Challenge

The first school term began in late April, and it was set to end in mid-July. It, currently was already the end of June and honestly, it felt like I hadn't done much of substance.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't exactly a scholar in my past life, but I had at least learned more in school.

This explained why I and Livia were currently sitting in the library, both of us with a textbook in hand.

As boring as it was, I was looking through some of the history regarding the kingdom. I'd admit I was losing concentration regularly and wasn't really retaining much.

"No, as expected this doesn't feel right either…" Looking up I looked at the face of Livia who seemed extremely perplexed.

"What's wrong?" Given an excuse to put down the boring book, I moved to the seat next to her and looked across at the book she was holding.

'As expected, she really just wants to learn magic.'

"I don't think some of the information here is right…" The girl furrowed her eyebrows cutely.

I had long since learned from the first time she asked for my help, that this girl was to not be questioned intellectually.

"That so." I rest my head on my chin, trying to decipher what exactly was wrong with it.

I was unable to point out the exact problem but indeed something did feel off. It was like a half-correct answer written in the vaguest way to avoid criticism.

"I see, well kind of." I nodded before reaching to my initial seat and sliding over to the history textbook. It would be too much of a hassle to move back.

Seeing my stay I noticed Livia put on a small smile.

Like that we both went back to our separate reading, that was until I felt a sudden pressure on my shoulder.

Looking through the side of my eye I could see the girl had dosed off.

'What's with her and falling asleep on people's shoulders.' I wondered.

This time though, there was no real need to wake her up, and honestly, I really didn't want to.

…

A few days later…

[Master, you might want to return to your dorm.]

It was as I was walking to another class that Luxion said this.

When I arrived I found my room completely destroyed.

The furniture was broken, and the walls were stained with all sorts of profanity. My anger grew exponentially.

[It is not just here, Master, two other rooms have received the same treatment, one being the room of Livia and the other, the one you say maybe like you.]

'Livia and Marie?'

"Who did this?"

[Lackeys of that same girl, Marie.]

'That bitch.'

Rushing outside I found Livia sitting on a bench outside her dorm with her face in her hands.

"Noir." When she noticed me she practically tackled me.

"They went after you too right?" I asked as I hugged her. These bitches would pay.

"My room… t-they destroyed everything." She sobbed and out of the corner of my eye, I could see she was holding a small piece of paper. It looked ripped.

I could tell by what I could see that it was a picture, probably of her family.

…

(3rd Person POV)

A few hours later.

Inside the private meeting room of Prince Julius.

"A few hours ago, we found out that some students broke into Marie's dorm room and completely destroyed it. We found the perpetrator there and they claimed it was you, Angelica, who put them up to it." Julius spoke. Behind him were the rest of his entourage, as well as Marie who was sobbing into Jilk's stomach.

"What?! That is preposterous!" Angelica who was already very annoyed at Marie's presence got increasingly more so.

"Just be honest, Angelica, it is clear you dislike Marie-," Julius spoke but was cut off by Angelica.

"IT WAS NOT ME!"

"Why are you finding it so hard to believe my words?! Have I not known you longer than that girl?! Why do you trust her so much more than me."

"It seems you will not be truthful." Julius stood up with a deep scowl. "Stay away from Marie, leave our engagement for outside of school, you are a nuisance. Do you understand?"

…

(Noir POV)

The school gave us new dorm rooms while they fixed our old ones. The problem was they didn't do anything about the stuff we had inside.

I took Livia with me to the capital and I bought a bunch of new stuff for the both of us. She seemed very adamant about paying me back but in all honesty, I didn't care much. I was fucking rich.

My main focus was on making the pint-sized maggot responsible pay. I didn't know much about her, but I did know she was after the Prince and his entourage.

If she wanted to include me in whatever schemes she had to reach that goal, I'd make sure she knew she thoroughly fucked up.

Thankfully, a chance to make exactly that happened came a few days later.

…

It was during the end-of-term party. While other people were dancing or making last-minute passes for marriage, tension was slowly increasing between the usual two parties.

The love-struck prince had fairy godmother'd the hell out of Marie, dressing her in an overly sparkly dress. That already had set off Angelica and that spark only grew when she saw Marie holding the hand of Jilk.

That was when it reached the boiling point.

"Why can't you understand?! I'm doing this for your sake You Highness!" Angelica's voice overshadowed all the other conversation and everyone turned to look at the commotion.

"I can't stand your words, that is all," Julius responded a bit annoyed at the attention.

"She's going behind your back and making moves on your friends! Are you so blind as to not see that?!" Angelica pointed at Marie as she yelled.

"We are aware. Suddenly all of Prince Julius's entourage all stepped up.

"She lent me a listening ear and I thought, I want to protect her," Chris spoke.

One by one they all gave a very cringey recounting of how Marie was a saint and saved them all from their loneliness. It was beyond pathetic.

"The one who loves Marie the most… Is me." The crowd practically exploded when Prince Julius said that.

Angelica's expression fell more and more as the whispers reached her ear.

"So… you don't plan to end this affair?" Angelica whispered with her head down.

"No-."

Julius was about to continue but suddenly stopped when he saw a flash of white.

Looking to his side he saw a white glove stuck to Marie's head that fell to her feet soon after.

"Pick it up!" Angelica shouted. "Pick it up you lowly beggar."

"Angelica you disappoint me. Marie pick it up, I will act as your representative." Julius glared at Angelica.

"Tch, stop trying to hog all of her attention, I'll represent you too."

One by one the rest of his entourage stepped up to support Marie. Including the elf servant she now had at her beck and call.

Angelica began to grow nervous at how things had been turned against her. She began looking around for supporters but every time she looked one way the people would turn away from her.

No way they'd go against the prince.

"Seems no one wants to side with you, a consequence of your own actions." The situation was made even clearer by Julius' words.

'This is just perfect.' Despite the situation, I couldn't help but think that. This was exactly what I was looking for.

With that thought, I began walking forward.

"Noir?" Livia grabbed onto my shirt but I just patted her shoulder.

Sweet revenge. My smile seemed to draw her away as she let me go.

"I'll represent you, I have my own personal problems with this pint-sized fraud." Admits the mutters my voice resonated.

To that the entire hall went silent.

"Pardon? And who are you, I don't think I've seen you before." Greg Fou Seberg came up to me a bit surprised.

"Noir Fou Stardia, he's an accomplished adventurer." Julius with his eyebrows furrowed spoke. "Are you sure you want to do this, Stardia? I will not hold back after you insulted Marie that way."

Instead of answering I looked at Angelica. "Well, do you accept?"

For a moment the girl stood in shock but soon finally spoke. "I accept."

"GREAT! Now let's go over terms and conditions?" I took note of Marie's face, it was contorted in anger.

"I just want this horrible fight to end, I don't think it's right to use your families powers to order others around." Marie, ever the actor was the first to say.

"Tch, if we win, you will stay away from his highness." Angelica clicked her teeth.

"Mmm, isn't that a bit too light? Why stop at just His Highness? Why not all of them?" My words shocked not only Angelica but the rest of the entourage as well.

"Y-you dare!"

"V-very well… you must stay away from His Highness as well as the others you surround yourself with."

"There it's decided. If you win we'll completely back off and leave you alone. If we win, you all have to break up and go about your separate ways." I concluded before anyone could say anything.

"Now then onto how we will fight, I propose we settle this with our own respective armors, though I'm perfectly fine with going without them and fighting you barehanded."

"You honestly think you stand a chance?" Chris the light blue-haired one spoke while adjusting his glasses. "How utterly foolish."

"You are aware that you could lose your life in this duel, no?" Prince Julius confirmed.

"I am perfectly aware, are you?" I failed to hide my smirk.

"Very well, we will have 5 one on one matches using armor, I doubt you will but you can try to recruit up to four more representatives."

"Don't need them." I was confident in myself, and for a good reason.

"You do understand this is not a joke." Jilk was thrown off by my words.

"Just take the glove, do not disappoint me," I said picking up the glove and tossing it in His Highness's face.

With that, everything was decided and I was able to leave the hall a happy man. I could hold a grudge, and this one was no different.

...

AN: POWER STOONESSSSSS