Chapter 417

Chapter 40 Focusing on the Bridge of the Nose Part 1

It might be because the surrounding noise was too loud and my voice was as weak as ever that Mr. Melville didn’t seem to hear me. So I stood up, tiptoed, raised my little hand as high as I could, and shouted while jumping, “Mr. Melville!”

This time, he noticed me.

As his gaze swept over, he glanced in my direction, his expression paused for a moment, then quickly looked away and continued to roar at the crowd, “Who else?!”

The old man was spitting out saliva.

Don’t pretend you can’t see me!

In my panic, I ignored whether he would call on me or not, and dashed out from the first row. Amidst the puzzled gazes and whispers of countless people in front of me, I ran to Mr. Melville’s side and grabbed his thin arm, shaking it hard.

“It’s me!”

“What do you want?”

“Let me fight!”

“What do you have to fight for? Stop fooling around, sit back down and attend class properly. Let those boys play.”

What?

How could it be like this!

“I want to fight.”

“Peyelo小姐…”

Mr. Melville tried to find an excuse to refuse, but at that moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, “Peyelo小姐—”

“Is that Peyelo小姐?”

“What is she doing… Could it be…”

“She wants to fight… No, she’ll get beaten…”

“Did you hear Mr. Melville call her?”

“No…”

“But I think I saw her raise her hand…”

The trainees started to become restless, and the entire training ground buzzed with discussions. The sound grew louder in my ears, and I felt countless eyes staring at me. I vaguely heard Sarah’s excited shout, “Go on, Peyelo! Break their noses!”

Her voice was bright and her volume was huge, causing the atmosphere to freeze momentarily. Then came a wave of shouts, like a roaring tide.

“Peyelo—!!!”

“Break their noses! Hahaha—”

“Go on! The little sprite by the Ceylon Lake—”

“Come on, Peyelo—”

“Peyelo, Peyelo, Peyelo—!”

The clamor gradually unified, and everyone was shouting my name. Mr. Melville stopped talking; his brows were furrowed, and he seemed lost in thought. After a moment, he smiled again.

“Fine. Let it be… They should see what true talent looks like.”

Great!

“Hey.”

I felt relieved and couldn’t help smiling. Then I turned to look in Richter’s direction.

Whether I am a genius or not, I don’t care. Right now, I just want to beat him up until he’s black and blue, making him lose face in front of all the female trainees. Otherwise, I won’t feel better.

It’s his fault for provoking me!

The man with the forgiving hair who was not far away was also looking at me, his gaze complicated.

The moment we made eye contact, his expression changed instantly, as if he already understood what was about to happen. His lips twitched unnaturally, and he frowned, pinching his forehead.

“What a joke…”

The man muttered softly and took a step towards me. Suddenly, a new round of cheers erupted from the crowd.

“哗—”

“Beaudet, Beaudet, Beaudet—!”

The unanimous cheers gradually changed to another name.

Beaudet?

I was puzzled and turned to look at the crowd, seeing a familiar figure standing up from the dense rows behind, weaving through the gaps and walking towards the open space ahead.

Is he going to fight too…

…He can’t compete with me for Richter!

Seeing Beaudet getting closer, I quickly winked at Mr. Melville, “I choose Richter.”

“Oh, then he’s really unlucky.”

“I agree.”

Hmph.

I glanced triumphantly at Richter—who had already quietly approached.

“Hey, what are you up to… Mr. Melville, you should advise this little girl. If she comes up, wouldn’t today’s lesson lose its meaning?”

“Little girl?” I raised my eyebrows.

Richter, you dare.

Even at this moment, you still provoke me.

“Sylvia, when do you want to fight with me… I gave you olive soap the other day. You shouldn’t act like this. There are so many people here, give me some face… We’re so close, why don’t you choose someone else?”

I shook my head, “No, you threw dust at me.”

Richter spread his hands, looking innocent, “If I say it wasn’t intentional, would you believe me?”

“No.”

“Just trust me once.”

“Trust or not, I’m still fighting.”

“…”

Richter was momentarily speechless, his face turning even darker.

At this moment, Beaudet walked beside me.

“Mr. Melville.”

He bowed respectfully to the old man, then winked at me, his lips slightly curved upward.

“Beaudet, you little guy, do you want to try a match?” asked Mr. Melville.

“Yes. It’s rare for it to be so lively today, let’s play a bit.”

“Then choose someone.”

“Hmm… I choose Miss Luciana.”

“Alright.”

Mr. Melville nodded, stroking his beard as he thought for a moment. When the crowd’s cheers gradually subsided, the old man patted our shoulders, “Since you two want to fight, then fight. But this is after all an academy, and my first lesson on order isn’t aimed at exceptions like you two… However, this is good, it will allow everyone to see the level of skill among peers. It might not be a bad thing… But I have requirements for both of you.”

After saying this, the teacher first looked at me, “A simple requirement. Miss Peyelo, don’t take it too seriously. Don’t destroy the venue, don’t hurt anyone, and pay attention to the boundaries… This shouldn’t be difficult for you, right?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded obediently.

But I might hurt Richter…

Of course, I wouldn’t say that out loud. For now, let’s just treat Richter like he’s not human.

Mr. Melville nodded at me, then looked at Beaudet, “As for you, Beaudet, you cannot perform miracles, no use of faith power.”

“Okay, teacher~”

Faith power?

I was somewhat surprised and turned to look at the slightly loose group of male students next to me. Then I immediately realized: Of course, Beaudet must have faith power. His grandfather is Cardinal Saint George.

“What’s wrong?” Beaudet touched his face, looking confused, “Is there something on my face?”

“You’re very powerful?” I asked him.

“I can’t beat you.”

“Can you beat her?” I nodded toward Luciana, who was standing not far away.

“Of course not.” Beaudet shrugged, looking indifferent, “I just like her legs, you know? No man doesn’t like that kind of leg, tsk tsk…”

“…”

“Aah, don’t look at me like that, what I mean is… appreciation, yes. Miss Luciana’s legs are indeed beautiful, I’m a honest person, facing reality bravely, but I’m certainly not a pervert, don’t misunderstand, I have someone I like, I’m very loyal.”

As he spoke, the boy’s eyes became more serious.

I couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Luciana’s legs—Beaudet was right. Her legs were long and beautiful, with graceful curves. Most of her height came from her legs. Even wrapped in black lace stockings, they were still… damn, she was wearing fishnet stockings.

“Why don’t you ask who I like?”

Beaudet’s voice came again, and I returned my gaze, “Why ask?”

“…”

“Isn’t it curious? I’m very honest, if you ask, I’ll tell you.”

“Don’t ask.”

“Ask.”

“What’s it got to do with me?”

“How can you be like this—”

At the same time, Mr. Mervel moved aside, and Reckt followed him. They discussed something with the other three people. Soon after, Knight Hols, who was wearing light armor and looked like he was in his late thirties, began to set up a waist-high fence around the open space. Meanwhile, Mr. Mervel walked in front of the trainees and started shouting at them.

“Listen! In the next two battles, watch carefully. Don’t blink! See how much you differ from others and where you fall short! After today, reflect on yourselves, but don’t be discouraged. The road ahead is long. As long as you take steady steps, no one can ignore you…”

The trainees began to murmur. Some were confused by the teacher’s words, while others worried that the earthen walls would block their view. Mr. Mervel didn’t explain much; he just reorganized the formation, moving further back and expanding the open space again. On the opposite side, there were no earthen walls built. Instead, the teachers and the four others stood in a row in front to respond promptly to any accidents and protect the trainees behind them.

Of course, I understood this, but the trainees might not.

“What’s going on… What are the teachers planning?”

“Do they really need to make it so complicated?”

“I feel something’s off… It feels like a big battle is coming. Could it be that the teachers are going to fight each other?”

“That would be exciting…”

“I don’t care about that. I just want to see Miss Peyalo… How will she fight with her small body? I’m looking forward to it, thinking about it makes my heart race…”

“But won’t she get hurt?”

“The teachers know what they’re doing…”

“By the way, does anyone know Miss Peyalo’s order? Is it frost or something else?”

“Idiot, it’s frost, of course. Use your brain. She has black hair… from the Valen royal family…”

“Not only the Valen royal family uses frost…”

The constant chatter reached my ears, including some of the female trainees’ dismissive remarks.

“Why is she going up there? Does she love being in the spotlight that much?”

“She might be quite capable…”

“Just her? You’re overthinking it. She just has a pretty face…”

But I ignored all these voices.

“Bayard, move away. I’ll go first.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

After Bayard waved and smiled, stepping back, I stood on the side of the open space, inside the earthen wall, and waved at Reckt nearby.

Reluctantly, he came over.

“Do we have to do this?”

“Less talk.”

I rolled my eyes at him and raised my chin, signaling him to come to the opposite side.

“Peyalo, come on!”

“Mr. Reckt, please treat her gently—”

“The one standing before us is our academy’s little goddess! Don’t hit too hard, Mr. Reckt—”

…Who said that?

Goddess is goddess, why add “little”?

I felt a surge of anger again.

This anger would soon be directed at Reckt.

The man was already standing seven or eight steps in front of me, shrugging his shoulders with a bitter smile.

“Real fight or fake fight?”

“You go all out, I’ll go easy.”

“…Haha, so arrogant?”

“Hmph.”

“In fact… ever since the battle at Kataloma, I’ve been thinking, if given the chance, I’d like to fight you.”

“That works perfectly.”

I laughed.

In fact, I wanted to fight him too.

The lessons on order theory taught by Mr. Mervel were not entirely useless to me, but they provided little benefit. At my level, the things I could learn here that truly improved me were scarce, even if I jumped to Level Six.

Angel initially wanted me to come here mainly to adapt to human life and integrate into such a collective. Perhaps he also hoped I would systematically learn knowledge, as I was completely ignorant of order power back then. But he clearly underestimated the speed of my progress and the keenness and talent I possessed for combat in the Abyss.

Not to mention, regarding the control and application of frost order, I had already grasped nearly eighty percent of the content the academy would cover over three to five years during the time I practiced with my father at Santel Fortress. Furthermore, I quickly mastered high-level techniques like Moon Step, which the academy never taught and even my father needed years to master.

Most importantly, in terms of practical combat skills, mere lectures and practice were no longer sufficient for improvement.

Only through such battles could I improve.

In battles, facing opponents who excelled in techniques, engaging with them, observing their movements, and thinking about counterattacks — that’s how I progressed.

And in terms of technique alone, Reckt was an even better training partner than Victoria.

So… This lesson was actually a good opportunity.

A good opportunity to give him a good beating.

“Hehe.”

“Let’s start!” shouted Mr. Mervel from the front of the formation.

The trainees’ cheers gradually subsided, and Reckt’s gaze turned cold. I twisted my right ankle, clenched and released my fist, feeling a surge of joy in my heart.

“I’m coming!”

“Come on, I’m ready—”

Moon Step!

Whizzing sounds filled the air.

At this moment, the echoes of the crowd’s shouts distorted and dissipated in my ears, and in the blink of an eye, I was already in front of him, not giving him any time to prepare.

Stomp, twist.

Thud!

A dull sound echoed.

The dust beneath my feet seemed to react a beat late, flying up and spreading instantly after I disappeared and reappeared. With the dull sound, the dust rose almost a person’s height, swirling like a dust storm within ten meters, causing the stones underfoot to tremble violently. In my eyes, Reckt’s pupils widened.

In the next instant, I planted one foot on the ground, twisting my body half a turn, leaning backward, lifting my right leg like a whip, accompanied by a whistling wind, aiming to strike the man’s waist fiercely. However, just as he reacted, he bent his knee, retracting his right leg, using a feint to confuse me. Then, utilizing the momentum of the twist, he swung his right fist straight toward my face.

In a flash, Reckt suddenly turned his head. This punch “whooshed” past his ear. He retaliated, punching me. I caught it with my left hand, the force making my body tremble slightly, but not causing significant damage. My right fist stretched past Reckt’s head, fingers opened, transforming the punch into a palm, my arm recoiling, pressing against the back of his head.

Ha!

I felt a surge of joy, suddenly exerting force with my arm, turning to the right, landing on my right foot as my left leg lifted, knee rising, aiming to collide with Reckt’s head that I had pushed down. But in the next moment, my body lost balance.

He swept my leg…

Suddenly losing balance, I fell to one side. My knee, aimed upward, deviated, and the attack was defused. Reckt’s counterattack arrived instantly. My nerves tensed, my ears twitching as I sensed the wind pressure hitting my lower abdomen again. Pressing his head with my right hand, I used brute strength to push Reckt off balance, nearly bending my upper body to ninety degrees. Seizing the opportunity, I regained stability, jumping lightly and flipping over Reckt, landing on the other side, delivering another whipping kick downward.

Bang—

The impact was felt, but it was blocked.

This kick was aimed at the man’s face. He reacted quickly, raising his arm at the crucial moment. My kick hit his elbow, forcing him to retreat several steps. His leather boots screeched against the stone slabs, nearly causing him to lose balance and fall. He managed to stabilize himself with a flip, shaking his hand afterward.

A few steps away, I had landed, risen, and was stretching my ankles, smiling at him.

Surely, I must have hurt him…