Chapter 87.4 - The First Year at the Academy - Birthday Celebration (4)
We headed towards the venue of the martial arts tournament.
The city of Selene gets enveloped in a bustling atmosphere reminiscent of the New Year.
What was different from before was the presence of cute dolls hanging from the eaves of buildings.
These dolls were modeled after wall golems and hung up during the festival period to pray for a year of safety.
By looking around, I saw many stalls catering to these dolls.
As we glanced at young children carefully examining the dolls with serious expressions, we entered the northwestern part of Selene.
The venue for the martial arts tournament was the Rurukto Academy, the only academy with an arena for combat.
Rurukto Academy was one of the three major academies.
Rurukto himself was a real magician from a later era than Alphas and Lapnas, excelling more in political power than magical prowess.
He was said to have shaped the direction of the Council.
We soon arrived at the arena.
Its shape was elliptical, resembling more a football field than the ancient arenas of the past life.
We joined the line at the entrance and presented our student IDs. Students participating in the martial arts tournament had free entry, while other academy students and the general public paid a large copper coin for entry.
Surprisingly, many people were paying, making it seem like entertainment for the Birthday Celebration.
As we walked through the stone corridor, a bright exit drew near, accompanied by a growing clamor like the sound of the tide.
I shielded my eyes from the sudden sunlight. Beneath my palm, young people were wielding weapons.
They're quite skilled.
They're not very tall, probably 3rd-year students.
"Let's go over there."
Lambert pointed to the seats.
We took our seats and surveyed the arena.
There were more empty seats than I had expected.
The arena could hold around five thousand people, and only about half were filled.
Even the covered VIP seats showed no sign of occupancy.
The martial arts tournament had just begun, so it wasn't yet at its peak.
Nonetheless, I was still a bit moved.
The majority of the spectators were children of the same age.
Selene was known as an academic city, but to be honest, I hadn't felt it much before.
Even when walking through the city, I rarely came across groups of children, and since no academy had uniforms, it was hard to distinguish students from residents.
Seeing over a thousand children right in front of my eyes, I finally understood that this was indeed an academic city.
Among them, I focused on a group of conspicuous children.
They sat properly, shouting enthusiastic cheers.
Their attire was varied, yet they have a strange sense of unity.
"That's Rurukto Academy over there. They're required to support as part of their school rules."
Felix noticed my gaze and informed me.
"Really? We're free to do whatever."
"I believe most academies are like that. It's their home ground, so they probably don't want to lose."
I nodded, feeling a bit sympathetic.
No matter how much they cheer, it's going to be difficult to defeat Halvis. Our generation is facing a nightmare.
Glancing at the stage, it seemed the previous battle had ended, and another pair was clashing swords.
Just as I thought, it's probably like this.
Thanks to my accumulated experiences, I could sense the opponent's strength without using [Appraisal].
The boy wielding his sword desperately was around [One-handed Sword] 3, while his opponent was slightly lower, maybe [One-handed Sword] 2.
Considering overall strength, Lambert and Felix would probably have a good chance against them now.
These students in front of me weren't particularly weak.
There wasn't much difference among the students. Even by the 4th or 5th year. Do their levels didn't increase significantly?
Genuine talents like Halvis or me are rare.
The match ended, and another set of 3rd-year students stepped onto the stage.
The upperclassmen haven't appeared since earlier…
I had an uneasy feeling and asked Felix.
"Hey, could it be that only 3rd-years are participating today?"
"Please wait a moment."
Felix stood up and headed toward the Rurukto Academy students.
After a few exchanges, he returned.
"I apologize. The preliminary matches are for the 3third-years. Fourth and fifth years will participate in the main tournament. It's more than half a month away."
"I see. Can't help it if we've come all this way. Even the 3rd-years might have something to offer."
Lambert started saying something strange as I suppressed a sigh.
"Then, how about you explain the matches?"
"Explain… the matches?"
"You should be able to do it."
It's not about whether I can do it or not. What will I gain from it? To be honest.
"Unfortunately, I don't possess such a skill. Besides, what you guys understand is just—"
"That's not the point."
Lambert interrupted before I could finish.
His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes had a strange glint.
"Truth be told, I was planning to challenge you to a serious match at the right time."
Another incomprehensible confession.
Without waiting for a response from me, Lambert continued.
"After watching the mock battles, I realized you're better than me. However, I lost that motivation after the first term's outdoor exercises. I can't compete with you. Our strengths are too different."
Feeling unsure how to reply, I turned my attention to the match.
So, the leader battle was a turning point.
That's why he asked for my help.
Even if he could gauge my abilities through half-hearted mock battles, that alone should be enough to show his keen perception.
"The student on the left—his specialty is mounted combat."
Both Lambert and Felix turned their attention to my words.
"He wields a spear and wears riding boots."
"True, there's something attached to the heels."
"Beast's fang? Are they spurs?"
"That's right. He must have used shoes he's accustomed to. His thrust is sharp, but his handling is awkward. He prioritizes mounted combat so much that he didn't focus much on close combat."
As Lambert and Felix discussed, I pointed out the opposing student next to me.
"And the opponent's student is the shieldbearer."
"Shieldbearer… Just like an adventurer."
"It's quite characteristic. Skilled in defense to break down enemies. In return, he lacks offensive power."
"Neither is skilled in this type of battle."
I could understand even without using [Appraisal] at this level.
I could tell without any problem, after seeing numerous adventurers and gaining practical experience.
The battle between the two had the appearance of a fierce struggle, yet the spear user managed to win somehow.
He seemed to be a student from Rurukto Academy, as a wave of cheers erupted from a corner of the audience.
Waving to the audience, the spear user returned to the waiting room, casting a rather hostile glance in our direction.
Lambert spoke up.
"If it were a team battle, would the shieldbearer have won?"
"It depends on their overall abilities, but probably. Conversely, in mounted combat, the spear user would have the upper hand."
After that, I explained as much as I could.
It was more beneficial to speculate about the opponents' abilities based on their characteristics and plan how to approach the battle, rather than just watching passively.
Surprisingly, Lambert and Felix seemed to recover from their melancholic mood and watched the remaining matches with the seriousness one would expect on a battlefield.
However, I didn't gain much from this. I could strip opponents bare using [Appraisal] without observation, and with [High-speed Movement] and [Multiple Chanting], I could handle most opponents.
Realizing that I reflected on my actions.
That's why it's not working. I've pointed it out, yet I haven't learned my lesson.
The next contestants took the stage.
As I watched them, I placed my hand on my shoulder.
Perhaps I should train again. With my Shamshir.
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