Chapter 31: Can Duels Really Bring Happiness?

Cronos de Medici, of Italian descent.

He is a professor at Duel Academy and quite a distinctive character. He is well-known for his habit of ending every sentence with "none" and his frequent use of "Mamma Mia" as a catchphrase... not to mention his appearance, which is uncannily reminiscent of Pot of Greed.

However, he is also the head of the Practical Duel Department at Duel Academy. In other words, he is essentially the most formidable duelist among the academy's faculty.

During the early stages of the series, he is portrayed as an antagonist, a petty teacher who targets the student Judai Yuki at every turn. Yet, in the later stages, it is revealed that his behavior stems from his deeply ingrained commitment to elite education; he looks down on poor students but is fiercely protective of those he deems talented. As the story progresses, he grows and changes alongside his students, ultimately proving himself to be a good teacher at heart.

At this moment, Professor Cronos is sitting in the chief examiner's seat in the stands, lost in thought after watching Yuxuan’s entrance exam duel.

The top-ranked student each year has always been the newcomer Cronos pays the most attention to. Every year, he observes the student’s deck and tactics from the very start of the entrance exam to tailor a personalized training program, helping them improve as quickly as possible.

But this year’s top-ranked student, how should one put it...

One cannot say he is not strong, but he certainly has his own unique perspective on dueling.

"Professor, as you requested, the information on the deck used by that examinee has been retrieved," an examiner nearby said.

Cronos nodded slightly and opened the terminal device used exclusively by the faculty to check the deck information.

Let me see what kind of deck this is...

At first glance, he was almost blinded by the long, unbroken string of traps listed.

"Mamma Mia!" Cronos exclaimed in shock.

What on earth is this?

For this exam, Yuxuan had chosen a deck focused on Spellcasters, supplemented by the few monsters he had summoned during the duel.

What was the rest of it?

It was filled with card-drawing acceleration cards like Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity, followed by psychological killers like the "Delinquent Duo," "Confiscation," and "The Forceful Sentry" that he had just used in his duel.

Looking at the rest of the list, it was a sea of red. Just staring at it through the screen was enough to send a chill down one's spine.

"This, this, this..." the examiner next to him was stunned. "What the hell is this?"

Teacher Emi, who had handled the registration at the door, curiously leaned in and was also taken aback upon seeing the build.

Thinking back to the polite, well-mannered boy who looked so incredibly bright when he checked in...

...Is this really his deck?

It wasn't that she had a prejudice against the build itself. However, anyone’s first reaction upon seeing this deck would be that this person wasn't here to win, but rather that he had a grudge against his opponent.

Cronos also fell silent.

According to their basic understanding and theoretical knowledge of dueling, this was undoubtedly a deck build that did not conform to textbook standards. If a Duel Academy student had submitted this as a course project, he would have failed them without hesitation.

However, looking at the examiner in sunglasses who had returned to his seat looking haggard, with a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead...

...You have to admit, he did win.

Cronos pondered for a moment.

Well, after all, the examiners use specialized exam decks; it’s hard not to feel awkward using a deck that isn't your own, and the power level is limited. This student cannot be said to lack ideas; if anything, his unorthodox creativity actually shows a rather unique talent.

But to the academy teachers, who have already formed a complete, structured system of dueling, this clearly falls under the category of "crooked paths." One cannot say it’s impossible to achieve anything with it, but compared to the orthodox style, it is a detour. His future achievements will be limited, and he will likely find it difficult when he encounters truly strong opponents later on.

Nevertheless, regarding the incoming freshman, Cronos was quite satisfied with the student named Yuxuan.

This is fine, this is fine. Having the courage to innovate and think for oneself is a good thing. With his years of teaching experience, he could see at a glance that this boy was exceptionally gifted and destined for greatness.

Cronos silently made up his mind, adding Yuxuan’s name to the list of priority students for this year. Once the semester started, he would apply for a spot in the "Elite Training" program for him. Students selected for this program not only receive extra subsidies to upgrade their decks every quarter but also have higher priority than their peers when opportunities for rare cards arise.

He would use the orthodox, bright teaching principles and philosophy of Duel Academy to lead this misguided genius back to the right path, and he was confident he could do it.

Next, he observed the exam of the second-place student, Misawa Daichi. Cronos nodded with satisfaction after watching. This student, Misawa, also displayed impressive strength in the duel and was clearly the type who excelled in gaining an advantage through calculation and setup.

Now, this is much more normal.

Cronos felt he had found another promising talent this year and was in a great mood.

Just then, a staff member hurried over to his side, leaned down, and whispered something in his ear.

Cronos raised an eyebrow: "Hmm? Late for the exam? The train was delayed? What is the examinee’s registration number?"

"110," the staff member replied.

Over a hundred? That’s near the bottom, isn't it?

Cronos immediately lost interest and waved his hand: "If he can be late for such an important exam, it shows he didn't care about it at all. After all, our school doesn't need poor students..."

A white-haired examiner next to him adjusted his reading glasses: "That might not be right, Professor. Since the exam isn't over yet, shouldn't we give him a chance..."

"No, no, NO, absolutely not," Cronos waved him off.

Just kidding. He already had reservations about students with registration numbers over a hundred and didn't want to admit them in the first place. The fact that he was late was the perfect reason not to let him through.

However, his phone rang immediately after.

Cronos answered: "Hmm? Principal? Yes, yes, I understand..."

He listened in silence for a while, his expression gradually turning grim.

"Yes, that's right, an examinee was late. But... well... fine, alright... yes, Principal."

Cronos hung up, his face dark.

Damn it. Not only was he at the bottom of the written exam and late for the practical, but he was also a connection hire. He had no idea what kind of backing this student had to actually get the Principal to call him personally...

As the saying goes, a higher official crushes those below him. With the Principal’s order, he, the head examiner, could not refuse. However, the Principal only ordered him to give the student a chance to take the exam; he didn't say he *had* to pass.

With this thought, Cronos stood up abruptly and huffed.

"Fine, what is the student's name?"

"Judai... Judai Yuki," an examiner said.

"Very well, I will examine this student personally," Cronos said, flicking his coat with the flair of a master.

"Ah?"

The examiners were all shocked. It was rare for the head examiner to step in personally.

"P-please wait!" the examiner nearby hurriedly handed over the briefcase used for exams. "Then, please choose an exam deck..."

"That won't be necessary."

Cronos walked away with a stern face, ignoring them.

For this exam, he would use his own deck—the legendary, ultra-rare "Ancient Gear" series that was famous among all the faculty and students, and his personal pride. He would let this ignorant, bottom-tier student know what the harsh realities of society were like.

...

The examiner in sunglasses sat back down in his seat.

More than ten minutes had passed, but thinking back on that duel, he still felt furious. Especially when he recalled the student asking him if his "red-faced" (angry) appearance would affect his score before the duel started. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now, the memory of that seemingly polite face felt like a blatant mockery...

Feeling depressed, the examiner in sunglasses looked up unconsciously and saw Professor Cronos dueling a jellyfish-haired student on the field below.

"...The effect of 'Skyscraper'! When my 'Elemental HERO Flame Wingman' faces a monster with higher attack points, its attack increases by 1000, surpassing your 'Ancient Gear Golem', Professor! And when Flame Wingman destroys an opponent's monster in battle, it inflicts damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack points! Go, Flame Shoot!"

Cronos: "Mamma Mia!!!"

With a thunderous explosion, to the shock of the entire arena, Professor Cronos collapsed to the ground, head in hands, as his own crumbling Ancient Gear Golem crashed down into a pile of ruins.

[Cronos, LP 0]

The entire arena was stunned.

The academy's chief professor, the head of practical dueling, Cronos, had actually... lost?

Using his legendary "Ancient Gear" deck, he lost to a bottom-tier student?

And that wasn't all.

That jellyfish-haired underdog even jumped forward, mockingly gestured at the teacher lying on the ground, and said with a grin:

"I won! That was a really fun duel, Professor!"

Cronos: ".........."

For some reason.

Seeing the chief examiner beaten and sprawled on the ground, the examiner in sunglasses felt a smile return to the corners of his mouth.

He suddenly didn't feel so angry anymore.

Sure enough, Judai was right.

Dueling really can bring happiness.