Chapter 47 October 3, 2022
Chapter 47 – Students’ Duel (1)
Chris Benimore, who received a letter in his private office, read the letter once and immediately burned it down.
“Yeah. As expected, I already knew it.”
The report had been sent by a Sören employee
The content of the report was news on Ludger Chelysie.
“He’s eagerly teaching that commoner kid? He’s desperate to win the bet even though he pretended not to be like that, I see.”
He muttered and laughed at Ludger’s desperate attempt, but Chris Benimore didn’t stay still, either.
He turned his head and looked at the boy who was standing nervously in front of him.
“Jevan Felio.”
“Yes!”
“I think you already know what I want to tell you.”
Jevan nodded his head with a determined look.
“Yes. I know it. I have to win this open duel against that arrogant commoner.”
“Just winning the duel is not enough. You should properly show the gap between aristocrats and commoners with overwhelming power.”
It was a rather hard request to the point that it felt burdensome, but Jevan Felio did not think he would fail.
When he heard that Aidan was being taught something by Ludger Chelysie, he was somewhat anxious, but he had Chris Benimore by his side.
“Take it.”
Chris threw a chemical bottle at Jevan.
“This, this is?” Jevan asked back with a bewildered face while looking at the blue liquid filled inside the bottle.
“It’s a mana boosting drug. Drink it before you enter the duel.”
“A-are you for real? But won’t I be disqualified if I drink this?”
“No. It’s alright. It’s the specialty of the Benimore clan to not leave a trace if you take the drug in advance, so you won’t get caught.”
“This…”
“If you drink it, it will boost your power instantly, but it lasts less than five minutes.”
“Five minutes, huh. It’s quite short, I see,”
“Yes. Of course, it’s short. That’s why you won’t even get caught in the preliminary examination. It doesn’t boost your existing mana, but it increases the limit of your mana output, so it’s closer to drawing out your mana. The trace of the drug will disappear immediately, leaving only its effect, so watch out for mana exhaustion after half an hour.”
Jevan gulped at Chris’s words.
In fact, it was more like a drug that allowed him to use the mana that he possessed all at once.
His pride did not allow him to drink such a drug to go against a mere commoner, but…
‘But if it’s for a definitive victory…’
Since Ludger was behind him anyway, he might have received something just like Jevan.
Because he was a dirty commoner…
He might commit a very serious foul play.
Jevan put the boosting drug in his pocket with a stiff face while thinking so.
Chris laughed at the sight.
“Well thought out. Now, shall we go?”
***
More than half of the seats at the second training center were filled with people who came to see the day’s freshmen’s magic duel which was about to be held in public.
Most of the first-year students had gathered, and that time, the second-year students and other professors were also unexpectedly gathered in between.
If it was just a fight between the first-years, they would have just passed it by, but if it was a duel where the two professors officially gave them permission and observed it, then it was a different story.
Ludger Chelysie…
Chris Benimore…
The two professors had just been appointed to Sören, and they both had something in common: they were in charge of spellcasting class.
However, one of them was a fallen aristocrat, and the other one was a prestigious high-ranking Count.
They had a considerable difference in their status.
Moreover, Ludger supported commoners, and Chris Benimore supported the aristocracy.
The upcoming duel went beyond a mere fight between new students into a single-round match between commoners and aristocracy.
“In the end, who will win?”
“Isn’t this a fight between freshmen? Then the aristocracy side has more of an advantage. They have been receiving a private education from a young age, right?”
“But I heard that the commoner freshmen who entered Sören this time can’t be looked down either, though? I heard he also made a great contribution in the werewolf incident last time.”
“But he still didn’t catch the werewolves, can he be the aristocracy’s opponent?”
“We don’t know, right? People had been talking a lot about how Professor Ludger helped him.”
“In that case, Professor Chris is helping the other side, though?”
“I don’t really know that Professor. Is he in charge of the first-year students?”
“Yeah. They’re teaching the same spellcasting class anyway, but I think he’s quite determined when compared to Professor Ludger.”
“You totally got me.”
While they were talking like that, the people’s eyes were heading to the upper seats among the audience where only the professors could sit.
“Hey. Look, look. They came.”
“Oh. It’s for real, huh?”
Chris Benimore, who had just entered the professor’s seat, sat calmly while keeping his dignity as an aristocrat.
Because of his intelligent appearance, the girl students’ eyes naturally followed Chris with admiration.
Chris also subtly enjoyed such gazes.
The way they looked up at him made him realize that he was a greater man.
At that moment, the students’ buzz grew louder—the buzz was quite different from when Chris had shown up.
‘What?’
Chris wondered who it was, and it turned out it was that man.
Ludger Chelysie.
—A man with long, black long hair that was tied into a ponytail.
—His sharp jawline and high nose bridge.
—His vigorous facial features and deep, calm eyes that made women’s hearts cry.
—His black, cotton pants and black dress shirt. His necktie was black as well, and even the long coat on top of it was also black.
His overall impression came from the combination of black color, which literally reminded Chris of a raven.
With a staff in his right hand, he looked like the head of a prestigious magic family.
“Whoa. Look at Professor Ludger.”
“His atmosphere is no joke, though?”
All the students’ eyes, which had been distracted by Chris’s appearance some time ago, were directed at Ludger.
However, Ludger went straight to the empty professor’s seat and sat down without even caring about how much attention he received.
“Did you see that?”
“Yeah. His atmosphere is really no joke. I understand why the rumors about him are so popular.”
“Is he really a fallen aristocrat? I thought he was more aristocratic than other aristocratic professors.”
Chris clicked his tongue as he overheard the students talking like that.
His crude eyes, which did not hide his unpleasant feelings, turned to Ludger, who sat in the next row after him.
Ludger should have looked at him as well, but the man was staring at the training ground with expressive eyes and Chris didn’t know what Ludger was thinking.
Chris gritted his teeth in response when Ludger seemed to pay absolutely no attention to him.
‘Hmph. His smug attitude will be over now. I will make you feel defeated in front of everyone.’
That fight would be won by Jevan Felio, anyway.
Aidan? Wasn’t he a commoner?
Chris didn’t even know there was such a student. He hadn’t even checked the list of commoner students.
He felt that it was a waste of time trying to check out the list.
‘A commoner is a commoner anyway. Even if those who are not properly educated enter the Academy with some special favor, in the end, that’s their limit.’
When he was thinking so inwardly, the uproar of the audience reached its peak.
Feeling that the uproar was louder than when Ludger appeared, Chris looked back and was able to realize why.
“Your honor. You came?”
Chris jumped out of his seat at the appearance of Elisa Willow and greeted her.
The principal accepted Chris’s greeting with a beaming smile.
“Hello, professor Chris Benimore. Whoa. There are so many people here, I see.”
“What brings Your Honor here…”
“I heard that something interesting happened, so I came to see it since I have spare time.”
“I see.”
The professors who followed the principal to assist her were Mary Ross, in charge of Pharmacy, who was known to have been Sören’s longest-serving professor, and Hugo Bourtag, who led a faction of the aristocratic professors which included Chris.
When all the most famous people from Sören gathered, the students expressed their surprise, as they didn’t know that the duel at that time was going to be so great.
It was the same with Chris. He just thought the two students would fight moderately and then end their duel, so he didn’t expect the principal to show up.
‘As expected, was the principal bound to show up because it was a fight between a commoner and an aristocratic student?’
The principal was nominally completely neutral without siding with either faction, but Chris knew.
—That the principal valued the commoner students more than those from the aristocracy instead.
That’s why Hugo was at odds with the principal in the first place.
‘Is it going to be okay?”
Even after the principal showed up, the man just sat still without looking back.
What an extremely insolent act.
But he thought that it was just like Ludger’s usual self, so Chris was annoyed with himself for some reason.
“Professor Ludger! Long time no see!”
The principal greeted Ludger first with a bright smile.
Only then did Ludger’s head, which was still, turn to see the principal.
He slowly rose from his seat and bowed to the principal.
“Hello, Your honor.”
“Yes. Have you been well, Professor Ludger? How are you?”
“Yes. I have been well.”
“I was really surprised. Suddenly, I heard that Professor Ludger and Professor Chris would watch the students’ duel. I was wondering what was going on.”
“We just made a simple bet.”
“Hmm. Bet, huh. Who did you bet on winning, Professor Ludger?”
The principal asked subtly as if she wanted to hear it from Ludger himself, even though she already knew the answer.
“I betted on Aidan’s victory.”
“A bet doesn’t work unless each party chooses the opposite, so does Professor Chris bet on Jevan Felio’s victory? “
“…Yes. You are right.”
Chris had no choice but to reluctantly answer.
The principal smiled beamingly and clapped her hands.
“I’m really looking forward to it. Of course, the priority is for the students not to get hurt, right?”
“You don’t have to be concerned about it. We’ve prepared as much safety equipment as possible,” Mary Ross answered from the principal’s side instead.
No matter how formal the duel between students was, it was highly likely for them to hurt the other person.
Therefore, they put on light protective gear in advance before entering the duel.
They were metal protectors that could be attached to the chest, shoulders, and knees. The metal protectors resonated with each other and created a thin barrier of magic over the students’ bodies.
The mana energy of the barrier would be consumed to prevent external magic shocks.
In other words, it was a safe method that wouldn’t put someone’s life in danger at all, someone would be defeated when all of their barrier’s energy had been consumed.
“Then it’s a relief.”
“Oh, the participants arrived just in time.”
The first person to stand at the center of the training ground was Aidan, who looked very nervous.
He looked like he was already going to throw up because he was not used to the spotlight.
However, he felt like he was desperately holding it in because it was the position he had to bear with, after all.
“Aidan! Cheer up!”
“Just break that impudent Jevan’s nose!”
Thanks to Tessie and Leo, who shouted and cheered at him in a loud voice, Aidan nodded his head with a more comfortable face and waved to the audience.
The commoner students cheered wholeheartedly for Aidan, hoping that he would boost the status of the commoners.
At that time, Jevan appeared through the opposite entrance.
“Jevan! We believe only in you!”
“Show us the pride of the aristocracy!”
The aristocratic students cheered for Jevan. Jevan nodded with his smug smile as if he was already familiar with this situation.
The two stood face to face. Jevan mocked Aidan.
“You didn’t run away, huh?”
“…”
“Are you nervous? Tsk tsk. I’m sure commoners are not used to this kind of position. Why didn’t you just run away? If you had run away, you wouldn’t have had to suffer a horrible defeat in front of everyone.”
“…If I win.”
“Huh?”
“You should apologize for saying harsh words to Tessie. To Leo as well.”
“What? Hahaha!”
Jevan burst into laughter, as he didn’t expect Aidan to say such words there.
“Alright. If you win, I’ll kneel for you.”
“I definitely heard those words.”
“But I’ll only have to do that after you win against me, though?”
Jevan was confident.
The powerful mana that filled up his body… It was from the mana-boosting drug that he drank just before going on stage.
The item duration lasted for such a short time that no one would know if he used it or not.
There was a condition that he had to fight properly and win in less than five minutes, but with this power, it didn’t seem that it would be very difficult to do so.
‘If we’re using the same magic anyway, my body that is currently overflowing with mana will win.’
There was nothing more advantageous than firepower in a wizard duel.
Even if both of them casted the same magic at the same speed, he could overpower Aidan with his strength.
Jevan was in a state where it was possible for him to do so.
It was only five minutes, but it was a very sufficient amount of time.
Before entering the duel, the judge had checked the conditions of Aidan and Jevan’s bodies.
It was to check if irregularities were involved in their bodies before the duel. Jevan took Chris’s word for the inspection, so he agreed to do it proudly.
In fact, the judge could not notice the irregularities in Jevan.
The judge, who checked Aidan’s body condition soon after, opened his eyes wide when he saw the object hanging on his waist.
“Student. What’s this?”
“Oh, this is my own staff that I’m going to use for the duel.”
Aidan replied with a smile, but the judge still looked confused.
It was because Aidan’s staff was different in shape when compared with the staves with a unique material that was usually handled by wizards.
The staff was…
In the form of a sword.
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