21 – True Education (1)
Having heard all the information from the servant, Kael visibly scoffed.
“Tch, there’s no reliable information.”
Just by the way he talked, one would initially think he was some executive of Cali, but contrary to expectations, he wasn’t an executive.
He was just one of the candidates for the position this time.
Additionally,
“The reason he could use magic was because of a drug.”
In the past, they eradicated all the traitors who massacred the devil’s tribe.
And that too, with his own hands.
Not only that, but he also wiped out all the drugs that the traitors were distributing.
However, now the magic drug was circulating again.
‘Some unknown merchant gave it…’
He couldn’t think of anyone at all.
There were more than one or two items that needed investigation.
‘I should go to the students first.’
Kael, who had organized his thoughts, left the dead servant alone and canceled the barrier magic.
Then, he shifted his gaze backward.
“Hmm?”
Elaine and Ray are staring with blank expressions.
Kael approached the two and asked,
“Neither of you are hurt, are you?”
“Ah, oh! No!”
“No, professor.”
The two shaking their heads energetically.
Soon, Elaine sticks out her head and looks at the guys scattered on the floor.
“What are we going to do? Professor?”
“I’ve already called for security, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Ah I see.”
Well, to be exact, he reached out to Sariel for information.
“We should go back now. The other kids will be waiting.”
“Yes!”
“Understood, professor.”
With those words, Kael led the students back to the academy.
***
Heading to the academy, Elaine quietly looked at Kael.
Soon, a question crossed her mind.
‘Why did I think of him as a Grand Wizard?’
Unconsciously, she had compared his retreating figure to a Grand Wizard.
The young her could recall his image overlaid with Kael’s.
‘Could it possibly mean the professor is the Grand Wizard?’
She maintained that thought for a moment.
“Professor! This way!”
They somehow had arrived at their destination.
Elaine chuckled as she looked at the students at the main entrance of the academy.
“Oh, did Eli get swept up as well!?”
“Ah, I think she said she had an appointment. She asked me to apologize to the professor.”
“It’s fine. She said she would be there by lunch.”
Speaking of which, it was already that time of the day.
After checking the time, Kael directed the students to the dining hall.
“Let’s eat lunch and continue in the afternoon.”
“What? Again?”
“Huh?!”
“Have any complaints?”
As Kael looked at them with his usual indifferent expression, Maria took the lead in speaking.
“Let’s quickly go eat, guys.”
The rest of the group nodded and followed her.
Kael let out a shallow breath as he watched them.
‘That kid’s really a handful.’
***
After entrusting the students to my clone, I soon arrived at the arena.
I took a moment to look around the waiting room.
‘As I thought, it’s here.’
There was a face identical to the guy I had been dealing with earlier.
Initially, I wondered why there were two people who looked exactly the same.
Upon interrogating a servant, it turned out that the guy presently in the waiting room was the twin brother.
Furthermore, it was said that this guy was a real executive of Cali.
‘Then, I should thoroughly examine that guy.’
With this thought, I was simply awaiting the start of the main match.
– Squeak!
The waiting room door slowly opened.
A woman with blue hair, blue pupils, and refreshing facial features appeared.
Seria, the ranger from the hero party, has appeared in the waiting room.
At her entrance, all the participants in the waiting room eye widened in surprise.
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Who could have anticipated that none other than the hero party would appear?
“Meria, is this crazy woman really going to participate.”
Though she had said it didn’t matter, I couldn’t even imagine that she would actually participate.
‘More than that, I didn’t expect Seria to come out there?’
In fact, I thought Jane would come out.
Why not, as her direct appearance would be more popular.
“Hmm, why isn’t Jane sent?”
Just as I started to question this.
– Thump, thump.
Suddenly, Seria begins to approach this way.
“Uh?”
Caught off guard by this unexpected situation, I was left scratching my head.
Shortly, she extends a hand towards me with a smile.
“Let’s work well together.”
I was dumbstruck at this sudden development.
Who could anticipate this, that she would request a handshake in this way?
I responded, changing my voice with magic.
“I’m not exactly sure what’s going on. But, sure.”
The moment I accepted her outstretched handshake.
-“Ah, ah. Participants, the tournament brackets are out, please check them.”
In the waiting room, the brackets appeared on a Mana screen.
Upon seeing this, I exhaled a shallow breath.
‘Sigh. Just as expected, Meria deliberately set up the brackets like this.’
I found out I’d be facing the twin, Hail, from Hain’s family in the semifinals.
And in the final round, none other than Seria, a member of the Hero Party.
‘She’s so determined to make this tournament a big event.’
It’s just like her to do that.
“Participants Kyle and Tris, please come forward.”
I guess we should start moving towards the semifinals.
***
Contrary to expectations, the main tournament ended quite quickly.
In a sense, it’s understandable.
The main tournament differed from the preliminaries because it involved one-on-one battles.
Thus, it’s actually quite normal for the matches to end quickly.
Approximately an hour passed.
“Next, the semi-final round! Participants Kyle and Hail, please step onto the stage!”
Soon, the much-awaited semi-final round began.
Hail and I took the stage.
The next moment, the female referee appeared on stage.
“The conditions for victory remain the same as before; either knock out your opponent or declare surrender.”
Upon hearing this, we both nodded.
Soon, the referee resumed the competition.
-Clang!
Hail quickly drew his sword.
And as before, he infused his sword with magic.
-Whoom.
A sharp stream of magic enveloped and sharpened his sword.
He then swung his sword towards me.
Most opponents failed to block his sword.
No, I was struck before I could even respond.
But to me, it seemed unbearably slow.
-Kaang!
I easily blocked his sword strike with the magic in my hand.
At that, he gave me an unbelieving expression of utter shock.
“Blocked with bare hands?”
From his expression, it seemed he hadn’t envisioned being stopped bare-handed.
Ignoring his reaction, I jabbed my elbow into his heart.
But, unexpectedly.
“Hmm?!”
“Gugh!”
He narrowly blocked my elbow with his sword.
‘Is this due to his definitely different position as a superior, not like his younger brother?’
With this level, it seemed I would need to control my strength less.
-Hwoong!
Hail slashed his sword toward me.
With my other hand enveloped in magic.
-Dopseok!
I effortlessly grabbed his sword.
Simultaneously, I forcefully squeezed my hand.
-Kwajik!
“What?!”
His sword was completely crushed.
Looking utterly shocked, he gawked at his ruined sword.
Ignoring such response, I reached out my hand.
“Kuhuk!”
At the same instant, I seized his throat and slammed him onto the ground.
-Kwaahh!!
The stage cracked entirely due to the impact.
Not only that, the stage was shrouded in dust and dirt.
‘Should I check if he’s using magic or not?’
I carefully observed the man pinned to the ground.
‘I have interrogated the servant.’
But there’s no guarantee that what he said was true.
I slowly infused my magic into the circuit, preparing for him to emit his magic.
However, contrary to my expectation, he wasn’t using any magic at all.
“He… he… I never expected such a crazy monster to appear in the arena.”
He’s not using magic…
‘I have no choice.’
I immediately grounded my feet.
Then, the guy swung his crumpled sword at me.
-Whoosh.
I bent down to evade his sword.
And then, I grabbed his face with one hand.
Next.
-aaahh!!
I pumped my magic into his head.
That way, my magic infiltrated into his circuit.
I quickly scanned his circuit.
However…
‘There’s…nothing.’
Contrary to expectation, I couldn’t see the source of the magic.
In other words, it’s not that he didn’t use magic, it’s that he couldn’t use it because he didn’t have it.
‘So he got the magic from the ignorant merchant?’
Who on earth could that merchant be?
Former traitors flashed in my head.
‘I’ve killed them all, no matter what…’
Then, is it a new character or an existence that didn’t die and survived?
Soon, I shook my head and thought of an assumption.
‘Maybe the force called Kali hired a merchant on purpose so as not to leave any traces.’
Anyway, I’ll have to discuss this later with Sariel.
Right now, thinking about it here doesn’t seem like it will yield any concrete answers.
Having sorted out my thoughts, I shifted my gaze forward.
Then…
“Ah! We have a winner! The victor is contestant Kail!”
-Whoa!!!
Suddenly, Hail, who had fainted, came into view.
And so, the semi-final came to an end.
So now all that was left was a match with Seria.