Academy’s Genius Mage

Ian tapped Milo’s shoulder and gestured with his chin.

“If you’re bored, act as a witness.”

“You…”

Milo couldn’t close his mouth, which had fallen open in surprise.

Soon, he whispered sharply into Ian’s ear.

“What the hell are you doing this for? You said you don’t have much practical experience!”

“Practical experience doesn’t put food on the table.”

“This isn’t a spar! It’s a duel!”

“Just watch, even if you feel like you’re being tricked. It’ll be beneficial for you too.”

Upon seeing Ian’s smile, Milo realized that his friend was plotting something devious again.

Ian was a friend he could neither predict nor stop.

“Damn it. It’s you who’s going to end up dead, not me!”

In the end, Milo stood in the middle.

“I, Milo Vinettia, hereby sanction this duel based on the solemn royal decree of the Kingdom of Sonokin.”

Milo gestured for the two to come closer.

Ian approached calmly, while his opponent came forward with extreme tension.

“Before the duel, there will be an introduction. It holds the power equivalent to a signature.”

“Ian Oracle.”

“Rahel Thousand.”

The Thousand Baron family.

It was an insignificant baron family, typical corrupt nobles who leech power and suck the blood of the weak.

‘It seems they had no choice but to become followers of Helios.’

From the perspective of the Thousand Baron family, they must have needed to maintain ties with the Royal Family.

This may have been separate from the will of this fearless young man named Rahel.

‘But that’s not the image of a knight that I know. He may be an academy student, but his actions were like that of a local thug.’

Rahel likely didn’t have a good nature either.

He appeared to lack even the minimum conscience.

Ian concluded it wouldn’t matter if Rahel were punished.

Milo’s explanation continued.

“All outcomes arising from this duel will be borne individually. Both parties solemnly swear to do their best to achieve an honorable duel.”

“Ian Oracle, I accept the outcome of this duel.”

“Rahel Thousand… I accept the outcome of this duel.”

Milo had the surrounding students step back.

It was a duel between a mage and a swordsman.

Nobody knew what kind of unexpected situations might occur.

Fortunately, everyone understood that if they got hurt or lost their lives while watching, the responsibility was theirs alone.

Thus, the spectators gradually retreated until a perfect stage was set.

“Why, feeling pressured because it’s the first time freshmen are dueling against each other?”

Ian hit the nail on the head.

Rahel gave a sardonic smile, but his heart was pounding wildly.

This was no simple duel.

It was the first battle of the year between the Department of Magic and the Department of Martial Arts.

“I can hear your heart pounding from here. Do you need some time to calm down?”

“Shut up! Why are you so confident? With a mana level of roughly 77, you should be playing house in a playground!”

Ian nodded.

The Department of Magic and the Department of Martial Arts were sensitive to each other’s achievements.

Stories of who ranked first or who received what award had been common talk from ancient times to now.

The reason was simple.

Humans love to compare.

Ian made full use of this point.

“And how strong is your aura that you eagerly accepted the duel?”

“Strong enough to cut your neck.”

“Pathetic.”

Ian chuckled.

Rahel found it disagreeable.

‘Why was this penniless mage acting so arrogantly?.

“If you’re challenging me based on the mana measurement results, then you’ve made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

“Mana measurement can come out low if there’s a malfunction or if the magic is intentionally suppressed for a lower result. So if you came out here trusting solely in that number 77, you’re in trouble.”

Rahel’s expression turned blank.

Yet he quickly regained his composure and gripped his sword tightly, assuming a somewhat impressive stance.

Seeing Milo’s observation of this, Ian realized that Rahel wasn’t just all talk.

He had the basics down.

“Are you saying you’ve been hiding your strength?”

“Well, not precisely hiding it. After enrolling, I trained hard and studied diligently. My skills improved remarkably. It’s Royal Academy, after all.”

Ian began forming runes.

“So take a good look. See how lazily you and your friends have been training.”

Wuoooong!

The mysterious magic glowed blue as it embroidered the air.

At last, the duel began.

“I know just enough about the weaknesses of guys who rely only on magic!”

Rahel attempted to leap.

He was quite agile, fitting for a student of the academy.

He was about 10 meters away, but closed the distance in an instant, swinging his sword.

‘Did he intend to kill me from the start?’

Ian Oracle had planned to humor him for a moment but decided to change the plan slightly.

The blade of the sword was extending toward his neck.

This was clearly an attack with malicious intent, aiming for a vital spot before even gauging the opponent’s skills.

Ian canceled the casting and formed another spell.

“Crazy! Why are you so relaxed! Why did you cancel the casting?”

Milo Vinettia yelled at the top of his lungs.

However, rahel’s sword was much faster than his shout.

It was a clean and precise strike.

Clang!

Yet it was blocked by something invisible.

The sound of metal striking metal reverberated.

A tremendous shock was transmitted to Rahel’s hand gripping the sword. The sword was vibrating with a humming noise.

“Ugh!”

The surroundings buzzed with murmurs.

If Rahel had been holding a legendary sword, he might have broken Ian’s shield. However, he held a sword from the academy set.

“It’s a well-known fact that a mage’s biggest weakness is casting. Doesn’t it occur to anyone that if the opponent knows it, then mages must be aware of it too?”

“Shut up!”

Rahel thought it was a problem with his weapon.

If he had a better sword, and had drawn up enough aura, he thought that if he might not have been able to cut the neck instantly, breaking the shield would have been easy.

But acquiring a better sword on the spot was impossible.

Thus, rahel chose to draw up his aura.

Whoooosh—

An unprecedented power began to gather in the sword.

It only shone white, indicating it hadn’t surpassed an amateur level.

One must be capable of producing a blue light to qualify as a knight.

With further training, the aura becomes black.

“Is that all there is?”

Ian gave Rahel enough time to gather his aura.

Just as mages take time to form spells, aura also takes time to gather.

And just as spells can be shortened or altered, aura can be condensed.

They were similar yet entirely different powers.

“That composure of yours ends here. I can smash your feeble shield with my aura!”

“Who said I was using a shield?”

Ian swiftly formed a spell.

When he regained his focus, blue currents were already swirling around Ian’s hand.

Crackle!

The colossal current scattered in all directions.

“Whoa!”

“Ahhh!”

The students are watching startled.

Students unfamiliar with magic were merely astonished by the spectacular sight, but those with some knowledge of magic, especially from the Department of Magic, were aghast.

“He held lightning in his hand!”

“Is that even possible?”

“Isn’t it a different spell, not lightning?”

“The spell formation was a bit different, but at the core, it’s lightning! Ian discovered a new method. Haven’t you read his paper?”

“What paper?”

Countless speculations poured in from all sides.

Ian had no intention of prolonging the fight.

Fewer witnesses meant fewer rumors spreading.

Meanwhile, Rahel gripped the sword tightly with both hands.

One hand alone would tremble, making it impossible to apply strength.

“How… How is this…?”

The lightning summoned by Ian was enough to make his knees weak.

“Once you spend a few days bedridden, you’ll realize how reckless your actions were. Although, getting beaten by a mage with a mana of 77 is going to be quite a disgrace.”

Ian swung his hand.

Crackle!

Like a whip being lashed, the lightning carrying killing intent swiftly attacked Rahel.

“Ahhhhh!”

Rahel screamed and swung his sword.

Thud!

Magic and aura collided.

Aura was a force close to instinct, a raw and primal sensation.

In contrast, magic was different. It was a power meticulously refined through the knowledge of the mage.

Thus, if the level was the same, magic had the advantage.

Even if there were no differences in strength, it was a challenging fight, yet Rahel’s aura was pitiful compared to Ian’s mana.

“Argh!”

In the end, Rahel’s sword flew away to one side.

Ian’s whip did not stop and struck Rahel again.

Crack!

“Ughhhhhh!”

Rahel, electrocuted by a strong current, rolled his eyes as his body trembled.

Ian repeated the whip lashing.

Slap! Snap! Crack!

To show the gathered crowd around them, Ian wielded his whip mercilessly.

“Grrr… ugh…”

No one called Ian cruel or asked him to stop.

This was not just a spar; it was a duel.

It was a stage where lives were on the line.

And the students who had been watching the duel from the beginning knew that Rahel had tried to launch a lethal attack from the start.

Thus, Ian’s actions were fully justified.

Even if Ian were to claim Rahel’s life here, no one would raise an issue.

The head of the Thousand family might seek revenge, though.

‘If I raise the level just one more notch, it could have a fatal impact on a person.’

However, Ian had no intention of killing him.

Instead, he meticulously adjusted the mana, conducting an experiment.

Killing would only create more troubles.

For Ian, it was better if Rahel suffered some injuries and left. Perhaps out of embarrassment from his defeat, he might even drop out.

‘Now, to finish it.’

Zap!

Ultimately, Rahel foamed at the mouth and collapsed on the ground.

The duel had ended.

It was an unexpectedly uneventful duel.

Followers who had expected their ally to win decisively looked around and left the scene.

“Ian Oracle, victorious!”

With that, the role of the overseer had concluded. Milo, who rushed to the prone Rahel, checked his condition.

“He’s still breathing. Lucky bastard.”

Milo had hoped Rahel wouldn’t die.

Even though it was a duel, if someone bore a grudge, it could cause trouble for his friends.

“It would be the bad side, given that he picked a fight with me.”

“Oh, come on.”

He wanted to say a word but found nothing to say.

Ian’s magic had been that flawless.

“You’ll need to explain that Lightning Spell thoroughly.”

“Sure, anytime.”

Upon closer inspection of the fallen Rahel, Milo saw that Ian had not attempted to kill him with his magic.

Instead, he had sufficiently accumulated shocks to knock Rahel unconscious.

This realization also shocked Milo.

It meant Ian could control not only mana but also the very magic itself with such precision.

Afterward, Ian and Milo left the place heading towards the carriage rental station.

“It’s going to get noisier now. When Helios finds out about this, he won’t stay silent.”

“It’ll probably be the opposite.”

“Why?”

“Until now, only the small fry have been picking fights, right? Everyone will be scared now, so things should quiet down. With things having escalated to this point, the man himself will have no choice but to take direct action.”

Ian boarded the carriage he had reserved in advance.

Milo got in next to him and closed the door tightly.

“The conclusion will probably come soon. At the exchange matches.”

“But.”

Milo’s expression turned serious.

“Now that you’re so strong, do I really still need to hang out with you?”

“Hmm… Isn’t it like this carriage we’re in right now?”

“A carriage?”

“Even a king who possesses everything needs to ride a carriage. No matter how mighty their power and authority, a noble still needs assistants.”

“Ha.”

He should have chosen his words more carefully.

Milo tapped his lips irritably.

Soon, the carriage started moving.

The real danger was just beginning.

Ian called for Goyang.