Reincarnated as an Elf Prince-Chapter 60: Duo Sparring (3)

Vivienne watched the match with wide eyes.

Well, if you could even call it a match. It ended fast.

Luneth and Lindarion completely wrecked Adam and Valen.

’Adam’s all brawn, no brain. And Valen… well, he doesn’t like trying too hard when he knows it’s pointless.’

Vivienne replayed the entire battle in her mind—it probably lasted a couple of minutes, at best.

Lindarion’s performance was… absurd. His strength? Even more so.

’So this is how strong he’s become…’

She remembered the young elf who had once danced with her at a ball. But the one before her now? He was leagues beyond them—so much so that it felt like he was toying with them.

A chill ran down her spine. Her brown eyes flicked to Lindarion as he casually sat down beside Luneth, completely unbothered.

’Just how much more strength are you hiding…?’

—

’Hm?’

Lindarion blinked as he took his seat, the weight of countless gazes pressing into him. But one, in particular, stood out.

’Vivienne?’

Her brown eyes bore into him, steady and unreadable. Their gazes locked for a fraction of a second—then, as if nothing had happened, she turned away.

His brow twitched.

’Why does she always do that?’

Shaking his head, Lindarion shifted his focus to Sylric, who was scanning his papers with the energy of a man who regretted all his life choices.

"Ahem… Let’s continue. Next up… Jack Valerian and Rowan Vailis."

Lindarion exhaled through his nose.

’Jack… Valerian?’

A very familiar, self-satisfied boy strutted into the arena like he was royalty. His short brown hair sat so neatly on his head that it might as well have been glued in place.

Behind him followed a red-haired boy.

Lindarion recalled a certain incident—Jack had tried to punch him before…once. Tried being the keyword. It went about as well as one would expect.

’You’re kidding. This clown made it in too?’

Sylric let out a sigh of his own, clearly sharing Lindarion’s sentiments.

"And facing them will be… hmm… Cassian Holt and Solren Graves."

A boy with green hair stepped forward, alongside an older man with blue hair.

Lindarion squinted.

Wait. Was Cassian a boy? Or a girl?

…Honestly, it was hard to tell with that build.

But one thing was certain—the badge Cassian had just slipped into his pocket.

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Second place, huh?

Cassian’s lips curled into a wry smile, his violet eyes shimmering like fractured glass.

’…Creepy.’

Sylric’s voice echoed across the field.

"The match begins… now!"

Cassian wasted no time. A single motion—and he was gone.

A blur.

Wind wrapped around him, sharpening his already ridiculous speed as Solren gathered air into his hands, accelerating Cassian’s movements. A faint shimmer trailed in Cassian’s wake—crystalline dust, refracting the light like a thousand tiny mirrors.

Lindarion’s fingers twitched.

’What the fuck is that affinity?’

Jack barely had time to react before Cassian was on him.

With an elegant twist, Cassian swept low, his hand grazing the ground. A thin layer of translucent crystal spread outward in an instant, forcing Jack to jump back. But Cassian was faster. A solid spike erupted from the ground, aiming straight for Jack’s chest.

"Tch—!"

Jack threw himself to the side, a burst of flames propelling him out of danger. He landed poorly, skidding against the dirt.

"You little—"

A sudden gust of wind knocked him off balance.

Solren.

Jack’s face twisted with irritation, but before he could retaliate, Rowan moved.

Dark crimson tendrils lashed from Rowan’s fingertips, whipping toward Cassian in a flurry.

Cassian didn’t even flinch.

A slight tilt of his fingers—crystals bloomed in the air, forming a smooth, impenetrable barrier. The blood tendrils slapped against it uselessly before freezing in place, trapped within the crystalline structure.

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Lindarion let out a slow breath.

’Efficient. Too efficient. He seems to have some kind of affinity with crystals…?’

Jack, of course, refused to accept reality.

His palm ignited, flames roaring to life. "Let’s see you block this, freak—!"

The inferno surged forward.

For a split second, Lindarion wondered if Cassian would dodge.

He didn’t.

Instead, he took a step forward—and breathed.

The moment the fire touched his skin, a layer of crystal surged outward, swallowing the flames whole. The air shimmered, and when the light faded, Cassian stood untouched, his body encased in delicate, glass-like armor.

Jack’s confidence shattered like brittle ice.

"You—what—"

Cassian moved.

A pulse of crystalline energy shot through the ground. Jack barely had time to blink before his legs were encased in solid crystal.

Sylric’s calm voice cut through the tension.

"That’s… enough now."

The restraints melted away at once.

"The winners are… Cassian Holt and Solren Graves."

Jack’s face burned with humiliation. Rowan exhaled, brushing dirt off his sleeve with a resigned sigh.

Cassian, meanwhile, stepped back without a word, his expression unreadable. His hands slid into his pockets, gaze lowered, as if uncomfortable with the attention.

Lindarion’s sharp eyes followed him.

’Strong. Too strong. But… he doesn’t want to stand out?’

A stark contrast to someone like Jack, who practically begged for recognition.

Solren gave Cassian a nod. Cassian returned it subtly before vanishing into the crowd.

Lindarion leaned back, tilting his head slightly.

’Interesting.’

Sylric clapped his hands together, already looking tired. "Next match…let’s keep going."

Lindarion exhaled slowly. He wasn’t particularly interested in the rest of the spars—none of them would be as one-sided as Cassian and Solren’s.

The fights continued, some more balanced than others. A few students displayed impressive coordination, but for the most part, it was clear who the stronger ones were. Some matches ended within seconds, others dragged out with drawn-out exchanges of magic.

Vivienne made occasional comments under her breath, barely more than whispers.

Luneth, however, remained quiet, arms crossed, watching with a faintly amused look.

Eventually, Sylric ran a hand through his hair, looking over the names on his list. "Alright…I guess that concludes the spars for today."

A few groans of exhaustion echoed from the group. Others looked relieved.

Lindarion rolled his shoulders as he stood. ’Finally.’

Sylric’s gaze swept over them, his usual sharp expression returning. "Back to the classroom. I guess…"

The group shuffled toward the main building. Lindarion walked a few steps behind Luneth, listening idly to the murmurs around him.

Jack was still fuming. "That was rigged," he muttered under his breath.

Rowan shot him a dry look. "You lost."

"I slipped—"

"No, you got crushed," a voice cut in—Vivienne, for once, looking entertained.

Jack scowled but said nothing, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Up ahead, Cassian and Solren walked side by side, neither saying much.

Lindarion let his gaze linger on Cassian for a moment.

’Quiet. Strong. But he still seems like he doesn’t want attention.’

A contrast to the loudmouthed idiots still bickering behind him.

He sighed, stuffing his hands into his cloak pockets.

’This is going to be a long year.’

—

The classroom was filled with the low hum of murmured conversations as the students filed in, some still nursing bruised egos from their earlier spars.

Lindarion took his seat next to Luneth and Elara, stretching out his legs as he leaned back slightly. His eyes flicked toward Jack and Vivienne, who had settled into their usual spots. His ears perked as he listened to their conversation.

Jack was still sulking, arms crossed, jaw tight. Vivienne, on the other hand, looked unbothered—if anything, she seemed amused by her brother’s misery.

"You know," she said casually, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "for someone who never shuts up about being the best, you certainly don’t win much."

Jack shot her a glare. "Oh, shut up, Vivienne."

"I mean, I get it," she continued, ignoring him completely. "Cassian’s strong. But you? You’re supposed to be the great Jack Valerian, heir to the mighty Valerian family." She placed a hand on her chest mockingly. "So tragic. So humiliating."

Jack’s eye twitched. "Viv—"

"I can only imagine what Mother would say," she sighed dramatically. "What would she think if she knew her precious son got frozen in place like an idiot?"

Jack slammed his hands onto the desk, flames flickering at his fingertips. "Vivienne—"

"Jack Valerian…," Sylric’s voice cut in, lazy and unimpressed about the whole thing. "Control…yourself."

Jack stiffened, the fire instantly extinguishing. He clenched his jaw and slumped back into his chair, muttering curses under his breath.

Vivienne smirked in victory.

Lindarion raised a brow. ’She’s relentless.’

His gaze drifted toward Cassian, who sat at the other end of the room, quiet like a ghost. His crystal affinity was undeniably powerful—Lindarion had seen affinities in action over his months with Erebus, but Cassian’s control was on an entirely different level compared to most of the people he had seen.

’And yet… he seemed to be holding back.’

Lindarion could tell. Cassian didn’t use more force than necessary, he didn’t let his emotions get the best of him. He was measured. Careful.

And that was more dangerous than raw power.

Luneth nudged his arm, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"He’s good," Luneth murmured. "Cassian, I mean."

Lindarion hummed in agreement. "Yeah."

Sylric cleared his throat, dragging everyone’s attention back to the front of the room. "Now that you’re all done…uh embarrassing yourselves—" His gaze lingered on Jack for a moment,

"Let’s move on."

Lindarion let out a quiet breath.

’Finally.’