Chapter 26

"Firestorm!"

As Talcott shouted, a whirlwind of flames rose in the center of the group. Screams erupted from the surrounding area.

The Firestorm is a spell with ambiguous directionality and is rather difficult to handle. It is not considered suitable for chaotic battles.

However, the whirlwind did not move from the center.

Indeed, it seemed that the control was maintained as he claimed. If the damage was likely to be significant, I intended to activate a broad water spell or another counter-spell, accepting some injuries. But this seemed manageable.

"How about that, you guys, take a look! I don't need any living magic!"

Talcott smiled smugly. The whirlwind of flames swayed in sync with his laughter. It was quite precarious. I thought he should focus if he wasn't confident.

If his consciousness was taken away, it was uncertain how the flames would move. Moreover, it was unclear how long he could maintain the whirlwind in that spot.

When control was lost, there was no guarantee the Firestorm wouldn't come towards me. To prevent any accidents, I had to extinguish the flames.

I pushed aside the students in front of me and extended my hand to activate the spell I had been preparing.

"Flame Absorb"

The flames were sucked into the dark sphere released from my hand. If someone was in the straight line between the flames and the sphere, they would be caught in the fire. While the sphere could absorb ignited flames, touching the flames before absorption would cause burns.

Therefore, I had to approach and cast the spell directly at the pillar of flames.

Only the heat remained; everything else disappeared cleanly.

"What?!"

Talcott opened his eyes wide and looked at me. His reaction was not one of anger or the urge to attack.

"What magic did you just use?"

It seemed Talcott didn't know Flame Absorb.

Travis... Ah, no good. He was backing away.

A tower mage specializing in living magic, Travis was clearly not a combat specialist. It would have been impressive if Travis had firmly reprimanded Talcott and lectured on the importance of living magic, but that was impossible. Since I had already stepped in, I was now a party to the situation. What should I do?

"...It's a counter-spell for fire. Why are you doing such a foolish thing?"

With a Magic Shield on my left hand and an Air Bullet magic circle on my right, I spoke while in a state of readiness to activate the spells.

No, I think the best solution would be to take away his consciousness without further ado. However, I couldn't help but feel that Talcott lacked the awareness of "losing control."

Given his reckless actions, I was more intrigued than anything. It was beyond my imagination.

For example, Ashley's situation was less noticeable because the kennel did what it should have, and I didn't hear much about it... but bad reputations tend to stand out.

I've heard various things about this guy and the Cardiff family.

Using magic to injure several servants and vassals.

His father's agricultural mistakes causing vassals to flee to neighboring areas, reducing tax revenue.

Rumors do reach me. Conversely, I only know him through gossip.

His thoughts were so different from mine... If the information was distorted, I shouldn't judge based on hearsay alone. I do feel a sense of disgust, especially when it comes to my half-siblings.

They say the injury to his fiancée wasn't serious... but perhaps he is driven by guilt for hurting her?

"Huh? Are you an idiot? Didn't you understand what I said? Why are you interfering with me? You'll regret it if you don't answer properly."

But...

Talcott seemed pleased with his display of power, showing no signs of despair or guilt for potentially hurting others. Instead, he asked curiously.

He must be used to pushing his opinions through... But does he not understand what would happen if he did that outside?

So, his earlier discontent was probably due to being seen as less skilled and being told to learn control.

Perhaps he was unwilling to cause injuries, but more so because the loss of control was unintentional. He wanted a grand gesture to clear his name.

He is known as the "Cardiff's Wild Dog," a second son with magical talent but a violent nature.

"I don't know the extent of your control abilities."

"...What did you say?"

Talcott bristled. Yes, I am questioning his control abilities. Before he takes any rash actions, I need to guide him. There are younger children here, and I don't want any trouble.

"Essentially, you believe that those who handle magic well are superior, right?"

"Of course. That old man looked important, but now he's in this state. I've always been like this."

Not a watchdog, but a wild dog.

His purpose is to be a convenient tool of violence to suppress the vassals by force, as his father demands. I understand now.

If he only knows his family and domain, it makes sense. If he can do magic, he will be praised. Regardless, ...Earl Maurice is hard to defend.

It's a tiresome story, but perhaps I still have too much idealism about the nobility. Noblesse oblige is just a theory. ...Well, I shouldn't be talking about nobility when I act primarily for my own benefit.

Termwill is a martial land. The idea that those with skill in combat are right... Well, it does exist. Earl Maurice was a combat mage in his youth, but this isn't the same for Talcott.

But if that's the case, it's easier to understand his thinking.

He seems to think I'm worth listening to because I used Flame Absorb.

Since I need to convince him, and he operates on the logic of power, I should clarify the power dynamics to avoid any lingering issues.

"...I understand. How about a bet?"

"A bet?"

"Let's have a match. If you lose—regardless of how the school handles you, you will study noble education and academic subjects thoroughly. You won't complain about it. But if you win—"

"If I win?"

"I'll teach you this."

I smiled meaningfully and unfolded a magic circle on my palm.

From his expression, I knew he was interested. For someone who uses magic for rough tasks, this must be very appealing. Intermediate spells don't require incantations, and control abilities are enhanced.

Well, that's if he can beat me. Regardless, Talcott will face some form of punishment.

Considering his control, the lack of actual harm, his age, his noble status, and the martial spirit of Termwill, it's hard to predict the extent of the punishment. It depends on the judgment of those in charge, so I can't rely on that.

However, the bet and the punishment are unrelated.

Studying can be done anywhere if one has the motivation. The issue is whether Talcott will fulfill the promise he made based on his pride.

"...In this bet, we can't kill each other. Advanced magic would be a hindrance. So—"

"Non-incantation lower-level magic duels will be the main focus. It's a match, after all."

In a typical magic duel, non-incantation lower-level spells are faster and can effectively incapacitate an opponent. Quick firing is advantageous in a one-on-one situation between mages.

I also want to show him the tactics that can be used with proper control, using this as the prize.

"So, we won't use magic circles this time. Let's aim to make the opponent admit defeat. Of course, fainting or fleeing also counts as a loss."

"Alright."

A smile appeared on Talcott's lips. He seemed confident in non-incantation duels.

"Sir Theodore, this is...!"

People gathered, drawn by the commotion. Grace was among them.

"Don't worry, it's just a match. But be careful of stray spells."

"Understood. I'll take care of it."

Grace nodded. Her shadow's outline twitched slightly.

"If there are injuries... I can help."

Ashley placed her hand on her chest. I nodded to Ashley and turned back to Talcott.

We moved to a slightly distant location and faced each other.

Talcott drew his staff and took a half-guard stance. A non-lethal, non-incantation magic duel... It reminds me of the early PvP in BFO.

"Without a staff... Are you underestimating me?"

"Don't worry."

I don't have a magic staff, but bringing a long weapon to the school would just be a hindrance.

Moreover, the focus is on control. It's better to show Talcott the tactics that can be used with proper control rather than just overpowering him with staff techniques.

Talcott clenched his teeth, made his staff glow, and left a blue-white magic sphere on the ground, then ran counterclockwise around me.

Magic Slaves. By leaving a block of his magic power, he can use it as a platform to launch spells remotely. It increases the number of attacks, which is a technique combat mages should learn.

I can use it too, but as a battle mage, I focus on close combat and use other methods to increase my attack rate.

"Air Bullet!"

Talcott's staff released a white mist-like wind bullet.

It's a correct choice for non-lethal attacks against people. It's hard to see. But—

"Air Bullet"

I read the trajectory of the wind bullets from their movements and timing, and countered with the same spell, shooting them down. The aftereffects of my spells reached Talcott, making his hair and clothes flutter in the strong wind.

"What!?"

Talcott's eyes widened. My Air Bullet was clearly more powerful. My spells have a shorter range and lose power faster at a distance, but at this range, especially in a counterattack—

Wind magic is hard to see, so one needs to dodge with some leeway. It's easier to block or shoot them down. If Talcott runs to avoid attacks, I can close the distance and land effective hits.

"Damn!"

Seeing me close the distance casually, Talcott thought I had a wide range of close combat skills and tried to maintain distance while continuously firing Air Bullets.

In a non-incantation duel using lower-level spells, the basic strategy is to repeatedly fire the same spell. Switching spells requires re-focusing, which is difficult without incantations. With the same spell, one can maintain a steady rhythm and fire continuously.

I countered by shooting them down in sync with my breathing. Trajectory prediction and spell cancellation. I've done this countless times in PvP.

As Talcott fired spells at me, his gaze darted around.

If he looks, his aim and timing are exposed. I fired a first-tier fire spell, Cracker Bomb, at his Magic Slave. The wind bullet from the slave and my red magic sphere collided and exploded. I shot down the frontal spells with Air Bullets.

"Double spells!?"

Non-incantation spells typically involve firing the same spell repeatedly. That's the basic idea.

Like driving a car while talking or playing the piano with different movements in each hand, doing different tasks simultaneously becomes natural with practice. The same applies to magic manipulation.

Consciously controlling one spell while manipulating another like breathing. ...Living magic is actually perfect for training in double spells.

Air Bullets from my right hand, Cracker Bombs from my left. My attack rate doubled.

Talcott couldn't avoid the red magic spheres that weren't canceled and rolled to dodge—

"Ugh!"

An Air Bullet hit Talcott, and he rolled on the ground.

He should have continued firing while dodging. Focusing on dodging and not firing means he can't cancel incoming spells.

The rest was just deviation shooting—crossing my arms to predict Talcott's movement and shoot through with wind magic.

I closed the distance in one swift move as his counterattacks ceased.

I grabbed Talcott's back as he tried to get up, wrapping my arms around his neck in a simple sleeper hold. It's not a BFO martial technique, just a basic hold.

Talcott, who didn't expect close combat