Mightiest Melee Magician
Chapter 41
If you were to pick out the one school that had the most fans and cheer squads in the Altein Stadium, there was only one option.
‘Raynac Magic Soldier Training School.’
The school with the most recognition among the 17 magic schools of the Raynac Imperial Federation.
It produced Fire King Teron and every year hundreds of capable magicians graduated from there.
As, based on its capabilities and its fame, it was the most prestigious of the prestigious schools, they were definitely the main character of this competition.
Everyone voted for Raynac Magic Soldier Training School to be the most likely to be victorious in the group competition.
Even in the individual competition, the school’s representative, ‘Doom Prime’, received an overwhelming majority of the votes for victory predictions.
Yeah.
A name you would frequently hear in the cheers of the festival.
“Doom! Doom! Doom!”
“Doom Prime! Doom Prime! Doom Prime!”
Doom Prime.
The best of the best of the Raynac Magic Soldier Training School.
Genius amongst geniuses.
He looked on at the field with an expressionless face, as if none of the cheers had any effect on his emotions.
His expression was solid, like it was the expression he had his entire life.
“…Are you certain?”
But that immutable face spectating the game instantly crumbled.
Because of this rare sensitive reaction from Doom, the student who was talking stuttered a little.
“Ah, th-that’s… I-I’m certain. I definitely saw it. Ruin Ardell. That academy representative definitely went up to the host room.”
“……Ruin Ardell. Why did that guy go there?”
“T-that… I don’t know that either…”
“……”
The reason Doom Prime was being this sensitive.
The reason…
Was because someone other than him had a one-on-one talk with the Fire King.
Ruin Ardell.
Because Doom Prime also watched some of the Academy’s games, he knew a lot about Ruin.
The main character of the record-breaking performance that the Ignit Magic Academy had shown this Grand Festival.
He was rumoured to be very hard to deal with because of his unique magic.
However, Doom didn’t try to keep Ruin in check.
No matter how much Ruin struggled and fought, at the end of the day, he was just an annoyance to Doom.
Because the magic Ruin showed was only up to 5th-Class Novice level.
However,
‘A meal with the Fire King… Why?’
This was a grave matter.
King of Magicians.
Fire King Teron.
He had never called Doom up during the entire competition.
However, Ruin was called up.
‘Why that guy…?’
He could vaguely guess the reason.
That unique magic Ruin used probably played a part in it.
Even so, Doom Prime still bit the corner of his cheek.
The emotion that he was showing was,
‘Did he pique his curiosity? A magician other than me?’
It was definitely ‘envy’.
And another emotion was hidden behind that jealousy.
A sense of fear that Teron’s attention would move on to someone other than him.
These emotions clouded Doom’s mind and thoughts.
He was always 1st place.
And he had always received unrivalled attention from everyone everywhere.
The rising star of the empire and a next-generation magician who would enter the Magic Tower in the future.
However, none of these things were important to him.
There was only one thing that could satisfy Doom Prime.
‘Fire King Teron’s attention.’
Thought Doom Prime while looking into the air above the stadium.
‘Well… He was probably curious just because he was unnatural. Surely…’
For now,
He wished that Teron’s attention stayed with him.
* * *
Fire King Teron.
He was quite satisfied by the dinner he had today.
As soon as Ruin went back down to the field, Tirion Ignit spoke up.
“Teron, thank you for being more polite than I expected.”
“Hm? Were you scared I was going to eat up your disciple or something?”
“Of course not.”
“Don’t worry. I always welcome talented magicians. I was just a little curious.”
The first time he saw Ruin’s magic, “the supreme being’s curiosity” that wanted to find out everything about what he saw dominated Teron’s mind.
However, after sharing a meal with Ruin today, his thoughts had changed a little.
“Then, did you satisfy that curiosity?”
“Keke. There’s no way. He was hiding something that deep in his heart, trying not to show me, so how couldn’t I get more curious? However, another type of curiosity is boiling out.”
“Another type?”
“You heard it too. That daring kid subtly warned me.”
Ruin used the word ‘warn’.
But rather than a warning, it was closer to a bet.
A bet that said that he should look forward to Ruin fighting against the disciples Teron had been raising.
“That kid. He stayed defiant in front of me. Most other magicians would beg and grovel like some puppies.”
“Isn’t he still just a kid? Let it go a bit.”
* * *
* * *
“Hm. Other than that, didn’t you also hear him joke about wanting cocovanilla before?”
At the mention of cocovanilla, both of them simultaneously laughed. “Pah!”
There weren’t that many students who could respond in kind to a joke thrown by the King of Magicians.
‘Compared to him, that Doom Prime kid…’
‘Doom Prime’, who he was currently nurturing, was the complete opposite.
Doom was an excellent disciple that surpassed his expectations, but he wasn’t fun in the slightest.
He always strived for Teron’s praises and attention, but also couldn’t relax around him.
Doom was so tense that you could say they never had any personal talks.
Compared to that, Ruin had a human quality to him.
“He would become an important person with his guts alone… Maybe it was you who was raising the tiger.”
“Please be accurate. He’s not a tiger. He’s a dragon.”
“A dragon… If he’s a dragon, his power will grow in an instant. If you have a hard time managing him, you can always leave him to me.”
“If that’s what Ruin wants, then I’ll let you. But I don’t think he will do that.”
“Keke. That’s true.”
This wasn’t just simple curiosity about Ruin’s ‘abilities’,
But curiosity about ‘Ruin Ardell’ as a human being.
If possible, he wanted to stay close to keep watch on him and see everything about him.
That kind of magician.
Of course, it wasn’t like this was impossible.
‘Maybe if that Ruin kid was to win the whole Grand Festival…’
A privilege given only to the winner.
They were issued a mission fit for the magician who would lead the next generation and they would have a direct audience with the emperor.
Through this, they could also make their name known across the continent.
This helped Ruin.
And it also helped Teron’s ‘curiosity’ that wanted to put Ruin next to him.
It was good for everyone.
However,
‘Tsk. This is getting troublesome.’
Rather than Ruin, it should either be Doom Prime, Irene Prius, or any of the other 11 Children he personally raised who should be the winner of the Fire King’s honour.
Teron looked down at the crystal ball with a complicated expression from struggling to pick who to cheer for.
Then,
‘Hm?’
Inside the crystal ball were the two lads who were causing his internal struggle.
Seeing this, Teron’s lips curled upwards.
* * *
I finished having the meal with Fire King Teron and came out of the mana gate.
But, as soon as the doors to the gate opened, I saw an unusual face.
‘……Doom Prime.’
Why was this guy here?
Well, that wasn’t my business.
I had never had a conversation with him, so I tried to just walk past.
However,
“Stop.”
“……”
Doom didn’t seem to have any intention of letting me go.
……Was he waiting for me?
As I glanced at Doom Prime, he opened his mouth, speaking arrogantly.
“What did you talk about?”
“………”
What did we talk about?
Why was this guy asking that?
“What?”
“Ruin Ardell, what did the Fire King say to you?”
“Why are you asking?”
“Answer my question.”
“…Why should I?”
“There’s no reason. But…”
As I showed my intention to stay silent, Doom’s gaze turned dangerous.
“I need to know.”
“……”
He seemed like a guy who didn’t normally show his emotions, but after this guy expressed himself, it felt pretty deadly.
It was as if the surrounding air froze up.
Magic?
No, it wasn’t magic.
This was the sword hanging on his waist.
It was the feeling radiating out from his artifact, the Sword of Brilliance.
The mana of a magic sword used by demons.
It was too savage for our first encounter.
“Are you challenging me? Even though this is outside the tournament grounds?”
“Answer me. What did he ask you? What did the Fire King say to you?”
Just why were you so curious?
Since his attitude was like this, I wanted to tell him less.
Well, you know how it is.
The more they annoyingly ask, the more you don’t want to tell them.
Bit of a stance of resistance.
“There was nothing special… But since you’re asking like that, I don’t want to answer.”
“……What did you say?”
Doom’s eyes flared up.
A sense of danger shot out, as if he was going to pull his sword out right here and charge at me.
‘They say his swordsmanship is outstanding too…’
He wouldn’t pull out the sword outside of competition like an idiot, but just in case, I simulated the scenario in my head.
Before, at the Academy, I learnt how to fight against Lord Coulter, so I knew how to combat a knight.
But this was a real sword.
On top of that, I had never fought someone with a magic sword before.
Maybe that was why.
Or maybe it was because that guy was genuinely strong.
I couldn’t see any openings.
No matter how much I planned, there was no clear picture that could lead to my victory.
I could sense it.
That guy was strong.
There were no truly weak people at this festival, but no one would compare with the one who won the Magic Festival every year.
He was at a different level.
‘So, he wasn’t a winner’s candidate for nothing.’
I clenched my fists hard.
A stand-off held for a few moments.
As this tension became thicker and thicker,
“Both of you, stop right now.”
“……”
A familiar voice rang out from behind.
It was someone I knew, and also someone I didn’t expect to see.
Irene Prius.
I shrugged my shoulders and spoke.
“There… seems to be a meeting here today. Everyone’s gathered together.”
“There’s no meeting, but if you’re going to be reckless outside of the tournament grounds like this, I might need to facilitate a formal greeting between you two.”
Since she was looking at us with a dumbfounded expression, I replied, smiling brightly,
“Hm… I’ll decline.”
——
