Charisma 100: My Academy Life As A Heartbreaking Commoner-Chapter 228: The Duel 1

The carriage rattled along the cobblestone streets, and Aegis watched Rosevale pass by through the window.

It was a nice day for a duel, she supposed. Clear skies, mild temperature, not too much wind. The kind of day that would’ve been perfect for a picnic or a stroll through the gardens. Instead, she was on her way to fight for the right to marry a princess.

Her new life had taken some weird turns.

Scarlett sat across from her, fidgeting with the straps on her gauntlets. Kanna was beside Scarlett, still as a statue, eyes closed. Meditating, maybe. Or just napping. Hard to tell with her.

Evelyn had stayed behind at the manor to handle things in case anything went wrong. Nazraya too, though for different reasons. Aegis saw no real need in having a shadow mage back her up here.

The twins, Kai’Lin and Mei’Lin, rode alongside the carriage on horseback. Every now and then, one of them would pull up beside the window to report.

"No unusual activity around the arena, nya," Kai’Lin said, her brown hair whipping in the wind. "We checked the perimeter twice."

"And House Goldspire?"

"Their people arrived about an hour ago," Mei’Lin added from the other side, her streaked white hair tied back in a ponytail. "Standard escort. No hidden soldiers, no suspicious carriages. If they’re planning something, they’re hiding it well, nya."

Aegis nodded slowly.

"Keep your eyes open anyway."

"Will do, nya."

The twins fell back, and Aegis leaned against the carriage seat.

No obvious traps. No hidden soldiers. No suspicious activity at all.

That was... unexpected, honestly.

She’d been bracing herself for some kind of scheme, some last-minute ambush or poisoned blade or bribed referee. But according to the twins, House Goldspire was playing it straight. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Maybe that was because of the conditions Serilla helped her set up. The letter demanding clear terms, the neutral third party providing weapons, the anti-tampering clauses. Maybe Darius had realized that cheating wasn’t worth the political fallout if he got caught.

Or maybe it was something else.

Aegis thought back to that day at the Winter Trials. The way Darius had looked at her after she’d beaten him. Not with hatred, exactly. More like... respect, maybe? Grudging respect, sure, but respect nonetheless.

She’d befriended him, according to the System. Whatever that meant in practice. They weren’t friends, not really. But they understood each other, in a way. Both of them fighting for something bigger than themselves. Both of them willing to do whatever it took to get there.

[Maybe he just wants a clean fight. One winner, one loser, no excuses.] Aegis sighed. [I’d like that, but I won’t bet on it.]

The carriage slowed as they approached the Whitestone Arena. Through the window, Aegis could see crowds gathering outside, nobles and commoners alike jostling for position. Word had spread fast. Everyone wanted to see the upstart commoner face off against the Goldspire heir.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

One of them was going to win today. One of them was going to lose. And no amount of scheming or planning or worrying was going to change what happened once they stepped into that arena.

[Alright. Let’s do this.]

The carriage door opened, and Aegis stepped out into the sunlight.

The Whitestone Arena was bigger than she expected.

Rows upon rows of seats climbed up toward the sky, forming a massive oval around a sand-covered fighting pit in the center. The architecture looked old as hell, with columns and arches that had been maintained to still look impressive after centuries.

And it was packed.

Aegis felt the weight of hundreds of eyes on her the moment she stepped through the entrance. Nobles filled the upper sections, dressed in their finest, fanning themselves and whispering behind gloved hands. She recognized some faces from Rosevale. Lady Roseheart, watching with a small smile. Lady Vermillion. Duke Cindergrave. Duchess Valemont.

But there were others she didn’t recognize at all. Foreign dignitaries, maybe, or nobles from distant territories who’d traveled specifically to witness this. She spotted unfamiliar crests on unfamiliar outfits, heard accents she couldn’t quite place drifting down from the stands.

[Word really did spread, huh.]

This wasn’t just a duel anymore. This was an event. A spectacle. The kind of thing people would talk about for years, regardless of who won.

Aegis kept walking, her boots crunching against the sand as she made her way toward the center of the arena. On the opposite side, she could see the Goldspire contingent already assembled. Darius stood among them, dressed in light combat gear, his expression calm and focused.

Their eyes met for a brief moment. Darius gave her a small nod. Aegis returned it.

[At least we’re on the same page about this being a clean fight.]

She tore her gaze away and scanned the crowd until she found who she was looking for.

Talia.

The princess sat in one of the upper boxes, surrounded by House Stone retainers. Her mother, Duchess Evangeline, was beside her, lips pressed into a thin line. But Talia herself was staring straight at Aegis, her yellow eyes intense, her hands gripping the railing in front of her.

Aegis met her gaze and nodded once.

[I’ve got this.]

Talia didn’t nod back, but something in her expression softened. Just a little. Just enough.

With that, Aegis turned and walked toward the Goldspire side of the arena. An official in neutral grey robes met her halfway, holding a ceremonial scroll.

"Lady Starcaller. Lord Goldspire." The official glanced between them. "With both parties now present, the preparation period will begin. You have fifteen minutes to ready yourselves. When the bell sounds, you will each be provided a sword by our neutral arbiter. The duel will commence immediately after."

Fifteen minutes.

Aegis rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck. Fifteen minutes to get her head right and remember everything Kanna and Rosanna had taught her. Aegis never got to apply for college back on Earth, but she wondered if it would have been a similar feeling to this.

She glanced over at Darius. He was already being led away by his attendants, probably to do his own preparation.

She closed her eyes and took a slow breath.

[Make them count.]