The result of Bexia defeating Berg was quite astonishing. Originally, everyone thought that Bexia would be easily defeated by Berg. The more optimistic ones believed that Bexia might last a few minutes at most. But now, it was hard to believe that it was actually Berg who suffered a complete defeat, the one they thought would surely win.

It wasn't until Ophelia announced the victory that everyone reacted. Their gazes towards Bexia became the same, as no one could have expected that this seemingly weak and gentle youth was actually a hidden expert.

At this moment, many people couldn't help but think of Ophelia as Bexia's guide. Originally, they only thought that Bexia was lucky to be noticed by Ophelia. But they had never expected him to be so powerful. It turned out he had been concealing his true strength all along. No wonder the princess chose to be his guide. This revelation changed the way many noble youths viewed Bexia.

"Alright, let's begin the next round..."

The next ten battles would determine the positions from rank 12 to rank 2. As for rank 1 and rank 2, it was originally supposed to be a contest between Berg and another noble named Cairo, as they were the two strongest in the noble circle.

However, everything had changed now. Bexia, the unexpected dark horse, had ousted Berg from the top twelve ranks.

The competition for the top two ranks was no longer a rotational challenge. It would be fought for in a way that no one could have predicted.

"Who among you believes you can achieve the first rank?!" Rose first gathered the top twelve together and asked a question that stunned everyone. What did he mean? Did he mean that anyone could claim the first rank just by saying so?

But soon, some people understood Rose's intention. In order to compete for the first rank, one must first have the strength. He was addressing those whose strength was lacking. On one hand, he didn't want to waste too much time, and on the other hand, he was testing these individuals. He actually hoped that everyone would come forward and claim they could reach the first rank. Although this would waste quite a bit of time, at least he could see their self-confidence.

But Rose's first thought was clearly in vain. Although they all wanted to obtain the first rank, the reality was right in front of them. Their strength was simply not enough to compete for the first rank.

However, there would always be people with self-confidence or those willing to give it a try and challenge their own limits. Four people emerged to compete for the first rank.

Garo, who was Berg's friend and had strength no less than his, had great confidence in competing for the first rank. Although Bexia had defeated Berg, it didn't mean he would lose.

Berg was a power-type swordsman, while Garo was a speed-type swordsman. He had full confidence in his speed.

There was also another noble, a young girl, whose strength was not weak at all. Bexia was surprised to see that she used a large, heavy sword.

As for the other two, one was Bexia himself, and the other was Carter. Carter, in fact, had a mindset of challenging himself. Many noble students ridiculed him and said he was overestimating himself. But in his own words, if they didn't even have the courage to adjust, then they were not qualified to criticize Carter!

Alright! Bexia found Carter's reasoning quite reasonable. If they didn't even have the courage to challenge themselves, they indeed had no right to judge Carter!

However, what made Bexia laugh was that Carter seemed to have good luck with girls. There weren't many female students among the junior students, but in one match, he ended up facing mostly female students.

But as soon as this statement was made, Carter immediately rejected it with great disdain. He complained the most about Bexia when it came to his luck with girls. Not only was he surrounded by the academy's goddess, Long Momo, but even the princess herself was his guide. He himself seemed unaware of his own position. He had just seen several senior sisters looking at Bexia with bright eyes!

The four of them would face off in two groups. Originally, it should have been a one-on-one fight, but Rose came up with an unconventional idea and decided to have them fight as a team, and they seemingly took into account what Berg had said earlier, as they would be using real weapons this time."Master Rose, isn't this against the rules? What if something goes wrong accidentally..." Upon hearing Rose's suggestion, Ophelia immediately spoke up, preparing to politely reject it. Although using real weapons in combat would indeed bring out the students' true abilities, it also carried certain risks. If something went wrong and a student got injured or if something serious happened, it would be difficult to explain to the academy.

"What are you afraid of?! If anything happens, let the headmaster come find me!" Rose, on the other hand, appeared confident, staring at everyone in the dueling arena. "Without experiencing real battles, how can one become a strong warrior?"

"Do any of you have objections?!" Rose's gaze swept over the four individuals, creating immense pressure. If anyone opposed, it's possible that Rose would come up with some strange excuse to disqualify them from the competition in the next second.

"...None," the four individuals, Bexia, hesitated for a moment before answering simultaneously.

"Then, just start already! Let me make it clear that the rewards I give you have nothing to do with the school. Everything I reward you with comes from my own pocket!" Rose's lips curved into a smile as he swept his gaze over the four individuals present. "So, it won't be easy to obtain my rewards. You must demonstrate corresponding strength."

"Moreover, this is also a way to train you. After all, you may only face a single opponent forever, and sometimes, everyone except yourself is an enemy!"

Rose's words were somewhat exasperating, but they held undeniable truth, albeit more suited for his experience in battle over the past dozen years. Relative to the students, it was somewhat excessive.

Under the previous one-on-one circumstances, Bexia would have the highest chance of obtaining the top position. After all, his performance in the battle against Berg was astonishing. However, it was different in a free-for-all situation, as Rose's words made it clear - who wouldn't want to take the top spot?

Therefore, under these rules, the other three might consider ganging up against Bexia, eliminating the greatest threat first; it was a human instinctive thought.

"You take care of Gala, I'll fight that girl. If I win, then we'll have a good fight!" Carter confidently spoke up.

However, the outcome was not at all what he had anticipated; he unexpectedly lost to the opponent...