Chapter 28
Chapter 28
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Blaze Eater Showdown
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Miss, wouldn't it be better to take a little break and study at a more relaxed pace...?"
"You're already first in the rankings. The professors at the Royal Academy even said there's no one who can keep up with you. There's no need to feel so rushed."
Ester Tristy was the first wall Etilla had ever encountered.
The moment she first faced him, she felt as though her own talents were being denied.
She still couldn't forget the way he had looked at her, as if he had mastered everything.
"Magic is a discipline that can produce greater power when combined with the rules of the world."
"The magic you know is merely half of it."
It infuriated her—the way he said it with such a smug expression, making it seem like beating her was no big deal.
Ester was undoubtedly the first person to stir such complicated emotions in Etilla.
For a girl who had always believed without a doubt that she possessed the world's greatest talent, the sudden appearance of another genius was nothing short of a disaster.
'How long ago did he solve the Millennium Problem, and now he's already unraveled the Necronomicon's barrier incantation... Youngest recipient of the Royal Third-Class Medal, and even a junior baronet title... Ugh.'
Etilla felt as if Ester had stolen every title she was destined to claim.
She had barely slept a total of eight hours all week.
Ever since meeting Ester, Etilla had thrown herself into magic like a woman possessed.
It was because she was so frustrated.
And she had worked tirelessly to vent that frustration.
Etilla spotted the boy in the hallway.
'E-Ester Tristy...'
At first, she thought it was a hallucination from sleep deprivation, but the Ester standing before her was real.
'Is this a dream or reality...?'
Ester wasn't a student at Tristy Academy like Etilla.
Was he here on business again? Why was he walking the halls alone without even a maid?
'Whatever the reason, this is my chance.'
A chance to show Ester Tristy her true abilities.
A chance to flatten the nose of the boy who had looked down on her with such arrogance.
However, for some reason, Etilla's mouth wouldn't move easily today.
She clearly remembered her first encounter with Ester.
Her pride shattered by a boy more talented than herself, Etilla had burst into tears and fled.
It was a memory so embarrassing that she kicked her blankets in rage every night.
And understandably so—through Ester's eyes, she must have looked like a lunatic who started sobbing mid-problem-solving, ran off, and face-planted on the floor...
'Now that he's right in front of me, it's so embarrassing...'
"Do you need something from me?"
Ester stopped walking.
"Miss Etilla Badford."
He addressed her calmly.
"Ugh..."
Etilla's face burned hot.
"Feel free to speak casually. Staring at me like that is even more intimidating."
How could she challenge him to a duel in a way that sounded natural and not weird?
'A duel!!' feels too much... 'I have something to ask!!' is even worse...
As Etilla hemmed and hawed, Ester's legs began to move again.
"Since there's no business, I'll be going."
"W-Wait a second!!"
Etilla made her decision.
She cast her spell.
'Blaze Eater'—born from combining the Flame School's Ignition with the Life School's Rapid Growth—manifested right there.
It started the size of a candle flame, but grew larger with each passing second.
It might look like an unremarkable, ordinary spell at first glance, but it boasted performance rivaling high-tier magic.
The reason was simple.
Mixing spells from entirely different schools was like blending water and oil.
Etilla wore a proud expression.
While most mages devoted their lives to a single school, she was different.
She stood completely opposite from the words "ordinary" and "mediocre."
Not only had she mastered the Flame School's knowledge, but also that of every other school.
Cross Blend.
She had succeeded in fusing spells from two disparate schools to create a new incantation.
There had been many attempts before, but Etilla was the only one to perfect it.
"Hmph~"
She had shown it to Professor Aria just recently, who called it a tremendous invention. Polish it a bit more, announce it to the academic world, and a Royal Medal along with the Quadri-Color Award were as good as hers.
Etilla puffed up with pride.
'He must be shocked, right?'
Genius recognizes genius.
A genius who solved the Millennium Problem would surely grasp just how amazing the magic Etilla had just performed was.
'Show me that surprised face already! Beg me to explain how I did it, and I might even tell you nicely!'
But.
Ester merely stroked his chin, observing Etilla's magic intently.
"Hmm."
Ester strode straight toward the now-massive flame.
"A new spell mixing Rapid Growth and Ignition. A fitting combination, certainly, but to my eyes, it has far too many vulnerabilities."
When Ester jabbed a finger into the flame's center, it extinguished in an instant.
"There have been many attempts to merge spells and birth new magic. Plenty have succeeded. Meteor Shower is a prime example. The problem arises when applying this to spells from different schools—the fusion is far too fragile. As you just saw, a light injection of mana into the gaps causes it to collapse immediately."
In my opinion, Ester muttered.
A new Blaze Eater flared up.
In a denser, more solidified form.
Ester jabbed his finger in the same way as before, but the flame didn't extinguish.
The Cross Blend she had just cast was Etilla's proud creation.
An achievement she could boast about to anyone.
Though incomplete, she had been confident it would even surprise Ester Tristy.
Yet here he was, lecturing her like a professor advising a student whose experiment had failed.
And Ester's words rang true.
The flame he had conjured in seconds was far more refined and elegant than the one Etilla had slaved over through sleepless nights.
"I can't examine it in more detail since you have business with me, but those are the flaws I spotted. It needs more refinement."
It felt so unfair.
He hadn't even conducted proper experiments or proofs like she had.
Just from seeing it once, he pinpointed the issues and produced a superior result.
She felt utterly insignificant.
Etilla hung her head.
Her chest tightened with emotion.
It was as if all the praise she had received and her very identity as a genius were being denied.
Ester hadn't insulted her in any way, but an inexplicable anguish began to squeeze her heart.
"An intriguing concept."
Suddenly, Ester murmured.
As Etilla lifted her head, barely holding back tears,
She saw him unable to tear his gaze from the growing flames.
"Fusing entirely different schools... It's a novel form of magic unlike anything before."
His face changed hue in the flickering crimson light.
A small smile crept onto his usually cold, impassive lips.
"Ugh..."
The girl's face flushed hot in an instant.
Etilla bolted from the spot.
The moment she saw Ester's smile, an overwhelming sense of shame washed over her.
She burned with determination.
Next time, she would land a solid blow on Ester Tristy.
But she didn't get far before she tripped and face-planted on the floor.
Making the embarrassment hit even harder.
***
"Hmm..."
Last time too, she seemed like she wanted to ask something, so I answered kindly, and again Etilla just ran off.
Was I too stiff and rigid...? I have no idea.
When dealing with people outside, I try to hide my true self through Nob AI as much as possible.
The reason is my abysmal etiquette and the reputation I've built so far. According to Dalpi, maintaining a sharp image helps with relationships.
I somewhat agree that being seen as intimidating is better than being taken for an easy mark.
That said, remembering how I made Etilla cry before, I tried to soften my demeanor a bit this time. Sigh.
『If you don't like the 'Gentle Mage mk.2' version that balances etiquette and genius, how about a bratty noble young master concept modeled after Kenneth and Uriel?』
Just kill me instead.
I don't know what it was, but next time I see her, I'll at least ask why and apologize if I did something wrong.
Feeling unsettled, I headed to Professor Aria's office.