Chapter 19
Suspicious Student
“Teacher, I have a suggestion.”
“Yes. What is it, Banshi?”
“Let duel with Artel.”
It was one unexpected action after another.
Banshi wasn’t the type to despair when shown the difference; she was the type who beca even more fired up.
“Banshi. There’s a duel class every Friday anyway, so there’s no need….”
But Ever scratched his cheek, looking troubled.
“That one isn’t done between the sa elents.”
“That’s true, but….”
“And he’s a Double Caster. Darkness and Fire. In principle, he’d never duel with Darkness or Fire Elentalists of the sa elent. I want to fight him, not so other Elentalist.”
“Hmm….”
“So please allow it—a duel with Artel.”
Ever glanced at , gauging my reaction.
“Teacher, I don’t understand why I have to duel Banshi for no reason.”
“It’s not for no reason. Mob Materialization, Points.”
Answering triumphantly, Banshi showed her Mob.
Points?
Did Mob have such a function?
That wasn’t sothing my master had built into it.
[Banshi]
-Remaining Points: 18,600
“You’re now a 1st Class year one student, and since you used everything for free all break, you wouldn’t know, but starting from 1st Class, the mont the sester begins, you have to pay points to use any facilities. Check your Mob too.”
“Mob Materialization, Points.”
[Artel]
-Remaining Points: 9,900
[Point Rewards]
-Admission Commoration: 5,000 (Need)
-Passed Teacher’s Discretion Evaluation: 5,000 (Draco Walfis)
[Point Usage]
-Library: 100
“No way….”
“You went to the library after Darkness Elent class, didn’t you? It’s not free once the sester starts. You need points to use all facilities—training grounds, duel halls, cafeteria, library.”
The ‘beep’ sound I heard the mont I entered the library had been this point system.
Since when had they created such a ridiculous system?
“Is that true, Teacher Ever?”
“It seems you received no explanation. Well, it’s understandable—it’s the first class of the sester today. Yes. During the 1st Class term, as Banshi said, you need points to use the facilities. However, facilities used for class purposes, such as the duel hall or training grounds, do not require points.”
This was clearly a flawed system.
“To earn points, you have to produce results in your classes. Looks like you passed so test in the Darkness Elent class.”
Inside the parentheses was the na of the one who awarded the points.
Draco Walfis had said we were free until the next lesson progressed, so it seed he gave the points as a reward.
But when had this feature even existed?
Having a rule that you’re expelled after five years wasn’t enough—they now had it so that if you didn’t produce results in class, you couldn’t even get points.
If a student lagged behind, they eventually couldn’t even use the cafeteria, and starved, would be forced to leave the school on their own.
“I’ll bet all my points. If you duel and win, you can have them all.”
“If you lose your points, won’t you be unable to eat?”
“That’s right.”
Was she that fired up?
She answered as if it were nothing.
Even so, I refused this duel.
My goal was to pass the Student Ability Evaluation in one shot and rise through the classes quickly.
A spontaneous duel with a student—sothing that wouldn’t even affect my grades—was nothing but a waste of ti.
“Teacher, do I really have to?”
“It is Ed Branch School’s principle to respect the students’ choices.”
“Then let’s decide by majority vote. Whoever supports the duel between and Artel stands with , and whoever opposes stands with Artel. If we’re to respect student choice, we should follow the majority.”
She wasn’t just stubborn.
She seed quite logical and sharp.
“Why should other students’ points be at risk because of you?”
“I’m the only one betting points. Even if I lose, no other student is affected.”
aning Banshi herself would be the only one taking a serious loss.
I couldn’t understand why she was requesting such a reckless duel.
I was a forr Archmage.
There was no way I’d lose to her, and I didn’t want to go easy on her either.
“It can’t be helped. Since respecting student choice is the principal’s teaching, let’s see. Students, stand by the side you want to bet on. The winning side gets free ti imdiately.”
Ever was thoroughly following school rules.
‘They all know I’m a Double Caster, so they’ll bet on .’
But the result was the exact opposite.
6 to 2.
Only Hei bet on , while all the other students bet on Banshi.
‘Sothing’s off. They know I’m a Double Caster, and from the magic I just showed, they should clearly know Banshi has no chance.’
Yet every student who bet on Banshi wore an expression of confidence.
‘That student has sothing.’
She might not be an ordinary Elentalist.
“Is that enough, Teacher?”
When Banshi asked with certainty, Ever reluctantly nodded.
“Artel, since this was decided by majority vote, I hope you comply.”
Fine. If I couldn’t avoid it, I’d finish it quickly.
And since all the students had bet on Banshi, I also wanted to see what exactly she was hiding that made them so confident.
“Don’t regret this later.”
I had no intention of holding back to match her level.
“You’re the one who’ll regret it.”
Banshi clearly had sothing she believed in.
She still wore that confident expression.
Banshi and I stood facing each other.
Ever attached a small white device to the shoulder of both my uniform and Banshi’s.
“What is this, Teacher?”
It was sothing I had never seen before.
“It’s a asuring device made with Magi-Engineering. It’s a simple duel, and the rules are easy. When you attack with magic, if the damage value exceeds a certain threshold, the device bursts. Whoever’s device bursts loses.”
So much had advanced.
Just from this, I could see that from 1st Class onward they evaluated the practical applications of magic seriously.
“There’s no ti limit. Then, begin.”
“Go for it! Banshi!”
“Queen of the Fire Elent, Banshi! We believe in you!”
The students who bet on Banshi cheered.
“Artel! Fighting!”
anwhile, Hei was not intimidated this ti and shouted his support for .
Thud!
“……?”
At the very start, Banshi’s fire sphere flew at and struck my chest.
Vrrrm—!
At the sa ti, the asuring device on my shoulder vibrated, its color slightly tinting red.
It seed that receiving damage made the device change color.
“Did you let your guard down because you’re a Double Caster? I’m not an easy opponent.”
I definitely had let my guard down, but what was that?
I didn’t feel pain when Banshi’s magic struck my chest, but I definitely felt sothing else.
Sothing dull had been hidden inside the fire sphere.
‘She’s not a normal Fire Elentalist.’
Now I knew why the students all bet on Banshi.
Like a Double Caster’s magic, there was clearly sothing like Wind mixed inside her fire sphere.
Yet she clearly wasn’t a Double Caster….
“You—what are you?”
“This isn’t the ti to act relaxed.”
Banshi implented her magic again.
This ti, there were two fire spheres.
As they flew toward , I imdiately implented a Fire Ball of my own and deflected them one after another.
‘This isn’t 1st Circle level.’
When magic clashed with magic, you could roughly gauge the other mage’s level.
It was different from taking the spell directly with your body.
Banshi.
This student did not belong in 1st Circle.
At least 3rd Circle.
The density and size of the mana forming the spheres were extraordinary.
And hadn’t she just summoned two spheres at once?
That ant she had at least two mana nodes.
I was certain.
That student was hiding part of her power.
The number of mana nodes wasn’t special, but the mana forming her magic was highly unusual.
Why on earth was such a student here?
Could she be Etar’s spy?
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
She had realized I was a Double Caster back in Class 0 yet stayed quiet.
But the mont I ca up to 1st Class, she approached first and questioned as if assessing my background.
Everything seed suspicious.
With that thought, I decided to respond seriously as well.
“You don’t seem to like dragging things out either. Full power.”
Fwoosh—!
“What is that…?”
“Four Fire Balls…?”
“She has four mana nodes? But she just ca up here?”
When I implented my magic, the students wavered.
“Artel…?”
Even Hei seed unfamiliar with this side of .
I launched four Fire Balls at Banshi, and I detonated one right before her eyes, sending flas up.
It was to block her vision.
Yet even then, Banshi didn’t lose focus and gripped her staff tighter, implenting a counterattack spell.
But I had already set a trap.
“It’s over.”
“……?”
Thud! Thud!
Boom!
While Banshi focused only on the front, I implented a new Fire Ball behind her and attacked.
The asuring device burst on impact, and the duel ended.
“…….”
Banshi stared blankly at her shattered device.
“…….”
anwhile, the students who had bet on Banshi wore expressions of despair.
“Wasn’t that six Fire Balls just now…?”
[Artel]
-Remaining Points: 28,400
[Point Usage]
-Cafeteria: 100
The Fire Elent test had ended, and I was eating in the cafeteria with Hei and Kiena.
“Kiena, Artel was seriously amazing today!”
“Why? What happened?”
“In class today…”
Hei retold the duel between and Banshi to Kiena.
“Wow! You implented six Fire Balls? You were able to grow that much because you studied every day in the library, right, Artel?”
Fortunately, neither of them questioned the sudden change in .
“Probably.”
But my attention was already elsewhere.
[Friends]
Kiena
Hei
Banshi
Since Banshi transferred her points to , she was automatically added to my friends list.
“I’ll get up first.”
A student of that level—why was she in 1st Class?
I had to find out.
Was she really Etar’s spy?
If so, I couldn’t leave her alone.
I left the cafeteria first and contacted Banshi through Mob in the hallway.
-Why?
I thought she wouldn’t answer, but unexpectedly, she did imdiately.
“et for a mont.”
-Where shall we et?
“I’ll wait in front of the duel hall.”
-I’ll be there soon.
She didn’t avoid the eting at all.
It was impossible to read her.
I waited for her in front of the duel hall.
About five minutes after I arrived, Banshi appeared.
“Why’d you call ?”
Her expression was perfectly calm.
Seeing her so confidently composed only made my thoughts more tangled.
“How many points does it cost to use the duel hall?”
I needed a quiet place where I could figure out her identity.
The duel hall seed most fitting.
“1,000.”
I imdiately sent a thousand points to her Mob.
“What?”
“Follow .”
I opened the door to the duel hall and walked inside first.
“Dragging a lady into a dark place like this isn’t very polite.”
“Shut up.”
Whether it was an act or sothing else—
Even I couldn’t tell.
But this was sothing I had to confirm.
Are you Etar’s spy?
Fwoosh!
Just like in class, I implented six Fire Balls and aid them at Banshi.
“……What do you think you’re doing?”
“You didn’t answer my question earlier. Give an answer, and I’ll dispel the magic.”
If she really was Etar’s spy, I planned to use her.
Even if she wasn’t, I needed to confirm her identity.
How could a student above 3rd Circle be in 1st Class?
I needed to solve that first.
Even if she wasn’t Etar’s spy, that was fine.
I had plans either way.
“You’re not 1st Circle level. How are you in 1st Class?”
“…You’re capable of sensing that?”
But the answer I received was unexpected.
At the sa ti, Banshi’s expression twisted.
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