The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 14

Amon, sitting in the audience, clasped his hands together.

‘Guys, I’m begging you, please.’

Do they know?

That he’d wagered 12 silvers, all of his remaining travel money, on ‘passing the first round of the tournament’ and that he was going to be damned if they didn’t?

While I was thinking about that, the crowd stood up as a voice boomed out.

“Everyone, stand.”

The low, deep voice rang out, and the entire crowd rose to their feet in unison.

An old man stepped onto the dais.

It was the Emperor of the Amonis Empire.

“Heh, heh, heh, sons and daughters of the Empire! How gracious of you to be here on such an auspicious day!”

The Emperor’s voice conveyed his heartfelt gratitude without pretense.

‘That’s the Emperor.’

Amon has never set foot in the capital before so it’s also the first time he’s seen the Emperor, even from afar.

‘A saint among saints who rules the current empire in a way that will be remembered in history.’

Sandrio Argia Amonis.

After his brief speech, he called out.

“Let the contest begin!”

At the same time as the shout, a magical feast lit up the sky!

Amon’s mouth dropped open at the splendor.

‘So this is the capital! How much magic and money must have been spent to put that on!’

In the midst of his admiration, the first part of the tournament, the swordsmanship section, began.

‘The swordsmanship section begins with a sword dance by all the participants.’

And there were dozens of students participating in the swordsmanship section.

As they rushed onto the stage, the spacious stage was almost overcrowded.

And in that situation, all of the contestants performed the ‘sword dance’ in unison.

‘The problem is that not all of the students were taught the same swordsmanship. They must have learned swordsmanship from different families and techniques.’

In other words, if they were all performing different sword dances in such a chaotic situation, there would be a lot of tumbling and falling.

‘…… But that’s why you can pick out the special few. The ones who have the ability to stay in the middle of the chaos and not lose their groove.’

And with dozens of people doing the same dance, there are always a few who stand out, like those who have a talent for drawing attention to themselves.

‘This group sword dance is about identifying them in advance.’

Amon could relax, then.

‘Boris and Chloe’s talent is not bad, especially when it comes to reading and avoiding the opponent’s moves!’

Chloe had proven that in the arena!

‘Boris is……nervous, that’s all.’

Anyway, Amon decided to relax and watch the sword dance…but after a while.

“Ugh! What the hell!”

“Sorry!”

“Hey, don’t get in my way!”

“Sorry!”

Boris was hitting other students with his wooden sword, tripping over their feet.

‘I’m screwed.’

Boris is wreaking havoc on the stage!

“What the hell, that rootless brat.”

“What academy is he from?”

Amon’s face flushed red at the commotion around him.

Marion’s face was also flushed.

He was drunk from the alcohol he had bought yesterday.

“Keukkeuk! Boris, you’re doing great!”

“……He’s not doing well.”

“Huh? He’s knocking down other students?”

“……He’s not supposed to knock them down.”

“Huh? Why?”

“……Just have a drink.”

“Yes! I like alcohol!”

Amon rolled his eyes.

‘Yeah, it’s just entertainment before the tournament starts.’

It has nothing to do with the tournament, I thought, closing my eyes and not watching.

Then it happened.

“Ohhh, that girl. She’s pretty good.”

“She’s very agile.”

Amon’s eyes widened at that.

‘Oh my! I was counting on you, Chloe!’

It wasn’t Chloe.

‘I’m so screwed.’

Chloe was tearing up the stage with Boris.

* * *

After the sword dance, the tournament began and after a few matches.

‘Chloe, you’re up first.’

Amon clasped his hands together and prayed for victory.

‘Please win, your odds were pretty high!’

Chloe, royalty of the ruined nation of Aran.

She had no name recognition, and the Amonis Academy is in shambles!

On top of that, her opponent is a scion of a famous noble family, and her academy is far more prestigious than the current Amonis Academy!

On the stage, Jura, daughter of Count Geese, pointed her sword at Chloe with a cold face.

“Hmph, did you say Chloe?”

“…….”

“You pushed me during the sword dance, didn’t you? To come out here with such clumsy swordsmanship……”

Chloe replied to Jura’s cold words.

“I did it on purpose.”

“……What?”

“I didn’t want Boris to stand out on his own.”

“What?”

As Jura frowned, the game started and just as the match started.

-Pow!

Chloe charged forward and swung her sword.

“……Ew!?”

Jura’s eyes widened as she tried to block Chloe’s sword.

Chloe’s sword suddenly changed its trajectory and shot toward her heart.

Since it was a duel assuming a real fight, if the heart or other vital parts were hit, it would be the end of the match.

‘I can’t lose like this……!?’

Puck-!

The sword aimed at her heart changed course again and struck her in the side.

“Ow!”

Jura clutched her side and fell back.

The examiner shouted.

“Chloe, one point!”

A point taken away!

Jura jumped to her feet in disbelief.

‘Wow, what just happened? She could’ve definitely hit the heart, but why the side……?’

Jura glared at Chloe and hunched her shoulders in disbelief at the sneer in Chloe’s eyes and the contempt in the corners of her mouth.

Chloe, who was shaking with excitement as she received cheers from the audience the moment she scored one point, said with an ecstatic smile.

“Can you do more?”

“……What?”

“You know, you can, can you?”

Jura realized.

‘Are you going to play with me?’

Jura lunged at Chloe, furious.

And then.

Puck-!

“Chloe, one point!”

Puck-!

“Chloe, one point!”

Puck-!

“That’s enough! Game over!”

Chloe’s relentless pummeling of all but the smallest parts of her body caused the referee to hastily stop the match.

“Your winner is Chloe Aran of Amonis Academy!”

At that moment, the cheers of thousands of spectators hit her.

Chloe looked around at the crowd, savoring the sensation, and smiled wickedly.

‘Hoo hoo hoo, the little pigs love it.’

Chloe smirked and walked off the stage.

Meanwhile, in the audience.

‘She won! Chloe did it!’

Amon wanted to jump up and down and clap, but he restrained himself, considering the stares of the crowd around him.

‘Ten times the odds! That’s sixty silver!’

Amon looked down at the stage once more.

Boris’s match was next.

‘His opponent is Exte from the House of Count Rada! But since Boris is of commoner origin, his odds are higher than Chloe’s!’

Almost 100 times the odds!

That means there are very few people who think Boris will win.

‘But Boris, the teacher believes in you!’

* * *

Amon’s faith in Boris was betrayed.

Although he fought hard against Exte, he was ultimately defeated.

‘So be it with my life.’

He looked up at the sky.

The six silvers he’d bet on Boris had grown wings and taken to the skies.

‘So my only hope is Chloe…….’

“Wow, that commoner boy. He’s amazing.”

‘Huh? What’s so great? Alas, he has the talent to blow away 6 Silvers in one fell swoop…….’

“I never thought he’d make such a good save against Exte…….”

‘……?’

I listened to the audience.

He was the favorite?

‘Boris, you may have lost, but you fought well!’

Amon quickly changed his mind.

‘Boris, even though you lost, your teacher is proud of you!’

The heart of a teacher!

After a while, the first round was over and it was time for the break.

I headed to the prearranged meeting point with the students.

“Hey, guys, good job!”

“Oh, teacher…….”

Boris was upset.

“Hey, what’s with the look on your face?”

“I’m sorry, I lost in the first round…….”

Amon patted him on the head.

“It’s okay, you did really well, it’s not your only chance today, is it?”

“Still…….”

“Don’t worry, you can build on today’s experience.”

The caring heart of a teacher!

At that moment, Chloe, who had been watching Amon and Boris, spoke up.

“Teacher.”

“Oh, Chloe!”

Amon belatedly patted Chloe on the head.

“You did so well, you were amazing.”

Chloe finally smiled.

“Thank you!”

“Yes, yes. You’re both hungry, aren’t you? Shall we go for lunch?”

“Yes, sir!”

That was the end of Teacher Amon.

Adult Amon said.

“But I’m on a tight budget, so I won’t be able to buy you anything as expensive as yesterday.”

“…….”

A few minutes later, while eating with the students at a nearby canteen.

Boris suddenly spoke up.

“But what about Mr. Marion and Vice Principal Brestle?”

Marion is probably drunk and sleeping sprawled out in the stands.

Brestle is still pouting from yesterday’s stern reprimand.

That’s why Amon says with a straight face.

“I don’t know, they’re probably both dead.”

“…….”

* * *

There were 50 silvers left after feeding the kids.

‘My only hope. My light and salt.’

Amon held out his pouch to the man.

“I’ll bet fifty silvers that Chloe wins the second round of the tournament.”

“Yes! Here’s your confirmation!”

Had the first game’s performance been so overwhelming?

The odds had dropped dramatically.

‘At least her opponent is the scion of a famous noble family.’

In the end, the odds were 4x.

A win would bring in a whopping 2 gold.

‘……That should be enough for traveling expenses.’

I can’t take any more risks, and if I win this time, I’m going to stop this unbecoming behavior as an educator.

And so Chloe’s second game began.

“Chloe, one point!”

Pfft, pfft-!

“Three points for Chloe! Alas, her opponent has forfeited! The winner is Chloe Aran of Amonis Academy!”

A deafeningly loud cheer erupted, and Amon clapped his hands in excitement.

‘Chloe, you’re the real deal!’

Even though her opponent had decent skills, Chloe won by playing around with them.

‘……Yes, but what’s wrong with her?’

Amidst the cheers and applause, Chloe began to shake.

“……She’s suddenly nervous?”

Over the mumbling, Boris said.

“Mr. Amon.”

What was Boris doing in the stands after being eliminated in the first round?

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, Chloe’s been acting a little strange lately.”

“Huh? Like what?”

“That…….”

Boris was about to say something.

“Whoa!”

Both Amon and Boris covered their ears at the sudden thunderous cheer.

‘Ugh, shut up.’

Amon clicked his tongue and jumped to his feet.

“Phew, Boris. I’m sorry, I have to go to the restroom for a minute.”

“Ah, yes.”

Amon, who had finally gone outside, headed to the person in charge of ‘private betting’.

“Here’s your confirmation!”

“Oh, congratulations. You get 2 gold.”

Amon nodded as he took the sack of money.

‘Well, I’ve got the traveling expenses, so I guess I’d better stop here, huh?’

This ‘betting’ thing I’m doing is unbecoming of an educator.

Zalak-!

Amon fiddled with the sack of gold, silver, and coins.

‘……But if I could get more, I could feed the children something tasty.’

He glanced at the children, who had just filled their bellies with cheap food.

‘And we’ll get a decent carriage ride back, too…….’

Amon glanced at the bracket.

‘……Who’s next up against Chloe, Raymond, and judging by the lack of a surname, is he a commoner?’

Amon nudged the tutor.

“What are the odds on the student, Raymond?”

“Hmm? Ah, he’s up against Chloe, let’s see.”

The man said, scanning the bracket and the previous rounds.

“It’s so close that it’s hard to believe Raymond will win. Plus, Chloe is so good at the game that the odds are low.”

The word “close” reminded me of Raymond’s match earlier.

‘Oh, so you’re the one who just showed up without an academy?’

He certainly had a bad game.

Rolling, falling, fumbling.

Which meant there were a lot of bettors who favored Chloe to win.

‘…… I don’t think I’m going to get much out of betting on Chloe.’

But it’s safer!

Amon was conflicted.

‘What should I do? It’s traveling money, and I’m not supposed to spend it.’

At that moment, the demon Amon whispered.

-Why not?

The angel Amon whispered back.

-You’ve been working hard, haven’t you? Trust the student.

Amon held out his money sack.

“I’ll bet one gold and fifty silvers that Chloe wins.”

“Yes! Here’s your check!”

Fifty silvers was a minimal conscience.

* * *

The boy, Raymond, scratched his head.

‘Grandpa….What kind of enlightenment can I gain from a competition like this……’

But he couldn’t disobey his grandfather’s orders.

‘In this contest, you will fight with your skills hidden as much as possible!’

Raymond sighed and tried to suppress his frustration.

‘Well, I’m sure he means well. Anyway, it’s almost time for the next match, so let’s go.’

Raymond, the hidden grandson of the Azure Sky Sword King, one of the Grand Sword Masters of the Empire, Reinbelt, stumbled to his feet.

‘If Chloe wins, the one gold and fifty silver will be worth two gold, so let’s use that as our traveling expenses, and the fifty silver left over from the bet can be used as an emergency fund……..’

Amon was planning his spending wisely.