14
Valic looked bewildered, as if he thought I was joking.
But seeing my indifferent gaze, he sealed his lips.
“…Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Valic bit his lip tightly.
“Fine. What’s the wager?”
“Anything.”
“…What?”
“You can choose the event. I won’t lose no matter what.”
Valic scowled deeply.
“You must be out of your mind! Alright, let’s go with ‘Butterfly War.’ It’s better to be prepared!”
Unlike the knights who competed in combat duels, the magicians competed in various ways to showcase their skills.
‘Butterfly War’ was one of the representative events.
“The arena is this way.”
Due to the prevalent duel culture in the imperial upper class society, a luxurious arena was prepared in one corner of the tavern.
It was even a place where you could watch while drinking.
Those who were drinking became the audience and made a commotion.
“Professor Valik and Master Ban in a magical competition?”
“Is there even a chance? Master Ban has magic insensitivity.”
“But still, insulting the family shouldn’t be taken lightly! I saw Master Ban again today! I thought he was just a pathetic ugly guy, but he had quite a presence.”
“Still, it’s a very reckless challenge.”
“Well, we can just enjoy watching, right? Bet some money. I’ll bet 300 Pena on Professor Valik.”
“I’ll bet 500 Pena on Professor Valik too.”
“I’ll go for Professor Valik as well. Anyone for Master Ban? This way, there won’t be any bets, right?”
Placing bets on a duel is an ancient tradition.
Of course, naturally, there was no one betting on my victory.
Then, a rough voice cut through them.
It was Hans.
“1,000 Pena on Master Ban.”
“!!”
An amount equivalent to half a year’s living expenses for a commoner.
‘…Hans, is he unexpectedly poor? Isn’t that almost his entire fortune?’
And Hans didn’t stop there.
He spoke to the landlord.
“I’ll bet my wizard certification, and I’ll take a loan from your tavern. About 10,000 Pena should be possible on the spot, right?”
The tavern was buzzing.
“Is he out of his mind?”
“Are you really betting more than 10,000 penna on Ban Gongja?”
Hans provocatively taunted everyone.
“Seems like the cowards are all talk when it comes to putting money on the table. Keep your eyes wide open and witness the greatness of Ban Gongja. All your money belongs to me.”
“What nonsense! I’ll bet an additional 1,000 penna to Professor Vallic!”
“I’ll add 2,000 penna!”
The stakes quickly escalated, and I wore a bewildered expression.
“…That bald man?”
Hans’s eyes were filled with greed, eagerly determined to win.
“…Not a bad idea.”
I, too, defiantly faced the master.
“I’ll bet on myself. So… I’ll wager 1,000 penna.”
This was my entire fortune.
In other words, if I lost the bet, I’d be left with nothing.
“Hah! Are you truly out of your mind? You’re betting your money too?”
Vallic chuckled as if amused.
I folded my arms. Thanks to the charisma of the Black Dragon, an air of arrogance exuded naturally.
“Vallic, seems like you’re not so confident in winning.”
“What…?”
“I’m confident in my victory, and I’ve bet all my assets. What can you bet? Oh, you can’t bet anything because you’re broke? If that’s the case, I understand. You probably need to ask the Duke of Raffalt for some allowance.”
“I’ll bet 10,000 penas too!!”
Bingo.
I was worried about the high cost of living in the Free City, but it seemed like I’d be okay for a while.
What about the ground?
“That won’t be necessary.”
I thought with overflowing confidence.
“Prepare yourself.”
Balik activated his magic.
Sarac.
A butterfly made of mana appeared in the air.
The ‘Butterfly Battle’ was a competition where these mana-made butterflies competed against each other, testing the purity and manipulation of mana.
“Wow! Wasn’t Professor Balik a manipulation major? But how come he has such huge butterflies? They’re as big as your palm!”
“It’s not just one! There are a whopping five of them!”
I unleashed my magic too.
Sarac.
A butterfly emerged.
Compared to Balik’s gigantic butterflies, mine seemed pitifully small.
“…Even Confucius made butterflies.”
“However… it seems quite lacking.”
Valic sneered darkly.
“Ban, you’ve improved since before. In the past, you might have failed at the butterfly sculpting stage altogether. Even now, if you admit defeat, you won’t have to face disgrace…”
“Noisy. I thought this wasn’t a beak competition.”
“…Don’t regret it.”
The butterflies swooped in with fierce momentum.
My butterfly looked like a candle standing before a storm.
However.
“Did I mention not understanding why I applied for the professorship exam?”
For the record, my personality is mostly like that of an average citizen – strong, weak, weak, strong.
If I thought I could win, I could be confident too.
With a face full of confidence, I said,
“Experience it firsthand with your own body.”
＜Magical Duel Win Rate against the Yapsap Professor＞
– 100%
Crash!
Valic’s butterfly wings, touched by my butterfly, were torn apart in an instant.
As if cut by a blade.
“What the, what?!”
Reactions that everyone failed to understand.
It was just the beginning.
My butterfly fluttered lightly in the sky.
Balik’s gigantic butterfly tried to block it, but it was futile.
“Two butterflies.”
Swish!
My butterfly pierced through the opponent’s chest, and the pierced gigantic butterfly shuddered and vanished.
“Three butterflies.”
Swish!
Once again, Balik’s butterfly wings were torn apart.
“T-This can’t be happening!!”
“Am I seeing things?”
Jangnae was overwhelmed by the one-sided fight.
“Of course. Balik wasn’t that talented to begin with.”
Balik was the parachute that the Marquis Lafalt had deployed to control the Rubiness Academy as he pleased.
It was too much for such a person to handle the abilities of my aide.
“What kind of sorcery did you use?!”
Roar!!
The movements of the remaining two butterflies became increasingly intense.
Balik was concentrating his mana.
However.
“Four, five.”
Crash!
The remaining two butterflies disintegrated into nothingness.
“Boom!”
Vallic, staggering, swallowed the blood from the reversed mana flow.
The hall fell silent.
Victory. And it was a decisive one.
I addressed the unsteady Vallic.
“I’ll impart one lesson to you. Concentrating mana at the end was an act of complete ignorance of mana manipulation.”
“!!”
“Hope it’s just a bewildered mistake. Otherwise, your students learning from you would be too pitiful.”
Vallic’s face turned crimson.
A visage filled with anger.
From Noble mtl dot com
But I wasn’t afraid.
I was the winner in this moment.
And if I assumed the position of the strong, I could be the strong as well.
With the help of the Black Flame Dragon, I struck a haughty pose.
“I suppose we should fulfill the outcome of our bet. Remember what was decided in case of your defeat?”
Vallic’s complexion turned pale.
In front of everyone, he would kneel and proclaim, ‘I respect Lord Ban and the Duke of Ecclesia!’
It could be called a social death beyond shame.
In a society that values honor, he would never be able to show his face again.
“I, I couldn’t possibly…”
But Valic abruptly shut his mouth in the middle of the sentence.
Everyone watching was staring at Valic intently.
As if to see if he would keep his promise.
‘It’s just an interesting spectacle for others.’
A situation where he couldn’t do this or that.
The moment Valic’s knees trembled.
I blurted out.
“It’s a joke.”
“…Huh?”
“Why are you so tense? Do you really think I would ask such a thing of you, my friend? It was just a joke.”
‘If Valic completely falls apart here, it’ll be a problem.’
I thought, but Valic was the ‘angel’ who would help me pass.
“Here’s what you’ll do. You’ll pay for everyone’s drinks here. Consider it an apology for causing a commotion. How about it?”
Valic’s complexion turned a different shade of pale.
The Duke of Raffert was from a golden lineage, but he was also famous by another nickname.
-The miserly lineage.
There was no way Valic, from a distant lineage, could provide ample financial support.
“At best, they receive a salary at the level of those who have gone through the trouble, so paying for drinks here would be no different from bankruptcy.”
However, Vallic had no choice.
“Oh, I see. I’ll go along with what you say.”
“Is that it?”
“…What?”
“A thank you for my mercy?”
Vallic’s face turned as red as a bomb this time.
In a short time, his face showed a truly diverse range of changes.
“Well, thanks for your consideration.”
“Can’t feel the sincerity, can you?”
“Well, that’s…”
“Well, I won’t expect proper manners from a dorm keeper like you. I’m lenient, so let’s just overlook it. I’m generous.”
In the end, Vallic couldn’t hold back any longer and exploded.
“I’m leaving now!”
Turning sharply, he rudely left Diane behind.
The landlord said mockingly, “Professor Vallic, the reckoning?”
“Profit! I’ll take a loan from the family bank and pay!”
As Vallic disappeared like that, others sent admiring glances my way.
“It seems Professor Ban Gong-ja has changed.”
“How on earth did you manage to defeat Professor Valric just now?”
“Maybe Professor Valric made some mistake? After all, the field of manifestation is not his expertise, so he might have let his guard down.”
If he had been a “proper magician,” he might have noticed the meaning behind the magic I unleashed, but there was no one present who could do so.
What drew people’s admiration was something else.
“Still, the display you showed today was impressive.”
“It’s completely different compared to before.”
“Is this what they mean by the bloodline of the great Ecclesia?”
At that moment, the overseer approached.
“Are you alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“Professor Valric won’t stay quiet. He’s surely harboring a grudge and will try to sabotage the Master’s test.”
Just then, there was a loud commotion outside the shop.
Looking out the window, I saw Valric causing a scene in the street in a fit of rage.
“It’s fine.”
“But?”
“Do you know when the moon shines brightest? It’s when the darkness is deepest.”
The overseer chuckled.
What nonsense, his expression seemed to say.
…I felt embarrassed by the nonsense I was spouting, but the chatter of the black dragon’s mouth didn’t cease.
“Whatever trick Valric tries to pull, it will only benefit me. It will become a tool to showcase my greatness.”
Could I possibly pass the exam by taking it normally?
It was impossible.
Even if it wasn’t those who held a grudge against me, how could I pass when I scored zero in every section?
‘There’s only one way. I have to give a tremendous shock.’
But even this was not an easy task.
There was a limit to shocking in the exam.
After all, the exam was just an exam.
I needed a helper.
To lay the groundwork.
‘Valik will help me.’
The more Valik tries to embarrass me.
The more favorable the situation will be for me.
‘Go, Valik!’
At that moment, Hans approached with a happy face.
“Master Kong, I’ve collected all the bet money!”
“…It must be nice to earn money.”
By the way, I could only bet 1,000 penas, so I didn’t win much.
Hans, who bet a whopping 11,000 penas, earned ten times more according to the payout ratio.
‘This is how talent is rewarded by the bear, and money is taken by someone else.’
“hahahaha! Let’s drink today!”
“…Is this where you live?”
“Oh dear. How dare I, having descended to such a lowly status, audaciously present myself to Master Kong! Grr, though my heart is steadfast like a chimney, it’s quite regrettable. Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!”
I gazed at Hans with disdainful eyes.
Anyway, the day of the exam was approaching, and I wore a puzzled expression.
“Balik, is this guy out of his mind?”
The stage prepared by Balik was even more significant than I had anticipated.