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Episode 25
Arcadia (4)
Garon Theobald had crossed the line between life and death hundreds of times on the battlefield. He had already experienced the same phenomenon countless times.
But at that time, all of her opponents were people of the same high level as her, not a young girl of a lowly status.
‘I… … feel so tense that my whole body stiffens towards that girl?’
A moment of confusion as to whether the fear I was feeling was real.
At that very moment, alarm bells began to ring in Garon Theobald’s head.
It’s dangerous.
If I continue like this, I’ll die.
‘What the hell is the problem, ah… … .’
Only then did he realize it.
The fact that the mana shield that he had deployed just a moment ago was fading little by little, very little by little.
It was dispel.
Right now, the girl was dispelling her own defensive magic.
Secretly.
So that no one will notice.
‘……shit.’
Garon Theobald, who realized this fact too late, cast a new spell with his animalistic senses.
Kwaaaaang─!
“……under.”
It was a close call.
Garon Theobald barely managed to fire an attack spell to intercept the magic missile Riley launched.
‘I let my guard down.’
If the response had been even just a little bit delayed, it would have been fatal.
‘… … Could it be that you did it on purpose?’
He quickly looked up and looked at Riley.
no way.
Did that girl intentionally launch an honest attack to provoke his complacency?
So you took advantage of this to launch a surprise attack?
‘… … We’ll have to wait and see.’
Garon Theobald’s eyes changed.
It seemed that the confidence the girl had shown so far wasn’t just coming from childish innocence.
So, more seriously.
He slowly straightened his posture, thinking that he should face Riley with sincerity.
Woof─!
bang!
“Ugh… … .”
However, Garon Theobald, who barely managed to block Riley’s second attack, was able to be confident.
It was different.
Really, that girl was different from the other promising prospects he had seen so far.
In the process of defending against Riley’s magic, Garon Theobald’s body was pushed back just a little bit.
Of course, the movement was so subtle that Riley didn’t seem to notice it, but Garon Theobald, who blocked the magic himself, was quite shocked.
‘… … You pushed me away?’
Despite the confident use of defensive magic, Riley attacked precisely at her vulnerable points.
‘It was a sabotage method that no one had noticed until now… … .’
It is not easy for a low-ranking magician to notice this gap.
How good must one’s mana affinity be to be able to detect such a weakness?
No, before that… … .
How great must his understanding of the technique be that he was able to exploit its weaknesses as soon as he saw them?
I got goosebumps all over my body.
“… … .”
Garon Theobald thought to himself as he carefully caressed his hands, which had become cold from the aftereffects of the defense.
‘This is like… … .’
It seemed as if an experienced, seasoned archmage was there to tell Riley what to do.
The method and pattern of attack were extremely sophisticated.
And let me tell you, this was not a skill that could ever come from a young girl with little experience.
‘……genius.’
okay.
This was genius.
He is an overwhelming genius who can easily overcome the difference in class.
‘It’s amazing.’
At this point, Garon Theobald had no choice but to admit it.
That girl will survive the screening test.
no.
Beyond surviving, you will be chosen by the five great magic towers.
Although Riley’s magical abilities were only of a low level, she was already capable of much more.
Despite his young age, he was skilled enough to deal with wizards of a higher rank than himself.
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‘I lost.’
Did you say you would give in to three attacks?
But now that has all become meaningless.
Now that Riley is certain that she will survive the screening test, there is no longer any reason for Garon Theobald to stop her.
Her attacks were already far beyond the scope of lower-level magicians.
Since he was able to land a valid hit on himself, a high-ranking magician, Riley would probably be competitive enough among the other applicants.
Woof─!
Just as Garon Theobald was thinking about this, Riley began casting her spell for her third attack.
‘As expected, you didn’t realize that the second attack pushed me back.’
If so, there is only one thing you must do.
Garon Theobald quickly stepped aside before Riley’s next attack could land.
Thump─.
This made Riley move him once again. Garon Theobald had neatly admitted his defeat.
“… … ?”
But despite her victory over the high-ranking wizard, Riley didn’t look happy at all.
Instead, she was staring at Garon Theobald with a slightly bewildered expression.
“There’s still one more chance to attack?”
“Now that the match has been decided, is there any need to continue the sparring?”
“……yes?”
Garon Theobald continued his explanation slowly for Riley who couldn’t understand what he was saying.
“Your second attack has already pushed me back. So this is your victory.”
“… … .”
“As promised, I will not interfere any further. You are already qualified to take the selection test. I sincerely apologize for interfering.”
With those words, Gaon Theobald bowed his head and admitted his mistake.
It was both an apology for the rudeness and a show of respect for Riley as a wizard.
‘Having received the recognition of a high-ranking magician, that girl’s confidence must have also increased considerably… … .’
Garon Theobald slowly raised his head, hoping that her confidence would not turn into arrogance.
“……hmm?”
But contrary to expectations that Riley would be secretly delighted, she still had a blank expression.
The same calm voice as always.
She spoke quietly.
“I already knew that.”
“… … What?”
“I already knew that my second attack was effective.”
When Garon Theobald heard those words, a question suddenly popped into his head.
‘… … Then why did you insist on continuing the sparring?’
Since victory was already certain, wouldn’t further sparring be nothing but a waste of time?
“You said we have three chances to attack.”
“… … .”
“There’s still one thing I want to check, so please quickly get into a defensive stance.”
Woof─!
As soon as she said that, Riley started gathering her magic power again.
It was a completely different level of momentum from previous attacks.
The surrounding air began to slowly tremble due to the resonance of magical power.
In that situation, Garon Theobald couldn’t help but be flustered. What Riley had just said flashed through his mind.
“Okay, just wait a minute.”
What did that girl just say?
-There’s still one thing I want to check, so please get into a defensive stance quickly.
‘… …There’s still one thing you want to ‘confirm’?’
So, does that mean that up until now, that girl has only used the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of sparring with a high-ranking magician as a test?
What’s more, it’s not even satisfying to use your own ‘proven’ attacks?
‘then…….’
The first attack was also a surprise attack after he had let his guard down.
And the second attack also showed a level of experience that was not expected of a promising prospect.
If it was all just a part of the ‘confirmation’ that the girl wanted to do.
‘This is crazy… … .’
Kwakwakwa──!
Riley’s last, heartfelt attack was flying towards him at a frightening speed.
* * *
[Ugh… … .]
To cut to the chase, the decisive blow failed to penetrate Garon Theobald’s defenses.
From orbital rotation, to the trickery of using residual magic power to fool the senses, to a faster firing rate, to increased penetration power to break through shields.
Even though I used all of that… … .
As expected of a man who had been on the battlefield for decades, Garon Theobald defended against the attack and clearly demonstrated his dignity as a high-ranking wizard.
He must have been flustered, but he defended himself so well.
As expected, the level of high-ranking magicians was different.
[by the way…….]
I muttered to myself and turned my gaze towards Riley.
She was sitting at the nearby desk, catching her breath.
“Haa, haa… … .”
Even though they only split the triad, Riley was quite exhausted.
That was understandable.
In battles between wizards, countless fights pass by in a split second.
Unlike swordsmen who simply focus on their senses and swing their swords indiscriminately, their battles are carried out through thorough calculation.
In the process, a lot of mental energy is bound to be consumed.
So, it was natural that the magicians would become exhausted after a few rounds of attack and defense.
Oh, of course.
The higher the level of the wizard, the less the backlash from these battles.
That’s why Garon Theobald was able to stand so well despite fighting alongside Riley.
“That was a rather unusual attack.”
“… … .”
“If only the amount of magical power you could control had been just a little more, my life would have been in danger.”
The meaning of the words he gave as advice was simple.
The technology is good, but it still lacks the horsepower to back it up.
As expected of a high-ranking wizard, his insight was spot-on. Garon Theobald was thinking exactly the same thing as I was.
okay.
As I felt in Richie’s hideout last time, Riley’s attack ability was definitely low.
This was a natural thing.
Since Riley had not yet experienced the “attribute blooming” through the second awakening, the only offensive magic she could use was Magic Missile.
In the uniform magic of no attribute, all we can do is use various techniques to create irregularities.
Of course, through many practical battles and natural talent, Riley has acquired magical powers and skills that are not typical of low-level wizards… … .
Unfortunately, she was unable to overcome the chronic problem of attributeless magic: firepower.
Of course, even so, I was not dissatisfied with this fact.
no.
Rather, I was taking Riley’s low attack power for granted.
That’s understandable, since we’ve been training mainly in dispel and defensive magic for the past six months.
Anyway, in this selection test, we can make good use of Riley’s specialty, defense.
A method of deflecting attacks through dispel and then launching a surprise attack when the opponent lets their guard down.
That alone will enable us to overcome the challenges ahead.
Since this is a pattern that even high-ranking magicians find difficult, this attack will also be threatening to other applicants.
[It’s going smoothly.]
I smiled inwardly.
I had a good feeling.
I have a feeling that I will be able to pass the screening test without much difficulty.
* * *
Squeak─.
The gates of the library are open.
The scenery outside gradually began to come into view.
Before we knew it, the sky over Wilhelm had turned red.
As it is the northernmost city on the continent, the sun seems to set early even though it is early evening.
The sleet that fell with the setting sun gave the impression that tiny stardust was fluttering across the city.
“… … I always feel this, but it is truly a beautiful city.”
Garon Theobald stood still at the entrance to the library and began to admire the view.
How many minutes passed like that?
He quickly turned his gaze to Riley and spoke in a cautious voice.
“By the way, you.”
“……yes?”
“Could you please keep quiet about our sparring with others?”
It seems like he wants to hide the fact that he had a duel with Riley.
Well, I could guess the reason.
Perhaps it was because of the administrator’s warning to avoid conflicts with other test takers as much as possible until the next test.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“……hmm?”
“When did we last spar?”
But we didn’t necessarily intend to go around bragging about it.
“I only remember reading in Arcadia.”
“… … Hmm? Ah.”
Only then did Garon Theobald understand Riley’s meaning and burst out laughing. He slowly nodded his head as he laughed heartily and answered.
“Yes, you are right. It seems the old man was a little senile. We did nothing but read in Arkady. Yes, that is true.”
After that, while we were walking along the path of Wilhelm together, Garon Theobald suddenly asked me a question.
“Where are you staying?”
“Me? I’m staying at an inn right now. It’s called Sky Whale’s Rest Area.”
“… … The Sky Whale’s Resting Place?”
Garon Theobald’s reaction to Riley’s answer was strange. He frowned slightly and continued speaking.
“Why did you choose that place among so many accommodations?
“Someone I know recommended it to me.”
Garon Theobald clicked his tongue when he heard that.
“It seems like the person who recommended me wasn’t a very good friend.”
“why?”
“Well, there are better accommodations in Wilhelm.”
[Eh.]
What does that mean?
Based on my experience over the past three days, I would say that Sky Whale Shelter is a pretty decent place to stay.
“Is your luggage in your accommodation?”
“No. That’s all I have in my backpack right now.”
“Then just follow me.”
Garon Theobald continued with a confident smile.
“I guarantee you that where we are headed will be a hundred times better than the resting place of the Sky Whale.”
[hmm…….]
After hearing that, I couldn’t help but feel skeptical.
[To be honest, aren’t all the accommodations the same?]
I don’t know how different it is that they are making such a fuss about it…
* * *
[… … It’s so different?]
Correct it.
Garon Theobald was right.
As he had promised, a lodging facility that was incomparably better than the Sky Whale’s shelter was spread out before our eyes.
I’m not sure if these places can really be called inns.
Because the accommodation he introduced us looked more like a luxury hotel.
“Welcome to the ‘Arpel-Stingwood Grand Resort’.”
[oh…….]
Lobby and front desk located on the first floor.
From the staff dressed in suits to the maids who clean the rooms.
Looking at this, it seems that Wilhelm has really developed a lot. 300 years ago, we couldn’t even dream of such modern facilities.
Just like Sky Whale’s Shelter, meals and accommodations here at ‘Arpel-Stingwood Grand Resort’ were completely free.
This was thanks to the special privileges given to candidates taking the screening test.
Anyway, Riley, who had left her luggage in the room she checked in in, went down to the restaurant with Garon Theobald.
From the entrance of the restaurant, the mouth-watering smell of food wafted in the air.
Of course, I didn’t have a mouth or saliva or anything. I’m just saying that.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“A little.”
“Then look forward to it. The real thing starts now.”
Knock knock.
As soon as he finished speaking, the room door opened.
At the same time, sumptuous meals were brought in on carts.
The variety of food was incomparable to that at the Sky Whale’s Rest Area.
“… … .”
Riley’s eyes widened at the sight.
We’ve been living together for half a year now, but this is the first time I’ve seen him express his emotions so intensely.
‘How can you leave a place like this and keep talking nonsense about how the Sky Whale’s Resting Place is the best?’
[… … .]
‘Ms. Becky lied to me. I trusted her.’
Is it because I think I wouldn’t have been able to eat these foods if I hadn’t met Garon Theobald?
Riley had a very upset expression on her face.
‘That won’t work.’
Riley suddenly jumps up from her seat.
I called her over in a hurry.
[No, why are you doing that again?]
‘I need to go find her right now and give her a kick to the back of the head… ‘
[hey.]
Please bear with that.
please.
And it was also our fault for believing his words from the beginning and not looking for other information.
‘No? I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s definitely Becky’s fault?’
[… … .]
Anyway, it’s shameless.
[… … Then, let’s get revenge on the selection test tomorrow.]
“aha.”
Upon hearing that, Riley sank back into her seat.
Garon Theobald looked at Riley with a strange look as he suddenly stood up from his meal.
“… …What are you doing?”
“I just feel a bit tired.”
“hmm.”
