Chapter 93

◈ Chapter 93: Magic Duel (1)

“Ugh! Let go of me!”

Ivan Luke opened his eyes wide as he felt the intense pressure on his wrist and tried to shake his arm free.

‘What kind of strength is this? ’

His hand wouldn’t budge an inch.

Ludger’s grip was so strong that it surpassed his imagination.

Ivan, who had always thought of mages as people who only read books in their rooms, felt a significant shock.

“Y-You’re not letting go? Don’t you know who I am?! Do you want to lose your job right now?!”

“If I could.”

A shadow fell over Ludger’s face as he looked down at Ivan.

“Try it.”

“I, I...!”

“Enough.”

Intervening between Ludger and Ivan was Ivan’s personal assistant.

Ludger stared at him intently before glancing around.

By now, bodyguards had formed a protective circle around Ivan.

The assistant looked at Ludger with a deep, penetrating gaze.

“Enough. Let go of his hand. Or else...”

“Or else what?”

Ludger asked in a gruff voice.

Just as the assistant was about to say that he would regret it, he saw Ludger’s eyes and closed his mouth.

His voice wouldn’t come out.

He swallowed hard, feeling cold sweat trickle down his forehead.

‘This guy is not ordinary.’

He thought he could win in a battle of wills.

He knew that Ludger, as a teacher at Seorun, was capable, but he was a professional mage directly hired by the Luke Corporation.

Even though he was now bowing his head to a much younger man and enduring constant insults, his skills were more than enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with Seorun’s teachers.

But...

‘This gaze, this presence. Just standing here makes me feel like my bones are freezing. Is this really the new teacher?’

The assistant, about to step back, changed his mind when he saw Ivan’s irritated expression.

He couldn’t back down here.

Even though Ivan was known as a reckless troublemaker, he was the only blood relative of the chairman.

Although Ivan lacked the abilities one would expect from the chairman’s bloodline and the chairman didn’t show him much affection, he still treated him with some respect.

That was why the assistant was here.

Moreover, the three bodyguards were graduates of the Knight Academy.

‘Well, there’s no way we can lose here.’

The only issue was the location.

If this had happened in a dark, deserted alley, he could have handled it quietly, but this was a brightly lit banquet hall.

Various dignitaries were watching the situation with interest.

There were too many eyes on them.

‘Ivan’s bad reputation is already well-known in society, but if we resort to violence here, it will damage the company’s image.’

It was frustrating, but he had to resolve the situation as smoothly as possible.

The assistant finished his mental calculations and cleared his throat.

“Let’s stop here. This is a good event, and fighting will only cause trouble for others.”

“...”

Seeing the assistant’s gentle approach, Ludger released Ivan’s hand.

Ivan, finally freed, clutched his throbbing wrist and bit his lip.

“You, you damn fallen noble...!”

“Sir. Let’s stop here. There are many people watching.”

The assistant wanted to end the situation before Ivan did something rash.

Just as he was about to persuade Ivan to step back,

Slap!

Ivan slapped the assistant’s cheek with all his might.

“Hey, you. I told you to call me sir.”

“...I’m sorry, sir.”

“And, what? Can’t you see my arm? You want me to back down while I’m being treated like this? Hey, do you want to be fired?”

“...No.”

The atmosphere suddenly became strange.

The assistant sighed inwardly as he looked at Ivan’s bloodshot eyes.

It seemed that the situation had already escalated beyond a simple conversation.

“Do you think I can just let this go in front of everyone? What do you say?”

“No.”

“Isn’t that right?”

Ivan turned to Ludger.

His eyes burned with an endless hostility.

“Hey, you’re finished. I’ll make sure you’re fired from this position. Got it? I always keep my word.”

Ivan Luke.

A director of the Luke Corporation and a troublemaker under the chairman’s protection, but the weight of his power was not to be underestimated.

If the Luke Corporation, which provided substantial funding to Seorun every year, decided to apply pressure, firing a new teacher would be nothing.

Ludger, who had been watching the entire scene, was puzzled.

He had planned to quietly leave and start searching for the First Order.

But now, because of this troublemaker, he was in a difficult situation from the start.

‘There are many eyes watching, but no one seems willing to intervene.’

Ludger was pondering what to do when a familiar presence entered the scene.

“Hmm? Something interesting seems to be happening here?”

“...President?”

Elisa Willow, the president of Seorun and a genius mage, appeared with a carefree smile, wearing a black dress with lots of frills.

Could she be here to help?

Ludger felt a glimmer of hope, but Ivan, already irritated, glared at Elisa with a look that could kill.

“What do you want?”

“Me? I’m the president of Seorun.”

“What?”

Ivan looked at Elisa from head to toe with a slightly incredulous gaze.

He had heard of the president of Seorun but had never seen her in person, so he didn’t recognize her immediately.

A young woman as the president?

Ivan thought it was a stroke of luck.

“Good. President, how do you train your teachers at Seorun?”

“Training? What kind of training?”

“This fallen noble just used violence against me!”

From the perspective of those who had witnessed the entire scene, it might not have been considered violence, but Ivan firmly believed he was the victim.

Elisa, still smiling, asked Ivan.

“So what?”

“So what? Fire him right now. If you want to continue receiving support from the Luke Corporation, it’s best to do so.”

“Luke Corporation? Ah, you’re the chairman’s son.”

Elisa clapped her hands and nodded as if she understood.

Ivan, thinking he had finally found someone who would listen, smiled.

But his face fell when Elisa spoke again.

“So what?”

“Excuse me? Didn’t you hear me? The Luke Corporation...”

“The owner of the Luke Corporation is Chairman Theodor. Why are you, a mere director, making decisions on your own?”

“A mere director? Listen, I may be a director, but I’m Chairman Theodor’s only son. Understand? I have the authority.”

“Ah, I see. So, have you discussed all these matters with your father?”

“...”

Ivan was speechless.

He had said it in the heat of the moment, without discussing it with his father.

But what did it matter? Even if he insisted, there was no way to verify it.

“Ah, my father would agree with me. After all, I’m his son. Wouldn’t he know that?”

“Oh, I see. That’s a relief.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“By the way, the chairman just happens to be visiting here!”

“...What?”

Ivan’s face turned blank.

The chairman here? No, that’s impossible.

“You’re lying...”

“Why don’t you see for yourself?”

Elisa moved slightly to the side.

Ivan then saw a person with a strong presence standing behind the crowd, partially hidden by Elisa.

An old man with white hair, so vigorous that he didn’t look his age, was standing with a cane, staring at him intensely.

“Gulp!”

Ivan’s face turned pale.

Despite his reckless nature, the only person he feared was his father.

“Father?”

“You useless son. I told you to build connections, not to cause trouble.”

“That’s not...”

“Be quiet. I don’t want to hear your excuses. Entrusting this to a fool like you was a mistake.”

Chairman Theodor Luke glared at Ivan and then bowed to Elisa.

“I apologize, President Elisa. My foolish son caused this.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s rare to see someone stand up so boldly these days. It was a bit refreshing.”

“...Thank you for saying that.”

Theodor’s gaze then turned to Ludger.

He clearly disapproved of the situation.

Even if Ivan had been the one to start it, he couldn’t look favorably on someone who had almost fought with his son.

Elisa suddenly interjected.

“Oh, but I might have been a bit harsh on your son.”

“President Elisa? What do you mean...”

“So, I’ll give you a chance. Let’s resolve this situation cleanly, right here and now.”

“...”

Theodor seemed to read something in her attitude and immediately closed his mouth.

Ludger, who had been observing the situation, felt the same way.

‘I thought I could relax with the president’s intervention.’

The president’s sidelong glance and the twitching corners of her mouth suggested she found the situation amusing.

‘She’s a bit unpredictable, it seems.’

He had learned this from multiple encounters.

While he appreciated her mediation, it seemed she wanted to steer the situation in a direction she preferred.

“Let’s have a clean fight, right here and now. What do you think?”

The audience, who had been watching, lit up with interest.

Her proposal was simple.