219 A New Semester A New Evaluation 9


    "Stacia, why are you reading that book again?"


    The tutor''s voice wasced with curiosity as she stood by the doorway, observing her young charge, the princess, who was sitting in a grand,vishly decorated room.


    Sunlight filtered in through the towering windows, casting a soft glow over the elegant furniture and gold-embroidered curtains.


    The young Stacia lifted her head from the book, a slight tilt of confusion crossing her delicate features as she regarded her tutor.


    "Hmm? What do you mean by that, teacher?" she asked, her soft yetmanding voice matching her regal posture as she sat on the plush armchair. "What''s wrong with me partaking in my interest in this book?"


    The tutor, a wise and experienced schr with years of service to the royal family, couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    "There''s nothing wrong with cultivating an interest, Your Highness," she began cautiously, stepping further into the room. "But haven''t you already read that book before? If my memory serves me right, you''ve never been the type to indulge in something you already know."


    The observation wasn''t just casual small talk.


    Stacia was known, even at her young age, for her remarkable intellect and insatiable hunger for knowledge.


    The tutor had witnessed firsthand how quickly the young princess devoured books on history, politics, magic theory, and strategy.


    Her curiosity was vast, and her ability to absorb information was unparalleled.


    Once she grasped the contents of a subject, she would set the book aside, never looking back, always moving on to the next challenge. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yet here she was, flipping through the familiar pages of a children''s storybook—something far beneath the advanced level she typically indulged in.


    Stacia didn''t immediately respond, her eyes drifting back to the open pages in front of her. She ran her fingers lightly over the aged parchment, tracing the delicate illustrations with a wistful smile.


    "Is there something about the book you''re curious about, perhaps?" her tutor asked, noticing the furrowed brow of the young princess as she continued to stare at thest page of the book.


    "Actually, there is."


    "What is it?"


    Holding the book delicately in her hands, Stacia turned it slightly and pointed to the final passage, where the tale of the brave hero concluded in the usual, predictable manner—"happily ever after." The hero had triumphed over evil, saved the kingdom, and lived out his days content with his rewards.


    "Why was the hero satisfied with his reward?" she asked, her voice carrying the weight of genuine confusion and curiosity.


    The tutor blinked, taken aback by the question. It was the kind of inquiry that, on the surface, seemed simple—one you might expect from a young child encountering stories of heroism for the first time.


    But knowing Stacia, this wasn''t just a child''s innocent wonder. The question held deeperyers of thought.


    "Why was the hero satisfied?" the tutor repeated, trying to formte an answer that would do justice to the princess''s sharp intellect.


    "Well, he hadpleted his journey, defeated the viin, and earned his rightful ce among the people. It''s the traditional reward for a hero, after all. He was happy because he had fulfilled his purpose."


    But Stacia didn''t look convinced. In fact, her lips pursed slightly, and her eyes narrowed as if the answer only deepened her confusion.


    "That''s what everyone says," she muttered, her gaze returning to the book. "But it doesn''t make sense to me. He was born with power, talent, and the ability to rise above everyone else. And yet, in the end, he was content with such... trivial rewards. Why would someone who is destined for greatness settle for the same fate as those beneath him?"


    It wasn''t the first time Stacia had asked this question, and it wouldn''t be thest.


    Every exnation she had been given felt inadequate, unsatisfactory, and almost naive.


    To her, the ending of the hero''s journey felt hollow—his eptance of mediocrity after all he had aplished seemed like nothing short of a failure in her eyes.


    "For someone who raised at the top to ept the rewards of those below…"


    It was iprehensible.


    …..


    [High-Grade me Magic]


    [Infernal ze]


    Stacia''s magic red to life almost instantly, engulfing her entire form in a zing armor of searing mes.


    The intense heat radiated off her, distorting the air around her body and sending ripples of warmth through the arena.


    The ground beneath her began to crackle, scorched by the mere presence of her power.


    As her mes roared and grew, they wrapped around her like a living entity, protective yet aggressive, as if warning everything and everyone to stay away.


    The mes began to resonate with her sword, [Ignis], causing the de to ignite even more fiercely.


    The mes erupted from the weapon, extending its reach, and giving it an appearance as if it were forged from the very core of a volcano.


    With every pulse, the power of her fire magic grew, the heat bing nearly unbearable to those nearby.


    She knew that if Riley was to reim his ce in the spotlight, he needed to be pushed, tested, and forced to prove himself.


    She wasn''t just here for a show, and this wasn''t some mere exhibition match.


    This duel had a purpose far greater than personal glory.


    For Riley to be worthy of the title that once adorned his name, the title that had been cast aside, he had to demonstrate his capability, and she would make sure of it.


    There was no room for mockery or negligence in this fight.


    No one would question his strength by the end of this.


    "Battle Start!!!" the professor''s voice rang out, signaling the beginning of their duel.


    Without hesitation, Staciaunched forward, her body moving like a streaking me, leaving a trail of scorching heat in her wake.


    Her speed was overwhelming, like a fiery arrow released from a drawn bow.


    The torrent of mes followed her every move, swirling around her with a destructive energy, as she closed the distance between herself and Riley in an instant.


    Her target was clear—Riley''s heart.


    WHOOSH!


    The air howled as her ming de cut through it, aiming directly for his chest.


    The heat of the de alone was enough to singe the earth beneath her, but the true powery in the magic imbued within her strike.


    As her de neared its target, a thunderous roar followed.


    BOOM!


    A deafening explosion echoed throughout the arena, mes exploding out from the tip of her sword in a brilliant burst of fiery destruction.


    The force of the st was enough to shake the ground, sending shockwaves through the gathered crowd. She was certain she had hit her mark.


    The feel of contact—the split-second confirmation that her attack had connected—was there.


    And yet... something felt off.


    CLANGGG!!!


    The sound of metal colliding echoed throughout the arena, reverberating in the air like a thunderous bell.


    Sparks flew wildly from the sh of Stacia''s ming de against something far more solid than she had anticipated.


    Her hand trembled from the shock, the force of the impact sending waves of vibration up her arm.


    She felt her body involuntarily thrown off bnce, forced to retreat as the weight of her own weapon pushed her back.


    Stacianded with a skid on the opposite end of the battlefield, eyes wide with shock.


    How had this happened?


    Her heart raced as she looked up, only to see Riley, standing in the center of the st she had unleashed,pletely unharmed.


    His posture was casual, as if the explosion that had just rattled the stage didn''t even touch him.


    Not a single scratch marred his body, and there was no sign that he had been affected at all.


    He countered me before I even realized it?


    Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just urred.


    Her attack had been fast—no, it had been instantaneous.


    There was no way Riley could have reacted in time, and yet, here he was, standing calmly as if the mes had simply washed over him without effect.


    He blocked it? The thought was baffling, but Stacia didn''t have time to dwell on it.


    She could feel it.


    Riley''s mana suddenly spiked, his energy radiating outward like a surge of power waiting to be unleashed. Her instincts screamed at her to move.


    Without thinking, Stacia ducked.


    SWIIISHHH!!!


    A sharp gust of wind sliced through the air just above her, apanied by a blue translucent light, razor-thin but deadly.


    The crescent-shaped arc of mana soared through the spot where her neck had been mere moments ago.


    The speed of Riley''s strike was beyond anything she had ever seen, far faster than she had anticipated. If she hadn''t dodged in time... Stacia swallowed hard, the realization settling in.


    That strike could have taken her head clean off.


    ''Was he trying to kill me?''


    Her mind reeled, trying to catch up with the pace of the battle. How was he this fast? She hadn''t even fully regained her footing before his de had nearly decapitated her.


    But Stacia wasn''t one to back down.


    The mes around her red up once more, her magic roaring to life.


    She could feel the heat intensifying, building inside her, and with a burst of energy, she surged forward again.


    She had to push him back, regain control of the distance, and reim her territory.


    If she could envelop Riley in her mes, she might be able to turn the tide of the battle.


    But...


    THUD!


    Before she could evenunch her next strike, a sharp, gut-wrenching pain exploded from her midsection.


    "Phaah!!"


    The breath was knocked from her lungs as she felt Riley''s kick m into her stomach, sending her flying backward.