episode_0040

40. Magician of Flames.

Lordson, the Grand Duke’s mansion. Within it existed countless rooms. Johan and Sarah were settled in the largest of these rooms.

“Johan. Do you really think there will be a battle?”

Sarah said, having changed to the tone of a lover.

“Well, I don’t know. I think it’ll change depending on the other party’s attitude.”

“They seemed ready to fight as much as possible, though.”

“That’s true. Somehow…”

Johan said this while looking out the window. There was a training ground in the mansion, densely packed with the Zakison Knight’s private soldiers.

The Lordson Grand Duke’s private soldiers were also there, and the two forces were engaged in a tense standoff.

Small-scale brawls occasionally broke out, but it didn’t seem like it would escalate into hand-to-hand combat. The knights of each force were moderating the tension appropriately.

How much time had passed? A knight entered the room.

“Magician Johan. I am told the negotiations have ended smoothly.”

“Already? I thought they hadn’t been in there long.”

“The other side came out submissively. Sir Zakison also does not want unnecessary conflict.”

“I see.”

Well, the best thing was the best thing. Johan didn’t care as long as he received the magic book.

Johan and Sarah followed the knight’s guidance and left the room. And naturally passed through the training ground.

The Lordson Grand Duke’s mansion was very large, and one had to go through the training ground to get out.

It seemed it was built this way in preparation for attacks.

“Everyone! Stand up from your places! It’s a return! A return!”

“Yes!!”

The private soldiers answered loudly and packed their bags. The Grand Duke’s private soldiers murmured as they watched.

“Whew… It’s finally over. What in the world was that? Sir Zakison suddenly coming?”

The private soldier was just muttering to himself, but a perceptive junior private soldier responded to this.

“I heard, they tried to assassinate that magician and failed.”

“What? Tell me more.”

“Yes. Ahem, ahem. The Grand Duke sent Sir Robin against that pale fellow, but he was miserably defeated!”

The junior private soldier’s voice rose in pitch towards the end of the sentence. The emotion of excitement permeated it.

At that moment, the senior private soldier slapped the junior’s head sharply.

“Ugh!”

“Hey, you idiot. How could that skinny magician kill the ‘Devil Instructor’? Does that make sense? Even he has retired.”

“Ugh… It’s true though.”

“This bastard again? Just die.”

Pow, pow!

The junior was severely scolded under the pretext of making unlucky noises. It was the senior’s venting of stress, feeling extreme stress at the same time as the tension was relieved.

At that moment, someone’s voice was heard from among the soldiers.

“Really? That magician killed a knight?”

“Huh? This guy again… Ack!”

The senior private soldier turned around while speaking casually, and then fainted. A smooth-faced man wearing a flamboyant red robe.

“M-Magician! Heok, I’m sorry!”

The soldier quickly bowed his head. This red-robed magician was a well-known madman even in the mansion.

The number of soldiers who had displeased this man and were roasted alive exceeded 10.

Conversely, the fact that he was walking around normally after roasting 10 soldiers meant that his skills were outstanding.

“Tell me more. This is fun. I’ve seen that guy on the ramparts before, anyway.”

“That is…”

The senior private soldier quickly gestured to the junior. However, even the junior could not interfere this time.

In the end, the senior told the magician a nonsensical story in a resigned tone.

“…That’s what happened.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as those words were finished, the magician approached Johan with his eyes shining.

The Zakison Knight’s private soldiers, seeing the fluttering red robe, blocked him.

“Hey! Step aside!”

“If you come any closer, we won’t be able to help it!”

The soldiers’ tone naturally became polite due to the luxurious attire. But the magician was not looking at them.

“Hey! You black-haired guy there!”

“……?”

Johan, judging that he was being called, turned around. The red-robed magician stretched his mouth long and thin.

“I heard you killed a knight? Is that true?”

The junior and senior private soldiers who were watching from afar smacked their foreheads.

The wildcat wouldn’t miss its prey. The knights were also startled by the magician’s sudden behavior.

“Magician Jerry! Refrain from rash actions!”

The feelings of the Grand Duke’s knights were not much different from those of the soldiers. They were hoping that today would be a peaceful day.

They quickly blocked the magician, but the trigger had already been pulled.

Johan’s mouth stretched long and thin.

“Yes. That’s right. It was a difficult fight.”

“I even heard you were from a ‘mongrel’ background, is that also true?”

Mongrel. A term used to look down on arithmetic magicians. Fortunately, Johan knew this word.

Johan put on an angry expression. Of course, it was acting.

“……That’s rude. Who are you?”

“Would you even know if I told you? Just a mongrel?”

“……”

He took the bait.

‘I think this is enough.’

“I don’t know who you are, but judging by you just talking, I can guess your magical skills. Are you a mongrel too?”

“……What?”

“Is this what they call hating one’s own kind? Did you perhaps come from some mountain?”

Of course, arithmetic magicians don’t train in the mountains. It was wordplay.

Jerry’s face turned as red as his robe. He must not have thought that Johan would retort.

It was a part that revealed his arrogant nature.

“Your tongue is vulgar, like a guy who ate snakes in the mountains. Do you want to be roasted crisp?”

“Conversely, your face is so red, shall I cool you down?”

“……”

Jerry gritted his teeth. He spat out as if chewing.

“Come here. I will personally show you the magic of pure blood.”

“That’s what I want.”

He was short on karma anyway.

“How about we do it right now?”

In many ways, it was a peaceful day with luck on his side.

The knights of both forces absolutely stopped them. A magic duel just as negotiations were coming to an end?

If Sir Zakison and the Grand Duke knew, they would be furious. At this moment, the minds of the two forces were united.

‘We have to separate these crazy magicians!’

The resistance was so fierce that the magicians’ duel was almost aborted.

However, reinforcements that popped out from an unexpected place defended the two magicians.

“Duel? Good! Since long ago, there’s nothing better than a duel to determine right and wrong!”

It was Sir Zakison.

As a core militarist, he welcomed this situation.

Moreover, Sir Zakison had infinite trust in Johan’s power, so he energetically pushed for the duel.

Whoosh─

The venue prepared for the final battle. Only Jerry and Johan stood on the training ground.

The two were about 100m apart, which was a longer distance compared to a knight’s duel.

Jerry said with a bitter smile.

“I can tell you’re just being arrogant after killing one or two apprentice knights, but I’ll let you experience advanced magic firsthand.”

“I look forward to it.”

He was sincere. Thanks to the fireball used by the elder-level magician last time, he gained quite a bit of insight.

He didn’t know what Jerry’s skills would be like, but at least his school was excellent.

Knowledge is like an old tree. The older it gets, the bigger and stronger it becomes, and eventually no one can ignore it.

Magic of a school that has been inherited and improved for a long time. This will give Johan rich inspiration.

“Huh, arrogant kid. Hey! When are we starting!”

But perhaps Jerry didn’t understand Johan’s sincerity, as he was even more furious.

The Grand Duke’s soldier who received Jerry’s shout flinched. It was that senior private soldier from earlier.

“I, I will count! 5, 4, 3…”

At the same time as the countdown started, Jerry raised the magic power of his entire body.

Jerry’s expression became strange. Because Johan wasn’t preparing at all.

‘Are you ignoring me!’

“……1! Start!”

Gritting his teeth, Jerry cast the spell.

“Fire Kiln!”

Whirr!

Red magic circles were created in the area around the training ground. Metaphysical shapes are embroidered.

Using this as a fuse, flames began to rise. Johan’s feet were no exception.

As soon as he felt the heat on the soles of his feet, he jumped into the air.

“Dew.”

A drop of water is created under Johan’s feet. At the same time, he deploys the Freeze spell.

Saaa─

Due to the constantly used spell, Johan’s position rose endlessly.

It was like climbing an ice spire.

Johan looked down.

Cheeee…!

The base of the ice spire was melting due to the flames.

The floor height was gradually decreasing. The speed was accelerating, as if Jerry was pouring in magic power.

The fire magician’s sharp voice was heard from below.

“The way you’re desperately running away upwards, you look like a frightened cat!”

Immediately after, the flames that filled most of the training ground surged.

They slowly began to gather, and soon took on the shape of a long cylinder.

“Fire Works!”

Kwaang! Fwoosh!

With the sound of fireworks exploding, bars of flame surged.

The bars flying while spewing long flames. It seemed impossible to avoid those approaching from all directions.

Sir Zakison’s people, who were watching the duel, felt dizzy.