The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 91

The Reincarnated Archmage of the Warrior Party – Episode 91

Episode 91

“So, you guys think you’re so good at magic? Let’s see those great skills of yours.”

Once again, the student council room fell silent, as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over everyone.

The members of the Ten Great Clans looked incredulous, and the shock was palpable among all the noble families present.

Kristina Gertrude was no exception… Kasena, however, smiled as if she had anticipated Lane’s challenge.

“What? What! A fight? I want in! Lane, why are you trying to hog all the fun?!!!”

It was Sandra Keppel, who had been half-asleep, who broke the silence… though Felix and Triwis immediately tried to restrain her.

“So, Duke Ludwig. Are you saying that to us? Are you turning your back on us to defend him?”

Maya Snark gestured at Valencidies with an expression of utter disbelief.

“No, if it were just teasing that annoying president, I would have applauded and actively supported it.”

Lane glanced back at Valencidies behind him and shrugged. Then, the warmth vanished from his eyes.

“You guys treated the beliefs of the magician I respect most in the world like fools. I can’t stand for that.”

The ambiguous meaning in that eerie tone made the students attending the meeting stir with unease.

“…The magician you respect most in the world?”

“…The Duke of Virtue respects the president?”

Just in case there was a troublesome misunderstanding, Lane started to correct them, but Christa grabbed his shoulder tightly, as if she thought all of this was a terrible joke.

“Are you serious right now? You’re going to quit the student council? Do you know what that means?”

“I know what’s important. But I can’t back down.”

“What do you know! You’re insulting the efforts of everyone who shed tears of blood to earn this badge!”

There was nothing he could say to that.

He knew what was important. He remembered Logan getting angry in a similar way in the past.

“There are plenty of ways to ignore such ridiculous suggestions! We could ask the professors for mediation… Take back what you just said!”

But there are moments when you can’t back down. When he turned his head, the strength slipped out of Christa’s hand holding his shoulder.

“You wouldn’t understand. And you wouldn’t want to understand… because you have that kind of talent.”

Shadows fell across her face, making her complexion look dark as she let out a sigh of resignation.

“I said something meaningless to you.”

Then, without a word, she turned her head and stormed out of the student council room. Gertrude followed right after her….

After watching them leave with a bitter expression, he turned to Felix.

“So, Vice President, is it okay to proceed with the magic battle with the third graders here now?”

“…Magic battles can only be held once a day, so if those members make a magic battle appointment on the same day, the Duke may not be able to participate in many club activities.”

Felix said that much and hesitated for a moment, then added with a sigh.

“But it’s not impossible. If you really do that, though….”

“What is it?”

“The Duke can shut down the clubs that those members belong to.”

There was a rule designed to prevent the commotion of the festival preparation from being disturbed by magic battles during the festival.

Students from clubs that were closed down due to legitimate magic battles could not apply for magic battles during the festival period.

In other words, if Lane defeats Maya’s group’s club in a magic battle, Maya’s group cannot fulfill the things they used to threaten Valencidies.

“Wow….”

“The clubs that those seniors belong to are….”

“Isn’t it the magic volleyball club…?”

Magic volleyball club?

He remembered. It was the royal club that Christa and Gertrude had told him to join at the beginning of the semester.

*If they’re all there, it’ll be simple,* he thought, but Felix’s expression was quite dark.

“There are two problems here. First of all, the magic volleyball club can only be closed down with magic volleyball.”

The first problem was an unexpected shock, but honestly, when he heard the second problem, his mouth hung slightly open for a few seconds.

“The other is that Professor Elin, the Duke’s relative, is in charge of the magic volleyball club that nobles join.”

*Ah, Aunt Elin.*

*Huh?*

As he made a dumbfounded expression, Maya Snark wiped her glasses with a handkerchief and sighed.

“I’ll give you a chance to back down now. You seem to be mistaken, but we have no animosity towards the Duke.”

“….”

“I heard from Miss Christa that you’ve never played magic volleyball? Magic volleyball is not a sport that can be mastered overnight.”

*Come to think of it, Christa and Gertrude must belong to the same club…* The problem was getting a little complicated, but he couldn’t stop now.

“That’s right, I haven’t done it.”

“Then you’ll regret it. You’ll lose your position as a student council member and be embarrassed.”

“So, wouldn’t I know then if I try it? We’ll see who wins.”

Whether her patience had reached its limit, a subtle spasm flickered in Maya’s eyebrows.

Maya, who adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose in an exemplary manner, turned and left the student council room with a noble air.

As if on cue, the members of the Ten Great Clans sitting behind her followed Maya….

“Ludwig’s little kid seems to have fallen hard for the beggar prince [a derogatory term for someone of low social standing], what are you going to do now?”

When a swaggering male student asked, Maya, who was nervously biting her lip, answered irritably.

“Since he’s acting like that, I’ll have to step on him first. You can think of it as disciplining him in advance before he becomes the head of the family later.”

*Damn it, there’s not much time.*

Originally, she was going to make Valencidies step down from the student council president position like that… Then a new exam would be held to fill the vacancy.

Why? Because all the exams for the third graders were over now. In the second semester, they would only receive various practical training and magic tower training, and would not take exams.

That meant the decision of the top graduate had already been made. That’s why she provoked Valencidies….

Being deprived of the top spot by a rootless guy who is not a noble, or even a disciple of at least the Eight Great Schools [prestigious magic academies], would remain a lifelong shame.

“If we blow away Lane Ludwig, Valencidies will follow. So, for now, we have to step on the Ludwig brat properly.”

Meanwhile, the executive committee members, who were left in the student council room and were looking at each other, left one by one.

“Wow….”

“Jackpot….”

Looking at them whispering with excited faces, it seemed like the rumors would spread throughout the school today.

For some reason, Kasena Paige hesitated. When she met Lane’s eyes, she gave him a thumbs up with a triumphant expression and disappeared with her crutches.

As everyone left, and only the student council members were left in the student council room as usual, Sandra clenched her fist and exclaimed.

“Lane is more and more interesting the more I see him! That’s why I like him so much! Now I can legally fight with Lane once?!”

“Yes?”

“I’m also in the magic volleyball club! Ahhaha! Then see you next time! I have to go practice, I have to show Lane a great look!!!”

And she ran off.

Triwis ran to catch her with a weary sigh….

Felix smiled bitterly and said to Valencidies.

“I’ll gather the organizing committee members again. It’ll be a little easier if we finish the personnel arrangement today.”

When all those processes were over, only Valencidies and Lane were left in the student council room.

*No, I have to go too.*

He washed away the regret of jumping into a troublesome task in a fit of anger with a sigh, and then he was about to turn around.

“What was your intention in helping me?”

Valencidies stared at Lane with narrowed eyes, as if gauging something invisible.

“Are you planning to put me in debt? If so, that’s a good judgment.”

“Don’t write a novel by yourself. It’s just a personal problem.”

Looking back now that the situation was over, he didn’t understand.

*Why did I think that at that time?*

The headmaster was being treated like a fool… He thought that no matter who the opponent was, he shouldn’t stand for it.

“You said you insulted the beliefs of the magician you respect. Was that sincere?”

“Of course.”

Valencidies, who pondered the question once again as if savoring it, unexpectedly made a slightly hesitant expression and asked in a serious voice.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to know that person’s name.”

*That person’s name….*

Did he feel respect because he had the same beliefs as himself, or did he use honorifics out of courtesy because he said he respected him?

Whatever his true intentions were, he thought he was much more polite than Maya, who had received only a superficial noble education.

“It’s very, very rude, so don’t ask.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not a name that trash like black magicians can dare to know.”

By using a slightly prickly tone, he made it clear that he didn’t help him. He really didn’t want to tell him.

“Or what, would you like to make a deal?”

“A deal?”

“If you tell me who the ‘mother’ you’re talking about is, I’ll tell you too.”

Valencidies crossed his arms as if contemplating, and silently looked up at the empty air, then suddenly loosened the neck button of his school uniform blouse and smiled.

It wasn’t just a button, but as if he had released a shackle that he had been strictly wearing… It was such a comfortable smile.

He was so embarrassed that he blinked his eyes. He had always seen only intentional cynicism, so it was the first time he saw such a natural smile.

To be exact, he should say it was the first time except when he was talking about the future of magic on the school grounds in the past.

“No, there’s no need to do that.”

In Valencidies’ strong eyes facing Lane, for the first time since their first meeting, there was something like, well, a sense of familiarity.

“I thought I knew who it was.”

However, he was awakened by that word. *He knows who it is? Auntie?*

*How does he know?*

*Unless this guy studied at the Osarius School [likely a prestigious magic academy] 300 years ago like me…* As if he was enjoying his embarrassment, a playful look lingered on his lips and he strangely changed the subject.

“Honestly, I was vaguely expecting it. That you secretly respect me.”

“?????”

“Still, it was more embarrassing than happy to declare it proudly in front of so many juniors. I know your heart, but I hope you refrain from doing so next time.”

*What?*

*Have I ever seen such a crazy guy?*

He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even laugh.

“Are you out of your mind? I respect you? Are you crazy because I used honorifics like before so that no one would hear it at school?”

“One of the most common ways to hide embarrassment is anger. To be exact, I should say pretending to be angry. You still can’t hide your emotions well, Lane Ludwig.”

“Wow, what the hell is this guy… Hey, you come here! Are you not coming here?!”

He tried to feed that hateful face with a fist, but there was no way to catch him because he quickly avoided it around the student council president’s desk.

“Come out when I tell you nicely! Are you using magic?”

“Then I’ll have to use it too.”

The moment he weaved a 2-star flame magic circle on his palm, suddenly darkness prevailed and began to devour Valencidies’ body greedily.

“No, hey! That’s cheating!”

“There is no cheating in the world of competition. There are only winners and losers.”

It was a stealth technique that could only be used with black magic. It is sometimes used as a short-distance means of transportation… In short, Valencidies’ body disappeared from sight in an instant.

“Come out, are you not coming out? Am I using my eyes?! Am I using my eyes?!”

[Interesting. Go ahead and use it.]

“If I reverse-calculate and modify the space coordinates, do you know that your body will just be torn to pieces? Am I really using it?!”

He immediately opened Bel Sidious [likely a powerful magical artifact or ability], but he couldn’t even detect the sign. He had already run away to another place.

“Come outtttt───!!!”