Chapter 396: .4 - Duels [2] |
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The crowd erupted into applause, the arena filled with cheers and admiration for the display of skill and determination. Ethan stood tall, his spear still crackling with the remnants of the storm, his expression one of calm triumph.
In the stands, Kaya and Jane watched with pride, their hearts swelling with admiration for Ethan's performance. "Brother Ethan is too cool…" Jane whispered, her eyes wide with awe.
"Indeed he is," Kaya agreed, her voice filled with rare warmth. It was rare to witness such a fight, even in her experienced life.
Honor, pride, dignity….
These types of values had been far long lost in the Hunter Society where everything became about money and selfishness.
Seeing these youngsters who still had those values, one of them being her nephew….
She couldn't help but smile, knowing how much effort and dedication Ethan had put into his training.
Around them, people were letting out satisfied exclamations.
"That was incredible!"
"The way he moved, it was like watching a storm in human form."
The judges and scouts in the audience were equally impressed. They exchanged glances, nodding in approval of Ethan's exceptional display of talent.
"He's remarkable," one scout murmured. "If only he didn't have the Hartley name attached to him. It's unfortunate that we can't touch that talent."
Another judge nodded in agreement. "The Hartleys are untouchable. But if we could find someone with his skills without the prestigious surname, it would be a dream come true."
As the applause continued, Ethan and Samuel left the arena, both looking weary but satisfied with their performance. They made their way toward the backstage area, where they could catch their breath and reflect on the duel.
Samuel had already been treated by the healing department. His inner injuries were no longer present, and he was finally able to relax.
However, his expression wasn't that good. After all, he had lost. Even though he put in his all, he was surpassed.
It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
The fact that all of his efforts were stamped upon by another person….A person of a lower rank is on top of that.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
'Maybe I had this kind of talent….'
He couldn't help but think.
Ethan glanced at Samuel, a genuine smile on his face. "You fought well, Samuel. You should be proud of yourself."
Samuel, still catching his breath, managed to nod and express a slight smile. "Thanks. You were incredible out there. I gave it my all, but you're on a different level."
Ethan shook his head modestly. "We both have our strengths. You showed a lot of heart out there. Keep pushing yourself, and you'll reach new heights."
'Easy to say as a winner, isn't it?' A pang of resentment, strangely uncharacteristic of him. Somehow, he didn't notice, but his feelings were slowly swinging to a darker side.
Samuel's eyes shone with determination as well as with a smile. "I will. I'll keep training hard…." But then, he stopped abruptly, as if to want to say something.
'I want to know. How did he know?'
Ethan noticed the hesitation and raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Samuel?"
Samuel took a deep breath, then asked, "How did you know?"
Ethan looked confused. "Know what?"
"About my internal injuries," Samuel clarified. "You don't strike me as someone who's just good at observing things like that."
Ethan beamed a smile, understanding what Samuel meant. "Ah, that. It's because I've experienced them firsthand."
Samuel's eyes widened in surprise. "You've experienced them?"
Ethan laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Talking about things like these is a bit embarrassing, but yes. When I was younger, I pushed myself too hard during training and ended up with some pretty serious internal injuries. It took me a while to recover, and during that time, I learned a lot about the signs and symptoms. At that time….Well, I wasn't strong like this."
Samuel listened intently, his respect for Ethan growing even more. Suddenly, he remembered something he had read about Ethan. He took everyone seriously, regardless of their rank. Thus, he studied Ethan before the duel. For him, that was the basic respect that needed to be shown to his opponents and fellow academy students.
While he was researching Ethan, he came across some articles written about him.
Hartley's Dark Horse.
Hartley's Scapegoat.
Many different names were given to him purely because he was non-awakened. At that time, he brushed it off since they were not logical. He assumed that the news was made up by the enemy families.
But, sometimes, exchanging blows with a man told more than mere words, and Samuel experienced it firsthand.
'What was I even doing? I even felt a bit jealous.'
The fact that he even felt such emotions to such a good guy….It made him feel guilty about his own thoughts. He felt disgusted by himself.
"I thought your talent was purely because of your Hartley lineage. But hearing this, I realize there's so much more to it."
A blush spread across Ethan's cheeks. "I think you're overreacting a bit. I just did what anyone would do."
His expressions were pure, and his smile was genuine. "Still….Thanks. That means a lot."
At that moment, two voices echoed through the backstage area.
"Brother!" one called.
"Big Brother Ethan!" the other cried.
Samuel's sister, Sonya, and Jane, Ethan's niece, rushed toward them. Samuel's sister had a look of relief and admiration on her face while Jane's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Ethan turned to the two girls, his smile widening. "Hey there, you two! Enjoy the duel?" Though he didn't know the other girl, he still didn't want things to be awkward.
After all, Samuel and he were just opponents, not enemies. There was no reason to keep things antagonistic.
Jane nodded vigorously. "You were amazing, Big Brother Ethan! I knew you would win!"
Samuel's sister looked into her brother's eyes. "You were incredible, too, brother. You did well."
"I see…."
Seeing their children talking, the two adults on the corner smiled. Samuel's mother, Abigail, and Kaya stood side by side.
Though Abigail was in the presence of a renowned Hunter like Kaya, she didn't feel intimidated at all. Right now, Kaya was not in her Hunter mode but rather in her parenting mode.
There was a direct distinction between her demeanor and the way she carried herself.
"You raised him well," Kaya said, breaking the silence.
Abigail nodded a proud smile on her face. "He's my son, yeah. But it wasn't just me. It's a family effort. And you've raised such a good kid like Ethan. It's rare to find such kids these days."
Kaya's gaze softened as she watched Ethan and Samuel interact with Jane and Sonya. "Thank you. Ethan has worked hard to get where he is. He's always been determined to do his best, and it's heartening to see his efforts pay off."
Abigail's eyes followed Kaya's line of sight to Samuel, who was now laughing with Jane and Sonya. "Samuel has always been determined too. Sometimes, I worry he pushes himself too hard, but he's got a good heart."
Kaya turned back to Abigail, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know, if your son ever wants to, he can apply to work under the Hartleys in the future. We always welcome talent and dedication."
Abigail's eyes widened slightly in surprise and gratitude. "Really? That's an incredible offer. Thank you."
Kaya reached into her pocket and pulled out a sleek card, handing it to Abigail. "Here's my card. If Samuel ever decides he wants to explore that option, just reach out. We'd be happy to have someone with his drive and potential."
Abigail took the card with a grateful expression. It meant a lot since someone like Hartley reached them.
It was an unbelievable opportunity.
"Thank you, Miss Kaya. This means a lot. I'll make sure he knows about this opportunity."
Kaya nodded, her expression warm. "I believe in fostering the next generation. Kids like Ethan and Samuel are the future, and if we adults don't give them the chance they need, how can they grow up?"
"You are right."
Just as they were talking, Kaya's senses picked up something. It was unnatural for her senses to be activated randomly. She slightly tilted her head to the side, and from the corner of her eye, she saw someone leaving. It was the student she had wanted to investigate beforehand.
'Astron Natusalune, was it? Hadn't it been a while since his duel ended?' She narrowed her eyes since he was supposed to have already left the changing room, not stayed here.
'Maybe he watched Ethan's fight? Plausible. He wasn't injured too much for him to require resting.' At that moment, as if noticing her gaze, he turned to look at her. His expression was blank, his eyes empty. But for a moment, it felt as if he was looking at the kids behind her. After that, without anything else, he just left.
Kaya's eyes followed Astron as he departed. "Interesting," she murmured to herself. She made a mental note to follow up on the investigation about Astron Natusalune.
His presence here, lingering longer than expected, intrigued her. There was something about him that warranted closer attention.
Aside from Jane, Ethan didn't even notice him leaving.
That alone made things more weird.
'To be able to naturally erase his presence this well. He may not be a talent at direct confrontation, but his talent is still pretty rare.' She thought but then dismissed it as a corner note in her mind. She didn't need to focus on this matter right now since she didn't come here as a Hunter but as a parent.
-----------A/N------------
Though he is an extra, I wanted to write a 'good' character in a while since it seems I quite lacked in terms of portraying the good students of the academy. Not everyone is evil in this world.
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