Sparring
Thera Crost.
The young lady's private magic tutor—a figure I'd glimpsed from afar a few times myself.
She called her "auntie," but she didn't look that old; more like early thirties at most.
Of course, Aura users and mages tended to look younger than their years the higher their mastery, so her actual age probably matched the title. Still, she didn't seem it on the surface.
"I saw you using Fleet pretty smoothly back there."
"Puppy's fast, right?"
"Yeah, I knew you were an Aura user, but you're more skilled than I expected."
Thera said this while still stroking my head.
After getting petted by the young lady like some kid, now a beauty who looked early thirties was doing it, and the sensation felt downright weird.
"How old are you again?"
"Eighteen."
"What? You look older. I pegged you for early twenties."
Thera pulled her hand away from my head in genuine surprise at my age.
Did I really look that old? Weird. I didn't think so.
Sure, my face had a bit of a sharp edge, but my looks weren't half bad.
"A slave who handles Aura like that at your age?"
Ah, so that was why she thought I looked older.
Yeah, I did pick things up fast.
"He trains all day, no time to play with his owner."
The young lady chimed in a bit curtly on that point.
She'd never liked how I threw myself into training every day.
But what could she do?
Unlike my past life, learning Aura in this world was thrilling, downright fun.
You could move at speeds invisible to the eye, shatter bricks with your bare hands.
Your palm could unleash small explosions, and you could erect a thin protective barrier.
In a place with no entertainment, seeing the results of my training was my one joy in life. No helping it.
"Still, wielding it that well at your age is rare..."
But.
Had I gotten too good with Fleet?
Thera, the young lady's magic master, was eyeing me strangely now.
"Not raising you for nothing, huh?"
A piercing gaze, like Rowell's.
"Puppy, how far can you go?"
"..."
I hesitated to answer.
But those blazing red eyes fixed on me, and just as I thought I had to say something—
"Don't bully my puppy!"
She grabbed Thera's hand—mid-pet—and yanked it off my head.
"Oh? How am I bullying him?"
"Puppy looks uncomfortable."
...Nice save, young lady.
Yeah, I'm a puppy—what more do you want?
"I wasn't paying much attention since you call him puppy, but he's intriguing."
But.
No matter how hard the young lady tried, Thera was still the master here.
She pinched my chin between her slender fingers and lifted it.
"Cute face, too."
Her red eyes and hair drew closer.
...Up close, she looked even younger.
"Wanna watch a spar?"
"...A spar?"
"You train all the time—bet you'd like seeing mages duel."
"Master?"
The girl beside her sounded flustered, but... honestly, I was curious.
Where else would I get to see mages spar?
"Looks like my puppy wants to watch."
Thera read my face, released my chin, and smirked.
"Follow me, then."
"You're really bringing the puppy?"
"Yeah, we're doing it in the training hall anyway."
And just like that, I unexpectedly got to spectate a magic duel.
...Turns out the girl wasn't a guest—she was the young lady's sparring partner.
Poor maids who'd prepped so hard for tea.
"Nice and spacious training hall."
We ended up in the very field where I trained daily.
They'd spar here, it seemed.
...This was getting exciting.
A mages' duel.
Wonder how it differed from Aura users.
"Take positions on opposite sides and prepare."
At Thera's word, the young lady and her opponent moved to either end.
"Puppy comes here."
She led me to her side.
"Sit."
"Yes, ma'am."
She sat me down naturally and petted my head—like I really was a dog. Bizarre feeling.
"Know what mages and knights have in common in a duel?"
Yet here we were, chatting.
What kind of treatment was this?
"...What?"
"Mana management. You knights grind it all day, right?"
...No kidding.
Aura basics boiled down to that.
You couldn't spam techniques in a fight.
Land them precisely, at the right moment, to gain the edge.
"Mages have limits on spells too, especially newbie ones like these—they've gotta be careful."
Newbie mages?
Having seen the young lady's fireballs, I wouldn't underestimate her.
She could drop a commoner in one hit.
Hell, maybe even an orc.
I'd only stabbed orcs with blades—didn't know their magic resistance.
Anyway...
Pet, pet.
How long was she gonna stroke my head?
From the young lady earlier, and now...
It'd unraveled the careful styling the maids had done.
"Why the stare?"
"...Nothing."
"Does the petting bother you? Adorable."
She caught my look and stopped.
At least she respected the puppy label...
"Hand keeps wandering back."
Scratch, scratch.
...Or not. Now she was gently scratching my chin.
"Why so docile? Colosseum champion and all."
"...You knew?"
"Heard the rumors when you first arrived."
Right—Thera had been the young lady's tutor two years back too.
No surprise she knew about me.
"From what I gathered, you were wild as a gladiator... how'd you turn into a tame pup?"
...She really knew my story.
And this was how she treated me?
"I just like life here."
"Really? Digging the puppy treatment?"
"..."
"So cute. Wanna come home with me?"
"...Don't joke."
"Loyal too. Aigoo."
Damn. How far was she gonna push?
Scratch, scratch.
Even now, petting my chin like a dog.
"Anyway, it's starting soon—watch closely."
"...Yes, ma'am."
"Sulky now."
Whatever—the touch was familiar enough.
I focused on the duel ahead.
Both girls concentrated, murmuring something.
That must be casting.
"They usually build barriers first."
"Got it."
"Same prep time—whoever builds faster and stronger gets the edge. Aria wins here."
"Looks that way to me too."
Even to my eyes, the young lady's barrier shimmered clearer.
Looked sturdy—could the guest break it?
"Anyway, watch. Here it comes."
While chatting—and her scratching my chin—the duel began.
Boom!
True to form for mages, fireballs flew, and the clash erupted.
"Whoa..."
First impression: flashy.
Mages, huh? Nothing like us hikikomori knights dueling in Track and Fleet at speeds no one else sees.
"Young lady's impressive, but that one's no slouch."
I knew Aria was a genius, but her opponent held her own.
Pale orange hair whipping as she hurled flames.
Honestly, raw power-wise, the young lady was outmatched—visibly.
"Don't know who she is?"
"Who?"
"Seriously? Serina Astel?"
"Astel?"
Didn't know the name, but the family rang a bell.
Count Astel.
Adel Kingdom's top magic house, right?
Founded and ran the Royal Magic Academy, siege warfare experts with fire magic.
Rowell said they ranked second only to the Boyd family in the war.
"Yeah, you know Astel, right?"
"...Yes."
"She's their top genius. Astel's Sun."
...Sun?
Seemed an overblown title at first.
But watching her mana-lit scarlet hair glow, it fit.
And the magic she unleashed was massive.
Look at that fireball size.
Nearly as big as the young lady...
"...Isn't that dangerous?"
Even with layered barriers, it looked risky for Aria.
"It is. But I've got you."
"Oh."
"And Lord Rowell over there."
Fair point.
These mages too.
Above all, with Rowell watching, the young lady wouldn't get hurt.
"By the way, if it comes our way, you block it. I need to shield my students."
"...I can't do that."
"Can't use Rush? Knights smash spells with it."
Ah, so that's what Rush was for?
...Makes sense. Exploding Aura outward.
Perfect counter to mana-based spells.
"Keep it in mind—you might face mages someday."
"Thanks for the tip."
Explaining from a mage's view made it click perfectly.
No wonder she was a teacher.
Anyway.
I watched the duel raptly from then on.
Boom!! Crash!
Their spells kept colliding.
Raw power favored Serina.
But speed and mana efficiency? Aria edged ahead.
"Serina's a genius, but Aria's on another level."
"Young lady?"
"Yeah. Waste for her to stay cooped up in this mansion."
Really?
The Aria I saw just grumbled daily.
Though her magic progress was insanely fast.
Then.
As I watched, engrossed—
"Hah!"
From probing strikes, they escalated to massive flames clashing head-on.
Whoa...
Both fire mages—spectacle for sure.
Colosseum should've hired mages instead of monsters.
This was next-level entertainment. Explained why gladiator fights went stale...
"Uh, uh..."
"Coming our way."
...Their spells collided, and one fireball ricocheted toward Thera and me.
"Like I said, I'm not blocking."
Thera cast a shield—on herself only.
This woman...!
All that petting, and now she bails?
Take responsibility to the end.
Fleet away? Tempting, but it'd wreck the area.
Maids would clean up... screw it.
I activated Track and stood.
Right—Rush to deflect?
Let's try.
Good practice.
No need for Fleet.
In the slowed world, I swung my arm leisurely.
Then.
As my hand met the fireball—
Rush.
I detonated the Aura focused in my palm.
And—
KABOOM!!
The incoming fireball exploded spectacularly in the direction of my Rush.
"Whoa."
Perfect effect.
"What was that...!"
Through the exploding afterimages, Serina's stunned reaction hit me—oh crap.
But for now, I savored the feel.