The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 97

97.

“Are you talking about the Delaiten student who passed through this gate during the final exam?”

The south gate of Golden Rose.

At the question from Doran Slade, the Special Task Force Chief, the gatekeeper scratched his chin, looking perplexed.

“I’m not sure, sir. Even if I saw them, there’s no way to identify them specifically. During the final exam period, the crowds are just too dense……”

Originally, the principle was to verify identities thoroughly before letting people in, but during the final exam period, there weren’t enough personnel or time, so the custom was to simply check and allow entry.

“I’m sure you must have seen them. Please try to recall.”

Doran gently urged.

Since the Special Task Force subordinates died near the Red Mountains, the gate the culprit would have used to leave the city would have been either the east or south gate.

“Or what about these people?”

Doran held out portraits of the deceased Special Task Force subordinates. The gatekeeper carefully examined the portraits but shook his head again.

“No, I haven’t seen them.”

I see.

It was common for Special Task Force mages to use illusion-type recognition interference magic during operations.

Due to that magic, ordinary people who definitely saw them cannot recall their faces or external characteristics.

“But Chief, wasn’t there a suspicious guy back then?”

“What? Who?”

“That tall guy. His face looked familiar, but his eyes were really eerie.”

“Ah, that guy.”

Doran seemed to be continuing a story he didn’t know, but the gatekeeper snapped his fingers and his eyes lit up the next moment.

“Come to think of it, I remember one of the Delaiten students leaving with him… Who was it?”

“Was that so? I don’t remember that.”

Doran’s eyes widened slightly, and an astonishing level of magical power swirled and flowed from his eyes.

“They must have used recognition interference magic. It’s natural you can’t remember.”

“Is that so? But that’s strange. It seems like another student followed them out, besides the one who left with that guy.”

Not one, but two?

What is it?

Friend or foe? It was a series of confusion, but it wasn’t a situation where asking the gatekeeper more would yield an answer.

“Thank you for your hard work. I appreciate the good information.”

With this, a situation that was only a guess became reality.

There is a follower or collaborator of Toureina inside Delaiten. One, or two. And they collaborated to kill Runen and Tyrintid…….

So, how do I uncover their identity?

“What are we going to do now, Chief?”

Three Special Task Force mages who had been waiting nearby gathered. Having just lost their comrades, their eyes were bloodshot as if they were craving blood.

“How about we just storm the school and interrogate them one by one?”

“That’s rejected. Strong black mages use space-time 이동 [moving] magic, so they’ll escape quickly.”

Doran shook his head firmly, placing his old fedora on his head.

“In times like these, it’s not bad to catch them off guard with a straightforward approach. You guys spread out and use detection magic nearby and wait.”

“What about you, Chief?”

“I’ll go to the school alone. When stirring up a hornet’s nest, you have to go alone so the hornets don’t suspect you.”

* * *

“Does it become a bad situation if the first sub-turn is 넘어가 [passed over] like this?”

At Valencidi’s question, Felix Drake let out a soft sigh.

“Magic volleyball is originally a sport where you keep exchanging points, so it’s not really like that…”

If Rain Ludwig, who is really a beginner of only ten days, is doing that level of serve, then he must have put his heart and soul into serve practice during that period, so he must have wanted to score more points… But that’s not the only problem, the real problem is something else.

“I can’t say the situation is good right now.”

The guy who is bouncing the ball on the floor at the end line of the Griffin Valor’s court, that is, Sandra Keppel.

“Sandra is doing a very dangerous play?”

It was Krista Warden who answered that question.

“We call a wing spiker who can overpower the opponent’s blocking or receive with force the team’s ace.”

“That’s Sandra?”

“Yes. The power of her spike goes without saying, and her spike serve, which is an application of that, is also incredibly intense.”

As soon as the whistle sounded, Sandra tossed the ball up and lightly stepped forward.

One step, two steps.

And the moment she was seen lowering her body to kick off the ground, Rain was already moving.

Poong, along with a 파공음 [air-splitting sound] like the air exploding, the ball that was far away instantly filled the field of vision and rushed in.

“……!”

He was determined to receive it for sure.

In fact, he perfectly solved the mathematical formula that flashed through his mind.

But the power of the ball was much more intense than expected.

The pressure with a rotational force that stirred the wind collided with his arm, but his arm couldn’t withstand the force, and the ball bounced to the side the next moment.

“……!”

As Rain blankly looked back at the ball rolling on the floor, Sandra powerfully shouted.

“Eushaah───!”

Did that guy get too caught up in calculating the mathematical formula? Valencidi frowned.

Unlike Gertrude earlier, the ball didn’t emit electricity, so the mathematical formula calculation was perfect, but is his receive still lacking?

But considering that reaction speed just now… It seemed like it was only a hair’s breadth difference.

““Nice serve!””

The right to attack ruthlessly returned to Griffin Valor. And Sandra’s serve continued again.

The power that even created 풍압 [wind pressure], and the accuracy that sharply pierced the corner, were still the same.

But it was in the opposite direction from before. Not in the direction where Rain was, but in the direction where Nora Redden was lowering her posture like a cat and shining her eyes.

‘Did Sandra Keppel become arrogant for a moment?’

Professor Owen smiled with satisfaction.

Or was it a direction adjustment mistake?

She couldn’t not know that Nora Redden is our Lionheart’s hard receiver.

“……!”

At the same time as receiving the ball with both arms, Nora rolled her body backward.

Poong…!

Along with a burst of sound that 잠식 [swallowed] the commotion of the audience, the ball that had rushed in with terrifying power flew over the court with a gentle rotation.

“Oh, she lifted it────!!!”

“So cleanly──?!”

Griffin Valor’s players were not surprised because it was an undeniable fact that Nora had tremendous talent in receiving.

What was surprising was something else.

It was Hubert.

Was Hubert not moving from the setter’s position, that is, the center of the court? Instead, Rain Ludwig, who had 달려온 [run] straight, entered the setup motion.

“Hubert isn’t the setter……?!”

There was no room to be 잠길 [immersed] in confusion. If so, then all they had to do was read Rain Ludwig’s setup motion and block it.

‘He went into the setup motion, but the spikers haven’t jumped up yet.’

Maya Snark quickly read the situation and looked for someone to block.

‘There’s no quick attack. Then───?!’

Just as she was about to judge that, Rain tossed the ball with both hands gathered politely above his head.

Quickly, sharply.

Could you really call that a setter’s toss? The toss flew quickly to the left at a sharp angle to the point where you would wonder.

“───?!”

Just as 고수 [masters] sometimes grasp the opponent’s potential with just one 합(一合) [exchange], in magic volleyball, there was a play that instantly revealed the opponent’s 체급 [level].

Rain’s toss was like that now.

The location where Logan would jump, the time it would take to reach the maximum jump point, and the angle of his arm to hit the spike.

It was as if everything was calculated accurately with a ruler.

“Euriyaaaah────!”

And Logan’s unstoppable spike, which had just jumped up, amplified another question.

How is he so fast?

It looked like they only saw the blocking?

Spikers generally have to pause for a moment because they have to order a mathematical formula right before the spike.

‘But that spike just now… It looked like he didn’t order a mathematical formula like in normal volleyball.’

But then again, when the Griffin Valor 2nd grader in the right rear received that ball, the fact that the ball emitted fierce electricity and bounced off could not be explained.

“Nice toss, 공자님 [young master]!”

“Nice spike, Logan! Nora, nice receive too.”

“Hehe★”

Rain suddenly turned around and raised his index finger, looking at Hubert, who was staring in amazement at the 세도가 [powerful family]’s aristocrat and the 학파 [academic faction]’s disciples getting along so intimately.

“Now straighten your shoulders, 인마 [you]!”

“?”

“It’s the same 1 point. The three of us have made up for it.”

Then he chuckled as if he felt good.

That smile…….

For some reason, he thought it was so dazzling that he just stared blankly for a moment.

“Euaaang, my serve권 [serve right]!”

At that time, Sandra Keppel grabbed her head with both hands and became 울상 [tearful], and Gertrude opened her 뱁새눈 [small eyes] as if she couldn’t understand.

“So why are you targeting Melev’s Nora? That wasn’t a mistake, was it?”

“I was trying to overpower the opponent’s hard-receiver with force and get some cheers……”

“……”

As the Griffin Valor players sighed in turn, the game started again with Caden’s serve.

But this time again, Griffin Valor conceded another point to the challenger team, who had launched a quick attack when it was absolutely not the timing to do so.

“I wondered what it was, it was double casting.”

Elin Ludwig, who was sitting on the Griffin Valor’s bench, muttered as if she was dumbfounded.

The players turned to the coach at that murmur, and had to shudder as they felt a chilling cold.

Because Elin’s eyes were burning red, with a silver death star rotating in the center. It was Ludwig’s 혈족한계 [bloodline limit], 벨 시디어스 [Bel Sidious].

“Double casting, you mean……?”

“Ugh, ughughughugh, you hopeless guys! You have to 착하면 착하고 [be good and] understand this! What can a setter do for a spiker?”

“Are you talking about calculating the coordinate equation and stabbing the toss accurately… or calculating the mathematical formula instead?”

“Yes, that! My 허접 [pathetic] nephew is doing that at the same time right now!”

“Haha, what kind of 되도 않는 말장난 [nonsense] is that……?!”

The Griffin Valor players exchanged 허웃음 [empty laughs], saying what kind of nonsense is that, but Elin was 잠겨 [immersed] in confusion without even being able to react to it.

‘The more ridiculous thing is that this isn’t everything.’

Maya Snark or Hubert probably saw it at once and knew it… Rain’s coordinate equation calculation is not an inequality.

“Not an inequality?”

Rowen Belt raised his eyebrows slightly at Maya’s explanation.

“What does that mean? Don’t setters all calculate coordinates with inequalities when doing quick attacks?”

“Yes, that’s generally the case. But it’s not that you have to use inequalities, it’s that you have no choice but to use inequalities.”

Finding perfectly coordinated coordinates in a limited time to read the opponent’s moves and select a spiker is virtually impossible.

That’s why they have been roughly 맞춰 왔던 [matching] the direction and range in which the ball will fly with inequalities used in 광역 [wide-area] magic.

“But Rain Ludwig’s coordinate equation is probably an identity… That’s why the ball keeps flying to the spiker’s course in an instant.”

Then 3rd grader Yors Bautel shook his head, tilting his head.

“But that’s a problem in its own way. If the ball is too fast, the spiker can’t choose a spike course or order a mathematical formula.”

“It’s an identity, right? The kinetic energy of the ball is suddenly cut off at the ordered coordinates. It loses power and slows down.”

“What is that……?”

Gertrude, who understood what Maya was trying to say at once, nodded her head with a sigh.

“So, to put it simply, 공자님 [young master] can use quick attacks even in situations that are not quick attacks, is that what you’re saying?”

Maya pressed her temples, trying to relieve her headache, as if she couldn’t believe it even after explaining it herself, and answered.

“So don’t hastily judge that there are no quick attacks when defending. No one knows what will happen.”

Soon, with the sound of the whistle, the match resumed with Caden’s serve.

Caden cannot do a jump serve because he has not been professionally trained in magic volleyball since entering the school. Of course, most freshmen are like that.

“Haha, this much is……!”

Rowen Belt easily 올려주었다 [passed] the ball to the setter. Maya Snark, who was positioned in the center, glanced at Rain.

‘I admit that his talent is unparalleled.’

But I’ll make sure to let you know this time.

You can’t do magic volleyball with just talent.

“……!”

Rain carefully moved his eyes, looking at the Griffin Valor’s court, which was moving busily.

Gertrude jumped first.

Is it a quick attack?

But I don’t feel the murderous intent of magic in that girl’s movements… Then.

‘He reacted to this……?’

At that moment, Rain and Maya had to be surprised at each other at the same time.

First of all, Maya was surprised that Rain read this number at once and 붙었다 [stuck] to Yors.

It wouldn’t be surprising. If you know the years Rain spent as a Lin [forest] 임했던 [facing] in magical combat…….

‘Personal time difference……?’

In Rain’s case, he was surprised to see Yors, who he thought would jump up right away, jumping up half a beat later.

‘I thought it was 당연히 [obviously] a quick attack tempo……!’

When the blocking that had jumped into the air began to 자유 낙하 [free fall] helplessly, Yors’s big hand fiercely 후려쳤다 [smashed] the ball.

“Keueut……!”

Lillian, who missed the receive, clicked her tongue. No matter how hard I try to shake it off, it follows me right away…….

There’s no need to be 낙담 [disappointed] here, Professor Owen thought, stroking his chin. Volleyball is originally a sport where you keep exchanging points…….

“But this time again, the next serve is a very 염병할 [cursing] person.”

The person who received a new ball from the referee and was heading towards the end line was none other than… Maya Snark.

“Everyone is 웅성거리는 [buzzing]. It seems like that girl also 구사 [uses] a serve as powerful as Sandra’s?”

At that moment, Maya, who took a deep breath and exhaled, lightly tossed the ball and jumped up.

A relaxed and slow motion that was something different from the start from a jump spike.

But from the perspective of the person facing it, they had to sharply 신경을 날카롭게 곤두세우고 [sharpen their nerves] and watch the trajectory of the ball.

‘Is it going to stretch out more here?’

No, this is 무조건 [unconditionally] out.

The moment Caden, who seemed like he was going to receive the ball, 빼려고 [pulled back] his hand to prevent his body from touching the ball, the trajectory of the ball suddenly 꺾였다 [changed].

And Caden and the audience stared blankly at the magic ball that hit the service line exactly and 통, 통, [thump, thump] bounced.

“No touch, Ace───!”

No sooner had he said that than Rowen Belt 외쳤다 [shouted], making a fuss several times more than usual, as if he was going to return what Logan had 까불었던 [bragged] at first.

“Why can’t they receive it when it’s so slow?”

Vice President Felix explained to Valencidi’s question.

“That’s called a jump floater serve.”

“Jump floater?”

“It’s a serve that sends the ball almost 무회전 [without rotation]. Since there’s no rotation, no one knows how the ball will 휘니 [curve], it’s very difficult to receive it properly.”

Was it a serve that seemed like the 흐름 [momentum] was 넘어가 [passing] to Griffin Valor in an instant? Caden immediately took out a notebook and fountain pen and expressed his feelings to his teammates.

[Sorry.. ㅠ…] (T/N: sorry.. crying face)

Rain immediately shook his head and clapped his hands to 격려 [encourage] the team.

“That was a good serve. It’s okay if we catch it for sure next time.”

Rowen Belt’s eyes narrowed as he stared at that 모습 [appearance]. He’s a freshman, but his mentality is 상당히 성가실 정도로 [quite annoyingly]… Hmm.

“I’m going.”

Maya took a short breath and jumped up again.

She’s targeting the 양익(兩翼) [both wings] in the rear.

Lillian and Caden, who can be said to be the holes in that team… Thinking that way, she killed the flow of the ball and lightly 밀어냈다 [pushed] it.

‘Did the serve toss seem a little low?’

Rain’s 눈썰미 [eye] was accurate.

Perhaps because of the serve toss that was slightly lower than before, Maya’s serve hit the end of the net… And with a light shock, it 넘기며 [passed] the net slightly and fell into the court.

It could have been a lucky ball situation, but Rain, who had read the situation from Maya’s 동작 [movement], moved at that moment.

“No……?!”

He stretches his legs long and moves his body to the point where the ball will fall, but he doesn’t 흐트러뜨리지 [disturb] his balance.

And as it is, he politely 모아 [gathered] both hands and 올려냈다 [lifted] the falling ball upwards.

Those who have some knowledge of magic volleyball could only gape blankly as they watched the series of 동작 [movements].

“It’s an overhand receive, but why does it look like a setup motion……?!”

“It’s a setup! That ghostly quick attack toss from before came out again……!”

“Logan jumped right away……!”

The moment Yors Bautel jumped up to 펼친 블로킹 [spread blocking] against Logan, who was 포효하는 [roaring] like a beast.

“……!”

“……!”

Logan and Yors both had big eyes.

The ball, which seemed like it was 올라가는 [going up] to Logan, 지나쳐 [passed] Logan’s spike course as it was and 향했다 [headed] to the right.

To where Hubert is.

Everyone’s eyes widened once again.

Gertrude Panton was the only one who 펼친 블로킹 [spread blocking] against Hubert, who was surprised by that toss and jumped up.

‘Only one blocking… I’ll 무조건 [unconditionally] make it a success!’

Hubert 내리찍었다 [smashed] the spike to the front where Gertrude’s hand could not reach… But Gertrude smiled 회심 [smugly] at that moment.

“I’ve got you……!”

It’s because I didn’t 블로킹 승부 [compete in blocking] on purpose. If I just 좁혀주면 [narrow] the course, hard receiver Rowen Belt will 받아낼 [receive] it right behind me.

“Good job, Gertrude!”

Another fierce 랠리가 이어졌 [rally continued] because Rowen Belt 가볍게 받아낸 [lightly received] the spike, but in the end, Griffin Valor succeeded in scoring with Sandra’s spike.

“I knew it would be like this…….”

“Griffin Valor, they’re too strong…….”

“Even though Felix and Krista are 빠졌 [missing], they’re still at that level…….”

Honestly, the challenger team 분발 [striving] to the point where you might think they should give them some points, but Griffin Valor was truly an 철벽 [iron wall]’s fortress.

“Ajaaaah───!”

While watching Sandra 방방 뛰는 [jumping up and down] as if she was so excited that she was going crazy, Owen turned to Lionheart’s captain.

“염병할 [cursing] Bradley.”

“Yes, Professor?”

“How many times have you monkeys 따낸 [won] a set against Griffin Valor recently?”

Bradley 잠시 생각에 잠기나 싶더니 대꾸했다 [seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before replying] in a gloomy voice.

“I don’t think we 따냈던 [won] even 1 set before the 1st grade trio 적응하기 [adapted] to the team. After that, we 따냈지만 [won] it at a ratio of about 4:1.”

Yes, that’s right. The problem that the challenger team has right now is right there…….

Around that time, Elin, who had reached a similar conclusion to Owen, called a time-out and 불러모았다 [called together] the players.

“It’s not just Rivendell and Harimun’s 얼라 [kids] that are holes. That 바람돌이 [whirlwind] is also 어지간히 a 민폐덩어리 [nuisance].”

“Are you talking about Hubert?”

“Yeah. He doesn’t seem to have much motivation, and when I saw him, it seemed like he just came to 채우는 [fill] the number of people.”

Lillian and Caden are working hard, but their skills aren’t coming out, because the opponent is Griffin Valor. But that guy is 괘씸하게도 [displeasingly] the opposite.

He has the skills, but he doesn’t work hard.

If Lionheart’s key cards, Logan-Nora-Hubert, were well 맞물렸 [meshed] with Rain, it would have been quite scary, but right now, that’s…….

“And my 허접 [pathetic] nephew is so 영특 [clever] that he’s doing 별 괴상한 짓을 [strange things], so don’t 당황하지 [panic] there one by one and do it as usual.”

Maya Snark, who was wiping sweat with a towel and drinking water, raised an objection.

“But as you saw in that C quick toss just now, the 판 [situation] is not 굴러가질 [rolling] as usual.”

“It’s clear that his skills are top-notch. But my nephew also has one fatal flaw. You and Yors know it well, right?”

Ah, Yors recalled Rain getting 말려든 [caught up] in a personal time difference just now and said this.

“He has no experience.”

“Yes, he has no experience in magic volleyball. It looks like he’s making 신들린 [god-given] plays, but it’s just 압도하는 [overwhelming] with skills, and when you watch it from outside the court, it’s just an application of textbook plays.”

The 선발진 [starting lineup] players, who were 복기해보던 [reviewing] the plays that Rain had shown so far in their heads, 하나둘씩 아하 [one by one, aha], and their eyes lit up.

“Certainly…….”

“I don’t know about spikers, but if the setter, who has to 총지휘 [command] the attack, is like that, it’s nothing special.”

The moment the cards that Rain can show 바닥이 [bottom out], the attack will become 단조로워지고 [monotonous] and 형식적으로 [formal].

“Be aware of that, and if you 집요하게 파고들 [tenaciously dig into] those three, it’ll be over on its own. Don’t 괜히 질질 끌지 [unnecessarily drag it out] and 찍어눌러 [press down]. As usual.”

Rowen Belt 긁었다 [scratched] his head as if he was 흐음, 아쉽다는 [hmm, it’s a pity].

I want to 가지고 놀면서 [play with] and 농락 [tease] him until he’s about to cry, but right now, we also have a long way to go.

In the first place, the target we were trying to 끌어내리 [bring down] is Valencidi, not Rain Ludwig.

And if I 갖고 놀다간 [play with] Rain, I don’t even know how this tiger will 화낼 [get angry], and above all, he’s the 정통 후계자 [legitimate successor] of the Ludwig family, so there’s no need to 완전히 척질 [completely make enemies].

“I understand, Professor.”

“Then first, 제대로 끝내 [properly finish] the 1st set and come. So that you don’t even have the strength to 덤벼들 [attack] in the 2nd set.”

This was the 최대한의 예우 [utmost courtesy] that Elin could 해줄 [do] to her nephew.

If Griffin Valor 쓰러뜨린 [defeats] him with all their might, no one will 비웃지 [laugh at] that child. Rather, his name and the 위상 [status] of his family will become more 드높아지리라 [exalted].

He 벌였다 [put on] a 호투 [good fight] for the student council against such Griffin Valor…….

‘You’re already a 영웅 [hero] with just this, Rain. It’s enough now.’

If I make him 패배하게 [lose] to a team that 급조한 [hurriedly made] a royal club with a long history to 위하겠답시고 [for the sake of] my nephew, that would be a 가문의 불명예 [family disgrace].

And furthermore, it will be a 장애 요소 [obstacle] in Rain’s future.

This is the best. This is the 최선 [best] that I can 해줄 [do] to my 총애하는 [cherished] nephew.

‘Now, let’s 끝내 다 [finish it].’