Chapter 129
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129
Clack—.
As I deliberately let my footsteps echo, Meyer looked over and gave a slight wave.
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
He wore a completely relaxed expression—the effortless poise of the powerful. Meyer glanced around the stands and spoke first.
“More spectators have gathered than I expected, Roen. I truly am sorry for what’s about to happen today.”
Meyer offered his apology as if my defeat and humiliation were already a foregone conclusion. I met his words with a placid, unchanging expression.
“We’ll see about that. Let’s find out who’s laughing and who’s crying in front of this crowd.”
“Huhu, your confidence is as impressive as ever. I see your attire has changed. Is that a magic garment, by any chance?”
“It is. Quite a high-quality one, too.”
As I adjusted the collar of my suit, Meyer’s eyes gleamed.
“Indeed, it appears to be of superior quality. The fabric and the flow of mana I can feel from it suggest several spells have been inscribed. I suppose that’s the source of your confidence. Of course…”
Snap—.
Meyer flicked his fingers.
“It’s nothing compared to my Elegance No. 2.”
Rumble—.
A colossal suit of armor, brought in on a mana-driven cart, was unveiled within the Grand Auditorium. It was a set of full plate armor forged from a gleaming alloy, with intricate magical patterns etched across its surface.
“Ooooh!”
The students in the stands began to murmur in excitement. Meyer smiled, extending a hand toward the armor.
“What do you think of my masterpiece? Feel free to cheer louder, everyone.”
He stood before the magic armor he had created, shrugging his shoulders as he soaked in the students’ attention.
“What is that?”
“You don’t know about magic armor? It’s the pinnacle of magic engineering!”
“That’s so damn cool…”
The crowd’s reaction was fervent. Magic armor was a symbol of wealth and technology—the ultimate dream for many. It was something everyone fantasized about owning but could never hope to afford.
To a modern man, it was essentially an Iron Man suit. Even I thought it looked impressive; I could only imagine what the other students were thinking. I, too, gazed at Meyer’s magic armor with covetous eyes.
‘It would be useful to have one of those.’
If I could modify it properly, I might not even need to run around and fight myself. Was there a way to get my hands on it? My gaze shifted from the armor back to Meyer.
‘…In the end, I’ll have to find a way to win this guy over.’
He was a bit greasy and obnoxious, but Meyer’s knowledge of magic armor would be a massive asset. Besides, I might need to borrow the workshop at Meister Academy in the future. Our differing stances had led us to this fight, but this was just one official match. I’d try to recruit him later.
I approached Meyer and asked in a low voice.
“Meyer, is there any personal grudge between us?”
Before trying to persuade someone, you first have to understand their motives. I needed to know if he held a genuine vendetta.
“Hmm, you said you lost your memories in an accident, correct?”
“Yes.”
Meyer continued, a slightly displeased look crossing his face.
“Well, if you must know, I personally hold no ill will toward you. We never had much contact in the first place.”
“Is that so?”
If there was no personal animosity, things would be much easier. I figured I could wrap things up neatly later by offering to trade the technology for a next-generation core in exchange for his magic armor secrets.
Just as I thought that, Meyer spoke again.
“However, separate from my own feelings, quite a few students suffered during the year you studied abroad at the Empire’s intermediate school.”
“For instance?”
“Well, there are too many to count. You used your family’s influence to threaten servants and picked fights with the children of lower nobles just to steal their belongings. It was confirmed several times that the items you took were later found smashed in an incinerator. You also have a record of being dragged to the dean’s office multiple times for harassing female students.”
“Hmm…”
Meyer continued, barely pausing for breath.
“And that’s not all. You also caught stray cats that students were raising around the school and used them for experiments before abandoning them. Oh, and weren’t you the one who killed Yuliana’s beloved pet parrot? Everyone was so young back then; the crying and wailing never seemed to end.”
“…”
I knew some of it, but hearing the list read aloud wasn’t pleasant. Meyer shrugged.
“Well, that’s about all I know. Of course, some rumors might be exaggerated, and there are likely misdeeds that never came to light. I don’t really believe the rumor that you used humans in alchemy, for instance. Do you require further explanation?”
“That’s sufficient.”
When I nodded, Meyer concluded his speech.
“In any case, your behavior didn’t stop even after you came to the Union. I heard a rumor that you’d changed a little after being hospitalized following the accident in the Grand Auditorium a few months ago, but… can a person really change that easily?”
Click—.
As he finished speaking, Meyer pressed a button on the pendant around his neck. The magic armor standing majestically behind him began to activate.
Whirrr—.
The seamless plates of the armor slid open, creating a space just large enough for a person to enter. Meyer stepped inside.
Clank— Clank—.
Once its master was aboard, the magic armor sealed shut, returning to its original form. As a final step, Meyer locked his helmet into place.
“Even if you have changed, your past misdeeds aren’t erased. The Noble Alliance is acting now to condemn your past wrongdoings before you can whitewash your image. You’d do well to remember that.”
Hiss—.
As Meyer finished equipping the armor, steam billowed from the pipes on its back. Simultaneously, the magic circuits etched onto the armor’s surface lit up with a vivid blue light.
“Woooah!”
The students cheered at the sight of the activation. Meyer’s voice, amplified by a speaker inside the helmet, rang out.
[Come forward, Roen. Let the condemnation begin.]
I nodded and walked to the center of the Grand Auditorium. As we met in the middle, the announcer shouted.
“Alright! Let’s begin the competitive match between Roen Devalis and Meyer McDowell! Contestants, please touch your student IDs together!”
[…Ah. My student ID.]
For a moment, the magic armor froze, and a small gap opened in its gauntlet.
Click—.
[I forgot. Here.]
Meyer poked just his arm out of the armor and handed his student ID to the announcer. The announcer took it, looking a bit bewildered.
“Ah… yes, I’ll make the contact for you.”
Watching this, I gulped down a potion I had brought.
• You have consumed Fierabras' Blessing.
• For 500 seconds, the effects of all consumable items are increased by 100%.
• You cannot use magic while the effect is active.
• The duration of the effect is increased by 30% due to the additional effect of [Alchemy].
Next, I crushed the enhancement stones in my hand. With a satisfying crunch, power surged through my body. A log appeared before my eyes, indicating a massive stat boost—double what it would normally be.
“Hoo.”
I clenched my fists, gauging my newfound strength.
Crack—.
It wasn’t as overwhelming as when I had accepted demonic energy, but I felt light enough to fly, and a powerful force boiled up from within. After finishing my buffs, I checked that the item in my pocket was secure and presented my student ID.
Vwoom—.
As our IDs touched, a mana barrier formed around the Grand Auditorium. All preparations were complete.
“Alright. Let the match… begin!”
Waaaaah—!
Amidst the thunderous cheers, my duel with Meyer began. I silently looked up at the steel giant standing before me.
“…”
The magic armor was about two meters tall. Standing bare-bodied before the pinnacle of cutting-edge engineering, the pressure felt far greater than a simple difference in height. It was daunting, like standing before a massive, sentient wall. To an ordinary person, it would be impossible to even know where to strike.
Pitting a human against a machine encased in alloy—there was no way to win through normal means.
From within the armor, Meyer spoke.
[There are no personal feelings involved. Don’t hold it against me!]
Whoosh—.
Meyer threw a light punch. He might have intended it to be "light," but from my perspective, it was anything but. If that massive steel fist connected with my face, the match would end instantly.
However.
Tap—.
With my stats boosted, I leaned back and avoided the fist without difficulty. When I easily dodged the attack, Meyer expressed his surprise.
[Hoh? I heard you were training diligently, but I didn’t expect this. Then let’s go faster.]
Hiss—.
The armor vented steam, increasing the output of its mana core. Its movements became swift and fluid, evolving from a clunky machine into a state-of-the-art weapon.
Thud—.
Meyer kicked off the floor and shot toward me, swinging his gauntlets wildly.
Whoosh— Whoosh—.
A series of lethal attacks followed, each one slicing through the air with enough force to kill.
Fwoosh—.
After dodging the punches repeatedly, I was finally backed into a corner. Meyer grinned like a cat hunting a mouse.
[Huhu, you’re finally cornered. Now, try dodging this!]
Whoosh—.
The gauntlet was right in front of my nose. Realizing I couldn't evade this one, I dropped into a defensive stance.
Shk—.
I raised both arms in a guard and condensed the Aegis Shield as much as possible, spreading it like a thin film inside my suit.
And then.
CRASH—!
The gauntlet slammed into my arms with all its might. As the attack landed squarely, Meyer laughed loudly.
[Haha! To think a frail mage would try to block that head-on. Are you insane?]
“…Not really.”
I shook my tingling arms and quickly slipped out of the corner.
[Huh?]
Meyer muttered in shock, watching me move perfectly fine after taking a direct hit.
[How? I definitely felt the impact.]
“How? It’s the gear,” I said calmly, sweeping my hair back.
The drake scales woven into my suit provided significant physical shock reduction. Combined with the [Physical Resistance] magic inscribed on the fabric, the damage was drastically reduced.
‘…Even so, it’s not enough to be completely unharmed by a magic armor’s punch.’
The crucial element was the Aegis Shield spread thinly inside the suit. It absorbed the remaining impact that the fabric couldn't. Naturally, the shield’s durability took a hit, but…
‘I anticipated this and linked it with Tubal-Cain’s Star beforehand.’
Instead of Derod’s Ring, I had linked Aegis with the Star for this match. With this setup, I could withstand any number of impacts at this level.
Inside his armor, Meyer gritted his teeth.
[I see… so you weren’t completely unprepared. But blocking physical attacks changes nothing. The true value of Elegance No. 2 doesn’t lie in its fists!]
Clank—.
Meyer extended one fist, revealing a mana cannon hidden inside the thick gauntlet.
[Try taking this!]
Vwoooom—.
Mana gathered in the barrel. Just before it could fire, I shot a mana chain from my glove.
Swish— Thwack—.
The chain flew through the air and embedded itself directly inside the barrel of the mana cannon.
[!]
The flow of mana died instantly. I had successfully jammed it.
Clink—.
I retracted the chain and said, “You’re always most vulnerable when you’re transforming.”
Crackle—.
Meyer touched the malfunctioning, sparking cannon with his other hand.
[How did you know there was a mana cannon in the gauntlet…?]
“You showed it to me yourself, didn’t you? In your office.”
[!]
Even though it was hidden under alloy, I had confirmed its existence back then. In the game, Meyer’s magic armor always had a slot on the right gauntlet for a cannon.
“You should be more careful about who you boast to. To think you’d show it to me so openly and not expect a counter.”
[…]
After a moment of silence, Meyer spoke again.
[So that’s how you want to play it.]
Faced with one setback after another, Meyer’s resolve hardened. He finally activated every core in the Elegance No. 2.
VROOOOOM—.
With a deafening mechanical roar, mana erupted from every joint.
Pshhhhhh—.
Thick steam and mana clouds spewed from the exhaust ports. An intense pressure radiated from the machine. The pulse of the mana core was so strong I could feel it vibrating in my own chest, overlapping with my heartbeat.
I swallowed hard.
‘…They weren’t exaggerating when they said it was stronger than an automated golem.’
Its output far surpassed the golem Freya had faced. Had he been holding back until now? I chuckled inwardly.
“You still have more to show me?”
[Honestly, I’m surprised. I never thought I’d have to draw out this much of the Elegance No. 2’s power. I admit it, you’ve gotten strong. You have the skills to be ranked in the top 100.]
Vzzt—.
Meyer drew the sword attached to the armor’s back. As he infused it with mana, a blade of pure energy erupted—a mechanical imitation of a knight’s sword ki.
[But that level of skill is not enough to reach me. Consider today’s defeat as simply having met the wrong opponent.]
I returned his confident declaration with a smile.
“No, you’re the one who picked the wrong opponent.”
[?]
“Let’s end this now.”
I had confirmed the performance of my new suit and the power of his armor. It was time to finish this. Although the Elegance No. 2 was stronger than I’d anticipated, that was all it was.
Without a word, I pulled a remote control from my pocket. It looked similar to the one I had used to summon a golem during class. Meyer tilted his armored head.
[What is that?]
I offered a kind explanation to the clueless man.
“You said it before, didn’t you? That the mana core in your magic armor is the same model used in the Union’s automated golems.”
Beep—.
I pressed the button and grinned.
“That was your fatal mistake, Meyer.”