The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 74

After my first match against Nora, there were six more magic duels.

These were all from groups B, C, D, E, and F, and with the exception of two disciples from the 16 Major Schools, they were mostly from small to medium-sized schools or magic academies.

The matches for the remaining students, including the top students, are scheduled for tomorrow morning.

“The rune of ‘Soo’… Melebe, as expected of the Eight Great Schools, using such interesting runes.”

I lay sprawled on the bed, seriously reviewing the fight with Nora today. The early summer twilight streamed eerily through the window.

‘I can’t copy the secret rune as it is, but I might be able to find a rune with similar properties and imitate it.’

I want to start researching right away, but my energy is completely depleted, and drowsiness washes over me.

Is it because of the match with Nora?

No.

It’s because of that demon named Serira… Suddenly, she insisted on sleeping over in the dorm?

– She’s been singing about wanting to see you. Just indulge her for once.

My mother didn’t stop her either, and even sided with her.

And the one who finally defeated Serira, who had invaded the dorm… was Pipi, who was in charge of the Hero Party’s mascot.

– Cu, cute…!

It was very easy to send Serira away, as she had instantly lost her judgment after being captivated by Pipi.

– Peach wanted to get some fresh air outside, wouldn’t she be happy if you took her out?

– No, no, no. Pipi, inside air is good, Pipi, inside air is… Pipiiiiit!

A single tear fell as I remembered the noble sacrifice (suffering) of Comrade Pipi for the sake of an old colleague.

‘I’ll give you twice as much corn when you get back….’

As my eyelids were about to close heavily in the early summer night air, that guy suddenly came to mind.

Valensidis.

And the guy who came to find him… the one with Rin’s face. Instantly, the sleepiness vanished.

‘Why did he come?’

Does he know I defeated Ribeni? But it doesn’t make sense. If so, why didn’t he attack sooner?

‘Valensidis, if he had attacked when I returned from with his skills, I would have been helpless.’

And if those two had suddenly launched a surprise attack today at the perfect opportunity… just thinking about it is terrifying.

“Ah, this is unsettling.”

I wish things would just pass without incident, but in my experience, nothing ever goes smoothly when you get involved with black magicians.

‘Or should I attack Valensidis first to reduce their numbers?’

But the problem is that if I do that and Valensidis starts denying it, I might be seen as crazy.

And the problem is that even from Rin’s perspective, he’s not an easy opponent.

‘Then….’

I was curious from the start. Who is the guy messing around with my face, and what is this vessel to contain my soul…?

‘If Valensidis is not an option, I could find that guy first and interrogate him.’

I might look for him if I get the chance.

If he’s still at the academy.

‘No, do I even need to look for him? If he has business with me, he’ll come to me first.’

But it seems I didn’t need to rack my brains that night. Because the next day, ‘that guy’ came to me himself, alone.

* * *

The Dragon Blood Arena was packed again the next day.

Traditionally, if the top student decorated the start of the first round, the runner-up decorated the end.

“The clash between the prodigious genius Krista Warden and Lilian Karain, blessed by fire!”

“A battle between a genius and a monster, this is going to be exciting!”

The audience was buzzing with that topic even before the two people’s turn came, and when it finally did, it inevitably became heated.

[Entering from the east gate is Krista Warden, who took second place in the midterm exams.]

And from the opposite west gate, Lilian Karain walked out, her red hair flying. Krista, who reached the middle point first, crossed her arms arrogantly.

“I told you before. We Wardens don’t live with debts.”

“……?”

“Prepare to pay dearly for tormenting my cute servant.”

Head Professor Marchena, seemingly quite expectant, rested his chin on his clasped hands and spoke.

“Warden and Karain. Their attributes are different, but they’re both summoners.”

“That’s right, Master. Student Krista has the upper hand in terms of compatibility, though.”

Professor Owen, who was having a similar conversation in the opposite spectator seats, pondered while glancing sideways at the Rivendell School spectators.

“But will general compatibility even work against that damn Flame Serpent?”

It is true that earth attribute has an advantage over fire attribute in terms of compatibility.

However, even Gertrude Panton, who mainly uses the water attribute, which is extremely effective, was helpless from the moment the Flame Serpent appeared.

“Still, Lilian will win, right?”

Ilin, a student from Chaihark, asked in a whisper, and Logan closed his eyes as if it were difficult to answer.

“Well, if it were before, I would have said Lilian would definitely win….”

“Not now?”

“Well, she’s been acting strange lately.”

To be precise, it’s been since the midterm exams ended. Is it because of the shock of losing both the top and runner-up spots? She seemed somewhat dazed.

“Surely the Young Master doesn’t think the Lady will lose, does he?”

Gertrude asked with probing eyes. Rain, who was yawning lazily, shrugged lightly.

“Who knows.”

In a normal case, I would have expected Lilian to win overwhelmingly.

I still remember how I barely managed to erase the Rivendell School’s sacred beast, the Flame Serpent, with Bell Curios [magical artifacts], and my eyes hurt as if they were about to burst.

But this time, considering who the opponent is, even I don’t know the outcome of the match.

“Who knows?”

“?”

“Oh my, oh my, oh my! The Lady has always supported the Young Master in any situation… Sniff, our Lady is so miserable, it brings tears to my eyes!”

Gertrude’s playful act of pretending to cry caught Lilian’s eye on the field. Lilian’s tightly closed lips parted slightly.

“……This is so annoying.”

“What?”

“Only you privileged kids can study magic so carefree.”

Hmph, Krista raised her chin high as if daring her to say more.

“Magic is power, and the academy is just a place to prove it. There’s no time to associate with disgusting terms like ‘friends.’”

Yes, there are no friends.

There are only competitors to devour.

“The hothouse flowers wouldn’t know, though.”

Lilian provoked with a murderous look in her eyes, but strangely, Krista nodded as if she was quite impressed.

“That’s the truth? I agree.”

“Agree? That’s absurd. Coming from the mouth of someone who plays house with the Catastrophe Young Master every day?”

“Ho, house?! Screw you!!! He and I are rivals! What I do with him is rival play… no, not play, but rival practice!!!”

Rain scratched his head as he watched Krista ranting excitedly, captured by the Thousand-Mile Eye [a magical viewing device] that illuminated the arena.

“Why is she so excited even before the match?”

A magician should always be calm.

But the playful atmosphere was only for that one moment, as everything changed when Vice-Professor Kyle’s command echoed.

[We will now begin the final match of the main tournament!]

Lilian was the first to move her hands sharply. In her fingers, which had brushed against her waist, were three talismans [paper charms imbued with magic].

“Three 2-star talismans!”

“Is she planning to go for a quick victory!”

Talismans are a characteristic and strength of the Rivendell School, which, like the northerners, extremely pursues practicality in magic. It can be seen as a combat-enhanced Remidier type [a magician specializing in modifying and enhancing objects with magic].

“And unlike the general Remidier type that injects magic power into the grimoire [a magician’s spellbook], you can use and throw talismans while moving.”

During the turmoil 300 years ago, magicians from Rivendell were quite useful. Thanks to those talismans, anyone could use magic diversely in battle…….

While Rain was reminiscing, Lilian was throwing talismans in the arena.

Red light flickered from the talismans scattered in three directions—left, right, and above—and soon they turned into fierce fire butterflies and rushed toward Krista.

‘I can’t lose, not to anyone…….’

For the sake of my mother, who always took care of me even while suffering from the indiscriminate violence of my trash father.

– It’s okay, Lilian.

My mother was used as nothing more than a seed bearer to give birth to a child blessed by fire, just because she had red hair.

– Mom is okay.

In order to drive out the trashy old men and my father and take over the school, I need the power to convince my fellow students. And the qualification to prove that power.

‘To do that, I have to graduate from [the academy] at the top. To do that, I have to take the top spot in this exam.’

It was an obsession close to compulsion, an absolute will that always whipped herself forward…… Krista shouted at Lilian.

“Hey, where are you looking!”

A torrent of magic power was swirling fiercely around Krista’s body. On her palm, rays of light intertwined intricately, creating a beautiful glow.

“Th, that’s……?!”

“High-speed calculation of 3-star magic……?!”

Amid the screams of admiration pouring from the audience, only Rain let out a hollow laugh as if he was surprised.

“It’s not just a simple 3-star.”

A 3-star comparable to a 4-star, you could say it’s a 3.5-star. Because she used the rune of Soo (溲) [a specific magical symbol].

Because that’s a double rune.

The properties it has are ‘kneading’ and ‘wetting.’ If she had only used earth-based magic circles, the mathematical formula would have become ridiculously complicated, but…….

“She grew based on the experience back then.”

One of the magic circles was circular instead of square. In other words, that’s a dual-attribute magic that has both water and earth attributes.

‘This is an application of what Rain Ludwig showed on his first day of admission.’

If you have to use a complex rune, simplify the mathematical formula by injecting a magic circle that has good compatibility with that rune.

Anyone can make mistakes.

That’s not wrong. What’s wrong is leaving mistakes as mistakes. Isn’t that right, Professor Caroline?

───Goooooooong!

Soon, a violent tremor like an earthquake shook even the audience seats, and the surroundings shook wildly.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the ground of the arena, and then, with a thud, a huge summoned beast burst out of the ground.

It was the Warden family’s bloodline-limited summoned beast, famous as the Sandstone Golem, the Sandstone Behemoth.

With its overwhelming presence and solid scenery, Lilian’s fire butterflies were reduced to mere sparks in front of that giant rock.

“How beautiful…….”

Professor Caroline stared at the Sandstone Golem with tearful eyes.

It was different from the Sandstone Golem that Rain Ludwig had summoned against her during the additional exam. To be precise, it was at a level where all the shortcomings that existed at that time had been compensated for.

By harmonizing water attribute magic and the rune of Soo (溲), she raised the golem’s strength to a higher level. She completed the best shield that cannot be penetrated by any attack.

“No matter how much you use that kind of shabby magic, you can’t break through my Sandstone, you know?”

“……!”

“Stop being stingy and bring out that Flame Serpent or whatever! I need to teach you a lesson properly. That you touched someone you shouldn’t have touched last time.”