After the academy's classes had ended, I made my way to the Academy Student Committee Office to brief all the members of the Disciplinary Committee.
As I entered the office, I could feel the members inside watching me. Even so, I tried to ignore their gazes.
"Hey, isn't that Raul? The guy who shamelessly acted indecently toward Valeria?"
"You're right. I heard he boldly wrapped his arms around Valeria and held her hand during class."
"Ugh... That's disgusting. How could someone like him be appointed head of the Disciplinary Committee?"
Hearing them talk about what had happened that morning made my cheek sting again, as though Valeria's slap had just happened.
Besides, what was that woman thinking? She had slapped me with a second-tier enhancement spell! Did she really hate Raul that much? I had no idea, and I didn't want to think about it anymore.
When I entered the Student Council President's office, I saw the President sitting at her desk while reading several documents. She noticed my presence, and her gaze immediately shifted toward my cheek.
I gave her a cold look that clearly said, Don't you dare bring this up.
However, the President simply smiled as though she had just discovered a source of entertainment.
"Ah, isn't that you, Raul? The perverted noble who stole Valeria's innocence?" she teased.
Hearing that, I could only let out a resigned sigh.
"Why are they exaggerating what happened? You saw it yourself, didn't you, President? I was only helping her so she wouldn't fall."
The President chuckled at my complaint.
"So you do care about your reputation after all."
"Of course I do. What kind of man do you think I am?"
"A piece of trash?"
She answered immediately, without the slightest hesitation.
How could she say something that cruel while smiling, President?
Did I somehow set her personality to Sadistic when I created this game?
Well... I only gave her a brave and honorable personality. I suppose this new side of her must have appeared randomly after I entered this world.
"Putting that aside, weren't you planning to officially appoint me as the head of the Disciplinary Committee in front of the other members?" I asked, attempting to change the subject.
"You're right. Follow me," she replied as she stood up and walked out of the room.
I followed behind her.
My purpose in taking this position was to gather and train students at the academy specifically to deal with incoming threats. In addition, I wanted to start gathering a few loyalists whom I could rely on in the future.
I also needed to awaken Brian's Blessing. Without its power, he was nothing more than an ordinary man with tremendous courage.
But how could I awaken Brian's power without creating a Death Flag for myself?
We eventually arrived at the dueling arena, where the members had already lined up and were waiting for us.
There were thirty members of the Disciplinary Committee in total, divided into Senior and Junior ranks. They would take turns patrolling the academy grounds. Junior members, who were first-year students, would be paired with Senior members whenever they went on patrol.
The Disciplinary Committee's duty was to prevent violations within the academy grounds. The academy's higher authorities gave the students considerable freedom to establish and enforce their own policies within the academy.
"Today, I will introduce your new Disciplinary Committee Head," the President announced as she addressed all the members. "Some of you may already know him. He is Raul de Garcia."
I stepped forward and stood beside the President. Several Senior members visibly looked displeased with my appointment as their new leader.
"President, why is this bastard being made the head of the Disciplinary Committee?" one of the Senior members protested.
"Exactly! Many of us Seniors are more qualified for this position than a weakling like him!"
Well... I could understand their complaints.
Raul wasn't exactly a remarkable character in terms of strength in the game. He was far more notorious for his cruelty toward other academy students.
I suppose now was the perfect time to change their perception of me.
"So, you'll accept me as your leader if I'm stronger than you?" I asked in a cold voice.
"Tch. What can a pampered noble brat like you do besides hide behind your family's name?" one of the Senior members replied, clearly trying to provoke me.
"I can knock you unconscious in less than ten seconds, Senior," I replied in the most casual tone possible, as though I were saying something as mundane as getting dressed.
"What did you say?"
The Senior stepped toward me, his face filled with anger.
He removed his glove and threw it toward me.
I caught the glove.
It was obvious what this gesture meant. He had just issued a formal challenge to a duel, according to the traditions of the Knights.
"Let's find out whether the rumors about Raul de Garcia being nothing but a loudmouth are actually true," the Senior said, deliberately insulting me.
Well, Senior, here's a lesson for you.
When you're in a game or a movie and someone tells you they can defeat you within a matter of seconds, you should probably believe them.
That's because such lines are usually only spoken by people who are actually stronger than you.
Unlike Sparring, a duel would end only when one of the combatants died or lost consciousness. However, the academy did not allow its students to kill one another.
We took our respective positions.
This duel would be fought barehanded.
I analyzed his stance.
There was no doubt about it. Judging from the position of his feet, he intended to use a combination of Agility and Power in his attack.
But which variation would he use?
Third-year students had already mastered three attack patterns: Charging, Striking, and Feint.
In this case, I assumed the Senior would activate Acceleration before using Charging, hoping to surprise me with an explosive burst of speed and knock me down with a single attack by taking advantage of the momentum he generated.
It seemed the Senior wanted to defeat me in under ten seconds and humiliate me because of what I had said earlier.
Elena positioned herself between the two of us. Apparently, she would be the referee for this duel.
"Are both duelists ready?" Elena asked, preparing to give the signal.
The Senior and I nodded.
"Begin!"
The moment the President started the duel, the Senior shot toward me.
Particles of light appeared around his legs. He then slammed his foot into the ground and used Charging, reaching me in only three steps.
An ordinary student would have been stunned by the Senior's speed. He could cover thirty meters in just one second, making it nearly impossible for them to react to his attack in time.
The Senior then threw a right hook toward my head.
However, I had already predicted his attack before the duel even began.
I deflected his right fist with my left hand, causing his punch to miss and pass harmlessly beside my ear.
Shock appeared on the Senior's face when he realized I had blocked his lightning-fast attack.
However, he immediately continued his assault, rotating his body clockwise to strike me with a Spinning Elbow.
I ducked beneath the attack.
"Temper..."
—Bam!
I drove my fist into his solar plexus while enhancing it with magic.
The Senior dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach with both hands. He raised his face and glared at me with pure hatred.
Blood trickled from his mouth.
Apparently, I had hit him harder than I intended.
"B-Bastard..." he cursed in a faint voice as he struggled against the pain.
"I told you, didn't I? I can defeat you in less than ten seconds."
The Senior's face reddened as his anger reached its peak. The veins on his forehead bulged visibly. From the look in his eyes, he wanted to tear me apart until nothing remained.
Unfortunately for him, his body had other plans.
A direct blow to the solar plexus could cause several seconds of stun, depending on the target's physical endurance.
"You filthy no—"
—Bugh!
Before he could finish his sentence, I punched him in the nose, knocking him unconscious instantly.
"The winner, Raul de Garcia!" the President announced, declaring the end of the duel.