Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Rampage
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“⋯⋯Sorry, but who are you?”
“I'm this man's wife.”
Such a response from Vespa dropped flatly in front of Caleb, who spoke in a flustered voice.
“How about you stop now?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Honestly, you're just picking a fight.”
The corner of Caleb's mouth twitched.
He now looked like everything under the sun was getting in his way.
“⋯⋯We're in the middle of mages talking. I'd appreciate it if outsiders stayed out of it.”
It was a snide remark tossed out without even meeting her eyes, but Vespa continued facing him steadily, unshaken.
It was a resolute demeanor completely unlike her usual self.
“I know magic too. I learned it at Cradle.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Keep talking like that, and it's making me uncomfortable.”
At those words, Caleb looked at Vespa with a gaze of utter disbelief.
No way was she trying to stand up to someone working at the Mage Tower just because she learned some magic at an academy.
Even if Caleb was treated like a rice sack left in the corner at the Mage Tower, he still had the skills to be recognized as a member there—that was why he was under that banner.
But the words flowing from Vespa's mouth clearly showed she couldn't care less about any of that.
“Mess this up, and you might get hurt bad?”
“⋯⋯.”
Caleb stared at Vespa with a slightly dazed expression.
“Are you picking a fight right now?”
“And if I am?”
“⋯⋯.”
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“⋯⋯I never thought things would escalate like this.”
Letty spoke as if her head throbbed, looking around.
As expected of a gathering of mages— that profession full of lunatics who frequented madhouses— the Mage Tower workshop had a designated spot inside for resolving disputes smoothly when provocations flew.
It was the ‘Magic Exchange Arena,’ made for them to sort it out among themselves—kill or spare—without bothering others.
⋯⋯Though calling it an exchange arena was just mage-speak for a duel.
“Th-this is reasonable, situation-wise!”
Vespa sweated profusely under the three pairs of eyes boring into her as she spoke.
“Carlyle's disguised as Letty's uncle right now, so he can't step in casually. I'm the only one who can use magic, so isn't it right for me to handle it?”
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯.”
Even so, the worry in those three pairs of eyes didn't diminish one bit.
Probably because the atmosphere had reverted to Vespa's usual self.
It was completely different from moments ago when she'd nonchalantly challenged Caleb—back to her usual timid, lacking-confidence Vespa.
Of course it worried them that she was stepping into a fight like this.
“⋯⋯I can use magic too.”
Letty grumbled reluctantly, but Vespa shook her head.
“But no matter the reason, you don't want to fight that guy, right?”
If she did, they would've clashed long ago.
“⋯⋯.”
Letty shut her mouth, hit right on the mark, and Vespa smiled faintly with a nod.
“I'll do it. I'm the only one who can.”
⋯⋯Yeah.
Carlyle recalled it too.
No matter how timid, no matter how lacking in confidence, no matter how much she hated fighting.
If she thought she was the only one who could step up, she'd do it without hesitation.
In the end, everyone watched with worried eyes as Vespa entered the Magic Exchange Arena with quick steps.
“⋯⋯You sure she's okay?”
Unable to shake off her anxiety to the end, Letty spoke to Carlyle in a deeply worried voice.
“She'll be⋯⋯fine, I guess. I can't say for sure.”
Who knows.
Honestly, even Carlyle couldn't guarantee it.
“But is it really okay to just let her go like that? You guys seem close—what if something happens?”
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
“⋯⋯Huh?”
Carlyle and Letty blinked at each other.
It was the reaction when they realized their conversation had fundamentally gone off-track.
“Wait. Hold on. What exactly are you worried about right now?”
“Well, sure, she's handling something with enormous potential through magic. But I've heard she's never even fought before.”
Letty scratched her cheek with an anxious gesture as she spoke.
“Caleb's a piece of work personality-wise, but he's got the chops to be called a member of a famed magic family. I avoid fighting him because I think I'd lose too.”
⋯⋯Ah.
No wonder he just sat there no matter how much she provoked him—that was why.
“But that's just ‘having chops.’”
“What?”
“For someone his age, he's pretty skilled.”
“⋯⋯?”
“Yeah, that's why I'm worried, but.”
“I mean, no matter how huge her potential, pitting her against a guy like that right now is too much—"
“No.”
Carlyle cut her off firmly.
It wasn't an incomprehensible reason.
It was true Vespa wasn't used to fighting. She avoided it herself too.
On the other hand.
That's precisely why, once she did step into a fight, she had a tendency to pour out her full abilities without holding back or retreating.
That was why an angry Vespa was dangerous.
Linking the word ‘magic’ with ‘Vespa.’
Reducing her abilities to just ‘talented’ or ‘has potential worth watching’ was an insult to her.
Even the Hero inside the holy sword hadn't summed up Vespa's talent in one sentence.
-It's unreasonable. If limited to magic, even I couldn't win.
She wasn't in the future Hero Party for nothing.
Contrary to appearances, the endpoint of Vespa Luciana's growth was one of humanity's guardians.
From that perspective.
The one they should be worrying about now was completely the other side.
The ‘pretty skilled for his age’ guy facing that monster.
“That Caleb guy.”
Carlyle let out a sigh as he spoke.
“He might die if he's not careful.”
The following scene clearly proved those words.
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A duel between mages progresses in a way utterly incomprehensible to outsiders, unlike typical fights.
As the term ‘exchange’ suggests from the start, it pursues an elegant form over grabbing collars and spilling blood.
They stand at opposite ends of the exchange arena, on magic circles that amplify mana, controlling their mana.
Without moving their bodies while standing on the magic circles, victory comes when your mana reaches the opponent.
In other words, it's like the kids' game of hopscotch.
And Caleb considered himself quite confident in that format.
‘-Cheeky bitch.’
He snorted at the woman climbing onto the opposite side of the exchange arena.
A nobody daring to challenge him, the most favored mage of the Valeria family.
‘⋯⋯Now even bug-like nobodies like her are ignoring me.’
Lately, everyone and their dog was picking fights with him, so good days were rare.
Now even the mistress clinging to some hotshot was trying to mess with him?
“⋯⋯.”
Caleb smirked bitterly and deployed mana around his body.
Mages casting magic was fundamentally a process of conversation.
‘Trading’ with the world's will governing each domain through language, offering their mana in exchange.
In that regard.
-!
The level of magical power unfolding around his body immediately backed up his arrogant attitude sufficiently.
Mana on the scale to fill the area near the magic circle where Caleb stood rose up.
It shook in all directions like golden smoke.
Below average by Mage Tower standards, but even so, Caleb—as heir to a famed magic family—clearly handled mana at a near-first-class level.
And it didn't stop there.
-!!
As he wrapped the accessories from the Valeria family around his arms one by one, the mana around him began strengthening further.
‘Quilia's Eye.’
An ancient relic consisting of four bracelets total.
A treasure that exponentially increased the wearer's mana sensitivity. Even a third-rate mage could ‘exchange’ on equal footing with renowned ones while wearing it.
Families called famed houses all had secret training methods or gear worthy of the name, and what Caleb used was among the family's finest.
Word was, the Mage Tower accepted him partly because they permitted research on it.
Normally, using something like this in an exchange would draw complaints even from mages who ditched conscience like it was breakfast, but Caleb didn't care.
At worst, his mana would infiltrate the opponent's circuits and cause permanent damage. Not like it'd kill them.
‘Not even Mage Tower affiliated anyway?’
He had backing.
Even the Mage Tower, and the head of the Valeria family—his own mother—always protected him.
Compared to that, the opponent was just a Cradle student with nothing.
Alistair might get mad, but he could squash that with his own backing.
-!!!!!!
His mana, boosted by first-class mage prowess and the treasure's effects, began nimbly dominating all directions.
“⋯⋯Damn punk. Got some skill.”
Even Letty, watching from the side, muttered as much—the movements were undoubtedly threatening.
In contrast.
“Hmm⋯⋯”
Vespa stood on the magic circle, tilting her head and hesitating.
“Letty—how do you use this?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Just start right away?”
“⋯⋯.”
Letty and Caleb both stared blankly at Vespa.
⋯⋯She couldn't even do basic mana resonance that any mage could?
As Caleb let out a disbelieving chuckle, Letty clutched her throbbing head and spoke.
“⋯⋯Draw out your mana inside. It'll spread around according to the total amount.”
“Oh, like that?”
Vespa nodded calmly and gently closed her eyes.
Then, she clasped her hands as if in prayer.
The words that followed were in a small voice only she could hear.
“Hmm— so.”
As if awkward saying it herself, Vespa smiled sheepishly.
-Sorry for calling you for something like this.
I know you always help.
I don't even know who you are or what you do yet. Always sorry and thankful.
“But.”
This time, still, I have to ask.
“⋯⋯Someone precious to me was insulted and put in a tough spot by that guy.”
As her sunken voice trickled out steadily.
A small puff of blue smoke popped—out in front of her.
When Vespa brought her hand to it, it began wriggling along her guidance, following her hand.
She gently placed it on the magic circle.
“Let's protect Carlyle together.”
At that exact moment.
“Huh?”
Caleb unwittingly blurted it out.
Because it was pulsating from the opposite side.
-The ‘horror.’
The next instant.
-⋯⋯
-⋯⋯⋯⋯
-⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯!!!!!
The entire chamber began crumpling.
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