After the magic division's evaluation duel ended, Agnes and I found ourselves not just admitted, but rather confined, to a shared double room in the academy’s infirmary.

Normally, when the death-prevention magic is triggered, each individual would be assigned a private room, as the recovery period following such an incident requires absolute rest. After all, the death-prevention magic is nothing short of a miracle, bringing someone back from the brink of death, so utmost care during the recovery phase is crucial.

However, even though complete rest is essential, the number of patient rooms in the academy's infirmary is limited. It’s not feasible to demand an extra room for each match. Therefore, Agnes and I were placed together in a single room that had been quickly converted into a double by adding another bed.

“How are you feeling, Agnes?”

“…It hurts. It’s throbbing.”

“Well, who told you to use an explosion spell at such close range? Using such a self-destructive technique was bound to affect you too.”

“It’s not the explosion spell that hurts, it’s the side where you stabbed me with your dagger.”

“……”

That just made me feel guilty. Even though neither of us held back during the duel, it’s hard not to feel a bit bad hearing her say that.

If I hadn’t fought so fiercely that day, I’d probably be the only one lying in this room, burned to a crisp after being trapped in Agnes’s encroaching Flame Fortress.

In terms of immediate pain, the explosion was slightly better than full-body burns. …Though the longer recovery period is another matter.

“Maybe it’s for the best that we both ended up knocked out together.”

“…What do you mean?”

“If I had to visit you in your room right now, weird rumors would start circulating again, right? People would say something like, ‘They were fighting to the death, but now they’ve reconciled.’ We went through all that trouble to duel just to avoid McHart’s suspicion, so it’d be unfair if those rumors undid everything.”

Since I needed to discuss our plan to lure McHart with Agnes anyway, sharing a room made things simpler. Plus, it would be easier to gather Ethan, Gwyn, and Seraphine here. Ethan and Gwyn could use the excuse of visiting me and Agnes, and Seraphine, being a student of the theology department, wouldn’t raise any eyebrows by visiting the infirmary.

“…I disagree.”

“What?”

“Why would you visit me? Are you saying you would have won if it wasn’t a simultaneous death?”

“Well, Agnes, you were the one who got stabbed by my dagger first. The explosion spell was just a desperate move after you were already in a corner, so technically, it’s my win. Let’s acknowledge the facts here.”

“No, the verdict was in my favor. Both of us died because of my explosion spell, and since you were closer, you died first, so I won.”

“But it was my dagger that forced you into that situation in the first place….”

• Creak!

“Lillis, Agnes, I told you to remain calm and rest!”

“…Sorry.”

“……”

Just as Agnes and I were getting heated over who won, Seraphine walked in and immediately diffused the situation. It seems even in a fantasy world, doctors—or priests, in this case—hold ultimate authority when it comes to patient care.

“Please remember that both of you were transported to the church under death-prevention magic. Lillis, especially, was hit by the explosion at closer range, so you must rest properly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“You see, Lillis, you were more severely injured, so that means I won…”

“What are you talking about? You got hit by the explosion too, plus you had a stab wound to deal with! Your injuries were just as complex!”

“…Fine.”

That’s what happens when you argue in front of a healer. I couldn’t help but smirk a little at Agnes’s silent retreat after Seraphine scolded her. Just then, the door creaked open again, and a familiar face walked into the room.

• Creak.

“Lillis, how are you feeling?”

“Welcome, Master Ethan.”

Despite his slightly disheveled appearance, likely from rushing over, Ethan entered the room with a calm demeanor. Judging by the sweat dripping down his face, it seemed like he had just finished his evaluation duel.

“Did you just finish your evaluation duel?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t attend, Master Ethan.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re a patient right now. I’d feel worse asking you to come.”

“Still, I knew you would win. Congratulations, Master Ethan.”

“Thanks, Lillis.”

With that, Ethan naturally approached my bed, placing a basket of fruit beside it. He then casually picked up an apple and began to peel it with a small knife.

“Oh, let me do that, Master Ethan.”

“You’re a patient, Lillis. Just rest.”

“But you might cut yourself. I can still peel an apple in this state….”

“Just relax. I’ve been handling swords for years; I think I can manage a knife.”

“…Alright.”

Of course, a small knife is quite different in weight from the longsword he usually wields.

As expected, Ethan struggled with the lightness of the knife as he tried to peel the apple.

• Scrape, scrape.

“……”

“Um, Master Ethan, isn’t your hand moving a bit too ‘straight’?”

“…You’re right. I wasn’t aiming to cut this at a ‘right angle.’”

“The cut seems a bit too ‘flat,’ Master Ethan. If you keep peeling like that, you’ll waste the flesh along with the skin.”

“I thought I was pretty good with a sword, but it seems I’m still a ‘beginner’ when it comes to peeling fruit. I’ll try again, so watch closely, Lillis.”

“Wait a moment. If you peel it so ‘flat’ here….”

“…Phew, this is harder than I thought. Watching you do it always made it look easy. I’ve peeled off too much, and now this apple slice looks like a ‘stubby’ little thing.”

“Still, I appreciate it, Master Ethan. You cut it for me, so it’s special. Even if the slice is a bit ‘short,’ the taste hasn’t changed.”

“…Are you two doing this on purpose?”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean?”

For some reason, Agnes, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly glared at Ethan and me with an irritated expression. Before I could think much of it, the door creaked open again, and another visitor entered.

• Creak.

“Agnes, Lillis… how are you feeling?”

Carrying a basket of fruit like Ethan, Gwyn entered the room. I guess since Ethan’s duel was over, Gwyn’s must have been finished as well.

“…I’m alright. Seraphine said I just need plenty of rest.”

“Both Agnes and Lillis have severe injuries, but recovery shouldn’t be too difficult. The injuries are mostly concentrated in vital areas, so as long as we focus on those, they should heal well.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief. I thought Agnes would need a longer recovery after using that explosion spell.”

“When they were first transported to the church by the death-prevention magic, the initial treatment went smoothly. Since the healers had experience from treating Lady Luke after she got hit by a mana bomb last year, they said these injuries didn’t seem as bad.”

“……”

Hearing Gwyn bring up last year’s evaluation duel between Luke and me made me avert my gaze uncomfortably.

Back then, Mana Blast was the only way I could win, so I had no choice but to use it. I didn’t realize the injuries had been so severe.

It seems Mana Blast isn’t really meant for dueling; it’s more suited for large-scale monster hunts.

“But why did you arrive later than Blackwood? Weren’t we supposed to have a meeting after your evaluation duel? You finished before Blackwood, didn’t you? And you’re ranked higher.”

“That’s true, but I had to check on something.”

“Check on something?”

“I heard the results of Agnes and Lillis’s evaluation duel were in, so I wanted to confirm and share them with you.”

“I won, right?!”

“I won, didn’t I?!”

Agnes and I spoke up almost simultaneously, prompting Seraphine to shake her head sympathetically. But the only thing that mattered to us at that moment was the outcome of our duel.

“Agnes won. Lillis’s death was registered 0.04 seconds earlier.”

“See? I won, didn’t I?”

“No, you can’t judge it like that! I was the one who inflicted the fatal wound first….”

“There’s no point arguing about it. And when it’s a simultaneous death, the one who dies first is always the loser. You know that’s the rule at Luminor Academy, Lillis.”

…Of course, I knew. The evaluation rules at Luminor Academy in the event of a tie were something every student was familiar with.

But it didn’t make it any less frustrating. If this had been a real fight rather than a duel with set distances, I would have won.

“Let’s have a rematch in next year’s evaluation duel, Agnes.”

“Huh? Why should I? You’re weak, Lillis.”

“I can win if we fight again!”

“No, I’m going to pick someone else next time. If you’re so upset, try taking the top spot and challenge me yourself.”

“Ugh!”

“Lillis, you need to rest and take it easy!”

…If the starting distance had been 5 meters closer, I would have won for sure.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel even more frustrated with the magic division’s evaluation duel rules, which seemed unfairly stacked against me.