"Hoho, it seems the level of academy students really does get stronger with each generation, huh, Duncan?"

"Hoh? I wouldn't go that far," Duncan replied with a small chuckle. "Some still say the emperor's generation—along with the Grand Duke—was by far the strongest in history."

"Well, that is partially true," Flora admitted, folding her arms as she looked toward the massive coliseum below. "But with the number of geniuses gathered this year, I think it's safe to say the current students have finally caught up… maybe even surpassed the old era."

The two continued their casual back-and-forth, clearly enjoying themselves as the noise of the Grand Continental Festival echoed around Lumen Academy.

Cheers, magic detonations, and roaring announcements blended into a constant roar of excitement.

"Fufu… it won't be long before the finals begin, huh, partner?" Flora said with a grin. "I wonder who'll take the crown this year."

"Last year it was the Golden Brilliance, right?" Duncan replied. "A former champion entering again… honestly, it makes sense. With what she's shown so far, every match she's in turns into a spectacle."

"True," Flora nodded. "But this year's setup is different. Rankings and years barely matter anymore."

She leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice just a bit.

"And for the first time in a while… there are people who might actually rival her."

Duncan's eyes narrowed with interest as he looked back toward the arena.

"…Yeah. That's what makes this festival special."

For the first time in years, even veterans like them couldn't predict the outcome so easily.

Soon, the scenery behind them shifted.

The open view of the coliseum faded, replaced by a clean, well-organized broadcast room.

Magical panels rearranged themselves smoothly as Duncan and Flora took their seats, the chairs adjusting to them automatically.

A large projected screen bloomed into existence beside them, filled with floating light runes and replay markers.

"Now then, everyone," Flora said brightly, clapping her hands once, "why don't we take a look at the greatest highlights of the competition so far!"

The screen flickered—and moments of intense battles began to play.

This idea had been decided earlier by the principal and the academy officials.

With the massive influx of spectators—especially foreign nobles, merchants, and visiting dignitaries—simply offering academy facilities and basic entertainment wouldn't be enough to keep people satisfied for an entire week.

So, they adapted.

By using live-recording orb stones placed all over the arena, the academy created broadcast feeds that could be projected anywhere—taverns, inns, hotels, even private lounges.

No matter where people were staying, they could watch the matches, replays, and commentary in real time.

And more importantly—

It kept everyone hyped.

On the screen, scenes flashed by: devastating spells, close-call victories, sudden reversals that made crowds scream.

Cheers could be heard even through the recording.

"Ranging across different academies and ranks," Duncan said as he leaned back, watching the footage, "the people expected to reach the finals really are full of monsters, hm~"

He paused, squinting slightly.

"Especially the ones from Lumen Academy… no, actually—now that I look at it, most of the students still participating are from Lumen, huh?"

He sighed dramatically and placed a hand over his chest.

"How shameful. My Asforth Academy couldn't even make it this far."

Flora laughed softly, clearly enjoying his exaggerated despair.

"Oh please, Duncan. You know that's not entirely true," she said. "Still… you can't deny it. This year, Lumen really is terrifying."

The highlights continued to play, each scene reinforcing the same thought shared by everyone watching.

This competition wasn't normal.

And whatever waited at the finals… wouldn't be normal either.

"Hehehe, well—our academy is the best after all," Flora said with a playful laugh, leaning closer to the screen. "But I get what you're feeling, partner. That said… everyone was really surprised by the level of battle prowess this year, hm? Especially these seven!"

As she spoke, the screen shifted again, splitting into multiple panels.

One highlight after another began to play.

The first showed Lucas stepping forward calmly, dismantling his opponent with clean movements and overwhelming force.

The match ended so quickly it almost felt unfair.

The next panel shifted to Seo.

She appeared in a blur—her blade already drawn.

Her opponent didn't even realize what was happening at first.

But unlike her usual instant finishes, this time she cut them down slowly, piece by piece, each strike precise, deliberate, almost experimental.

The crowd's reaction in the recording was… uneasy.

Then came Rose.

As expected, her match ended fast.

Spells formed, calculations completed, and the battle was decided before most people could even process what had happened.

Next was Snow, calmly raising her hand as her opponent's mana froze solid—locked, suppressed, and silenced before they could react.

The match ended without blood, but the dominance was clear.

The highlights continued.

Students from other academies showcased their own strength—clever tactics, rare affinities, and dangerous techniques.

One in particular drew attention: a young man named Felix Anders, whose rare celestial affinity for gravity allowed him to twist the battlefield itself.

It was more than enough to earn him a place among the finalists.

Yet despite all of that—

Despite the monsters, the prodigies, the geniuses—

Most eyes kept waiting for one person.

Even as the highlights looped, people leaned closer to the screens, murmuring the same name in taverns, inns, and private halls across the city.

"…But honestly," Duncan said slowly, narrowing his eyes at the display, "there's still one person everyone's been waiting for."

Flora smiled, knowing exactly who he meant.

"And it's not because of flashy spells or overwhelming stats," she added. "It's because no one can quite figure him out."

The screen darkened for a brief moment.

Then a new name appeared in glowing letters.

Riley Hell.

Although his fights ended quickly—almost eerily so—the way he won was nearly identical to Seo's.

Clean.

Efficient.

Over before the opponent even understood what went wrong.

There was no wasted movement, no unnecessary showmanship. Just results.

Given his rising influence and the mountain of rumors surrounding him, it was inevitable that Riley would draw attention.

But what truly caught the public's eye wasn't just how he fought.

It was the people who stood beside him every time he finishes his match.

By now, it was common knowledge—no longer whispers or speculation—that he was officially betrothed to Alice Holloway, Rose Brilliance, and even Princess Snow herself.

That alone was enough to shock most people. Any one of them would've been unthinkable.

Yet what surprised the crowd even more was how open his relationship had become with Seo Gyeoul… and a few other girls who were just as striking as the four everyone already knew.

Among them, the most talked about was Stacia Alger Del Luna.

After her defeat against Rose, most people expected distance. Rivalry. Awkward tension.

Instead, Stacia was often seen close to Rose, the two of them standing together as they cheered Riley on without a hint of resentment sometimes.

That alone overturned countless expectations and fueled even more rumors.

Hushed voices spread like wildfire.

"Sigh… Senior Riley's matches are a spectacle on their own," someone muttered with a dry laugh. "But seriously, you'd better be careful around him, fufu~"

Another voice followed, half-joking, half-honest.

"Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous… but he's got the skill to back it all up. No wonder beauties like them fell for him."

"Of course. He's the academy's hero, you know. Ah—but aside from his amazing battles and strength, did you hear there's another rumor going around?"

The announcer leaned in slightly, lowering her voice for effect. "I know everyone in the academy's curious, right?"

"Oh?" Duncan raised a brow, clearly entertained. "Now you've got me curious. Go on then, Flora—do kindly tell your partner."

"Well~ rumor has it that Senior Riley isn't stopping at just collecting all the beauties of our generation."

"Hoh? And what's that supposed to mean?"

Flora snapped her fingers, forming a small rectangle in the air as the projection shifted.

A highlighted image appeared on the screen.

"Someone claims they verified seeing him on a date with Aera Nari Gyeoul herself!"

"Oh my—going after the mother of his lover now, eh? He really is a player, hm—"

Bzzt!

The broadcast cut off abruptly.

Riley's brow twitched.

"…What the hell was that?"

"Fufu, did you not like it?" Alice's amused voice came from beside him.

"No."

Snow chuckled softly as she stepped forward, resting a hand on the magical orb and fully shutting down the projection.

"You know that kind of interruption costs a lot, you know."

"Ah… my bad."

"Fufu, it's fine." Snow turned to him with a teasing smile. "But what exactly made you so annoyed about that report?"

Riley didn't hesitate.

"Everything."

Snow laughed, clearly enjoying his rare, openly irritated reaction.

"Well, everything they've said so far came with my permission, so don't get too mad at those two."

Riley let out a long sigh, rubbing his temple. "Alright… but is this kind of thing really necessary?"

"Not exactly," Snow admitted calmly, crossing one leg over the other. "But it is the most effective form of distraction. You wanted people to ease off a bit too, didn't you? And even if you're annoyed, the academy's already seen a huge increase in revenue and sponsorships. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive."

"We just implemented this, you know."

"Yes," Snow replied with a small smile, "but I can already tell it's going very well."

Riley leaned back into the sofa, sinking into the cushions as he watched Snow neatly return to her seat across from him.

At the moment, only the two of them were in the student council office, the usual bustle conspicuously absent.

"You said you brought this idea to the principal a while ago, right?" Snow continued. "I honestly didn't think she'd agree to something this burdensome. Managing an operation on this scale in an academy this large… I can tell it must've taken a toll on her."

"Well, she moved the instant I mentioned money, so don't worry too much about her," Riley said lightly. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "But… is ruining my reputation even more really that necessary? When did they even get that recording of me and Aera, anyway?"

"Fufu~ I have my ways."

As Snow watched Riley's rare, genuine irritation, her smile deepened.

Maybe I should do this more often, she thought, finding the sight far more entertaining than she cared to admit.

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