Chapter 106: Growth Pains (5)

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Lacis stood atop the structure.

On the side, the cadets who had already finished their preparations were summoning golems and engaging in matches.

Opposite her, of course, was Carl.

It had naturally followed that sitting next to him during the lecture led to practicing together.

…The other cadets seemed to take it for granted, as none suggested partners to her.

Even during the lecture, she felt gazes flying toward her from various places.

Not only her classmates but it seemed that the seniors had also circulated some talk about her.

Whispers about her being fresh and at the prime of youth reached her ears little by little.

It was a relief that they seemed to view her favorably, but Lacis was more concerned about Carl.

“I’m ready.”

“I’m ready as well. Then, let’s begin.”

Carl and Lacis faced each other and started their match.

When they infused mana into the pillar protruding at the front, a golem popped up from the arena floor.

Lacis had created a standard Stone Golem, while Carl summoned a Fire Golem made of flames.

‘Good.’

She had the advantage in elemental affinity.

To destroy the Stone Golem, a physical impact was necessary, whereas the Fire Golem had a clear weakness to water.

Thud. Thud.

As the two golems moved their massive steps toward their targets, Lacis also raised her mana.

Tsu-zu-zu-zu.

She set up her incantation in the mana circuit, established the spell, and released it.

At the start of the semester, she had struggled even to cast Phantom Bullet, but now she could use basic magic with a fairly competent appearance.

She chose Water Cannon, a water-element spell.

A spherical jet of water formed at her fingertips and shot forward at high speed.

Thok! Thok!

The Water Cannon flew through the air and struck the Fire Golem directly.

Shiiiiiik.

The Fire Golem trembled.

The white steam rising as the Water Cannon vaporized soared high into the sky.

Because the Fire Golem was made of flames, it would quickly collapse if continuously attacked.

It was an easier target than the Stone Golem, which needed a direct hit to be destroyed.

Swish!

Suddenly, an earthen wall rose in front of Lacis’s golem.

It was Carl’s attempt to block the path and delay her golem’s advance.

But Lacis shot Water Cannon at the wall with a look that said it was no problem, softening it.

Thud.

The Stone Golem pushed through the wet surface and continued walking calmly.

At the same time, Lacis kept firing Water Cannon, targeting the Fire Golem.

Swish!

But soon, a barrier appeared in midair, stopping her attacks.

‘Ugh.’

Seeing that the barrier withstood her Water Cannon shots, Lacis bit her lip.

The barrier was a fairly advanced spell, so she hadn’t been able to use it herself yet.

Therefore, she could assume there was no magic that could break it.

‘How am I supposed to get through this?’

She couldn’t break the barrier with basic magic.

She clenched her hand on the railing tightly.

If it had been a sword, two, maybe three swings would have shattered it, but magic…

‘No, there’s nothing I can’t do.’

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lacis extended her hand and fired Phantom Bullet.

She was relying on the spell she was most skilled at and could use most efficiently.

The standard way to deal with barrier-type magic was to strike a single point to break it.

Even though Phantom Bullet was a very basic spell, with refinement it could deliver power comparable to other attack magic.

Bang! Bang!

Lacis calmly and precisely struck the barrier.

Cracks began to appear on the semi-transparent surface.

Seeing that, Lacis fired Phantom Bullet even more forcefully.

Crack.

The spreading cracks eventually broke the barrier.

Immediately, she switched back to Water Cannon to attack the Fire Golem.

Swoooosh.

This time, a strong wind blew, twisting the trajectory of the Water Cannon.

“Ah!”

It wasn’t a barrier—how was she supposed to break this?

Projectile magic was inevitably affected by the wind.

Should she calculate the wind’s trajectory before shooting?

Her head felt like it was about to explode.

“…Haha.”

Carl let out a small laugh, watching Lacis flounder.

Seeing her eyes spin wildly, it seemed she had no idea what to do.

So he lightly reached out and drenched the Stone Golem in water as it moved.

Then, he froze it instantly with ice magic.

Zzzzzt.

If only the surface had frozen, the Stone Golem would have kept walking without care.

But the water that seeped into every groove had frozen, hindering its movements.

Creak, creak-creak.

The Stone Golem twisted and wobbled.

Seeing it too late, Lacis screamed and reached out.

“No!”

Bright red flames erupted.

She immediately tried to melt the frozen Stone Golem, but the action itself almost caused her defeat.

Crack.

Rapid freezing followed by sudden heating.

The extreme temperature difference struck the Stone Golem, which couldn’t withstand it.

For a moment it seemed to move properly, but soon cracks appeared on its stone surface, and fragments split off.

“Eh?!”

Lacis’s expression became urgent.

Realizing too late what had happened, she wanted to destroy her opponent’s golem before being defeated.

Swish!

Lacis tried to infuse mana into the Water Cannon to create a massive jet of water,

but Carl, who had acted first, moved a sand flail and struck the weakened body of the Stone Golem.

Crack─!

Fragments scattered, and the massive body collapsed.

Even with its lower body destroyed, the Stone Golem tried to move.

But it soon fell to the ground and froze its actions by pressing its face against the floor.

Beep.

Carl’s victory was beyond question.

Having been overwhelmingly defeated without even properly using her abilities, Lacis descended from the structure with a slightly sullen expression.

It was to yield the spot since it was the other cadets’ turn.

Afterward, she returned to the seats with Carl and muttered softly.

“Magic is difficult. I tried my best, but I didn’t expect to lose so futilely.”

“It wasn’t futile.”

“Wasn’t it?”

“You lost the strategy battle, but the way you used magic was good. My golem also took a lot of hits, didn’t it?”

“Hmm.”

Was that so?

Lacis crossed her arms and recalled the events.

“…I suppose so.”

The flames, which had initially surged vigorously, seemed to have subsided after being hit by her few Water Cannons.

Moreover, Carl probably wouldn’t lie about something like that.

‘Well, I did work hard.’

At the start of the semester, when she first attended the lectures, it was as if she had just stepped into the introductory course for magic.

Even using the basic spell Phantom Bullet had been difficult.

But now, she had grown considerably…

“Ah, the professor is coming.”

Professor Breed, who had been evaluating the other cadets, walked toward Carl and Lacis.

“Cadet Carlos.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Excellent. Your magic sequences were very smooth. Your defensive measures against your opponent’s magic were well executed, and wetting the Stone Golem with water and freezing it was also commendable. Did you anticipate that the opponent would panic and try to ignite the flames once the golem froze?”

“Yes. Normally, they would try to melt it with fire.”

“Good. It’s a basic sequence, but you accurately read the opponent’s psychology. You used strategy to gain an advantageous situation. I’ll give you extra points. And Lacis, cadet.”

“Yes, sir!”

Lacis responded with a slightly nervous expression.

She lifted herself from the backrest, straightened her posture, and looked at Professor Breed.

But contrary to her worries, Professor Breed continued with a kind expression.

“Well done. You haven’t been studying magic for long, correct? Yet, you managed to exchange blows with Cadet Carlos to some degree, which shows exceptional talent. You also won’t spare effort. Your records show a steep growth rate, meaning your skills are improving rapidly. Just keep it up. I will also give you extra points, Lacis, as encouragement.”

“…Thank you.”

Unexpectedly, she received high praise.

Clenching her fists and quietly cheering inwardly, Lacis smiled.

“Then, that will be all.”

It was only when Professor Breed left to evaluate the other cadets that she relaxed and leaned back in her chair.

“This is exhausting. The other academy cadets must be practicing this too, right?”

“We might be slightly behind. Some places start serious training from the first semester.”

“I’d like to join Walpurgis Night, but I don’t think I can handle the magic side. I just lack confidence.”

“Everyone has their own strengths. Even so, you’re doing quite well.”

“…Carl.”

“Yes?”

“How much are you hiding your magic skills?”

“My magic?”

At Lacis’s question, Carl scratched his cheek.

“I’m not very skilled with magic either. My main weapon is the sword.”

“I’ve decided not to believe Carl’s modesty anymore. The gap is too big, isn’t it?”

“Hahaha.”

Carl laughed at Lacis’s remark.

He had truly only learned magic at a supporting level.

With Honwon Ilgeuksingong, anything he learned would only be a supplement.

But judging from Lacis’s suspicious gaze, it seemed she wouldn’t easily believe him.

“It’s true. If I had been hiding my magic skills, Yuria would have noticed.”

In fact, she had noticed.

But that was because of a wager—his ability to manipulate mana was far superior to an ordinary magician, not because his magic skills were particularly high.

If a cadet from the magic tower, especially Yuria, fought him using only magic, he would probably lose most of the time.

‘I actually did lose before.’

A recent scene from a study session came to mind.

They had a light magical duel, and the result was an overwhelming defeat for Carl.

It was his first crushing defeat since arriving in Artenia.

Being bested by a novice at the academy, not by some underground organization, was something even Carl hadn’t anticipated.

“Hmm.”

Lacis narrowed her eyes at Carl and smacked her lips.

Talking with him like this made her previous solitary worries seem pointless.

Carl was Carl, and she was herself.

Even if Carl had been hiding his skills, nothing would change, and her attitude toward him wouldn’t change just because she knew.

She didn’t have such a shallow character.

…She was just a little curious.

Why Carl was hiding his skills.

“Fine. I’ll ask Yuria to teach me some magic.”

“Hmm.”

“Why? Are you worried about losing time with Yuria?”

“No. It’s just that…”

Carl answered with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“Be careful. If it’s related to magic, Yuria’s touch is quite harsh.”

He could give that advice because he had already experienced it once.

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