strange about that silence breaking at any moment.
Now, Tyrant intended to divide the Underworld into two distinct territories—one for the swordsmen, one for the mages—just as the surface world was divided between the Magical Society and the Swordsmen Society. His proposal was simple: neither side would interfere in the other’s affairs.
However, he hadn’t decided what to do about the commoners—the most crucial group.
To him, they were a trivial matter.
-If it was only about that, was there really any need to fight?
“It may seem trivial to you, but not to me. What, do you dislike it?”
-……
“If you do, I can simply expand the battle throughout the entire Underworld. That’s not what you want, is it?”
At the moment, the fighting in the Underworld was confined to one region.
But depending on the decision made now, the conflict could spread everywhere.
Even as a Grand Swordsman, that was not something he wished for.
He decided to mediate the battle first.
-I can’t decide that alone. I need to consult with the Swordsmen Council.
“A so-called leader of the swordsmen who can’t decide anything by himself. No wonder you’re looked down on by the mages.”
That was the difference between the two societies.
An Archmage didn’t need anyone’s approval to act. But the swordsmen did.
Even if he was the Grand Swordsman leading them all, he had to explain the purpose and reason for his actions before the Council and gain majority approval.
“The longer you delay, the wider the battlefield will spread. I’m not the one running out of time—you are.”
-……
Tyrant seized the moment, pressing relentlessly.
After much deliberation, the Grand Swordsman finally spoke.
-Fine. I accept. But stop the battle immediately.
A decision made unilaterally, without consulting the Council.
“Easy.”
Thus, the Underworld was divided into territories.
Finally, the start of a new semester.
No—the semester had already begun yesterday, but today was different.
Today was the day the new school regulations went into effect.
I was eating breakfast in the dining hall with Hei, Kiena, and Banshi when Hei suddenly checked his Mob and his face turned troubled.
For someone with such a hearty appetite to stop mid-bite and set his bread down—it couldn’t be good news.
“What’s wrong, Hei?”
“……Look at this.”
When I asked, he showed me his Mob.
[Notice of Duel]
– Challenger: Fire Element Nohill Hapert
– Time: 9:30 a.m.
‘So this is how it comes, huh.’
Thanks to Hei, I finally understood how the process worked.
Hapert was starting first—and he had chosen Hei as his opening target. Clearly, he thought Hei was the easiest opponent among the Fire Element students.
“Hei, burn him. That annoying mage from that family.”
“……?”
This time, it was Banshi who spoke.
Her blunt statement caught all of us off guard. For someone usually so quiet, her words hit like a hammer.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then burn him. Mages like that, who only care about appearances, deserve to be crushed with skill.”
“Yeah! I’ll do it!”
Aside from Hei, the other three of us didn’t receive any duel notices.
It seemed other students were still gauging the situation before acting.
“But can we watch the duels between other students?”
“Good question. Doesn’t say anything about that.”
“Let’s go check it out later!”
Thanks to Banshi, Hei managed to shake off some of his tension.
At 9:25, Hei, Kiena, and I headed to the dueling ground.
Banshi said she wasn’t interested in spectating and stayed behind in the dorm to rest until class.
But someone unexpected was standing at the entrance to the dueling ground.
“You two—why are you here?”
It was Professor Nide.
She was standing like a gatekeeper, her Mob materialized in hand.
“You’re not on the list.”
She said that after glancing at our Mobs.
Starting this semester, all duel schedules required the approval of the supervising professor.
So the professors now had access to all duel information and managed it directly.
“We came to watch.”
“You think this is some kind of game? Go back.”
I spoke confidently, but her reply was cold.
Normally, both teachers and professors used polite speech toward students—but today, she was unusually on edge.
Her demeanor was so different from before that even I was momentarily taken aback.
“Only students scheduled for a duel may enter.”
Splash—!
With that, Nide manifested a torrent of water-element magic at the entrance, forming it into a curtain like a waterfall.
She was clearly using it as a barrier—only the scheduled duel participants could pass through.
“Student Hei, proceed.”
When Hei stepped forward, the “curtain” parted down the center, conforming to his silhouette, opening a path for him to enter.
Just before stepping fully inside, Hei turned slightly toward us and flashed a faint, confident smile.
“Too bad. I wanted to see it……”
As Hei disappeared beyond the curtain, Kiena murmured softly, disappointment in her voice.
I agreed—I wanted to watch their duel as well.
I could easily dispel the magic Nide had erected with my own, but that would only create unnecessary noise.
“Let’s go, Kiena.”
Just as I was about to lead Kiena away—
Thud.
Sway.
“Huh?”
At that moment, someone suddenly shoved my back, making me stumble forward a bit.
“What’s your problem, getting in the way like that?”
The culprit was none other than Nohill Hapert.
He strutted forward with the dignity of a general heading proudly toward the battlefield.
“Are you okay?”
Kiena hurriedly caught me and asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Hapert was still looking down on me, probably because he hadn’t heard a single word from his family head, Jick.
Well, since I had erased all of his memories, there was no way he could say anything, even if he wanted to.
However, Hapert must have thought that Jick’s silence meant he had scolded me thoroughly and frightened me into submission.
That was probably why he had the guts to pull off that insane stunt of pushing me.
Hapert and I locked eyes for about three seconds.
One corner of his lips was raised arrogantly, and his eyes were full of insolence.
There wasn’t a single thing I liked about him, but since Nide was present as well, I didn’t want to make unnecessary noise.
“Let’s go.”
Ignoring him, I took Kiena with me and turned to leave.
He probably thought I was avoiding him because I feared his family, but the truth was, I just found him disgusting.
Once the scheduled student arrived, Nide opened the door, and Hapert went inside.
And only then did I notice that a ranking board, which had originally been placed only next to the auditorium, was now also hanging beside the dueling hall.
But it looked slightly different from before.
[Ranking Board]
It was set up to display only up to sixth place.
I stopped walking for a moment, staring at it and wondering what it meant, when Nide explained.
“The ranking boards are posted all around the halls and major facilities, so you can check them anytime. Of course, you can also view them through the Mob.”
“Then why aren’t there any names on it yet?”
Kiena asked.
“Because no student has finished their duel yet. Only the top ranks appear.”
“Ah, I see.”
Previously, all thirty-one students of Class 1 had appeared, but now only the top six — those eligible for promotion — would be displayed.
“Then, does it also show the points they have?”
That was what I wanted to know most.
According to the revised rules, if your points exceeded 150, you’d lose more than 50%, and if you went over 200, they’d reset to zero. So, how many points you held was more important than ever.
“Yeah.”
‘Of course.’
There were exactly two hidden messages in the newly revised school rules.
One was, ‘Target the Joint Admission Students.’
The other was, ‘If you defeat a student with a high point total, you can be promoted directly to Class 3 through a special evaluation.’
Moreover, once you exceeded 200 points, even a single loss would bring your total to zero. That meant the moment one student surpassed 200, a brutal game of nerves would begin.
Before, students had done everything they could to avoid rising into the upper ranks, but now they would have to fight desperately for a chance to leap there in one blow.
The reason the ranking board was still blank was that today marked both the start of the semester’s first duels and the first day the revised school rules took effect.
Kiena and I returned to the dorms and quietly waited for class to begin.
Honestly, I wasn’t worried about Hei.
There wasn’t even a trace of anxiety in me.
I was certain he’d perform brilliantly against Hapert.
When it was time for the Fire Element class, students began gathering in the classroom.
[Ranking Board]
Hei – 101
That was the result I saw through the Mob while waiting for class.
As expected, Hei had achieved a splendid victory and was the first to put his name on the board.
I glanced at Hapert’s expression in the classroom.
He looked completely dazed, utterly crushed.
No, he looked so broken that I could’ve believed he’d been expelled from his family.
After being defeated by the same Hei he had scorned so much, his heart must have been full of nothing but denial.
“It’s only natural to get punished if you act up—why doesn’t he get that?”
Banshi, who had probably checked the Mob too, whispered quietly beside me.
“He’s never been punished before, that’s why. Though it’s a feeling he’ll soon get used to.”
“I wonder how long he’ll keep denying reality and challenging again.”
“I feel the same.”
Soon, our instructor, Ever, entered the room, and class was about to begin in earnest.
But even as time for class came, Hei was nowhere to be seen.
“Everyone’s here, then. Let’s begin.”
Ever had clearly checked the students’ numbers, so there was no way he hadn’t noticed Hei’s absence.
Yet, he proceeded with class anyway.
I raised my hand and said,
“Teacher, Hei isn’t here yet.”
“Ah, Hei has another duel scheduled, so he’ll join after it’s over.”
“With who?”
“He’s matched with Lamic Vir of the Water Element. It should be starting about now.”
Even though it was a required class, duels took priority.
And his opponent was from the Water Element—
A mage from one of the Water Element’s representative families, no less.
I had already faced him once before.
I’d thought Hei had no real rivals in Class 1, but if his opponent was from the Water Element, that was a different story.
The elemental affinity wasn’t in his favor, and this time, the outcome might not be so good.
A faint unease crept in—one I hadn’t felt during his duel with Hapert.
“Lamic Vir of the Water Element… Still, he was one of the more competent mages in Class 1.”
Banshi muttered quietly, seeming to share my thoughts.
“Yeah. I just hope… he’ll do well.”