Chapter 71

After the audience, I wandered around the palace with Mine.

It seemed that Mine had remembered our agreement well and gave me an opportunity to see the Fourth Form magic book under the pretext of a "palace tour." As a result, I managed to "peek" successfully. It was truly helpful. Thanks to this, I was able to master the Fourth Form of Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth without any trouble.

For now, I decided to use the leftover experience points to raise all four attributes from level 16 to level 5. By the way, regarding the Lightning attribute, I had already raised all the forms from the First to the Fourth to high levels. As for the Fifth Form, the required experience points were astronomical, so I stopped at the first level.

Finally, at the end of our leisurely journey, we visited the headquarters of the court mages, which was close to the palace, to pay our respects.

When I stood in front of the court mages lined up in the training ground with Mine, I realized for the first time that I wasn't welcomed at all.

Indeed, I had become a "Special Temporary Lecturer" for the First Court Mage Corps, but upon reflection, it was no wonder that the elite court mages, who were the cream of the crop, wouldn't accept a young upstart as a lecturer.

Maybe it was a mistake to come with Mine. They must have thought I was here through the Second Prince's connections. And indeed, it was through connections, which made it even worse. On the other hand, it would be bad if Mine left. They seemed to be reluctantly lining up because the Second Prince was there. If Mine left, they would probably disband immediately. Some of them looked like they were about to say, "We don't need any lectures."

"Here's Second. He will be your lecturer for the next month. From now on, follow his instructions."

When Mine introduced me, the court mages responded with a "Hai" but glared at me. I especially noticed a small woman with short black hair at the far right of the front row, who was radiating hostility.

"It seems fine. I'll leave now. Second, good luck."

"You too."

"Yep! Hehehe!"

"Wait, hehehe? What's fine about this?"

"Probably, Second will be fine, I guess."

"...You've become quite confident, haven't you?"

We exchanged words in a low voice, and I tried to stop Mine from leaving the training ground. At that moment, a middle-aged man with red hair and a bald spot in the middle of his head, who looked to be around 50, spoke up from the center of the front row.

"Prince, wait! There are too many who are not convinced. It's clear that we won't be able to act in unison. I would like to hear something from you, Prince."

Ah, this guy has some guts. The fact that he could speak like this to a prince suggests he holds a high position and is well-respected. He's probably the captain of the First Court Mage Corps. Let's call him Red Xavier. No, Xavier Rare, Xavier Best... Hmm, Xavier 2P Color is also a good choice.

"Captain Zephyr, that's not something I, as a prince, should be concerned about. It's something you, as the leader of the corps, and the person who has caused the resentment, should be concerned about. If I interfere, it won't be for the good of the corps. Isn't that right?"

"Ugh... No, but..."

Mine's logical argument pierced through Red Xavier. Indeed, he was the captain.

...Wait, is Mine subtly dissing me?

When I glanced at Mine, he turned away with a "Oh, crap" expression. He might still be holding a grudge over the surprise at school yesterday.

On the other hand, some of the court mages nodded as if they understood. They seemed to be saying that the problem was with this lecturer who had caused the resentment.

I wasn't angry, but seeing their attitude, I decided to get angry. Fortunately, there were plenty of targets for my anger.

"Alright, let's do this. If you have any complaints, come at me. It doesn't matter if it's one-on-one or a group."

"Wait, that's not allowed!"

Mine tried to stop me, but I couldn't be stopped.

"Captain Zephyr seems the strongest. How old are you? I'm 17."

"I'm 55."

"I see. Then I'll specially teach you how much of your 55 years have been wasted."

"...Interesting, boy. Ha, interesting. Hahaha!"

Red Xavier was laughing, but his forehead was twitching. He was clearly irritated. The outcome was already clear...

"I'll do it, Captain."

Then, a woman who couldn't read the room came in. It was the short woman with a bob cut who had been glaring at me earlier.

"I'll buy the fight you sold me," said the old man.

"But if the Captain engages in a private duel, it will affect the discipline of the corps. It's not something the Captain should do, especially in front of the Second Prince."

"...You're right."

"I, on the other hand, can pass it off as a practice session, and everyone will understand."

"Understood. Cheri, you go."

"Yes, sir."

It seems my opponent will be this woman named Cheri. I thought Red Xavier was a man of honor, but I was wrong. What a disappointment.

"You shouldn't get too cocky. This is a place where the kingdom's top mages gather. It's not a place where someone with a little skill can get away with anything."

Cheri spoke confidently. Does she not realize that the more she says, the more she's setting herself up for failure?

...Alright, that's it. I'll give a lecture in a way that befits a lecturer. It might be a detour from the path to becoming the best, but I'll do it thoroughly for the survival of Castal Kingdom. If Castal Kingdom is invaded, there might be no more title matches, which is a matter of life and death for me, who aims to be the best.

Hmm, wait. Thinking about it, isn't giving lectures and practical training to these people for a month and showing results also part of the title match? Oh, I'm getting really motivated.

"Thanks for the insightful comment. You're the one who will be my opponent?"

"...Yes, that's right. You should be prepared. No matter how much you're praised as a prodigy or genius, here you're just below an ordinary person."

"Self-introduction?"

"Your constant provocations are annoying. I'm one of the top-ranked."

"Hmm... By the way, do you know the story of 'The Frog in the Well'?"

"Yes."

"It's about you."

"......!"

"Ah, don't get angry. The more you get angry, the weaker you become."

In PvP, where every fraction of a second counts, emotions are just a waste. Even thinking about what to do is a waste. You have to "shortcut your thinking" based on your daily training and past experiences. In other words, if you show your emotions, it means you're not worth talking to.

"Right now, you're probably thinking something like this: 'Why is such a young man a lecturer? I barely made it as a court mage. He must be here through the Second Prince's connections. I can't bear to learn from someone like that. And what's with his attitude? He's so condescending. I don't like it, I don't like it, I don't like it.'"

"...Wow, you really understand. That's exactly it."

"Does it hurt to be looked down upon, Cheri?"

"...No, not really. And please stop calling me that."

"There are times when it's okay to look down on someone and times when it's not. In the former case, the one being looked down upon is at fault. In the latter, the one doing the looking down is at fault. You guys are clearly the former. What kind of court mages are you? Not one of you can even touch me."

"You...!"

"See, you can't even do what I told you a few dozen seconds ago. I told you not to get angry. Do you understand the words?"

Cheri was trembling with anger. Mine poked me with his elbow and said, "You're going too far!" I replied, "This is a lecture," and he gave me a "Huh?" look.

"Cheri? I brought this, but... maybe not."

"Thank you, Ailie."

Then, a woman named Ailie handed something to Cheri. Was this the reason for the wasted time? It must be some kind of accessory, judging by its size.

"Alright, let's use this 'Duel Crown' for a duel. I won't allow you to run away."

Cheri confidently handed me the Duel Crown and said, "I won't allow you to run away," with a serious face.

...

"Hahahaha!"

"What's so funny!"

I laughed, holding my stomach.

"Hahaha, no, it's just... hahaha!"

It's impossible not to laugh at this.

"Ha, I laughed. You guys are really something."

"So, what's so funny? Are you making fun of us?"

"Yeah, I am. Do you always train with this?"

"Yes, that's right. But it's none of your business."

"...Impressive. Truly impressive."

It's really impressive. I said, "Come at me, no matter how many of you there are," and yet, no one attacked me while I was laughing and making jokes. Even when I talked for a while, no one did anything. I even turned my back to them, pretending to look around the training ground, but still, no one did anything.

"Ha."

I sighed deeply and spoke.

"Confidently saying 'duel' and 'I won't allow you to run away'? Don't joke around. It's time to snap out of your complacency. Out of all of you, only three are decent: Captain Zephyr, Cheri, and Ailie. The rest are trash, seriously."

Red Xavier was always on guard. He probably disapproved of fighting me and decided to observe, but he seemed to be ready to counterattack at any moment. This means he didn't even consider a duel.

Ailie, who brought the Duel Crown, handed it to Cheri with a look of confusion, as if thinking, "This isn't what we're supposed to do." She didn't seem to have the will to fight, but she understood the key points.

Cheri, on the other hand, was completely hopeless but likable. Her willingness to face me was cute. She had a lot of potential. In a positive sense, she was a block of possibilities.

The rest of the trash seemed to think, "It's just a duel, right?" or "It's not my problem." They were clearly just going through the motions, standing there and watching me and Cheri. It was annoying.

However, making these annoying people grow to a visible level in a month is the job I've been given. I've decided to do it thoroughly. While I'm at it, I'll make them the strongest group of mages in the world. Isn't that great?

"Listen up, a duel is all virtual. You won't feel pain, you won't die, you don't need to heal, and you can do it as many times as you want. It's convenient and easy. You might think it's good training, but that's a big mistake."

In the world of Mevion, there was a penalty for death. Specifically, a small part of your stats would decrease. For regular players, it wasn't a big deal, but for top-ranked players, it was a devastating blow. Therefore, everyone feared death, and that fear was very important.

"Complacency will always arise. There will always be some slack. 'It's not going to hurt, so it's okay to take a hit.' 'It's not going to kill me, so it's okay to push a little.' 'It's just a drill, so it's okay to be careless.' This kind of thinking will seep into your subconscious. And because it's easy and repeatable, battles will inevitably become sloppy. You might think it won't happen, but you're not aware of it."

I expected some objections, but surprisingly, everyone listened in silence. Well, I'll take this opportunity to finish my speech.

"The problem is when it's a real fight where you might die. When you get hit and it hurts. I know this. People who are used to duels will most likely become cowards. They won't be able to attack effectively, and they'll only think about dodging. Even if it's just a small habit, there are many strong opponents who won't let you get away with it."

When I glanced at Cheri, she was looking at the ground with a sullen expression. She seemed to agree with me in her heart but was just putting on a face of dissatisfaction.

"A duel is for experimental play, not for real combat. Remember that. If you don't, you'll embarrass yourself. Would you bring a deck of cards to a fight you've been challenged to?"

A few people laughed. The atmosphere warmed up a little. I thought it would get more laughs, but this is as good as it gets for today.

"Alright, that's it for today's lecture. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Wait! We don't know your strength yet!"

As I was about to leave with Mine after saying what I wanted to say, Cheri stopped me. Strength, huh? I see. It's a silly idea that you don't want to learn from someone weaker than you. Or maybe it's for religious reasons. Or perhaps you just don't like me. Yeah, it seems to be the latter.

"..."

Considering the future, I decided to make a grand entrance. I thought about what kind of performance would be good.

Suddenly, the Duel Crown I was still holding caught my eye. Yes, this is it.

"Hmm."

I threw the Duel Crown high into the air in a direction where no one was standing. Then, I quickly prepared the Fourth Form of the Lightning attribute and aligned the coordinates with the falling Duel Crown.

"What are you doing—"

Just as Cheri was about to interrupt,

A blinding flash of light illuminated the area, followed by a thunderous boom that shook the ground. Everyone covered their ears and panicked, wondering what had happened.

The Fourth Form of the Lightning attribute is a ranged attack magic called "Lightning Strike." It deals powerful lightning damage to all targets within a certain range of the designated coordinates. Each strike is as powerful as the Third Form. If there are five monsters within the range, it's like five Third Form strikes. It's like a value pack of magic.

"...L-Lightning... struck...?"

I turned my back on Cheri and the others, who still hadn't realized it was my magic, and said, "See you tomorrow," as I left the training ground with a confused Mine.

After walking for a while, Mine spoke hesitantly.

"Was that... Second?"

"Yeah."

"I've never seen or heard of such lightning magic..."

That's understandable. I hadn't either. I only learned about it when I automatically acquired it through my connection with Angolmoa. It's probably an original magic in this world.

"...Hmm? Wait. Lightning attribute, lightning attribute... Where have I...?"

Mine suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at me with a "Could it be?" expression a few seconds later.

"Second, do you know the Great Spirit King...?"

You know, Mine! Did you read it in a book about summoning or something? You really are diligent.

I decided to summon Angolmoa with "Spirit Summoning" and let her introduce herself.

A rainbow swirl appeared in the air, and from it, a majestic-looking androgynous beauty descended in a swirling motion.

"My name is Angolmoa. I am the one and only ruler of the four elements, the Great Spirit King."

"......"

Mine paused for a moment, then exclaimed, "Wah!" and collapsed on the spot.

With the help of a maid who rushed over, he managed to stand up. I should have been more careful; the surprise was too much.

"Sorry, sorry."

"That's not okay, I almost had a heart attack."

Mine pressed his chest and looked at me with a deadpan expression. His cheeks were flushed, and his breathing was slightly heavy. It was like I had just harassed him.

"But, that's incredible. To be able to command the Great Spirit King... No, that's not just incredible. To be a master of both magic and summoning, are you planning to become a god, Second?"

"I'm also a master of archery and swordsmanship. And more, eventually."

"My Second is the greatest man in the world. And I am the greatest king in the spirit world. Together, we are the rulers of all creation."

"I'm really glad to have Second on my side..."

"By the way, the greatest strategist in the spirit world is also quite fond of my Second. In the spirit world, they only talk about my Second. To be able to tame such a great sage, my Second is not to be underestimated."

I had never heard of this before. It sounds more like boasting about getting a strong card, rather than a rumor.

"Strategist? Ah, Winfield... Is he a spirit!?"

"Yes."

"Didn't you mention that before?"

"I didn't hear about it! ...Really..."

Mine has been surprised non-stop since we met again. I can't forgive whoever is surprising my friend so much. Who are they? They're really outrageous.

"So, everything is set, right? I think this is the best possible lineup."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The strategist is a spirit, so he can't be assassinated unless the user is identified. This overcomes the weakness of a strategist. And with Second and the Great Spirit King as combat power, it's even better than my ideal setup."

I see, assassination. Thinking about it, Winfield is indeed the ideal form of a strategist. As a spirit, he's obviously stronger than humans in combat, and he doesn't need to eat or sleep.

"You, I like you. I recognize you