End of semester evaluation (4)
– ‘I’m going to quit things like war.’
Obel Forcius the guardian of the ecliptic left the battlefield like that.
The demihumans bleed bluish blood.
It seems like just yesterday when I was rolling around on the battlefield covered in that bluish blood.
As the reign of Emperor Cloel continued the Cloel Empire which was said to have achieved peace and prosperity was truly at its peak.
Nevertheless the power of the demi-humans remaining in the northernmost part of the continent remained in Kaleid’s heart.
However Emperor Cloel no longer had the will to exterminate the demi-humans. This is because the power of the demi-humans has already become weak.
Even Obel Forcius the guardian of the ecliptic put the existence of his archenemy behind him. He then took up teaching to train the next generation.
– ‘We didn’t fight to shed blood. ‘We fought to protect the imperial capital.’
In the end following Guardian Ovel’s will Zellan Seeker Cutter Glast Outlaw Kaleid came to Sylvania as a bachelor.
But unlike the other two Kaleid did not adapt well.
To Kaleid who had lived on the battlefield since he was an adult the spiteful Sylvanian bachelor seemed like child’s play.
It was impossible to teach the poisonous survival skills of the battlefield to students who were intoxicated by peace and romance and enjoying their youth under the pretext of studying.
Fortunately his close friend Explorer Glast seems to have maintained his venom in his own way in the moderate atmosphere of the university.
Although his academic attitude was rigid at least he did not become intoxicated with romance or peace and say he did not know his duty or become soft.
That’s why when Kalade was a student at the academy he was considered a crazy person along with Glast. Although the direction was slightly different.
The students practiced until they gave up from exhaustion and even asked them to stay up all night to practice magical energy sensitivity.
In reality there is no day or night.
The enemy does not care about the brightness or darkness of the sky when targeting my neck.
However for the plants in the greenhouse that grew up in good homes and good environments survival skills in the wild were close to ‘unfair abuse’.
After all kinds of accidents fighting with the university and gnashing his teeth with the students and repeating the history of antagonism he left the university.
After that he lived for a long time as an adventurer wandering around the lawless region of Cohelton and carrying out requests.
When he received Sylvania’s love call once again he was already tired of his wandering life.
Anyway there is no longer a need for talent like Kaleid in this peaceful world. Training the next generation is only possible when like Obel you are compromising in everything and can understand various situations.
In the end it’s natural to let go of all expectations and just kill time by earning a salary… .
The last person he caught his eye on was the student left behind by Professor Glast who was like his only colleague.
Claire Elphin. These were the words of his successor an assistant professor who seemed to have no clue.
― ‘Professor Glast when he was alive seemed to have had strange expectations for student Ed Rothtaylor.’
* * *
Obelgwan’s combat training center is always full of various schedules.
This is because it is used not only for these practical classes but also for personal sparring between students and for personal training of students at various demonstration events.
However compared to its size there are not many days when the stands are this full. At most it is a joint combat practice for the seniors in the grade or a demonstration sparring with the professors.
The reason why so many students flocked to this end-of-semester exam was largely to see the personal sparring of Professor Kalide who was once a war hero and once the mad dog of a bachelor’s degree.
Moreover the opponent is Ed Rosstaylor a rising star in his third year.
He is a student known as a hard worker rather than a talented student.
In my first year my grades were just at the bottom and in my second year my grades improved considerably but not to a noticeable level.
However as he entered the 3rd grade he rose to the level of a strong player in his grade and now there are few people who do not know his name.
The significance of his sudden injury was quite significant to ordinary students.
He was not born with any notable talent to begin with nor did he receive a lot of support from his family after being excommunicated.
It was seen as proof that one can rise to the rank of a strong student in one’s grade solely through effort and investment in oneself and that one can become a competent person who can play a part in this academic program even without a great background.
As it was a sparring match between two people quite a lot of attention was drawn to it.
When student council president Tanya Rosstaylor entered the sparring hall with her closest associates there was even silence in the audience.
― ‘Hey you personally went to the student council president?’
― ‘Look Chief Action Committee member Dyke and the chief secretary were also accompanied… !’
Tanya was used to that kind of noise by now. The position of student council president is one that always attracts attention from those around you.
Tanya felt a little anxious so she took the time to observe Ed’s sparring. Anyway it’s not that strange if you come and see this kind of hot couplet in person.
To some he is a crazy warmonger to others he is a self-righteous man and to others he is a pathetic drunkard… He is someone who cannot be judged solely based on student evaluations. That’s the outlaw Kaleid.
No matter how much power Ed has acquired there is no way he can be a match for Kaleid who is considered the strongest among the faculty through force alone.
At least Tanya thought so.
If something were to happen there was a need to intervene directly and even if it wasn’t that bad there was a need to be aware if something unfair happened or the atmosphere became overheated.
No matter how bad a professor is he cannot completely ignore the student council president.
There were many intentions but… When I saw Kaleid’s appearance I wondered if I had made a mistake.
“Oh my it’s Saksin… .”
middle-age… It still seems a bit young to call it that.
However it feels like his face value has gone up a bit due to his rough beard and unkempt hair.
Kalide groaned as he stuck both hands in his coat pockets and blinked his sullen eyes.
“I got drunk and slept sprawled out on the floor and all my joints were screaming. I eat a lot of vegetables and dairy products but this joint here still creaks. Should I eat more green fish? . Or should I reduce my salty foods… .”
“… .”
On the duel table.
Professor Kalide stumbled and looked straight at Ed.
Ed had a leather pouch the size of his upper body tied to his back and it seemed quite heavy considering what was inside it. Recently it was a bag I suddenly had to carry around.
“Okay Ed Rosstaylor…” “Just give it a try.”
Ed threw the leather bag into the corner and relaxed his body by twisting his arms around.
“You mean right now?”
“Then when will we do it? The end-of-semester evaluation should be done at the end of the semester. Should we put it off and do it next year?”
Professor Kalide who was laughing hurriedly collected magical energy without taking his hands out of his pockets.
The magic power drawn from his legs spreads through his body and all the way to his head.
I could sense an unusual ability to respond as I was instantly enveloped in magical power.
Originally many professors were of a level that was no match for the students.
Among them Professor Kalide has exceptional practical experience and combat ability.
Even though it was difficult to expect victory we had to at least receive a good evaluation.
– Swish.
Ed waved his hand lightly.
Should we say it was an exploratory battle? It was more like a movement to see the opponent’s response.
Magical power appeared from Ed’s fingertips and in an instant a huge wind blade materialized and flew towards Kaleid.
He activated his magical power at a speed so fast that it was invisible to the eye and blocked my wind blade.
―Kaang!
His body didn’t move at all. However his collar was fluttering in the aftermath.
“Oh you have more firepower than I thought.”
Professor Kalide pushed and straightened his left hip. It seemed like my stomach was still sore.
Then his eyes turned evil and he chanted a spell so softly that it was barely audible. It was less than a second.
Ed sensed a sense of crisis at that moment.
Professor Kaleide is very sensitive to magic power. If he doesn’t skip chanting it’s definitely not basic level magic.
As soon as I realized that fact the intermediate level lightning magic ‘Flash’ appeared.
― ‘Kaaaaaaaa!’
– ‘evil… ! It’s a surprise… !’
– ‘Snow… I can’t see… !’
It is simply a means to catch the opponent off guard without any consideration for the students watching the sparring.
A group of lights emanating from near his body temporarily took away the vision of those watching.
Just like that Kalide stepped forward narrowed the distance and fired a basic shock spell at close range.
At this point it’s not a test or anything. It’s just an attack to knock down the opponent. There is no way that an ordinary student with no practical experience would be able to deal with such a raid.
However Ed steadily used defensive magic and repelled Kalide’s attack. It is a magic that focuses on quick implementation rather than power. Ed’s magic power was enough to repel it.
“Oh look at this guy.”
Kalide sighed and laughed.
The moment Kalide showed a flash of light he lowered his head and closed his eyes tightly. His quickness and ability to deal with crises are outstanding.
As soon as there was an opening in Kalade Ed unleashed the basic fire magic ‘Ignition’.
Of course Kalide also easily responds to this level. I decided to implement defensive magic to block the heat and finish with the next attack.
However the ignition magic did not fly towards Kaleid.
The flames only surrounded Ed.
“You’re doing something interesting.”
Pretend to attack while defending.
If defense was the goal just implement defensive magic. Expressing basic elemental magic in this way and surrounding it nearby will result in loss not only in magic efficiency but also in casting speed.
If that’s the reason you’re doing this… .
“You probably wanted to block the view!”
―Woe to you!
He plans to let Kalide focus on defense while he chants higher level magic.
Kaleid saw through this fact and used wind magic to blow away the fire.
Ed has already completed the manifestation of the intermediate fire magic ‘One Point Explosion’. The direction of the fingertips was pointing straight at Kalide.
―Kwakwang! bang!
A magic that specializes in quick attacks to the extent that none of the mid-level magic can match its speed.
An explosion erupts from Kaleid’s body in an instant… .
―Quaak!
As Kalide clenched his fists the flames that had been blooming were extinguished by the magic power.
Easier said than done. He simply wrapped his hand with magical power stamped the flames and pressed them down.
However when looking at the activation speed of the ‘one-point explosion’ it is close to impossible with human reaction speed.
This was possible because it was anticipated in advance. This level of reaction speed could not have been achieved without taking into account the fact that Ed would attack immediately if the flames were removed.
I was delirious from a hangover and my body was sore from sleeping sprawled out anywhere.
The reason why this level of judgment is possible even at that level is because it is already the realm of the senses not the realm of reason.
No matter how hazy your mental state may be your body not your head remembers.
“It’s my turn.”
As it is Kaleid manifests the intermediate freezing magic ‘Frozen Blade’ at an absurd speed.
The texture is different from the ‘ice spear’ that Ed is familiar with. Unlike the ice spear whose purpose is to pierce the enemy by pouring magic into a huge block of ice the purpose of the frozen blade is to dominate the space around it by creating countless blades made of ice crystals.
Each and every decision is as sharp as a dagger.
If you move hastily you will get hurt.
A space control spell to limit the opponent’s movement rather than a direct attack.
Kalide has already penetrated into Ed’s close range. The distance is close enough that even basic magic can feel threatening.
This… .”
Ed was embarrassed. His crisis detection ability screams. If you stay like this you will be punished.
Kaleid’s intentions were clear. First I plan to block Ed’s movements and then attack him with attacks that are difficult to deal with with defensive magic.
Evasive maneuvers are required. However if you dodge you will be hit by ice blades.
Once you remove the ice blade and try to dodge in that direction Kaleid will change the direction of the attack.
Removing the ice on this side is no different than telling us that we will avoid going this way.
The surrounding ice blades must be removed at once but Ed’s means alone are too much.
A very brief worry.
Every second of a duel is a series of judgments.
Ed’s reflexes instantly reach into a realm of magic other than elemental science.
Basic Aspect Magic ‘Forced Gathering’.
A magic that twists space and forcibly gathers surrounding materials into one point.
There are many ways to attract enemies. There are means such as ‘Gathering Wind’ or ‘Gathering Reagent’ but ‘Forced Gathering’ magic based on Aspect magic… Theoretically it cannot be resisted at all.
Since it distorts the space itself it cannot be resisted with physical force nor can it be resisted with magical power because it deals with magic power of a different nature from general magic power.
A field of magic that specializes in producing ‘results’ that no matter how powerful an enemy is must be guided by its power at least once. That is aspect magic.
Dark red magical power bloomed around Ed’s body.
“… what?
Kaleid’s pupils shook for a moment. The same goes for Ed. Now this was a mistake. Because of my quick reflexes my body moved first.
As soon as Ed realized that he was now emitting aspect magic he quickly dissipated the magic again and destroyed it.
―Kwaang!
As it was Kaleid’s basic wind magic hit Ed’s body directly.
Dust rose up and Ed fell for a long time.
―Whaaaaagh!
―Kagagagak!
I went out for a while and dust rose up.
After lying down for a while Ed finally got up and spoke.
“I took a hit.”
“… “What are you doing now?”
Kaleid narrowed his eyes and spoke.
No matter what anyone said what was just flowing through Ed’s body was aspect magic power.
The audience who were far away didn’t seem to notice but Kalayd who was watching from afar definitely saw it.
Ed Rosstaylor was clearly trying to manifest an aspect magic that even he could not handle.
“You just… .”
Kalide momentarily couldn’t believe his eyes. This is indeed a student that Professor Glast would have had his eye on.
Even so Ed Rosstaylor allowed Kalide’s attack instead of using magic.
If there is a reason… .
“Are you sure you were only using elemental magic consciously?”
“… Isn’t it obvious? Now this… “Isn’t this an elemental science test?”
“… .”
“… .”
At those words Ed and Kalide as well as the students around them were filled with silence. It seems that Kalide was the only one who was oblivious.
Actually what Ed said is valid. Since it is an elemental science test it is natural to use only elemental magic.
However anyone can tell that Ed Rosstaylor is not just a student of elemental magic.
Rumor has it that he is a student who specializes in various fields of magic. The firepower of elemental magic was stronger than he thought and Ed’s ability to deal with it was good so he didn’t even think about it that much.
If we continue sparring like this all we can do is tie them up and beat them.
“I don’t only look at elemental magic skills in the first place.”
“… “No I’m telling you this isn’t this an elemental science test?”
“Elementology is also the foundation of all combat magic. Therefore rather than simply using elemental magic isn’t it also an important axis of elemental science to combine various fields of magic and elemental magic and handle them harmoniously?”
It was explained at length but if you summarize it it is simple.
“You can attack by any means necessary.”
At those words Ed raised his head for a moment.
The figure is sitting astride with only the upper body raised. Anyone could see that he was clearly defeated but Ed didn’t care and talked to Kaleid.
“Is that okay?”
why? Are you worried I might get hurt? “If that’s the case I’d like to dismiss it as a needless worry.”
“If that’s the case… .”
Ed slowly got up. He was covered in dirt here and there but it seemed like it was normal for him to get his clothes this dirty.
Kalide narrowed his eyebrows and activated defensive magic. He had a hunch that it would be a good idea to start with some basic defensive magic.
―Kagak!
The moment I thought that two magic arrows flew into the defense line and struck. When I looked up I saw Ed holding a bow made of magical energy.
―Quaaaagh!
The defensive magic circle implemented by Kaleid disappeared like that.
Basic defensive magic disappears in an instant after a few normal attacks. In many cases the number of attacks itself is more important than power.
Ed’s attack was just… It felt like the power was consciously ‘adjusted’ to eliminate the defensive magic.
Avoid wasting power as much as possible and only attack at the level that is necessary.
All of this is a build-up to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent. At that moment Kalide felt it.
This boy is definitely not the person who played with the flowers in the greenhouse. He had been feeling coy just now.
It is a fighting method solely to win. To do so we only think about ways to suppress the opponent as efficiently as possible.
Professors and students.
If an overwhelming difference in power is guaranteed students will always do their best and not fight to beat their opponent.
If that kind of psychology is inherent it can be clearly felt from the perspective of the person dealing with it.
The attacks of those who gave up on winning in the first place are monotonous and soulless. It is clearly different from the battles on the battlefield where people risked each other’s lives at the tip of their swords.
There is no point in dueling with someone who takes defeat for granted. Even as a teacher I have nothing to teach you.
However Ed Rothtaylor only fights to win.
It feels natural to fight against an opponent with an overwhelming power difference.
Even in situations where defeat is taken for granted I think about beating my opponent. Wasn’t it a situation where only elemental magic could be used due to the conditions of the test?
If those restrictions are lifted by what means will you put pressure on the enemy?
The moment his curiosity bloomed Kalide realized. The area around my feet is filled with puddles of water.
I wonder if he used water source manifestation an elemental magic but even so he wouldn’t be able to use magic above intermediate level without chanting.
In that case the law has been engraved in advance.
‘Spirit ceremony… !’
Kaleid’s judgment was quick. The moment a huge lioness jumped out of the water hole he used his magical hands to create an ‘ice wall’ of mid-level freezing magic.
―Kaang!
Lacia’s teeth were blocked by a huge wall of ice.
‘I engraved a spirit ritual on a magical arrow… ?’
Engraving the spirit formula on the arrow in advance is possible if you are thoroughly prepared.
However Ed was engraving the spirit formula one by one into the magic arrows that appeared on the spot. Considering its speed it has an incredible elemental sensitivity.
Yenica Palover is known as an unrivaled genius in the field of elemental magic. Unless it’s that girl… It’s completely impossible.
What Kaleid failed to take into account was that Edgar had learned elemental arts from Yenica.
‘Elemental science wasn’t a specialty to begin with.’
They were literally tying their arms and legs and beating them.
Ed who became even more free took out a dagger from one of his thighs and stabbed it towards Kalide.
The appearance of encouraging close combat as if to show off.
In the first place close combat is the right way to deal with wizards. Except for one exception.
That was when he himself was a wizard.
However Ed paid no heed and provoked a close fight. This is because he concluded that he would not be able to defeat Karl Reid if he were to fight with his elemental magic skills.
It seems like he really only works to win.
It is no different from his past self who was fighting for his life at every moment while moving around the battlefield.
I feel a definite and obvious pressure.
He activated his defensive magic again and deflected Ed’s dagger. However Ed twisted his body and kicked Reid’s arm away.
Kaleid took a few steps back. The distance has increased to some extent but I can feel a different magical power from the floor again.
Magic Engineering Supplies – Rake Hand.
A crystal ball was placed on the floor as we approached in advance.
That brings Kaleid’s body in front of Ed again. The magic power that enveloped his body pushed his back but Kal Reid gritted his teeth and unleashed his magic power to cut off even that pressure.
But even that must have been part of Ed’s design.
As I said if the goal was to narrow the distance there were many means to do so. The question is whether the opponent can resist or not.
A Kaleid-level wizard can easily resist the magic power that comes from these basic magical engineering supplies.
I just wanted to pass the time.
The aspect magic that I had just tried to manifest.
The dark red magic that cannot be resisted by any means blooms through Ed’s body.
‘Forced gathering’.
There are differences in range depending on the skill level but this distance is sufficient.
It’s like watching a bullet fly while your body is tied tightly. There is no way to avoid it.
It is an unreasonable magic that must be dealt with once it is manifested.
Although Kalade can respond even at the speed of a ‘one-point explosion’ it is fair in the face of the absoluteness of aspect magic.
Space is distorted. If you become conscious… You can see Ed’s dagger in front of your nose.
―Kaang!
This is an unbelievable level of reaction speed. Kaleid’s defensive magic skills are at a level that even imperial wizards can’t stop talking about.
However Ed does not only use the dagger as a means of physical attack. All weapons Ed handles are thoroughly imbued with elemental consciousness.
―Kwaaaaaaaaaa!
Spirit ceremony – explosion appears. Even Kalide didn’t expect this far.
Although he was able to block some of them with his almost animal-like senses Kaleid who fell out suffered some damage.
“Kuh huh… Wow… this guy… Look… .”
The hangover is already long gone. Kaleid’s complexion also begins to return to normal. After clearing away the rising smoke I saw strangely huge wings surrounding Ed’s body.
The size of a bat is almost that of an eagle. If you spread your wings as wide as possible you can easily cover at least one person.
The bat sitting on Ed’s shoulder and lighting a fire looks like it’s going to set the entire battlefield in flames at any moment.
Lieutenant Fire Spirit Mug. Spirit ceremony – The power of the explosion was already exceeding that of mid-level magic.
Ed took out all kinds of magical engineering supplies from his chest and scattered them around.
The magic engineering supplies scattered on the floor each had a different appearance and the amount of magic power flowing through them was different. I don’t know what will work and how.
The key to fighting against the strong is creating variables.
This guy knows that fact damn well. As soon as Kalide gained that confidence he immediately gathered all the magical energy in his body.
He is a human being who has already surpassed the student level. Considering the size of Sylvania there were many cases where students with skills surpassing those in active service at a young age occasionally emerged.
In that case Kalide couldn’t just relax forever.
okay… Did you say Ed Ross Taylor? “Now that it’s like this let’s argue some more.”
“Do I need to do more?”
“Let’s go to the end. “I don’t know what to do next.”
Before Ed could ask what that meant magical energy bloomed from Kaleid’s entire body. A completely different approach from before.
Anyone can see that it is a single shot of magic fired with all one’s might. Where that magic is headed… It is heaven.
He was a person who was treated like a crazy person anyway. It was sad to see him writing a letter of apology to a student asking if he had to do something like this but he didn’t care.
There was a murmur among the audience. The scale of the magic is unusual.
Tanya who was sitting among the audience also narrowed her eyes. This is beyond the level of a test. No matter who sees it this needs to be stopped.
The moment I got that thought and got up… .
―Kwagagagagagagagagak!
High-ranking lightning magic ‘Never Punishment’.
There was no need for a long explanation.
thunderbolt. That was it.
―Kwaaaaaaaaaa!
A bolt of lightning pierces the ceiling and hits Ed directly.
The wind from the aftermath hits the audience. The students scream and try to support themselves.
“Oh brother… !”
Tanya also shook off her hair blowing in the wind and somehow managed to direct her gaze to the duel table.
―Wheeeeeeee!
The strong wind that attacked the audience grew stronger as time went by.
Kaleid suddenly came to his senses.
No matter what throwing high-level magic at a student is… Even if you think about it it’s crazy.
I was just confident that the other person would be able to withstand this much. So he couldn’t go with the flow and ended up doing something ridiculous.
If you get really seriously injured you have to take responsibility. The moment a cold sweat broke out at that thought one side of Kaleid’s coat was cut by a blade of wind.
-wickedness.
An attack that flew through the rising dust.
Avoiding this… It was completely ‘luck’. Because visibility was blocked neither the attacker nor the defender could tell how the attack would come.
But one thing is certain… Ed Rosstaylor was not subdued.
haha… .”
Kaleid also used quite a bit of stamina. There were times when he felt like he was getting out of hand.
As the rising smoke gradually disappeared Ed was revealed. He wasn’t in a normal state either.
A high-level magic that flies in an instant. Although I avoided a direct hit I received all the impact at the center. Although defensive magic appeared momentarily it seems that it was not able to absorb all the shock.
It seems fortunate that nothing is broken but… It looks like he’s already pretty injured. There seemed to be some bleeding. Even if it missed the injury would have been serious if it had been hit directly.
But Kalide wasn’t sure. Was it true that it went astray in the first place? High-level lightning magic is so easily missed?
Did I miss it? Or did you react and avoid it? Normally I would have thought it was the former but… .
“Whoa… .”
Ed took a deep breath. She did so to ease the pain of her wounds.
No matter how much it was a test this crossed the line. At this point Kalide thought that he should just give her a high score and deal with it quickly.
This is a hundred percent proof. It felt like I was already getting a headache.
While thinking about that I suddenly looked ahead and couldn’t believe my eyes.
Ed Rosstaylor is already quite injured… Those eyes are alive. It’s worth it to lose your will to fight.
He was kneeling in the corner of the sparring hall. In his arms he was holding the leather bag he had just thrown away.
under… haha… .”
Should we do more?
I can’t help but burst into laughter.
Indeed once the wick is lit the boy is not interested in any outcome other than victory.
Kalide raised his magic power again even though he felt dumbfounded by the goosebumps rising on his arms. If I’m going to do more here I don’t plan on leaving myself out.
Ed loosened the leather straps that were tightly tied around his pockets.
Now that I look at it it is not a pocket but rather an object wrapped in a leather blanket. This is an item that Ed has been carrying around for some time and testing various things.
Looking at its loose form it appears to be a fairly large cane.
A thousand year old wooden staff struck by lightning. The shape is very different from what Yenika was holding. It was heavily carved here and there and had various engravings on it.
Unlike the case where only one elemental form was given to each weapon this staff was sensitive enough to imprint all kinds of elemental forms at once.
At first I only used elemental magic but then I used elemental magic on my dagger and as I lost more stamina I even used magical engineering supplies… At the end he even takes out his cane.
Kalide can’t guess how many patterns there are. However for now I decided to focus on suppressing the opponent in front of me.
Ed held the reverse dagger in his left hand and picked up the large staff with his right hand. He stands up with his head down.
The Wind Blows.
The howl of a wolf mixed in the blowing wind softly reached Kaleid’s ears.
Little by little he raises his body behind his back… I see a huge wolf.
Not only the audience but even Tanya who had already seen it froze.
The majesty of the wolf which curled up to the point that even this large sparring hall felt cramped was enormous.
Ed stood in front of him with his head bowed and looked straight up at Kalide.
