How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 727: Festival Champion 5

”So, our dear famous student—would you mind giving us your personal insights on the current state of the matches so far?”

The question came out smooth, practiced.

The kind meant to sound casual, even when it wasn’t.

Inside the studio, everything felt... controlled.

Larger-than-usual recording stones hovered in place, all of them locked onto Riley from different angles.

Staff moved around quietly, adjusting positions, checking signals, making sure nothing slipped. It wasn’t loud, but it was busy.

You could tell just by looking at it—

The academy had put serious money into this.

Riley stood in the middle of it.

Calm on the outside.

But even he could feel it—the pressure. Not enough to shake him, but enough to notice. Eyes everywhere, attention focused, waiting.

Still, his expression didn’t change.

Under normal circumstances, he would’ve ignored something like this entirely. Interviews, attention, forced appearances—it wasn’t his thing.

But this time...

He didn’t push back.

This whole broadcast system, the hype around it, the reason people were even watching in the first place—it all tied back to him and Snow. Whether he liked it or not, he was part of the reason this ”show” even worked.

And beyond that—

He wanted to see where things stood.

How much had changed while he was gone.

How much hadn’t.

The problem was—

He had just gotten back.

Still, from what he knew—Rose, the others, the general lineup—things hadn’t shifted too far off track since he and Snow left for the north.

So when the question came—

Riley didn’t hesitate.

”It’s proceeding as intended.”

A simple answer.

”...Proceeding as intended?” Duncan repeated, blinking once as he tilted his head slightly.

For a second, he just stared at Riley—

Then let out a small, awkward chuckle.

”Haha... right, of course! Straight to the point, I see!”

There was a slight pause as he tried to recover the flow.

”Care to... elaborate a bit for our audience?”

”I meant it as it is.”

Duncan blinked.

”Haha... and what exactly do you mean by that, Student Riley?”

”...”

”...Huh.”

The room went quiet.

Not the tense kind—just... empty.

Riley stood there like he’d already said everything he needed to say. No follow-up, no effort to explain, not even a hint that he planned to add more.

For a second, even the staff behind the recording stones hesitated.

Duncan held his smile, but it stiffened just a little.

Still, he didn’t freeze.

He’d done this long enough to know how to recover.

”Right, right...” he said, letting out a light laugh as he adjusted his tone. ”So what I’m hearing is—everything’s been going smoothly for the most part?”

”Yes.”

”Ah, I see!” Duncan nodded quickly, latching onto it. ”And is that from your personal perspective, or the overall state of the competition?”

There was a short pause.

Riley didn’t answer right away.

”...Mine.”

Duncan’s smile twitched.

”...Huh.”

Another beat of silence.

Then—

”Haha—well! That’s certainly... an honest insight into the current state of the competition!” he said, clapping his hands once as if to reset the mood. ”Straight from our top prospect himself!”

It wasn’t much to work with.

Actually, it was barely anything.

”B-but! Why don’t we segue into another important topic for a moment—!”

Even through the screens scattered across the academy, people could tell.

Duncan was struggling.

And that made it funny.

Laughter broke out here and there—in the streets, inside cafés, even among groups of students gathered in open spaces. The contrast was too obvious to ignore.

One was loud, expressive, constantly trying to keep things moving.

The other?

Dry. Minimal. Almost uncooperative.

Riley wasn’t trying to be difficult.

That was just how he was.

And somehow, that made it work.

Usually, Duncan had a way with people.

Didn’t matter who it was—nervous first-years, prideful nobles, even the occasional difficult personality. He knew how to slip through the gaps, guide the conversation just enough, and pull out something worth watching.

That was his job.

And he was good at it.

But for some reason...

Riley wasn’t someone he felt comfortable pushing.

It wasn’t fear, exactly.

More like instinct.

The kind that told him—don’t try too hard with this one.

There was a weight to Riley’s presence. Not loud, not oppressive... just there. The same kind of feeling certain people in the academy gave off. Princess Snow was like that. A few others too.

People whose reputation, strength, and standing weren’t things you could casually poke at for entertainment.

Especially not on a live broadcast.

And Riley?

With all the rumors floating around—his fights, his sudden rise, even that messy love life people wouldn’t stop talking about—

Yeah.

One wrong question and this could go very wrong, very fast.

So Duncan made a choice.

Don’t push.

Guide.

After a brief cough to steady himself, he looked straight at Riley again, smile returning—this time a bit more careful.

”This has been on everyone’s mind lately,” he began, tone smoother now. ”Ever since the initial rank assessment was released a few days ago...”

A small pause for effect.

”But Riley—out of all your upcoming opponents... who would you like to face in the finals?”

Riley’s eyes shifted slightly.

Rank assessment...

He didn’t say it out loud, but the thought crossed his mind.

He hadn’t seen it yet, but he could guess what it was. The academy’s way of ranking the remaining participants in the tournament.

Not the usual personal rankings.

Something broader.

Performance, results so far... maybe overall capability.

...Or even popularity.

Knowing how these things worked, it was probably a mix of all of it.

Riley didn’t look too interested.

But he understood the question.

And more importantly—

What people wanted to hear.

As Duncan lifted his hand, a translucent screen flickered to life beside them, the projection sharpening until a full list of names appeared in clear view.

The current rankings.

All fifteen remaining participants, laid out from top to bottom.

Riley’s eyes moved across it quietly.

Riley Hell Rose Brilliance Seo Gyeoul Lucas Snow Luenitia White Germonia Leven Kagami Kento Janica Mortelina Reina Hell Felix Anders Katia Rosemary Vanessa Ander Lusis Den Kalah Anabeth Rika Julius Sertal

At a glance, it was more or less what he expected.

Most of the names were familiar, and more importantly, most of them were from Lumen Academy. Only a few from the foreign academies had managed to stay in the competition this long, which honestly wasn’t surprising. This was Lumen’s stage, their environment—of course they’d dominate it.

If anything, the list just confirmed what he already had in mind before coming back.

Still... there was one name that caught his attention a bit longer than the others.

Reina Hell.

Rank eight.

Riley’s gaze lingered there for a moment.

He hadn’t expected her to make it this far. Not in a tournament like this, not against opponents on this level. But she did—and not barely either. Sitting comfortably in the top ten meant she’d proven herself more than enough.

A small sense of pride settled in.

As her brother, he couldn’t help it.

At the same time though, there was a quiet weight behind that feeling. Because he knew what was coming next. From this point on, the matches wouldn’t get easier—if anything, they’d only get worse.

For everyone on that list.

’Well, I’m sure she’ll bounce right back up even if she loses...’

His eyes moved on, expression unchanged.

In the end, the rankings didn’t really mean much anymore. Once it came down to the final fifteen, everything turned unpredictable. The matches would be randomized, meaning anyone could face anyone at any time.

First could fight second.

Or fifteenth.

There was no structure to rely on, no ”safe” progression.

Just whoever ended up standing in front of you next.

And that was all that mattered.

The question itself was simple.

Who would you like to face in the finals?

Simple—but loaded.

Answering it at all meant accepting the premise behind it. That he would make it there. That the outcome was already decided on his end.

Arrogant, depending on how you looked at it.

Riley didn’t really care.

His gaze stayed on the projected list, but his thoughts had already drifted past it.

He’s probably watching...

There was one person in particular this kind of broadcast would reach. Someone who wouldn’t miss it, no matter where he was in the academy.

It had been a while since Riley last paid attention to him. Long enough that he didn’t have a clear read on how far he’d come.

I’m curious...

Lucas that guy....

If things followed the natural flow of the tournament, the chances of them meeting at the end weren’t low. In fact, it was one of the more likely outcomes.

Which made this—

A chance.

Should I push him a little?

The thought lingered for a second.

Then Riley gave a small, almost unnoticeable nod.

”The opponent I’d like to face in the finals...” he said, voice steady, no hesitation behind it.

”...would probably be Kagami.”

The moment the name left his mouth—

The reaction was immediate.

Across the academy, people froze, then broke into noise. Surprise, confusion, excitement—mixed all at once. It wasn’t the safest answer, and it definitely wasn’t the expected one.

Duncan lit up beside him, jumping on it instantly, voice rising with renewed energy as he tried to ride the wave Riley just created.

But Riley wasn’t listening anymore.

Instead—

He felt a small twinge of guilt.

...Yeah, he’s definitely going to hear that.

—

Elsewhere, inside one of the academy’s crowded cafés, the broadcast played above a central pillar, the projection casting a faint glow over everyone watching.

A young man sat near the front.

Golden eyes, fixed on the screen.

Lucas didn’t move.

For a moment, he just stared, like he hadn’t processed it yet.

”...Kagami...?”

The name came out low, almost uncertain.

”He’s... waiting for Kagami...?”

His brows pulled together slightly, something unsettled flickering in his expression.

”...Not my sword...? Not... me?”

It wasn’t loud.

But it carried enough weight to be heard across the table.

Janica, sitting opposite him, let out a quiet sigh.

Her eyes shifted from Lucas back to the screen, where Riley stood completely unfazed by the reaction he’d caused.

”...That guy...” she muttered under her breath, a hint of annoyance slipping through.

Whether it was the answer—

Or the fact that he said it so casually—

She couldn’t really tell which bothered her more.