Chapter 145: Favoritism Hurts a Bit (3)
Chapter 145: Favoritism Hurts a Bit (3)
Just as Iona had said, the one-on-one sparring sessions didn't end with a single encounter; they continued every single day.
And every single day, I got completely wrecked.
Actually, it was worse than that. As I grew accustomed to Iona and learned various techniques, she ramped up the intensity of our sessions. Consequently, I found myself getting thrashed harder with each passing day.
…But today will be different!
"Blast Burn!"
A massive flame with actual physical mass erupted following the activation command.
Sharp shards of fire scattered in every direction. Each one traced a fast, irregular trajectory, yet they all shared a single destination.
It was the materialized fire that Iris had demonstrated during her exhibition of element combination magic.
I had evolved it into a more violent form—a combination of fire and earth magic. It was my trump card, prepared specifically for today.
However, even in the face of magic hurtling toward her vitals, Iona merely offered a bright, innocent smile.
"Amazing! Amazing! This is a secret technique of the Sylvan Magic Tower, isn't it? You used a wide-area attack during the last duel, but this time you've prepared a spell for single-target combat! You've worked hard, Student Yandel!"
"If you know that, then just let yourself get hit for once!"
"I don't want to! It looks like it would hurt!"
Responding playfully, Iona swept her hand from left to right. Along that arc, half a dozen ice spikes manifested.
Was that a continuous casting of Ice Sphere? Or multi-chanting?
"Ice Arrow!"
…No, it was just Ice Arrow.
Being able to create multiple projectiles at once or manipulate their trajectory to some extent after firing are characteristics of Arrow-tier magic.
But why the hell are these arrows so thick?
While I was internally recoiling in shock, Iona’s rapidly fired Ice Arrows accurately intercepted the shards of my Blast Burn, resulting in mutual destruction.
Pop! Bang!
Even so, one remaining arrow pierced through the steam—and, as a bonus, pierced right through my heart.
"Guh…!"
It was a clear fatal wound. Of course, thanks to Blood Shift, there wasn't an actual injury aside from a hole in my clothes.
Only the lingering sensation of pain, scorched into my nerves like an afterimage, reminded me that I had been countered.
Even though Blood Shift absorbs injuries and a significant portion of the pain, I can never get used to the sensation of hovering on the brink of death.
To think the magic I spent the last few days brainstorming with Iris over the communication orb would be blocked so easily.
The memory of struggling to add a homing function to the fragments instead of just making them explode was still vivid in my mind.
At this point, I was starting to get genuinely annoyed.
"Aaaargh! Just let me get one thrust in! Please, just once!"
Of course, if I couldn't even graze her hem when I was composed, what difference would it make if I charged at her like a madman?
"No! No! No matter how angry you are, a mage shouldn't charge in so mindlessly, Student Yandel! And 'get a thrust in'…? Naughty! You shouldn't say such lewd things to your professor!"
This time, I was personally beaten down by Iona, who had reinforced her body with support magic.
It was a scene that had repeated many times—in a way, it had become my recent daily routine.
However, even if I only received impacts I could technically withstand, perhaps the accumulation of mental fatigue was unavoidable.
The moment I sprawled out on the ground, my eyes began to slide shut.
The last thing I saw through my fading vision was a startled Iona rushing toward me before I finally lost consciousness.
*
When I opened my eyes, I was on a bed in the infirmary.
The mattress was a bit less plush than the one in the intensive care unit where I’d stayed after defeating Edmerec.
As I was idly thinking that, a stiff-looking, middle-aged priest who had been standing in the distance approached me.
He was likely the priest in charge of the infirmary.
"Are you awake?"
"Ah, yes. I am…"
"Don't worry. There is nothing wrong with your body. Professor Iona is unnecessarily thorough in that regard."
The priest clicked his tongue, recited a short prayer to bestow a blessing, and nodded.
"Rest well for the remainder of the day. I shall inform Professor Iona on your behalf."
"Thank you."
I bowed my head, and the priest, accepting the gesture with a curt nod, headed straight out of the ward. Soon, I heard him shouting in the next room, telling someone to stop pushing their body so recklessly.
Judging by the context, he seemed busy because of the Knight Department students being carried in every day.
As I stared up at the ceiling with a groggy head, the door burst open, and Carla and Elisha came rushing in.
"Master! You're alright, aren't you?! I've never seen anyone faint during Professor Iona's class before… You're not really sick or anything, right?!"
"We already heard the explanation from the priest, so stop making such a fuss, Carla. …Still, isn't Professor Iona being a bit much? I know combat-realistic sparring is important, but how can she push someone until they collapse?"
Carla pulled gently on my arm in worry, while Elisha subtly expressed her dissatisfaction with Iona.
I reached out and gave both of their chins a good scratch, which quickly calmed them down and made them quiet.
"Well, don't be like that. It's not like just anyone can receive one-on-one lessons from Professor Iona, right?"
"That… is true. Though she's a bit violent, Professor Iona has been teaching you how a mage fights without holding anything back."
"Indeed. Unless one becomes your slave like us, or you become her prized disciple, such a thing would be impossible."
The Academy is an educational institution meant to nurture talented individuals regardless of their background… but even so, no professor truly teaches everything they know.
Those tied to Magic Towers, guilds, or noble houses keep secrets under the guise of 'Arcana.'
Those who succeeded on their own without a background hide their true depth even more fiercely to maintain their own value.
But Iona didn't do that.
Her methods were a bit rough, but she was truly doing her best to teach me.
In fact, it was safe to say she was trying to teach me everything except for blood magic or the vampire-like combat style that relied on tenacious vitality.
At this point, it was practically favoritism.
I knew this well myself.
How could I not, when I could feel the stark difference in myself over the past few days?
It wasn't that I could use new spells or that my mana had increased… but if it were the 'me' of now, I was certain I could overwhelm the 'me' of the past.
Still, gratitude is gratitude, and resentment is resentment.
"I need… I need power."
Power strong enough to give Iona a flick on the forehead…!
*
"So, that's what happened. Do you have any good ideas, Iris?"
—Hooo… Did you not say that professor is fighting while restricting her own power, Master? And yet you cannot even graze her clothes.
I had returned to the dormitory only after taking the entire day's classes off to rest.
As soon as I arrived, I turned on the communication orb and prattled on to Iris about everything that had happened today.
While I was venting my frustrations, Carla slunk over, rested her head on my lap, and stared blankly at my face with a silly grin.
And Elisha, not caring that she was pressing close to me to see Iris's face, stretched her neck out.
Since I was now used to having the two of them flanking me, I naturally began to fidget with them here and there as I continued talking.
Squish, squeeze.
"Is there really nothing, Iris? Like a forbidden spell, or a magic so powerful it can only be used if passed by a unanimous vote in some council or something."
—Such spells could be considered a mage's romance, in a way, but the results are rarely good.
Iris gave an exasperated laugh and pointed to her rather shapely chest.
—First of all, I got caught trying to use a forbidden spell myself, didn't I?
"Ah."
Spirit Summoning was indeed a forbidden spell.
—The latter also exists, but I do not know them, so I cannot teach you. Even if I did, such magic requires a national-level budget, so you wouldn't be able to use it personally anyway.
"That much?"
—It is precisely because they are that powerful that the high and mighty manage them so strictly.
Thinking about it, she was right, so I had no choice but to nod.
"Oh, by the way, Iris, is that padding?"
—…Is it noticeable?
"Yeah."
Iris's chest was the type where you could only tell its shapeliness if she was completely undressed or if you touched it.
At the very least, it wasn't prominent enough to be noticeable through loose clothing like it was now.
—I suppose I was too greedy… I should try a more moderate size next time.
Iris smacked her lips in disappointment, pulled out a round, jelly-like object from her chest, and tossed it somewhere.
Now she seemed like the usual Iris.
"Anyway, you're saying there's no clever solution?"
—At least not from what I can see. If I had to say something, it would be combining the creation of a new element combination magic with the element resonance you recently succeeded in, but…
"Since the reason I'm getting thrashed by Professor Iona isn't a matter of firepower, increasing the power won't mean much, right?"
—Exactly. But it is quite surprising. I knew Professor Iona was formidable, but she is, after all, a mage who has reached the pinnacle of the High Magician rank, just like me. Honestly, I am not confident I could avoid being hit even once if I restricted my power to that extent.
"Well… I guess she was assigned the Magic Combat subject because she's that good at fighting."
It wasn't just that Iona was naturally good at fighting; the vampire race itself was inherently strong.
Iris didn't seem to know for sure, but if one were to compare only the combat prowess of Iris and Iona, Iona would likely be far superior.
Of course, I would eventually become stronger than Iona… but how could I wait until then?
But if there was no other way, I would just have to put in the effooooort.
As I let out a deep sigh of disappointment, Elisha, who had been peering into the orb as if she felt bad for me, stroked the back of my neck.
"Don't be so discouraged. All you need is to be able to land a single blow on Professor Iona, right?"
"Yeah. It's so unfair because I'm the only one getting hit every day."
"Then, though it might be a bit of a cowardly method, why don't you try finding her weakness?"
"Weakness?"
Did Iona even have a weakness?
"Wait."
Come to think of it… I actually didn't know much about Iona.
That was because Iona was an un-conquerable character in H&A.
Since I couldn't recruit Iona as an ally, I had never seen her status window, and since there were no events where you sparred with her one-on-one, I didn't really know how she fought.
If I had to say, she appeared briefly fighting in the latter half of the game during a full-scale war, but it was so brief that it was hard to get a proper grasp of her.
You can't know everything about a mage just by seeing one of their spells.
Knowing your opponent is the most basic of basics for winning.
Had I been babbling about forbidden spells without even following that?
First, I needed to find out what Iona liked, what she disliked, and what her minor habits were.
"Elisha, you're a genius!"
"Eh? Me? Ahem. I suppose I am! Praise me more!"
"Elisha, you're pretty! Your thighs are even more erotic than Carla's!"
"What about other parts?!"
"Your long ears are cute!"
"I like that! Ohohohoho!!"
I didn't quite get it, but Elisha was delighted as I showered her with praise, even going so far as to unfurl a fan.
The way her blue drills of hair bobbed up and down was incredibly reassuring.
Is this how a boss feels when they have a capable subordinate by their side?
I wore a satisfied smile as I formulated a plan to stalk… no, observe Iona.
A chance to personally discover details that weren't in the setting materials.
I felt my fanboy heart for H&A, which I had forgotten while dealing with various incidents, beginning to stir once again.