Mana Recovery Honey Candy

Leon made his way toward the heart of the city, his mana completely suppressed to an ordinary person's level thanks to the Bracelet of Concealment. The main streets of the city center, which he hadn't walked in quite some time, were still bustling with activity. He passed the Magic Tower that housed Arpina's laboratory and continued along the outer path until a grand Gothic-style building of gray stone unfolded before him.

Unlike the Magic Tower with its single soaring spire, this structure featured multiple connected towers adorned with intricate carvings and elaborate decorations rather than the clean, smooth walls of the tower. A spacious grounds surrounded the striking building. This was the Widia Academy.

At the entrance, people who were older than Leon but still carried a youthful air walked about with books tucked under their arms. There weren't many of them—most likely because it was a holiday. With a curious expression, Leon scanned his surroundings before passing through the main gate and heading toward the massive circular arena situated on one side of the academy grounds, just as Lia had described.

When he entered the spectator stands, he found people scattered sparsely across the seats. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thought it would be packed. I guess not. Since these were duels between personal disciples who hadn't yet enrolled in the academy, it seemed they didn't draw much attention from the academy students. Still, it wasn't completely empty.

In the very front ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠row of the stands sat individuals who, at a glance, radiated the aura of high-ranking mages. So these duels draw more interest from the high mages than from the students. It appeared to be a match between their personal disciples. Among them sat Arpina as well. Leon took a seat in an empty spot toward the back.

The duel soon began. It proceeded in a quieter atmosphere than Leon had anticipated. Two disciples entered the arena, exchanged polite bows, and began their match. Most of them looked noticeably younger than the academy students. There were occasional bouts between second-class disciples, but the majority were first-class.

Lia had mentioned that advancing from first-class to second-class usually took two to three years for mages of average talent. Here, "average talent" referred to the standard among mages who didn't possess single-attribute bodies. Those with two or three attributes fell into this category. Leon, however, had shortened that timeline to six months through the power of elixirs and the absurdly optimal training environment provided by the Chrono Orb.

Advancing from second-class to third-class requires even more time, they say... Yet he had passed that barrier in just five months.

While Leon observed the duels to gauge his own abilities, Lia stepped into the arena. Her opponent was Rowen. Didn't she say Rowen was second-class? Is the gap between them not that significant?

What Leon had felt while facing Forn was that the difference between first-class levels was substantial—almost insurmountable. If Leon hadn't drastically reduced his casting time using Arpina's unique magic—unlike the ordinary dark magic Forn had employed—and hadn't liberally used the artifacts he'd obtained as rewards, he couldn't have been certain of victory.

Since both Lia and Rowen had likely learned Arpina's unique magic, that advantage wouldn't be significant. Artifacts were also something only someone in Leon's special circumstances could possess in such quantity. Will this come down purely to a difference in talent?

This time, Leon watched the duel with full concentration. Lia was the first to attack.

As expected of Arpina's disciple, Lia seemed to have learned the same foundational spells as Leon. Despite possessing a Light attribute body, nothing was more efficient for an apprentice mage's training than Arpina's basic magic. A blue slime floated up around her—much clearer and purer in color than Leon's own.

Is it a difference in mana quality? Or simply a difference in attribute talent? Since Lia had a Light attribute body, her water magic was probably weaker.

While Lia chanted her trigger word, Rowen also cast a spell she had memorized beforehand.

A flame orb similar to the triple fireballs Leon had used before rose beside Rowen. She didn't immediately attack Lia with it. Given that it was weak against water magic—the opposing element—she seemed to be exercising caution.

Lia followed up with a combination spell from Aqua Sentinel and immediately began chanting another.

When Rowen raised her palm, a wall of fire erupted from the ground. As a second-class mage, she could memorize two spells. She continued chanting right after.

Whether it was a chained spell or not, the rising flames transformed into multiple thorns that surged toward Lia. The palm of light Lia had manifested collided with Rowen's flaming thorns.

Boom—!

The intense clash sent Lia staggering backward.

"Oh?"

"As expected..."

"Oh, she withstood that attack... Indeed, it's the talent of the Light attribute. No, perhaps it's her high mana quality..."

The high mages who had been watching the duel with serious expressions murmured loudly enough to be heard. It was Lia who had frowned and retreated, but Rowen's expression wasn't particularly good either. Logically, it was difficult for a first-class mage to block a second-class mage's attack head-on. Simply blocking it was enough to wound ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Rowen's pride.

Rowen immediately hurled the flame orb she had summoned earlier at Lia.

Lia responded with a combination spell from Aqua Sentinel. If it had been ordinary magic, she might have blocked it with elemental advantage and talent, but Rowen's magic was extraordinary. Sparks flying from the single massive flame orb transformed into smaller fireballs that all rushed toward Lia together.

Lia shouted urgently.

Leon's eyes widened. The spell Lia had hastily shouted was identical to the one Forn had used. A magic that suddenly amplified physical abilities to an overwhelming degree. Is this a common spell too...?

With her enhanced movement, Lia urgently dodged the flame orbs piercing through the water stream. By then, Rowen was already chanting her next spell in succession. Several more exchanges of offense and defense followed.

The battle gradually tilted in one direction, ending with Rowen's victory as Lia's mana ran out first. Watching this, Leon analyzed why Rowen had won. The advantage of Memorize. The increased number of spells she could activate with just a trigger word had given Rowen more breathing room. If not for that, it seemed Lia would have won. There was also the fact that as an apprentice first-class, the full power of her Light attribute magic hadn't manifested clearly yet.

Whether Leon's analysis was correct or not, after the duel ended, all the high mages were praising Lia. Even though Rowen was the winner.

Leon, who had been heading down to the arena to congratulate her, stopped when he saw the crowd gathering around Lia. Rowen has a six-attribute body, so her talent is certainly incredible, but...

Leon glanced at Rowen's face. As expected, her expression had darkened noticeably. A man who appeared to be her master approached and patted her on the back. It looked less like celebrating joy and more like offering consolation. Sensing this, Rowen's expression worsened further.

Rowen's master soon approached Arpina, and they began conversing. She was left alone. As Leon watched Rowen, she seemed to feel his gaze and turned her head, their eyes meeting. She bit her lip tightly, then abruptly turned her head away.

After observing the mages praising Lia for a moment, Leon approached Rowen.

"You won, so why do you look so unhappy?"

"Are you asking because you don't know?" Rowen narrowed her eyes sharply.

Leon shrugged. "It's true you won. Is there any need to blame yourself like this?"

"Can't you see all those people swarming around her? They're all thinking she's greater than me, so they won't even look my way."

"I came to congratulate you, though?"

"...You didn't think I'd be happy like an idiot, did you? You came to mock me too! Or maybe you just can't get close to her right now, so you came to me instead?"

Leon shook his head. Since he hadn't planned on a long conversation anyway, he simply said what he had intended.

"Your fire magic chaining was impressive."

"What would a civilian know..."

"Here, a congratulatory gift."

Leon cut off Rowen's words and held out his palm. On it rested a mana recovery honey candy.

"What is this..."

"A candy that gives you energy when you're tired."

"What the..."

"Just take it."

He pressed the candy into Rowen's hand. "Don't dig yourself into a hole over other people's reactions. Eat this and cheer up. That's all I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have to say."

Leon turned away without waiting for Rowen's response. Whatever reaction came, it would probably just be her lashing out at him anyway. In truth, Leon genuinely disliked Rowen. To be more precise, he was indifferent to her. His indifference ran so deep that he wouldn't intervene even if she faced trouble, unless it caused him personal loss.

However, seeing her isolated and frustrated against a wall had stirred an unexpected sense of pity in him. If it reminded him of Park Hyunsoo, trapped at home after losing the use of his legs, that would be an overstatement. It's just that seeing a child already facing such solitary despair touches some primal human instinct.

Was this the sensibility of a modern person? Leon glanced over the mages surrounding Lia, who seemed rather cold-hearted. Then his eyes met Lia's.

"Huk."

...No. Why did I get startled?

Leon smiled awkwardly and waved at Lia. Even though she had spotted him, her face didn't light up as it usually did. She simply stood there, alternating her gaze between Leon and Rowen.