Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Julius and Termina Chapter 59: Julius and Termina After defeating the Shadows, Amelia, Sander, and I continued to patrol around the academy.

We were on high alert, worried that the Shadows might still be lurking around, targeting the students.

“Naoki, Amelia,” Sander asked awkwardly as we walked, “aren’t you both scared of facing those creatures you call Shadows?” I shook my head, determined.

“No, I’m not afraid at all.

I can’t just stand by and let them abduct the students.

I’ll eradicate them, root and branch.” Amelia smiled, her usual confident demeanor shining through.

“I’m not scared either.

After all, I have Divine Magic, hehe.” “Haha, you guys are amazing!” Sander praised us, his smile genuine but still tinged with a bit of unease.

I turned to him, curiosity piqued.

“What about you, Sander?

This is your first time fighting these kinds of creatures.

Aren’t you scared?” At first, Sander hesitated, but then his expression hardened, resolve shining through.

“At first, I was scared…

but when I think about it, if they’re abducting students, then Windy could be one of their victims too.

I won’t let that happen.” Amelia’s mischievous grin widened as she seized the opportunity.

“Hehe, Sander, do you like Windy?” The question seemed to catch Sander off guard, but his face softened, and he responded without hesitation.

“Yes…

I like her.

I love her…” Both Amelia and I were taken aback by his calm response.

It was unexpected, to say the least.

“We’ve been together since we were kids,” Sander continued, his voice taking on a more somber tone.

“We were both former slaves.

Our parents sold us to the nobility because we had magical talents.

We were worth more that way.

For five years, we lived as slaves, until Headmaster Xerion von Solara saved us from that life.” His words carried a deep sadness, and the weight of his past was clear in his voice.

“I’ve been with Windy for 15 years.

I’ll protect her, no matter what.” Sander’s declaration struck me deeply.

I looked at him with a mix of admiration and respect.

“Sander…

you’re a real man.” Amelia nodded, her eyes filled with empathy.

“That’s right.

Naoki and I will support you.

I hope you can confess your feelings to Windy!” Sander hesitated, a nervous smile crossing his face.

“W-Well, I’ll try…

when the time is right, haha…” Envi’s voice echoed in my mind, teasing me.

“Look at you, Naoki.

Sander’s being all brave and honest with his feelings, but here you are, still too scared to confess to any of the girls.

Haha, pathetic.” I immediately shot back in my mind.

“Shut up, Envi!

I’m not like that.” The mental exchange felt like a small distraction from the weight of what Sander had just revealed.

His past was far from easy, and yet, he was standing strong, ready to fight for those he cared about.

Hearing Sander’s story made me realize something about the academy.

Most of the students here were likely people who had been saved by Headmaster Xerion von Solara, especially those who had been former slaves to the nobility.

This might also explain why Ardin had such a strong hatred toward me when we first met.

But it wasn’t just him; the other students also seemed to resent us.

I could only hope that my victory in the duel against Ardin had taught them something-maybe now they would understand that I wasn’t someone to be underestimated.

As the night went on, we continued our patrol, each of us lost in our thoughts but united in our determination to protect the academy and its students.

There was still much to be done, and we couldn’t afford to relax just yet.

The Shadows were still out there, and there was no telling how many more there were.

But one thing was certain: we weren’t going to stop until we had put an end to their threat once and for all.

…

The next day, I headed to the third-year class at Solara Magic Academy as usual, accompanied by my friends.

As we arrived and settled into our seats, preparing for class to begin, I was approached unexpectedly by Julius von Starlight and Termina von Stormheim.

Julius complimented me on my victory over Arden in the duel, and then he made an offer.

He invited me to join his study group, promising that with his help, I would definitely get excellent grades.

Hearing that, Lyra, Freya, Marius, and Kael all looked visibly upset.

They quickly demanded to know what Julius meant by that offer.

Luna, on the other hand, looked unusually frightened, her usual calm demeanor completely gone.

I noticed the tension building up among my friends, so I immediately stepped in to calm them down.

Turning to Julius, I politely declined his offer.

I assured him that I was confident in my current study group and that we could manage just fine.

Julius seemed to have expected this response.

He gave me a resigned smile, as though he had already anticipated I would turn him down.

“I figured as much,” he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Then, it was Termina’s turn to speak.

“I didn’t mean to invite you to join my group,” she said, her tone light.

“But I heard rumors from the professors that a friendly competition will be held between Braveheart Knight Academy and Solara Magic Academy.” She paused, watching my reaction carefully.

I blinked in surprise.

“A friendly competition?” I asked, not quite understanding what she meant.

Termina nodded.

“Yes.

Apparently, your duel with Arden stirred something up.

It caught the attention of many students at Solara Magic Academy, and now, they’re eager to show their strength as well.” I couldn’t believe it.

I had thought the duel would intimidate them, maybe make them respect us, but it seemed that it had the opposite effect.

Instead of admiration, it had fueled resentment.  Termina continued, explaining the details of the upcoming competition.

“The match will be held between the first, second, and third-year students from both academies.

Each year will send three representatives to battle.

So it’s essentially a 3 vs 3 for each year group.” I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and concern.

The idea of a 3 vs 3 battle sounded thrilling, but I was also apprehensive about the kind of opponents we’d face, especially from the third-year students at Solara Magic Academy.  Then, Julius and Termina gave me an intense look, their expressions serious.

“We can’t afford to lose this match,” Julius said, his voice low.

“This isn’t just any match; it’s a matter of pride for the Braveheart Kingdom.” “That’s why we’re inviting you to join us,” Termina added, her eyes gleaming with determination.

“We want you on our team for the third-year match against Solara Magic Academy.” They both believed they were the rightful representatives for Braveheart Knight Academy, given their prestigious family backgrounds as direct descendants of the Starlight and Stormheim Family, the Hero Family of Braveheart Kingdom.

Julius and Termina then turned to Amelia, asking for her approval.

They sought Amelia’s consent because, as the princess of Braveheart, she was the one with the authority to make decisions like this.  I sent Amelia a quick signal, urging her not to agree to their request.

However, much to my surprise, Amelia smiled slyly and gave her consent.

“Sure, I’ll allow it,” she said, her voice full of mischief.

I could only sigh in resignation, feeling a bit helpless.

Amelia seemed to enjoy seeing me in this kind of situation, and now I had no choice but to accept her decision.

Suddenly, a notification appeared on my interface: [Accept Julius and Termina’s invitation!

This choice will lead you to complete the quest Uncover the Dark Secrets of Braveheart Knight Academy!!!] I froze for a moment, staring at the message in disbelief.

It wasn’t just a simple notification-this was the confirmation of everything Amelia and I had suspected.

The strange appearance of the shadows in both the Kingdom of Braveheart and the Kingdom of Solara, the kidnappings, and the hidden plots-everything seemed to be connected in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

My suspicions about the shadows were right, and now, by joining Julius and Termina, I was stepping into something much larger than I had imagined.

Taking a deep breath, I reluctantly accepted the decision.

This was the path I had to take if I wanted to uncover the truth.

Despite the uncertainty ahead, I knew it was the only way to stop the shadows and find out who or what was truly behind it all.

So, it was settled.

Julius, Termina, and I would represent Braveheart Knight Academy in the third-year battle against Solara Magic Academy.

My curiosity grew about who we would face from the opposing side.

My mind quickly jumped to one name-Sander.

The idea of facing him in battle made me uneasy.

Would he be one of the three third-year representatives from Solara Magic Academy?

The thought of fighting him caused a strange knot to form in my stomach.

Sander had been a solid ally in the past, and I respected him deeply.

The thought of going up against him-especially in a match that involved such high stakes-was unsettling.

I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on what was ahead.

Regardless of the outcome, I would have to give my best in this competition.

But as we moved forward, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of twists and turns this event would bring.

Would it be the test we all needed, or would it only serve to deepen the rift between the two academies?

I had no way of knowing, but one thing was clear: the competition was going to be far more complicated than I had originally anticipated.