EP.179 Sign Here, Battle Mage!(5)
“Senior. Who exactly is Rania van Trias?”
At the sudden question, Kalt narrowed his eyes. The sharpness of his gaze caused Hound, who had asked the question, to flinch and shake his shoulders.
“Well, isn’t it a bit odd?”
Then, as if making an excuse, he started to ramble.
“I know she’s a professor at Apuria and a remarkably talented girl in magic. After all, she’s from the same household as that Ashen Mage… I can somewhat understand that she’s special.”
But still, Hound muttered with an aggrieved expression.
“No matter what… how can she move freely under that pressure?”
The pressure emanating from a superhuman.
Mana clamping down on the very air itself. Even the Hounds, who had undergone countless training and experienced real battles, couldn’t lift a finger under that pressure.
And yet, a professor from Apuria.
While her background is outstanding, it doesn’t make sense that a girl barely in her twenties can move under such pressure.
“It doesn’t add up.”
It was a nonsensical situation.
“…Huh.”
Seeing Hound’s unfair expression, Kalt pinched the bridge of his nose. It was indeed a situation where the Hounds had reason to suspect.
“I’m losing my mind.”
Kalt began to mentally list the excuses he had prepared. He picked out a few that at least seemed usable and opened his mouth.
“Because she’s the Ashen Mage’s direct disciple.”
“…Huh?”
As the Hounds in the office tilted their heads in confusion, Kalt continued to explain.
“You know I was that guy’s assistant on the battlefield, right?”
The Hounds nodded.
They knew. After all, it was largely thanks to the recommendations of the Ashen Mage and the Knights Order Leader that Kalt could even join the Hounds.
“The battlefield is originally a place where anyone can get swept away. That includes superhumans and even heroes.”
Kalt tapped the table.
“Raniel is no different. Just in case of any unforeseen circumstances, he probably thought of creating a successor. And that’s Rania, that girl.”
“…A successor, you say?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but I’ve heard that mages are like that. No matter how much they devour the Demon Lord’s Army on the battlefield, they are primarily scholars associated with the tower.”
The future Master of the Ashen Tower.
While his exploits on the battlefield are more well-known, Raniel’s essence is scholarly. It meant he needed someone to whom he could pass down his accumulated knowledge.
“And scholars are terrified of their knowledge being lost. You all must have dealt with mages who crossed forbidden lines, right?”
“Yes, well…”
They knew.
Cleaning up mages who researched forbidden spells or dug into prohibited books was part of the Hounds’ job.
“How were they when we burned what they had researched?”
“They went absolutely berserk.”
“Exactly. For mages, their accumulated knowledge is that crucial. Raniel is no different.”
Kalt rested his chin on his hand.
“He needed someone to inherit the knowledge he had built up, and that became Rania, that girl.”
“Where could such a girl come from…”
“I don’t know. I can only make reasonable inferences based on a letter he left before retiring.”
Kalt trailed off.
As his explanation lengthened, the lies began to show cracks. Kalt shrugged, mumbling at the end of his words.
“So the fact that she’s known as Rosel’s disciple is a lie?”
“It’s half true and half false. If she were known as Raniel’s direct disciple, people would try to bind her.”
Kalt spoke in a serious tone.
“Doesn’t that girl have a life of her own? Living under Raniel’s shadow for her whole life wouldn’t be ideal. He must have been cautious about that.”
Ooh…
“I’m great at covering things up, aren’t I, Senior?”
As the Hounds marveled, Kalt murmured to himself, pinching his brow.
“I need to align things with the senior later.”
This was information worth reporting to the Royal Family through the Hounds. Kalt, with all the privileges he enjoyed, wouldn’t need to report all the facts… but the other Hounds were different.
“Some talk should come from the Royal Family, but…”
It would be better than reporting with suspicion. If that happened, surveillance would surely follow.
And that must be prevented.
Kalt glared and steeled his resolve.
If the Hounds began to follow Rania and she got even slightly disturbed during that process, then…
“That day will be the day of the Hounds’ downfall.”
It would surely be so.
“Phew…”
Kalt sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.
Unaware of Kalt’s complicated feelings, the Hounds kept firing questions about Rania.
“So that’s why that girl could move even under a superhuman’s pressure? The Ashen Mage must have passed down some kind of method…”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Nodding appropriately, Kalt gazed out the window. Students moving about the campus. The sound of their voices echoed among the brightly colored trees, now painted in yellow and red. The scenery of Apuria was undeniably peaceful.
“Haha…”
Kalt let out a dry laugh.
No one could imagine that two superhumans, who could crush the Demon Lord’s Army, were lurking within this peaceful academy.
“Dear Senior, please.”
Kalt silently prayed.
“Nothing more can happen. I can’t keep covering up. Please, please, be careful of any actions that might raise suspicion among the Hounds. Please…!”
Would that desperate prayer reach his senior?
Kalt hoped it would. Really hoped.
2.
“I really don’t want to lose, it makes me feel humiliated…”
Thud, thud, thud.
Buried deep in the sofa, I kept hitting the back of my head against the wall. My thoughts were still a jumble.
“Actually, if I’m being honest, this isn’t that complicated of a situation…”
Logically thinking, it would make sense for me to lose. If I just gleaned the constraints and gracefully accepted defeat, it would look splendid. Good, but…
“Defeat.”
Defeat (敗北).
Getting crushed by the opponent, losing humiliatingly.
Acknowledging defeat and bowing my head.
“I, losing to a mage.”
If I lost to a superhuman Summoner, I could at least make excuses. But what about Kelharlem’s class? That guy is a Wizard! A Wizard!
A class I absolutely cannot lose to.
No matter what happens, losing is not an option.
This was a matter of pride and essence.
I have pride as a fellow Wizard.
Moreover, I even developed a combat method to beat Wizards. With the practicality of that combat method recognized, a class was even created around it. How can I lose to a Wizard?
“And in front of all the students? While I’m teaching how to crush Wizards, you expect me to lose to one in the middle of it?”
Especially to the guy who triggered all this?
Geez…
I covered my face with my hands.
Defeat. The mocking laughter of students. The dejected looks of the students from the Battle Magic Department. The scenarios of the near future flashed before my eyes.
But the water is already spilled.
I had challenged him to a duel before the students, and the date for it was set. It was an irreversible situation.
“I have to lose.”
I have to lose.
The single phrase kept echoing in my mind. I leaned back and turned my thoughts. Faced with the complex situation now, I recalled my past experiences.
“Was there a situation where I could win but had to lose?”
There was, quite a few.
A fight I could win, but even if I did, the losses would outweigh the gains. I had experiences where I retreated, swallowing my humiliation in those situations. I recalled one of those moments in my mind.
It was back when I first set out on adventures.
When I faced Skebal, and I had yet to develop a method to take that skeleton down.
“If Kyle throws himself at it with everything he has, we could catch it.”
But that would cause a collapse of our formation.
Different from the Kyle who faced the Demon Lord, the Kyle back then was weak. It would take risking his life just to catch Skebal.
Skebal doesn’t die with just anything.
We would need to risk our lives for it.
The losses outweighed the gains. That’s why we had to retreat. Back then, I had probably patted Kyle’s shoulder and said something like this.
“Hold your head up, kid. You haven’t lost.”
I probably said that for sure.
“You haven’t lost. You could win, but you chose to lose. Next time, if a similar situation occurs, win without fail.”
Something like that… I think…
“No, that’s too shameful.”
This wasn’t a helpful approach for the current situation.
I tried to think in a slightly different direction.
“Right, the audience.”
The onlookers.
They may be students now, but back then, there were hundreds of knights. To them, we were a symbol of victory. Yet even so, when I had to lose… how did I act?
“Aha.”
I let out a short sigh.
“I’ll lose convincingly.”
It’s an incredibly obvious answer, but I hadn’t thought about it until now, so I clapped my hands.
“Barely… I’ll lose by just a slight bit, with a tiny mistake, just… a hair’s breadth difference.”
So that later, I could make excuses.
The knights would think, ‘We didn’t lose, the situation was just unfavorable this time.’ So we could remain as the symbol of victory in their eyes.
“This is it!”
Compared to that time, the situation may be trivial, but who cares? Just because it’s trivial doesn’t mean a duel isn’t a duel. Victory is victory, and defeat is merely defeat.
“I’ll lose convincingly…!”
I steeled my resolve.
I must lose, and I must endure that, but it doesn’t have to be a bitter defeat. Just losing is enough.
“I’ll lose convincingly!”
3.
“Professor Rania and Professor Lrutia are dueling.”
A rumor floated around Apuria.
It was about an incident that had occurred recently. For reasons unknown, friction had arisen between Professor Rania and Professor Lrutia… resulting in Professor Rania throwing down her glove and challenging her to a duel.
“Professor Lrutia touched a student?”
“Insulted the Ashen Mage in front of Professor Rania. Insulting the Battle Mage class…”
“Just jealousy?”
“Anyway, there must be some reason…”
Various speculations circulated, but nothing was certain. The student present, Resti, merely shook her head at her peers’ inquiries. Eventually, the rumors began to coalesce around the circumstances.
“Battle Mage and Wizard.”
Two classes that are significantly different.
An underlying tension had existed between students in each class for quite some time. Having undergone two special lectures opened this semester, the conflict between the classes had deepened.
Amid this, a duel was to take place.
Considering the words that Professor Rania had often let slip during her lectures, one could roughly surmise the purpose of the duel. In the end, piecing together the situation revealed this.
“The practicality of the Battle Mage.”
“Doubt regarding the efficiency of the Wizard.”
In short.
“When it comes down to it, which is stronger, the two of them when they clash?”
It’s the most stimulating topic.
As with all provocative topics, it captured the attention of the students. With their focus on the duel heightened, detailed notices regarding it were posted.
*
“………”
The Braver, Kelharlem confirmed the warning passed along by the Hounds. The contents were as he had already heard. Restrictions were being put in place right before the duel.
Threatening lives was prohibited.
Only basic magic could be used.
Various other constraints were also imposed.
While limited, allowing Kelharlem to use magic within Apuria was a very cautious situation for the Hounds. Reflecting their concerns, the list of restrictions seemed endless.
It became a hassle.
Thinking that, Kelharlem raised his arm. A red bruise remained on his wrist. It was from a few days prior. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.
Rustle.
The ashen hair fluttering before his eyes.
With mana that had been released, he clutched at his wrist, that appearance clearly resembled someone.
“Braver, Kelharlem.”
In his mind, he recalled that figure.
“Release. I’ll take full responsibility for the aftermath.”
Raniel van Trias, the Ashen Mage.
“It seems like it’s the only way at this point.”
A sorcerer who boldly told him to lift the constraints.
Recalling that sorcerer who had proven his abilities by keeping his word, Kelharlem opened his eyes.
…It’s still just a suspicion.
He couldn’t be certain, and it was logically impossible.
But, if by any chance, this speculation were to hold truth…
“This is going to be troublesome.”
Kelharlem massaged the nape of his neck.
Clang, as the restriction made a loud noise. Slowly, Kelharlem rose from his seat.
