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The road to hell was often beautifully paved. That was why those unaware of the destination happily headed towards hell, and even those who knew took heavy steps, finding comfort in the pretty path.

“I heard Charles accepted the challenge! As expected, he wants to face me again too!”

“No, that’s— Never mind.”

Erich seemed like he was about to say something to Rutis, who was laughing joyfully, but he closed his mouth again. He probably didn’t feel confident in winning against the prince’s crazy values with logic.

Instead, Erich looked at his textbook with a somewhat bitter gaze, perhaps feeling sympathy for Charles who must have accepted the nomination while looking like he was drinking poison. At that moment, I felt glad that my brother was a good person who could sympathize with others.

I’m sorry.

I also expressed my condolences and apologies to Charles, who wasn’t here. If even Erich, who was just an observer, felt this way, then imagine my guilt as a participant in this scheme. My recommendation letter probably played an important role in getting Charles to accept the nomination. In other words, I was one of those who paved his road to hell.

I do feel bad, but what could I do? I was shocked when I first heard that Rutis had chosen Charles, but thinking about it carefully, there was no better choice.

It’s hard to find someone like him.

If it were just about finding a strong student, that would be easy. Erich, for instance, was stronger than Charles, and even excluding Erich, there were probably five or six others.

However, accurately assessing both the opponent’s and one’s own capabilities and engaging in a courteous sparring match without causing any harm went beyond mere strength. That went beyond mere skill; it was an art form. You’d probably need to be a veteran training instructor to even attempt it.

That was why I wrote a recommendation letter for Charles, who was still only in his second year. If one had to suffer because of their abilities, then shouldn’t they at least be guaranteed success with those abilities? That was all I could do for him.

“It would have been nice if Charles was an Armein noble.”

I gently closed my eyes as I heard Rutis murmur regretfully. What a cruel bastard—if Charles was an Armein noble, then Rutis would probably seek him out even after graduating from the academy.

It was really fortunate that Charles was from the Empire.

***

When I heard that Rutis had chosen his duel partner, I wasn’t particularly interested. I felt sorry for Charles, who had become the prince’s dedicated opponent, but that was it. Unlike Rutis, I had no intention of choosing a duel partner.

I might’ve reconsidered if I had known I would be in the same position as Charles.

“Teacher.”

“Ah, Louise.”

I was called to the faculty office by the head instructor of the magic department. Actually, I had been called frequently since the start of the school year because the head instructor respected my master, but this was the first time I’d been called to the faculty office instead of the head instructor’s private office.

I understood why as soon as I saw the pile of papers stacked on the head instructor’s desk.

“I’m sorry to bother you when you’re busy, but these are the students who have requested you as their duel partner for the upcoming practical exam.”

The head instructor’s calm explanation made me freeze on the spot.

That entire stack? All of them chose me…?

There are too many.

A chill ran down my spine. With only slight exaggeration, the stack looked almost equal to the total number of second-year Magic Department students—no, on second thought, there might not be any exaggeration at all.

“There are many applicants, but you don’t need to worry. You’ll only have one match anyway, so you just need to choose one from among them.”

Those words made me feel a little relieved. It was natural for duels to be one-on-one, but without that obvious constraint, I might’ve been stuck fighting every single second-year magic student nonstop.

Still, the relief didn’t erase my mixed emotions. Did everyone in the department see me as an enticing target? Or did I have a grudge against someone I wasn’t aware of? Either way, it wasn’t a good situation.

I’ve lived a good life…

I never expected to suddenly become the public’s number one enemy. Had I been living a meaningless life all this time…?

“Don’t overthink it. To these students, dueling with you is a once-in-a-lifetime honor.”

Seeing my expression darken, the head instructor spoke with a small smile.

“Mages are beings who would jump into a fire pit for even the tiniest revelation. How could they stay still with the only disciple of Her Grace the Mage Duchess right next to them?”

“R-Really?”

“Of course. A mentor always leaves their mark on their disciple. How helpful would it be to directly experience that disciple’s magic?”

The head instructor even added that they would’ve chosen me too if they were still a student, and I could only nod in response.

So that was what it was about. It wasn’t out of grudge or competitiveness, but purely because they wanted to experience my magic firsthand.

That’s even more dangerous.

A different kind of chill ran down my spine. A human grudge would’ve been easier to handle, but the relentless curiosity of a magician was a whole other level of danger.

I had seen many mages during my time as a magic department student. They all seemed normal usually, but they became serious and aggressive as if their personalities had changed when it came to magic-related issues. I’d heard mages were supposed to maintain their composure at all times, but apparently, that rule had its exceptions.

Who should I choose?

So, I felt troubled. Among these frenzied students, who should I choose to avoid future problems?

Of course, it wasn’t that the others would hold a grudge if I didn’t choose them. No, the problem was the opposite: it was harder to predict what people without grudges might do. After all, fear of the unknown was always the strongest.

Ah.

That dilemma was quickly resolved.

I remembered what Rutis said in the club room. His persistence in continuing last year’s rivalry into this year suddenly clicked.

“Charles Olreed, he’s a truly exceptional knight. I wanted to face him again this year, so I signed up immediately!”

Alright, I should do the same.

If I have to choose anyway, then it’s better to go with someone I know, right?

***

This year’s practical exam followed the same format as last year. Villar and other forces from the three countries spread out to prepare for any emergencies, while the Principal and I personally checked all the arenas.

Moreover, being experienced, they moved efficiently without needing instructions. Whenever I thought, ‘It would be good to have someone here,’ I’d run into forces from the three countries. It was one of those moments that made me appreciate the joy of working with capable people.

Anyway, as I was making the rounds of the arenas with the Principal, we arrived at the place where Rutis and Charles were facing off—

“My, that’s impressive.”

“Yes, he’s an excellent student.”

We witnessed the tearful struggle of one knight.

Rutis and Charles were fiercely crossing swords. However, upon closer inspection, Rutis’s attacks consistently reached Charles, while Charles’s attacks were mainly directed along paths Rutis could block.

Despite this, it couldn’t be said that Charles was being one-sidedly beaten as he didn’t suffer any fatal blows. It just felt like the inevitable injuries that occurred during a close match.

How can someone like that exist?

I had already seen it last year, but witnessing it again didn’t make it any less shocking.

Sure, deliberately losing wasn’t hard. You could simply let yourself be hit in a vulnerable spot, and it would be over. However, that would never fool your opponent.

Yet Charles pulled it off. He showed a fierce battle that felt like a satisfying match, natural enough that the opponent wouldn’t notice, all while avoiding serious injuries to both himself and his opponent. It was amazing how he managed to do that.

It should be ending soon.

Charles’s movements became busier as his injuries started to accumulate. To others, it might look like he was making a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the sparring match.

In reality, he was preparing for his final act. Charles had done all he could and was now setting the stage for his defeat. A last-ditch move, one that could lead to a stunning reversal if it succeeded—or mark the end of the duel if it failed.

“Oh, what a shame.”

“Yes, it was a close call. If it had succeeded, it would have led to another close battle.”

The result was, of course, failure. It was such a close failure that even the Principal sighed.

He’s top-tier.

And then I saw it; the genuine smile on Charles’s face as he lay on the ground.

To most, that smile would seem like the mark of a good sportsman graciously accepting defeat. But I knew better. It was the expression of someone relieved that the curtain had finally fallen on their performance.

…Should I recommend him as an imperial instructor?

I seriously considered it. Finding strong knights was easy, but finding knights like Charles was rare. He’d be perfect as a martial arts instructor for royalty.

“This was fantastic! Let’s do this again next time!”

For once, the echoing declaration of a certain redhead across the arena didn’t bother me.

Three years of dueling royalty at the academy—Charles now held a title few could claim, even across the entire continent. If he could handle Rutis, then teaching imperial heirs wouldn’t be too hard for him.

I should discuss this with the Invincible Duke next time. After all, he needed someone trustworthy to train his grandchildren.

***

Coincidentally, Erich’s duel began in another arena just as Rutis’s duel ended. It was the same last year - were their student numbers consecutive or something? It was convenient for me to watch, so I didn’t particularly mind—

“That was incredible! Erich, I think you finished the fastest out of everyone!”

By the time I reached the arena, the duel was already over, probably setting a new record. As Sarah said as she stuck to Erich’s side, it must be a record for the shortest time.

“I was lucky. Normally, it would’ve taken longer.”

Erich smiled slightly at Sarah, whose eyes were sparkling. But his expression seemed subtly stiff, as if something was bothering him.

What’s wrong?

I tilted my head. Why did he look like that? It wasn’t just an ordinary win—it was a record-breaking, flawless victory without a single scratch. There was no better way to win, so what’s eating at him?

…Well, I shouldn’t worry too much. Maybe it was unrelated to the duel.

***

I tried to keep smiling for Sarah, who was beaming with pride, but in truth, I wasn’t feeling great.

Over winter break, I focused solely on training back at the territory. I achieved decent results and gained confidence that I could beat anyone in the academy except for maybe Rutis.

I wanted to finish it in five exchanges.

It took me seven.

Should I have sacrificed my shoulder?

Actually, there was a way to end it within five moves. It would’ve been quickly over if I’d been willing to take an injury in order to close the distance.

It seemed that my instincts still prioritized avoiding an injury even when it held me back. That was another habit I’d need to train out /genesisforsaken