The entire stadium is shouting and whistling, everyone euphoric at witnessing such a thrilling final. I myself feel incredibly excited after defeating Jefran. I glance at the boy still on the ground—he has managed to sit up, fists clenched with evident rage, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor.

My words to him hadn't been entirely true. Only the parts about arrogance and being a rotten person were accurate—he is not weak. In fact, he's the strongest person I've seen at the Emerald rank aside from myself. I've encountered tens of thousands, and he stands at the very top. The girls, Bush, or any other tournament participant couldn't have beaten him. I'm certain he alone could defeat Sol, Arisa, Marga, and Bush combined, though the latter are steadily closing the gap thanks to their limit-breaking progress.

This arrogant boy has the foundations to justify his pride. He surpasses me in some aspects, while I surpass him in others, though I am closer to catching up in the areas where he has the edge. His lack of combat experience was the most decisive factor—he lost focus too easily once he was at a disadvantage, which allowed me to land solid blows.

My supreme affinities of Life and Space played no real role; only Death did, and that also marked a key difference. I couldn't sense any supreme affinity from him. I'm certain he has at least three pseudo Laws, and possibly even one true Law. He is truly a prodigy born only once in many years. There can't be many like him across the entire continent. If I hadn't been here, no one in this tournament would have defeated him.

I step down from the arena and make my way through the passage. Two people are staring directly at me, not even trying to hide their intentions—one looks displeased, frowning, while the other seems slightly intrigued by me. I can't sense their ranks, which means they are far above me in power and skill. I give them a smile and continue walking. I think I know who they are.

I reach the balcony and am immediately tackled by Arisa, Sol, and Marga, who leap onto me and knock me to the ground. They laugh at our tumble, looking at me from close range before shouting together, "CONGRATULATIONS!"

I smile softly, grateful for their warm welcome. Glia comes over and lands near my head. "Congratulations, brother. That idiot was truly strong." Glia can sense some of my emotions and has likely picked up on my disgust for Jefran.

I answer directly into his mind. "Thanks, Glia. Yeah, it was tough down there. Even if I only took one hit, it was very complicated to beat him." A normal grade 3 monster couldn't even touch me; only those at the very top of that grade could cause serious damage. Even though Jefran only struck me using his golem, the fact that he managed that proves his strength. In a place without restrictions, it could have been very different.

The girls keep shouting over each other—I can't make out much of what they're saying. They all speak at once, leaving me a bit confused. I lift my gaze toward Camux, and when our eyes meet, he raises a thumb in approval. I can read his lips: "Well done." I try to return the gesture, but my arms are pinned by Arisa and Marga. All I can do is smile and say thanks.

Only after a few minutes do they calm down, letting me sit, eat, and drink something before talking again. "Thank you all for your congratulations." My smile broadens. "I told you I'd win and return as champion." Their cheers erupt once more.

"He was a tough opponent. His personality is disgusting, but he has reasons to be that conceited." Camux is staring toward another balcony. I follow his gaze and spot the two people I had noticed earlier standing with Jefran.

"Yes, he definitely has grounds for his arrogance." I can't deny Camux's statement. Though becoming a limit-breaker is harder the higher one climbs, achieving it even once is a lifelong accomplishment.

"That doesn't matter. They just didn't raise him properly. You're stronger, and you're nothing like him." Arisa has a point, though the truth is I am who I am because I retain my past-life memories. Without them, I wouldn't be half as strong as I am now. I'd have only known Sol, and maybe she wouldn't have even been interested in me. My entire life would have been different.

"Just because he's the third son of his kingdom's only Duke, he thinks he's above everyone." Strength combined with high status made him conceited, but that's no excuse. Marga is also a Duke's daughter, stronger than most, yet her personality is kind and pleasant.

"Give us your opinion, Maki. How strong is he?" Sol asks, and everyone leans in, waiting for my answer.

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"Pretty strong." I lower my gaze to my right hand and summon a Joyeuse. "He's the strongest Emerald I've ever seen besides myself. If even one of my abilities had been weaker, I don't know if I could have won." I twirl the ice blade, thinking of my swordsmanship. Without my mastery of the sword, I wouldn't have been able to cut through that massive, sturdy golem so easily.

My thoughts drift for a moment. I'm younger than him by a couple of years, but the difference is that I had years of practice with twin swords thanks to my past memories. I never had to start swordsmanship from scratch or learn the basics as a child. I devoted myself instead to honing mana and Imra, while he must have had to learn everything from the ground up.

There are many factors that set us apart. We were born into completely different circumstances, and fate made our paths cross while still young. I don't know if I'll be able to defeat him again in a few years, but one thing is certain: I have no intention of yielding ground to him.

"Becoming that strong isn't just talent—it's thousands of hours of training." My eyes shift back to the balcony where Jefran remains with those two figures. "I detest him for his personality, but he's earned a little of my respect." I only hope he doesn't do anything stupid. If he messes with someone important, I'll hunt him down and kill him without hesitation.

The next hour is spent discussing the fight, me recounting every moment in detail. They interrupt only with specific questions to clarify points now and then. My head hurts from explaining a five-minute battle for over an hour.

I'm called back to the stage for the award ceremony, moved earlier for unknown reasons. Julio himself appears to give a speech. He congratulates me first, then thanks the audience and all participants for attending the tournament, inviting them to stay for the following performances.

We'll head to Arisa's house afterward to celebrate. Her family has prepared a banquet, and Julio will also be present. Before leaving, I seek out Luks to ask where he lives. His home is a bit far from Camux's mansion. I promise to visit tomorrow, and we part ways.

The banquet is spectacular, the food delicious. I feel a little embarrassed after eating three times, but thankfully no one judged me for it. Instead, everyone looked happy watching me eat with such excitement.

"Ready for the award ceremony?" Julio's voice silences everyone present. His gaze falls on me, and I realize something—everyone's eyes are shining, eager to see the prizes.

"You've already received two special rewards in advance." Julio winks at me. I take the chance to show the bracelets. No one is surprised—I'd already told Camux, and Arisa probably told her parents. "That gift is worth more than a championship." He's right. Space-affinity artifacts are few and sought after worldwide. Still, everyone looks a little disappointed after hearing Julio.

"Two?" I don't remember receiving another.

"Yes. Susan was the other gift. Convincing her to come and accept you into her school with all expenses paid was a bit complicated. It cost me a bottle of wine aged almost four hundred years." His tone dims toward the end. I thank him for it anyway—Susan has been just as important to me as the bracelets, and I only spent two days with her.

"Still, I don't intend to be stingy with my future nephew." Sol and Marga pout, while Arisa beams with a wide smile. "You have my permission to take the trial in the Hero's Dungeon of the Timal Marquisate, and you'll also receive the standard champion's prizes." My heart leaps with excitement at his words. I'm not the only one—everyone in the room claps in celebration.

"Thank you, uncle. Thank you so much." Excitement and anticipation fill my body. The reward from the fallen Hero's Dungeon still rests inside my cube—I haven't been able to use it yet, but the improvements I gained in that dungeon were insane. Even if I get no special reward this time, I'll be happy with just the immense boost it will give me.

"You deserve it. You brought that arrogant boy and his kingdom down to earth." Julio looks genuinely pleased with my performance. He must have watched the entire fight and enjoyed it thoroughly.

"Yes, son. You pulled a whole kingdom off its high horse with that crushing victory." Arisa's father is just as delighted as his brother. They must not have the best relationship with the Merno Kingdom—maybe Gase is part of the reason for that resentment. In any case, I'll avoid reacting to him calling me son. Just seeing Sol and Marga's stares is enough to make me feel awkward.

The Marquis promises to explain tomorrow how the Hero's Dungeon of this territory works. Camux's wife gave me a brief explanation—while all of them function in a similar way, each has something unique that sets it apart.

The standard prizes include a large sum of money, which I'll use to live comfortably at the academy without needing to ask my parents for support. Other rewards are elixirs to improve control over mana, Imra, and other things for the Emerald rank. Since I don't need them, Julio gave me the option to receive their value in money, and I happily accepted.

The night ended early because everyone has work tomorrow at the start of the week. They promised me another dinner like tonight's tomorrow. Just the thought of delicious food excites me—I already look forward to dining with them again.

Lying in my small room, I raise my hand and clench it. "I've become quite strong." I could advance to the next rank whenever I want, but I'll wait until I raise two of my level 19 skills.

I've dedicated myself entirely these past weeks to trying to obtain a space-type movement skill. Because of that, I've neglected training my other abilities, practicing only the basics to avoid losing rhythm. According to my calculations, I'll be able to advance to the next rank within the first months at the academy.

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