episode_0097

“If we fight here, it won’t be a big problem.”

I scratched my head at Hetty’s words toward me. Of course it wouldn’t be a big problem, but I didn’t have much intention of fighting. I didn’t know why my heart wasn’t racing like this and why I was filled with boredom, but I didn’t bother to think about it.

As I took out my wand, Ceresria came over and cast a protection spell on me and Hetty, then whispered something to me.

‘scary?’

‘Not really.’

There was nothing scary. The only thing that was scary was that I didn’t like the gazes of the knights around me. The gazes that were looking at me as if they were criticizing me were so harsh and unpleasant that a natural sigh flowed from the corner of my mouth.

I’ve had many duels so far, but I’ve never dueled with something like this at stake. There was a time when I really risked my life and fought… … I thought it was really strange to have a true duel like this. It wasn’t a competition, but a duel to get what I really wanted. Maybe that’s why I didn’t like it, but as I was distracted by various thoughts, Ceresria smiled and tapped my forehead with her cane.

“I have too many thoughts, Astan.”

“So, are you thinking that you might lose?”

“I can’t imagine Astan losing, but the person who fought like that with me lost, um… … If there is a wizard who can defeat Astan, you might be curious about how great a genius has appeared in Astan.”

After finishing speaking, Ceresria stood between me and Hetty, looked at us once, smiled, and then opened her mouth.

“Then shall we begin?”

When I bowed my head to Hetty in response to her words, Hetty also bowed her head to me, and then I held the cane in my right hand.

First of all, I want to see your skills.

And with the ear-ringing sound of the beginning, her wand was waved and a spell was uttered. Watching the quickly shouted spell and the ice arrows flying towards me at the same time, I felt a little disappointed.

Knowing Erica-senpai, I thought she would be strong, but it seems I was mistaken. That doesn’t mean he’s weak, but compared to Erica-senpai… …

In the first place, I thought it was strange to compare wizards who manipulate ice to senior Erica. He pointed to the ground with the staff in his right hand, designated the coordinates there, and spoke a spell.

“Ice, rise up.”

As soon as she cast the spell, ice rose from the area pointed by the wand, blocking the ice arrows she sent towards me, and then surrounding her body with cold. Then, she used magic again towards me, and I focused the mana on my eyes. I observed the magic. I naturally became curious about the magic that flew towards me at a faster speed than before, as if another magic had been added to an already made ice arrow.

I wonder if it was wind magic, or if it was acceleration magic, but it didn’t feel threatening. I turned my body to dodge the ice arrow that was quickly flying towards me and looked at her. He was not a wizard with bad skills. However, perhaps because they had already seen the peak, they were not a threat.

The red eyes looking at me and the silver hair like ice seemed to resemble someone else, so it was a little difficult to see.

“No need to look.”

And then, towards her speaking to me, I held out my staff and mouthed an answer.

“I was just assessing my skills.”

“What does the Academy wizard think? My skills.”

“Excellent, but not outstanding.”

“The wizards at the academy are all arrogant.”

It was arrogance, and that wasn’t wrong either. If someone saw it, it would be arrogance, but to someone who saw the peak, all this magic was not arrogance. Because truly outstanding wizards weren’t like this.

That’s why I moved the cold air around me and said a spell.

“It looks like it’s over.”

“It doesn’t seem to be the end yet.”

“If you can’t see this much, you are still immature, prince.”

Sharon spoke with a smile at the prince standing next to her, then looked at Astan. The mana around was fluctuating. It was natural that the match would be decided by the magic used this time, and it was also natural that Astan would win.

It felt like the surroundings were freezing due to the slowly gathering cold. The cold had already reached the ground and the growing grass was freezing, and it felt like my body was slowly shaking from the cold. How many wizards can beat Astan now? Ceresria must be the only one in the first year.

Even if I was stuck with 2nd and 3rd graders, I wasn’t a first grader who would easily lose. Of course, that made my heart pound. It was a natural instinct for a wizard to want to fight once.

As I looked at Astan, who had grown incomparably to what I had fought before, I could only picture a future where I would lose, but that’s what magicians are. If there was a wizard with great power, of course I wanted to join him.

And at that moment, Astan’s mouth opened, cold air gathered, turned into a large ice cube, and began to rise towards Hetty.

“Winner, Astan.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

When I bowed to Hetty, Hetty also bowed to me, and I turned my head to look at the prince.

“Is this enough?”

“I’m satisfied. There are no disagreements, so I’ll ask. What do you want?”

“I can’t think of anything right now, can I answer later?”

“I might change my mind then.”

“With so many witnesses, wouldn’t that be impossible?”

As Ceresria spoke with a smile, the prince shrugged his shoulders, looked at me, and opened his mouth.

“Then I promise you that if you ever want something, you can always find me and tell me, and I will keep my promise.”

“It’s not easy to meet the prince of a country, isn’t it impossible if Astan doesn’t meet him even if he goes to visit?”

“Do I seem like such a small-hearted person?”

With those words, the prince came up to me, took something out of his pocket and handed it to me, and I looked at the item carefully.

It was a small medal with a pattern similar to the symbol of the Willow Kingdom. As I looked at the prince, wondering what this was, he smiled at me.

“If that were the case, anyone in the Willow Kingdom would respect you. If you have anything to ask me at any time, come to Willow and show me it.”

Then the prince waved his hand at me and slowly left with his companions. As I stared blankly at the place, Hetty turned to me and bowed.

Well, they are strange people.

“I thought something would happen, but luckily it didn’t happen.”

“At first, I was worried because the drivers were going in one direction.”

“I thought they were going to capture Astan.”

“How could I get caught? I haven’t committed any crime.”

“What if the prince changed his mind and took Astan by force?”

“… … Maybe so.”

“Maybe it would have been like that if Ceresria hadn’t been there.”

“I don’t think I’m that kind of person.”

Celestria smiled slightly at my words and spoke.

“If the royals really want something, it doesn’t matter, because they will do whatever it takes to get it.”

“Are you talking about yourself?”

“Well, maybe. I think so too.”

A laugh escaped my lips at her words. After all, didn’t she also come here with a group of knights? Royals are such strange people.

“But why are you two in Ignolia?”

“I need to buy a book.”

“I go for a walk.”

“Did you buy the book?”

“It would have been closed by now? I have to go again tomorrow.”

“What book are you going to buy?”

“I’m planning to buy a magic book, but I also need to buy a certain book. There is no such thing. I’m thinking about buying the magic book written by Arnold.”

“Now that I think about it, Astan doesn’t have a magic book like that, right?”

“Because I don’t have money to buy books.”

“Hmm… … I see.”

As I was walking to the academy while talking with Ceresria and Sharon, Sharon spoke to me.

“He became a lot stronger.”

“Still immature though.”

“You are too humble, Astan.”

“Excessive humility can cause jealousy.”

“I don’t think Sharon will be jealous of me.”

When I said that, Sharon smiled widely at me, and I smiled softly at her.

“They say stupid things more often than you think.”

“If we get closer, won’t we become similar? Someday, Ceresria, you too will be like this.”

“… … Well, no matter how stupid I become, I think I’m smarter than both of them.”