Emil

  It’s not every day that a person ends up in the infirmary because they took a stab in the back from royalty.

  Emil found himself confined to a bed deep within the medical bay of the Nautilus. A cadre of Academy staff members stood guard outside of his room, scrutinizing anyone that ventured past the corridors with a watchful eye. The level of security was probably excessive, but Emil could understand their trepidation. One of the finalists of the Clash of Dawn had just been gruesomely injured in a cowardly attack after the conclusion of a match—the perpetrator being the Second Prince out of all people.

  The Academy relied on the Clash of Dawn as one of its flagship events—not only as a way to draw interest towards the talents of its new students, but also as a spectacle to generate cashflow.

  The final round of this year’s Clash of Dawn featured Liesel von Belle, the daughter of the powerful Belle family, the current Prodigy, and one of the Exalted who will likely rule at the apex of this kingdom as a leader of the next generation. That alone would have been enough to draw innumerable eyes, but her opponent was even more intriguing. He was an enigmatic commoner who suddenly seized the Clash of Dawn by a storm. He took the top spot in the preliminaries, destroyed Gaius von Ragnar in a brutal clash of strength, and then eliminated the Rory von Astrea in a dominating fashion.

  Ardairans love an exciting underdog story, especially one that featured someone as gritty and violent as Emil. They were overjoyed as they watched him struggle, crawl, and thrash on his way to the top.

  Will he take it all? Or will he too fall prey to the Ice Maiden’s maw?

  Needless to say, excitement for the Clash of Dawn finals had reached an absurd level. Fortunes were being paid for front row seats to watch the Liesel and Emil compete up close. The authorities of the Academy must have salivating at their newest cash cows as they swam in wealth.

  And yet, suddenly, everything might crumble because of one prince’s cowardly move. Emil was at risk of being incapacitated. Undoubtedly, the authorities of the Academy were outraged—all of the fanfare and wealth riding on this match could suddenly evaporate overnight. This incident was quickly devolving into a political disaster between Azure City and the royal family. Demands for compensation were being considered.

  In the end, thanks to the timely presence of Princess Aoife, the diplomatic incident was eventually resolved. The Academy accepted the plausible explanation that Rory had been dazed by Emil’s repeated strikes to head and didn’t realize that the match had ended. Still, with the Clash of Dawn’s highly anticipated finale on the line, the prince’s treacherous actions left a permanent stain on the royal family’s honor.

  At the same time, the Academy spared no efforts in Emil’s treatment. Professor Raine and her elite team of medical staff did everything they could to make sure that Emil would be top condition to perform the next day.

  After several grueling hours of having his body examined and pried, Emil was finally left alone to rest. He let out an exasperated sigh, more tired from the constant scrutiny than the actual attack itself.

  To be honest, the injury looked much worse than it actually is.

  He had twisted his body right when he noticed murderous intent radiating from behind. Rory’s sword cleaved into the edge of his waist. His vital organs were missed, but the sword’s blade had ripped open a chunk of his torso. The blood that sprayed into the air made the strike look more devastating than it actually was.

  Frankly, it was quite amusing to watch the Academy staff panic over his condition. With his body and pain tolerance honed to human limits by Steiger’s training regime, Emil was never in any real danger.

  The people cooped up in the medical room with him, however, didn’t know that.

  “…How long are you going to hold onto me?”

  Anna was by his bedside, clutching onto one of his arms like a sloth latching onto a tree branch. Traces of dried tears stained the side of her cheeks. Her face was twisted in a childish pout. In truth, Emil found it quite endearing. Still, his arm was starting to grow sore.

  “Once I’ve confirmed that you’re okay,” Anna grumbled.

  “But I’m o—”

  “Just shut up.”

  And so, he did.

  What the hell happened to her character?

  Emil narrowed his eyes, slightly baffled at this bizarre clinginess from his friend who always acted with a prickly exterior. Although if he thought about it, maybe this wasn’t unexpected of her. Anna had just lost a brutal match against Liesel after declaring that she was going to meet him in the finals. He, her ‘beloved’ friend, just got stabbed in the back following his own victory. And this incident came not too long after the two of them had just lost a mutual friend in Ellen.

  When Emil considered Anna’s recklessness following Ellen’s death, this eccentric behavior suddenly didn’t feel so out of place. Emotions were running high for her. Honestly, a small part of him was scared that she would go and stir more trouble on her own. When she first entered his room in the medical bay, the horrifying expression on her face could kill.

  Being latched on like a sloth didn’t seem so bad in comparison.

  If Emil was being completely honest with himself, he quite enjoyed this rare tender attention. Maybe he would have tried to indulge in it a bit more—if weren’t for the fact that there was another person in the room with them.

  “Sheesh, it sure reeks in here. The stench of love in the air is just sickening.”

  The pesky voice came from Kai who was lying down on a couch in the room. The infuriating smirk plastered on his face was so wide that Emil thought the corners of his mouth would stretch to his eyes.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  Then leave, Emil wanted to say, but the ensuing embarrassment would be too much for him to handle. Instead, he went with something more neutral.

  “Honestly though, how the hell did the two of you even get in here? I thought the staff was adamant that no one can come in.”

  “Oh that’s easy. I just told them that you needed emotional and mental support from your friends after suffering that horrific attack. I stressed that our presence was essential for you to be in tiptop shape tomorrow.”

  What a cunning bastard.

  The grip on his arm suddenly got tighter. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Anna whispered, her doe-like eyes trembling.

  God dammit.

  “And I, wanted to make sure that my star pupil had everything he needed to fight the match of his life tomorrow,” Kai added with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

  “Star pupil? Me?”

  “Of course! I was the one who coached you through the fight against the dastardly prince. Don’t you dare try to say that you weren’t influenced at all by my advice. It was clear to everyone that your fighting style had completely changed!” Kai suddenly opened his arms wide as if beckoning to receive something. “Go on. Shower me in praise. Tell me that I’m a genius!”

  “Why didn’t you win your quarterfinal match then if you’re such a genius?” Anna asked.

  The smug composure on Kai’s face immediately disappeared.

  “It’s my water against Liesel’s fucking ice! What the hell am I supposed to do against that?!” Kai yelled back, suddenly defensive, “If it was me against literally anyone else, I would have wiped the floor with them!”

  “Didn’t you lose against Emil in the preliminaries as well? And then got bailed out? Or do you have an excuse for that too?”

  “Oh please, I don’t want to hear this smugness from someone who was sobbing like a child just a few hours ago.”

  “How about I kick your ass and show you just how much of a loser you are?!”

  “Heck yeah! Let’s go a round. Right now!”

  Great. There goes my peace and quiet.

  Emil laid there with a dreary look as he was helplessly forced to listen to the chaotic exchange. Anna somehow still had his left arm wrapped in her grasp even as she passionately traded insults with Kai.

  Honestly, why are the two of them actually here?

  In the midst of the commotion, the door to his room suddenly swung open. An unexpected visitor stepped into the room, wearing an amused expression at the loud spectacle. Anna and Kai immediately stopped their bickering. Their eyes narrowed with hostility as they glared at the new arrival. The frivolous air in the room suddenly grew tense.

  “My, what a cold reception. But do go on. You don’t need to pause your little argument just for me,” the person said, their voice dripping in condescension.

  It was Liesel.

  “…What are you doing here?” Anna hissed. It was obvious that she was still bitter. It had been barely a few hours since they were last clawing at each other’s throats for an opportunity to stand on the final stage of the Clash of Dawn.

  “Nothing nefarious, I assure you,” Liesel said as she confidently strolled up to Emil’s bed, “Otherwise, the Academy staff wouldn’t have let me in. My intentions are aligned with theirs after all.”

  Emil flinched as their eyes suddenly met. He wanting to look away from the weight of her intense gaze. The cauldron of emotions dwelling in those ebon pupils had a strange depth that he couldn’t fathom. Curious, he felt compelled to ask.

  “You seem like you have a lot to say.”

  “I do. But first, let me apologize for Prince Rory’s actions,” she said, suddenly lowering her head, “I feel responsible for his cowardly display during the semifinals. What happened to you is terrible. Frankly, the royal family got lucky. If you had been mortally injured by his attack, things would not be so calm right now.”

  Emil gestured her head to lift her head. “Sure, but why are you apologizing on his behalf? I understand you’re engaged to him, but—”

  “Not anymore,” Liesel declared, “And that’s likely why he did that nonsense.”

  She quickly explained what had happened between her and Rory prior to the knockout stages of the Clash of Dawn. Anna was apparently already aware that Liesel had unoffically broken her engagement with the prince.

  “Well, I guess that explains why he seemed strangely desperate during his match against Lira,” Kai said, smirking with a visible ire, “You really are a conniving piece of work, aren’t you? Dropping something like that onto him right before the knockout stage started. Seriously, what were you trying to do?”

  “Judge me all you like, but I meant everything I said. I don’t expect a man to understand the plights that a woman faces in this kingdom. There’s nothing worse when your value as a person is degraded into a mere vessel for the continuation of a bloodline. I was given a chance to undo my shackles. I took it. Are you going to condemn me for that?”

  It’s not as if I don’t understand her point of view.

  Emil leaned against his bed, suddenly exhausted at these shocking revelations. The shackles that Liesel felt towards her marriage were similar to the chains that Steiger had placed around himself. The implications of Liesel’s decisions, however, was more than just a simple divorce. It meant the fracturing of an alliance between the royal family and House Belle that was meant to consolidate power and stabilize the growing imbalances between the elites of Ardair.

  The witch definitely won’t be happy about this.

  Kai scoffed, “Maybe. But can you say without guilt that you had no other intentions?”

  “…You’re an interesting person, Kai,” Liesel replied, “But you’re not wrong. There was a part of me that wanted to see how just far Rory would push himself to prove that he was worthy of taking my hand.”

  “Fucking narcissist.”

  “Perhaps. But is it a sin for a woman to want to be courted? But anyways, I’m not here to have an argument about her affairs. What I want is simple—a satisfying fight for tomorrow’s biggest stage.”

  Liesel suddenly took out a vial filled with a cerulean liquid. She uncorked the top and took a small sip of its contents before offering the rest to Emil.

  “This is an elixir that aids recovery. It’s made from organic ingredients. It’s a secret recipe of House Belle made for yours truly. I use it often after my training sessions. Drink it. Recover your strength. And then fight me tomorrow to your heart’s content.”

  ***

  Like a storm, Liesel left shortly after.

  “…She really does whatever she wants, doesn’t she?” Kai remarked, baring his teeth, embroidered in bitterness.

  “It’s the privilege of the strong,” Emil said, staring at the elixir that Liesel gave him.

  “So, what are you going to do?” Anna asked, “Your original goal was to make it to the finals and gain access to the Consortium, right? With today’s victory, you’ve accomplished what you wanted to do. You have a choice of not falling for that arrogant noblewoman’s provocations. After being stabbed in the back by the prince, no one will fault you if you put up a weak performance tomorrow. You don’t need to push yourself.”

  It's true.

  There was no need to strain his body any further. Especially when a grueling battle against a formidable foe like Liesel awaited him. Emil fought with everything he had during his match against Rory. He put everything on the line, pulled out all the tricks he could think of, squeezed out every ounce of his strength. The result was a dominating victory.

  Fatigue clung to his limbs as they approached the end of the Clash of Dawn. The consecutive days of non-stop combat was starting to wear him down. The Academy and the audience might be dissatisfied if he didn’t try his best, but he had a valid excuse.

  “…I haven’t decided. But for the sake of being prepared, let’s go ahead with the assumption that I want to win tomorrow’s match.”

  Anna and Kai suddenly broke out into smiles. The two of them shot each other a conspiratorial glance.

  “Perfect. Then you better listen up!” Anna said while Kai suddenly procured a set of documents out of nowhere, “The two of us will teach you everything about Liesel that we’ve learned in our matches!”

  Emil shook his head, flabbergasted at their enthusiasm.

  I see. They just wanted me to take revenge for them.

  He grinned in disbelief as Kai began his lecture.