novelraw Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Chapter 24
“Alarize Petra, and Archis Eimer. These two names were not only forbidden to be spoken in the Magical Society, but even writing them was banned. So new students, please be especially careful.”
So you planned to banish me and my master completely into the forgotten corners of history, Tyrant.
“Unless it’s a school-issued book for educational use, any book that contains those two names is of course banned. You all know you’d be expelled if you’re caught reading banned books, right?”
That was why the book 《Admission Requirements of This School》 found in the Class 0 library had my name left exactly as written.
‘Feeling guilty about a lot, aren’t you, Tyrant?’
If students started taking interest in the Archmages of the previous generation and studying them, your atrocities might be exposed, so you must have taken these measures.
“Oh, right. The name Sylarid is also banned from being spoken or written except for educational purposes. And Artel.”
Muhead suddenly pointed at me out of nowhere.
“Yes.”
“Weren’t you called the first Double Caster born in 500 years during the Class 0 student ability assessment?”
“I was.”
Why bring that up now?
A foreboding chill ran down my spine.
“Aren’t you curious who the Double Caster from 500 years ago was?”
“Not really.”
I understood his intent.
But Muhead ignored my answer and continued his explanation.
“It was none other than Sylarid, known as the worst mage in history. He was a Double Caster who was both a summoner and a dark elementalist. A Double Caster who mercilessly murdered not only mages, but even swordsmen.”
At the same time, the students looked at me with eyes half filled with fear and half with contempt.
“Being a Double Caster is an impressive talent, certainly, but one thing you absolutely must know is that in the Magical Society they were called the Mage of Calamity. Did you know that?”
“No.”
Muhead’s words sounded intentional.
As if warning the students, “A Double Caster is that kind of mage, so don’t get close.”
“But the way you’re saying it… it sounds as if I’ll eventually become a mage who will kill not only the students here, but even the teachers, just like Sylarid.”
I deliberately emphasized “kill.”
“Well. I’m curious too. What kind of person the first Double Caster in 500 years will turn out to be. A calamity, or a revolution.”
“I’ll become a mage of ‘revolution.’”
I answered confidently.
By revolution, I meant destroying this twisted era Tyrant had distorted and restoring it to its rightful state.
Because from my eyes, this era where Tyrant became an Archmage was nowhere near a normal society.
“Sure. I’ll look forward to it.”
But Muhead, unaware of my true intentions, replied mockingly.
‘Muhead, you misjudged me. When I first saw you, you looked kind.’
Completely different from the man who handed out staves and wands earlier.
No, perhaps the way he acted now in class was actually his true face.
BEEEP–! BEEEP–!
Just then, the class ended.
“Enjoy your meal, everyone.”
Muhead left the classroom first, and then the students began to head out one by one.
“That teacher was so mean. Why did he talk about Artel like that? He made it sound like Artel is a Double Caster who’ll definitely become a bad mage!”
Kiena was the one who got angry at Muhead’s remarks.
It was the first time the model student Kiena showed hostility toward a teacher.
“Exactly! Artel is such a good friend!”
Hei chimed in.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just go eat.”
No matter how much they shouted here, it would just be cries with no echo.
I led the two, trying to calm their boiling anger.
Banshi finished organizing her books and tried to leave the classroom first.
“Where are you going?”
“……Dorm.”
Still not used to speaking casually, she paused whenever I talked to her before replying awkwardly.
“You’re not eating?”
“……No points.”
“Do you think I asked because I didn’t know? Come on. I’ll send you some.”
I was about to send points to Banshi through Mob.
“Hey! You!”
Suddenly, Kiena called out to Banshi boldly.
“What now?”
“I heard everything from Hei during lunch break. You challenged him to a duel first and lost, and because of that you lost all your points.”
“So.”
“And suddenly you like Artel now? Aren’t you just doing that on purpose because you lost all your points and want free meals?”
“Pfft.”
Such a childlike way of thinking.
Without realizing it, her cuteness made me burst into laughter.
“I fall for mages who are stronger than me. There hasn’t been a single mage who’s beaten me until now. And someone who beat me for the first time in five years showed up, so I fell for him. Your thinking is really childish.”
Banshi spoke coldly without her expression changing at all.
‘Definitely a mage who lived 250 years. She didn’t even flinch and responded as if she had prepared it.’
“What? This fox-like girl! How can she lie so shamelessly?”
“Alright, enough. Let’s just go eat.”
I deliberately mediated the situation and sent 100 points—the dining cost—to the Mobs of Kiena, Hei, and Banshi.
“This is Banshi treating you all. So let’s just eat first.”
“How is that her treating us?! The points are yours now, Artel!”
“Banshi is my friend too. So she’s our friend, isn’t she?”
“…….”
Kiena had nothing to refute and just bit her lip tightly.
“Let’s go.”
And so I led the three toward the dining hall.
Of course, the entire walk down the hallway, Kiena kept shooting laser-like glares at Banshi.
Even I thought her stare was a bit excessive.
Ever since Class 0, she had behaved almost like a mom.
But I didn’t expect her to care even about romance.
Well, not that we were actually dating or anything.
“Watch your eyes before I burn them.”
Banshi wasn’t the obedient type either.
She spoke something quite murderous, intending to overpower Kiena’s spirit.
“Didn’t I tell you to get along?”
“Ah…… okay……”
When I warned her, Banshi immediately withdrew her murderous aura.
After many twists and turns, the four of us barely managed to enter the dining hall together.
Russel skipped his meal and went straight back to the dormitory, lying down on his bed.
He was deeply shocked by what he had learned during class.
‘Alarize Petra had been Archis Eimer’s master……?’
He was glad to learn something at school that even his own family had never told him, but one thing still bothered him.
‘But how does that bastard Artel know the name Alarize Petra? We never learned that in Class 0. He just slept all the time…….’
Right before moving up to 1st Class, Artel had clearly bowed toward the book that had ‘Author: Alarize Petra’ written on it.
How could a commoner know something that even he, a mage of his family, hadn't known?
And why was a book written by Alarize Petra still left in the Class 0 library?
Books with his name in them were supposed to be forbidden.
He wanted to grab Artel and ask how he knew, but the terrifying face of the family head, Mihael Ruin, during the vacation came back to him.
“Ugh…….”
That frightening face that had truly seemed like it would kill him.
And the family head’s order to forget that name if he wished to keep living as a member of the family.
Because of that, even if he wanted to ask, he couldn’t.
To him, his family was the greatest pride and dignity in the world.
Russel buried his face in the pillow and made a decision.
‘I’ll have to watch Artel from now on, without the family head knowing.’
He believed that if he kept watch, he would eventually find clues as to how Artel knew the name Alarize Petra and even knew of the book he wrote.
This was the problem he wanted to solve more than anything.
While turning a blind eye to the family head’s warning for now.
Friday afternoon came.
Today was the day of the weekly shared class, ‘Magic Duel.’
A notice arrived through Mob, and all students gathered in front of the dueling arena at the designated time.
Unlike usual, the doors of the arena were wide open.
Banshi explained that since the arena was being used for class purposes, one of the teachers had opened it in advance so they wouldn’t have to pay points.
As we stepped inside, a different sight unfolded compared to when I had come here with Banshi before.
It looked as though it had been modified by magic.
The first floor held a spacious dueling ground, and on the second floor there were spectator seats.
The spectator seats were also divided into sections, each marked with the unique symbol of an element.
Fire, Water, Wind, Light, Earth, Darkness, Shinmul.
A total of seven sections.
It was natural that the Flewd element wasn’t present, as we lived in an era where the Flewd element was already rejected.
‘Even so, it stings a little.’
There were two perfectly fine Flewd Elementalists here……
“They’re called Element Seats. You sit according to the element you’ve mastered.”
When I looked toward the spectator seats, Banshi explained.
I had grown quite used to speaking informally, so when we were around other students, I naturally spoke that way.
Still, when we were alone, I continued speaking politely.
“Ah, I see.”
Just as Banshi said, the teachers in charge of each element class were seated in the very front of their corresponding Element Seats.
“But what about me? I’m a Double Caster—where am I supposed to sit?”
“Yeah, I’m not sure either. It’s my first time seeing a case like yours. I’ll go up first.”
“Okay.”
“Come with me! Banshi!”
Hei and Banshi had taken the same classes often enough that they became close rather quickly.
Though Banshi and Kiena still didn’t get along very well.
The students began heading up to the Element Seats one by one.
“Artel.”
At that moment, a teacher I had never seen before appeared in front of me.
A tall young female mage.
Her long, blue hair shimmered, and she wore a white robe.
Even her eyes were blue.
A dreamy aura flowed from her face and body.
‘Judging from her appearance, she’s at least a 7th Circle Mage.’
I could also feel that she possessed extraordinary mana.
“Who are you?”
“This is our first time meeting. I’m Professor Nide of 1st Class.”
“Ah!”
She was the one behind the ‘Entrance Commemoration (Nide)’ listed in my Mob point record.
“You’re a Fire and Darkness Double Caster, correct?”
“Yes. So I’ve been wondering where I should sit……”
“This is also my first time seeing a Double Caster in person, so I wasn’t sure how to handle it. When I asked the Vice Headmaster, he said you may sit wherever you wish.”
“Oh, really?”
“Since this is your first Magic Duel, let me explain. In Magic Duels, you do not duel against someone of the same element.”
“What does that mean?”
“Yes. If you sit in the Fire Element Seat, even though you’re a Fire and Darkness Double Caster, you will only duel Darkness Elementalists.”
The exact opposite of what Banshi had predicted during our first Fire Element class.
“I understand.”
“Then choose your seat.”
Nide’s first impression was kind.
But I had decided not to trust first impressions anymore.
Even Muhead had suddenly changed his attitude.
One thing I had briefly forgotten was that every teacher and professor in this school was my enemy.
They were all Etar’s subordinates.
And wasn’t it already established that Etar and Former were monitoring students through Mob?
There were only three people I could trust in this school.
Kiena, Hei, and Banshi.
‘Anyway, where should I sit?’
If I sat in the Fire Element Seat, I’d get to duel Darkness Elementalists.
Without hesitation, I sat beside Banshi.
“How are they handling the Double Caster thing? I thought I saw a professor explain something about it earlier.”
“Yeah.”
I also told Banshi what Nide had said.
“Then why did you choose Fire?”
“Darkness Element. It’s not a favorable element for me.”
Once the students were all seated, Nide alone remained on the first-floor dueling ground.
“Hello, I’m Professor Nide, and I’ll be conducting the 1st Weekly Duel.”
Unlike in Class 0, the appearance of a professor didn’t seem all that special anymore.
Especially since it was a professor managing the duel.
“Shall we decide the first duel?”