novelraw Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Suspicious Student
“Teacher, I have a suggestion.”
“Yes. What is it, Banshi?”
“Let me 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 became 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 same elements.”
“That’s true, but….”
“And he’s a Double Caster. Darkness and Fire. In principle, he’d never duel with Darkness or Fire Elementalists of the same element. I want to fight him, not some other Elementalist.”
“Hmm….”
“So please allow it—a duel with Artel.”
Ever glanced at me, 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 me her Mob.
Points?
Did Mob have such a function?
That wasn’t something 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 moment the semester 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 Commemoration: 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 Element class, didn’t you? It’s not free once the semester starts. You need points to use all facilities—training grounds, duel halls, cafeteria, library.”
The ‘beep’ sound I heard the moment 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 semester 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 some test in the Darkness Element class.”
Inside the parentheses was the name of the one who awarded the points.
Draco Walfis had said we were free until the next lesson progressed, so it seemed 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 me 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—something that wouldn’t even affect my grades—was nothing but a waste of time.
“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 me and Artel stands with me, and whoever opposes stands with Artel. If we’re to respect student choice, we should follow the majority.”
She wasn’t just stubborn.
She seemed 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.”
Meaning 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 former 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 time immediately.”
Ever was thoroughly following school rules.
‘They all know I’m a Double Caster, so they’ll bet on me.’
But the result was the exact opposite.
6 to 2.
Only Hei bet on me, while all the other students bet on Banshi.
‘Something’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 something.’
She might not be an ordinary Elementalist.
“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 something 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 something I had never seen before.
“It’s a measuring 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 time limit. Then, begin.”
“Go for it! Banshi!”
“Queen of the Fire Element, Banshi! We believe in you!”
The students who bet on Banshi cheered.
“Artel! Fighting!”
Meanwhile, Hei was not intimidated this time and shouted his support for me.
Thud!
“……?”
At the very start, Banshi’s fire sphere flew at me and struck my chest.
Vrrrm—!
At the same time, the measuring device on my shoulder vibrated, its color slightly tinting red.
It seemed 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 something else.
Something dull had been hidden inside the fire sphere.
‘She’s not a normal Fire Elementalist.’
Now I knew why the students all bet on Banshi.
Like a Double Caster’s magic, there was clearly something like Wind mixed inside her fire sphere.
Yet she clearly wasn’t a Double Caster….
“You—what are you?”
“This isn’t the time to act relaxed.”
Banshi implemented her magic again.
This time, there were two fire spheres.
As they flew toward me, I immediately implemented 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 meant 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 moment I came up to 1st Class, she approached me first and questioned me as if assessing my background.
Everything seemed 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 came up here?”
When I implemented my magic, the students wavered.
“Artel…?”
Even Hei seemed unfamiliar with this side of me.
I launched four Fire Balls at Banshi, and I detonated one right before her eyes, sending flames up.
It was to block her vision.
Yet even then, Banshi didn’t lose focus and gripped her staff tighter, implementing a counterattack spell.
But I had already set a trap.
“It’s over.”
“……?”
Thud! Thud!
Boom!
While Banshi focused only on the front, I implemented a new Fire Ball behind her and attacked.
The measuring device burst on impact, and the duel ended.
“…….”
Banshi stared blankly at her shattered device.
“…….”
Meanwhile, 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 Element 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 me and Banshi to Kiena.
“Wow! You implemented 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 me.
“Probably.”
But my attention was already elsewhere.
[Friends]
Kiena
Hei
Banshi
Since Banshi transferred her points to me, 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 immediately.
“Meet me for a moment.”
-Where shall we meet?
“I’ll wait in front of the duel hall.”
-I’ll be there soon.
She didn’t avoid the meeting 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 me?”
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 seemed most fitting.
“1,000.”
I immediately sent a thousand points to her Mob.
“What?”
“Follow me.”
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 something else—
Even I couldn’t tell.
But this was something I had to confirm.
Are you Etar’s spy?
Fwoosh!
Just like in class, I implemented six Fire Balls and aimed them at Banshi.
“……What do you think you’re doing?”
“You didn’t answer my question earlier. Give me 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 same time, Banshi’s expression twisted.