Book 1 Chapter 916

916.

Lumern first-year combat studies class.

Today was the day for 1:1 mock duels among first-year students.

On the duel arena, Vito Ingteum, the top-ranked student in the first-year magic department, and Zerev Tailum, the 10th-ranked student in the magic department, were engaged in a duel.

Waves were surging around Vito.

Vito, who mainly used water magic, was a wizard with solid defensive capabilities.

Around Vito, Zerev, who wielded wind magic, was moving rapidly.

Zerev moved at an incredible speed, disrupting Vito's vision.

'A wind-attribute battle mage.'

The most famous wind-attribute battle mage at Lumern was Chelsea, a third-year student.

Of course, even if they were mages of the same attribute and style, their combat methods were completely different.

Chelsea was known throughout Lumern for her incredible speed, but she wasn't the type to pressure opponents with speed in combat.

She preferred a combat style that involved gaining an advantage in close combat based on high-speed incantations and excellent close-quarters combat abilities, then overpowering the opponent.

These strengths allowed her to stop the charges of Celia, Duran, and Chen Xia, who were known as the three monsters of the knight department in the same year.

However, in contrast to Chelsea, Zerev preferred a combat style that used speed alone to confuse the opponent's eyes, create an opening, and then inflict a critical blow in one go.

And he changed his tactics depending on the opponent's class.

Defensively against knights.

Aggressively against mages or summoners.

Chelsea was abnormal; typical battle mage combat was similar to Zerev's.

'But even so, he's also different from a typical battle mage.'

Unlike battle mages who defend against enemies on the front lines and assist allies, Zerev focused on overpowering his opponents.

That made him even more challenging.

'Actually… among first-year magic students, Zerev is also first in 1:1 combat!'

Vito broke into a cold sweat at Zerev's attack, which slashed his back with wind magic.

He managed to block the attack with the water-attribute protective magic 'Aqua Armor,' but he couldn't even perceive the incoming attack.

'If I get cornered like this again, I'll just keep defending and deplete my magic power.'

Recalling the flow of his previous battle with Zerev, Vito surged his magic power.

Whoosh-!

The surging waves began to react to the magic power.

Vito's waves, now even angrier, spread in all directions.

"I wasn't just playing during summer vacation! I thought about countermeasures for you! Zerev!"

Zerev flinched at Vito's magic attack.

Then he quickly hardened his face and lowered his stance.

Slam-!

Zerev shot forward like an arrow of wind, piercing through the waves that crashed down like a tsunami.

"…!"

Vito was startled and poured magic power into his Aqua Armor.

Thwack-!

But Zerev's staff tip was quicker, tearing through the Aqua Armor and touching Vito's neck.

Alby, the combat studies professor watching the scene, opened his mouth.

"Vito Ingteum, win."

"What?! Isn't that Zerev's victory?"

A knight department student asked back with a bewildered expression.

Alby calmly replied.

"Zerev Tailum's arm broke while he was piercing through the waves. His magic also dissipated before it touched the neck. Zerev Tailum no longer has the ability to continue the battle."

Zerev nodded at Alby's calm words.

"Yes, as Professor Alby said. Vito, you won."

Zerev smiled and congratulated Vito on his victory.

"…Thank you."

Vito's expression wasn't very good.

"Return to your seats."

As Alby recorded the results, the two returned to their respective places.

"Alby! You finally beat Zerev!"

"That Zerev! He's only specialized in 1:1 duels! Now you're definitely the top student in the magic department!"

"…"

First-year magic students who usually hung out with Vito praised him.

Milia, watching the scene, muttered.

"Can we really say Vito won this duel?"

At the words of Milia, the top student in the knight department, the magic students bristled.

"What?"

"Why are you picking a fight!"

"Are you siding with Zerev because you're both commoners?"

Regardless of department, Milia took good care of her commoner classmates and kept noble students who looked down on those from commoner backgrounds in check.

As a result, many noble students had strong resentment towards Milia.

Of course, Milia remained unfazed by their reactions.

"If it were a real fight, would Vito really have won?"

"What?"

"If it were a real fight, Zerev would have definitely brought his combat staff."

"…"

As she said, Zerev used a staff specialized for piercing, shaped like an awl.

Since it was a duel, he had replaced it with a wooden staff.

Even if his arm was broken and his magic power exhausted, if the situation just now had been a real fight, Zerev could have ended Vito's life.

Vito knew this, which was why his expression wasn't good.

"Still a long way to go."

Vito muttered with a frustrated expression.

He was the undisputed top student of the first-year magic department.

While he was always second to Zerev in 1:1 combat, in other areas, he overwhelmingly surpassed Zerev as a mage.

Considering that a mage's primary role on the battlefield is not 1:1 combat, it's no exaggeration to say that no first-year magic student could surpass Vito.

Nevertheless, Vito cared about 1:1 duels with Zerev to become a perfect first-place.

It was then that Milia stared intently at Vito.

"Milia Rolla of the Knight Department. And…"

After calling Milia's name, Alby glanced at a female student trimming her nails on the summoner department side.

"Perena Hergin."

"Gasp! It's a big match!"

"Perena was superior in the first semester, I wonder how the second semester will be?"

Students' eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Milia, who had a powerful longbow and a relatively less powerful but fast-firing shortbow, strapped a quiver to her waist and glanced at Perena.

'Perena, Eliza senior's younger sister.'

And the undisputed first-year representative.

Since claiming the freshman representative position upon admission, Perena had never once allowed Milia or Vito to take the first-year representative spot.

One might say she was only a first-year, but to Milia, the difference was overwhelming.

'How much have I caught up?'

While thinking that, Milia bit her lip slightly at someone's shadow visible behind Perena's back.

'Eliza senior.'

Eliza, the younger sister of Kale, the senior whom Milia admired, respected, and liked, and who was dating him.

Of course, there was nothing special between Kale and Milia.

To Kale, Milia was just a junior from another department.

They had become quite close doing activities in the same merchant club, but only to that extent.

Since it was merely a close senior-junior relationship, it was right to support Kale's romance.

But for a teenage girl, the feeling of first love wasn't so simple.

It was hard to just wish them well and watch.

'Though not as much as Juen senior.'

She recalled Juen, whom she had accidentally seen that day.

Juen, who had stayed behind in the party hall after the dance party ended and everyone had left, crying her eyes out.

She hadn't even shown up for classes for about a week.

'…'

Milia looked at Perena.

Looking at her, Milia didn't want to be conscious of Kale and Eliza, but it wasn't easy.

Even after coming onto the duel arena, Perena didn't stop trimming her nails.

A behavior she hadn't done in the first semester.

Milia could easily tell who Perena was imitating.

"Ack!"

Perena, trimming her nails while walking, slightly screamed as if she pinched her finger.

Watching her, Milia said.

"Eliza senior doesn't trim her nails while walking."

At that, Perena glared at Milia.

Milia met Perena's gaze with an expressionless face.

Perena scoffed, pulled out a whip, and raised her chin with an arrogant expression.

That too was an imitation of Eliza.

"It doesn't suit you at all."

That statement was true.

Eliza had an air of intimidation and dignity even when looking down on others.

But Perena only looked cute.

"What's wrong with you since earlier?"

Perena showed a slightly irritated expression.

She was annoyed because Milia kept interrupting her when she was just imitating her respected sister.

Watching Perena, Milia silently picked up her shortbow.

And drew an arrow, nocking it to the string.

Yet, Perena maintained a relaxed expression and let her hand holding the whip hang loose.

She underestimated Milia, confident in her superior skill.

Of course, it was true that Perena had superior skill.

"Aren't you underestimating me too much?"

"Hmph."

At Milia's question, Perena imitated Eliza, giving a condescending smile.

It was an ill-fitting smile.

Some students even chuckled at Perena's demeanor.

But Milia was annoyed.

Alby, who had been observing the situation, spoke.

"Begin."

With those words, Milia drew her bowstring.

Creak! Thwack-!

An arrow rapidly flew, aiming for Perena's head.

Whoosh! Crack-!

Perena swung her whip, blocking Milia's arrow.

Annoyance appeared on Perena's face.

"What are you doing? Are you picking a fight?"

It is more efficient to aim at the body, which has a larger area, than the head.

Despite that, Milia aimed for the head.

"Take it seriously. Stop imitating Eliza senior, it doesn't suit you."

Feeling her anger rise at Milia's words, Perena extended her hands.

Whoosh-!

Summoning circles activated at the tips of Perena's hands.

Fwoosh! Zap-!

Long whips formed in Perena's hands.

Flames blazed and lightning sparked.

Shhhhaaaaa-!

At that moment, the whips let out fierce snake-like sounds.

What Perena had summoned were phantom beasts.

A mid-level phantom beast, Flame Snake, with a burning body, and a high-level phantom beast, Golden Gorgon, spewing lightning.

Both were snake-shaped phantom beasts.

Perena swung the Flame Snake held in her left hand.

Fwoosh-!

The Flame Snake, flying like a whip, aimed for Milia's neck.

Flash-!

Milia quickly widened the distance.

But at that moment, the Flame Snake's body stretched out.

She had grown the phantom beast using phantom beast art, extending its body.

Milia grabbed the end of her shortbow and released the bowstring.

Snap-!

As the bowstring released, the bent bow fully extended.

The recoil struck the Flame Snake.

Thud-!

Kyaaaaa!

The Flame Snake let out a high-pitched, irritable shriek.

Milia, who had widened the distance even further, pulled out a large longbow from her arms and drew the string.

Screeeech-!

The longbow let out an unusual shriek.

Immense power concentrated at the tip of the arrow nocked on the bowstring.

Thwip-!

In an instant, an arrow imbued with aura, moving at an invisible speed, cut through the air.

The Golden Gorgon held in Perena's right hand quickly bit the incoming arrow.

Of course, it wasn't enough to block the power contained in the arrow.

But it was enough to slightly reduce the arrow's speed and power, and in that gap, Perena barely managed to dodge the arrow.

The reason Perena barely dodged the attack was one.

To not give Milia any time.

Perena immediately closed the distance and went on the counterattack.

Milia put the shortbow on the ground, bent it, and quickly nocked the bowstring.

But Perena's dive was faster than that.

Whoosh-!

The Golden Gorgon coiled around Milia's body.

Zap-zap-zap-!

"…!"

As intense lightning was emitted, Milia's body was electrocuted.

"Hmph."

"…!"

As intense lightning was emitted, Milia's body was electrocuted and then she collapsed with a thud.

"Perena Hergin, win."

"Hmph."

At Alby's declaration, Perena scoffed and retracted the Golden Gorgon.

"Milia Rolla. You fought excessively emotionally. It wasn't like your usual self."

At Alby's指摘, Milia bowed her head.

"I apologize."

"Return to your seats."

The first-year students looked disappointed at the unexpectedly dull end to the duel.

As they returned to their seats, summoner department students crowded around Perena.

"Perena! That was awesome!"

"You've already secured the first-year representative spot for the second semester too!"

As the first-years praised her, Perena wore a proud expression.

"Hmph."

Milia muttered at Perena's smile, which was like Eliza's.

"It really doesn't suit you."

"What's wrong with you! Why have you been picking a fight since earlier!"

Perena raised her eyes and lunged at Milia.

"Who gave you permission to cause a disturbance?"

"Ugh!"

"Milia Rolla. You've been provoking Perena Hergin excessively since earlier."

"…"

"Perena Hergin. You too, refrain from excessively looking down on your classmates."

"T-this, I was just imitating my sister…"

When Perena protested, Alby said coldly.

"Eliza Hergin didn't ignore her classmates like you do."

"Ugh!"

"And it doesn't suit you either."

At Alby's remark, Perena slumped her shoulders.

"Both of you, as punishment for causing a disturbance during class, will clean the restrooms after school and submit a reflection essay by tomorrow."

"Yes."

"…Yes."

Milia answered calmly, and Perena answered while glaring at Milia.