Chapter 86 - Joint Grade Mock Battle (3)

Let him face Rain Enlight alone.

Milo stroked his chin at Theodore's request. As if pondering something.

“Hmm… why?”

“It’s for personal reasons, but as an academy student, I want to defeat that fellow one-on-one to uphold my honor.”

Milo thought to himself.

‘What kind of bullshit is this?’

But he didn't bother to say it out loud.

Originally, Theodore, despite being from the Magic Department, was a person who was very interested in the honor of knights.

Unlike most Magic Department students who had a more scholarly temperament.

Perhaps he wanted to pass judgment on the dishonor that bastard had committed so far.

Milo could only think so.

The dishonor was actually a false accusation framed by his own influence, but that was not a very important fact to Milo.

Well anyway, Milo's thoughts on that request were.

‘What a stroke of luck.’

It wasn't that he didn't want to personally repay that despicable bastard, but in truth, victory was more important than that itself.

Defeat Rain Enlight, and raise his stock by winning.

Milo firmly believed that he could restore his prestige, which had fallen to the ground due to the defeat at the beginning of the semester, in that way.

He also thought that if he proved himself like that, Crown Prince Claudio would consider appointing him to a key position again.

Of course, the prince had no intention of doing so, as he accurately understood the person named Milo down to the core.

But facing Rain Enlight was a troublesome matter even from Milo's perspective.

Although he was trying hard to deny it, the abilities that could be inferred from his actions so far were not at an ordinary level.

That was why he had gone to the trouble of bribing Hugo and making thorough preparations. To win at all costs.

‘I did prepare a last resort just in case.’

But if he could comfortably take the victory without having to directly face a troublesome opponent, wouldn't that be a good thing in itself?

In reality, it was Theodore who defeated Rain, but who would care about the detailed contents of the exam?

It was natural for the credit to go to the team leader, Milo. That's what Milo thought.

“Ahem… if we do that, the perfect strategy I prepared will be disrupted.”

“Please.”

Milo, perhaps for his own prestige, played hard to get once and dragged his feet.

And.

“……I have no choice. Then make sure you win and come back.”

He gave his permission, pretending he couldn't win.

“Thank you.”

At Milo's words, Theodore bowed his head deeply and expressed his gratitude.

Afterward, just before Theodore left for the steep path to face Rain.

“Ah.”

Theodore stopped in his tracks for a moment and looked back at Milo.

“Hmm?”

At that, Milo looked back at Theodore with a curious eye.

“It wasn't mentioned during the strategy session, but does Rain Enlight know how to use magic?”

During the strategy session, Milo had fully utilized his information network to brief his allies on Team A's specialties and main fields.

And that was a part he hadn't mentioned during the briefing.

Because there was no need to mention it.

“No, that fellow’s magic power is rock bottom. There's no way he can use magic.”

“I see.”

Theodore nodded with a bland expression and then moved back to his position.

And, looking at Theodore's retreating back, Milo grinned, a smile of triumph.

‘Things are going too well.’

As mentioned before, Milo had made thorough preparations to take this exam.

The enemies were made as weak as possible, and the team leader was someone who would grovel to him. Dejan was the perfect fit.

The allies were chosen to be as strong as possible and to listen to his words well.

And the finishing touch to that was the existence of Theodore.

‘If it’s him, he will definitely win.’

A solid powerhouse who ranked within the top five, no. If you counted well, within the top three in the Magic Department.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't see the possibility of him losing to Rain Enlight.

It would be impossible for him to even try to escape, so it would be safe to say that it was already over.

‘I won.’

Milo thought so.

***

I was dumbfounded by the situation I was facing right now.

‘What is this situation?’

Whether looking at the information Regina gave me, or the information I originally knew, Theodore was by far the strongest force in Team B.

But, why was a guy like that here?

The mage with the strongest firepower wasn't with the main force? Why?

‘There’s no way Milo sent him on purpose.’

It was true that Milo was basically a petty, pathetic, and small-minded person, but his abilities themselves were not below average.

He wasn't stupid enough to divert a mage with maximum firepower to a detached force where he didn't even know who would be waiting.

And unlike Dejan, he had no motive to deliberately weaken his forces.

And as I was thinking that.

“Come out, Rain Enlight. Come out and have a proper duel with me.”

“……”

What?

So this guy, he came here instead of the main force to have a one-on-one fight with me?

I frowned while hiding my body.

At the same time, I also replayed what Theodore had said.

He had called my name correctly.

And that meant he knew my location precisely.

‘Did he read my magic power and follow me here?’

…Certainly, it was true that there was a technique to identify the enemy's location by reading their magic power.

It didn't apply in my case, but I also knew that students with excellent magic sensitivity were taught such methods.

‘How absurd.’

Well, specifying my magic power. That could be explained by just looking for the guy with low magic power, but…….

He accurately found and specified my magic power in this vast examination hall?

Wasn't that something only Arien could do? That thought crossed my mind, but… I couldn't help it.

What was important now was this situation itself. It would be right to focus on solving it.

As I was lost in thought like that, Theodore shouted again.

“If you have even a shred of honor, come out and fight me!”

It was a statement that strongly revealed his pride in his own honor.

I had no clue what grudge he had against me to act like that.

‘What should I do.’

To be honest, if I were to fight Theodore, the chances of winning were ambiguous.

It wasn't that there was no chance of winning at all.

He was a student who was sufficiently ranked at the top of the academy, and he was a guy who used wide-range magic that was not a good match for me.

It wasn't an overwhelming gap like with Gabriel or Stella before, but if Theodore and I were to fight, it would be about… 6 to 4, or 7 to 3?

‘I don't want to gamble on probabilities here.’

A battle that relied on improvisation, that depended on such a fluke, was not to my taste.

The most important thing was that I currently had no information on Theodore.

What attacks he mainly used, what characteristics his attacks had… If I had at least that kind of information, I might have given it a shot, but right now, I didn't have much information about Theodore.

I didn't act rashly. I would buy as much time as possible to think until I could see the best way.

That was the basics in battle.

Because you have to keep the blood flowing in your head to see a way out.

“ ……Do not test my patience.”

As I continued to drag on time like that, Theodore seemed somewhat displeased.

“I am treating you as honorably as possible right now. It is possible for me to launch an attack at your exact location right now, but I am still waiting.”

Well, I’ll be.

Was he always this talkative?

As I was thinking that-

Paaang-!

From the opposite side of the canyon where we were, that is, from the mountain path, the sound of something being fired up was heard.

And when I looked there, a green signal flare was soaring into the sky.

‘As expected, the main force is over there.’

It probably meant that they had just encountered each other and the battle had begun.

“……”

I briefly assessed the situation.

‘The allies currently on the mountain path are near our base. In contrast, I'm at the midpoint between the enemy's base and our base.’

In other words, since I was acting as a scout of sorts, I was deliberately far from the base.

And Theodore and I are here.

Theodore's mobility is lower than mine.

Currently, the other enemies are engaged in battle on the mountain path, and thus the enemy's base is empty.

The process of replaying that series of facts sparked a kind of inspiration in me…….

‘……This could work.’

Soon, it made me think of a good idea.

***

Theodore Dietrich was extremely displeased.

“To think he was a man who had fallen this far to the ground.”

A mumble that revealed his displeasure without reservation.

In this situation, Rain Enlight was a rat in a trap.

There was no way to escape as he was tracking his location through his magic power.

There was a difference in mobility, but if he even tried to run away, he was ready to intercept him with magic immediately.

No, in the first place, if he were to cast magic right now, the battle would end without even determining the winner or loser.

However, Theodore did not do so. Why?

Because that was an honorable duel as a knight.

But. Rain Enlight was not appearing.

It was clear that he was just trying to waste time with a meaningless standoff.

“……I’m sick of it.”

And at the moment he muttered that.

Paaang-!

From the opposite direction, the mountain path, a signal flare rose.

That meant that the party that had headed for the mountain path had encountered the enemy and started a battle.

‘I hope they win.’

He didn't know the enemy's strategy, but the battle would likely unfold in a close match.

Currently, the enemy had four from the Combat Department and two from the Magic Department, from which one from the Combat Department was missing… and the allies had three from the Combat Department and three from the Magic Department, from which one from the Magic Department was missing.

In other words, both sides had a formation of 3 from the Combat Department and 2 from the Magic Department.

‘The battle will probably continue to be tense.’

That thought was also brief. Theodore shook his head.

It was more important to push aside distracting thoughts and first focus on the situation he was in.

Yes, Theodore certainly did not let go of the thread of tension. Even in this dreadful silence.

He had called out to Rain, who was hiding nearby, several times so far, but he had never shown himself or responded.

Even though he had told him that he had already figured out his location, he was just cowering like a turtle.

And a little while later.

“Hah.”

Theodore could feel the faint lump of magic power that had been stationary begin to move.

And that also meant that Rain Enlight, who had been taking cover, had started to move.

“Really, there’s no bottom to him.”

Theodore could not hide his disappointment.

He had not expected anything from his character in the first place… but he had thought that he would have at least a minimum of pride befitting his recent notorious skills.

However, that disappointment did not cause Theodore to act wrongly.

Emotions are emotions. Actions are actions.

He just concisely drew up his magic power. Almost at the same time, he pinpointed Rain's location.

‘It’s a considerable speed, but it’s not something I can’t handle.’

The moment he was about to release the flame imbued with magic power.

“……!”

At that moment. Theodore could not help but flinch.

“He disappeared…?”

Because Rain's magic reaction had disappeared for a moment.

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