Chapter 292: No Fun

“Ladies and gentlemen! Our final match of the day is about to begin!”

The announcer’s voice boomed through the arena, immediately drawing another wave of cheers from the crowd.

“From the eastern gate, please welcome Carine of Class Honors!”

After taking a deep breath, I stepped out into the arena.

For the second time today, my boots touched the sand. Different boots this time.

I kept my gaze forward and my grip firm around the wooden sword as I made my way toward my designated position. The cheers surrounding me were louder than before, likely because this was the final match of the day, but I barely paid them any attention.

Right now, I only cared about one thing.

What kind of fight are they saving for last?

“From the western gate, please welcome Reikos of Class Raven!”

The western gate rose.

A young student stepped out from the darkness beyond it, his short blonde hair catching the afternoon light as he walked into the arena. He carried a finely crafted wooden rapier in one hand, and unlike some of the fighters I'd seen today, his expression held no hint of nervousness.

If anything, he looked amused.

Reikos approached his position and stopped across from me. He raised the rapier in a refined stance, holding it straight before him as his eyes locked onto mine. Then, with a small smirk, he began to move his blade.

The rapier traced a smooth line through the air.

Another flick followed, then a turn, the wooden blade drawing elegant patterns as it moved. It was clearly meant as a warm-up, but there was something… beautiful about the way it moved.

When I traced a line around the tip of his rapier, I realized he was drawing a pattern.

I had a feeling this wasn’t just him showing off.

Well, maybe a little.

But perhaps this was his way of telling me of the control he had over his weapon. Whatever he had in store for me, it was going to be a surprise.

My grip around my sword tightened.

Reikos lowered his rapier and smiled. “Let us make this a fight worth watching, Lady Carine.”

I responded with the best smile I could muster and one small nod. “Indeed.”

Very well.

I won't hold back.

The announcer began the countdown as we settled into our stances.

“Three… Two… One… Begin!”

—

“And another quick finish! The winner of our last match is Carine Sareid!”

I stared at the defeated Reikos before me, lying down on the sand, barely conscious.

No… this can’t be it.

There’s no way this is it?!

I stood there for several seconds, staring at him, trying to convince myself that he would get back up and reveal that everything so far had merely been an elaborate trick, or a play.

Maybe he had another weapon.

Maybe he was giving himself a handicap.

Maybe he was going to suddenly open his eyes and reveal some terrifying hidden technique.

Anything.

Come on.

Do something.

Do anything!

Reikos remained silently drooling down on the sand, as if my strike was the lullaby that finally gave him a proper nap.

I took a deep breath… and let out a slow breath through my nose.

It took me a moment to admit that I had vastly overestimated him.

But honestly, how could anyone blame me?!

He came through the gates with a confident smirk that was so sharp he could probably cut things with it.

Then he pulled out that finely crafted rapier and started drawing those beautiful patterns through the air like some kind of refined master swordsman.

What was I supposed to think?!

I had genuinely thought the academy saved the best match for last.

After seeing how much fun the rest of the fights of the day were… From my own fight with Marina, Villius’s intense fight with Ravilenna, Clarissa’s dominance against her opponent, Kyro and Attila’s wrestling match…

After all of that, was it really unreasonable for me to expect something exciting?

Instead, what I got from mister “beautiful patterns” here… was just that.

Beautiful patterns.

There was no hidden meaning behind those elegant strikes. No hidden techniques. No clever trap. No brilliant strategy designed to lure me into making a mistake.

Nearly all of his movements basically delivered a feast of openings right to me.

I clicked my tongue as I turned towards the gate.

“How disappointing,” I lamented.

The crowd erupted into cheers behind me. Apparently, they were having a much better time than I was.

The announcer continued shouting excitedly, officially bringing the first day of the tournament to a close, but I barely listened.

I just kept walking, a cold scowl etched on my face.

—

I stood alone on the cobblestone road in front of the arena entrance. Droves of people poured out behind me as the first day of the tournament officially came to a close.

I stared at the countless stalls lining the road, many of their owners beginning to hang Luminite lanterns as the sun slowly set.

A sea of students and guests were enjoying the festive vibes, sampling the various foods and drinks being offered while chatting about the earlier matches, how much they had enjoyed them, and whether the price of the ticket had been worth it.

It was supposed to be a beautiful, relaxing scene. One that would pull me in to join in on the vibes.

But throughout it all, I couldn't help but feel frustrated.

What were they thinking?

Why would the tournament organizers put me in the final match of the day?

If my match as Carine was supposed to be the grand finale, then who decided that Reikos was the perfect person to put against me?

Did they even check the matches beforehand?

Surely someone had looked at the participants and thought, “Yes. This will be a spectacular way to end the day.”

What did they see that I didn't?

Surely there were better options for a proper final match of the day?

“Haa…” I let out a heavy sigh.

Perhaps I was being too harsh.

But still...

What a terrible way to end a tournament day.

“Lady Carine!”

I turned around.

Lionne was making her way toward me through the crowd, waving enthusiastically. Villius followed beside her with a small smile.

“There you are!” Lionne said. “Congratulations on your victory! You made that look so easy!”

That’s exactly the problem, dear Lionne.

“Congratulations, Lady Carine,” Villius added with a small clap. “It was an impressive showing.”

“Thank you, to both of you,” I replied politely.

Lionne glanced toward the stalls, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Lady Carine! Now that the matches are over, don’t you want to explore the stalls?”

She pointed toward the road ahead, where rows of food, drinks, and trinkets were softly illuminated by the slight green tint of average-grade Luminite. The smell of freshly cooked food drifted through the air, mixing with the chatter of guests leaving the arena.

“I'll tag along as well, if neither of you mind,” Villius said.

I looked toward the rows of stalls, then back at the two of them.

For a moment, I considered declining.

I was still annoyed. Not enough to ruin my evening, maybe, but enough that I could easily imagine myself wandering back to the dorm and spending the rest of the night complaining about the tournament organizers in my head.

But...

That seemed rather pointless.

The tournament was over for today. My match had already happened, and there was nothing I could do about how it had been arranged.

I let out a small sigh, finally allowing some of the tension to leave my shoulders.

“...Very well,” I said. “I suppose a little exploration wouldn't hurt.”

Lionne's face immediately lit up.

“Really? Great!” Lionne turned towards the stalls. “Let’s start from here and work our way around! Let me know if anything interests you, Lady Carine!”

“I shall.”

I couldn't help but smile faintly as I followed.

Well, at least the evening can still be salvaged.

And, as it turned out, it was.

The three of us wandered through the streets surrounding the arena, stopping by whatever caught our attention.

There were all sorts of accessories on display, from simple academy-logo trinkets to more elaborate pieces decorated with patterns inspired by Setus's flag.

Lionne seemed particularly interested in those, while Villius and I found ourselves stopping at a stall selling toy wooden swords and shields.

We moved on to the food stalls afterward, where we found plenty of things that looked absolutely delicious.

And some things that smelled absolutely horrifying.

There were also more drinks than I could count, ranging from familiar fruit juices to strange concoctions where the seller swore it preserved youth.

We passed by the same meat kebab stall from earlier. The moment I saw it, however, I didn't remember the taste of the meat. I remembered Marina, her story about the Dire Boar's gory potential, and the fact that Feyt's arms had nearly been snapped in two.

Thankfully, Lionne took the hint that I wasn’t particularly interested in the meat kebabs anymore, and promptly moved us along.

By the time the evening drew to a close, I had to admit it.

The evening was salvaged. Mostly at least.

I had eaten some good food, seen plenty of interesting things, and spent some time with friends.

But as we made our way back to our dorms through the lantern-lit streets, I couldn't help but look back toward the arena one last time. With that, I had one last message for the tournament organizers.

Dear Tournament Organizers,

Tomorrow better be a fun day.

Or else.