All-around teacher at the magic academy

"Renault, the match schedule is out." Hall's voice was filled with excitement. He had just rushed over from where the match schedule had been posted, just to tell his friend Renault the news as soon as possible.

Reno was sitting in the corner of the training ground, practicing his magic. Hearing Hall's words, he looked up, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. "Oh? Who will I fight in my first match?" His voice was calm, but he couldn't hide his curiosity.

Hall chuckled, deliberately drawing out his words, "You'd never guess."

Renault frowned, clearly annoyed by Hall's cryptic behavior. "Stop being so mysterious, who are you with?" His tone was urgent, even a little angry.

Seeing this, Hall stopped teasing him and directly revealed the answer: "First grade."

Renault narrowed his eyes slightly and pondered for a moment, "Hansen?" When the first year was mentioned, Renault's first thought was that kid who had stood out among the freshmen.

Hall nodded. "That's right. I really didn't expect that he would be the only first-year student to make it to the knockout stage, and that his first match would be against you." There was a hint of teasing in his tone, as if he found this unexpected duel quite amusing.

Renault's expression turned serious. He stood up and straightened his clothes. "We can't be careless. To stand out in the first stage of the qualifiers, they must have some skill." Renault's words revealed his seriousness about the upcoming competition.

"Hey, I've already investigated it." Hall patted his chest confidently, looking like he had everything under control.

Reno raised an eyebrow and looked at him curiously. "Oh? What have you found out?" His voice revealed his interest in the information Hall possessed.

"What kind of magic does Hansen know? In the first phase, he demonstrated wind, fire, and ice elemental magic. Although he didn't use water elemental magic, I feel he knows it too. He probably doesn't know other elemental magic either," Hall explained in detail, seemingly very familiar with Hansen's abilities.

Renault frowned slightly, asking with puzzlement, "Why do you say that?"

Hall smiled and continued to explain, "You probably didn't notice during the competition, but he almost failed in the second round. He only managed to pass by using ice elemental magic at the last moment. If he knew other elemental magic, he would have used it much earlier in that critical moment."

Reno nodded after listening, seemingly agreeing with Hall's reasoning. "I understand, thank you, Hall," he sincerely thanked Hall for his intelligence gathering.

Hall waved his hand dismissively, "No need to thank me, we're brothers. I told you, you absolutely have to win." His tone was serious, clearly showing how much he cared about Renault's result.

"Don't worry, even if he is Duke Adams' son, I won't hold back." Renault's words revealed an undeniable firmness, and his eyes flashed with a resolute light. "Duke Adams's influence doesn't extend to my family."

If he were like his brother, I might be a little wary, but with Hansen, forget it." Renault's words carried a hint of contempt, clearly indicating that he didn't take Hansen's abilities seriously.

Hall nodded, a relieved smile spreading across his face. "Yes, it's good that you're confident." He felt much more at ease; he knew Renault's abilities and trusted his judgment.

The two have been friends since childhood, and their friendship has stood the test of time.

They weren't from Barton, but from a prominent family in another city. Their families had been on good terms for generations, and the two had grown up together, playing together and sharing a deep bond.

Reno has always taken good care of Hall. Although Hall's magical talent is not outstanding and he sometimes suffers losses in conflicts with others, Reno always stands up for him and defends him at crucial moments.

Hall was filled with gratitude, and he sincerely hoped that Renault could represent the Academy in the competition and win that honor.

Renault also longed for this opportunity, a chance to prove himself to his father and show him that he could uphold the family's honor.

Renault harbored a strong desire to show his father that he was not just a minor figure in the family, but capable of becoming the family's pride and the one who could shoulder the family's responsibilities.

...

“This is going to be tough, Hansen.” William’s eyes were fixed on the match schedule on the wall. He frowned and turned to Hansen beside him with a worried look on his face.

Hansen sighed softly, but his eyes showed little emotion. "There's nothing we can do about it; we'll have to face it sooner or later. If you want to represent the academy, you'll definitely be going up against strong opponents." He seemed to have accepted this fact, and his attitude was quite calm.

William shook his head, still unable to let it go. "That guy was outstanding in his third year. I heard his magical control is almost unmatched."

Hansen couldn't help but chuckle, then scolded him somewhat helplessly, "Isn't that obvious? How can you get into the knockout stage if you don't stand out?" His words carried a hint of mockery, as if he was ridiculing William's unnecessary worries.

William paused for a moment, then admitted with a wry smile, "That...makes sense. Why aren't you in a hurry?" He looked at Hansen curiously, not understanding why he was so calm.

"What's the rush? What's the use?" Hansen retorted, his eyes revealing a firm resolve. "I'm prepared. If I can't beat them, it just means I'm not as skilled. Instead of being anxious, I should spend more time improving myself."

After listening, William remained silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, since that's what you think, I have nothing more to say." His tone revealed a hint of relief, clearly Hansen's attitude had put him at ease.

...

“Father, Hansen is about to enter the second stage of the elimination rounds. His opponent is a third-year student who is said to be very strong. I don’t know if Hansen can win.” Eric sat in the spacious study, facing Duke Adams, who was sitting behind his desk, his tone revealing his concern for his younger brother.

Duke Adams looked up, his gaze shifting from the documents in his hands. He glanced at Eric indifferently. "It's just a competition. What's there to care about?"

Eric sighed softly, trying to make his father understand his concerns. "Hansen is really working hard. He hopes to prove himself in this game, not only for himself, but also for the honor of our family."

Duke Adams nodded slightly, but he was clearly more concerned with other matters. "Has the matter over there been resolved?" He was referring to some recent troubles the family had encountered and the decision to no longer discuss Hansen's match.

“It’s all taken care of,” Eric replied seriously, knowing that these matters were of greater importance to the family.

"Keep a close eye on things these days. I have a feeling there's something wrong with Chloe; I suspect he was behind what happened a while back." Duke Adams' tone was wary; he had always been suspicious of this fellow duke.

Eric thought for a moment and suggested, "Should we get law enforcement to keep an eye on this? Maybe they can find some clues."

Duke Adams shook his head. "No need. Law enforcement is more impartial. Asking Max to keep an eye on a duke without any evidence would only make him unhappy. Besides, it could easily cause unnecessary conflict."

“Alright then, I’ll arrange for someone else to keep an eye on things,” Eric agreed, knowing that in this situation, the family’s private forces were indeed more reliable.

"Hmm." Duke Adams nodded, but his brow remained furrowed. It seemed as if a heavy stone was pressing on his heart; the future of the family, the growth of his children, and the undercurrents of political struggle kept him on his guard.