I Refused To Be Reincarnated

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"I didn't even take his card! You deprived me of my spoil, Zenobia!"

Upon hearing him, she let go of his hand and glared into his wronged eyes.

He noticed how her face firmed and the shadows dancing on her frown.

"You won't leave until you learn a field and boosting spells. You angered our mentor with your casual approach to the tournament."

Her solemn voice only made a wry smile stretch his lips.

"I focused a little too much on learning the dwarfs' crafts. My bad."

She sighed in response, shaking her head. Honestly? She wanted to scold him in Shepard's place. But could she blame him for his wholehearted learning style? Somehow, she felt it would be wrong. Still, he messed up by not even reading the rules.

"You know what? We'll skip the senior's earful if you promise me you'll be more careful in the future. You can't jump into tournaments or missions wielding mana and a sword in hand. Focus more on subtleties."

She guided him to the library while he offered a nod and promised.

Under her watchful eye, he picked up a few books recording what he needed and discussed what spells would fit his deck most.

In the meantime, the deans smiled or snorted as the other duels ended.

Yet, now that Shepard witnessed Adam's deck in action and how terrifying the simian knight was, furious greed blazed in his gray eyes.

A loud cough escaped his lips, drawing the other's attention.

"I offer a minor additional rule to spice things up."

A mischievous smile stretched Orion's lips as he instantly answered.

"I'm out."

Besides him, the others showed interest and gestured for him to continue.

"Why don't we each choose the student we believe has the highest chance of victory? When he is on stage, the rival's dean has to bet."

That way, he could extort them during the qualification matches, too.

He offered them his provocative smirk as he continued.

"I'm confident my student will wipe the floor with yours. Heh!"

Moira sighed, shaking her head at what she perceived as Shepard's arrogance. For her, the other deans' students were savage creatures, like their mentors. They were only helpful in protecting innovators like her. Therefore, her elegant voice echoed.

"Let's be honest. Your students have no chance against mine. You can still retract your offer."

Unbeknownst to her, the words sparked a glint of discontentment in the others' eyes. Even the ones about to reject took time to think again.

"I agree. With how confident the two of you are, let's focus on the champion we chose and raise the stakes."

Edgar interjected, leaning forward, greed burning brighter in his eyes than in Shepard's. After all, he ensured he would not lose in his academy!

Slowly, the others agreed, unwilling to pass as cowards in their peers' eyes, except for Orion.

Yet, they ignored the old arcanist's decision, focusing on their adversaries as the competition's tension rose.

Provocation fused for a few minutes before they jumped down the balcony, gathered their cheering students and guided them to their rooms.

Just like that, the night passed before the sun rose again, shining its gentle rays amidst the winter's cold on the gothic castle.

With a soothing caress, they flashed by Zenobia's sunken eyes, illuminating the dark circles under them and her unkempt hair.

"Your next match will start soon."

Her exhausted voice took Adam out of his reading as he peered through the windows.

"Wow! Time passed so fast."

A confident grin stretched his lips as he closed the boosting spell book and offered her a nod of gratitude.

"There is no way I'll lose now. I'm curious to see how they'll counter my field spell."

With a chuckle, he pushed himself out of his seat and walked to the arena.

Before the doors, he frowned at Shepard and the other students from the college.

"Where are the others?"

Only a dozen teenagers stood before him, making him imagine the worst happened.

Unfortunately, Shepard confirmed it. Yet, the mischief painting his face contrasted with the situation's gravitas.

"Eighty-eight lost yesterday. So, it's you twelve against the rest."

The bright smile splitting his mentor's face made him shake his head.

"I know they are future alchemists, but still. You should increase the college's exploration incentives and focus more on battle spells."

"I don't have enough new students for that."

Shepard shrugged, then walked through the door.

"With Zenobia's guidance, I'm sure you'll win. There can only be one champion, anyway."

"Why did you give me number two, then? I wonder if I should aim for second place?"

Tilting his head to the side with an innocent grin, he eyed his mentor, mockery flashing in his eyes.

The arcanist's light chuckles enlivened their walk.

"You'll lose that mythical material. A shame it's not of the fourth tier, or I would have disguised as a student to win it."

"Yeah. Seems to be a great one. I already know what I'll do with it."

Adam's voice turned as sharp as a sword, and a steely glint flashed in his eyes.

"Hahaha. Go for it, and don't forget to pick a card from your defeated opponent this time."

Shepard threw him a knowing glance. Then, he spoke with the waiting Beatrix for a minute before his body turned into a swirling mass of smoke. In a second, he floated to the balcony, recovered his appearance, and smiled at his waiting peers.

Meanwhile, Beatrix stepped to him, her signature smile filled with enthusiasm, stretching her lips.

"Since you drew your adversary yesterday, you'll have to wait for someone to get your number today," she said, gratitude dancing in her eyes.

After he had shared his advancement method with her last year, she could already feel a difference when she forced the fifth circle creation. Mana control worked! Yet, they had all dismissed it after reaching the fourth-tier standard, believing its only use was to help in crafting. Now, however, Thadeus and she only felt respect for the boy's sharp mind and discovery.

Her smile widened, imagining Elysia's face lighting up with similar joy in her new home.

"Keep up the good work. We are all rooting for you!"

A strange feeling nestled itself in his chest at this moment.

'What is it?' He thought, unused about this unfamiliar warmth enveloping his soul.

His shoulders trembled, and his fists clenched as he understood after a moment.

'Genuine gratitude from someone. Not because of who I might be or can do, but for who I am.'

Unknowingly, he had forgotten about this elusive feeling. After all, he had only appreciated it twice before. From Nova after she evolved from a Banshee and in the damp underground complex... from Misha.

A soft smile stretched his lips as he met the teacher's blue eyes.

"Thank you. Your encouragement means a lot and gives me another reason to win."

"Heh? Since when did you become a sweet talker? I thought you would grin and say watch me win."

She chuckled, poking his wooden cheek with her slender finger, marvelling at the smooth design.

"..."

Uncomfortable with the situation but not knowing how to react, his brows twitched. Fortunately, his number flashed before him the next second. In a show of smoke, it twirled and shifted into an arrow pointing at the desk he would use for this duel.

Forgetting about the playful exchange, his eyes narrowed. His determined steps echoed on the slabs as he made his way to it, noticing the opponent standing across the battlefield.