"Hold on!" Virt's expression shifted, and he quickly pulled Robert into a corner.
Only then did the two take out their Academy Cards, infusing them with magic power to check the relevant regulations.
Virt whispered, "What's going on, Robert? Is this for real? Does the academy actually support betting?"
Robert thought for a moment before replying, "I'm not entirely sure, but I think I've heard a rumor..."
"What rumor?" Virt asked.
Robert lowered his voice as much as possible, "It seems... our academy might be the biggest backer behind the duel tournament betting..."
"Hiss~ Don't just spout nonsense. What if a professor hears you?" Virt said, then sighed. "Well, should we still go through with this? By the way, do you really think just showing off my strength will increase Dark's favorability towards me?"
Robert adopted a serious tone. "Of course! Dark is the sole son of a Duke, after all. Born noble, it's normal for him to have a bit of pride. Don't be fooled just because he seems somewhat approachable when he talks to us. The truth is..."
"What is it?" Virt prompted.
"This is something I heard from a friend of my dad's," Robert explained. "People like him are actually incredibly arrogant, looking down on everyone. The reason they seem friendly is that they don't even register others as being on their level. It's like how you'd look at cats or dogs – you naturally wouldn't get angry with them."
Virt was astonished. "Is that really a thing?"
"What else could it be?" Robert stated confidently. "How else do you explain why, after all this time, his favorability towards you hasn't budged? It just keeps fluctuating around 45?"
"That..." Virt paused. "That... actually makes a lot of sense!"
Robert continued, "So, win or lose doesn't matter. As long as you display your strength, there's bound to be a change. You can't expect to unlock the 80-favorability threshold without paying some price."
"Well," Virt hesitated, "what about the credits?"
"Sorry," Robert admitted, "I only have 68."
Virt fell silent. "..."
Leaning against the wall, Dark waited for a bit. He was actually looking forward to dueling Virt. After all, the rhythm of improving strength → showing off and putting others in their place was genuinely satisfying. It was also a chance to test out [Shuckle]'s abilities.
However, when Virt and Robert returned, they both looked quite awkward.
Virt hesitated for a long while before finally blurting out, "How about... lending me 1 credit?"
...Lend 1 credit?
Dark was stunned. "You only have 99 credits between you?"
"Ha..." Virt scratched his head, embarrassed. "Well, you know, we used them all up buying materials?"
Wait, didn't you guys get your materials from the 10-credit shop? Dark thought.
But, as the saying goes, life is hard enough, don't point out the harsh truths. Dark's emotional intelligence wasn't that low.
He sighed helplessly. "It's not like I'm unwilling to lend even 1 credit."
But as soon as he said that, Virt's expression changed again. With another quick "Hold on," he dragged Robert back to the corner.
Virt whispered urgently, "Robert, think about it. If we had asked Dark to lend us credits back then, would it have been easy?"
Robert was taken aback. "Ah, this!"
"Let's use an analogy," Virt said. "If I have 10 credits and someone asks to borrow 5, I'd definitely be reluctant. But what if I had 1000 credits?"
"But we hadn't even spoken to him back then!" Robert protested.
"That's not the point," Virt argued. "It's just like your analogy earlier. It's like us seeing stray cats or dogs and casually tossing them some food."
Robert pleaded, "Virt, promise me, please don't be so self-deprecating, okay?"
Virt fell silent again. "..."
Robert added, "Actually, if we had managed to borrow the money then, we might have lost even more in the long run. So don't dwell on it."
"Right!" Virt agreed.
After a short while, Virt and Robert approached Dark once more.
Dark was initially thinking that asking someone to lend you credits just so you could duel them sounded incredibly foolish, and maybe they should just reschedule for tomorrow.
But Virt struck a pose that screamed, "I'm ready! Bring it on!"
With a sigh, Dark transferred 1 credit to him.
Borrowing money just to give it right back... some people are really strange, Dark mused.
"Alright then," Dark began, "where should we duel? The Dueling Hall?"
Virt quickly waved his hands. "Too many people there. How about finding a quiet corner of the castle?"
Dark nodded. "That works too."
So, the three of them headed to an isolated corner on the castle's first floor. There was no shortage of such unnoticed spots within the castle walls.
Robert stepped forward. "I'll be the referee. The duel format will be a variation of Elite Mode: only one Magical Spirit can be used. If the Magical Spirit is defeated, the duelist loses. Using the Academy Cards as proof, the wager is 100 credits. Do both sides agree?"
"No objections." x2
And so, the contract was formed. The details were recorded on all three of their Academy Cards.
Dark, wanting to test [Shuckle]'s skills anyway, selected its card.
Virt, naturally, had his [Troll] card ready, brimming with confidence. Although he had told Robert that winning or losing didn't matter during their discussion, how could he truly harbor such a pathetic thought?
If it's a duel, you fight to win!
The two duelists created a distance of about five meters between them, each holding a Magical Spirit card.
Robert suddenly shouted, "Battle countdown! 3, 2, 1, Begin!"
They entered the battle phase directly.
The expressions on Dark's and Virt's faces changed almost simultaneously.
"In my name, Magical Summoning! Come forth, Shuckle!" Dark swiped his card smoothly, completing the standard summon in just six seconds.
Shuckle, which hadn't drawn a breath of fresh air since its creation, materialized as it landed – a tiny spirit that showed absolutely no sign of being powerful on the surface.
"ROAR!"
A fraction of a second later, the Troll summoned by Virt slammed onto the ground, letting out a deafening roar directed at Shuckle! The stench erupting from its mouth seemed to warp the very air, sending ripples outwards.
Though also a three-star Magical Spirit, this nearly four-meter-tall Troll boasted very balanced and powerful stats across the board.
[Card Name: Troll]
[Type: Spirit Card]
[Level: ★★★]
[Race: Demi-human]
[Attribute: Normal]
[Magic Power: 1200]
[Attack: 1500]
[Defense: 1400]
[Ultimate Skill: Sacrificial Slam]
Its Attack stat reached the maximum for a typical three-star spirit, and its Magic Power and Defense were far from weak. It was a standard tournament staple, thoroughly analyzed by magisters. "Standard" didn't imply weakness; on the contrary, it was synonymous with strength. It saw frequent play in duels precisely because it was powerful and easy to use.
As a Normal-attribute spirit, the Troll had almost no weaknesses, making it an excellent choice for bulking up a card deck.
Furthermore, its ultimate skill, [Sacrificial Slam], could inflict massive damage on the enemy at the cost of halving its own maximum Magic Power!
As the Troll displayed its overwhelming might, both Virt and Robert couldn't help but show expressions of excitement.
"Go, Troll!"
At Virt's command, the Troll immediately stomped forward on its thick legs, closing the distance to the ant-like Shuckle in just two or three strides.
Then, it raised its massive foot high and brought it crashing down!
"BOOM!"
Dust and debris flew everywhere.
"Did I win?"