Chapter 139: Chapter 138 : Let’s settle for the favour

The atmosphere inside the hall grew heavier by the second. Conversations had died completely; only rough breathing and the faint hum of the holographic screen remained.

Arthur stood at the edge of the crater, casually brushing dust from his uniform as if he had only stumbled instead of being at the center of an explosion.

Across from him, Damian’s expression was carved from pure rage. Diana clung to his waist with both arms, her body trembling. He placed a steadying hand on her back, patting it gently once before easing her grip away.

"Everything’s going to be alright," Damian said quietly. "I’m here."

Diana nodded, though her fingers still tightened around the edge of his sleeve.

A heartbeat later, Damian’s low voice rolled through the hall, packed with killing intent.

"Hey you bastard....how dare you lay a finger on her."

A dark aura burst out of his body, surging outward like a wave of ink. The temperature seemed to drop. Students near the front stepped back on instinct, their knees shaking under the pressure.

Arthur watched it approach and smiled.

A matching darkness erupted from his own body, clashing head‑on with Damian’s aura in the center of the hall. The collision sent an invisible shockwave rippling out, making the air vibrate as if it were screaming.

Victor’s eyes widened.

’He’s matching Damian... he’s not getting pushed back even an inch,’ Victor thought, stunned.

Arthur walked up out of the crater, completely unaffected. Not a tremor touched his steps, not a speck of dust remained on his clothes. He stopped just a few steps away from Damian, their auras grinding against each other like invisible blades.

"Hello there, sir," Arthur said, tone relaxed.

"It seems a misunderstanding has been brewing between us. It was your sister who started all this."

Damian’s hand twitched. For a brief moment, he was ready to attack again—but then he felt them: multiple sharp gazes dropping onto both him and Arthur from every direction.

He didn’t need to look to know. The academy professors were watching from the edges and upper levels of the hall, eyes cold and focused, like hunters observing prey. They were already judging them, already deciding who was gold and who was just rock.

It wasn’t only Damian who noticed. Arina, Isabella, Victor, Aiden, and the others all felt those same piercing looks brushing over their skin.

The message was clear. If things went too far, the professors would intervene immediately.

Damian drew in a deep breath and forced his anger down, if only a little. He met Arthur’s gaze again.

"You’d better give a good explanation for all this," Damian said. "Or it won’t matter who is watching."

Arthur’s smile didn’t waver.

"Of course," he replied.

He turned his head slightly, eyes settling on Diana.

"She was the one who challenged me for the top spot," Arthur said. "I was minding my own business when she came to me, saying she was going to make me strip down naked in front of everyone."

Murmurs stirred through the crowd.

He looked back at Damian.

"So, to show that bit—"

"Watch your mouth," Damian snapped, his aura flaring.

"Sorry, slip of the tongue," Arthur said smoothly. "I mean your dear sister her place. I accepted the bet, and now it’s her turn to dance..."

He paused deliberately.

"Naked, in front of everyone," Arthur finished, his face completely serious.

"As one of the heirs of the Stormborn family, it’s her duty to keep that promise. Otherwise, it will bring shame upon your house. Am I wrong?"

Damian closed his eyes for a moment.

’Any trace of a lie?’ he asked inwardly.

[ No, host. There is no trace of a lie. ]

The mechanical answer echoed in his mind.

Damian exhaled slowly and opened his eyes again. He looked at Diana first—her gaze was fixed on him, full of desperate hope—then at Arthur.

"I will take the punishment in her stead," Damian said in a low, steady voice. "There is no way the Stormborn name will be tarnished."

A wave of shock ran through the hall. Students stared with wide eyes.

Damian Stormborn was actually willing to go that far for his sister.

"No, you don’t have to, Brother!" Diana cried, panic breaking through her composure. "That guy definitely cheated!"

Before she could say anything more, a new voice cut in sharply, cold and offended.

"Are you saying this academy is some low-grade institution where anyone can cheat?"

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice at once.

Striding through the crowd was a woman who looked as if she had stepped straight out of an illustration. She was an elf with long, flowing green hair that fell to her waist and bright emerald eyes that seemed to glow under the hall’s lights. A slender sword rested in a sheath strapped across her back, its hilt shaped like entwined leaves.

She wore the Celestias Academy professor’s uniform: a fitted white coat trimmed with dark green and gold, fastened neatly at the front, with a high collar and long sleeves. A black waistcoat beneath it hugged her slim figure, and a knee‑length dark skirt moved around her legs as she walked.

A small silver badge, engraved with a stylized tree and a sword, gleamed on her chest—marking her as faculty.

It was Sophia Evergreen—Isabella’s master. The same elf Arthur had met just a few days ago, who also happened to be a teacher at this academy.

As Sophia made her way toward them, the students could not help but watch her in awe. Conversations quieted even further. Some boys straightened their backs; some girls unconsciously fixed their hair.

"Master!" Isabella’s eyes lit up, her voice breaking the silence for a moment.

Sophia glanced at her and gave a small, gentle smile before turning her gaze toward Diana.

"The exams here do not depend only on your scores," Sophia said, her voice calm but firm. "They also judge your problem‑solving skills and analytical aptitude—how you approach each problem and how you solve it."

She lifted her hand slightly toward the holographic screen.

"And as you know, your and Arthur’s scores are tied," Sophia continued. "But Arthur’s way of approaching and solving the problems was far more efficient than yours, Miss Diana."

A few students gasped quietly.

"That is all," Sophia said. "If you call that cheating, then there is no meaning in you coming here for the entrance exam in the first place. Because that would mean the academy itself cannot be trusted, if we go by your words—believing cheating is possible here."

Diana lowered her head. No words came out of her mouth. Her hands clenched tightly in the fabric of her skirt.

"Do you admit your mistake now?" Sophia asked.

Diana hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Sophia nodded back once. "Good. Then the commotion ends here."

"I’m sorry, Miss, I cannot do that," Damian’s voice came immediately.

Sophia’s mouth twitched. She turned her head toward him.

"And why is that?" she asked.

Damian straightened his shoulders.

"As someone from the Stormborn family, our words have value," he said. "To keep the promise Diana made, I will do as this guy says." He looked directly at Arthur as he finished.

Sophia’s eyes shifted to Arthur, a faint, cold smile forming on her lips as if to say, Well? What will you do now?

Arthur sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Alright, alright, forget it," he said. "You don’t have to dance naked."

A collective sigh of relief spread through the hall, as if everyone had been holding their breath without realizing it.

"I’ll take that bet as a favor Diana owes me," Arthur added. "And I’ll cash it in when I need it. Is that okay?"

Sophia looked at Damian. Damian looked at Diana. Diana bit her lip, thinking for a moment, then gave a small nod.

Sophia clapped her hands lightly.

"Good. Everything’s resolved now. That settles it," she said.

Then she turned her head, finally taking in the cracked floor, shattered tiles, and the spider‑webbed damage across the walls from their earlier clash.

"Damian, Victor, Aiden, and Arthur," Sophia called.

The four of them looked toward her at the same time.

"The four of you will be the ones to pay for all the damages that were caused," she said calmly.

Arthur’s mouth twitched hard.

He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Sophia’s eyes narrowed.

"Think about rejecting it," she said, "and I will call Yuna."

A chill ran straight down Arthur’s spine.

"I’ll pay it," he said instantly. "When did I say I wouldn’t?"

Aiden looked like he was about to cry. His shoulders slumped, and he stared at the broken floor as if it had personally betrayed him.

Arina and Damian both turned their gazes toward Diana. She refused to meet their eyes, staring stubbornly at the ground.

"Now that’s settled," Sophia said. "Everyone, tomorrow you will take your final step to get into the academy."

Her voice grew louder, reaching every corner of the hall.

"The combat test. It will be held in the morning."

Murmurs of excitement and anxiety spread through the crowd.

"The staff will give you a temporary dorm room until then," Sophia continued. "All of you are dismissed now."

As soon as she finished, the tension that had been strangling the hall finally loosened. Students began to move, footsteps echoing as they turned and started leaving in groups.

Arthur also turned away and began walking back.

’Damn it, I was this close to completing the quest...’ he thought, clicking his tongue inwardly.

Beside him, Aiden trudged along with the expression of a man who had just been handed a mountain of debt.

Evangeline lightly patted his back.

"There, there," she said, amused. "Think of it as... an investment in your future."

Aiden only groaned. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Their group walked in silence toward the temporary dorms, each person lost in their own thoughts.

The boys’ and girls’ dormitories were in separate buildings. At the entrance, Arthur, Aiden, and Aaron split away from the girls.

"See you tomorrow," Julia said, waving lazily.

"Don’t die before the combat test," Isabella added.

Arthur just raised his hand in a half‑hearted wave and followed the boys inside.

His assigned room was small but neat. A single bed, a simple wooden desk with a chair, a wardrobe, and a small window that looked out over a portion of the academy grounds. The furniture was modest, but everything was clean and functional.

Arthur barely glanced around.

He dropped onto the bed face‑first, then rolled onto his back and closed his eyes.

’I’m beat... I’ll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow,’ he thought.

Sleep claimed him almost immediately.

The day passed.

-------

The next morning, the students gathered on a vast training ground within the academy. The open area was ringed by tall stone walls inscribed with faint runes, and stands had been set up along the sides for observers and staff. The ground beneath their feet was reinforced earth, scarred from countless past battles.

At the front of the assembled candidates stood Athena Emberfall, the headmistress of the academy. Just like before, a veil covered her face, hiding her features, but her presence was unmistakable. The faint pressure she gave off made even the most confident students stand straighter.

She raised her hand, and the murmuring crowd fell silent at once.

"For this combat test," Athena announced, her voice clear and resonant, "I have created a specific magical field solely for this examination."

A ripple ran through the candidates. Some clenched their fists in anticipation; others swallowed nervously.

They held their breath, waiting to hear what kind of battlefield the headmistress herself had prepared for them.