Chapter 359
Chapter 359 I’m a Mage Too. (1)
“What, what?”
Brody wondered if he had misheard. Who does this guy think he is, being so arrogant as a mere 3rd Circle mage?
Yet the other’s expression was dead serious. He seemed to have completely lost his mind.
“Ha ha ha!”
Ghislaine, sitting in the spectator seats, laughed so hard she held her stomach. Gillian was clearly trying to suppress her laughter, clenching her jaw.
The other knights and soldiers from Penris were stifling their laughs too.
The previously grim atmosphere suddenly turned bizarre. The Tower of the Bloody Flame did not appreciate this at all.
Delmood glared at Alfoy with a fierce expression.
“Brody, you must kill that guy.”
It meant he shouldn’t accept any surrender.
This ridiculous atmosphere had to change. They needed to stay terrified and lose their momentum. That would make it easier to kill them.
For that, Alfoy had to die to flip the situation back around.
Brody nodded and looked at Alfoy.
“Did you hear that? I won’t accept your surrender.”
At that, Hubert jumped up and shouted.
“What does that mean? Are we going to go all the way? Alfoy, come out! This gathering is ending here.”
Delmood stood up and shouted in response.
“Who said it would end? From now on, there’s no surrender in this duel! If you refuse, I won’t hold back!”
Crash!
As the magic power of the 7th Circle mage spread out, everyone’s bodies froze instantly.
Hubert and the elders of the Tower of the Bloody Flame turned pale as fear crept into the faces of their disciples.
The atmosphere was getting worse. It genuinely seemed like they were going to reach an impasse.
Eventually, Hubert looked at Ghislaine and said, “C-Count Penris. It seems you need to mediate…”
Before he finished, Ghislaine answered.
“But we don’t know what Alfoy will do, do we?”
“No, what can that guy possibly do…?”
Then Alfoy, wearing his trademark arrogant expression, looked at Hubert and said, “I won’t surrender.”
“What?”
“I’m just going to try.”
“You madman! The opponent is a 4th Circle master! You’ll die as soon as we start!”
He had long since revealed his status but had at one point been a promising talent at the Mage Tower.
His prideful and arrogant nature was a downside, but he had raised and taught this disciple himself.
There was no way he could allow such a disciple to end up dead without a fight.
“Come on! The duel is void!”
Alfoy scratched his head at Hubert’s struggle. Honestly, everyone seemed too scared.
‘This doesn’t seem like a big deal.’
Before the battle, he had been a little nervous. But now that he was facing his opponent, he didn’t find him scary at all.
After all, he had experienced so much in Penris. Nothing was ordinary.
In his first war, he had nearly died from Vanessa sucking his magic. He almost fell to his death from a hot air balloon with Kaor.
He had fought against Desmond’s Army, known as the strongest in the North, and lured Queen Grex into battle amidst the Forest of Monsters against countless Grexes.
After going through those life-or-death experiences, a 4th Circle mage seemed quite small.
Moreover, Delmood’s threats didn’t scare him one bit.
‘What’s a 7th Circle mage to me? There’s a lord right here. If it comes to it, he’ll start throwing punches.’
Whether the lord could beat a 7th Circle mage was uncertain. The 7th Circle was recognized as an extraordinary power, equal to that of a Swordmaster.
But he doubted that this monstrous lord would just sit back. If he were to die, it would be alongside that guy.
Having gone through all sorts of experiences, Alfoy’s guts had swelled, and his mind was a little off-kilter, yet it made him understand Ghislaine, who was completely out of the norm.
He waved his hand dismissively at Hubert and said, “It’s fine. I’ll just give it a shot.”
“Hey! Can’t you come out already!”
As Hubert tried to drag Alfoy out, Ghislaine spoke up.
“Why not just trust him this once?”
“No! The Circle gap is too wide!”
“The Circle difference isn’t everything, is it?”
“It’s everything for a mage!”
“Just let him handle it.”
Hubert repeated himself multiple times, but this time Ghislaine stood her ground.
“Ugh! Do what you want! You bumbling idiots!”
Hubert sat down in frustration, but he began gathering magic in his hands.
If Alfoy was in danger, he would break through that magic barrier and save him.
And sensing the flow of magic, Delmood gestured to the elders.
“If anyone else interferes, kill them without question.”
At those words, Hubert gnashed his teeth, realizing he had no choice but to release his magic. If he wasn’t careful, an open battle would erupt here.
He had to endure somehow.
After the commotion settled, Alfoy looked back at Ghislaine.
Ghislaine smiled at Alfoy and gave him a thumbs up.
He chuckled lightly and turned his gaze to the side. Vanessa was looking at him with her hands clasped, a worried look on her face.
Alfoy slicked back his hair and, with an arrogant expression, said, “Watch closely. Witness my skills.”
At the same time, an elder shouted loudly.
“Start!”
As the duel began, Brody wore a fierce grin and said, “You’ve got guts. I won’t just kill you. I’ll tear you apart and make you regret it even in death.”
Alfoy still responded with that arrogant expression.
“Go ahead. But before you do, I’ll show you something.”
“What are you going to show me?”
Alfoy opened his hand to show Brody. In his palm lay what looked like a solid pebble.
“What’s that rock supposed to do?”
“I’m going to show you something magical with this.”
“…?”
“Just wait and see.”
Alfoy stepped forward, closing the distance with Brody.
“Watch, as it disappears.”
Whoosh.
As he cast the Disappearing Magic, the pebble vanished into Alfoy’s sleeve. Brody’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“What kind of magic is this? Why are you showing me this nonsense?”
“If it goes in, it can come out, right?”
“What?”
Before he could finish his sentence, the pebble shot out of Alfoy’s sleeve at high speed.
Wham!
“Cough!”
Brody was taken by surprise as the pebble hit him in the face, causing him to stumble and bleed from his nose. However, as a 4th Circle master, he quickly reached out and cast magic.
Whoosh!
A fireball erupted from his hand. He hadn’t put enough power into it due to the hasty casting, but it was still fairly potent.
“Enhance.”
But Alfoy had already cast speed enhancement magic on himself and dodged to the side. At the same time, he cast another spell.
“Grease.”
A spell that nullified friction on the ground. It wasn’t multi-casting, but it was fast enough to be mistaken for it.
Alfoy cast that spell around him. Then he lunged at Brody, attempting a tackle.
“Huh?”
Brody was startled and screamed. Taking advantage of the moment, Alfoy tripped him up.
Boom!
Brody was knocked down before he could react.
Like other mages, he hadn’t practiced his body much, and Alfoy, who had trained on construction sites, easily overpowered him.
“What the hell is this crazy bastard doing!”
A graceful mage using martial arts? What a grotesque sight!
But regardless of Brody’s thoughts, Alfoy was already on top of him, fist raised.
“Fire Fist.”
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from Alfoy’s fist. His magic operation speed was so swift that Brody barely had time to defend.
“This is a fiery punch, you bastard.”
Smack!
“Gah!”
As the flame-infused fist slammed into his face, Brody screamed. Yet Alfoy hit down once more with an unwavering ferocity.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Alfoy’s two fists brutally pounded Brody’s face.
Alfoy never paused. As a mage, engaging in a magical duel would put him at a disadvantage. He had to press the attack while he had the upper hand.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
“Gah!”
Brody could barely respond due to the pain. Having lived a refined life, he never imagined he’d end up in a fight like this.
Even if they said Alfoy had bad stamina, that was only by Penris’ standards.
He had been running around the construction sites for years, so of course, he had better endurance than most mages.
“Cough, stop….”
Despite Brody’s pleas, Alfoy didn’t relent. In fact, he became even more daring in his attacks.
“I’m about to pour a fireball into your mouth.”
In an instant, Alfoy’s palm opened, and a tiny fireball was hurled right into Brody’s gaping mouth.
Boom!
“Gah!”
Brody’s screams didn’t last long, as Alfoy’s fists, that were now engulfed in flames, flew toward him again.
Boom!
Even while swinging his fists, Alfoy didn’t stop his mocking words.
“Does it hurt? Is it painful? What did you say to me earlier? Huh? Do you know who I am?”
“Geh…”
Facing pain for the first time, Brody’s mind went blank as he took punches without being able to cast a single spell.
His face was now nearly unrecognizable. The flames had also burned him.
“Huff…”
Once Alfoy confirmed Brody was dead, he stood up and straightened his posture.
He never intended to kill him, but it hadn’t been a fight he could contain while controlling his strength.
After all, he had a higher Circle count than Alfoy.
Looking down at Brody’s corpse, Alfoy spoke with a serious expression.
“Magic isn’t about Circles, it’s about real combat, you idiot.”
It wasn’t the kind of thing a mage would typically say, but in Penris, it wasn’t entirely wrong either.
“Wow!”
Once Alfoy’s victory was assured, cheers erupted from the Tower of the Bloody Flame.
Ghislaine clapped with a smile, and Vanessa jumped around excitedly.
Gillian looked at Alfoy with a smile, and the knights and soldiers sparkled with delight as they cheered.
Meanwhile, Hubert and the elders were left stunned, their mouths agape in disbelief.
“That punk… how the heck has he survived all this time? Where did he learn all that? Is that magic? Huh? Is that really magic?”
Hubert’s words prompted the elders to stammer their confusion.
“Does working construction actually make you stronger?”
“Why has his magic control improved so much?”
“I thought he was multi-casting.”
Even though they were the same Circle at the Tower, his combat abilities had seemingly multiplied.
However, that didn’t erase their lingering feelings of vulgarity.
Hubert and the elders all had the same thought.
‘That punk definitely learned it from Count Penris.’
There were rumors that Penris folk fought a bit more roughly. But it was astonishing that it applied to mages too.
Alfoy had indeed become stronger, but he didn’t have any desire to fight like that.
Seeing the cheering disciples of the Tower of the Bloody Flame, Alfoy snapped.
“Hey! Pathetic fools! Is this how the finest disciples of the North’s best Tower behave? You cower and can’t even face this guy!”
At those words, everyone’s laughter abruptly ceased. They felt embarrassed even by their own thoughts.
Alfoy continued with an arrogant expression.
“Have confidence, confidence! Even these fools are nothing in a fight. Got it?”
With Alfoy’s advice, everyone nodded and clenched their fists.
A 3rd Circle mage defeated a 4th Circle mage. Moreover, it was the direct disciple of Delmood, the Master of the Tower of the Bloody Flame. Perhaps the Tower of the Bloody Flame wasn’t as formidable as they thought.
Having delivered a stinging remark, Alfoy wore a satisfied smile.
‘Phew, I’m glad I won. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had a chance to say that.’
If he had said something like that before the fight, it would have been cooler. But this shy guy didn’t speak up for fear of losing.
‘Anyway, winning is what matters.’
He returned to his place amidst the cheering crowd.
“Good job, Alfoy.”
Hubert smiled awkwardly as he patted Alfoy on the shoulder.
“Hmph.”
Alfoy turned his head aloofly. Thinking about it, he was annoyed.
‘While I was rolling around on the construction sites, you didn’t come help and just sent me into this duel.’
So he responded a bit coldly. Hubert began to fumble even more.
He had never expected Alfoy to win. He felt guilty for having been so indifferent to him all this while.
“Ahem, I’ve been a bit out of touch lately, right? So you were feeling neglected?”
“Hmph.”
Far from being infrequent, it had been since setting up the branch in Penris that Hubert hadn’t contacted him once. Just thinking about it made him mad again.
“No, I’ve just been busy. You know I’m busy, right?”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on, don’t be like that.”
“Ack, I’m tired after that fight.”
The master and apprentice, reunited after a long time, found themselves in an awkward relationship.
With Alfoy’s victory, the atmosphere on the side of the Tower of the Bloody Flame grew chilly.
“How dare he…”
Delmood’s eyes radiated fury. To have his first disciple killed right in front of his master was unforgivable.
Magic began to surge from his body.
People around sensed the suffocating pressure and dodged away.
Hubert grinned at the furious Delmood.
‘Our heir has beaten yours!’
The fact that they had lost more wasn’t relevant now. They had won the duel between heirs. He was ready to spread the news everywhere.
Of course, he didn’t voice it just yet. He wasn’t bold enough to provoke Delmood in that moment.
He smiled broadly and spoke to Vanessa.
“Vanessa, be sure to be careful not to get hurt. Got it?”
“Ah, understood.”
Even though she had reached the 6th Circle, Vanessa still treated Hubert with respect. She was naturally humble, and since she was from the Tower of the Bloody Flame, she didn’t want to overstep her bounds with Hubert.
Now that it was Vanessa’s turn to fight, Hubert sighed in relief.
‘Whew, there’s no one among the Tower of the Bloody Flame disciples with a higher Circle than Vanessa. This time, victory is assured. The number of wins may be fewer, but thanks to Alfoy, I won’t lose face.’
The elders and other disciples shared similar thoughts, feeling secure. But soon they turned pale upon seeing the person stepping forward.
“I’ll take the last match.”
Delmood emerged, exuding killing intent as he strode forward.
At the same time… Ghislaine slowly rose from her seat.
