A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 190. Lucius

It might be arrogance. It might be overconfidence.

But at some point, Lucius von Frodeit began to think this way.

──”I’ve become too strong.”

Well, of course, compatibility plays a role too.

The Kingdom of Yustia is a nation of magic. In such a country, for some reason, I ended up mastering the unique ability to “cut through magic” through rigorous training, making me the natural enemy of all the powerful figures in this land.

……But even setting that aside.

Perhaps because of this ability, Lucius, who intuitively understood the essence of magic, also began to think this way.

The magic of this country, everything, even the bloodline magic.

──It’s all so boring.

No matter what magic I cut, the sensation never changes. It always feels the same… rigid, stifling, and utterly flat—powerful, yes, but devoid of any development or evolution.

That was his perception of the bloodline magic in this country. …Even his own magic was no exception.

Perhaps that was also one of the reasons he became so devoted to the sword.

And once he set foot on the path of mastering the sword, seeking out battles with the strong became second nature.

For him… the fact that the so-called powerful magicians of this country only used such dull magic, and were easily cut down by him, was incredibly tedious.

He believed that somewhere, there must be magicians who were different… and so he left his homeland, traveling to the royal capital to meet the renowned bloodline magicians.

But contrary to his expectations—no, the tendency was even stronger among the capital’s magicians.

The final straw was when he was fortunate enough to gain an audience with the second prince, Aster, hailed as the strongest bloodline magician of his generation and the next king. Upon seeing Lucius’s sword, Aster said:

“Hmph, what is that? Wielding a sword in this day and age is utterly archaic. This isn’t even worth fighting!”

At the same time, upon seeing Aster’s magic, Lucius thought:

(Ah… I can probably win.)

Of course.

Lucius’s perception was correct. Aster’s words were merely a twisted attempt to mask the unease he unconsciously felt—the premonition that he might lose to Lucius’s sword. But it was nothing more than a convenient excuse to deceive himself and those around him.

In that moment, Lucius understood. ──Even the so-called strongest of this generation is just this much.

At that point, he definitively grasped the upper limit of the bloodline magicians in this country.

Thus, even after incurring Aster’s displeasure and being banned from ever approaching the capital again… he felt no particular emotion, only a lingering sense of disappointment as he left the capital.

……Even if he, a “non-magician,” were to defeat Aster, it would only cause chaos without changing anything. He understood that too.

──Of course, he didn’t let that frustration drive him to despair or self-destruction.

As someone born into nobility, he fully understood his responsibilities. He took pride in using his honed strength to protect the people and his territory.

Fortunately, unlike some nobles who mocked the sword, his parents in the Frodeit family praised his strength and cherished him as part of the family. Though they likely had their own motives, they even took in a cute little sister for him, seeing how isolated he had become.

Life in the north was undoubtedly fulfilling for him.

……But even so.

Somewhere in his heart, a thirst and desire grew stronger with time. A fierce longing so intense that it became a gap in his otherwise strong mental fortitude, allowing the archbishop’s brainwashing to take hold.

Someday, one day.

This boring country. This boring magic. These stifling traditions that even he couldn’t break.

He wished, somewhere deep down, for someone to appear—someone who could shatter it all, change it all. Someone vivid, intense, and above all, strong.

And now, that wish has materialized.

Right before his eyes.

(……Haha.)

How long has it been since he took a direct hit from magic? The sheer power was overwhelming. He desperately tried to defend himself by channeling his magic, but it was futile. His entire body creaked in agony.

──This is amazing.

“──I’ve been waiting for a magician like you.”

Thus, he declared, pouring all his emotions into those words.

There was no mistake. Even while brainwashed, he had sensed it from their first meeting, and now, in this moment, he was certain.

He understood. It was precisely because Lucius, through his training, had gained the ability to intuitively grasp the truth.

He, Hermes, was the embodiment of what Lucius had yearned for—the “ideal form” of a magician in this country.

“…………Yes, it’s an honor.”

Hermes, who likely didn’t know Lucius’s past, responded in kind.

Filled with joy, Lucius also thought:

(……Is this enough?)

The soldiers of the Northern Alliance all knew of Lucius’s strength.

Yet, Hermes had wounded him this badly and pushed him to the brink. Combined with the spectacle of his magic, everyone present must have already acknowledged his strength. ……If they were to lose to someone who wielded such magic, they could accept it.

In other words, the primary goal of this battle—to demonstrate undeniable strength and quell any backlash afterward—had already been achieved.

……If that’s the case. If that’s the case──then Lucius.

Following his true desire, and above all, his own thirst, he kicked off the ground and declared:

“From here on out──can I go all out to win?”

“Huh?”

Before a slightly wide-eyed Hermes, Lucius channeled more magic──and accelerated.

With a speed that made it seem like he had vanished, he closed the distance in an instant and swung his sword at Hermes.

“Tch!”

At the last moment.

Hermes deployed a generic barrier spell, slowing the sword’s trajectory just enough to create an opening and retreat. He immediately began casting spells to create distance.

“Too naive.”

But Lucius sliced through all of it and continued his assault. His movements were even faster than before──and faster than when they had first met.

……Until now, he hadn’t been holding back.

But as the captain of the Northern Alliance’s knights, he had to consider his position, the purpose of this battle, and the guilt of having dragged others into this selfish fight.

Now that the goal had been achieved──for just a moment, he cast all of that aside.

As a result, his heart and movements were perfectly aligned. The exhilaration of his wish being fulfilled propelled him forward.

To put it simply… he was in “peak condition.”

The northern monster, at his full, genuine strength—something no one had ever seen before—was now mercilessly bearing down on Hermes.

“──”

But.

Hermes immediately adapted.

He instantly revised his understanding, shattered all preconceptions of Lucius without hesitation, and began rebuilding his analysis from scratch.

Before long… the battle, which had seemed one-sided, returned to an even stalemate.

(……Haha.)

Seeing this, Lucius shuddered.

Realizing the true nature of the boy’s unique ability.

(I see, this is incredible.

This boy──his adaptability is abnormally high!)

Likely, it was a skill honed through innate calmness and relentless analysis.

Thanks to this, he wielded a variety of magic that should have been impossible in this country, overcoming every obstacle to reach this point in the northern rebellion.

Lucius had no way of knowing what Hermes had specifically done.

But… he was certain of one thing. And he felt genuine respect.

──To think such a magician existed in this country.

How did he appear? Why hadn’t he appeared until now? Where did he train to gain such abilities?

There were endless questions… but for now, none of that mattered.

Yes, for now, there was only one thing.

(I want to… defeat this boy.)

With that pure, unadulterated will.

He unleashed his full magic, sharpened his movements further, and kicked off the ground to close the distance. Hermes, in turn, met him with even more calculated thinking, intellect, and magic.

──Before long.

Everyone around them, friend and foe alike, had forgotten the battle and was captivated by the spectacle.

The clash of sword and magic. A young man cutting through magic with his blade, and a boy freely wielding countless bloodline spells—a dynamic, intense stalemate.

A scene filled with irregularities for this country, vivid and fierce… but above all, beautiful.

Everyone, while entranced, also sensed it.

Through this rebellion, the changes and evolution it brought, and this climactic battle that embodied it all.

The impossible, the extraordinary, would become the norm──an undeniable premonition of revolution.

Thus, everyone held their breath, watching purely for the outcome.

And then, finally.

‘That moment’ arrived.

(It’s coming──!)

Lucius sensed it.

Through the barrage of diverse spells, Hermes began an incantation, seizing the brief opening created by Lucius’s slight delay in response.

And true to his premonition.

Hermes, having finished the incantation──unleashed the decisive spell.

“Spell Reenactment──[Ahura Mazda].”

The chosen spell was [Ahura Mazda].

The bloodline magic of the second prince, Aster… but with far greater power than what Lucius had seen from Aster before, now bearing down on him.

At the same time, a surge of magic above. Hermes released the stored [Hlidskjalf], raining down with overwhelming force.

The impacts were perfectly simultaneous. Dodging was impossible; the only option was to cut through them. The timing was calculated and orchestrated.

Thus, Lucius would inevitably be hit by one of the two spells. Hermes’s countermeasure against Lucius was flawless, leaving him no choice but to take one of the two──

(──If they’re perfectly simultaneous, then!)

But of course.

Lucius wasn’t about to let himself be hit by the same trick twice.

After all, adjusting two spells to hit at the exact same time required an absurdly delicate level of control. The fact that Hermes could pull it off with such precision was a testament to his abnormality… but conversely, if that precision could be disrupted, there was a way out.

Thus, Lucius used every fraction of time before impact to act.

First, he reached into his pocket with his free hand.

What he pulled out was a fist-sized metal lump. Lucius cast a generic spell on it──and in an instant, it transformed into a simple sword.

Yes, the kind of sword Niena often used.──A backup weapon for Lucius.

Gripping it in his off-hand, now dual-wielding, Lucius poured all his magic into the makeshift sword──

“──Hah!”

And threw it.

……Incidentally, the sword didn’t carry his unique ability to “cut through magic”. That required precise analysis, intense focus, and delicate magic control—something even Lucius couldn’t replicate with dual swords or a thrown blade.

Thus, there was no way the thrown sword could counter the incoming [Ahura Mazda].

But.

Even so, the sword was imbued with a massive amount of magic and thrown with Lucius’s monstrous strength, generating significant energy.

That energy, even if only slightly, slowed the incoming spell. Just a fraction of a second, but enough to disrupt the “perfectly simultaneous impact.”

(──A moment is all I need.)

The time gained was minimal, but within it, Lucius raised his beloved sword, focusing all his consciousness on his body and the two incoming spells. He concentrated the effects of his bloodline magic on his upper body, timing it to the very limit──

“──!”

A single flash.

With a tremendous surge of energy and an extraordinary physical leap, the arc of his greatsword.

First, it cleaved through the [Hlidskjalf] above. Then, a split second later, it sliced through [Ahura Mazda].

Truly, a masterful technique.

The heretical monster, having executed this feat with undeniable precision, looked ahead to deliver the final blow.

There, Hermes, having expended all his magic and left himself wide open──

──Was gone.

In an instant, a shock to his solar plexus.

In stunned disbelief, he looked down to see.

“……That was an impressive sword.”

Hermes, having exploited the opening created by Lucius’s full focus on countering the spells.

With perfect timing and angle, he drove an elbow strike, loaded with his full weight, into Lucius’s midsection.

(…………I see.)

Feeling the flawless strike rapidly drain his strength.

In that instant, Lucius understood. ──So this was the real plan.

Hermes, understanding and trusting Lucius’s strength, had anticipated that he wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice. That he would counter the dual spells.

Thus, the real strike, the third blade, wasn’t magic—it was a fist. Aimed at the fatal opening created by Lucius’s all-out defense.

The delayed incantation, [Delay Spell], a technique Hermes must have desperately developed to counter Lucius… he had unhesitatingly used it as a decoy in the final moment.

And it had worked. How many people could be so thorough, even knowing it would be effective?

……Actually, come to think of it.

“……You’re a magician, right? I never heard you could move like that in close combat.”

“I never mentioned it.”

Of course, it wasn’t just him who had hidden his cards.

And throughout history, the one who reveals their hand first tends to lose. Underestimating the opponent’s depth was his mistake… no, it was more than that.

On the verge of collapse.

Barely holding on with the last of his strength, Lucius felt a strange unease at Hermes’s flawless execution. It was outside his calculations, the final cause of his defeat. He had to ask.

“……I was wondering. You──aren’t you too accustomed to fighting swordsmen? Even considering your learning ability, it’s abnormally high. How exactly…”

“Ah, that.”

In response to the question, Hermes──smiled as if it were the simplest thing.

“──Your sister trained me. Back at the academy, almost every day.”

“……Hah.”

That explained everything.

Fighting swordsmen… no, fighting someone who had been trained by his own sister in the sword, it was no wonder he could respond so effectively.

(……Ah. Well, that’s just how it is.)

Feeling a strange sense of satisfaction at such a splendid defeat.

As his consciousness drifted into a pleasant haze, Lucius collapsed to the ground.

──This was the signal of revolution.

Surely, from this moment on, this country would change even more.

With that intuition… no, with undeniable certainty, the strongest man of the north let go of his consciousness.

The final battle had come to an end.