Ian decided the match in the blink of an eye, and it was much the same on Amivy’s side.
Both matches ended because the opponents were paralyzed by hesitation, caught between thoughts like ‘Is he not afraid of me launching a sneak attack?’ and ‘Is this going too far?’ before being defeated in a single strike.
It all happened far too suddenly.
No one had expected a Doubles Tournament match involving Imperial Guard Mages to end so decisively.
The entire venue fell into silence once again.
The spectators gaped, watching the instantaneous reversal on the Arena in disbelief.
On the VIP Stand, Marguerite’s face was dark.
That brat had actually taught the Crown Prince how to ambush an opponent.
She was just about to apologize to King William, intending to say that her disciple’s instruction in such ‘despicable’ tactics was a failure on her part as a mentor and an insult to the royal family’s dignity.
However, King William Reinhardt did not look angry at all. Instead, he let out a hearty laugh.
“Haha, those two little ones did well… Lady Marguerite, you have taught them excellently.”
Marguerite and the other legendary mentors looked at the King in astonishment.
But Marguerite reacted quickly.
Credit was being handed to her for free; she might as well take it.
“Your Majesty overpraises me. This is all the result of Prince Arthur’s extraordinary talent and self-study…”
King William gave a noncommittal smile and turned his gaze back to the Arena.
He was very satisfied to see that Ian could turn Amivy from a ‘righteous person’—who would warn a cold-blooded killer before she attacked—into someone capable of launching a sneak attack.
William Reinhardt felt more and more that his decision to entrust Amivy to the Stargazer’s student was the right one.
On the Arena, the referee finally regained his composure and announced loudly, “[The Brave Party wins the third match!]”
At the referee’s signal, the two of them walked down from the Arena.
They were greeted by a growing cacophony from the stands—a mix of surprise, discussion, and scattered cheers.
However, no one noticed that in a corner of the freshman division, Sherivelle and Otillia, who had just easily won their own match, had witnessed the entire “farcical” duel.
The two girls exchanged a look, both seeing a sense of nuance in the other’s eyes.
It felt like someone who had spent all night studying history only to find the next day’s exam was for language arts.
Through this duel, it felt like they had seen Ian’s strength, yet at the same time, it felt like they hadn’t seen it at all.
“Mr. Cat is even more cunning and troublesome than I imagined,” Sherivelle said softly, her red eyes narrowing slightly.
“First of all, his name is Ian. Secondly… perhaps we need to change our plan.”
Otillia also looked toward the battle on the Arena with a solemn expression.
Judging by Ian’s full-strength strike just now, if they actually pushed him into a corner, she estimated that even if there were two more of them, it would be difficult to lock Ian down.
“Oh? Does Lady Otillia have a suggestion?”
“Heh, since it is difficult for us to do it alone, why not make use of some tools…”
“Tools? Lady Otillia, are you planning to spike Mr. Cat’s drink?”
“Open your mind; there is more than one way to do things… For example, certain ancient Sealing Magic Tools…”
“Heh, I see. That is indeed a good idea, Lady Otillia…”
While the two girls continued to discuss further ‘ideas,’ Ian and Amivy began preparing for their second match.
Soon, the schedule for their second round was released.
Their opponents were a pair of elite fourth-year students.
They were a core force among the graduation group, with their strength steady at the 4th Rank High Archmage level.
They had been at this stage for over a year and possessed refined coordination and rich experience.
Though they weren’t the kind of “over-the-limit” opponents nearing the 5th Rank, it would still be a tough fight for Ian and Amivy.
“Phew, this is fine… It looks much more normal.”
Ian let out a small sigh of relief as he looked at the match table.
The two of them stepped onto the Arena once more.
This time, their opponents were a man and a woman who looked slightly older and maintained a composed posture.
The male student was tall and handsome, a standard noble heartthrob.
The female student had a rare, cold expression, possessing a more heroic and sharp beauty.
“Ugh!”
When Amivy saw the male student’s face clearly, her expression instantly became extremely distorted, as if she had swallowed a fly.
Her brows furrowed tightly, and her eyes were filled with disgust and loathing.
Such an obvious reaction naturally prompted Ian to ask what was wrong.
“What is it, Highness?”
Amivy grit her teeth and spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear, her words practically dripping with resentment.
“That man… His name is Rodney Silverblade, one of the fourth-year Disciplinary Committee Members. He… he… he likes men…”
Ian paused. ‘Huh?’
Seriously, this Imperial Royal Magic Academy really had a lot of “talents.”
“How do you know that, Highness?”
At Ian’s question, Amivy’s expression became even more pained.
“He… he… he once had his eye on me…”
Ian thought, ‘Smooth.’
No wonder this protagonist, who wouldn’t even blink when facing the Demon King in the original plot, was showing such a rare expression.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit Ian. He lowered his voice and asked, “Does Your Highness have proof? The kind of proof that can prove his preferences?”
Amivy froze for a moment before reluctantly nodding.
“I kept a photographic record of him being intimate with another man. It was meant to be used as a warning for him to stay away from me…”
With that, Amivy pulled a paper book from her high-grade storage bag.
Ian took it and flipped it open, only to slam it shut immediately with great force.
Honestly, this Harmful Book was a bit of an eyesore.
Even a transmigrator like him, who had lived through the era of the information explosion, found it hard to look at.
He felt that Amivy should pay him compensation for looking at this book, but considering he was the one who opened it, Ian didn’t say anything.
“Since the opponent is like this, I have a plan…”
Amivy looked at him in confusion.
“What plan? Threatening him to surrender? That… isn’t that a bit bad?”
Although she hated Rodney, her ‘Hero’ side resisted the idea of winning this way.
“Then Your Highness can fight two-on-one. I don’t feel like working myself to death…”
“Actually, I think that to deal with unusual people, one must use unusual methods!”
Amivy decisively snatched the Harmful Book back from Ian’s hand.
She shouted in a volume loud enough for everyone on the Arena to hear, “Rodney Silverblade!”
“If you don’t want the contents of this book to be exposed…”
Rodney was stunned by the sudden shout, stopping his attempt to flatter his female partner.
When he saw the book in Amivy’s hand, Rodney looked as if he had been struck by lightning.
His face changed instantly!
“Wait! Prince Arthur! Please wait! Please don’t do that! I understand! I’ll surrender!”
Rodney waved his hands in a panic.
His female partner watched her boyfriend’s suddenly strange behavior in confusion but didn’t speak.
“Hmph! It’s good that you understand. Surrender quickly, otherwise I’ll…”
“Wait, Prince Arthur…”
At this critical moment, Ian spoke up and interrupted Amivy’s threat.