Chapter 295: No Words Needed

By the time I returned to the prep room, Olivia was waiting for me.

She brightened the moment she saw me and offered a small but enthusiastic clap. “Lady Carine! Congratulations on your victory!”

“Thank you, Olivia.”

I gave her a polite smile as I walked past, but she didn't say anything else.

“Um... Lady Carine?”

I stopped and looked over my shoulder.

Olivia immediately straightened herself.

“I-I apologize if this is rude, but...” She fidgeted with her fingers, clearly reconsidering whether she should say anything at all. “Was your opponent… a little disappointing?”

I stared at her, blinking in silence.

She immediately looked away, waving her hand frantically.

“I-I mean, not that I am judging you! I just thought, since you won so quickly, and you don’t look too thrilled… perhaps...” Her voice trailed off as she nervously scratched her cheek. “A-Actually, never mind. Please forget I said anything!”

I sighed.

“No, you were right.”

Olivia froze, as if she had touched upon a topic she regretted.

“But I wouldn’t say he wasn’t good enough.” I turned my attention to the Luminite lantern above us, still swaying slightly. “Perhaps… it is I that is too much.”

Olivia stood still for a moment before offering an utterly confused “Huh?”

—

The moment I stepped into the stone hallway, the distant sound of the arena began to echo around me.

I followed the corridor toward the main entrance, still thinking about my match.

Maybe it’s time to accept that this academy really isn’t built for me.

I'd spent quite some time training and learning way before others had. As the Third Prince mentioned, many noble houses barely bothered to give their kin any education, believing the various academies would be enough as soon as they reach of age.

The fact that I was the outlier was… starting to rear its head more and more as time passed. With the first-year curriculum filled with only fundamentals, the chances of me meeting someone who was roughly my skill level in my year were rarer than finding a needle in a haystack.

What a terrible problem to have.

I sighed and continued walking. Then, as I rounded the corner, I nearly walked straight into someone. I stepped aside just in time, but then I noticed who it was I nearly bumped into.

“...Ravilenna.”

She stopped her pace as soon as I said her name.

She was walking toward the preparation rooms, meaning the upcoming match belonged to her. Her expression was focused, her posture straight, and her eyes were sending daggers at me.

For a moment, we simply looked at each other.

“Hmph,” she scoffed at me before moving past me at a relaxed pace.

I didn’t take offense to that. Instead, I turned my attention to the hall ahead of me and resumed my walk to the spectator stands above.

We had already exchanged our words before. Nothing else needed to be said. If fate permitted it, we would meet and talk on the arena sands, just as we'd both agreed when I watched her match against Villius.

But even though we exchanged nothing, I did walk away with something.

From the way she scoffed at me, the way she glared at me…

Ravilenna was still determined to fight me. There was no fear in her eyes.

Knowing that, I found myself grinning ever so slightly.

It would be great if I had the chance to spar with her at least once, in case we never meet in the arena. But I had placed my faith in her that she would do anything it takes to reach me. So, to respect that faith, I’d do my best as well.

—

When I finally made my way up to the spectator stands, I realized almost immediately how much the crowd had grown since yesterday. There were still plenty of empty seats in some places, but the hype of the tournament seemed to be only growing.

I made my way across the stands until I spotted Lionne, waving her arms the moment she noticed me.

“Lady Carine! Over here!”

I walked over, finding her sitting beside Eve, who was in her casual clothes, with her blonde hair tied back. The two of them shifted slightly to make room for me.

“Congratulations on your win!” Lionne said, grinning. “That was another quick match! As expected of Lady Carine!”

“Congratulations, Lady Carine,” Eve said calmly.

“Thank you…” I said, reluctantly.

I took the empty seat between them, resting my hands on my lap. Then, I turned to Eve.

“It feels like it's been ages since I've seen you, Eve.”

“I would say the same, Lady Carine.” Eve offered me an apologetic smile. “I am sorry for not being there during your matches yesterday. I ended up staying at my family's estate longer than I intended. There were a few matters I needed to take care of.”

“I see.”

Family matters tended to be either simple or complicated. There was rarely any in-between, so it was understandable.

She straightened herself before giving me a small smile. “But I am here now. Please know that I shall be here continuing to cheer for you from now on.”

I nodded. “I'm glad to have you back.”

Before we could continue our conversation, the announcer's voice suddenly boomed across the arena.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Our next match is about to begin!”

The crowd slowly grew louder as the announcer cheerfully continued speaking through the artifact.

The eastern gate rose, revealing Ravilenna standing behind it. She stepped onto the sands without wasting any time, her two wooden swords held firmly in her hands.

The sight alone brought a small smile to my face. It had only been a day since I last saw her fight, yet I found myself looking forward to seeing her on the sands again.

The western gate rose soon after. A student I didn't know personally stepped onto the sands, carrying a massive wooden sword over his shoulder. From what I saw yesterday, he was another heavy sword user, somewhat similar to Marina.

Though, thankfully, not nearly as terrifying. I didn’t sense any arm-snapping hunger in his eyes, at least.

I turned my attention back toward Ravilenna, who adopted her stance as soon as she reached her position.

I leaned forward ever so slightly as I stared at her and her opponent.

Would she fulfill her promise of meeting me in the arena?

Would she make it through the brackets and reach me?

Would I?

Only time would tell.

—

Nicholas sat alone in his room as he stared straight at the arena in the distance, the distant noise of the crowd barely audible to him.

Then, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Nina stepped inside. She closed it behind her before approaching his desk. She kept both hands together in front of herself, with a single piece of folded paper held between them.

Nicholas looked at it.

“So, is it done?”

“Yes, Lord Nicholas,” she responded; her words were quieter than usual.

Nina held the paper out, and Nicholas took it without much fanfare.

She remained beside his desk as he unfolded the paper.

Nicholas lowered his eyes.

The handwriting immediately reminded him of just how useful Nina's Talent had been.

[Perfect Scribe].

It was a rather unimpressive Talent at first glance. That Talent gave Nina perfect coordination and dexterity in her hands, allowing her to control every movement with a pen with extreme precision.

It was hardly something one would expect to be particularly useful. But fortunately, Nicholas had never been one to waste what was available to him.

He had already put her Talent to good use on numerous occasions, having Nina complete his projects and reports whenever his time was better spent elsewhere. With her ability to reproduce his handwriting perfectly, there was little reason for him to waste his own time on something she could accomplish just as well.

And now, that same Talent had found another use, perhaps being one of the keys to his whole plan.

Nicholas began reading the document; his eyes moved slowly across the page.

Nina remained silent.

After a few moments, he folded the paper once more, wearing a grin on his face.

“Excellent work, Nina.” He held the paper up slightly, waving it in front of her. “The handwriting is truly indistinguishable from hers.”

Nina didn't move.

Nicholas lowered the paper and extended it toward her. “Put it in an envelope. I want it prepared and ready to be sent to Carine. And after that, meet with those three students. Make sure they’re ready and that they know their job.”

Once again, Nina offered no response.

Nicholas looked up, his eyes narrowing. Then, he shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.

“Do I truly need to repeat myself, Nina?” he said, raising his voice slightly.

Nina flinched. Her eyes snapped open as she quickly reached out and grabbed the paper from his hand, holding it tightly against herself.

“N-No, Lord Nicholas! Forgive me!”

She immediately turned around and hurried toward the door, rushing out before closing the door behind her gently.

Nicholas stared at the closed door for a moment before shaking his head. He returned to his chair and leaned back, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

All the preparation was done. All that remained was to wait for both of them to take the bait.

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