Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: An Ominous Premonition
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‘Wait, this wasn’t in the story?’
Just like with Thompson, Kayla’s skill level meant there was nothing to worry about in a spar.
She had only just reached the 4th Circle, after all.
On top of that, she’d honed her skills even further through practice spars with me and had even learned my surefire strategies.
But… if her opponent was Roan, that changed everything.
‘There’s no way she can win.’
Roan had already reached the 4th Circle by the time we first met.
And since then, he’d learned light magic and gained real combat experience from the Aldeon incident.
He was undoubtedly much stronger now.
Moreover.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Roan Bilgeff.”
“I’m Kayla.”
‘…His vibe is different.’
The cold, sunken gaze, the stiff tone.
Whatever had happened, he felt different from the Roan I’d seen just a few weeks ago.
Like he was an entirely different person.
No, that wasn’t the important part right now.
What mattered was that his mana stood out as completely different.
For some reason, Roan’s mana radiated a far vaster and more powerful aura than before.
‘If she so much as grazes a spell cast with that eerie mana…’
It would be 100% a fatal wound.
Of course, if that risk arose, Professor Jairen would step in…
But what was this unease?
Things weren’t going to go as planned.
‘I need to stop the spar.’
With that single thought, I returned to my seat.
The surest way to cancel the spar was one.
Convince the president.
“President!”
“Ah, you’re here now? The spar is already underwa—.”
“What is this?”
“Hm?”
The president tilted his head.
“What do you mean? What’s ‘this’?”
“Roan. Why did he suddenly become the opponent? The roster clearly had a different student.”
“Oh, it just worked out that way. This morning, Roan came to me and said that Kayla was an acquaintance of yours, so he insisted on going out there himself.”
“Is it okay to change it like that on the spot?”
“No problem. It’s not like they’re actually fighting.”
Did Asion Gail not sense Roan’s unsettling mana?
He spoke as if it were no big deal.
Each time, my insides churned more and more.
Thump! Thump! Thump…!
This pounding that I still couldn’t get used to, no matter how many times it happened.
It was certain.
A sign that something bad was about to happen.
Maybe because he saw my hardened expression.
“Something’s worrying you, I take it?”
The president asked first, and I laid it out honestly.
“I can’t explain it clearly, but my gut feeling is bad. It feels like Kayla’s definitely going to get hurt…”
This was the best way to put it.
Instinct didn’t have any basis, after all.
But the president respected my senses.
“I see. So, what would you like me to do? Cancel the spar?”
“You’re trusting me?”
“Everyone runs into them at some point in life. People with sharp instincts like you. Once you’ve experienced it, you never ignore them.”
“Then…”
“Yeah, if you want, I’ll call off this spar. But how about this?”
Flash—!
In the middle of our conversation, Asion Gail’s figure vanished before my eyes.
Knowing who he was, it didn’t take long to figure out what had happened.
There was only one way to disappear like that in an instant.
‘Teleport!’
The hallmark of a high-rank mage, teleportation.
I immediately turned my gaze, and as expected, spotted Asion Gail standing elsewhere.
He had appeared beside Professor Jairen.
—What if I said I’d step in myself if anything goes wrong?
A voice echoed in my head.
Telepathy that only I could hear from that distance.
A moment that made me freshly realize just how lofty Asion Gail’s level was.
“…”
As I hesitated, the voice came again.
—Think it over. This could be a great opportunity for Kayla.
He wasn’t wrong.
In fact, if I weren’t feeling this unease, a spar with Roan would be a golden chance.
Experience clashing with a strong mage was something you could never have enough of.
It would all serve as fertilizer for Kayla’s growth.
However.
‘Isn’t it too dangerous?’
This wasn’t a spar with practice wands.
Kayla could end up in real peril.
—Academy admission is judged separately from win or loss.
“…”
I had to choose.
Take the safe path.
Or risk a little danger to give Kayla a new experience.
If it came down to picking one, my choice was obviously.
“…All right. Please step in if anything happens.”
The latter.
Even though I hadn’t used telepathy, he could hear my voice from afar.
Asion Gail, looking my way from a distance, nodded.
—Just trust me.
His face was more serious than ever.
“Phew…”
I shook off the unease and steadied my breathing.
No matter how much my instincts screamed, if Asion Gail was stepping in personally, it was worth trusting him once.
In fact, after hearing that, the pounding had clearly subsided.
‘Meaning the danger is much less than before now.’
Judging it that way, I sat back down, and someone spoke up beside me.
“Something bad going on?”
A student with pink hair in twin tails.
It was Jensenville.
“It’s nothing.”
I brushed it off vaguely, but Jensenville pressed.
“Nothing my foot. It’s about Roan, right?”
She’d zeroed in on it right away, so she must have overheard my talk with the president.
Dragging it out would just get annoying, so I came clean.
“Roan’s a bit too much for Kayla to handle.”
“You know him?”
“We lived together for a few months.”
“Hmm, Roan is impressive. He’s the only one who claimed the top spot at our academy, after all.”
Jensenville nodded and continued.
“But don’t worry too much. He’s a bit reckless, but he doesn’t cross the line.”
“You two close?”
“Somewhat?”
She flashed a grin as she said it.
Maybe because of that bright, worry-free face.
It eased my mind a little.
Of course, the unease wasn’t gone entirely.
‘…Yeah, let’s not overthink it. It’ll be fine.’
Objectively speaking, even if Kayla couldn’t beat Roan, it wasn’t to the point of her getting one-sidedly crushed.
She hadn’t been slacking off all this time, so she’d handle it in her own way.
In the end, I emptied my mind and decided to watch the spar.
Results were always something you had to see through to the end, after all.
“The rules are the same as before. Any attack using mana is allowed, but forbidden magic cannot be used. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
“Please stand at the rear line.”
And so the spar began.
Boom!
A small explosion erupted from Professor Jairen’s fingertip.
The magic was cast right after.
“Haat!”
Kayla opened with a fireball.
It was a casting as clean as that ice mage student from earlier.
Her skills had clearly improved since before.
However.
Whoosh…
Roar…
Roan swung his staff down once, and a chilling frost spread out, snuffing the fireball.
At the same time, the sparring area was blanketed in ice.
‘Ice Field.’
The same spell as the student from earlier.
But on a completely different scale.
Crackle! Crackle!
It was as if the lecture hall had turned into a full arena.
The room was instantly covered in ice, and Kayla’s legs were firmly bound.
“Ugh…”
After wriggling a few times at the discomfort, Kayla quickly calmed and cast her spell.
A composed response.
Vmmm!
The activated magic was the variant spell she’d cast for the first time.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted around her body.
She planned to shatter the ice binding her legs with it.
However.
“…What?”
The ice binding Kayla’s feet didn’t have a single scratch.
It remained perfectly intact, holding her fast.
It was due to elemental matchup.
‘…The stronger side has the advantage.’
Ice versus fire.
At equal skill, they perform the same.
But if one side’s power is even slightly superior, the weaker element gets completely devoured.
This was exactly that case.
Even the full-power explosion from Kayla couldn’t break Roan’s ice.
It was predictable enough.
However.
‘This big a gap?’
For it to not even scratch was weird.
The skill gap between Kayla and Roan shouldn’t be this wide.
My sense that Roan had changed wasn’t just imagination, after all.
His level had risen far beyond before.
“No need to push yourself.”
Murmuring softly, Roan began walking toward Kayla.
One step, two steps…
With each step, blue mana rippled.
Along with it, the killing intent he exuded.
Vmmm!
Ice spears floated up behind Roan.
Larger, sharper, sturdier than before.
Whirr…
They spun.
As if ready to impale Kayla at any moment.
‘…He intends to kill?’
Using magic with the resolve to kill felt different from magic meant to kill.
And the ice spears from Roan right now felt exactly like the latter.
That uneasy premonition hit the mark, and soon Roan’s ice spears surged toward Kayla.
Judging by the trajectory… he was aiming for her heart.
“Wha, what?”
Even Jensenville sensed something off and panicked.
Scree!
A ferocious whoosh as it tore through the air.
Anyone could see that was a dangerous attack.
Still, Kayla didn’t flinch and raised her staff.
Roar!
A powerful flame bloomed before her.
However.
The gap between them had already been confirmed.
Kayla’s flames wouldn’t be able to block Roan’s ice spears.
The ice spears reached her in an instant.
‘Danger!’
The moment I sensed it.
Flash!
Professor Jairen’s figure suddenly vanished beside him.
It reappeared in front of Kayla, snuffing her flames at the same time.
Crackle!
He shattered the oncoming ice spears with one hand.
It was President Asion Gail.
Fortunately, he’d intervened before the accident.
‘…Thought my heart was gonna stop.’
If he hadn’t stepped in, Kayla might have died right there.
Even rewinding time with [Chronos’s Pocket Watch], I couldn’t revive the dead.
If her heart had been pierced, no method could have saved her.
Did the president know that too?
“Hm, you all right?”
“Y-Yes… Thank you.”
After confirming Kayla’s safety, he turned to Roan.
“You’re going too far, Roan.”
Unlike his flat tone, his furrowed brow showed he was thoroughly pissed.
Like he was disappointed in his own protégé.