I Became a Time-Stopper at the Academy

5 – First duel

After notifying the marquis’ son of the date and time of the duel, he went in and out of the training ground every day.

Rapid firing was never easy.

Still, there were more possibilities than swords.

I came out of the training ground after my morning training today.

While on her way to the classroom for class 1, a maid approached Luisa.

And handed over an envelope.

“Who sent it?”

Asked, turning her head towards Louisa.

Then she replied, looking at the sealing wax that sealed her letter.

“The seal of the Duke of Chablis.”

It was a family name I knew.

First of all, in terms of the world view of , The Chablis family is one of the four major dukes of the empire.

It is the second most influential family after the imperial family.

The daughter of the Chablis family was more familiar to me than the family itself.

Because she appears as one of the main character’s heroines.

Long silver hair and green eyes.

It was a character I used well when playing games because it was pretty.

“Is it Eliane?”

“Yes, I guess….”

Looking at the fact that it was sent through the maid, it must have been sent from within the academy.

Now there is no other Chablis in the academy other than Eliane.

By the way, what’s the relationship between me and Elianne?

As long as you send a letter.

Or do high-ranking nobles often communicate by letter?

I didn’t know that part because it didn’t appear in the game.

First, I tore off the sealing wax and took out the letter inside.

And I read it all the way down on the spot.

‘You were engaged to me?!’

I decorated it with the best possible words, but the actual content was simple.

I’m incompetent, so I’m not good at being a husband, so I’m breaking off the marriage.

I’ve never confessed, but I felt like I was dumped, so my head was a little dizzy.

I remembered the character story of Elianne.

Before she meets the main character, she breaks up with her incompetent fiancée.

And I fall in love with the competent yet pure protagonist.

I could never have imagined that the incompetent fiancé mentioned in the story was me.

Wow, I really couldn’t have imagined this.

“… Bocchan, what will you do? If the Bocchan refuses, Eli Anne-nim will not be able to unconditionally break off her engagement.”

Luisa peeked beside her and asked me.

“No thanks.”

“Still, it was a promise that the head of household wanted to move toward central politics, would you really be okay?”

Ah, that’s right.

It was a thoroughly strategic engagement.

So, from Ellie Anne’s point of view, there is no reason to hold on to me even more when there are rumors that I will be banished from her family.

The reason she’s betrothed to me is because I’m the heir to the Marquis.

“I can’t help it. You’ve already left me The other person hates it, but I have no intention of forcing it.”

“… All right.”

I went back to the dormitory for a while before entering the classroom.

Anyway, I have to reply.

You can roughly copy the letter from Elianne.

Perhaps this is imperial letter etiquette.

The content is that I will accept your offer.

“Louisa, read this letter and see if there is anything strange.”

She took my letter carefully, read it through, and replied, “It seems to be fine.”

“Then send it to Elianne. I’ll go to the classroom first.”

“Yes, I understand.”

My top priority right now is to win the duel with the Marquis’ son.

My next priority is to graduate at the top of my class and not be banished from my family.

As an aristocrat, marriage isn’t unimportant, but you don’t have to worry about it right now.

*

Four days later, on the day of the duel.

I moved to the training ground with Louis.

The Arena is a different building from the main building of the academy.

I think it was because it was one of the main contents of .

When I arrived in front of the arena, I was blown away by the size of it.

‘Colosseum?’

In the middle is a dirt floor like a playground.

Then it was surrounded by audience seats in a circle.

… The audience seats were full.

It seemed that the son of the marquis had summoned them all.

Because he’s sure he’ll win.

I calmed my startled heart with a deep breath, straightened my back, and walked.

As I entered the arena, the cadets seated in the audience seats began to buzz.

“How badly will it lose?”

“If you were like me, you wouldn’t even think of a duel.”

“It must be because he is a young boy who does not know the reality.”

Most of them were mockery of me.

I wonder if a player standing in the away stadium feels like this.

As I walked along, the Marquis’ son, who had arrived earlier, was waiting for me with a triumphant face.

The blue sword in his hand reflected the sunlight.

“Now you are here.”

“You came on time.”

“That pierced mouth is still there today.”

Somehow today, the son of the marquis said with a solemn expression.

It seemed as if the other cadets were also deliberately asking them to drop by.

It’s not particularly dignified, but….

The Marquis’ son seemed to have prepared something more for today.

During the entrance exam, he used a two-handed sword, but now he had a one-handed sword in his right hand and a square shield in his left.

Since I said I’m using a horse gun, it seemed to be a preparation for that.

The instructor came between me and the Marquis’ son.

“Two cadets, tell each other what you want. However, matters related to the academy, such as expulsion, are strictly prohibited.”

The son of the Marquis grinned and told him what he wanted when he won.

“Get down on your knees and lick my boots.”

What is this childish request?

It was only read as an outburst of will to undermine my pride and humiliate me.

As expected, Luisa’s rhyme was nothing more than an excuse to summon me to the arena.

“Joel, tell me too.”

“I request that exports from our territory be made duty-free.”

The Marquis’ son giggled at my words.

He seemed to be talking about why he made such a grandiose request when he couldn’t win anyway.

The instructor nodded and gave us a caution.

If you kill or seriously injure your opponent, you will be punished.

Since it’s a sacred one-on-one duel, if you break the promise or run away, that’s also a punishment.

It was something I already knew.

The Marquis’ son asked the instructor.

“Instructor, you won’t be punished for minor injuries, right?”

“… It is, but in moderation.”

The instructor seemed to already anticipate that I would lose.

Soon after, the instructor came out and gave the marquise’s son a bracelet.

——

Type: Auxiliary Equipment

Rating: C

Description: Equipment that converts other people into magic that cannot be killed. It is suitable for real-life sparring.

——

It was a safety device that prevented death even if a magical war broke out and the mana was directly hit.

Weapons such as swords and spears can be stopped halfway by one’s own will, but magic cannot be stopped by one’s own will once it leaves the body.

Luisa called me, saying, “Brother.”

“Please never overdo it. I am most afraid that something will happen to the young master.”

“I know. If I feel like I can’t win, I’ll surrender right away.”

“If you can’t fulfill the other party’s request, you can replace it with something else, so please….”

“Okay, okay.”

You only get one chance anyway.

If I miss that opportunity, I have no chance to win.

You wore the [Ring of Fire] On your left wrist.

Then he lifted his horse gun.

“Hey, it’s real, it’s real. I heard you!”

“What happened to the Jahe family….”

“That’s a petite dog.”

The cadets sitting in the audience were talking all kinds of gossip.

The Marquis’ son in front of me raised the corner of his mouth in satisfaction.

Aside from Luisa, among the many people in this large space, no one took my side.

I tried my best to ignore it and stick with it.

Then he put his finger on the trigger.

Magic power permeated the horse gun.

‘Let’s ignore the surroundings and focus on that guy.’

His son, the Marquis, also imbued his one-handed sword with his magic.

As expected, it seemed that he was planning to defeat me overwhelmingly using his skills.

As soon as I started, I put my shield in front because I was afraid I would fire right away.

This is an effective tactic against normal magicians.

By deflecting magic bullets with a shield, close the distance to the opponent, and when they get close, activate an attack skill to kill them.

It can also be said that it is a standard.

‘It’s what I’m aiming for.’

The instructor stretched out his arm between us.

Then he looked at me and the marquis’ son alternately.

Soon he raised his arms to the sky.

“Start!”

The Marquis’ son came running along with the instructor’s command.

I pulled the trigger once and it went off.

The magic bullet fired from the gun bounced off the shield of the son of the Marquis.

The Marquis’ son busily moved his legs and ran towards me.

A smile bloomed on his face.

“Haa—!”

The Marquis’ son roared and thrust the tip of his sword at my neck.

That sword won’t pierce my neck anyway.

That Marquis doesn’t have the courage to do that.

I consciously removed the fear from the blade as much as possible.

The moment his sword came right in front of my nose.

The moment when my defeat is confirmed with just one more second.

Luisa said “Mr. !!” At the moment of shouting.

‘This is the time!’

Activated the [Time Stop] Skill.

No one makes a sound.

No one moves.

Only I can make a sound.

Only I can move.

For just 2 seconds.

Jump to the left.

Pull the trigger at the same time.

Bang—!

A magic bullet extended from the muzzle.

A small orb-shaped mass of magical energy quickly arrived in front of the Marquis’ son.

[Time stop] Is over.

Louisa’s shouts began to be heard again.

However, the Marquis’ son’s spirited voice changed.

“aaah—!!”

Tung!

The magic bullet bounced off the face of the Marquis’ son.

It was the effect of the [Ring of Immortality].

Shortly after that, the son of the Marquis hit his butt.

He was sure he would win, but a magic bullet suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.

Without the bracelet, his head would have exploded like a firecracker.

“What, what?!”

The Marquis’ son looked up at me and his hands trembled.

It looked like he couldn’t understand what had happened.

The instructor stood between me and the Marquis’ son and shouted.

“Dalian is over! Joel’s victory!”

As expected, there was no thunderous applause.

Only panic flowed in the arena.

“Did you just see it?”

“I don’t know, what the hell happened?”

I said to the marquis’ son with a grin.

“No duty, will you do it?”

“Wait a minute! I don’t have that right!”

The Marquis’ son got up and ran.

But the instructor caught him right away.

“Let go! You bastard, do you think our house will be quiet just because you’re an instructor?!”

“I wonder how you won’t stand still in a court-martial.”

“Kuh….”

The instructor dragged the Marquis’ son.

Then he told me.

“The duty-free case seems difficult, so how about doing something else, Candidate Joel?”

“Then…. Lick my combat boots.”

The Marquis’ son said, “What, what?!” And opened his eyes in terror.

… No, he didn’t want to let himself die despite his own demands.

It’s really messy to the end.

“Then give me that sword.”

“Oh no! This is passed down from generation to generation—”

“Hey. Pick one of the three No duty, lick combat boots, lay out your sword.”

“Ugh….”

What should I choose?

I was a little intrigued.

If it’s for the family, it would be right to choose combat boot licks.

But the Marquis’ son handed me his one-handed sword.

His pride is more important than the sword passed down from generation to generation….

He gave his sword to Luisa and said.

“Go to the smithy to rust this.”

“Okay.”

The Marquis’ son opened his eyes wide.

“Go, since I’ve been there, I’d rather just use it!!”

“I don’t like it. I gave up swordsmanship.”

For an heirloom, it was a B-class weapon, so it was just that.

The Marquis’ son sat down on the ground.

Then he shouted, punching his fists on the ground.

“f*ck, f*ck—!!”

Otherwise, I left the arena.

I am satisfied with the message window that pops up in front of me.

[You won the duel.]

[Acquired 5 EXP for .]

[Remaining EXP required until : 195]

***

The battlefield where everyone else has returned.

Eliane was still sitting in the audience with the maid.

“My lady, please go back.”

“Uh, uh, that’s how it should be.”

Elie Anne, who got up from her seat, replayed the duel in her head over and over again as she walked to the dormitory.

Her unique skill is the Mystic Eye, which never misses a moment.

No movement can escape her eyes.

But the scene where Joel just shot the Marquis’ son.

Could not capture movement.

The Marquis’ son quickly tried to stab Joel’s neck with a sword from the front.

And the next moment, Joel got away from the Marquis’ son before he knew it, and the magic bullet was in front of the Marquis’ son’s face, as if he had already fired a gun.

The Marquis’ son, who was hit directly in the face by that magic bullet, was defeated as it was.

‘Nonsense.’

What did I miss on Joel?

The situation even came with a reply that they had already accepted the breakup.

I made a serious mistake.

Eliane had a hunch.