Chapter 81

Before the match began.

On the day of the sports festival, Yusei asked a student from the Magic Department to gather information on the opponents. He shared the information on the key players of the Knight Department's top team. Among them was a marquis's son named Paige. He was said to be extremely proud, emotionally driven, and difficult to work with. Yusei thought he wouldn't include such a person on his team. While Paige was strong, he couldn't play as a team.

—If he goes out of control, he might even weaken the team.

Yusei considered provoking him but decided against it. His mother had told him, "Fight honorably." While it might not be as exciting, he had already made Lucian the hidden ace. As a prince, he should avoid doing anything that would tarnish his reputation. Besides, Paige seemed likely to lose control just because he underestimated the Magic Department team or because Lucian easily caught the ball. He would probably self-destruct easily. Yusei had a good feeling about it.

Before the game, they drew lots to decide who would go first. Sevirus was the leader of the Knight Department, and Yusei was the leader of the Magic Department. The Knight Department was chosen to go first, and Sevirus threw the ball to one of the officers. The game began.

Lucian, who had been closely watching the two, did not miss Sevirus's quick glance. —Is he planning something? There was no initial strategy when he overheard the team's discussion. It must be a plan between the leader and the officer who received the ball first. The officer with the ball immediately targeted Yusei. It seemed they had planned it in advance. Without hesitation, he jumped and threw the ball from a high position directly at Yusei. It was an incredibly fast pitch.

The ball used in the Royal Academy's capture-the-flag game is a magical device. It maintains its speed but absorbs the impact when it hits, preventing injuries. While it still hurts, it's not enough to cause serious damage. It's a strange sensation, as the ball is so fast that it's hard to see its trajectory, yet it's not that heavy.

Nevertheless, a fast pitch coming at you is quite thrilling. Lucian was positioned to protect Yusei from behind the officer's area. Yusei probably anticipated this attack. Lucian watched the ball's trajectory, jumped to catch it, and, while still in the air, used the ball's momentum to aim at an enemy officer. The leader of the enemy team was surrounded by large officers, and there were no visible vulnerable spots. So, he decided to take out the officers first. He aimed at the feet of a large student.

*Whoosh.*

The ball, thrown at a speed almost invisible to the eye, hit the officer's feet and bounced high. The referee blew the whistle. For a moment, the field was silent, then it erupted in cheers. —...Just for taking out one officer? The one taken out was not the king but an officer. However, it was a significant shock for the Knight Department team.

The officer who had grabbed the ball from the ground, his face red with excitement, threw it again, this time targeting Yusei. —He's persistent. He must really want to win the game from the start. But the leader, Sevirus, seemed to be trying to stop him. Lucian, seeing this, caught the ball again at a high point and, pretending to aim at another officer, switched to target the officer instead. If the game ended in a time limit, taking out officers and officers would increase their score. He aimed at the feet of an officer who seemed to be off guard.

He threw the ball at an impossible-to-dodge left foot with a speed that matched the enemy's. —It hit! The referee blew the whistle again. Another loud cheer. Paige's persistent targeting of Yusei made it easier for Lucian. Yusei's instructions kept Lucian close to him, but Paige kept throwing the ball at Yusei, ensuring Lucian could always catch it. Yusei's instructions also meant Lucian avoided targeting the stronger officers, based on the information from Patrice's reconnaissance. However, there were no more officers or officers left to target, so he started taking out the infantry.

He wanted to crush them completely. Paige, pushing his way through his teammates, kept securing the ball and targeting Yusei, despite being scolded by the leader and other members. Yusei's team welcomed Paige's solo play. Yusei had instructed them not to take out Paige, so they focused on the infantry. However, Paige, trying to catch a ball Lucian threw at the infantry, ended up hitting himself.

"Ah, I hit it..."

Lucian couldn't help but let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Damn it, remember this!"

Paige slammed the ball into the ground. The crowd booed loudly. Lucian understood the feeling. Paige was disrupting the team and self-destructing.

When Paige was out, the targeting of Yusei stopped. Lucian observed that Paige was the only one targeting Yusei. The other members probably weren't targeting Yusei. Or, they were, but Paige was too focused on his own goals. Perhaps he wanted to show off his knightly strength. But it failed. The enemy started taking out their infantry. It was the normal flow of the game. However, Lucian had already taken out three officers and officers.

Each officer and officer is worth 20 points, so the total was 60 points. The enemy was down 60 points. To make up for the 60-point deficit, they would need to eliminate 20 infantry, as each is worth 3 points. The game was almost over, but it wasn't.

The enemy took out the last infantry of the Magic Department. The muscular students charged in. Yusei retreated to the back, and the officers and officers of the Magic Department formed a tight circle around him. They had 9 people left: 4 officers, 4 officers, and Yusei. The enemy had 12 people left: 6 infantry, 1 officer, and 5 officers. The enemy king was on the throne, watching them.

If the game ended in a time limit, the Magic Department would win. It was a shame they couldn't take out more infantry and run to the enemy side. Running to the enemy side was fun, but they couldn't even take out half the infantry. The Knight Department was formidable.

There was no choice. They would have to protect Yusei until the time limit. Some of the remaining members, known for their enhanced physical strength, were still there. They dodged with the agility of beasts. The teams seemed evenly matched. As they continued, one of their officers was taken out. The point difference was now just 2 points. Glen caught the ball as it rolled into the enemy's territory.

He aimed for an enemy officer's shoulder. The feet were guarded, so he aimed for the shoulder. He thought it was a good throw, but the enemy's dynamic vision and reflexes were incredible. The ball was caught. The enemy officer, feinting, launched an attack while stepping in. Lucian dashed to defend.

The officer jumped and prepared to throw the ball. The enemy was taller, but Lucian had better jumping power. He caught the ball, pretended to aim at the infantry, and then looked at the enemy king on the throne. He coiled his body and threw the ball with all his might. The invisible fast pitch was aimed at the enemy king.

The king tried to dodge, but the ball grazed his left foot. The referee blew the whistle.

"Liar, he dodged!"

The Knight Department protested, but the enemy king was honest.

"Sorry, I missed it."

He scratched his head. The Knight Department members hung their heads as the game ended.

After the game, Lucian was surrounded by the Knight Department members.

"Wow, you're amazing. Join the knight corps."

"Your physical enhancement is incredible."

"Are you joining the mage corps?"

He was asked repeatedly and politely declined, saying, "I'm the heir, you know."

"You don't have to take over immediately."

"True, you can become a knight and work first."

"Transfer to the Knight Department."

"How good is your swordsmanship?"

Yusei came to his rescue.

"Even if you become a knight, Lucian will be my bodyguard, so the knight corps is out."

His regal demeanor was impressive.

"The Magic Department was hiding something, I see."

Sevirus, the leader of the Knight Department, said sarcastically. Lucian realized the initial targeting of Yusei was to find the hidden ace.

"You did a good job hiding it."

Yusei smiled.

"Indeed, you'll make a great king."

"True."

The young knights laughed, looking pleased. Lucian thought it made sense. A king like this would be more reliable for the knights.

When they were called by the referee, they gathered on the field, and the winning team was announced, followed by cheers.

Yusei and Lucian went to greet the royal family.

"Father!"

"Mother!"

They ran to their family. Odine had arrived a bit earlier.

Yusei went to the king and queen, and Lucian was embraced by his father.

"Great victory."

He was praised by his father. Heine was smiling.

"Good job!"

Uncle Robert ruffled Lucian's hair.

"Uncle, it was my strategy that won."

Yusei said, and Robert replied, "You can be more devious," while Sirius laughed and patted his shoulder, saying, "Don't be so blunt!"

The scene with the royal family drew attention. Especially the handsome and rarely seen Count Sariel Vione and his adopted son, Lucian, who was rumored to be taken in by the Vione family. They looked so much alike that they could be mistaken for father and son.

—Is he not an adopted son?

Everyone wondered. The king and queen and the princes clearly doted on the count's son, Lucian, as if he were a true nephew. Lucian's chestnut hair and amber eyes were the same color as the king's. Just by the color of his hair and eyes, one could suspect a blood relation. Moreover, Lucian's talent for physical enhancement magic, shown during the game, was remarkable—almost like a royal.

Lucian's origins were a mystery. But the nobles present thought:

—The Vione family has added royal blood.

At that moment,

"Lucian!"

A clear, bell-like voice rang out. The delicate, resonant voice made everyone stop and listen, and the noise around them quieted. It was an angelic voice.

"Valerie!"

Looking over, they saw Odine's sister, Valerie, and Yusei's brother, Ecart, being led by their attendants. Both were 5 years old. Valerie was of average height for a 5-year-old, but Ecart was tall enough to pass for 8.

Jules lifted Valerie, who was trying to run to Lucian.

"Lucian"

Valerie reached out her hand. It was a well-known family anecdote that the first word Valerie spoke, after not talking until she was 3, was "Lucian," the name of her cousin introduced to her at the time. Jules, the doting father, lamented that her first word wasn't "Father."

"Are the two of you here?"

Odine looked displeased. It was understandable. Ecart was as mischievous as a wild monkey, and Valerie was noisy because of her father, Jules.

"...I didn't want to bring them because they might cause trouble at the school, but..."

Sirius seemed a bit weak.

"They can't behave well for long, so we decided to bring them in the second half. They were over there for the last part of the game because they were running around."

Queen Noelle pointed to a seat closer to the field, where the guards were lined up.

"Ecart, were you well-behaved?"

Yusei asked suspiciously, implying that Ecart couldn't possibly be well-behaved.

"I was!"

He said, then immediately started running, shouting, "It's so big here!" The attendants and guards chased after him. The criterion for choosing Ecart's attendants was their ability to enhance their physical strength and run fast.

"Lucian"

Valerie, held by her father, reached out her hand to Lucian, who said, "It's been a while," and stroked her hair.

"Stroke more."

Valerie pouted, and Jules made an obvious displeased face.

"Uncle looks unhappy. My hands are dirty because I haven't washed them."

Lucian tried to pull his hand back, but Valerie's white, flower-like fingers grabbed it.

"It's okay if they're dirty! Father, I don't like you!"

Jules looked devastated, and the adults around them were speechless.

"...Lucian, stroke Valerie. I'll allow it."

"...Okay."

Lucian gently stroked Valerie's silky, platinum hair. The scene hinted at the future relationship between the three of them.

The school chapter "Study well, train well!" is now complete.

Thank you for reading.

The sudden appearance of the younger brother and sister and the lack of information made this chapter quite long, so I'll cover more in a side story.

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