The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 39

The Reincarnated Archmage of the Hero Party – Episode 39 (39/280)

Chapter 39

Bloodline Limit, Bell Curios, had definitively eliminated the Rivendell School’s spirit animal, Yeomang.

But…….

The problem was that it was a 5-star magic. While performing reverse verification, his brain burned white, and his mana was completely depleted.

“Kuhuk…….”

Blood spurting from his eyes was the least of it. As the flow of mana faltered, dark red blood gushed out, layering the ground.

‘It was an impossible gamble in a real battle.’

First, Bell Curios raised the magic stat that this illusionary world applied to my body to nearly 50,000.

That mana was all used up when Bell Curios erased Yeomang, but…….

Perhaps because I was forcibly given a vast amount of mana, 50,000, my internal organs seemed to be damaged as a reaction. Not in the illusion, but in reality.

‘How pathetic, it means my vessel is still incomplete…….’

Now, the task would be to hide until the end of the test so that no points are taken away. With this body that can barely cast a single spell.

“What are you doing? Dodge!”

Gertrude, who had been in a state of panic at the boundary between life and death, snapped out of it at Lane’s shout.

The braided-hair girl quickly kicked off the ground and skillfully somersaulted, moving from the rock to the tree.

Lilian, who had also been half out of it in another sense, straightened her posture upon seeing the situation.

‘I don’t have good compatibility with that little brat from the Panton family. I’d have to summon Yeomang again to devour her, but…….’

For some reason, she hesitated. Because of the presence of Lane Ludwig over there.

Lilian’s mana, born from the Blessing of Fire, was comparable to a Glads (4-star) mage when using fire magic.

Even for such a Lilian, Yeomang was a considerable burden to summon.

There was a huge difference in the amount of mana required between summoning Yeomang again and maintaining the summoned state.

‘If I summon Yeomang again and it disappears again…….’

I won’t have the energy to participate in the 1st and 2nd place ranking competition. Lilian alternated between looking at Lane and Gertrude, then took a stance.

It was intuition.

Lane Ludwig was definitely related to the disappearance of Yeomang just now. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be suffering from such intense mana overload side effects.

‘No, it doesn’t matter what he did. If he’s in such a defenseless state right now…….’

All I have to do is devour him.

Lane Ludwig is currently in 1st place.

Lilian turned her body towards Lane and took out five talismans from her chest.

‘I have to be 1st, I have to be 1st…….’

The talismans emitted from her hand resonated with the brand engraved on her tongue, transforming into flames, taking the form of fire snakes, and rushing towards Lane.

Flame Snake, Yeomang.

But perhaps because it was summoned in a hurry, or because of the reaction to the sudden disappearance, it didn’t have as much terrifying heat as before.

“!”

Lane threw his body forward as if flinging himself.

A natural disaster struck the place where Lane had been standing just now, instantly incinerating a dozen trees.

He avoided the direct hit of the flames, but the aftershock of the residual heat swirled around, causing a stinging pain as his skin was scorched.

However, at the moment when Yeomang moved away from its master to attack, a shower of water poured down on Lilian’s head.

“……!”

When Yeomang quickly returned to its master and coiled around to protect its body, a small girl landed lightly behind Lilian.

“To be looking elsewhere with this Gertrude in front of you, your courage is commendable, isn’t it?”

“Don’t interfere.”

“I have to interfere. If Lane is expelled, our dear Krista might get lovesick and fall ill.”

Krista’s face turned bright red as she watched it in real-time.

Looking at such Krista, the students whispered. The girls covered their mouths with both hands, and the boys whistled.

Krista, who became the center of that uncomfortable attention, and Logan next to her, timidly gave a thumbs up.

“I’ll be cheering for you, Miss.”

Veins bulged from Krista’s clenched fist, soon plunging deep into Logan’s solar plexus.

“What are you saying right now? Are you mocking me! Do you believe that? He’s dead when he gets out of there!”

She was joking like that, but…… in fact, Gertrude’s actions came from a similar conclusion to Lilian’s.

‘Judging from that flustered reaction, Lilian herself couldn’t have been the one who eliminated Yeomang.’

They say that when the Ludwig family’s Bloodline Limit reaches its peak, they can freely manipulate all magic (not only their own but also the opponent’s), could it be?

‘But wasn’t that only three people in the Ludwig family’s thousand-year history? And I heard they only used it after they were old.’

No, this is an overwhelming opponent to think deeply about. I can ask him directly later.

‘The Panton family owes nothing to anyone. We are the pillars supporting the Warden family, so we only owe the Warden family, even if we owe anyone.’

While Gertrude and Lilian were fighting, hyenas gathered one by one towards Lane, who was staggering, gasping for breath, and hiding.

This is a disaster.

Is it a natural result of using precious mana in such a place?

“Here I go!”

A student cast a spell as if it were his. The magic circle shattered, and the supernatural power overlaid on reality, daggers of lightning, flew fiercely.

“Tch…….”

Lane, clicking his tongue, concentrated the last handful of mana in his palm, and that mana flowed into the tree branch he was holding.

A blue light flowed from the grain of the tree branch, achieving rigidification [hardening and strengthening]…… and Lane spun the tree branch behind his side.

“Form 4, Elephant.”

And the instantly re-gripped tree branch left afterimages as if it were infinitely lengthening, sweeping in all directions, knocking away all the incoming lightning magic.

“Th, that……!”

“Osarius School’s Staff Art……!”

The students’ pupils widened.

No, the professors were even more shocked. Professor Caroline stared blankly, her mouth open, and looked at Elin.

“Come to think of it, I wanted to ask you last time too, how does Lane Ludwig know Osarius-style Staff Art?”

But Elin also had a surprised look.

“How would I know?”

“I’m asking seriously.”

“I can only seriously explain it with the word genius. That annoying nephew of Lane’s, he masters anything in an instant once he sees it.”

The reality was that Lane was the creator of that Staff Art, but…… the students hesitated and stepped back at Lane’s bizarre behavior, but soon narrowed their eyes.

‘But why isn’t he counterattacking?’

‘Look at him, he’s gasping for breath.’

‘He doesn’t have any mana.’

Of course, the professors couldn’t have failed to notice that fact.

“High-speed calculation of 3-star magic and imitation of Osarius-style Staff Art…… he is certainly a promising talent who can be called a Genius(Calamity) Prince, but he is still lacking.”

“I agree. It means his mana distribution is not good.”

“From that point of view, Krista Warden can be seen as more advanced.”

Elin Ludwig had to frown at those professors.

‘Those idiots, it’s because he used Bell Curios earlier.’

It was Bell Curios that erased Rivendell’s Yeomang……. She bit her lip in resentment, but in fact, Elin didn’t see that scene either.

Everything was just suspicion…….

The only witness, Marchena, was just silently looking at the window reflecting Lane Ludwig.

‘Helping others is good. But if it stems from incompetence, it will only end meaninglessly, like now.’

Reason or emotion, it seems that modern magic is at a crossroads of choice, but the most important thing for a magician is still skill.

‘Now, what are you going to do? Grandson of Skalge.’

Lane leaned against a large tree as if he were about to fall, gasping for breath, and aimed the tree branch at five students in turn.

“5 seconds.”

Draw it out.

Even a strand is fine.

Recover even a very small amount of mana. It’s the breath of mana. Carefully, seriously.

“If you disappear within 5 seconds, I’ll make sure you don’t get an F grade. It’s the first and last warning.”

There was a strange sense of intimidation in those words, and the students who had come to aim for Lane’s points felt their bodies stiffen.

‘Is it a bluff……?’

‘But if it’s not a bluff…….’

‘I heard Logan won with just a broom…….’

The assumption of ‘what if’ became a sharp chain, grabbing their ankles.

Since they survived in the end, they are guaranteed a B grade. But if they overdo it here…… it’s either an S grade or an F grade.

At that moment when everyone was hesitating, at the moment when a student was about to cast a spell by opening a book as if it were all or nothing.

Form 2, Wolf.

A posture preparing for a counterattack.

In an instant, Lane, who seemed to lower the tip of the tree branch, kicked off the ground and dashed out like an arrow, piercing the opponent’s magic book and striking the solar plexus at the same time.

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

He accurately stabbed the magic point.

Watching the guy flying backward and rolling in the mud, he thinks. With this, that guy is incapacitated…….

Now, all I have to do is spread this fear.

“Next.”

He casually slings the tree branch over his shoulder and looks back at the remaining targets. The four students began to hesitate, their eyes wide.

‘Was he pretending to be weak……?’

‘No, he really seems exhausted…….’

‘But what was that just now……?’

That hesitation was fatal.

By the time they finished calculating what to do and tried to take action, the siren blared loudly, and the magic tool on their wrist emitted light.

[Test End.]

Only then did Lane let out a sigh of relief, sliding his back down the large tree and collapsing into the mud.

‘I’m doing all sorts of crazy things to raise my unique magic progress, ugh…….’

He didn’t even have the strength to walk, so he just sat there like that. For some reason, no students came to help him. They just slipped away.

‘No, I’m feeling unjustly sad.’

After a long time, he was helped out of the barrier by an assistant who came in to clean up the situation, when a fierce voice was heard from behind.

“What did you do?”

It was Lilian Karain.

That voice blazing like fire, there was no need to turn around.

“I wonder.”

“Answer me!”

“I’ll answer if you answer my question first.”

“What is it?”

“You know, don’t you actually respect your father?”

What…… that was Lilian’s reverse scale [a dragon’s weak spot; a sensitive issue]. Mana surged like a flame inside, and her body heated up.

“Are you picking a fight with me now?”

“No? You’re doing exactly what that Dadan guy did. Trampling on everything around you for your own goals.”

At that pure question, at the knife-like question that pierced deep below her ribcage, Lilian staggered for a moment and stopped in her tracks.

“If that’s the kind of adult you want to be, I have nothing to say.”

Shut up…….

Her Adam’s apple shook weakly.

You who grew up enjoying everything in a harmonious family, what do you know…… what do you know…….

– Lily, what kind of magician do you want to be when you grow up?

While shuddering, recalling that voice she had long forgotten, the students left the mountain one by one.

“Lane!”

“Young Master!”

As Gertrude and Lane revealed themselves outside the barrier, Krista and Logan ran over. Gertrude smiled and ran to meet them.

“Miss, did you see my performance well── Kuek!”

Of course, she was punched by Krista and a bump immediately appeared on her small crown [head]…….

“What nonsense are you talking about! Are you mocking me! You’re really mocking me! I was so embarrassed because everyone was looking at me earlier!”

“……Heuk, but it’s true.”

“Mo, mocking me! Mocking me! Stop mocking me!”

Lane tilted his head, looking at Gertrude being beaten by Krista.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“There’s something like that, Miss.”

“Is that so?”

If it’s not important, then it’s fine.

As Logan helped him find a place to sit, Krista opened her mouth.

“Lane, you helped Gertrude earlier, didn’t you?”

He couldn’t answer that question right away. Because he didn’t help her. It was only for the sake of acquiring my unique magic. Therefore.

“No?”

“Don’t lie. A sudden mana overload phenomenon can’t happen.”

“Why would I lie about something like this?”

That…… was certainly true. Therefore, Krista, who was about to pursue him further, shut her mouth at that moment.

Gertrude also had a suspicious expression, but she just shrugged at Krista’s gaze asking her to say something, and didn’t have anything to say.

Then what would she say?

He said he didn’t help her?

‘Then why did that Imoogi [Korean mythical serpent] of the Rivendell School disappear? By whose, by what power?’

As Logan helped him lean against a rock, Lane chuckled.

“Ah, that was fun.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“I was just thinking that if I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have had this experience.”

If Lista hadn’t left a note, if there hadn’t been a custom for the top graduate of , I probably wouldn’t have had this experience.

Is this experience also a gift that Lista gave me?

Stretching his neck and leaning his head against the rock, as if muttering to the sky, Lane murmured.

“Really, as you said, the world is interesting.”

Meanwhile, Krista continued to wait in that spot after sending Gertrude away first.

As the examinees of Group C flocked to the entrance, Lilian Karain walked out of the barrier last. As if possessed by something, with a weak gait.

As Lilian brushed past Krista, who was arrogantly crossing her arms, Krista’s eyes flashed fiercely.

“You did something very interesting to my cute servant?”

“……?”

“Be prepared. I’ll pay you back for this debt several times over. Our Warden family can’t live with debts.”

* * *

On the afternoon of the 4th day, a written test on was conducted.

There was a hellish practical test on the morning of the 5th day of the test, but it was dominated by the evaluation that it was nothing compared to the Chief Professor’s Battle Royale.

On Friday afternoon, when all the tests were completed and the students’ grades were finalized, all the professors in charge of the test gathered in the conference room.

“There are a total of four students who received S grades in all subjects of writing and practical skills. Krista Warden, Nora Redden, Kayden, and Lane Ludwig.”

The top of , that is, the Sun, could traditionally only exist for one person. Therefore, the professors have been conducting separate weighted evaluations for the students with S grades.

In this evaluation process, professors who were related to the top candidate by blood or academic ties (such as Caroline or Elin Ludwig) were excluded for fairness.

Elin Ludwig sat in her seat with her arms crossed and her eyes closed as if she didn’t care, but her ears twitched violently every time Lane’s story came up.

“I will give points to Krista Warden.”

“I will give it to Kayden. If you see it once, you will understand my evaluation.”

“What have you been watching so far? Nora is the one with tremendous talent.”

Professors could exercise one point of weighted points per person, with the exception that the Vice Professor could exercise two points and the Chief Professor could exercise three points.

“Professor Caroline, how did you raise such a vessel? It’s really amazing.”

“Hehe, you flatter me.”

While receiving praise from other professors, Caroline smiled at Elin Ludwig.

Crack, a vein popped out on Elin Ludwig’s temple. The two heroines, who used to be senior and junior, were now in a tacit competition for their disciples and nephews.

In the meantime, the professors’ opinions were being organized.

Krista Warden was in the lead with 6 points, Nora had 4 points, Kayden had 3 points, and Lane Ludwig was at the bottom with 2 points.

Traditionally, the Vice and Chief Professors were supposed to exercise their points last. Finally, Vice Professor Kyle opened his mouth.

“Krista Warden is indeed perfect.”

Then, not only Krista but also the professors who supported other students bit their lips in tension. The Vice Professor’s 2 points are really big.

“Nora’s precision of magic was indescribable, and Kayden’s harmony of musical knowledge and magical understanding was really amazing.”

“……!”

“But I will exercise my precious vote for the future of magic.”

Kyle smiled and held out a stone tablet with the student’s name written on it. The name written there was a name far beyond expectations, namely ‘Lane Ludwig’.

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

Everyone looked at Kyle with surprised eyes, but no one dared to object. It was a subjective evaluation in the first place.

But with this, it became an immutable truth that Krista would be the top student. The Chief Professor had never exercised weighted points even once.

At that time when all the professors became tight-lipped, someone burst into hearty laughter. It was Chief Professor Marchena.

“The future of magic…… a num [a good-for-nothing] who only knew how to seduce girls when he was a chick has now learned to say pretty good words.”

“It’s all thanks to the teacher.”

“Did you see that yesterday too?”

“I think I saw something different from the teacher, but I saw it too if I saw it.”

“Hmph…… you said good words. This vote should be an investment in the future of magic. And I also agree with you.”

Marchena, who was sitting at the head of the conference table, picked up a stone pen and began to write a name on the stone tablet, and the professors began to murmur, doubting their eyes.

‘The Chief Professor……?’

‘Is she doing a weighted evaluation……?’

‘She has never exercised her vote since she took office……?’

Didn’t she always say something like ‘There’s no num worth giving points to, so what can I do……’?

In that murmur, Marchena turned the stone tablet forward so that everyone could see it.

“……?!”

At that moment, Caroline’s pupils shook and then drooped with a hollow smile.

On the other hand, Elin Ludwig had to make a constant effort to hold back the corners of her mouth that were trying to rise to the sky, clenching her fist under the table.

The assistant, who was organizing the evaluations, added 3 points next to the name of the candidate in the list on the whiteboard, and then said the voting results in a trembling voice.

“Highest score 7 points. With this, the student has been selected as the top student of this year’s 1st grade midterm exam…… Lane Ludwig.”