The Extra's Academy Survival Guide Chapter 139: End-of-Semester Assessment (3)
"It's nice to see you. It's been a while."
In the end, I entered Lucy's room.
Since I was not a student assigned to the hall, if I stayed in Ophelis Hall for a while, Bell wouldn't be the only one in trouble.
That was why I tried to take care of my business quickly and get her answer next time… But the maids slapped me on the back, saying I should have a cup of tea before leaving.
"Just now… The way I said it was a bit strange, but… If I explain the circumstances in detail, you will know what I mean."
In the end, I drank the tea the maids gave me as I explained the situation to Lucy.
Honestly, it wasn't all that complicated of a story. I could tell it to her quickly if I summarized it.
"Anyway, it is a journey in which I need to risk my life. Of course, we will need to go all the way to House Rothstaylor, which will take a lot of time, so I'm not going to ask you to do it for free."
Even though it was Ophelis Hall, Lucy's room was particularly grand and large. Looking at it, you could tell that the room was where the top student in the entire school stayed.
No matter how disinterested Lucy was in such things, from the standpoint of the school, they had no choice but to give her the best treatment and take care of her as best as they could.
"If it's not for free, then…?"
At the table on one side of her personal room, she sat in the seat opposite me.
Lucy sat on a luxuriously decorated wooden chair as she spoke in a dazed voice.
"Well, it depends on what you want."
I didn't know what she wanted right now. However, there was something I could at least offer her.
"As I told you, my father had summoned me to bring me back into House Rothstaylor and restore the authority and power I lost. The problem is, I don't know if those are his true intentions, or he has other ones hidden."
Lucy listened to my explanation, nodding her head, as she looked at her teacup.
She didn't seem very interested in my story, but if you looked carefully, you could see how her ears were pricked up and listening carefully to every word I said.
"If you accompany me and my father ends up trying to put his hands on me, creating a complicated situation… Then there will be a high chance that, as a result, I will be able to obtain the authority of House Rothstaylor."
Even if he didn't try and lay his hands on me right away, he would surely end up doing it later on. In the end, since his eyes were always going to be on me, there was no reason for me to make him any more suspicious of me.
If the situation went as I believed it would, I would once again become the eldest son of House Rothstaylor. Though, it was hard to say that I'd actually become the heir.
Still, as the eldest son of the continent's most powerful duke, the scope of what I would be capable of would be large, regardless of my actual position.
"Invest in me."
"Invest?"
"If I return to my position as the eldest son of House Rothstaylor, then I will do whatever I can for you. Of course… being in such a position, there is only so much I can do."
After all, the position of heir, who held the true power and authority of the House, would most likely be passed onto Tanya. Also, if Krepin Rothstaylor was determined to destroy me, there was not much I could do with the power of being a noble alone.
However, in the first place, my goal wasn't to become the eldest son of House Rothstaylor.
"But from this point on… Lucy, I'm only able to tell you this because I truly believe in you."
"In me?"
"Either way, you've suffered a lot because of me."
As Lucy nodded her head, swallowing her breath, I spoke to her bluntly.
"I'm planning on pulling Krepin Rothstaylor down from his position."
It was absolutely treason.
If someone else were to hear that, it wouldn't be strange if I were immediately dragged to the gallows.
Lucy's brows furrowed slightly, but she didn't look all that bothered by it. I continued talking.
"I don't know if the next head of house will end up being me or Tanya, but at the very least, I don't want it to be my father."
"And the reason… is it revenge?"
Lucy's question was short, yet hard.
Was I trying to bring down Krepin as revenge against my father, who threw me out of the House and tried to kill me?
If what I had inside of me was a blade of revenge, then would Lucy be willing to help me?
After thinking deeply, I shook my head.
"I'm just trying to survive."
"..."
"The reason behind my crisis is usually because of my father."
In order to perfectly handle the Evil God Mebula, he repeatedly committed all sorts of anti-humanitarian experiments. In the end, he even tried to sacrifice the entire school.
In the process of sacrificing so many people, his true face was revealed: one that mocked the entire Empire by wearing the mask of a benevolent and moral duke.
The most probable reason for him trying to kill me was because it was necessary for the process.
"My father, Krepin Rothstaylor, is not as clean a person as people know him to be. If I can find evidence to reveal that truth, it might be possible to bring him down and reorganize the power structure within House Rothstaylor."
"..."
"I don't have any greed for power, but I am confident that during the reorganization process, I will end up with a higher position by simply being the eldest son. I may end up with an authority and power that simply couldn't be gained through force alone."
The power of one's lineage and the blood that ran through a person's veins was on a completely different level than mere strength.
The story continued on and on before we ended up back at the start.
"So, invest in me."
I looked directly at Lucy as I spoke.
If I had made a mistake, my neck could have been cut off and thrown into the gallows.
From Lucy's position, she could avoid it all because she was powerful. But for me, things were completely different.
It seemed like Lucy didn't understand just how heavy of a conversation we were sharing was.
"I… Don't do anything like investing. It's too complicated."
Shortly after, her small mouth opened as she spoke in a dazed voice like usual.
"You know it as well… I'm not interested in gaining power or anything like that."
"I suppose so."
Those were the words that meant I lost. I already knew from the start that Lucy wasn't the person to be interested in such power.
"So… Just what am I interested in?"
However, what she said afterwards was unexpected.
Lucy picked up her witch hat before she put it back on. She went over the window that had light coming through it, opening it up.
Her white hair, which was loose instead of its usual style, fluttered in the wind.
"You know… Did I really end up completing my promise with that old man?"
Lucy had saved the school from a crisis multiple times.
Every time, she tried to do whatever she could from her position.
However, the danger to the school that the archmage Glockt had foreseen, the one that only Lucy could stop, hadn't taken place.
Archbishop Verdio went on a rampage, and the apostles of Telos were spread all across the island. It was an ordeal that only Lucy could deal with, and she was willing to bear it all on her own.
However, in the process of it, I interfered. In the end, the conclusion to that ordeal was mostly resolved by my own hands.
In the end, without the last boss of Act 3, Lucy, running around like crazy like she was supposed to, everything was settled peacefully.
So, was it really the same ordeal that the archmage Glockt had foreseen? If it were something that could be solved so easily, why did Glockt hold onto Lucy's hands and ask so earnestly?
That slight doubt in her heart wouldn't disappear.
An incomplete combustion.
In the corner of Lucy's heart, she wouldn't accept that as the end. The burden she received from Glockt would continue weighing heavily on her shoulders.
This might have been the last chance to shake off that burden. That was all from Lucy's point of view.
"In the first place, after I keep my promise, how am I supposed to live?"
"That's a difficult question."
"Well, I didn't expect an answer."
Thunk.
Lucy closed the window as she looked towards me.
Then, as she walked forward, she passed the chair she was just sitting on and climbed on top of the table.
Only when she sat down on the table, looking at me, did our eyes meet.
"Like I told you, I'm not interested in anything like power. If I help you… It's only because I want to help you. There's no other reason."
Lucy lowered her gaze as she slowly continued to speak.
"But still… I can't do it for free."
"What do you want?"
"It might not be all that great. Or maybe it will be a really great thing."
Lucy clenched her tiny hand as she flexed out her pinky.
I looked at her in confusion as she lowered her head and spoke.
"The scariest thing for me… is keeping the promise I made with my old man… The emptiness that will come after I take care of everything."
The vast Lamelin Mountain Range.
She was a girl that stood at the very top, looking out at the vast world without Glockt.
She no longer had family, relationships, or any goals to achieve… Nothing.
"Help me so that I don't get eaten by that emptiness."
"Specifically… What do you want me to do…?"
"Be the reason for me to live."
What she was saying wasn't at all specific.
There was a lot of room for interpretation when it came to the meaning of what she implied.
Still, the words she said were heavy and real, so I couldn't hastily make that promise.
Looking at her expression, Lucy was neither crying nor smiling.
She looked at me with a blank face like usual as she held out her pinky finger.
If I didn't put out my finger, how would her expression change?
Just imagining that thought made me feel as if I were suffocating.
Of course, it was all my imagination.
My finger was already held out.
Just how much did that mean to Lucy? It might have been bigger than I thought, or not as big as I realized.
However, maybe because she wanted to hide her expression… she slowly crawled into my arms, wearing her witch hat.
She hugged me tightly without saying anything for a while.
And like that… we stayed together for a while.
* * *
Assistant Professor Cleoh had no blood in her face at all.
It was the final day of written exams. From what I heard, she was in charge of the entire written exams on her own.
She supposedly finished all her work in three days, but it was difficult to believe, as it was such an enormous amount of work to go through.
"..."
After finishing my written exam, I went to Assistant Professor Cleoh's lab to find a corpse laying on the desk.
She always had a corpse-like expression on her face during exams. However, this time, the corpse was of a bigger man.
It was Clevius Nortondale, a scholarship student and a student assistant in Cleoh's lab.
He always has a depressed expression on his face, making the people around him feel down. However, since he was a scholarship student, he was at least a bit quick-witted.
"Eughk… Why… Why did I get everything from the beginner swordsmanship textbook wrong…? You pathetic bastard… You useless bastard…"
As one could see, he made a lot of mistakes on his written exam.
They were just minor mistakes that could easily be made up for in the practical exam—especially for Clevius, who had that level of skill, but… As I said before, he was someone with a strangely low level of self-esteem
"The practical test is tomorrow! How long are you going to keep acting depressed? Do you really want to give up your seat as the top student?!"
There was a girl sitting next to him, smacking his back. Her orange hair and sharp eyes were unique… But she was someone I was quite familiar with seeing.
Elvira Aniston. The current undisputed top student of the second-year alchemy department.
"Oh, Ed came."
"What are you doing here, Elvira?"
"I wanted to review the theory of manufacturing an elemental resistance reagent developed. Reagent manufacturing is better suited for the professor of the Alchemy department, but since this deals with elemental resistance, it would be better to ask an elemental science professor in the Magic department instead."
Elvira had all sorts of papers and flasks piled up on the table in the center of the lab.
"But I think I came at a bad time. Assistant Professor Cleoh is sleeping with her eyes open right now."
I put my bag down on the table as I looked towards Cleoh.
Seeing her quietly breathing, looking completely exhausted and pale, she looked more like a doll that had been possessed by a ghost than a human.
"I should just die…! If I can't even remember a single swordsmanship posture that I have repeated hundreds of times, what's the point in living…?! Even though I memorized each and every movement and its combinations over and over, why do I forget every single thing when the test starts…?! What is wrong with me…?! Why the hell am I even alive…?"
Clevius, who was screaming, suddenly met my eyes.
"Wh-What is it, Ed Rothstaylor?! You got something to say?! Are you laughing at me too?! Ha… Fuck…"
"..."
"Just because people are thinking better of you these days, you think all the people around you are lower than you…?! What is with that gaze?! You are looking at me like I'm some pathetic bastard…! Yeah… That's right…! You think you're any different…? We are both pathetic human beings…! So don't look at me like I'm so pathetic like that!"
Slam!
Elvira wacked Clevius' head as it slammed into the table.
Anise, who was looking for documents near the bookshelf, and Onyx, who had just arrived, both widened their eyes.
As for me… I wasn't all that surprised.
"God, Clevius. What do you think you're saying to your upperclassman?"
"Elvira, what does it matter to you?! You look at me like I'm pathetic as well…!"
"Ugh, you're so pathetic Clevius."
"See!"
Elvira grinned as she held Clevius by his neck and spoke to me.
"I'm sorry, Ed~. I think Clevius needs to be educated a bit more. It'll take a while, since he needs to learn some manners and fix his mentality for the practical exam. Well, Assistant Professor Cleoh seems to be taking a break today, anyway… So, it'll be fine, right?"
"What's with you…?! Who are you to tell me to do this and that…! Kyaaaaaghk!"
"Just be quiet for a bit, Clevius."
As Clevius—who had his head slammed onto the desk—waved his arms and resisted, Elvira took a reagent from her pocket and poured it onto his head.
He wasn't treated like a person anymore. He was closer to cattle.
"Kyaaaaahk! What is this?! My body… strength… I'm losing my strength…"
Elvira stayed quiet as she forcibly dragged Clevius, who was losing strength in his body, away.
Onyx, who was standing in the way, moved to the side as he opened the door.
Clevius continued to make a fuss, saying that he made a mistake and to stop her, but…
Just like that, he was dragged out of the lab.
"We'll see you again next time!"
I got chills from hearing her bright farewell.
"Did you do well on your written exam? You look quite happy."
Anise asked me.
After that chaos, the lab had grown quiet again.
Assistant Professor Cleoh's lab members were Anise, me, Clevius, and Onyx.
We were considered elite compared to the labs of the other professors. However, among us Anise was the most known for being quick.
True to her evaluation, Anise was the one that was busily going through the paperwork.
"Well, somehow I managed to do well."
It felt like my written test scores would be at a satisfactory level. After all, I hadn't made a single mistake in a written test since starting school.
Even as I spent my days in the wild in a single wooden shelter, I never lowered the amount of effort I put into subjects requiring memorization.
Now that my environment had improved in various ways, it was only natural that I would be able to achieve such grades much easier.
The problem was the practical exam.
The goal for the test is simply to be the top student of my grade.
Since my goal was higher than usual, the importance of the practical test had also increased significantly.
"But about the practical exam… Is it really proceeding alright…? Isn't it already happening tomorrow?"
The thing that worries me the most is the elemental studies test.
Assistant Professor Cleoh, who was in charge of the entire exam, was now half-dead.
The elemental studies practical exam, where you had to fight against a professor.
Even though she was a new assistant professor, Cleoh wasn't one to be pushed back by a regular student in a duel… But right now, she wasn't in a state where she could duel anyone.
"Well, I guess another elemental studies professor will have to help… I'm not sure if she has already said something about it yet."
Slam!
At that moment, the door swung open.
When the innocent Onyx looked towards the door in surprise, a middle-aged man staggered through the door, coming inside.
Aside from his ponytail, he had a beard that hadn't been properly shaved. It was a mess. He also reeked of tobacco and alcohol.
He drank to the point that he couldn't even control himself in broad daylight as he staggered across the lab. He hit the desk, hit his head on the bookshelf, tripped on his feet, before finally arriving right in front of Assistant Professor Cleoh.
"Haaaa…! Heek! Professor Kaleid…! Wh-What brings you here…"
Could it be the practical sense of being the youngest professor?
It was a bit sad to see her waking up the moment she felt his presence.
"Yes, Assistant Professor Cleoh. Are you doing a good job… Hiccup."
"Ah, yes… The written exams have finished well… Now all we have to do is proceed with the practical test, which will be a duel…"
"That freaking Head Dean McDowell is breathing down my back and killing me. Asking how I could have the youngest professor submit the report regarding the details of the written test and take care of all the important duties. What's so wrong about having you do it instead of me…?"
Did he just say that from his own mouth?
All of the student assistants in the room were in complete shock as their jaws dropped.
"I guess… I need to work since I get paid… But that guy, McDowell, he didn't dare make eye contact with me when I was working here before… But now that he's a dean, he's writing all this bad crap about me, so I feel a bit in danger as well…"
Then you should stop drinking. Anise seemed to be holding back those words from coming out of her mouth.
"Seeing you, you seem quite exhausted after administering the written test…?"
"Ah, yes… That is the case…"
"Alright then… You can leave the practical test to me…"
Just as she was about to respond, he quickly grabbed her head with his hand, lowering it down.
"Go to sleep~!"
Then, laughing as if he were drunk, he staggered back. It brought him closer to the table where all the student assistants were seated.
He then pulled out a chair, sitting across from me.
Anise, who was sitting next to him, and Onyx, who was by the bookshelf, began to sweat profusely.
"Ahhhh~ I've got a hangover~"
He moved back and forth for a while making a moaning sound before he shook his head, speaking.
"Alright. So, you are Ed Rothstaylor."
I couldn't ask how he knew me. After all, he was the professor in charge of Assistant Professor Cleoh. I suppose that, if he wanted to know my identity, he could have easily found out.
However, I couldn't figure out why he was talking to me like that.
Professor Kaleid staggered around… but he spoke with fairly clear pronunciation.
"Tomorrow is the practical exam."
"Yes, that is right…"
"So… shall we play a game?"
"…What?"
* * *
There was a time when the Kroel Empire was in the midst of war with the non-humans.
It was a story from the long past. One that made it into the history books.
Now the non-humans were pushed all the way to the Northern Territory, weakened in power, but back then they were strong enough to threaten the name of the Empire.
The non-human forces were pushed all the way to the Empire's capital, Kroelon.
However, even in such a desperate situation, there was a hero that led the war and stood at the very forefront of Emperor Kroel's army.
That was Obel Forsyth. The Guardian Obel.
And the three young magicians that helped him.
The Amputator Zellan, The Inquirer Glast, and The Outlaw Kaleid.
One of them had grown old and disappeared into the shadows. Another was still actively working, training the younger generation. And the last one was a scholar that had tragically met an end to his life.
There was a time when they had all worked together out in the field, but as time passed, they all began to disappear.
Was it fate that Kaleid, who had been wandering the world, escaped from the passage of time and returned to his position as a professor?
He thought he would never agree to becoming a professor again, yet he somehow nodded as if possessed when asked to fill Glast's vacancy.
At that point, there wasn't a point in trying to come up with a reason. At least, that's what Kaleid had thought.
On the other hand, Ed Rothstaylor was completely dazed and confused.
[In a little bit, the practical exam for elemental studies, which will be held in the form of a duel, will take place. Will student Ed Rothstaylor please make their way up to the arena?]
Kaleid, an outlaw that had wandered through the lawless region of Kohelton for many years, hiding.
It was the first time he had appeared in front of the students after returning to work as a professor. It was in that duel.
Ed, who stood in the area, was still confused.
To see Kaleid's skills, even students from the combat department and alchemy department, who were unrelated to the test, had gathered to see the duel.
The combat training center at Obel Hall.
Professor Kaleid had heavy dark circles around his eyes as he stood there with his hands tucked into the pockets of his white coat.
-x-X-x-
"I'm going to leave the war."
That was how the Guardian of the Empire's Capital, Obel Forsyth, left the battlefield.
The non-humans had bluish blood.
It felt like just yesterday that he was covered in that same bluish blood, running around the battlefield.
Under the rule of the Emperor Kroel, the Kroel Empire was in its heyday and was believed to have achieved a reign of peace.
Still, on one side of Kaleid's heart, he remembered the existence of the non-humans that remained in the northernmost part of the continent.
But Emperor Kroel no longer desired to annihilate them any further. That was because the non-humans had already been weakened.
Even the Guardian of the Empire Obel ignored the continued existence of their enemy. He even ended up taking it upon himself to train the future generation.
"We didn't fight to spill their blood. We fought to protect the Empire."
In the end, following the wishes of the Guardian Obel, The Amputator Zellan, The Inquirer Glast, and The Outlaw Kaleid all came to Silvenia as educators.
But unlike the other two, Kaleid didn't adjust well.
To Kaleid, who had lived on the battlefield ever since he was a child, somewhere like Silvenia that didn't have any issues seemed like child's play.
It was impossible to teach the brutal survival skills necessary on a battlefield to students that were drunk on peace and romance, protecting their youth under the pretext of education.
At least the Inquirer Glast, who was his close friend, seemed to have maintained his sense of survival in his own way.
Although his attitude towards academics was inflexible, at least he wasn't ignorant of his duties or softened by the romance and peace of the campus.
When Kaleid worked at the school, he was known as a madman like Glast. However, it was in a slightly different aspect.
The students would practice until they were completely exhausted. He even demanded they do magic power resonance training throughout the entire night.
In the real world, there was no such thing as day and night.
When the enemy was aiming for your neck, they wouldn't care whether the sky was light or dark.
However, to the plants that were growing in a greenhouse in a well-kept and good environment, his methods of survival and teaching were considered 'unfair abuse.'
After all sorts of incidents, fighting with the school, and repeatedly feuding with the students, he finally left the school.
After that, he lived life as an adventurer, carrying out random jobs and wandering the lawless region of Kohelton for a long time.
When he received the offer from Silvenia once more, he had already become tired of living the life of a wanderer.
After all, talents like Kaleid were no longer needed in such a peaceful era. Like Obel had done, it was time to settle down and train a new generation of students.
Ultimately, he let go of all his expectations and decided to spend his time relaxing while getting paid…
The last person left to him was the disciple of Professor Glast, who was like his only colleague that he had left behind.
Cleoh Elpin. He was now the professor in charge of her. And these were the words that the immature Assistant Professor had told him.
"During his lifetime, Professor Glast seemed to have a strange anticipation directed towards Ed Rothstaylor."
* * *
The combat training center of Obel Hall was always booked.
That was because it wasn't only used for such practical classes, but also for individual duels between students, various demonstrations, and individual training for the students.
However, because of its large size, there weren't many days that the seats were as filled as they were. It was most crowded during duels between the top students, joint combat training, or demonstration duels performed by the professors.
The reason that the students had gathered for a mere end-of-semester exam was to see Professor Kaleid, who was once a war hero and was known as the madman of the school, in a duel.
Plus, his opponent was a rising star among the third years: Ed Rothstaylor.
A student known for their hard work instead of their outstanding talent.
When he was a first-year student, his grades were at rock bottom. But in his second year, his grades started to go up, though he still wasn't anything special.
However, when he became a third year, he rose to a level where he is considered one of the strongest in his grade. There were very few people that didn't know who he was.
The significance of his sudden growth was a big deal for regular students.
In the first place, he wasn't someone that stood out because they were born with talent, nor had he received any particular support from his family after being excommunicated.
He was proof that one could become a capable individual within the school without a great background. He rose to the ranks of the strongest in his grade solely through his own efforts.
Since it was a duel between these two, there was quite a lot of attention on it.
When the Student Council President, Tanya Rothstaylor, entered the arena with her closest aides, the crowd went silent.
"Hey, even the Student Council President personally came to watch?"
"Look, she even came with the head committee member Daike, and the secretary as well…!"
Such murmurs were now familiar to Tanya. The position of Student Council President was one where you always received attention from those around you.
Tanya felt a bit nervous about it, so she had made time to watch Ed's match. Anyway, it wasn't all that strange to come and watch a match that had been such a hot topic.
To some he was a maniac of war, to others he was a selfish and pretentious person, and to others just a pathetic alcoholic… But he was a person that couldn't be judged based on the student's opinions alone. That was the Outlaw Kaleid.
No matter how strong Ed was, he couldn't go against an opponent like Kaleid, who was famous for being strong even among the faculty.
At least, that was what Tanya was thinking.
If something were to happen, it was necessary to intervene. Even if things didn't go so far, she still needed to be weary of the atmosphere getting heated in case something inappropriate were to take place.
No matter how important of a professor he was, he still couldn't completely ignore the student council president.
She was ready to do all of that, but… when she saw the appearance of Kaleid, she thought that she might have made a misjudgment.
"What a sickly-looking man…"
Middle-aged… No, that didn't seem to be right.
It felt as if he looked older because of his unkept beard and messy ponytail.
Kaleid, who had both hands in the pockets of his coat, looked around with his gloomy eyes before letting out a moan.
"I got drunk, so I slept on the floor, but now my joints are screaming. Even though I eat lots of vegetables and dairy every day, my body is still all creaky. Maybe I should eat some more blue fish… Or should I be cutting back on salty foods…?"
"..."
On the arena's stage, Professor Kaleid staggered around, looking straight at Ed.
Ed was wearing a leather pouch, which was the size of his torso, on his back. It seemed that whatever was inside was quite heavy. It was a bag that he had suddenly started carrying around recently.
"Alright, Ed Rothstaylor… Give it a try."
Ed threw his leather bag into the corner as he relaxed his body, stretching his arms.
"You mean right now?'
"When else? The end-of-semester exams should happen at the end of the semester. Or are you planning to put it off and take it next year?"
Professor Kaleid kept his hands in his pocket as he started to quickly gather magic power with a grin.
The magic power started to rise from his legs before quickly spreading across his body, all the way up to the top of his head.
In an instant, he was completely covered in magic power and had an extraordinary resonance.
In the first place, professors weren't at a level that students could compete against.
But among them, Professor Kaleid still stood out for his practical experience and combat ability.
It was hard to expect Ed to win, but at the very least he had to get a good grade.
Woosh.
Ed waved his hand lightly in the air.
Should it be called testing the waters? He was making a movement just to see how his opponent would react.
Magic Power manifested from Ed's fingertips and in an instant, a huge wind blade formed as it flew towards Kaleid.
But he cast his spell at a ridiculous speed, blocking the wind blade.
Clang!
His body didn't even budge. However, his collar swayed in the wind from the aftermath.
"Oh, you have more firepower than I thought."
Professor Kaleid moved his waist to the left. It seemed as if he was still sore.
He then changed his gaze to be more fierce as he recited a spell so quietly, it was barely even audible. He did it all in less than a second.
As soon as Ed recognized it, the intermediate lightning magic Flare appeared.
"Kyaaagk!"
"Ahh…! That scared me…!"
"My eyes… I can't see anything…!"
It was only a means to catch his opponent off guard, with no regard for the students watching the duel.
A ball of light was cast near his body, temporarily obscuring the vision of those watching.
Then, Kaleid quickly ran forward and narrowed the distance, getting ready to strike him with a beginner shock magic at close range.
At that point, he wasn't trying to test him or anything like that. It was a simple attack to knock out his opponent. There was no way an ordinary student with no practical experience could deal with such a surprise attack.
However, Ed cast defensive magic, deflecting Kaleid's attack. Since his magic was one that focused on speed rather than power, Ed's defensive magic was more than enough to deflect it.
"Oh, would you look at this kid?"
Kaleid smiled as he laughed.
The moment Kaleid had cast Flare, Ed had lowered his head and closed his eyes tightly. His agility and ability to respond to a crisis was outstanding.
Then, there was an opening on Kaleid. Ed quickly cast the beginner fire magic Ignite.
Of course, Kaleid could easily deal with an attack of that level. He cast defensive magic to block Ignite and decided to finish things with his next attack.
However, the fire magic didn't fly towards Kaleid.
The flames were surrounding Ed.
"You're doing something interesting."
Pretending to attack while actually defending.
If defense were his goal, he could have just cast defense magic. Doing it like that, he had to cast a beginner elemental magic and keep it around him, which was not only an issue for magic power efficiency, but also casting speed.
There was certainly a reason why he was doing that…
"You must be trying to block my view!"
Fwooosh!
Making Kaleid focus on defending, he intended to cast a higher-level spell.
Kaleid saw through that, casting wind magic to put out the fire.
But Ed had already finished casting the intermediate fire magic Point Explosion. The direction of his fingertips was pointed straight towards Kaleid.
Boom! Boom!
A spell that specialized in a rapid attack, to an extent that no other intermediate spell could match speeds with it.
In an instant, an explosion erupted from Kaleid's body. However…
Fwoosh.
As Kaleid clenched his fist, the flames that were rising were suppressed through his magic power being extinguished.
He had covered his hands with magic power and pressed down on the flames. That was easier said than done.
The speed of Point Explosion alone was close to impossible to deal with through a human's reaction speed.
It was only possible because he had anticipated it in advance. If he didn't take into account that Ed would attack the moment the flames were gotten rid of, he couldn't have achieved such a level of reaction speed.
He had a headache from his hangover and his body was aching from sleeping all over the place.
It was only possible to do such a feat because it had become ingrained in his senses. It was not a matter of reason.
No matter how poor his mental state was, it was his body that remembered what to do.
"It's my turn."
Then Kaleid cast the intermediate Ice spell Frozen Blade at an unbelievable speed.
It was different from Ice Spear, which Ed was familiar with. Unlike Ice Spear, which aimed to pierce through an enemy by pouring one's magic power into a massive block of ice, Frozen Blade's aim was to create countless blades made of ice to control the space around you.
Each and every one was as sharp as a dagger.
If you moved hastily, you would get hurt.
It wasn't a direct attack, but rather a spell meant to control space through limiting your opponent's movements.
Kaleid had already made his way into the vicinity of Ed. At that point, even beginner magic was dangerous.
"This…"
Ed was perplexed. His crisis-sensing ability was screaming out. If he stayed like that, he would get hurt.
Kaleid's intentions were obvious. He planned to block Ed's movements for now and then launch an attack that would be difficult for him to deal with through defensive magic.
He needed to evade it. However, if he were to dodge then he would run into the Frozen Blades.
But if he were to remove the Frozen Blades to dodge in that direction, then Kaleid's attack would just change directions towards him.
Getting rid of the Frozen Blades on one side of him was basically announcing that you would be dodging that way.
He needed to get rid of all of the Frozen Blades at once, but it would be difficult for Ed to achieve through his current means.
A very brief moment of concern.
A duel was a series of judgments every single second.
Ed's reflexes instantly reached out to another realm of magic than elemental.
Beginner Celestial Magic, Forced Collection.
A magic that twisted space and forced the surrounding matter into a single point.
There were many different ways to gather enemies. There was Wind Collection and Reagent Collection, but Forced Collection was a spell that came from Celestial Magic… Theoretically, it could not be resisted at all.
Because it twisted space itself, it couldn't be resisted through physical means, nor could it be resisted through magic power. That was because Celestial Magic was completely different from regular magic power.
A field of magic that specialized in reaching 'results.' If you could use its power, you could defeat an enemy—no matter how powerful. That was Celestial Magic.
Dark red magic power surged around Ed's body.
"…What?"
Kaleid's pupils trembled momentarily. The same went for Ed. That was a mistake. His body had moved first because of his reflexes.
As soon as he realized he was casting Celestial Magic, Ed quickly dispersed his magic power, destroying it.
Boom!
Then Kaleid's basic wind magic hit Ed's body directly.
Dust rose in the air as Ed was knocked down for a while.
Fwooosh!
Crumble!
After a minute, dust continued to rise up.
Ed laid down for a while before finally standing back up.
"It's my loss."
"…You, what were you just doing?'
Kaleid narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
No matter what anyone said, what was just surrounding Ed's body was Celestial Magic Power.
The spectators from afar didn't seem to notice, but Kaleid, who was close to him, clearly saw it.
Celestial Magic that even he couldn't use. It was clear that Ed Rothstaylor had tried to cast it.
"Just now, you…"
Kaleid doubted his eyes for a moment. Indeed, he was a student Professor Glast would have paid attention to.
Yet, Ed Rothstaylor allowed Kaleid's attack to connect without casting any magic.
If there was a reason…
"Did you purposely only use elemental magic?"
"…Isn't that obvious? This… is an elemental studies test?"
"..."
"..."
After those words, Ed, Kaleid, as well as the surrounding students all went silent. It seemed that only Kaleid was unaware of it.
In fact, Ed's statement was correct. It was only an elemental studies exam, so it was natural to only use elemental magic.
However, it was obvious that Ed Rothstaylor wasn't a student that could only use elemental magic.
Rumors said that he was a student that dealt with various fields of magic in a variety of ways. However, the firepower of his elemental magic was stronger than he had expected, and his ability to adapt in a fight was also good, so Kaleid didn't even think of that.
If he were to fight a duel like that, then it would be like his legs were tied together. Of course, he would lose.
"But I don't only look at your ability in using elemental magic."
"…No, I'm telling you that this is supposed to be an Elemental Studies Exam?"
"Elemental Studies is the basis of all combat magic. Therefore, harmoniously using a variety of different fields of magic alongside Elemental magic is an important aspect of elemental studies."
He explained it in a roundabout but simple way.
"You can attack me through any means or methods you have."
Hearing that, Ed looked up for a moment.
He sat on his butt with only his upper body raised. Although he had clearly lost, Ed spoke back to Kaleid without hesitation.
"Is that okay?"
"Why? Worried about hurting me? If that's the case, I'll tell you that that's just a useless worry."
"If that's the case…"
Ed slowly got up. Dust was all over the place, but it seemed that it was normal for him to get his clothes dirty.
Kaleid got serious as he cast defensive magic. He had a gut feeling that it would be a good idea to cast basic defensive magic around him.
Clang!
The moment he thought as much, two magic arrows flew into his defense, piercing it. He looked up to see Ed holding a bow made of magic power.
Fwoosh!
And like that, Kaleid's defensive magic disappeared.
Normally, basic defensive magic disappeared instantly after a few regular attacks. In most cases, rather than the power of the attack, the number of attacks was more important.
And Ed's attack just then… it felt as if he purposely controlled the amount of power to get rid of the defense magic.
Refraining from wasting as much power as possible and only attacking at the necessary level.
All of that was a buildup to attack his opponent with a critical hit. At that moment, Kaleid realized it.
That boy was not one of the students that played with the flowers in the greenhouse. He had been thinking that for a while.
The way he fought was with the intent to win. To do that, he only thought about overpowering his opponent as efficiently as possible.
Professor and student.
The massive gap in power was only natural. For the students, they would use all the strength they had but they would never fight with the goal of winning.
If you had such a mindset, the opponent could clearly feel it.
The attacks of those that gave up the idea of winning were dull and had no soul. It was clearly different from the battlefield, where you constantly risked your life by walking on the tips of your swords.
A duel against someone that thought losing was inevitable was meaningless. Even for a teacher, there was nothing to teach them.
But Ed Rothstaylor was fighting to win.
It felt as if he were used to fighting against an opponent with an overwhelming difference in power.
Even in a situation where defeat should have been inevitable, he was thinking of beating them. And up to that point, wasn't he only using elemental magic because of the conditions of the exam?
But with that restriction lifted, what ways would he use to pressure his opponent?
The moment his curiosity started to rise, Kaleid realized it. There were puddles of water all around his feet.
He wondered if he had used the elemental magic Manifestation of a Water Source. But he shouldn't have been able to use any intermediate magic or higher without casting it.
That meant he had engraved a magic spell in advance.
A Spiritual Skill…!
Kaleid was quick to realize it. At that moment, a massive lioness jumped out from the puddle of water. He quickly cast the intermediate ice magic Ice Wall with the magic power covering his hand.
Crash!
Lacia's teeth were blocked by a huge wall of ice.
The magic power arrow was engraved with a spiritual skill…?
It was possible to engrave a spiritual skill onto an arrow in advance if you prepared thoroughly.
But Ed was engraving spiritual skills onto the magic power arrows one by one the moment he made them. Considering the speed at which he did it, it was an unbelievable level of spiritual resonance.
Yennekar Palerover was known as an unrivaled genius in the field of Elementalism. So, unless it was that girl… It shouldn't have been possible.
But what Kaleid didn't consider was the fact that Ed had learned elementalism from Yennekar.
From the start, his specialty wasn't elemental magic!
Quite literally his arms and legs had been tied together.
But Ed, who was now free, took out a dagger from his thigh and shoved it toward Kaleid.
It looked as if he were trying to have a close combat fight because it would be beneficial for him.
After all, close combat was the correct choice to take against a magician. That is, with one exception.
If you were a magician yourself.
However, Ed didn't care as he tried to start a close combat fight. That was because the conclusion he came to during the fight when he used only elemental magic was that he couldn't defeat Kaleid.
It was a move that he took to win.
It wasn't all that different from his past self, who risked his life every moment on the battlefield.
He felt an apparent pressure.
He once again cast defensive magic to deflect Ed's dagger. But Ed twisted his body, pushing Kaleid's arm away with a kick.
Kaleid took a few steps back. The distance had widened again somewhat, but he started to feel a different magic power from the floor.
Magic Engineering Item – Reinforced Claw Fingers.
Before getting close to him, he had placed a crystal ball on the floor.
It then dragged Kaleid's body back towards Ed. The magic power covered him as it tried to push against his back. Kaleid clenched his teeth as he cast magic power to try and match the force that was pushing him.
However, even that was a part of Ed's plan.
His goal had always been to narrow the distance, no matter the means. The question was whether the opponent could resist it or not.
The magic power that came from the basic magic engineering item could be easily resisted at a magician of Kaleid's level.
He just wanted to buy time.
Then, with the Celestial Magic he was going to cast earlier…
A dark red magic power, one that couldn't be resisted at all, started to rise from Ed's body.
Forced Collection.
The range differed depending on the proficiency level, but the current distance was more than sufficient.
It was like a bullet that shot at you with your body tied tightly to it. There was no way to avoid it.
Once cast, it was a ridiculous magic that was impossible to avoid.
Kaleid tried to respond quickly with the speed from Point Explosion, but it was useless in the face of Celestial Magic.
It twisted space itself. By the time he got a grip of himself… Ed's dagger was right in front of him.
Clang!
A ridiculous level of reaction speed. Kaleid's defensive magic skills were at a level that even the Imperial magicians couldn't help but be in awe of them.
However, Ed didn't just use his dagger to perform a physical attack. All of the weapons Ed used are thoroughly engraved with a spiritual skill.
Boooooooooom!
Spiritual Skill – Explosion. Kaleid hadn't expected that.
He was able to block some of it with his animal-like reaction speed, but he had also been damaged to some extent.
"C-Cough… Keuk… This guy… Would you look at that…"
His hangover was long gone. Kaleid's expression also began to return to its normal state. After getting rid of the rising smoke, strangely large wings began to wrap around Ed's body.
It was a bat that was nearly the size of an eagle. If it were to spread its wings as wide as possible, it could easily cover at least one person.
That bat sat on Ed's shoulder, ready to blow flames across the entire arena at any moment.
Mid-ranking fire spirit, Mugg. Spiritual Skill – Explosion's firepower had already exceeded that of mid-rank magic.
Ed took all sorts of magically engineered items from his pockets, putting them around him.
Each of the items scattered on the floor looked different. And the amount of magic power flowing through them was different. There was no way of knowing what he was going to do with them.
Fighting against someone strong, the key was to create as many variables as possible.
He was someone that knew that fact very well. As soon as Kaleid was certain of that fact, he immediately gathered all of the magic power in his body.
He was someone that had already passed the level of a student. Considering the size of Silvenia, there were occasionally students of a young age that had skills that exceeded those of active duty.
Since that was the case, Kaleid couldn't continue to keep holding back his true power forever.
"Alright… Ed Rothstaylor. Now that things have become like this, let's fight for a little longer."
"Are we going to continue?"
"Let's go to the very end. But I don't know how I'll clean up this mess."
Before Ed could even ask what that meant, magic power started to surge from Kaleid's body. The amount was clearly different than before.
No matter who saw it, it was clearly magic that gathered all his power into a single shot. Where that magic power was aiming towards… was the sky.
He was someone that was already considered a madman. There was pain in Kaleid's eyes, knowing that he would have to write an apology letter for going so far against a mere student, but he didn't care.
A murmur broke out among the audience. The scale of that magic was extraordinary.
Tanya, who was sitting in the crowd, also frowned. It was beyond the level of a test. That was obvious to anyone watching.
And the moment she sat there with that thought…
Booooooooooooooooooom!
Advanced Lightning Magic, Divine Judgement.
There was no need for a long explanation.
A thunderbolt. That's all it was.
Booooooooom!
A thunderbolt pierced the ceiling, striking Ed directly.
The wind from the aftermath hit the audience. The students screamed as they tried to avoid flying away.
"B-Brother…!"
Tanya also brushed back her hair, which was fluttering in the wind. She somehow managed to keep her eyes on the arena.
Whoooooooooosh!
The storm winds that struck the audience grew even stronger as time passed.
Kaleid suddenly came to his senses.
No matter what, using advanced magic against a student… Even he thought it was crazy.
He was just convinced that his opponent would be able to withstand that much. So, he couldn't stop himself from getting carried away and ended up doing something ridiculous.
If he were seriously injured from that, Kaleid would be held responsible. He started to break out in a cold sweat at that thought. Suddenly, one side of Kaleid's coat was cut by a Wind Blade.
Whoosh.
An attack that flew through the rising dust.
Avoiding it… It was purely 'luck.' Since his view was obscured, neither the attacker nor the defender knew where the attack would go.
But he was sure of one thing… Ed Rothstaylor hadn't lost yet.
"Haha…"
Kaleid had also used up quite a bit of his stamina. He was slowly starting to feel as if he were running out of power.
As the rising smoke gradually disappeared, Ed was revealed. He was also not in his normal state.
An advanced magic that flew down in an instant. He avoided a direct hit, but he received damage from the shockwave. Although he instantly cast defensive magic, it seemed that it wasn't enough to take the entirety of the shockwave.
Fortunately, it didn't look like he had broken anything. However… It still looked like he was pretty injured. He was also bleeding from somewhere. If he had a wound of that degree after missing his attack, just how serious of an injury would it have been if it had hit directly?
But Kaleid was unsure. In the first place, did his attack really miss? Could Advanced Magic really miss so easily?
Did it miss, or was he able to react and avoid it? Normally, he would have thought it was the former, but…
"Whew…"
Ed took a deep breath. It was to relieve the pain from his wound.
No matter what, it was still a test and that had clearly crossed the line. At that point, Kaleid thought he should just give him a high score and end things quickly.
It was 100% going to require a written apology. It was as if he was already starting to get a headache.
Thinking about it, he suddenly started to doubt his eyes.
Ed Rothstaylor was pretty injured, but… Those eyes of his were still alive, even though he should have lost the will to fight.
He was on his knees at the corner of the arena. In his arms, he was holding the leather bag he had put aside earlier.
"Ha… Haha…"
Did he still want to go?
He couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Truly, once that boy got started, he had no interest in anything other than victory.
Kaleid felt goosebumps rising on his arms. He started to gather magic power once more. If he wanted to continue going, he didn't plan on backing down either.
Ed untied the leather strap that was tied to his bag.
Looking back on it, it wasn't a bag. Rather, it was something that was wrapped in a leather blanket of sorts. It was something that Ed used to carry around for tests from time to time.
Seeing it unraveled, it was a fairly large wand.
A thousand-year-old wooden wand struck by lightning. It looked very different from the one Yennekar had. There were many cuts all over it, and there were also several engravings.
Contrary to the fact that only one spiritual skill could be given to a weapon, that wand had such a high resonance level that it could be engraved with all sorts of different spiritual skills at once.
At first, he only used elemental magic. Then, he used that dagger with a spiritual skill. When he ran out of stamina, he even used magically engineered items… And now he was finally taking out a wand.
Kaleid couldn't even guess just how many ways Ed could fight. However, for now, he decided to focus on defeating the person in front of him.
Ed held the dagger in his left hand and the large wand in his right. He stood up with his head lowered.
The wind blew by.
Kaleid subtly heard a wolf's cries mixed in with the blowing wind.
He slowly looked behind him to see… A massive wolf.
Not only the audience, but even Tanya, who had seen it before, froze.
The majesty of the wolf that had shown up was so large that even the large arena felt cramped.
Ed stood in front of him with his head lowered. He then looked up straight at Kaleid.
-x-X-x-
"Haha… Hahaha…"
Laughter was flowing out. It was a weird thing.
Kaleid had caught and killed countless non-humans on the battlefield.
However, that heyday was now in the distant past. And yet, he would never forget his days on the battlefield, where every single day was like walking on thin ice.
The enemies he met on the battlefield all had a grudge in their eyes. That was because, for them, surrender didn't exist.
If you were pushed into a corner, admitting the difference in skill to your opponent and humbly accepting your defeat, the next thing that awaited you was a cruel death.
"That's right… You are definitely stronger than those half-hearted active-duty members."
Kaleid shoved both of his hands into his pockets as he gave a bitter grin.
It seemed as if the hangover and alcohol in his system had gone away. Only then did he recognize the cold stare behind Ed's eye.
That… was something only possible in the eyes of those that had faced death countless times.
When he had travelled though the battlefield, he fought with his life on the line dozens of times in a day against people with those same eyes.
The feeling of those days, which he had slowly been forgetting. Chills ran down the back of Kaleid's neck.
The high-ranking wind spirit Merilda.
Since she was a wolf the size of a house, the large arena now seemed cramped.
Aside from that, the area was full of spectators. So, if Ed were to have her move around hastily, he risked the students around them getting hurt.
No matter how much he wanted to win, he would make sure to avoid crossing that line.
So, even though he summoned a powerful, high-ranking wind spirit, there were too many restrictions to properly utilize it. The fact that their duel was in an arena was a disadvantage for him.
But the same was true for Kaleid.
He had to aim carefully, afraid that using advanced lightning magic might end up hurting the nearby students. Still, as a wolf of that size, it would surely be more limited than him.
Boom!
As Kaleid leapt backwards, he gathered magic power in his hands.
Ed, who had his head lowered, leapt after him. Just as Kaleid expected, Ed had no intention of using Merilda as a means of physical combat.
However, it was still a pain to deal with all the spiritual skills and wind magic that Merilda wielded.
The wolf stood firmly like a mountain behind Ed's back. As it let out a roar, a vibration filled with magic power resounded throughout the large arena of Nail Hall.
Roaaaaar!
Keeeuk…! My ears are ringing…!
Dozens of Wind Blades shot out from the wolf. The power of each blade was an issue, but the number of them was also extraordinary.
Some magicians had to completely focus just to use one Wind Blade. But now that such a large number of them were attacking Kaleid, it was impossible to avoid them all.
Intermediate Ice Magic, Ice Wall. A frozen wall rose up, blocking the blades. But after getting struck by half of them, the wall crumbled down.
Slash! Slash!
The remaining blades sliced through Kaleid's body.
However, by forcibly squeezing out his magic power, he was barely able to cast defensive magic to block the remaining blades. Unfortunately, he had allowed Ed to close the distance.
Ed held his dagger to the side as he flew towards Kaleid.
His defensive magic had already been canceled by Merilda's magic.
Kaleid raised his drunken eyes as he quickly twisted his body, grabbing Ed's wrist. He didn't use magic—he moved his body directly.
Ed then pulled him with the wrist that Kaleid had grabbed onto. In an instant, Kaleid's center of gravity collapsed—but Kaleid stood up with one leg on the ground as he clenched his teeth, withstanding Ed's strength.
"Your strength… Is impressive.'
If he were just a regular magician, he would have gotten hurt. Kaleid was sure of that fact.
Even though there was a giant wolf right in front of him, he wasn't shaken emotionally. Kaleid was a person that had gone through all sorts of hardship throughout his life.
Naturally, his next move was decided.
Kaleid cast the intermediate fire magic Point Explosion.
Point Explosion was a ridiculously fast magic that shone when you had to chant before your opponent.
However, it was the wrong choice to use against Ed.
Fwooooosh!
Flames rose from Ed's body.
Point Explosion was already fast, but for Kaleid, who had reached peak mana resonance, the speed was truly unfathomable.
But Ed stood still, as if he didn't need to react.
Fwoosh.
Ed's arm popped out from the flames as it grabbed Kaleid's collar. It looked as if he was prepared to strike him with the dagger again.
He survived that…? Completely unharmed?
Ed's appearance as he came out of the flames was terrifying.
Even though Point Explosion had the weakest firepower among the intermediate magics, it still didn't make sense for him to endure it and remain completely unharmed.
Only then did the possibility of a 'Spirit's Blessing' come to Kaleid's mind.
Blessing of Fire Fortune.
It was a blessing that usually came from low-ranking spirits. However, for Mugg, who had become a mid-ranking spirit after a status change, his blessing was powerful enough to handle the firepower of intermediate magic.
As Ed put magic power into the wand he was holding in his other hand, Mugg's spiritual skill, Explosion, began to engulf the arena again.
The flames had the property of burning everything in the world fairly. But things weren't so fair this time.
Right now, Ed was temporarily immune to fire magic. That meant the gigantic explosion would only bare its fangs towards Kaleid.
This guy… is really something…
Kaleid smiled contentedly as he decided to do all he could, drawing out all the magic power in his body once more.
Alright… Losing will also be a good experience for this kid.
Boooooooom!
In the midst of an exchange of quick attacks that were difficult for each other to react to, most of the audience had already given up trying to keep up with their movements. It was difficult to follow along with the naked eye because of their quick movements and the magic that obscured their view.
After the rising flames and dust disappeared… Kaleid was caught in an explosion and thrown aside.
A roar was heard from the crowd. Ed had really beaten a senior professor.
…However, Ed didn't relax. He already knew.
Even in that dire situation… Kaleid could have blocked Ed's attack. He was sure that Kaleid had gathered an unbelievable amount of magic power in an instant.
It wasn't that Kaleid couldn't stop it—rather, he didn't. And the reason was obvious.
In order to trick him.
Fwoooosh.
A gust of wind erupted from Ed, enveloping his body.
It wasn't magic that Ed had cast. Rather, it was Storm's Blessing that surrounded his body.
The fact that Storm's Blessing, which would prevent an attack he was unaware of, activated meant that there was an attack that Ed hadn't noticed.
Ed frowned as he looked around. Five or six ice spears had tried to strike him from behind, but his blessing had stopped them.
And when he looked back to front, Professor Kaleid's face was right in front of him. It was like a scene from a horror movie.
"On the battlefield… a moment's inattention can cost you your life."
Spiritual Skill. He endured the explosion by casting a defensive magic with the minimal amount of magic power. With the rest of it, he invested it all into casting Ice Spear.
"You understand that fact really well. You were short just a single step."
The reason he had forced himself to cast Ice Spear was to remove Merilda's blessing in advance.
After seeing Mugg's blessing, he had predicted that Ed must also be wearing Merilda's blessing, Storm's Blessing.
Professor Kaleid put both hands into his pocket as he grinned, looking at Ed.
As Ed was confused and turned around, he had already cast another spell.
The advanced ice magic, Permafrost.
It was simple magic that didn't discriminate, freezing everything around it.
However, sometimes simplicity was a powerful weapon.
The floor of the arena was completely frozen. All of the magically engineered items that Ed had thrown all around the floor to use as potential variables had been frozen, turning into lumps of scrap metal. Turning around, he even saw that Merilda had become nothing more than a massive ice statue, unable to move.
The only reason that Ed wasn't affected by the magic was because the mid-ranking fire spirit Mugg had quickly shown itself, blowing the cold air away.
However, no matter how strong a mid-ranking spirit might be, they could never completely neutralize an advance magic.
Ed's ankles were completely frozen, so he couldn't even fall down onto the floor.
"Let's finish this."
Kaleid brought forth magic power on his hand to finish things. But Ed was quicker, putting his hands into his pocket.
Paaaaak!
Shock-Enhanced Wave Ball. Although it was a basic machine, its power was certainly worthy of a magically engineered item.
Since things had gone bad, he left it in his pocket to use to escape a crisis.
Kaleid's body was thrown aside by the shock. Ed drew out his magic power as he melted the ice on his feet.
"Keuk… What…? Again and again, you keep bringing something else out…!"
Crack! Crack!
The ice surrounding Merilda also began to crack little by little. No matter how strong of an advanced magic it was, it was only able to keep the high-ranking wind spirit's feet tied up momentarily.
Kaleid got back up as he stared at Ed.
The ice that he had cast still bound Ed's body tightly to the ground. He tried to melt it quickly, but it wasn't going to be that easy.
Merilda would also be free soon, but she wasn't yet.
Storm's Blessing was gone. He couldn't move around freely. The high-ranking wind spirit, which was the hardest to deal with, was temporarily subdued.
If he was going to finish things, now was the time. Kaleid quickly began to chant his next magic spell.
Intermediate ice magic, Ice Spear. A huge number of ice spears, more than a dozen or so, began to rise behind him. It was different in size compared to the Ice Spears that the students used.
Ed leaned down, clenching his teeth as he released magic power towards his feet. Even though he was continuously casting fire magic, it seemed that the ice created by advanced magic wouldn't melt so easily.
The audience was so nervous they forgot to breathe. If he were to get struck by all those ice spears, it was clear that he would be seriously injured.
However, Kaleid, who had already become caught up in things, wasn't showing any mercy.
Even Ed started to feel like he had no idea how he was going to deal with it.
In any case, now was the time for Kaleid to win.
If he didn't win now, the situation would only become more complicated with Merilda being freed again.
The Ice Spears flew towards Ed, who was completely suppressed.
The moment Ed raised his head to look in the direction—
Boom!
—a man intervened, entering the arena with his fists out.
* * *
Boom! Boom! Boom! Crash!
All of the Ice Spears had been deflected. The speed of his fist was comparable to that of a bullet.
He had short hair and various scars on his body. He was incredibly large, with a grand physique. It was as if he were a bear, not a human, running rampant.
Ed already knew who that man was.
The top fourth year student in Silvenia Academy, and the head committee member.
Daike Elpelan.
"Professor Kaleid."
After deflecting all the ice spears, Daike stood between the two of them, speaking softly.
"This… It seems you have crossed the line too much. Ed Rothstaylor was already unable to fight."
"Older Brother…!"
Afterwards, student council president Tanya Rothstaylor came running over onto the arena's stage.
She sprinted towards Ed, whose legs were frozen. She grabbed his arms, checking his complexion.
"Ed…! Are you okay? Are you seriously hurt…?!"
The student council, who couldn't see everything, had decided to interfere.
The students already felt that something was wrong. They were witnessing a full-fledged battle instead of a mere practical evaluation.
Halfway through, Professor Kaleid had gotten too excited and failed to stay within the boundaries during the exam. That was a clear reason for disciplinary action if reported to the academic department.
Kaleid sighed deeply, as if he were aware of that fact. He couldn't help but admit that he had gone too far after remembering the time he spent on the battlefield.
Kaleid rubbed his chin a few times, looking at Ed.
He was still kneeling, just like at the end of the fight, when he was trying to melt the ice on his feet.
Student Council President Tanya had run towards Ed with an expression that said she was ready to burst into tears. She pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the dirt off of his face.
Seeing that, Kaleid realized just how unreasonable he was acting.
"Haah…"
"Professor Kaleid."
"The older you get, the more your blood boils from things like this. My wife always did say men will act like kids no matter how old they get."
After laughing bitterly at himself, Kaleid got rid of all his magic power.
Daike, who stood in front of Ed, bowed his head as he gave his greetings.
"Thank you for your understanding."
"What understanding? I'm just excited as I think about writing my apology letter."
After talking politely with him, Daike turned his head to look at Ed.
If the ice spear had struck him, it absolutely would have been a fatal hit. He must have been quite afraid.
The moment he tried to say something to reassure Ed…
Fwoosh.
The dark red magic power that surged from one of Ed's hands dispersed into the air, disappearing.
Seeing that, Daike's eyes widened. Naturally, Tanya's did as well.
Even Kaleid felt something strange as he quickly looked towards him.
"Ed Rothstaylor. Just now…"
"Thank you for your help, Daike."
Ed greeted him politely, wiping his hands.
Daike looked down at the ice still binding Ed's feet. It hadn't melted in the slightest.
He thought that he was trying to melt through the ice with his fire magic, but… that wasn't the case.
It wasn't that he couldn't melt the ice, he just wasn't.
It was clear that he had purposely knelt down, covering his hands as he gathered Celestial Magic Power.
Celestial Magic Power was distinctly red in color, unlike regular magic power. Therefore, it was easy to determine whether or not someone was using Celestial Magic Power just by looking at the color.
So, Ed had pretended to melt the ice as he hid his hands and drew out Celestial Magic Power.
Then, at the last moment before the Ice Spear came flying… he planned to use Forced Collection to drag Kaleid to him and block it. He planned to use Kaleid's body to block the attack.
Then, in his other hand—in which he held his dagger tightly—he was planning to end things with a spiritual skill.
Closing his eyes and imaging it…
The flying ice spear. Ed suddenly changes his complexion as he stands up and casts Celestial Magic. Kaleid is quickly dragged forward in front of him to block the Ice Spear. If Kaleid managed to somehow block it, Ed was ready behind him with a dagger infused with a spiritual skill.
That was the very last improvisation he had come up with after being suppressed.
Kaleid realized it after seeing him. What would have happened if Daike hadn't intervened at the end? Now, no one would know.
Magic Power ability, experience on the battlefield, combat ability. Kaleid was clearly superior in all of those areas.
But the ability to somehow come up with the optimal means to overcome any situation, at any given moment… Even Kaleid couldn't help but be in awe.
"Ed Rothstaylor."
Kaleid had his hands in the pockets of his coat as he spoke to him with those tired eyes of his.
"You are really, seriously, a crazy guy."
"…Can I take that as a compliment?"
"Is it an insult? Ah, well, I guess it is an insult."
Professor Kaleid laughed as he looked at the crowd. Everyone seemed to be watching with wide eyes.
That couldn't be helped for a duel of that level. They fought so earnestly that it was hard to dismiss it as a mere final exam.
Ed had even taken out a high-ranking spirit and come up with various means to be on par with a senior elemental studies professor. After doing that much, no one could voice their disapproval towards him.
"You get perfect scores on your elemental studies practical exam, Ed Rothstaylor."
Elemental studies was one of the core subjects that held a large importance among the magic department's exams.
"If you did well on your written exam, then it won't be a dream for you to become the top student among the third years."
The crowd roared. The top student of the third years in Silvenia Academy. At that moment, there was someone that was the undisputed number one.
"Well, that elementalist who is the current top seat is also out of the ordinary, so… I can't say for certain that you will be able to take that spot…"
Kaleid was also familiar with Yennekar Palerover, who was famous within Silvenia Academy.
Wasn't she a girl that came straight out of a fairytale? Born with good resonance, received a good education, and walked a rosy path while achieving good grades.
Kaleid remembered that girl. He then looked down at Ed, who looked as if he had been clenching his teeth and crawling through the mud.
Each person had a different standard when it came to judging others. Therefore, Kaleid's opinion couldn't represent all of the school's faculty members. It was only his own.
"At the very least, I think you are better suited to be the top student."
After saying that, Professor Kaleid staggered down from the arena's stage.
He couldn't hold back any longer as he rolled up some tobacco, smoking it.
"Well, if you're having a hard time in school or if Assistant Professor Cleoh is acting like an ass, you can come and tell me about it. If there's one thing I'm really good at, it's harassing someone."
After waving his hands and saying farewell, he staggered out into the hallway, hoping to take a small break before the next test.
"Then, I'll teach you how to handle advanced magic."
It was truly a Kaleid-like speech.
* * *
"I can't believe there are even people like that…?!"
Tanya continued to fume as she stomped her feet.
"Wandering around drunk in the middle of school hours! Conducting a practical exam by striking down students with advanced magic…! I'm going to have to formally complain to the school about it! I'll take care of all of this and make sure he is fully held responsible…!"
I had my arm wrapped around Tanya as she helped me walk while we left the student center.
The experience of walking through the audience with my arm around the student council president wasn't a very great feeling. Hearing all the whispers around us, it was as if they were looking at a celebrity.
Well, I was sure that seeing the student council president with me like that must have been quite a sight. I was grateful to have her there, but it was also a bit burdensome.
"Student Council President. I'll hold him up instead."
"No, it's fine… Since you are so big, Daike, my brother would only feel uncomfortable."
Watching the way that she clenched her fists as she supported me, her legs trembling like a small animal's, Daike and I laughed as we thought about how ridiculous it was.
"Thank you for earlier, Daike. To be honest, I was a little nervous."
"You're quite the smooth talker. Didn't you already finish your preparations to take that attack? Rather, weren't you bothered that I got in the way?'
"I was fine with just getting good grades on my practical exam. What's the point of trying to do any more than that?"
After saying that, with Tanya's support we went all the way towards Obel Hall. There was nothing I could do as they made a fuss, saying they were going to give me first aid.
"By the way, I believe this is the first time we've met face-to-face, Ed Rothstaylor. Though, I'm sure you were as aware of me as I was of you. You're quite a popular guy these days, and I've been a top student since my first year."
Daike Elpelan stuck his hand out towards me.
"Looking at you, it seems that soon you'll end up as the top student among the third years. Soon or later, you might end up appearing at the meeting for top students instead of Yennekar."
I grabbed Daike's hand and shook it.
"I'm not sure. As you know, Yennekar isn't any easy opponent."
"Well, we'll find out before vacation. But in my opinion, the next top student will be you. Yennekar, she's nice and all, but… How should I say it?"
Daike pointed his index finger towards my eyes and grinned.
"She doesn't have that feeling of grit I feel from you."
"Well, she has her own charm."
"Now that you've said that, I just remembered how you were close with Yennekar. Did… I make a mistake by saying that? Well, it's not like I was talking poorly of her."
Daike shrugged his shoulders as he looked up at Obel Hall. It was the same building that the members of the Student Council did their activities in.
"As the underclassmen start to rise up, one after another, I'm also starting to slowly feel a sense of crisis…"
Daike put in a large smile as he looked up at the red sky dejectedly.
"Sometime next week the grades will come out and then it will be break… But I'll probably be busy getting ready for graduation…"
Daike murmured as he walked ahead.
Seeing him like that, I started to get the feeling that I would be in the same boat next year. It was a strange, yet special, feeling.