Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Aria Learns - 3
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Aria's eyes began to smolder with jealousy bit by bit, and Eilene flashed an adult's smile down at Leonardo kneeling before her.
"Do you know me?"
With his head bowed and gaze fixed downward, Leo replied.
"How could someone steeped in magic not know a mage of the Temperius Family?"
Temperius Family
A magical dynasty perched at the pinnacle of the magic world, said to stand equal to the Hero Family, House of Reinhardt.
When considering only the collective achievements of the family, it could even be called a match for the Sage.
[Hmm... I know that family. That guy actually managed to have descendants.]
Just how far did the Sage's connections extend? It was enough to make one wonder if the Sage had existed even when the gods crafted humans from the heavens.
[Not corruption. Just, a Temperius Family mage was my friend. His name was... Kallen, right.]
Kallen Temperius
Any mage—especially anyone who's read even a single line from the Magic Tower's official textbooks—would know the name.
If the Sage had laid magic's foundation stones, it wouldn't be wrong to say Kallen had stacked its commemorative ones.
[But that bastard confessed to me.]
As far as I knew, Kallen Temperius was...
[That's right. That guy was a man, but he confessed to me.]
It felt like I'd forcibly unearthed a dark chapter of human history that should have stayed buried forever.
[The kid was born by him transforming into a woman or something? Creeped me out, so I refused.]
Unfortunately, the reasons to conceal the Sage's existence had just multiplied.
This secret had to be buried—for the sake of the lady who bore that family's glory and pride, if nothing else.
"Is something wrong? Your face has gone pale."
Now that he knew this secret about a noble house's heir, keeping a straight face was an impossible ideal for Leo.
"Ah... It's nothing. More importantly, about the sparring...?"
For now, he needed to change the subject. For the sake of his own sanity, he had to forget what he'd just heard.
"I had no intention of eavesdropping, but 'sparring' piques my interest too."
As the topic shifted, Leo rose to his feet and faced her squarely.
"If it's not too rude, might I be the first to request a spar with you?"
Watching this unfold, Aria mouthed the words oh-so-carefully.
'Don't accept... Refuse! Leo! Refuse...!'
"There's no reason to turn down such an honor. Very well."
Aria's desperate wish was shattered just like that.
As the Sage said, Eilene Temperius was a 6th Circle mage—equivalent to Gladio Reinhardt, head of House Reinhardt and a 6-star powerhouse.
Even accounting for the age gap, her prowess wasn't something even the Sage could dismiss lightly.
But such a menacing reality only fueled Leonardo's battle lust. Leo's temperament leaned combative by nature, reveling in fights and spars.
Normally, it'd just be casual encouragement, but after that bombshell secret, Leo couldn't help but grimace awkwardly.
To shake off the stray thoughts, Leo equipped his sparring gear.
"Are you ready?"
The arena supervisor confirmed, eyeing Leo's gear.
"Yes, good to go."
"Then let's start. Enter the field."
At the supervisor's cue, Leo transformed his bracelet-shaped black stone into a sword and strode into the dueling ring.
"Looks like you're set."
Standing in the ring was a woman in a sleek black suit, her massive staff a visual testament to her mage stature.
"I've crossed blades with a few who dubbed themselves magic swordsmen in my time."
"How'd they fare?"
"Abysmal. As swordsmen and mages."
That was the nature of magic swordsmen.
Dedicate fully to martial arts, and magic suffers. Vice versa holds true.
Even balanced effort yields mediocrity—effort needed for mastery in one split between two.
"I hope you're the exception."
"I'll make it so."
But Leonardo was the exception.
"Match begin!!"
At the referee's shout, Leonardo charged headlong. A frontal assault, yet surprise enough to call it a blitz.
"Ngh...!"
Clang!
What blocked Leo's thrust: a mana shield. His charge lasted less than a second—her reaction speed was formidable.
Boom!!
But Leo's blow wasn't stopping for some hasty mana wall. He chained into the next strike.
To halt the combo, Eilene launched a wind shell. Head-on? Leo gets wrecked. Slicing wind with a sword? Impossible.
'...Defend...!'
Leo threw up a barrier spell too. But the wind cannon sneered it apart.
"Mmph...!!"
3rd Circle magic, yet its punch outstripped Leo's. Without quick-shifting the black stone to shield, he'd have shattered bone.
"Swift reflexes. Impressive. You outshine others as both swordsman and mage."
Eilene couldn't deny his talent. A typical mage? Wouldn't have reacted to that thrust.
That wind spell? Normals block it only to crumple from shockwave.
"Let's test you further."
Eilene smirked. Long time since she'd met someone worth going all-out against—the thrill unleashed her full potential uncontrollably.
Triple cast raining down: weak spells mixed with heavy hitters to dodge overload—the textbook method. Even affinities blended seamlessly.
No pure magic counter. No pure martial one either.
Thus Leo calculated his best riposte. The rock spell cloaked his skin, reshaping his body to withstand lightning and flame.
His stance? Prime for offense.
• Slash - Second Form: Sever (Vertical Slash)
The downward sword stroke unleashed wind pressure, cleaving high-output spells in twain—scattering left and right. Splinters still menaced, but Stone Skin barely held.
"...Haa... haa..."
Panting raggedly, Leo readjusted his grip on the blade.
"Outstanding. No 3rd Circle mage could have endured that."
"I'm not just a mage. And..."
Leo propped himself up with his sword like a cane, hauling his buckling body upright as he spoke.
"...I didn't block it completely."
Iron Skin might've absorbed the impact fully—but not lightning.
Stone Skin was the suboptimal pick: endured the brunt, but no perfect guard.
He'd drop from mana and stamina drain first.
"Now I want to test you more."
She dispelled her prepped offensive circle. Leo and the crowd stared in baffled confusion.
"I noticed before—your swordplay mirrors the Eastern Triad Sword Technique."
Triad Sword Technique (三才劍法)
The most elemental, basal low-tier martial art: three forms only.
Thus, the root underpinning all martial ways.
As she said, Leo's refined basics drew from the Triad's essence.
"Which means a third technique remains. Show it. Ending here feels too soon."
Test. Perfect word.
She'd yield an opening—unleash everything.
"...You offer the chance. I'll take it."
Leo crouched low, coiling like a leopard.
Lightning Excel
3rd Circle enhanced lightning body reinforcement
Lightning crashed through every fiber. 3rd Circle lightning variant: bodily augmentation.
Leo's speed and reflexes now eclipsed even Ariasfil Reinhardt.
"...Triad Sword Technique, you said? Brace for beyond."
This show went past swordplay.
"Ho...!"
Leo unleashed his prepared art.
• Throw - Tenth Form: Hurl (Aimed Throw)
No thrust. No guard. No swing.
In an instant, body-bound lightning lanced out spear-shaped.
"...This...!!"
Eilene shrank her shield to pinpoint. She'd anticipated sword rush: close-quarters melee.
But Leo wielded spearmanship—a distant javelin toss.
'...Manageable, though.'
Unexpected, sure. But the hurl lacked bite. Layered shields focused...
'....No spear...?'
Shields intact. The projectile: not morphed black stone, but lightning clump residue.
"Now...!"
Eilene scanned for counter. No Leo ahead, behind—head up.
'...From above...!'
Leo airborne, black bow drawn. Rock-magic arrow nocked.
"I never said one strike...!!"
• Shoot - Ninth Form: Loose (Aimed Fire)
Mid-leap instant: arrow barrage. Low damage, but a single hit? Utter humiliation for her.
"Brazen."
Arrow storm scatters in gale. Gust shockwave barrels toward Leo.
"...Not... yet...!"
Black stone to shield anew—Leo plunged into the blast.
• Strike - Seventh Form: Smite (Forefist Blow)
Form Seven Smite: pure fist forefist normally. Shield overlay? Parry viable.
Wind rebounded; Leo accelerated descent.
"...This... ends it...!"
Opposite hand's blade: aura focus. Inferior to spear or sword stab, but steel-sundering hand knife now.
• Thrust - Sixth Form: Pierce (Hand Blade Stab)
Shields pulverized in sequence. True to form, five layers minimum shrouded her frame.
Scraaaape!
Layer one, two—crumbled before the hand blade. Gap left: not even a handspan.
"...Haa... hurk...!"
His all-or-nothing bid fell short.
"Superb."
The hand blade did pulverize every shield.
Layered defenses tilted angles in cascade, fully deflecting trajectory.
"Fatal flaws: skipping spells from mana drought. And..."
Eilene staff-swept Leo's assault aside.
"...underestimating close range against a 'mage'."
Big, heavy staff doubled as bludgeon. Her staff mastery? Plenty to punish Leo's exhaustion.
"Yet your caliber's rare—among our mages, Reinhardt knights alike. At your age? Unheard of."
One arm scooped the crumpling Leo.
"I like you. That's enough."
Gripping the fading Leo,
"Be my person from here on. Too crowded—let's relocate."
Eilene conjured a teleport circle in a blink, whisking Leo and herself away.
Ariasfil Reinhardt watched the scene—drew her sword laced with feral killing intent.
Fortunate, tragic: Eilene's warp outpaced it.