Hearing Princess Aurelian's identity, Hilda immediately put away her softened smile.
Her expression turned solemn, her body slightly bowed as she gave Aurelian a warrior's respectful salute.
The kingdom revered strength. As for their impression of the neighboring empire, what most people in the kingdom knew at most was that invincible emperor of the empire.
And now, this princess, as the descendant of that emperor, was naturally treated with the same respect.
Aurelian was slightly surprised by Hilda's sudden action. Then she nodded, steadied her emotions, and said calmly, "Hello."
Hilda straightened up, then continued to speak seriously to the king, "Today is the day the academy evaluates the students' strength."
"Most of the fifth- and sixth-year students will gather here in this arena today to engage in combat scoring."
Every half month, Stellar Academy would regularly conduct combat evaluations.
This was used to rank the students by strength.
During the evaluation period, all students had to go through assessments, each phase lasting three days.
At the beginning were the first- and second-year students. After three days came the third- and fourth-years, until finally, the fifth- and sixth-year students' strength would be evaluated.
The entire academy strictly followed a six-year training system.
Listening to Hilda's explanation, the king raised his eyebrows slightly, "So the evaluations are currently underway?"
"It seems I've arrived at just the right time."
The king glanced around, his gaze finally landing on Viktor and Aurelian as he said, "Everyone, shall we go observe the academy's evaluations together?"
"Perhaps we might even see some interesting students."
———
A black steel ring-shaped arena stood towering in the center, its magnificent walls almost entirely formed by marble fused with perfect craftsmanship.
The marble surface was clasped by a thick layer of steel ring armor, and steel barbs like the fangs of a giant beast wrapped around the entire colosseum in a full circle.
The spectator stands descended layer by layer from the outer perimeter of the dueling field, until the lowest level was completely level with the arena.
Dust drifted across the vast arena, and at the center of the solid marble ground was a large red square symbol painted.
The judging instructors were already seated at the evaluation seats, with a circular metal table before them, and thick stacks of score sheets neatly arranged.
The spectator stands were filled with boys and girls in school uniforms. They were crowded together, but their eyes burned with intense light.
It was as if all of them wanted to show their skills on that arena.
The lower-year students craned their necks even more eagerly, looking forward to the performance of their seniors.
The restless students fell silent without any warning. Everyone held their breath, afraid of making even the slightest noise that might disturb the two people on the arena.
Two students in school uniforms were already standing in the center of the arena, their swords swaying lightly in the wind.
One of them, a male student, had a sturdy build and carried a greatsword on his back.
But he seemed somewhat nervous, his gaze wavering.
It seemed that after facing the girl before him, even his last bit of confidence in winning had been shattered.
In contrast, the female student opposite him appeared calm and composed, her gaze firm, the arm holding the sword as steady as a rock.
Her ash-black long hair fluttered, her breathing even, her posture upright, like a noble knight.
"The battle begins!"
With the instructor's command, the sound of swords clashing rang out, echoing throughout the arena.
Upon receiving the signal, the two moved like cheetahs, circling along the edge of the arena.
Soon, the male student launched a charge. His steps were shifting as he quickly stepped across the arena, closing in on his opponent.
Whoosh!
A phantom flashed past. The male student instantly appeared in front of the female student, his arms swinging backward, his entire chest exposed.
The massive silver blade tore through the air, the powerful airflow allowing the female student to calmly sense the danger.
She quickly lowered her body, avoiding the entangling airflow. Her body slid slightly backward, dodging the massive blade that chopped down.
The blade struck into the arena floor, and a huge shockwave suddenly rose.
By the time the shockwave dissipated, the person in front of him had already disappeared without a trace.
The male student panicked slightly, desperately searching for the female student's position.
Until a cold breath came from the back of his neck. He hurriedly turned to block, raising his sword horizontally in front of him.
But in the next second, the female student's attack suddenly changed direction.
The sword tip instantly shifted, hooking toward the opponent's blade.
With a slight exertion of force, carrying a clever technique, the blade trembled upward.
It quickly knocked the male student's massive sword flying.
Clang!
With a sharp sound, the greatsword had already stabbed into the edge of the arena.
And the male student sat down hard on the arena, unarmed.
With both elbows propped against the ground, he looked at the opponent's blade pressed in front of him, completely still.
Until the female student sheathed her sword and gracefully left the arena.
The entire process had taken only a short five seconds.
The instructors nodded to each other and picked up their brushes to write scores on the record, "Joanna, record another point."
The students below watched the battle in front of them and couldn't help but feel amazed.
Chattering discussions echoed through the crowd.
"This time's first place in the evaluation will probably be Joanna again, right?"
"She's only in the fifth year, right? Even sixth-year students aren't her match anymore."
"As expected of Instructor Hilda's younger sister… her talent is just too strong."
The students in the stands discussed among themselves. Although it was noisy, each voice sounded extremely faint.
The reason was simple.
At the very front of the spectator stands, a group of noble lords were seated there.
Most of them had their arms crossed, watching the battle just now with a somewhat playful attitude.
And indeed, that was the case.
In the eyes of these noble lords, the students' battles could at most be considered small scuffles.
However, just the presence of these noble lords was not enough to make them this quiet.
What shocked them the most was the figure sitting in the very center, wearing a crown.
There sat the current king of the Cant Kingdom, August.
At this moment, August smiled as he looked to both sides.
Seated on either side of him were Aurelian and Viktor.
But Aurelian, sitting on the right side, clearly had a trace of dissatisfaction on her face.
'What is this?'
She had clearly wanted to sit with Teacher Viktor, but this king had no sense at all.
At that moment, the king's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
"Your Highness the Princess, how do you feel?"
He turned his head, wearing a gentle smile as he spoke to Aurelian.
Aurelian quickly put away her dissatisfaction, displayed her royal etiquette, and replied politely in a calm manner, "It was truly a wonderful match. You can see that Joanna has spent a great deal of time training."
"And she must have an excellent coach guiding her at all times."
After speaking, she glanced at the female instructor seated beside her.
Hilda was deeply moved. Her body trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but show a delighted smile, "Th-thank you very much for the princess's praise."
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, then continued, "At Stellar Academy, we conduct a combat assessment every half month, using a point system to select capable students."
"The winner of each assessment will receive one point."
These points were extremely important.
Once enough were accumulated, one could exchange them in the academy for the star rank representing supreme honor.
Thus becoming a newly promoted baron.
Aurelian listened very attentively from the side.
After all, this was a diplomatic visit.
Naturally, anything worth learning from the kingdom had to be carefully noted.
At this time, King August eased the atmosphere a little and said in a relaxed tone, "Actually, Princess Aurelian also knows swordsmanship, Hilda. You didn't expect that, did you?"
Upon hearing this, Hilda's eyes immediately lit up, her eyebrows slightly raised.
Looking at Aurelian, she felt extremely surprised.
However, Aurelian merely smiled faintly, "In fact, my main focus is still magic. Swordsmanship is only a secondary study."
Hearing this, Hilda couldn't help but voice her thoughts, "I really want to see Your Highness Aurelian's swordsmanship…"
Suddenly, all the surrounding noble ministers stopped their discussions, and even the diplomatic officials looked at Hilda in confusion.
The scattered murmurs abruptly ceased.
Even Duke Barlow at the edge of the stands slightly opened his tightly shut eyes.
A steady and imposing aura naturally flowed from his gaze.
Meanwhile, a faint smile curled at the corner of Viktor's mouth.
At this moment, two new students stepped onto the arena.
The instructor below continued to announce the start, the voice echoing clearly throughout the colosseum.
The two students were nearly equal in strength. Drawing their swords against each other, they quickly began to fight.
This time, both of them used their full strength.
Perhaps because the king and the nobles were present below, they had no choice but to put in more effort.
Even if they couldn't obtain a star rank and become nobles, if they were favored by these noble lords, becoming a guard would still mean a bright future.
But clearly, the king and nobles on the stage had no interest in watching them.
Until August glanced at Hilda, and only then did the female instructor realize she had just said something she shouldn't have.
"S-sorry, Your Highness the Princess, I was just speaking casually. Please don't take it to heart."
The king wore a smile, his tone gentle.
"Hilda is someone obsessed with swordsmanship. It was only a moment of interest. Your Highness need not mind."
"It's fine."
Aurelian wore a smile, but this smile was not as bright as before. Instead, her eyes narrowed slightly, making it somewhat hard to read.
Just as all the surrounding noble lords let out a sigh of relief.
Aurelian suddenly stood up, pointed toward the empty arena ahead, and looked down at Hilda as she said, "May I go up and cut in line for a match?"
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