Volume 4 Chapter 15 – Crown vs. Crown

“Hey, hey, Sister Felicia, do you think something’s been going on in our dorm lately?” Wenfu sat on a bench during class, whispering to Felicia beside her.

“Hm? What could’ve happened?” Felicia feigned ignorance.

“I feel like… something changed while we weren’t paying attention.” Wenfu glanced behind them, signaling Felicia with her eyes.

“This part has another interpretation. The teacher probably missed it. Make a note here…”

Teresa tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with one hand and gently tapped the textbook with the other. Her voice was soft and warm like a spring breeze, making one’s ears slightly tingle and blush.

Astrid’s expression remained cool and focused as she listened attentively to Teresa’s explanation, taking notes as instructed. She seemed fully concentrated, though if one looked closely, a faint blush could be seen near the tips of her ears.

The lecturer on the podium, though professionally hired by Coleman Academy, still failed to cover some finer points. Then again, what seemed lacking was only relative to Teresa, a several-hundred-year-old elf. As a human instructor, this teacher was already among the top tier.

Teresa sat beside Astrid, conveniently providing extra guidance, helping her understand what the teacher skipped and supplementing with outside knowledge.

Astrid listened seriously. Of course, whether her full attention was on the lecture remained unclear.

Teresa leaned in close as she pointed out and explained each section. She was nearly resting against Astrid’s shoulder, their breaths so close they could feel each other’s warmth.

With the golden-haired beauty nearby, Astrid could smell her pleasant natural fragrance—a touch of mint and floral scent that made her feel like she was standing before the Sacred Tree of the Elves. A sense of peace welled up from within.

Golden Elves were indeed the “roots” of the Sacred Tree. Their overwhelming affinity was like sunlight nourishing all life. Bathed in this golden radiance, one felt as though their entire being had been elevated.

“Is this really okay?” Wenfu whispered. “Just a few days ago, those two were avoiding each other. How come they’re even closer than before after just one day?”

“Focus on the lesson. If you spent half as much time on your studies as you do on gossip, learning wouldn’t be so hard for you.”

“Meow…” Wenfu pouted after Felicia scolded her with a smile. But she was genuinely curious. Something had definitely happened between those two, and now her dormmates were acting like she missed something big.

What exactly did I miss?

Cats were famously curious creatures, and Wenfu couldn’t figure it out.

Felicia, on the other hand, didn’t seem curious at all, as if she already knew everything.

Suddenly, Wenfu felt a looming crisis. She realized she might be the only one in their group completely out of the loop. Even Yimi, who joined later than her, seemed to be well-versed in the team's gossip. Only she was a complete outsider.

Yimi’s addition had greatly improved Wenfu’s academic performance.

Though she had previously received guidance from a professional team, Wenfu’s progress was always limited. No matter who taught her, it never quite stuck. Teresa’s system worked for struggling students, but once performance improved, its effectiveness declined. By now, Wenfu, who ranked lower-mid in the entire school, had stopped using the guesswork-heavy method altogether.

Yimi’s arrival brought remarkable improvement. Perhaps it was because the two of them were small and had more in common. Every time Yimi explained a difficult concept, Wenfu would suddenly understand and shower Yimi with praise for being so knowledgeable.

Yimi never said anything, but her flushed ears showed just how much she enjoyed the compliment.

She looked so proud—like a little kid.

Their relationship naturally grew closer. As a Divine Child, Yimi’s learning ability and academic strength were unquestionable. She was a 400-year-old Golden Elf, after all. Even if most of her memories were lost, it would be absurd to think she hadn’t retained anything.

During the first monthly exam of the new term, Wenfu’s grades improved significantly compared to the previous semester. As the saying went, the capable bear more responsibility. From now on, Yimi would take full charge of Wenfu’s studies.

Teresa hadn’t enrolled in Coleman Academy in her first life, but she had experienced similar institutions.

Just like mock exams and monthly tests in her previous life, Coleman Academy would soon hold a mock exam followed by a practical combat evaluation.

Unlike previous years, this time the first-year practical match would be different. It would not be an internal match among first-years but instead a battle between first-years and second-years.

Of course, practical matches didn’t count toward final grades. According to the school, this year’s freshmen were exceptionally energetic, and Coleman Academy was flourishing—fully capable of challenging their seniors. It was also meant to show the freshmen just how wide the gap was between them and the upperclassmen.

When this news spread, the second-years were all secretly delighted. They could show off in front of everyone, teach their juniors a lesson, and maybe even pick up a few fangirls. Why not?

The first-years, on the other hand, were collectively groaning. Sure, the match didn’t affect grades, but who wanted to be humiliated in public, spinning around like clowns?

It was normal for first-years to lose to second-years, but if they all got KO’d instantly, their cohort’s reputation would be ruined.

So, all eyes turned to the first-year’s only designated “top team”: Radiant Sun and Moon.

Never mind their utterly useless captain, the Divine Child. The rest of the team was stacked with gods and powerhouses.

People wondered: Could these war gods actually hold their own against second-years?

Regardless, once it was confirmed that their opponents were the second-years, every team began intense training. The laid-back atmosphere at the start of the semester quickly shifted into “combat mode.” Some teams even pushed themselves to the limit, skipping meals and sleep.

Only Radiant Sun and Moon was an exception.

When she heard the opponent was second-years, Wenfu became visibly nervous, nervously fiddling with her fingers and praying she wouldn’t face someone too strong.

Felicia, on the other hand, looked thrilled—she ate several extra bowls of food and disappeared after lunch, clearly off to train.

Everyone else acted as usual.

Yimi yawned when she heard the news and lazily told Wenfu not to worry.

Divine Children competed more with words and information—knowledge battles, not physical slaps.

Astrid merely nodded to show she understood.

As for Teresa, she thought it over.

Originally, she planned to hold back. After all, it didn’t feel right for someone who’d lived several centuries to go all out against newbies. But now, it seemed unnecessary to go easy.

After two years at the academy, surely the second-years had learned a thing or two. They shouldn’t be treated the same as first-years.

Time to hit hard.

***

After the monthly exam, the day of the practical match arrived.

Fights every few days—no wonder Coleman Academy’s students were all so battle-hardened.

Felicia and Wenfu arrived early at the plaza to secure the best seats. Yimi sat nearby, quietly reading a book, seemingly undisturbed by the noisy, excited crowd.

“Felicia-sis, why haven’t Astrid, Teresa, or Mr. Dylin shown up yet?”

“Maybe they still have things to do? Don’t worry. Just focus on doing your best out there.” Felicia soothed Wenfu while also petting the catgirl’s head.

“But—but… Wenfu is the first match today!” This time, no amount of head-patting could calm Wenfu. She was already bristling with tension.

“Huh? You’re first? What a coincidence—I’m in the second match.” Felicia pulled out her number tag.

“Eh? We’re both scheduled for today??”

Yimi glanced at them but didn’t comment. Her hidden number tag said “Match 3.”

Because all three of them were early matches, they’d arrived earlier than others. Still, their reasons differed.

Felicia was too excited to wait. Wenfu was too anxious to sit still.

“Oh? What a coincidence—I’m sixth.” A soft, familiar voice rang out. The golden-haired elf girl walked over gracefully under the gaze of many and sat beside them, twirling her own number tag in her fingers.

Wenfu noticed that once Teresa arrived, more people began sneaking glances and whispering nearby.

“Teresa, you’re scheduled for today too?”

“Yup. I think Astrid and Yimi are as well.” Teresa glanced at the still-unbothered Yimi.

Soon after, Astrid arrived and showed her number tag—fifth match.

Sure enough, this wasn’t a coincidence. All five of them were scheduled on the same day, back-to-back.

Clearly intentional—putting them as the first-year vanguard.

Felicia could barely contain herself. She could feel her battle instincts boiling over, desperate to rush down to the field and take on some second-year “lucky winner,” reveling in the glory of crushing a senior.

Soon, the matches began their countdown. The first bout was about to begin. Most spectators were participants themselves.

“Hey, now that I think about it… why isn’t Mr. Dylin here yet?” Wenfu suddenly asked, spotting the blind spot.

The countdown had already started, and the arena would soon be closed to outsiders. Yet the team captain still hadn’t shown up?

Everyone else fell silent—remarkably in sync. As if no one but her cared about whether Dylin showed up at all.

“This is so boring! When is it my turn?” Felicia leaned against the railing, wriggling her body. She wore a midriff-baring, thigh-revealing outfit today, still damp with sweat from her morning training.

“Teresa, Yimi wants juice.”

“Where am I supposed to get you juice on the battlefield? Be good—we’ll get some after your match.”

“The moon was beautiful last night.” Astrid looked up, murmuring to herself. “No wonder the weather is good today.”

“Eh??” Wenfu stared blankly at everyone chatting about everything except her question, wondering if she’d asked something weird again.

“Mr. Dylin is here.” Teresa patted Wenfu’s head. “But you just can’t see him yet. He’ll show up soon.”

“Oh, I see…” Wenfu half-understood.

***

“Match One: First-Year, Wenfu of Radiant Sun and Moon versus Second-Year, Camo of Twilight Ash.”

The first match began. Hearing her name called, Wenfu’s tail shot straight up. She pursed her lips, nervously clutching a wooden staff as she walked toward the arena. She looked back repeatedly, pitiful as though her team had abandoned her—drawing laughter from the others.

A shaman-class Divine Princess duel was bound to be fun.

It would be a real fight, just like all other class battles.

Camo—Wenfu’s opponent—was a tall, dark-skinned youth wielding a hook-and-chain weapon. Teresa hadn’t heard of him, but she recognized the team Twilight Ash.

They were last year’s Crown Tournament champions for second-years.

That’s right—this was a showdown between the crowned teams of first and second years.

Ace vs. ace.

Radiant Sun and Moon may have been crowned too, but they were at a disadvantage. Their opponents were the best of the previous generation—the champions of their time.

It didn’t matter.

Teresa gave Wenfu an encouraging look. She had recently taught her a self-defense staff technique. Hopefully, it will come in handy.

Once Wenfu entered, the gate slammed shut. She looked back at the cold gate, clutching her staff in the corner like a frightened child.

In all her past battles, she’d always had teammates to rely on. But this time—she was alone.

Her opponent spun his hook-and-chain weapon with practiced ease. Clearly, he was a master of it.

This wasn’t just a shaman Divine Princess—he also specialized in harassment tactics during team fights.

Teresa observed silently.

“Wenfu, go get ’em! Don’t lose to that guy!” The ever-bold Felicia stood and shouted encouragement.

“Ah! Okay!” Wenfu nodded her little head repeatedly, but her feet—wrapped in white maid stockings—were trembling atop the stage.

“Ke ke ke…” Seeing Wenfu’s state, Camo couldn’t help but laugh. His voice was straight out of a cartoon villain’s mouth.

This girl was too green—not his match at all.

And his attitude… reflected Twilight Ash’s stance toward Radiant Sun and Moon.

Crowns were crowns. But to them, they were just a bunch of kids with no real-world experience. Talented, maybe—but not much. A flick of the wrist would settle things.

He and his team’s Divine Princess would teach these juniors what it meant to be humble.

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