A few days passed, and Ludwig found himself settling into the rhythm of academic life. While it lacked the excitement of his previous adventures, he used the time to focus on mastering the Tyrant Style and completing the inscription of books from Tibari’s library. The days were monotonous, but Ludwig remained diligent, knowing that every moment of training brought him closer to his goals.
The student council, meanwhile, had made little progress in solving the murders. Hubert’s family had come to collect his body, and Ludwig had witnessed their grief firsthand. Though he couldn’t feel the same sorrow, he understood the weight of their loss. It was a stark reminder of the fragility of life, even in a world filled with magic and monsters.
“You look rather bored,” a familiar voice said, pulling Ludwig from his thoughts.
He turned to see Thomas, his spectral companion, floating beside him. “Oh, you woke up,” Ludwig said, his tone casual.
“Yeah, didn’t think I’d ever wake up, though. You squeezed me to death that time… I think that’s the wrong term to use here,” Thomas said, his voice tinged with amusement.
“I met your brother,” Ludwig said, changing the subject.
“I can see that,” Thomas replied, gesturing to the student council ribbon on Ludwig’s arm. “Though I really don’t understand what he’s still doing here. By now, he should be at the Imperial Hall to receive his knightly training.”
“I could give him your item right now,” Ludwig offered.
“No, that won’t serve you any good, and it will cause more suspicion. Just do as I asked and give it to the information network. You still have time, and so does he,” Thomas said. “Anyway, I wasn’t fully unconscious when I was, well, unconscious,” he added.
“I guess you saw some of the interactions that happened,” Ludwig said.
“Yeah, compared to the first time I saw you, you’re basically a monster. But you’re still not strong enough to contend with Ravi. He’s more of a monster than you are right now,” Thomas said.
“I’ve seen a couple of those in the student council, so I understand,” Ludwig replied.
“Still, are you not interested in the tournament?” Thomas asked. “They give good stuff.”
“Not my cup of tea,” Ludwig said, shaking his head. “Also, it’ll just reveal my secrets. I’m not a fan of that.”
“Suit yourself. At least go and watch the preliminaries. They do them every year. I was supposed to represent the freshmen if I… well, didn’t die,” Thomas said, snickering.
“Don’t blame me for that,” Ludwig retorted. “It was your own doing.”
“Fine, fine, I admit it,” Thomas said. “Still, you probably should watch the fights. They’ll be fun, and you’ll get to see more magic.”
Ludwig thought for a moment, then nodded. “You may be right. But I have no idea where that’s going to happen.”
“The main event will be held in a little less than a month,” Thomas explained. “But each school needs to choose its best students to participate. Usually, they hold events within their own schools to look for the best student of each grade—freshmen, juniors, and seniors. Each academy can only present three students, so one has to be the best among all of their peers to even attend.”
“And you’re saying that you’re the best among everyone here?” Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Technically, I am not,” Thomas admitted. “I can’t beat Bron, but I had my own ways to go beyond that small hurdle,” he added, his tone slightly arrogant.
“I see,” Ludwig said, suspecting that Thomas had used underhanded methods like bribery.
“You should visit the main hall. The event details should be there for all to see,” Thomas suggested.
Feeling that he had nothing better to do, Ludwig decided to humor Thomas. Besides, he was slightly curious about the tournament.
As Ludwig entered the main academy building, he noticed that the number of students had increased significantly compared to the day before.
“Students are returning from their vacation,” Ludwig muttered.
“Yes, the event is basically the best part of the start of the new academy year. So most students will be here to either watch or participate. Also,” Thomas said, “you don’t need to vocalize your thoughts. I can hear you even when your mouth isn’t moving. Just think of speaking to me, and I’ll be able to answer. Because, you know, people are staring,” Thomas explained.
Ludwig looked around and coughed, realizing that several students were indeed staring at him strangely, likely because he appeared to be talking to himself. He quickly moved past the group and entered the main hall, where a large crowd had gathered around a bulletin board.
The board was filled with names, divided into three rows. Ludwig recognized a few of them: Bron and Minerva from the freshmen group, Haku from the second-year students, and Danny Thompson from the third-year students. One name, however, stood out to him.
“Oh, even she’s joining,” Thomas said, his voice tinged with surprise.
“Who?” Ludwig asked.
“Morrigan Kaela, the girl you fought before,” Thomas replied.
“The girl with the crazies?” Ludwig asked, recalling the small but terrifying axe-wielder.
“Yes, the one wielding the battle axe,” Thomas confirmed.
“I see she’s in the same row as Haku, the guy who lent me his sword,” Ludwig said.
“Yeah, he’s a second-year,” Thomas said. “Since Danny is in the third row, I can guess that these are classified by class… but where is Ravi?” Ludwig asked.
“He’s not allowed to join,” Thomas said.
“Why not?”
“He accidentally killed someone during the preliminaries, so he was banned,” Thomas explained.
“Ah,” Ludwig said, his tone neutral.
“This year looks decent. There will be a lot of dark horses,” Thomas said. “We might actually not place last this time. It’s been a running joke so far how many times the Black Tower ended up in last place. If only Ravi didn’t mess up last year, we would have probably beaten the Gray Tower…” Thomas’s words were tinged with frustration.
“Ludwig!” a voice called from behind him.
Turning, he saw the same girl from the student council who had invited him to join. “Are you planning on joining?” she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Ludwig hesitated, glancing back at the bulletin board. The tournament was tempting, but he was not interested, it held no purpose or meaning to him. “I don’t think so,” he said finally. “But I’ll definitely be watching.”