Duelcrest Academy

7. The crimson sword

The morning after I woke up early. The bed had been enchanted to ensure that we always woke up on time and didn't arrive late for classes.

«Those dark circles! Did you have trouble sleeping?» exclaimed Amy when we met to go have breakfast together.

I shook my head, yawning.

«Come on! Just need to bite the bullet,» Amy urged me on, giving me small pats on the shoulder as encouragement.

But when we arrived in front of the dining hall, we encountered something unusual.

A crowd of students blocked the entrance. Usually there was never such a long line.

Male screams could be heard echoeing through the hallway.

We approached the scene.

I immediately noticed that Sophia was also in the group, staring at something beyond the other students, frowning.

Tiptoeing, I tried to see what was causing all the commotion. I managed to catch a glimpse of two boys engaged in a violent quarrel. Or rather, one of them was leaning against the doorframe, looking bored, while the other was shouting at him.

I didn't know all my classmates' names yet, but I knew who those two were.

The bored-looking boy was Igor Valentine. With his dirty blond hair tied in a messy ponytail, his uniform untucked, and his tie loosely knotted, he gave the impression of a sloppy and undisciplined boy at first glance. And in this case, that first impression was extremely accurate.

Since the second day, he had attracted negative attention from all other students.
During classes, he lounged on the bench, paying no attention to what the teacher said. So far, no problem. If he didn't want to learn anything, that was his business. But it was during practice hours that things had escalated.

He had accidentally hit his training partner several times with some kind of strange spells, which had caused disgusting violet-colored pustules to appear on his skin. The unfortunate victim had to run to the infirmary to have them removed.

During a sword practice, he had accidentally let go of his sword, which had flown towards another student. Things could have ended very badly if the protective spell hadn't been active.

During meals and other free time, he had repeatedly annoyed other students, especially girls, with less than pleasant comments.

In short, he was the epitome of the classic bully. The black sheep in a class that otherwise seemed rather peaceful.

Despite his actions, the teachers didn't seem particularly interested in punishing him. They simply continued their lessons as if nothing had happened and ignored the other students' complaints.

That's when the other boy, Carl Stuart, came into play.

With his shaved cut and square glasses covering two usually stern eyes, he couldn't have looked more different from Valentine.

There were rumors that he was the son of one of the most important generals in the royal army. He certainly had a militaristic air about him.

He seemed extremely dutiful and respectful of the rules. I had heard him snap at some of the more talkative students during lessons several times.

Faced with the lack of action from the teachers regarding Igor Valentine's behavior, he had taken the situation into his own hands.

During dinner, last night, he had gone to his table and given him a scolding that had lasted about ten minutes. His deep voice echoed throughout the dining hall.