All-around teacher at the magic academy

Harry, however, was completely unaware of the impact he had made. Seeing the audience watching him quietly, he felt his confidence soar.

He straightened his back and said provocatively, "What? Are you scared? Actually, you're nothing special. If we didn't use these summoned beasts, I could defeat you in three moves, no, one move."

Leon stared at him speechlessly, amused by Harry's words. This clumsy attempt at provocation seemed like child's play to him, making him chuckle.

Leon narrowed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips, and retorted, "You're that confident?"

Harry's eyes widened, and he replied without fear, "It's not that I'm confident, it's just that you give me that feeling, no pressure."

After he finished speaking, he deliberately dug into his ear with his hand, then lightly flicked the dirt from under his fingernails, looking completely unconcerned.

After hearing this, Leon gently spread his hands and politely replied, "I see. Then please allow me to refuse."

His tone was calm, but his eyes revealed an undeniable firmness.

Harry's expression shifted from confidence to astonishment; he hadn't expected Leon to respond to his challenge in this way. He had anticipated that Leon would be provoked and accept his close-quarters combat challenge, but reality had completely surprised him.

Why isn't this guy playing by the rules? I've already provoked him so much, yet he's still so calm and won't take the bait.

"Why?" Harry asked, unwilling to give up, his voice tinged with confusion.

Leon, with an innocent expression, replied, "You said you could defeat me in one move, so why should I agree?" His logic was simple and direct, leaving Harry speechless for a moment.

“Ah…” Harry was speechless, caught off guard by Leon’s words. His eyes began to dart around, and he looked somewhat flustered.

He anxiously pondered his next move, several ideas flashing through his mind, but he quickly dismissed them all. Finally, as if making a difficult decision, he gritted his teeth and resolutely said, "Let's fight in close combat. If you win, I'm willing to kneel before you."

boom

The moment those words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in a frenzy of discussion.

Leon was also shocked by Harry's words; he had never expected the other party to make such a bet. Could it be? This guy is going too far.

Among Harry's college delegation, some teachers and students already showed expressions of embarrassment and shame. They stood up and left the venue, clearly not wanting to continue making a fool of themselves. Those who remained kept their heads down, trying to avoid eye contact with others.

Leon stared intently at Harry, his gaze making Harry feel uneasy, even a little uneasy. Harry couldn't help but ask, "What? You don't believe me?"

Leon shook his head slightly and said calmly, "I don't need you to kowtow to me. That's too much of a bet. How about this, if you lose, you give me your salary for a year. How many pounds do you make in a year?"

Harry was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Leon to make such a relatively simple request. He quickly replied, "15 pounds."

Leon nodded after hearing this, seemingly satisfied with the number. He said, "Then if you lose, just give me 15 pounds."

Harry immediately retorted, "And what if you lose?" He seemed to be trying to get some kind of promise from Leon.

Leon chuckled speechlessly and said, "So what if I lost? You were the one who challenged me. Do you expect me to compensate you for losing?"

His tone conveyed a sense of composure, as if he didn't care about the outcome of the challenge, or rather, he had absolute confidence in his victory.

Harry pondered Leon's words and felt that there seemed to be some truth to them. So he stopped worrying about the stakes of winning or losing, straightened his posture, adjusted his breathing, and prepared to give his all in the upcoming battle.

Leon waved his hand, recalling his summoned beast. His gaze was fixed on Harry, his expression focused and serious. The audience was incredibly excited by this sudden turn of events. They had initially thought it would be a one-sided match with no suspense, but now a turning point had occurred, filling them with anticipation for the outcome.

Harry gripped his sword tightly, his eyes resolute. He didn't believe Leon could beat him in close combat. He had ample confidence in his melee skills, which had been the focus of his training.

Leon never does anything he's not confident about. Although he's skilled in ranged magic attacks, it doesn't mean he's incapable of close combat.

In fact, he did know a little about close combat techniques, but he felt that close combat was too dangerous, so he rarely chose that fighting style. He preferred to maintain distance and use magic to control the battlefield.

But the situation is different now. Since Harry has offered a close-quarters challenge with an additional reward as a wager, Leon doesn't mind taking the risk.

...

"Oh? He actually agreed?" Raphael was somewhat surprised. He thought Leon would stick to his own style and choose a more conservative fighting approach. Judging from Leon's attitude just now, he didn't seem like the kind of person who could be easily provoked.

"That's definitely not rational. In a competition, there's no need to pay attention to other people's provocations. Winning the game is the most important thing," Lucas analyzed from the side, his tone revealing a hint of incomprehension towards Leon's decision.

Raphael fell into deep thought, scrutinizing the two young men on the field, trying to decipher a deeper meaning from their behavior.

He couldn't understand Leon's decision. He didn't know if Leon truly had enough confidence in his close combat skills, or if he was just an arrogant person willing to accept such a challenge in front of everyone.

“Perhaps he has his own plans,” Raphael finally said, his eyes following the changes on the field, his heart filled with curiosity about the upcoming battle.

Lean stood on one side of the arena, her hands clasped nervously in front of her chest, her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes revealing her worry for Leon.

She had never seen Leon fight in close combat, nor had he ever taught any courses on the subject, so she didn't know if Leon could handle close combat with ease.

Nevertheless, Leon chose to believe him. In her eyes, Leon was a cautious and meticulous person who would never take risks easily, much less do things he wasn't sure of.

Every decision he made, even if it seemed impulsive to outsiders, was, in Professor Lean's view, the result of careful consideration.

Lean took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She clenched her hands tightly, silently cheering for Leon.