Unexpected.

.

.

All of the students were watching Feron, who was lying on the ground, and gazing at Ayrton, who was standing in front of him with a sword at his neck; both of them were breathing heavily. The entire abyss was dead silent.

Edward smirked and spoke, "The winner was already determined."

"His highness Feron had never shown any interest in swordplay; so it was clear." while glancing at Feron and Ayrton among all the students, Gage said.

While Ayrton exited the center area and threw his blade on the ground, Arlo hurried up to Feron and assisted him in standing.

"Are you okay?" asked Arlo.

Feron said, his breathing heavy, "I barely made it."

"What exactly occurred to him overnight?" Again, in confusion, Arlo asked.

The students, who were too stunned to speak, started to murmur with each other.

"That was unexpected."

"Prince Feron is not that weak. He could be easily defeated by anyone."

"But prince Ayrton is not just anyone, he is second to prince Ophni in sword fighting."

"I think something is going on between the royals."

"I think the same. Prince Ayrton was fierce with Prince Feron while sparring as if he were some enemy."

"We don't know the inner matters of the royals."

"Maybe they fought with each other."

"Yeah, didn't you see the wounds of prince Feron and prince Lydan?"

…

Lydan was standing in front of him at a distance and was staring at Ayrton with a sparkle in his eyes. Ayrton walked directly toward Lydan when and stopped a few steps away from Lydan.

"You were amazing!" Lydan smiled and gestured at Ayrton, who had been staring at him intently. 

Ayrton gave Lydan a strange look. Ophni, who was standing next to him, noticed it and moved in front of Lydan to conceal him.

Ophni said, "You should take a seat somewhere."

Ayrton continued to look fixedly at Lydan as he responded, "I don't want to."

"Aren't you exhausted?" While attempting to completely conceal Lydan, Ophni questioned. However, before he could do so, Lydan put his hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn to face him.

"Lady?" As Lydan moved in front of him, Ophni paused mid-sentence.

"After Ophni, would you like to duel with me?" Lydan made a gesture toward Ayrton, who grinned at the sight of it.

Ayrton nodded and said, "Sure," as he moved to the side and stood there, wiping his face with a handkerchief.

"How could you do it, Lady?" With a voice that was neither too loud nor too quiet, Ophni yelled while glaring at Lydan.

"I wanted to spar with him since he's so good with swords," Lydan smiled while gesturing.

Again, speaking loudly, Ophni remarked, "Lady, I am better than him, everyone here knows that."

Ophni thought to himself, giving Lydan an unaware troubled glance, "Ayrton isn't behaving himself, it can be harmful."

Lydan again gesticulated enthusiastically, "I want to spar with him too," and Ophni groaned after observing him.

Feron and Arlo were approaching other royals like some warriors, oblivious to the stares and muttering of the nobles. Lynorr and Lydan sprinted in their direction as soon as they saw them coming.

Ophni was warily sneaking glances at Ayrton as he stood in position.

Lydan grinned and gestured, "You were good too."

Feron reciprocated with a smile and said, "Thank you."

After watching such a heated sparring session, many of the students were still in awe.

"One professor will supervise three pairs of sparring partners," Edward said. "If you all have decided on your sparring partners, scatter around with them and choose a spot."

Lydan sprinted enthusiastically toward Ophni, who was still glancing at Ayrton, who was standing off to the side as if he didn't care about anything, while he glanced at the other students who were splitting up and moving in different directions.

When Lydan approached Ophni, Ayrton immediately fixed him in his gaze once more. Lydan then dragged Ophni along with him to a vacant space among the seven hundred students.

As he stood with Feron and Lynorr and observed Lydan, Arlo remarked, "Lydan appears genuinely enthusiastic; it's the first time I'm seeing him with such expressions."

Feron answered, "He is excited."

Lynorr added, "His magical studies aren't even completed; I wonder whether it's the same with the swords," as Arlo and Feron turned to look at her.

"Let's just hope no one gets hurt," Feron said as he took a glass of water from a servant who had just stepped inside the abyss. While drinking, Feron stole a glance over at Ayrton, who was also receiving water from a servant.

"You two know that Ophni is more ruthless than Ayrton in swordplay; losing to someone is like losing your life to him, therefore there is no possibility that Lydan will escape this without experiencing trauma," Arlo said.

After Arlo, Lynorr said, "But Lydan's confidence and joy reveals that he understands everything there is to know about swordsmanship."

With his arms crossed, Feron was looking at both Arlo and Lynorr; while Ayrton, who was standing behind them, was fixated on Lydan.

Lynorr looked at Arlo, who was standing next to her, and said, "Let's go."

"Where?" Arlo enquired, perplexed and shocked.

"Where else but to duel?" Lynorr said as she sent Arlo a doubtful glance.

Arlo remarked as Feron smacked his elbow into his stomach, "I don't fight girls."

"Why do they keep hitting me?" While giving Feron a hurt look and mentally suffering, Arlo murmured in his head.

Lynorr remarked mockingly, "You may just pretend that you are sacrosanct."

For the sake of his pride, Arlo retorted in a loud voice, "I'm not afraid of you."

"So what's the issue?" Lynorr raised an eyebrow and questioned

"That..." Arlo hesitated to say.

"I'll be waiting at the spot near Lydan and Ophni, come hurry, or else you know the consequences," Lynorr said as she walked away.

"How can she be so scary?" Arlo muttered as he was looking at Lynorr walking away.

"What is the matter? You don't want to spar?" Feron asked while giving Arlo a mischievous look.

"I just don't want to fight her, she's merciless, she won't go easy on me, and being a nobleman I would have to go easy on her." Arlo reasoned to Feron, who was smirking while looking back at him.

"The famous womanizer of the fifth kingdom is saying that he is a gentleman," Feron said while giving a contemptuous look at Arlo, who was surprised after hearing Feron.

To be continued...