Genius Wizard Hides His Sword Skills [EN]: Chapter 99

99. Angel Briman

“…A Royal Sea Creature?”

Aries turned her head towards Karis again.

“Eek! She really is a demi-human!”

Karis’s bare face was revealed as she took off her robe’s hood. Her slightly pale skin and the fingers peeking out from the end of her robe, with the webbing between them, proved her identity.

However, ‘demi-human’ was a term disliked by all beast-kin, not just the Royal Sea Creature.

“That wicked child needs her mouth torn apart! How dare she call her a demi-human!”

It was only natural for the Royal Sea Creature chief to issue such a stern order.

Carlisle also took off his robe’s hood. Veins stood out on his pale skin.

‘Haa.’

I couldn’t help but sigh. Aries, who couldn’t choose her words carefully, and Carlisle, with his fiery temper, made me feel like I had an extra task to deal with.

[Looks like I’ll have a headache for the next few days.]

After a long argument, Carlisle finally calmed down.

“Ah! What did I do wrong!”

Aries was eventually kicked out into the hallway.

‘If Angel were awake, I would have cast a Silent spell on her.’

The side effects of black magic. Since I couldn’t control her speech, it was the only option.

With the situation finally quiet, Karis began to concentrate.

“First, I’ll examine her. I need to figure out what’s wrong.”

Everyone’s eyes were on the girl’s fingertips.

Woo-oong!

As a blue aura flickered at her fingertips, Karis began to scan Angel, reaching out her hand.

It was when her touch, starting from her head, passed over her chest.

“Umm…”

A low groan escaped her lips.

[Looks like her condition is very bad.]

Karis’s examination lasted for about five minutes. By the time she had scanned Angel’s toes, beads of sweat had formed on Karis’s forehead.

“…How is it?”

Everyone waited for the girl to open her mouth.

“It’s much more serious than I thought. It’s a miracle she’s still breathing.”

The group sighed at her shaking head.

“It will take all night just to figure out exactly where she’s injured.”

“That serious?”

“Yes. There isn’t a single part of her body where the bones aren’t broken. And her muscles are quite damaged as well. I need to identify all the injured areas before I can start treatment.”

It wasn’t hard to understand. She had been crushed under the Snow King’s feet, so there was no way she could be unscathed.

“And the most serious thing is…”

Karis’s expression became even more serious as she continued.

“Her heart seems to be in bad shape.”

“How so?”

“I need to examine it in detail, but it’s the most severely injured area.”

My eyes closed involuntarily. It was a vital area directly connected to her life. Moreover, it was even more important for Angel, a mage, as it was where her mana circuit [pathways for magical energy] resided.

“…Please. Tell me if you need anything. I’ll get you anything.”

Karis nodded slightly.

“First, I’ll try to fully understand her condition today. I can tell you about the possibility of treatment after that.”

Karis re-infused her hand with a blue aura.

“Then, everyone else, please leave for a moment. I need to concentrate.”

The small girl.

Reached out a large hand towards Angel.

* * *

A bleak night breeze brushed past my collar. I had left Angel’s examination to Karis and came outside alone.

[Are you worried?]

‘Is that even a question?’

I had expected Angel’s condition to be serious, but what I heard directly from Karis was even worse.

[But she’ll be able to heal her. Healers tend to be more negative.]

‘…I have to hope so. But of all things, it had to be her heart.’

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gloom. I was just taking a walk around the outskirts of Laptel Village to clear my head.

[She was going to be a big help with what we have to do.]

‘I know. It’s daunting to think that we won’t have Angel’s help.’

It wasn’t just that I needed her strength.

The leader of the Central Council. The abilities of the head of a vast secret organization spread across the continent would be beyond imagination.

Of course, now that I was recognized as a Herald, there was no reason I couldn’t do that role myself.

‘But she knows the Central Council better than anyone else.’

The efficiency I could get from her, who knew the inner workings of the Central Council, was different.

Moreover, I had plenty of other things to do. Angel wasn’t the only thing I was worried about right now.

‘By the way, how am I supposed to delve into black magic while living in the Magic Tower?’

Now that I had met Aries, I had to find out about black magic as well.

However, the new semester at the Magic Tower would start in a week, so there was no suitable plan. If I released the aura of black magic around the Magic Tower, high-level mages would notice.

[We need to create a space where the magic of black magic doesn’t leak out.]

‘A space where magic doesn’t leak out…’

As I was lost in thought in an empty lot on the outskirts of Laptel, Oberon and I met eyes in the air.

‘Who is it?’

It was because of the energy I felt right behind me. A distance of only two or three steps.

‘I didn’t feel any presence at all.’

Slowly, my hand went to the sword hilt. Oberon’s gaze was directed behind me.

[Huh?]

The moment Oberon was about to speak again.

Tap.

Something touched my hand. Someone was stopping my hand from grabbing the sword hilt.

“Whoa, whoa. It’s me.”

It was a large hand with webbing.

‘Carlisle?’

[He was just behind us, and suddenly he’s in front of us again.]

That was why I hadn’t felt his presence. I couldn’t know his exact level, but he must be in the realm of 9 stars [a high level of magical power]. There was no way I could have noticed him in my current state.

“What’s going on? You hid your presence and came here, so I was nervous.”

“Hehe. I was wondering when you would notice, so I got a little playful. But this is still a pretty good sense. I was originally going to surprise you by touching your back.”

Carlisle wore a satisfied smile.

“As Grantel said, you’re no ordinary boy.”

“You flatter me. If you were serious, I would never have noticed.”

“Haha! That’s right!”

He was simple as always.

“But why did you come here? Is there something you wanted to say…?”

“Ah, right! That friend Grantel asked me for a favor before he left.”

“A favor?”

The laughter disappeared from his eyes, and he stared at me.

“He told me to train you.”

“Yes? Training…?”

I couldn’t understand the true meaning of this sudden story.

“Yes. He said that you will change the future of Ego, and we must also become your strength.”

With those words, Carlisle took out a trident from his chest.

Woo-oong!

It was a golden spear that grew to about 3 meters in length.

“Since an old friend asked, I became interested. He sometimes says strange things, but he’s never wrong.”

“Ah…!”

Before I could finish speaking.

“Then I’ll take that as an acceptance.”

Woo-oong!

Carlisle swung the spear horizontally.

‘Oh no!’

I barely managed to dodge by ducking my head.

“Why are you doing this suddenly!”

His hand gripped the trident again.

“Then, will you refuse my teachings?”

This time, Carlisle stabbed the spear he was holding straight at me.

‘Let’s do it, shall we?’

Woo-oong!

Instantly, the aura gathered at my toes.

Tap!

I threw my body to the left and drew my sword.

[Yeah. When your head is complicated, using your body is the best.]

I had ended up accepting Carlisle’s offer.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve crossed swords with a strong person!’

It was sudden, but it wasn’t a bad offer. Even if I had the skills from Adonis, he was a strong person who was difficult to be sure of victory.

Originally, when you cross swords with someone stronger than yourself, your skills can grow rapidly. He was a distant existence to me now, so it wasn’t an opportunity I could easily come across.

“Now you’re willing to do it.”

I replaced my answer by raising my sword and taking a stance. Against a master, I couldn’t even disrupt a moment of breathing.

Woo-oong!

The trident was swung with a strong wind. This time again, it was a golden mass extending horizontally.

Woo-oong!

Before I knew it, an aura was added to Fragarach.

[Oh, you’re doing it right from the start!]

‘I don’t have the skill to save!’

The momentum carried by Carlisle’s spear was so overwhelming that it was dizzying just to look at. I couldn’t even imagine touching it without an aura.

Kaa-aang!

The meeting of the golden aura and the golden bars.

“Cough!”

A short scream followed the brilliant encounter.

[…His strength is insane.]

It was just one exchange, but I was pushed back dozens of steps. As expected, there was no way I could be his opponent.

“Oh ho. I thought that energy had disappeared from humans?”

“I practiced in a different way to wield the sword.”

Carlisle recognized the identity of the aura. His eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment.

“Hmm. It’s amazing, but it’s still too weak. Was that all you had? If that’s the case, it would be better to just give up swordsmanship and focus on magic.”

His provocation continued.

‘Tch.’

I knew that he was intentionally scratching my pride. He must be trying to see the tenacity I had.

‘I’m not going to back down like this.’

I had no choice but to respond to him.

Sreung!

Forgetting that my palm was aching, I raised my sword at him again.

* * *

Kaa-aang!

Eventually, I lost Fragarach from my grasp. Blood droplets were falling from my fingertips.

“…Ha. You really have a sickening mentality. I get it, so let’s stop now. It’s already morning.”

Carlisle shook his head, sticking out his tongue. We had exchanged so many blows that I couldn’t even count them. Before I knew it, even the dawn was breaking.

‘Keuk!’

A hand that couldn’t even bend my fingers. I barely managed to pick up Fragarach, which had fallen to the ground.

“I admit it. Your posture is good, and your tenacity is even more useful.”

Carlisle’s praise was finally granted. He had finally given me the real qualifications to receive his training.

“…Thank you.”

“Who did you learn the sword from? Your basics are very good. It must be an excellent teacher.”

Oberon yawned at those words.

[That bastard. He has an eye for it.]

He was the only one I could call a teacher.

“Hmm. That doesn’t mean you have nothing to learn. I went easy on you today, but if I were serious, you wouldn’t even be able to exchange one blow with me.”

That was true. Carlisle had only used linear attacks so that I could respond. If he had really given it his all, my head would have flown off without me even knowing how I was attacked.

“It’s thanks to you going easy on me.”

“Then let’s stop here for today. You can’t hold a sword anymore, and it looks like a guest has arrived.”

His finger pointed to a place. At the end of it, Karis was approaching with a hardened expression.

“Karis…? What’s wrong?”

Her eyes, which were close to her, were filled with endless sadness.

“Ian…”

The sudden surge of anxiety made me forget the fatigue in my whole body.

“…Angel’s heart has stopped.”

It was a bolt from the blue.