Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 39

"Can't I go with you? There."

It was Barundel who answered before I could.

"Young lady, do you even know what kind of place that is?"

"I probably know better than you, dwarf mister. I'm a resident of Sector 7."

"That may be so, but... not everyone can go there."

"You're going, and he's going, why can't I?"

"..."

Barundel closed his mouth, seemingly unable to find a suitable response.

But he wasn't wrong.

"It's true that not everyone can go."

Encountering demons in Sector 7 and encountering them outside the sector are two different things.

Because that place is literally demon territory.

It's a place teeming with far more powerful and intelligent demons.

As such, it would only be a pointless death for anyone without considerable skill.

"You're against it because it's dangerous for Barundel too, right?"

"That's right. Even I can't guarantee anyone's safety in a place like that."

Which meant...

"Then let's do this. The two of you spar, and we'll decide based on the outcome."

If you have the skills, you're not just 'anyone'.

"A spar, you say?"

Barundel asked as if to confirm I was serious.

Of course, I was serious.

The more allies, the better.

And personally, I was curious to see how much Kayla's skills had improved.

"If the result is good. Kayla, are you okay with this?"

"I don't know how strong this mister is, but... sure, no problem."

Kayla answered confidently, then tilted her head.

"But why not spar with you?"

She seemed a bit dissatisfied with that.

Well, it was understandable.

She probably trained for the past three months with the goal of competing with my magic.

But this wasn't a spar to determine superiority, but to see if she was capable of fighting demons.

And since most demons are fought in close combat, it was better for her to spar with Barundel than me.

"That's a valid point. Alright."

Kayla nodded in agreement after I explained this to her.

With the situation turning out this way, Barundel let out a reluctant sigh.

"...Sigh, I guess my opinion doesn't matter... Fine. But I'll also be a part of the judgment."

"Of course."

And so, the spar between Kayla and Barundel was set.

It was a match I was quite looking forward to.

***

Barundel's Training Hall.

When we stopped by the hall to spar after a brief preparation, other trainees were already there.

"You've arrived."

"You're early. Good to see you."

They bowed respectfully to Barundel as if greeting their master.

And then they also greeted us standing behind him.

“Yuhan is here too.”

“Oh, the number one guy!”

“But who's the lady in the back...?"

“Nice to meet you. I'm Kayla.”

After everyone exchanged greetings, I explained about the spar and asked them to step aside for a moment.

“We can watch, right?”

“Of course.”

Just then, Barundel arrived, carrying a training hammer and a staff.

Kayla received the staff and said with curiosity,

“So, if we fight with this, we won't get hurt?”

“Yeah, you can use magic freely.”

“Sector 6 even has things like this...”

She said with a grin.

“Remember what I said about not being able to ignore me next time? Just wait and see.”

“I'm looking forward to it.”

I didn't know what she'd been through, but she seemed quite confident in her skills.

This only heightened my anticipation.

And so the spar began.

Fwhoosh-

Barundel took the initiative first, as if he had no intention of going easy on her.

It was an attack that cleverly exploited the weakness of mages in close combat.

Even to me, who had improved significantly since my first time at the training hall, his speed was still incredibly fast.

'Can she react?'

Whether she could join us or not...

Everything depended on Kayla.

“What the...!”

Kayla, startled, quickly conjured flames.

BOOM!

It was the fire attribute transformation magic she used when we faced the red-haired man.

Kayla used the force of the explosion to push Barundel away.

"Huh..."

Honestly, I was impressed.

It was surprising enough that she reacted, but to activate magic in that short time...

Moreover, the explosion was faster, more precise, and more powerful than what I had seen before.

Indeed, her confident attitude wasn't a bluff.

With this level of skill, it was understandable why she was so self-assured.

"Whew... You're surprising, mister. I didn't think you were the agile type."

"I'm not just agile."

Barundel said, pointing at the floor with his hammer.

He had struck the floor so hard that it was dented.

If Kayla hadn't pushed him away with the explosion, it wouldn't have been the floor that was dented.

"...Are you sure we won't get hurt?"

Kayla gulped.

As cold sweat trickled down her cheek...

FWAM!

Barundel leaped again.

This time, the hammer was descending from the air.

As if anticipating this, Kayla touched the ground.

And then...

FWOOOSH!

A powerful pillar of fire erupted from where she touched.

'...That's...'

It was similar to the fire attribute transformation magic I often used in Aldeon.

It seemed Kayla had also created her own transformation magic.

The difference from mine was that the range of the fire pillar was much wider.

Rather than focusing on a single target, it was a method of activating a wider range to hit many enemies or increase the accuracy.

The problem was...

"Hmph!"

Barundel had a body that wouldn't even get scratched by this level of magic.

Barundel broke through the pillar of fire and descended.

The aftermath of the fire pillar reduced his speed, but its power was still not to be underestimated.

Just then...

"I have one more."

"...!"

FWOOOOSH!

The fading fire pillar surged up once more.

This time, it was narrower, stronger, and in a more precise location.

Barundel was engulfed in the fire pillar.

"...Overlapping magic."

Overlapping magic is the activation of two spells bound together, allowing for an attack with a time lag after making the opponent lower their guard.

However, it has the disadvantage of requiring more complex calculations and perfect timing.

Simply put, it's difficult to use.

But Kayla used the overlapping magic perfectly and hit Barundel.

This was less about talent and more about...

"...You have good senses. That one stung a bit."

'Sense'.

It seemed Kayla was born with incredible battle sense.

On the other hand, Kayla was rather flustered.

"...Is this guy really a monster?"

Even though dwarves were known for their toughness, she probably didn't expect him to be this impervious to damage.

Well, it was understandable.

I was also quite surprised in the beginning.

'She'll have to pour all her mana into it.'

Only then could she achieve any meaningful results.

As if sensing this, Kayla squeezed out all her strength.

"Haaah!”

A purple light emanated from her eyes.

At the same time, mana surged around her.

This was different from before.

This time, it was a smaller spell, but with increased power and number.

"Hmph!"

Barundel, not wanting to just stand and watch, gripped his hammer and moved forward.

The back and forth continued relentlessly.

BAM! BAM BAM BAM!

Kayla's small, fragmented fireballs flew like rapid-fire bullets.

Barundel deflected them one by one, receiving each with his hammer.

It seemed like Kayla was being gradually pushed back... but it wasn't a problem.

Barundel was still a mountain that even I couldn't overcome.

"Stop."

I halted the spar.

If it went on any longer, Kayla's physical condition could deteriorate due to magical exhaustion.

"Huff...! What? I can still go on...!"

"No. It's enough."

Kayla protested, but this was sufficient.

I had grasped Kayla's abilities well enough.

Before announcing the result, I asked Barundel first.

"Barundel, what do you think?"

"Hmm."

Barundel stroked his beard and pondered for a moment.

Then...

"At this level, it seems she won't be a burden, at the very least."

He declared.

Fortunately, his opinion aligned with mine.

"I think so too."

"Huh? Really? Then I can go with you?"

"Yes. But it will be dangerous, so be prepared."

"Haha!"

It was unclear if she even heard the latter part.

Kayla laughed brightly and collapsed on the floor.

Seeing her like that somehow lightened my heart.

'Thank goodness.'

Not only had her magic skills improved, but above all...

'She's not broken.'

It was a relief to see her so cheerful despite having dreamt of revenge.

I didn't know if she had actually achieved that revenge.

That was something I could subtly ask about later.

Just then...

"Number one guy?"

Suddenly, Mr. Thompson approached me.

His face was unusually gloomy.

His stiff, serious expression made him seem almost angry...

"Mister, what's wrong...?"

He cut me off and asked in a heavy voice,

"Where are you going? This is the first I'm hearing of this."

"...Excuse me?"

"You're not thinking of leaving me out, are you?"

Suddenly, I recalled what Mr. Thompson had said back in Aldeon when we were having a party.

—I'll follow you wherever you go.

...It seemed that statement, which I had overlooked, was actually sincere.

***

Meanwhile, at the main residence of the Vilgef clan...

The head butler rushed into the Lord's room.

"L-Lord!"

He realized his mistake and bowed with one knee on the floor.

Seeing this, the Lord tilted his head.

'What in the world could have happened?'

The head butler always maintained a calm composure.

For him to show such a flustered state meant something serious had occurred.

And...

"What is it? Tell me quickly."

As the Lord expected, the news the head butler delivered was indeed a serious matter.

"Y-Young Master... he has returned."

"What?"

Lord Balond Vilgef rushed out of the Lord's room.

And he came face to face with Roan, who was inside the main residence.

His only son, who had left, declaring he would leave the clan if they didn't teach him everything about magic...

"Father."

"...Roan."

Balond concealed his excitement and asked sternly,

"Why have you returned?"

"...Well..."

Roan hesitated for a moment, then abruptly knelt before Balond and lowered his head.

"Roan...!"

"I was foolish. I despise myself for disobeying you and acting arrogantly. I truly do."

"...Huh."

Roan was always brimming with confidence and self-love.

But now, that same Roan was kneeling.

This clearly meant something had happened to him.

'What in the world could have happened!'

Balond swallowed his questions and helped Roan to his feet.

His wayward son, who had left the family, ungrateful for the privileges he enjoyed...

But nevertheless, his only son, who had returned, for which he was grateful.

Seeing his son like this, dejected... as the Lord, as a father...

He absolutely could not tolerate it.

Balond suppressed his boiling anger and asked calmly.

For Roan to act like this, he must have wanted something.

"What can I do for you?"

As he expected...

"I want to inherit everything the clan has to offer."

Roan, with venomous eyes, declared his desire.

"...You understand what that means, don't you?"

Balond, in turn, stated his own terms.

Roan nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, I will succeed you and live for the clan for the rest of my life."

A faint smile spread across Balond's face.

He liked Roan's words.

Or rather, to be more precise...

He liked the venomous look in his eyes.

It was like looking at his own past self.

Balond gripped Roan's shoulders.

"Very well. As you wish, I shall bestow upon you everything our clan possesses."

The Vilgef clan, standing among the highest ranks of all magic families.

And Balond Vilgef, the third head of the clan.

He, the creator of ice magic, declared with gravitas,

"You shall wield all the coldness in the world."

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]