Elias Larsson, a boy with a very common surname and name from Sweden, had an extraordinary background.
Sweden is one of the countries that has maintained a monarchy along with the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Benelux countries.
And Elias Larsson was the grandson of Queen Victoria, who rules Sweden.
Though he was far down the line of succession and had long since given up his royal titles, if citizens were asked to pick the most likable royal, his name would still be mentioned.
At just 16 years old, his handsome face, mature demeanor, hunter-like gaze, and striking platinum hair seemed to capture the image of a prince straight out of a fairy tale.
With the overwhelming support of millions of women, Elias Larsson announced his campaign alongside the national treasure, Mistilteinn.
However, from the very first match of the round of 64, he struggled against Emika.
“Katsuhata Emika is ruthlessly pushing him to the wall! Larsson is in a tight spot! Oh, Katsuhata, leaving no room for escape! Could it be a double casting?”
“Runes are coming out! El, Maben, Psyche… They’re here! The countdown to d*ath by Adela has begun!”
“The audience is counting down together! Larsson must find a way to escape this crisis!”
A large electronic scoreboard displayed the explanation of the magic.
[Adela (Unique Magic) – Japan]
[Classification: 1st Circle Physical Damage Magic]
[Rank: A]
A massive serrated magic circle was summoned to the ground.
Blue mana swirled around Emika’s tachi (太刀).
‘As long as those 20 teeth are spinning, you are guaranteed to lose.’
Having heard this from his coach until his ears bled, Larsson experienced a moment of complete whiteout in his mind.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Emika brought down her cold sword on the dazed boy.
BOOM—!
A huge explosion and dirt flew in all directions.
From the billowing smoke, Emika gracefully sheathed her sword and stepped away.
With a casual gesture, she dusted off her pristine white uniform, exuding a sense of composure.
[Round of 64 Match 30]
[WIN: Katsuhata Emika] [99% / 87%]
[LOSE: Elias Larsson] [4% (Complete Destruction) / 51%]
Emika finished the match with the particle barrier sustaining less than 1% damage.
The national treasure, Mistilteinn, did not even graze Emika.
It was an easy victory for Katsuhata Emika and an overwhelming defeat for Elias Larsson.
“Cheer up, Larsson. You knew he was a tough opponent, right?”
The burly coach patted the boy’s back in comfort.
Larsson groaned and frowned deeply.
“Oh, sorry. Does it still hurt that much?”
“Don’t even talk about it. I feel like I got hit by a 10-ton truck.”
The mana barrier is not an all-powerful shield.
The accumulating damage to his body could not be ignored, and the blow taken when the barrier was shattered was more lethal.
Larsson, transported to a nearby hospital, tasted the bitter defeat in a VIP room.
“I’m so mad at myself for losing without doing anything. Was Katsuhata really this strong?”
He clenched his fists.
He was a year older and hadn’t slacked off in his training, so where had the difference come from?
“This year’s Katsuhata felt like several levels upgraded compared to last year.”
“It’s not easy to create an upset. That’s why people get excited.”
“I thought I could do it…”
Even now, citizens were sending Larsson lots of encouragement through social media.
But unable to face their messages, he irritatedly switched off his phone and lay back on the bed.
It was a typical inner conflict experienced during adolescence.
Realizing that he was not the star of the stage was an excruciating process.
“There are so many geniuses in the world. Really, way too many… Why is this world so vast?”
While the prince sighed with a blend of lament, the coach quietly fiddled with his phone next to him.
Then, he accidentally stumbled upon a video of Namer’s interview.
“To be honest, I think all 64 national representatives are several levels below me.”
“Hahahahaha!”
The coach burst into loud laughter as he stroked his red beard.
“What’s so funny, Harald?”
“Isn’t she adorable? That girl from South Korea who was trapped in a capsule for seven years.”
“Namer? I know her, she’s famous.”
“This kind of confidence is what you would expect from a descendant of the Vikings. Larsson, don’t get discouraged. Learn from this boldness.”
Rerunning the interview from the beginning, Larsson scoffed.
“Does she really think she can fight us?”
“Yeah! She even gave us her address. Apparently, if you just DM her beforehand, you can drop by. Since you’ll be out early anyway, let’s stop by there!”
“…”
A genius of the century, a modern-day Joan of Arc, with whispers of her being the second coming of Jesus, such praise followed this girl.
“Wow, her arrogance is off the charts. I’m curious, let’s go check it out.”
“Hmm.”
The inquiry came within a day.
“Hey, Namer, are you going out to train again today?”
“Something like that.”
“Alright, take care. Ohh…”
While Ban So Wol lazily slept in, I quietly slipped out of the room, made myself a hearty breakfast, and headed to the training hall.
The match I observed yesterday was quite thrilling.
The stadium had been remodeled from a baseball field, making it twice as wide as a normal training hall, with the grass line serving as a boundary.
“Given Emika’s skills, she should easily make it to the top four.”
After all, in Group D, no one could keep up with her.
My interview statements had received significant criticism from the national teams for lacking respect.
Yet, I felt regret that no one was willing to face me, so I welcomed the aggressive Swedish friend stepping up.
“Besides, wasn’t he the one who fought Emika? His name was Elias Larsson, right?”
He hadn’t even had the chance to show what he had prepared and had lost helplessly, leaving him with no opportunity to demonstrate his martial arts.
At least I could find out now.
Expanding one’s horizons is always a joyful task.
“Woof, woof!”
A fluffy dog poked its head through a small hole in the fence.
“I’ll play with you later. I’m a bit busy today.”
“Woof, woof!”
I lightly patted the disappointed neighbor’s retriever’s head and hurried on.
At the outdoor training hall in the rural village, there were several limousines parked.
Ignoring the unusual scene, I stepped inside the fenced area.
Burly men, resembling Vikings, were performing jumping jacks in unison.
“Please tell me they didn’t come here to cause trouble?”
As I contemplated whether to pull out my wand from my pocket, a bald, strong man saw me and waved.
“Hey, friend! Everyone, attention!”
They all chanted an unintelligible slogan and started moving in perfect sync.
Among them, a noticeably younger boy approached me, flanked by bodyguards.
“Hi, I’m Elias Larsson, the Swedish representative.”
“I’m Harald Lindgren, Larsson’s coach.”
“I’m Namer. Nice to meet you.”
So it turns out he was the coach, not a bodyguard.
“How do you find our prince? Isn’t he handsome?”
“Not really… just average, I guess.”
Compared to his previously tidy appearance, one of Larsson’s cheekbones was now swollen.
A flicker of displeasure passed across Larsson’s face but quickly faded.
“Isn’t he smaller than you expected?”
“Indeed. I didn’t think he would be this small. Honestly, he might be lighter than my dumbbell?”
They turned off the translation magic and began whispering to each other.
I could almost understand everything thanks to what I learned from Han Se-ri, but I pretended not to hear and waited.
“Interesting. Do you really think you can fight and win against me?”
“I don’t see why not. Rather, I want to ask you back. Do you honestly think you can fight and win against me?”
“Wow… I guess the notion that Asians are humble was a prejudice after all, Harald.”
“Let’s save the trivial talk for later. How shall we conduct the duel? Handicap?”
“Let’s do it according to the exchange match rules, no handicap. Oh! Do you need a handicap?”
As I innocently asked, Larsson’s face quickly turned red.
“Are you really asking me that? Do I look that easy to you? In Sweden, we have no favors just because we are royals. There were 8,000 applicants for the national team, and I was selected fairly as one. What do you think I am?”
“I just thought the performance you showed in the round of 64 was lacking, so I asked.”
“While there was a difference in skill, the main issue was that our attributes didn’t match. But you, kid, you’ve got a knack for digging into people’s minds?”
“Setup is complete! Signal us when both of you are ready!”
The coaching staff all exited, and a translucent barrier appeared over the roof of the training hall and the green fence.
While I set up a barrier with crystal spheres, Larsson glared at me with fierce eyes.
“I watched a few videos. Your sense is excellent; I like it. But no matter how much of a genius you are, you can’t overturn weight classes. I came here to uphold the honor of the national representatives and to teach humility as a senior. Just know that I will not spare you because you’re a kid.”
I nodded slightly.
When he talks about weight classes, he means the output of aura.
Among mages, the influence of weight classes is overwhelming.
Generally, weight classes tend to correlate directly with age up to 30.
“You must have missed the Academy competition, right? My aura’s output is at least at a middle school level.”
At this, Larsson scoffed.
“Is that external manifestation really raising your output temporarily? I guess you really don’t know why Korea can’t participate in the national exchange program.”
He grabbed the silver-white sword leaning against the wall.
“Humans are creatures that use weapons. There’s no way Koreans, who stubbornly insist on barehanded fighting due to perceived danger, can be competitive in the world.”
The two-handed sword, which radiated a blue light, gradually turned red.
“Understand how important attributes are. My Mistilteinn can cut aura. Go ahead and try to bring out that external manifestation.”
Only then did I realize where his confidence stemmed from.
“You’re saying it was just a matter of equipment?”
“What? You…!”
Did he plan to cut me down if I spread my wings with external manifestation?
If so, it would explain his lack of fear towards Katsuhata’s laser sword.
Regrettably, he was lacking in skill and the match ended before Emika could draw her laser sword.
The shabby training hall’s electronic scoreboard displayed a 10-second countdown message.
The match time was unlimited.
“Korea doesn’t participate in the national exchange program simply due to cultural differences. There are hardly any people idle enough to hold international matches every day of the year. And constantly trying to justify your losses with the talk of attributes is only valid when skill levels are similar, isn’t it?”
I took my stance and threw my wand far into a corner of the training hall.
“What are you doing…?”
“Better have a taste for spicy dishes. Korean flavors can get extremely spicy.”
Weapons? Why would I need that.
Hitting with my hands has an entirely different feel to it.
I promised to sprinkle some chili powder on that mayonnaise-like face of his.
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
