When Ben arrived for his challenge, he arrived with a massive grin on his face, as if he wasn't concerned in the slightest about the fight at all - or about the outcome. No one else could share his lighthearted attitude as everyone was too excited about the possibilities.
If Nero lost now, even if he won later, the impact would not be the same. Conversely, if Ben lost, then it would be a huge blow to the fifth year cadets, humiliating them all. After all, never before in history had a first year cadet so thoroughly dominated the entire academy - even Vilhelm's prodigy status had not been earned in such a resolute and overwhelming fashion.
What impressed Nero was the fact that while both Roland and Ben were near the top of the Exemplar's list, they weren't at the top yet. Thus, there were still some people in the academy Nero would have trouble facing, which was quite encouraging.
