Chapter 41: Class Representative Ranking Battle (5)
Chapter 41: Class Representative Ranking Battle (5)
“Good work, Master!”
Carla greeted me as I was dragged along, limp, by Iona’s Telekinesis.
Thanks to the protection magic, I didn't have a single scratch on me—but that only applied to my actual body.
The new uniform I’d gone to such lengths to dress in was not only soaked through after just a few hours, but it had also been torn and tattered for quite some time.
However, Carla began wiping my face with her sleeve as if she were used to seeing me in such a state.
She even pulled out a bottle of cold water from the subspace pocket I’d bought her when we were getting my equipment.
Well, I suppose it makes sense. Carla must have taken classes like this for four years, so she’d be used to it.
As I gulped down the cold water while receiving Carla’s ministrations, Elisha, the sole survivor, began walking leisurely toward us.
Everyone else, myself included, was sprawled out in a mess, so seeing her alone looking perfectly fine was nothing short of infuriating.
She had barely moved, acting like a stationary turret while relentlessly raining down magic… I found myself thinking, So this is what a real mage is like.
Thinking back, Carla was amazing in the dungeon too.
She’d been doing what Elisha just did, but while running around without rest.
She’d exhausted the massive mana pool of an Intermediate Magician, and on top of that, she’d spammed low-grade magic until her belly was round from potion abuse.
And at the very end, she’d even blown away the entire area with intermediate magic.
At the time, I hadn't really grasped it because I just thought of magic as 'skills,' but now that I’ve tried using it myself, I realize.
Carla is actually, mind-bogglingly incredible.
Enjoying the soft sensation against my body, I reached out and lightly stroked Carla’s head.
“Hmm? Master?”
Carla tilted her head in confusion.
When I continued to stroke her hair without a word, she eventually began tidying up my tattered clothes.
“Hehe.”
I watched Carla’s beaming face for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
“I’ll have to buy a new uniform. No, wait. Since the Academy provides them, should I request a replacement?”
“Huh? Ah, I forgot to mention it. Academy uniforms are enchanted with an auto-repair function. As long as you charge them with enough mana, it’ll be good as new by tomorrow, so don’t worry.”
“…That was in the guidebook you said I didn't need to read, wasn't it?”
“Ehehe…”
“What are you laughing at?”
I lightly grabbed a handful of Carla’s hair and gave it a playful tug.
“I-I’m sorry! I’ll make sure to tell you next time so I don’t forget!”
“Let’s do better.”
“Yes sir.”
I patted Carla’s platinum-blonde hair a couple more times and then focused my mana into the uniform, just as she’d said.
Hum—
I felt a brief sensation of mana being sucked out, and before long, the uniform began to knit itself back together.
I think I understand why they put an auto-repair function in the uniform, rather than something like self-cleaning or size adjustment.
Judging by the look of things, there are going to be plenty of intense classes ahead, even if they aren't as bad as today. It would be incredibly inefficient to buy a new uniform every single time.
No matter how much money the Academy has, they aren't about to just throw gold away.
…By the way, what’s the principle behind this?
Until now, I’d overlooked convenience magic as just 'game logic' or 'fantasy tropes,' but they were starting to seem impressive in their own right.
Should I ask Carla to teach me Clean as my next spell?
No, combat magic still takes priority for now.
As I was lost in thought, Elisha—the final victor of this sparring session—arrived. Iona, who had been quiet until then, welcomed her with a beaming smile.
“Well done! Well done! Elisha Sylvan Glenziel, the last one standing! You are the representative for Class A! Everyone, applause!”
Clap, clap, clap!
In front of Iona, who was clapping like a seal, Elisha placed a hand over her heart and responded with an elegant posture.
“I am not yet sure what the duties of a class representative entail, but I will do my best to live up to the name.”
Her natural demeanor, as if she had prepared for this moment, radiated a deep sense of confidence.
She must have known that even in Class A, there was no one who could be her match.
It was a bit annoying, but I had no complaints. Elisha really had been overwhelming.
Even with all the ultimate combos from H&A, the tips I’d learned from Carla’s cramming session, and a combat style that maximized the advantages of system correction, I hadn't been able to touch so much as the hem of her clothes.
If I had known a wider variety of magic, the story might have been different… but for now, that was the extent of the gap between us.
The other students sprawled on the ground began to clap as well, having either experienced Elisha’s might firsthand or witnessed it from up close.
I was clapping along with them when—
Squeeze.
Carla suddenly tightened her arms around me and whispered softly.
“It’s okay, Master. There’s a reason the Sylvan Magic Tower has never been able to surpass the Lindelheit family. By the time you properly awaken your core traits, Elisha won’t even be a match for you. You did amazingly well today, too.”
“Hey, I’m not that discouraged, okay? But I do think I need to learn more magic.”
If I’d been able to use Shield, I wouldn't have been dominated so completely.
More importantly, this sparring session wasn't without its gains.
I’d gained something akin to an enlightenment at the very end, and my proficiency with Wind Cutter had increased.
And.
Ding!
【You have achieved excellent results in the Ranking Battle! Your overall stats have increased by one tier!】
‘Status Window.’
======================
Name: Yandel
Title: Talented Freshman
Basic Stats
Strength: 11 -> 12
Endurance: 10 -> 11
Agility: 12 -> 13
Dexterity: 14
Magic: 18
Traits
Endless Mana (A)
Elemental Affinity (B)
Excellent Memory (B)
Crude Weapon Technique (E)
Lintblum Mana Core (C)
Lower Mage (D) -> (D+)
Sun God's Blessing (C)
====================
Not only did my lower stats increase by one point each, but my Lower Mage trait also gained a plus as my Wind Cutter grew.
If I continue to learn more magic and increase my proficiency, I should be able to reach C-rank.
If I’d become the class representative, I would have received much better bonuses and been able to take a more proactive role in the various events to come… but since it turned out like this, it can't be helped.
I’ll just have to aim for class representative next year.
Still, this is pretty good. No matter how much I know about H&A’s strategies and growth methods, the real gap only starts to widen after a certain amount of growth is completed.
Besides, I was fighting with my own body and mind, not a keyboard and mouse.
Like Carla said, I did pretty well.
Of course, 'pretty well' isn't enough to overcome the challenges ahead. As I was reviewing my character’s growth plan in my head—
“Attention, everyone! Attention! Ah, those who fainted need to wake up now! Hup!”
Iona waved her arms, and a dark-red energy flowed from her fingertips, seeping into the bodies of the unconscious students.
“Gasp!”
“Ah… where am I?”
The students immediately snapped awake as if someone had shaken them out of a deep sleep.
Iona didn't even give the dazed students time to grasp the situation before she continued.
“Elisha has been chosen as the class representative, so ask your friends or attendants for the details! Anyway, about today’s class…”
The usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through to my very core.
Everyone present instinctively recoiled at the sight of those dark-red eyes, which held all the experience of a vampire who had lived since before the Great War.
The only exception was Carla, who was somewhat used to Iona.
Having easily asserted her dominance over the room, Iona spoke with a serious face.
“Now that you’ve experienced it yourselves, you should know. Your skill with magic is important, but fighting well is even more important.”
At those words, the other students stole glances at me and Elisha. Noticing this, Iona smirked.
“Is fighting well really that complicated? You just have to use your strengths to crush your opponent’s strengths. In that sense, Elisha fought well. An orthodox mage fought exactly like an orthodox mage should, right?”
Everyone nodded in agreement at Iona’s answer.
“Of course, Yandel fought well too. Surprisingly, he didn't make a single mistake. Not in his situational awareness, his movements, or even the magic he cast while rolling around. Everything was the optimal choice for the situation. That’s why he was able to survive until the end despite only knowing one low-grade spell, Wind Cutter.”
Compared to a 'stagnant water' veteran who lived and breathed the game, I still had many shortcomings… but I was still someone who had been called a veteran back in my day.
I wasn't fighting in a top-tier dungeon or against an Apostle of the Evil God, so this much wasn't even that difficult.
As I shrugged at the impressed looks from the other students, my eyes met Elisha’s, who for some reason was staring intently at me.
Then, flick! Elisha opened her fan to hide her mouth.
I wasn't about to lose.
I used Carla’s hand to hide my own mouth.
“Master…?”
“Stay still.”
Though she looked bewildered, Carla obediently followed my command.
The other students, who had been looking at me with newfound respect, all shook their heads as if they were looking at a madman.
What? So what?
Even Iona chuckled at my brazenness before continuing.
“Anyway! Anyway! I assume you all understand the purpose of my class now? How to fight well by any means necessary! How to kill cultists and monsters no matter what! That is what I will be teaching you!”
Returning to her usual tone, Iona pulled a bundle of papers from her robe and tossed them to Elisha.
“This! It’s a summary of what a class representative can and must do, so make sure to read it!”
“Ah, I understand, Professor.”
As Elisha caught the papers and bowed her head, Iona nodded with a satisfied hum.
“Good! Good! I’ve got a full grasp of your levels from this sparring session, so I’ll tailor the classes accordingly starting tomorrow! Any questions?”
—…….
“I guess not! Then that’s it for today’s class! You have other classes, so head back to the classroom! I have somewhere else to be!”
Having finished what she had to say, Iona hummed a tune and walked away, just like always.
The others seemed to have finally adjusted to Iona’s personality, as they stood up unsteadily and straightened their clothes.
They began heading back to the lecture hall with serious expressions, as if they had much to think about after the sparring session.
I was also heading back to the lecture hall, talking with Carla about the duel, when—
Unlike the others who were more or less disheveled, someone as pristine as when I first saw her blocked our path.
Wavy blue ringlet hair and equally blue eyes. Long ears. An elegant stride. And for some reason, that fan she always carried.
Elisha called out to me.
“You.”
“Uh… what is it, Lady Glenziel?”
“Would you happen to be interested in receiving sponsorship from the Sylvan Magic Tower?”
“???”
Uh… I don’t really have a hobby of betting on a crashing coin.