Chapter 11: The Battle of Dignity

  The announcement of the Peasant vs Elite mock battle stirred the academy like wildfire. It wasn’t the first time such a challenge was issued, but it was the first time anyone had dared to take it seriously. Whispers filled every hall, every classroom. Most mocked the Peasant class for even showing up to the fight. Others simply laughed at their foolishness.

  In the waiting area before the battle, the Peasant class gathered. They were nervous, sweating, fidgeting. One boy—Reis—muttered under his breath, “This is suicide. They’re going to destroy us.”

  Lucien glanced at him. “If you step into the arena thinking you’ve already lost, then you have. Walk away if you’re not prepared to fight.”

  Reis gulped, but he didn’t walk away.

  Lucien placed a thin scroll in the center of the table. A rough blueprint of the arena. “They’ll underestimate us. We have to use it. Most of them rely on their spells and swords. We will fight with our knowledge.”

  His voice was calm, but inside, Lucien’s pulse ticked a little faster than usual. He hadn’t tested these students in real combat before. He could guide them, lay traps, manipulate the field—but humans were unpredictable. And for once, he wanted this victory not for strategy, but for a message.

  Arena Grounds, Later That Day

  Crowds poured into the viewing stands. Royal students sat higher, draped in fine academy colors. Elite students filled the mid-tier benches. The Peasants stood to the side, mostly ignored or jeered at.

  Third Princess Elira sat among the Royals, her violet eyes scanning for someone. “Is that… the one they call Lucien?”

  A noble next to her scoffed. “The so-called ‘strategist’? Just a glorified peasant.”

  She didn’t respond. Her gaze remained fixed on the black-haired boy standing at the edge of the field.

  The Battle Begins

  The Elite class entered first—armor gleaming, weapons humming with enchantments. Magic users channeled spells into their staffs. They stood confident, polished, rehearsed.

  Then came the Peasants. No glamour. No matching uniforms. Some wielded chipped blades, others nothing at all.

  A horn blew. The match began.

  And chaos erupted.

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  Within seconds, the front-line Peasants were pushed back. Reis was thrown off his feet. A girl named Mira barely dodged a fireball. Jeers erupted from the crowd.

  Lucien watched, unmoving. Then, he whispered, “Now.”

  Suddenly, traps hidden under sand activated. Wind glyphs Lucien had carved the night before triggered, pushing the Elite swordsmen off balance. Smoke burst from hidden pouches sewn into jackets. One Elite mage found her staff suddenly covered in blinding mist.

  The battlefield turned.

  But it was not perfect.

  Lucien caught a error too late. One of the Elite students—Tavion, a lightning-type—charged through the confusion and slammed into Mira. She screamed and hit the ground hard. Too hard.

  Lucien flinched.

  He hadn’t expected Tavion to break formation.

  He narrowed his eyes, pulling out a concealed rune stone. “Troublesome”

  He flung it just as Tavion raised his hand again. The rune exploded with force—not enough to injure, but enough to send Tavion sprawling backward into his own team. Two Elite mages fell with him.

  More traps triggered. Stones shot from spring-loaded plates. A net of fire runes created a ring around two Elite fighters, cutting them off.

  The tide shifted.

  The Peasants began to fight back—not with strength, but with desperation and cleverness. Reis, once hesitant, tackled a distracted opponent and disarmed them.

  The main battle is starting now. Victor,who trained in the Eoadias is starting to get back his senses.He was overwhelmed by the chaos and he was confused,what he supposed to do erupted in his mind.After all the dust subsided he saw Tavion is fighting with Lucien and he alone pushed the members of peasant class.

  Soon Victor too got back into his feet.He now used his Earth tomb skill to bury the remaining bombs.Then he started counterattacking with the bolder in the ground with his new skill Earth control.

  He started helping his teammates with his earth wall.Suddenly he saw Lucien trying to blow a rune under Tavion's feet,he instantly moved it to the Lucien's side with his earth control which resulted them the victory.

  And slowly, the crowd stopped laughing.

  In the Royal Balcony

  Elira leaned forward. Her heart was racing. “Who taught them this?”

  First Prince Azrael, seated at the center, remained silent but slightly smiled.

  Second Prince Darius, to his left, scoffed. “petty tricks. They’re nothing but a circus.”

  Elira didn’t respond. But her eyes lingered on Lucien.

  After the Battle

  Victory wasn’t declared with cheers. The Elite class had technically won by points. But everyone knew who really triumphed.

  The Peasants walked off the field battered—but proud. The silence from the audience said more than any applause.

  Lucien stayed back for a moment, watching the runes fade on the battlefield. He turned his hand over—and winced. One of the rune stones had burned his palm slightly.

  Frona appeared beside him, as quiet as always. “You’re injured,Master.”

  He slipped the glove back on. “Just a scratch.”

  She watched him. “You could have let them lose. It wasn’t your fight.”

  Lucien looked toward the Royal seats. “It was never about the fight. I just didn’t want them to get comfortable insulting us.”

  He turned away, but not before Frona noticed the smallest shake in his hand.

  Later That Night

  Darius stood in his chamber, eyes narrowed. “He’s interesting and Clever. That boy Lucien.”

  A man in the hood bowing his head down. “Do you wish me to act, Your Highness?”

  Darius shook his head slowly. “No. Not yet. Let him grow. I want to see how far he can go.”

  He poured wine, then raised the glass toward the window. “Let the game begin.”