<p>Chapter 29: Overwhelming Performance!</p>
<p>Silence reigned over the arena.</p>
<p>The sound of a needle dropping could be heard in the audience.</p>
<p>Some people instinctively stood up, staring in shock at the scene in the arena, while others remained seated, staring blankly and pinching their own faces.</p>
<p>It seemed they dared not believe what was unfolding before them.</p>
<p>It was too shocking.</p>
<p>Too unexpected.</p>
<p>Before coming to the match, who could have imagined that what was originally thought to be a foregone conclusion would result in such a scenario?</p>
<p>Even Shaya’s acquaintances and friends had not anticipated this.</p>
<p>So when they saw the young boy in knight’s attire standing firmly with his sword, lightly announcing that he was finished warming up, it felt surreal.</p>
<p>The dazzling sword dance, resembling a performance, had left them deeply moved.</p>
<p>Perhaps there were quite a few who could replicate such a scene.</p>
<p>But it certainly shouldn’t be someone as young as this freshman!</p>
<p>That was damage comparable to the area of effect of a tier three magic; even if slightly weaker, it was not something a squire could withstand.</p>
<p>Such an attack surged all at once towards the boy, yet he didn’t back down, nor did he evade, standing there boldly in the arena to face all the assaults head-on!</p>
<p>A squire?</p>
<p>What a joke!</p>
<p>“A-Grand Knight?”</p>
<p>From the audience, someone broke the silence.</p>
<p>Students glanced around, making eye contact with pairs of similarly confused and shocked eyes.</p>
<p>Then, a strong wave of discussion and exclamations erupted, like a tide crashing through the arena!</p>
<p>“Impossible?!”</p>
<p>“First-year? Freshman? Grand Knight?”</p>
<p>“My god, rationality tells me that this is absolutely impossible, but here we are… I must be dreaming!”</p>
<p>“Are there any Grand Knights among the current knight students in the academy?”</p>
<p>“To my knowledge, none!”</p>
<p>“With this kind of strength, he could directly become a full member of the Holy Radiance Knight Order, right?”</p>
<p>“I heard that Naya Adelaide is said to be the youngest tier-one mage in the academy’s history… That surname, could it be a relative of his?”</p>
<p>“Does the whole family have such talent?”</p>
<p>After discussing this topic, many gazes turned secretly towards a corner of the audience.</p>
<p>There sat a mentor and a student.</p>
<p>“I see now.” Mevis had recovered from her brief shock, ignoring the curious gazes around her, slightly frowning. “So that guy from the Night Shadow Association must be dead by now.”</p>
<p>After saying this, Mevis, dressed in a light blue mage robe, looked up at Naya standing beside her.</p>
<p>After observing her carefully and noticing her lack of emotional change, she continued, “While a Grand Knight is indeed impressive, it appears to be only a one-star, and there’s still a considerable gap to Angelica’s tier-three.”</p>
<p>“Moreover, the Ice Lance is merely the simplest tier-one magic; she still has plenty of power yet to be unleashed, including magical devices and ancient spells.”</p>
<p>“I already mentioned that there might be some twists along the way, and while this twist indeed caught me off guard… the final outcome will not change.”</p>
<p>Naya stood quietly in place, like a lifeless puppet, neither agreeing nor refuting.</p>
<p>After a moment, the small hands hidden beneath her voluminous robe gently intertwined.</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>“What a kid!”</p>
<p>After witnessing Shaya’s stunning performance, Sigel was filled with astonishment and joy, clapping hard twice before standing up.</p>
<p>He never expected that what Shaya meant by “certain victory” was actually this.</p>
<p>Incredible.</p>
<p>What he thought was merely a squire now appeared to be at least a one-star Grand Knight!</p>
<p>To reach such a level with just everyday knight training?</p>
<p>Sigel couldn’t believe it, but there seemed to be no other way to explain it.</p>
<p>It could only be attributed to extraordinary talent.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the judge Rod remained seated, looking somewhat puzzled at his old friend.</p>
<p>Isn’t it obvious that if one wants to duel with Angelica, a Grand Knight’s status is only proper?</p>
<p>While he indeed counted as a rare talent, why did it always feel like he was more excited than the teacher?</p>
<p>Rod shook his head, directing a slightly curious gaze toward the center of the arena.</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>“Ahem, ahem—”</p>
<p>With a deep cough, Lucius, the dean, had his beard lifted by the force of it.</p>
<p>Archbishop Edmund supported the old man while looking astonished. “Impressive, it seems this year’s class at Norton Academy is going to produce a monster again… A 16-year-old Grand Knight? Absolutely unprecedented.”</p>
<p>“It seems I won’t even need to intervene, ha—” Once he finally caught his breath, Dean Lucius burst into hearty laughter, slapping his knee, “Those knight order folks used to say that the mainstream direction of the academy had shifted towards magic, straying from the original intent of founding the knight academy… Now I can tell them without hesitation, Norton may collapse, but it will never change!”</p>
<p>Edmund replied gently, “Actually, we in the Church of Light have many hidden martial arts, and numerous powerful church knights to teach students.”</p>
<p>“Pah!” Dean Lucius shot him a fierce glare. “Don’t think about poaching from Norton Academy!”</p>
<p>The archbishop chuckled and turned his gaze back to the arena. “For him, winning this match will still be quite difficult, or rather, nearly impossible.”</p>
<p>Dean Lucius sighed as well. “While I agree with what he just said, that young lady’s talent is also exceptionally rare… Not to mention, how easily can the class barriers brought by grand nobles be overcome?”</p>
<p>“Let’s keep watching.”</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>“So cool!”</p>
<p>Xivista gently covered her pink lips, looking incredulously at the scene before her, her cheeks slightly flushed as she instinctively exclaimed.</p>
<p>This was the first time for the daughter of a grand noble.</p>
<p>“What did you say?”</p>
<p>Beside her, Deyora looked over with a hint of red on her face, seeming to not have heard clearly.</p>
<p>At that moment, this woman, significantly older than Shaya, uniquely displayed a hint of youthful shyness, like a young fan who had just succeeded in chasing her idol.</p>
<p>“Cough… N-Nothing.”</p>
<p>Xivista turned her head away as if caught, her expression bashful.</p>
<p>But he was still so cool.</p>
<p>Especially the way he dismantled her sister’s attack so decisively!</p>
<p>Is he a Grand Knight?</p>
<p>Xivista’s heart raced.</p>
<p>At that moment, the black-haired boy in the arena leaned on his long sword and gently unfastened the first button of his collar, seemingly feeling warm after his warm-up.</p>
<p>“!!”</p>
<p>A shadow of a collarbone appeared before her eyes.</p>
<p>Xivista trembled as if electrocuted, quickly covering her eyes with both hands, her face red.</p>
<p>A lady must not see such things!</p>
<p>Only, at most, just take a glance!</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>On the other side.</p>
<p>The members of the Blood Rose Association were completely stunned by Shaya’s counterattack.</p>
<p>Their glances darkly crossed one another, speaking nothing.</p>
<p>Clearly, they were not shocked by their leader’s attack being completely countered, but by the method that the opponent used.</p>
<p>It felt more like a slap in the face.</p>
<p>Aren’t you Blood Rose Association fond of overpowering others?</p>
<p>Bring it on; I’ll take it all!</p>
<p>That was the underlying meaning behind Shaya’s actions.</p>
<p>Among everyone present, only the girl in the purple dress, Sally Latusos, displayed a flicker of interest in her eyes, watching the black-haired boy in the arena, wondering what was on her mind.</p>
<p>She glanced at the prince sitting not far away, intending to ask a few questions about Shaya, but suddenly noticed him with his head down, slightly trembling.</p>
<p>Tilius felt a fierce emotion suppressed within him at this moment.</p>
<p>Feigning normalcy as an ordinary student, possessing strength far beyond his peers but never revealing it, it felt like he was burdened with some past.</p>
<p>And in the end, in the spotlight of the arena, under the gaze of the entire school, it suddenly erupted.</p>
<p>This… isn’t this the scene conceived in his secret diary?</p>
<p>Shaya, you’re so cool!</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>Back at the arena.</p>
<p>For those in the audience, it may have felt like a long time had passed, but for Shaya, it was merely a few brief seconds.</p>
<p>Under Angelica’s control, the ice lances remaining in the air completed their mission, shattering and dispersing into ice shards carried by the wind.</p>
<p>Though she too had been briefly shocked moments before, and even felt a slight, nearly imperceptible panic, her strong mental fortitude allowed her to quickly regain composure.</p>
<p>Angelica pressed her red lips together, taking two steps forward in her mid-calf boots, slightly closing the distance between them.</p>
<p>Starlit ice shards swirled around her, making her appear even more radiant.</p>
<p>She slowly appraised Shaya, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits.</p>
<p>“I see.”</p>
<p>“One-star Grand Knight? So this is the confidence you have to challenge me.”</p>
<p>“Though I don’t know exactly how you did it… but you don’t think you can defeat me with just this level of strength, do you?”</p>
<p>Shaya smiled but said nothing, pulling out the knight’s great sword he had been leaning on, the sword tip pointing towards his opponent.</p>
<p>Seeing this, a graceful smile suddenly blossomed on Angelica’s face.</p>
<p>“I admit, you did indeed excite me a bit just now, which shows that you are at least not as utterly useless as you seem; I take back my initial statement.”</p>
<p>“But please don’t have excessive expectations, because—”</p>
<p>“—awaiting you will be certain defeat!”</p>
<p>As her words fell, the rainbow gem burst forth with dazzling brilliance!</p>
<p>Silence reigned over the arena.</p>
<p>The sound of a needle dropping could be heard in the audience.</p>
<p>Some people instinctively stood up, staring in shock at the scene in the arena, while others remained seated, staring blankly and pinching their own faces.</p>
<p>It seemed they dared not believe what was unfolding before them.</p>
<p>It was too shocking.</p>
<p>Too unexpected.</p>
<p>Before coming to the match, who could have imagined that what was originally thought to be a foregone conclusion would result in such a scenario?</p>
<p>Even Shaya’s acquaintances and friends had not anticipated this.</p>
<p>So when they saw the young boy in knight’s attire standing firmly with his sword, lightly announcing that he was finished warming up, it felt surreal.</p>
<p>The dazzling sword dance, resembling a performance, had left them deeply moved.</p>
<p>Perhaps there were quite a few who could replicate such a scene.</p>
<p>But it certainly shouldn’t be someone as young as this freshman!</p>
<p>That was damage comparable to the area of effect of a tier three magic; even if slightly weaker, it was not something a squire could withstand.</p>
<p>Such an attack surged all at once towards the boy, yet he didn’t back down, nor did he evade, standing there boldly in the arena to face all the assaults head-on!</p>
<p>A squire?</p>
<p>What a joke!</p>
<p>“A-Grand Knight?”</p>
<p>From the audience, someone broke the silence.</p>
<p>Students glanced around, making eye contact with pairs of similarly confused and shocked eyes.</p>
<p>Then, a strong wave of discussion and exclamations erupted, like a tide crashing through the arena!</p>
<p>“Impossible?!”</p>
<p>“First-year? Freshman? Grand Knight?”</p>
<p>“My god, rationality tells me that this is absolutely impossible, but here we are… I must be dreaming!”</p>
<p>“Are there any Grand Knights among the current knight students in the academy?”</p>
<p>“To my knowledge, none!”</p>
<p>“With this kind of strength, he could directly become a full member of the Holy Radiance Knight Order, right?”</p>
<p>“I heard that Naya Adelaide is said to be the youngest tier-one mage in the academy’s history… That surname, could it be a relative of his?”</p>
<p>“Does the whole family have such talent?”</p>
<p>After discussing this topic, many gazes turned secretly towards a corner of the audience.</p>
<p>There sat a mentor and a student.</p>
<p>“I see now.” Mevis had recovered from her brief shock, ignoring the curious gazes around her, slightly frowning. “So that guy from the Night Shadow Association must be dead by now.”</p>
<p>After saying this, Mevis, dressed in a light blue mage robe, looked up at Naya standing beside her.</p>
<p>After observing her carefully and noticing her lack of emotional change, she continued, “While a Grand Knight is indeed impressive, it appears to be only a one-star, and there’s still a considerable gap to Angelica’s tier-three.”</p>
<p>“Moreover, the Ice Lance is merely the simplest tier-one magic; she still has plenty of power yet to be unleashed, including magical devices and ancient spells.”</p>
<p>“I already mentioned that there might be some twists along the way, and while this twist indeed caught me off guard… the final outcome will not change.”</p>
<p>Naya stood quietly in place, like a lifeless puppet, neither agreeing nor refuting.</p>
<p>After a moment, the small hands hidden beneath her voluminous robe gently intertwined.</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>“What a kid!”</p>
<p>After witnessing Shaya’s stunning performance, Sigel was filled with astonishment and joy, clapping hard twice before standing up.</p>
<p>He never expected that what Shaya meant by “certain victory” was actually this.</p>
<p>Incredible.</p>
<p>What he thought was merely a squire now appeared to be at least a one-star Grand Knight!</p>
<p>To reach such a level with just everyday knight training?</p>
<p>Sigel couldn’t believe it, but there seemed to be no other way to explain it.</p>
<p>It could only be attributed to extraordinary talent.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the judge Rod remained seated, looking somewhat puzzled at his old friend.</p>
<p>Isn’t it obvious that if one wants to duel with Angelica, a Grand Knight’s status is only proper?</p>
<p>While he indeed counted as a rare talent, why did it always feel like he was more excited than the teacher?</p>
<p>Rod shook his head, directing a slightly curious gaze toward the center of the arena.</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>“Ahem, ahem—”</p>
<p>With a deep cough, Lucius, the dean, had his beard lifted by the force of it.</p>
<p>Archbishop Edmund supported the old man while looking astonished. “Impressive, it seems this year’s class at Norton Academy is going to produce a monster again… A 16-year-old Grand Knight? Absolutely unprecedented.”</p>
<p>“It seems I won’t even need to intervene, ha—” Once he finally caught his breath, Dean Lucius burst into hearty laughter, slapping his knee, “Those knight order folks used to say that the mainstream direction of the academy had shifted towards magic, straying from the original intent of founding the knight academy… Now I can tell them without hesitation, Norton may collapse, but it will never change!”</p>
<p>Edmund replied gently, “Actually, we in the Church of Light have many hidden martial arts, and numerous powerful church knights to teach students.”</p>
<p>“Pah!” Dean Lucius shot him a fierce glare. “Don’t think about poaching from Norton Academy!”</p>
<p>The archbishop chuckled and turned his gaze back to the arena. “For him, winning this match will still be quite difficult, or rather, nearly impossible.”</p>
<p>Dean Lucius sighed as well. “While I agree with what he just said, that young lady’s talent is also exceptionally rare… Not to mention, how easily can the class barriers brought by grand nobles be overcome?”</p>
<p>“Let’s keep watching.”</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>“So cool!”</p>
<p>Xivista gently covered her pink lips, looking incredulously at the scene before her, her cheeks slightly flushed as she instinctively exclaimed.</p>
<p>This was the first time for the daughter of a grand noble.</p>
<p>“What did you say?”</p>
<p>Beside her, Deyora looked over with a hint of red on her face, seeming to not have heard clearly.</p>
<p>At that moment, this woman, significantly older than Shaya, uniquely displayed a hint of youthful shyness, like a young fan who had just succeeded in chasing her idol.</p>
<p>“Cough… N-Nothing.”</p>
<p>Xivista turned her head away as if caught, her expression bashful.</p>
<p>But he was still so cool.</p>
<p>Especially the way he dismantled her sister’s attack so decisively!</p>
<p>Is he a Grand Knight?</p>
<p>Xivista’s heart raced.</p>
<p>At that moment, the black-haired boy in the arena leaned on his long sword and gently unfastened the first button of his collar, seemingly feeling warm after his warm-up.</p>
<p>“!!”</p>
<p>A shadow of a collarbone appeared before her eyes.</p>
<p>Xivista trembled as if electrocuted, quickly covering her eyes with both hands, her face red.</p>
<p>A lady must not see such things!</p>
<p>Only, at most, just take a glance!</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>On the other side.</p>
<p>The members of the Blood Rose Association were completely stunned by Shaya’s counterattack.</p>
<p>Their glances darkly crossed one another, speaking nothing.</p>
<p>Clearly, they were not shocked by their leader’s attack being completely countered, but by the method that the opponent used.</p>
<p>It felt more like a slap in the face.</p>
<p>Aren’t you Blood Rose Association fond of overpowering others?</p>
<p>Bring it on; I’ll take it all!</p>
<p>That was the underlying meaning behind Shaya’s actions.</p>
<p>Among everyone present, only the girl in the purple dress, Sally Latusos, displayed a flicker of interest in her eyes, watching the black-haired boy in the arena, wondering what was on her mind.</p>
<p>She glanced at the prince sitting not far away, intending to ask a few questions about Shaya, but suddenly noticed him with his head down, slightly trembling.</p>
<p>Tilius felt a fierce emotion suppressed within him at this moment.</p>
<p>Feigning normalcy as an ordinary student, possessing strength far beyond his peers but never revealing it, it felt like he was burdened with some past.</p>
<p>And in the end, in the spotlight of the arena, under the gaze of the entire school, it suddenly erupted.</p>
<p>This… isn’t this the scene conceived in his secret diary?</p>
<p>Shaya, you’re so cool!</p>
<p>……</p>
<p>Back at the arena.</p>
<p>For those in the audience, it may have felt like a long time had passed, but for Shaya, it was merely a few brief seconds.</p>
<p>Under Angelica’s control, the ice lances remaining in the air completed their mission, shattering and dispersing into ice shards carried by the wind.</p>
<p>Though she too had been briefly shocked moments before, and even felt a slight, nearly imperceptible panic, her strong mental fortitude allowed her to quickly regain composure.</p>
<p>Angelica pressed her red lips together, taking two steps forward in her mid-calf boots, slightly closing the distance between them.</p>
<p>Starlit ice shards swirled around her, making her appear even more radiant.</p>
<p>She slowly appraised Shaya, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits.</p>
<p>“I see.”</p>
<p>“One-star Grand Knight? So this is the confidence you have to challenge me.”</p>
<p>“Though I don’t know exactly how you did it… but you don’t think you can defeat me with just this level of strength, do you?”</p>
<p>Shaya smiled but said nothing, pulling out the knight’s great sword he had been leaning on, the sword tip pointing towards his opponent.</p>
<p>Seeing this, a graceful smile suddenly blossomed on Angelica’s face.</p>
<p>“I admit, you did indeed excite me a bit just now, which shows that you are at least not as utterly useless as you seem; I take back my initial statement.”</p>
<p>“But please don’t have excessive expectations, because—”</p>
<p>“—awaiting you will be certain defeat!”</p>
<p>As her words fell, the rainbow gem burst forth with dazzling brilliance!</p>
