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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Professor Gerard still wore a pleasant smile. But [Contemplation] saw through his facade. Bewilderment, anger, resentment, regret. Behind the mask he wore was a face contorted with negative emotions, filled with murderous intent.
“So you knew…”
“Why are you targeting her?”
“Don’t you know? Chrysos has fallen. It’s been destroyed! It’s her fault! Those damned royals! They committed a sin!”
“Are you certain?”
“…”
“Are you certain it was the royals’ sin? Do you truly believe that?”
“…No.”
Yes, he couldn’t be certain. No one could be certain of something no one could know for sure. But I also knew that Gerard wasn’t acting out of such a grand cause.
“But I can’t forgive her.”
“For what?”
“Why can Princess Eleanor still smile…? When everything has been lost! When everything has been destroyed, why can she smile so brazenly, as if she knows nothing?!”
“People can smile, you know.”
Gerard stiffened as I spoke casually. His friendly smile froze as if it were a mask, not an expression. What, had he never seen someone being sarcastic before?
“You’re smiling too.”
“Haha… Does this really look like a smile, Prince Oz? I’m not smiling. I’m just wearing a clown’s mask, suppressing everything inside.”
“Then why do you think Eleanor isn’t doing the same?”
“…”
“Don’t you think it’s selfish?”
I knew. I knew it from the moment I first saw through her with [Contemplation]. I thought I knew her well. I prided myself on knowing her, having witnessed half her life through the game.
But I was wrong. When I observed Eleanor with [Contemplation], I saw that she was constantly plagued by anxiety.
“Why don’t you just say it? That you needed someone to vent your anger on, that you’re jealous of her cheerful demeanor even though she’s in a similar situation to yours.”
I saw Gerard quietly clench his fists. Yes, I had expected I wouldn’t be able to persuade him. There was no need for respect anymore.
“That you’re no better than a child throwing a tantrum.”
If he could have been persuaded with words, he wouldn’t have hurt Eleanor in Chapter 1 of the main story, and he wouldn’t have been killed by the Empire.
“Why don’t you just admit it?”
Giving up on conversation, giving up on persuasion, abandoning all sense of rationality and justification…
Gerard charged at me like a child throwing a tantrum. But he wouldn’t be careless. He might appear to be driven by rage, but I was certain of one thing.
“Phew…”
I backed away and cast a spell. I wouldn’t let him close the distance. The premise of this fight was different from the battles with the students. They charged at me, seeing the handicap imposed on me. The condition of prohibiting advanced magic must have seemed very tempting. Those fools, blinded by their overconfidence, were easy to deal with. I might have struggled against them if we fought without any handicaps, due to their cautiousness. But it was different now. Considering my social status alone, he wouldn’t let his guard down. He would be wary. Gerard, a mere instructor who taught Basic Combat and Intermediate Fighting Techniques, versus Oz, recognized as the second most talented mage in Spellerge after the Mage King.
Anyone who let their guard down here would be insane.
“Hah!”
Gerard looked as if he had lost his mind. But if he had truly lost his mind, he would have let out a furious roar. His short breaths were proof that he hadn’t. Even breathing was part of a warrior’s technique.
Basic Magic:
[Scattering]
A light-attribute magic spell that emitted a bright light, blinding the opponent. But Gerard, as if anticipating it, approached while covering his eyes.
Intermediate Magic:
[Stalagmite]
With his vision limited, there was no better method than this. But even though the stalagmites erupting from the ground hindered Gerard’s movements, he continued to close the distance, crashing through them as if they were nothing. He was being cautious. He was reacting. He was willing to take some damage to reach me. He was charging with the mindset of sacrificing a limb to gain an advantage. He knew. He knew how important distance was in a fight between a mage and a warrior.
Basic Magic:
[Mana Bullet]
It was impossible to completely stop Gerard’s charge in this situation. He would probably reach me even if he tanked some magic attacks. So, to buy some time, to make him falter even slightly, to inflict even a little damage, I created and fired only [Mana Bullet] repeatedly.
[Erosion Rate 23%]
I was Oz now. A character considered the second greatest magical genius in history. I could create basic magic like [Mana Bullet] as much as I wanted without even drawing the formula with my fingertips.
“Ha…”
I grasped the flow of mana. Most magic spells were deployed by drawing formulas with fingertips. But I already knew how to use magic through other means. Wasn’t it the same with the intermediate-level magic [Stalagmite]? Even if I described it as drawing a formula, it wasn’t strictly the same as drawing a picture.
[Erosion Rate 25%]
I spread my mana wide and drew the formula in the air. One became two, two became four, four became eight, eight became sixteen. [Mana Bullet] rained down on Gerard like machine-gun fire. Even so, I couldn’t stop him. He was just slightly slowed down, but he was definitely approaching.
“Tsk…”
The moment I saw the light from Gerard’s fingertips, the [Mana Bullet] I created all disappeared. [Ray Fist], Gerard’s special move that I had often seen in the game. Basic magic didn’t have the power to block that technique.
[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]
I lost the [Spatial Barrier] I had recharged during our conversation. I became a little anxious at the fact that I lost [Spatial Barrier], which could block at least one attack.
“Phew…”
I took a deep breath and prepared myself. The distance between us was now only about two meters. Gerard was covered in blood, but he had finally closed the distance. I had lost [Spatial Barrier], and it was still too risky to use [Mana Dominator]. Then it was time to throw my second dagger, as planned.
Intermediate Magic:
[Physical Enhancement]
“What…?!”
Gerard, who had been silent to control his breathing, let out a bewildered gasp for the first time.
“How?”
It was only natural. I parried his blow. My current physical abilities were only slightly inferior to Gerard’s. My technique was still crude, but I could somewhat compensate with [Contemplation].
“Hah!”
But it was only temporary. It would be meaningless once he got used to it. Gerard must have spent years honing his skills. I couldn’t defeat him just by preparing a temporary countermeasure. The difference in skill level was too great.
“Ugh!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It was getting harder and harder to block. I couldn’t block or deflect Gerard’s attacks. He was a warrior specializing in close combat. It took him less than 30 seconds to adapt to my enhanced physical abilities. The only saving grace was the mass-produced red cloak made by Headmaster Tia, which blocked most of the impact.
“Ugh…”
Even so, it hurt. I was an ordinary person before becoming a warrior or a mage. I wasn’t used to being constantly exposed to such pain. I wanted to scream. I slowly backed away. And, as expected, Gerard followed.
Not yet. A little more. I just had to endure a little longer. Yes, right…
“—Now.”
“He disappeared…?!”
As the agonizing time passed, 50% of the protective magic on my cloak was depleted, and I was teleported. But Gerard had a magical tool that could disrupt teleportation. I would be teleported near him. Gerard was flustered, but he would soon remember that fact.
But I was faster. [Contemplation] read the flow and told me where I would be teleported. Three meters to Gerard’s left. It was shorter than I expected, but it had bought me enough time.
Intermediate Magic:
[Storm Blade]
A rare single-target attack spell among intermediate-level magic. Therefore, even at close range, the damage to me would be minimal. Of course, that also meant I couldn’t expect a significant increase in power, but I wasn’t aiming for that. I was aiming for the additional effect.
“Damn it! The distance…!”
Gerard didn’t fall even after being hit by the intermediate-level magic, but he muttered in frustration. Yes, he would be frustrated. The most well-known characteristic of wind-attribute magic was knockback. The distance between us had widened again.
“Hah…”
I hadn’t even been able to breathe properly until now, so focused was I on reacting. I had finally secured some breathing room. But it wouldn’t last long. Before Gerard closed the distance again…
“Huh?”
That fast?
Gerard was right in front of me. He should have been as exhausted as I was. It was only the amount of time it took to take a single deep breath. But Gerard had already reached me. I became anxious. But I had to stay calm. I had been preparing for this, hadn’t I? Then it was time to throw my final dagger. I extended my left hand as if to block the approaching Gerard.
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Gerard knew. He knew from the beginning that what he was doing was nothing more than a childish tantrum. But Oz’s arrogant and cold gaze, that contemptuous expression, was unbearable. Yes, he knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help but charge at him. His opponent was not just a student, but the [Successor to the Mage King]. It was impossible to even notice the advanced magic he cast in a surprise attack.
“Phew…”
Gerard took a deep breath. He wouldn’t have time to breathe in the upcoming exchange. He charged with that resolve. Perhaps thanks to his resolve, or perhaps thanks to his opponent’s arrogance, Gerard was able to reach Oz. He suffered numerous injuries in the process, but it was fine. Considering the current distance, he could consider himself the victor. Gerard gave it his all against Oz. Of course, it wasn’t easy. The more time passed, the more anxious he became. He was afraid that Oz was using [Physical Enhancement] to cope, despite having closed the distance. Even so, he managed to find an opening and attack, but when Oz disappeared before his eyes, he felt despair. He soon remembered that Oz had a magical tool to alter his teleportation location, but the distance between them had widened again.
“…”
It was frustrating. Even so, Gerard didn’t miss his chance. There would be an opening. Oz wouldn’t be able to cast advanced magic immediately. But Oz’s reaction was even more surprising. He took a deep breath, as if he had already won.
‘Ha…! He really underestimated me.’
Gerard was also short of breath, but they were still in combat. He couldn’t waste time unless he was completely incapacitated. Oz didn’t know that.
‘Just a greenhouse flower after all.’
Gerard sneered and charged at Oz with all his might. He saw Oz’s face contorted with bewilderment. He saw Oz extend his hand as if to block him.
‘Haha…’
It was laughable. He had already shown his weakness several times. He repeated the same mistake, despite knowing how fatal that habit was. Gerard grabbed Oz’s instinctively outstretched arm and threw him.
“Huh…?”
And a shiver ran down his spine. What had he done? Why did he throw him instead of subduing him? Why, when this wasn’t even a class anymore?
‘Don’t tell me…’
Oz had a habit. The habit of extending his left hand as if to block when flustered.
‘Was he planning this from the beginning?’
But habits weren’t exclusive to Oz. He also had a habit. No, he had developed a habit. Gerard broke into a cold sweat, realizing that he had widened the distance with his own hands. He lifted his head to check on Oz, whom he had thrown.
But Gerard froze.
“Uh…”
It was an incomprehensible situation. He had definitely widened the distance with his own hands. Yet, he was right there. Yes, from a distance of less than a meter, Oz was staring straight at Gerard with those cold eyes.
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Habits were hard to notice until you became aware of them. He told me I had a habit, but he probably didn’t know he was developing one himself. I had been thrown countless times for this day. I had extended my hand, feigning bewilderment, countless times. He had a habit, and an occupational hazard as an instructor. Moreover, unlike me, he charged without calming his breathing. It would have been difficult for him to make rational judgments with a lack of oxygen to his brain. So, when I extended my hand, he threw me, as usual. Yes, he threw me.
I had intensively practiced two intermediate-level magic spells for this day. One was [Physical Enhancement] for close combat. And the other was… for this very moment.
Intermediate Magic:
[Pharma Shield]
The moment I was thrown, I created a circular shield and used it as a foothold. I had practiced this countless times.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
I wasn’t planning to rely on random magic for this crucial moment. If I continued to rely on luck, I would die soon. So, considering this distance, this timing, Gerard’s and my posture and angle, the magic I was about to deploy was unavoidable.
Luck was irrelevant now that I had come this far. Gerard’s HP must be low, so I was confident I could subdue him no matter what magic appeared. Even if it was an area-of-effect spell, I would be fine since [Mana Dominator] wouldn’t harm me. At this distance, I could defeat him as long as it was intermediate-level magic or higher. Even if it was basic magic, even if it was a physical enhancement spell like [Berserk], even if it was a non-damaging spell like [Dig].
It didn’t matter. I had considered all possibilities for this moment.
Intermediate Magic:
[Wind Piercing]
I could win even if I drew the worst possible hand. It was enough to buy time to deploy an intermediate magic spell by activating [Mana Dominator] first. So, I deployed magic with my right hand and [Mana Dominator] with my left hand simultaneously. The magic in my left hand was completed instantly, followed by the magic in my right hand.
“My condolences.”
I had already made up my mind. If it was advanced magic or higher, Gerard would definitely die. Even if it was intermediate or lower, he would be incapacitated. But the [Wind Piercing] that would follow would surely take his life. The probability was about 50/50. The only difference was whether fate, or my hand, would claim his life. Either way, the fact that I killed him wouldn’t change. I could just make the excuse that [Mana Dominator] chose the magic that killed him.
“I guess I’m unlucky after all.”
But it seemed fate wanted me to bear the full responsibility for my actions. It told me to finish him with my own hands. The magic generated by Mana Dominator was [Blaze Burst], an intermediate-level fire-attribute area-of-effect spell used by R-rank characters.
The magic, deployed at close range, engulfed us both.
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