"This is a serious question. Can you kill Rid Archie during a match against him?" asked Duke Remy.

  "Kill Rid Archie? Is this just a question? Or is it a request?" asked Senior Vyn, slightly surprised.

  "This question could become a request depending on your answer," said Duke Remy.

  Senior Vyn seemed thoughtful.

  "Hmmm, I don't think I can kill him. Because, as you know, uncle, attacks that result in death are not allowed in this tournament. If I kill Rid, I will of course be disqualified. Not only that, there will certainly be additional penalties for killing someone, such as expulsion from the academy and imprisonment," said Senior Vyn.

  "You have a point. If you are subject to such a punishment, perhaps I can reduce your sentence with my authority as Duke. But restoring your reputation will be difficult even with my authority as Duke," said Duke Remy.

  "That's why I said I can't kill him. I'm sorry, uncle, if I can't fulfill your request," said Senior Vyn.

  "Okay, it's okay if you can't. But if we ignore the consequences of killing him, do you think you can kill him with your current strength?" asked Duke Remy.

  "I'm confident I can kill him with my current strength," said Senior Vyn.

  "You answered without hesitation, huh? By the way, using a lethal attack and killing your opponent will indeed disqualify you, but seriously injuring your opponent won't. If I asked you to do that, would you do it?" asked Duke Remy.

  "If that's all, I can do it," said Senior Vyn.

  "Are you sure? I couldn't even hurt him at all when I fought him," said Princess Amelia.

  "It's not that you couldn't hurt him, but you didn't realize when you did. When you used ~Garden of Roses~, the rose stems that appeared in the arena wrapped around Rid's leg and injured it. But he managed to heal it quickly and without anyone noticing," said Senior Vyn.

  "Why can you see, Brother Vyn?" asked Princess Amelia.

  "Of course, it's because of these glasses, the same ones Uncle Remy wears. Thank you for giving them to me, Uncle," said Senior Vyn.

  "No problem, but that student named Rid Archie can use healing magic, huh? He seems to have a lot of abilities. Are you confident you can defeat him and seriously injure him in the final match?" asked Duke Remy.

  "He can use healing magic, but healing magic is prohibited in academy tournaments. The academy has also prepared a sensor that will sound if healing magic is used in the arena. So, I'm confident I can injure him and seriously injure him without him being able to heal himself. No matter how strong he is, he won't be able to survive an attack from a group of dragons," said Senior Vyn.

  Meanwhile, Miss Karina was seen observing Duke Remy, Senior Vyn, and Princess Amelia as they chatted from a distance.

  "What are the three of them talking about in such a quiet place? They seem to be having a secret conversation. I can't hear what they're saying from this distance. If I get any closer, they'll definitely notice me, especially the Duke," said Miss Karina.

  -

  In the treatment room.

  Since Irene was still being treated in a room at the far end of the room, I could only wait for her to finish.

  Suddenly, Lily and Leandra came into the treatment room.

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  "So you're already here, Rid," Leandra said.

  "What a caring boyfriend," Lily said.

  "So it's you two. Are you the only two here?" I asked.

  "They said they wanted to have lunch first and then come back later. Prince Charles and Princess Chloe were picked up by some of Her Majesty's knights to join Her Majesty for lunch," Leandra said.

  "Ah, that's right. Charles and Chloe have an appointment with their mother during lunchtime. So it's lunchtime now, so why don't you two have lunch first?" I asked.

  "We'll wait. Besides, we were worried about Miss, so we decided to come straight here," Leandra said.

  "That's right," Lily said.

  "I see. When I first arrived, Irene was being treated in the room over there. So I was only allowed to wait here. But don't worry, Irene will recover quickly, especially since the recovery staff on duty at this tournament are the best," I said.

  -

  In the special room where Her Majesty the Queen is.

  "The food in this academy cafeteria is delicious, isn't it? It seems you guys are enjoying it," said Queen Kayana.

  "It's delicious, but unfortunately, the academy cafeteria only serves lunch, and that only applies on school days. Which means we can only eat there five times a week," said Charles.

  "What a shame. Back when I was studying at this academy, the rules were the same. By the way, have you learned all the ~San Fulgen Art Fire Technique~ techniques from the book I gave you, Chloe?" asked Queen Kayana.

  "Not all of them, Mother. I've only learned the techniques that I think suit my skills," said Chloe.

  "I see. Well, that's true. You should learn the techniques that suit your current skills first. The ~San Fulgen Art Fire Technique~ you used in the top 8 was excellent because it perfectly matched the bow and dagger you wielded," said Queen Kayana.

  "Yeah, but I lost after using that technique," Chloe said.

  "It's okay, Chloe. You still have a long way to go, so don't dwell on your defeat," Queen Kayana said.

  "Okay, Mother," Chloe said.

  "Then what about the ~San Fulgen Art Water Technique~ that you learned, Charles? Have you learned it all?" Charles said.

  "No, Mother. I'm just like Chloe, only learning the techniques that suit my current skills," Charles said.

  "I see, then it's okay."

  "Oh, by the way, in the semifinals, I saw a student named Rid Archie use the ~San Fulgen Art Water Technique~, which is our family's technique. I wanted to ask you, Charles. Did you teach him that technique?" Queen Kayana asked.

  Charles paused for a moment, then began to answer.

  "No, Mother. I didn't teach Rid our family's technique," Charles said.

  "Are you sure you're not lying to me?" Queen Kayana asked.

  "Yes, Mother. I wouldn't dare lie to you," Charles said.

  "Then why were you silent earlier and didn't answer right away when I asked that?" Queen Kayana asked.

  "That..." Charles said, confused.

  Charles was at a loss to explain the situation until Chloe helped explain it to Her Majesty.

  "Brother not lying, Mother, he didn't teach Rid our family's techniques. I think he was silent because he didn't know how to explain it. You might not believe it, but Rid can copy all the techniques of those he's fought, including the ~San Fulgen Art~," Chloe said.

  "Copy techniques?" asked Queen Kayana, slightly surprised.

  "Yes, I was first told by Irene, the daughter of Duke San Lucia. She said that after learning that Rid could also use the ~San Lucia Art~ even though she had never taught Rid, her current boyfriend. Irene often sparred against Rid and used the ~San Lucia Art~ when fighting him. The same goes for brother, who also often fought Rid in daily matches and used the ~San Fulgen Art Water Technique~ when fighting him. That's why Rid can use the ~San Lucia Art~ and also the ~San Fulgen Art~," said Chloe.

  "I see, this is a little hard to believe. What do you think, Commander? Do you think it's possible to copy the techniques of someone he has fought before?" asked Queen Kayana to Commander Oliver, who was not far from her.

  "Copying a technique isn't impossible, but it's difficult. And besides being difficult, not everyone can do it. In the case of someone who can use another family's technique, they usually only learn to use it after stealing a book or record containing instructions for using it. I never thought a student could copy the technique of someone they've fought against," said Commander Oliver.

  "Yeah, I didn't expect it either," said Queen Kayana.

  "The more I learned about Rid, the more curious I became about his true identity. Rid once said he'd never seen his parents since he was a child. That means his parents abandoned him when he was young, or perhaps as a baby. Karina's report stated that Rid previously lived in a village in the San Minerva region. This means Rid was probably abandoned by his parents in that village or somewhere nearby."

  "Previously, Karina thought Rid was one of the 'subjects' who used Elf hearts as their new mana cores. But then Karina said Rid wasn't a 'subject' after questioning him directly. I didn't doubt Karina because she's skilled at interrogating people, so she can tell if the person she's questioning is telling the truth. I also sensed that Rid wasn't a 'subject' after meeting him in person."

  "Even so, his origins remain a mystery. Who are you, Rid?" thought Queen Kayana.

  -To be continued