novelraw Chapter 58 : Toward Class 3 (1)
Chapter 58 : Toward Class 3 (1)
Chapter 58: Toward Class 3 (1)
Hei, in the end, didn’t show up in class until it was over.
[Ranking Board]
Lamic Vir – 101
Instead, his name had disappeared from the ranking board and was replaced by Vir’s.
“So he lost in the end. To Vir.”
While walking down the hallway with Banshi, she spoke first after checking the results through the Mob.
“Yeah. I thought he could win, though.”
But the outcome we both saw was the truth, not a lie.
Could it be that Nide secretly helped him with her magic, like during our duel?
That thought crossed my mind, but it was probably just groundless speculation.
She was acting as the Gatekeeper of the dueling arena, so she likely didn’t even have the time to do so.
For now, I headed to the dueling arena with Banshi.
When we arrived, Nide was still standing there like a Gatekeeper. I asked her,
“Where’s Hei? Is he scheduled for another duel?”
“No, infirmary.”
Her tone was even sharper than before class.
But Hei being in the infirmary out of nowhere—
I couldn’t help but feel a surge of worry, wondering if he might be seriously hurt.
Banshi and I left Nide behind and ran straight to the infirmary.
When we arrived at the infirmary—
Hei was sitting there, his mouth slightly open in a daze.
Fortunately, the nurse was out again, giving us time to talk freely.
“So. Burnout again? What is it with you—do you treat burnouts like bathroom breaks, coming here this often?”
When Banshi asked nonchalantly, Hei nodded.
“I don’t know. I’m exhausted to death……”
It wasn’t the kind of thing you were supposed to nod to, but it showed just how drained he was—practically out of his mind.
After only the second day of the dueling session, he’d already collapsed and been carried to the infirmary.
“How did you end up burning out again?”
Honestly, I couldn’t quite understand it.
When he fought me, it made sense that he exhausted himself—he’d faced a wall he couldn’t overcome. But this time, his opponent was a 1st Class Mage.
Even if the matchup was disadvantageous and the opponent was from a prominent water-element family, would that really cause burnout?
Sure, I had once told Hei and Kiena to push themselves until they hit burnout, but this felt different.
I was convinced this wasn’t that kind of burnout.
“I fought for two hours…… I didn’t want to lose, so I just kept going, and eventually burned out and lost.”
“What?”
“Two hours……?”
Banshi and I were both startled by his answer.
Just that one statement explained everything about why he’d burned out.
Contrary to our worries, it really had been from overexertion.
No wonder—he hadn’t shown up at all during Fire Element class. It turned out he’d been facing Lamic Vir in the dueling arena that entire time.
During the monthly duel events, there had been time limits—but not anymore.
They’d fought until one of them could no longer stand.
Almost like they were wagering their lives in battle.
It was a bit too harsh for a young 1st Class student.
“Lamic Vir’s definitely different from the other water-element kids.”
Hei had fought water-element students before, but this was his first time against Lamic Vir.
The matchup was disadvantageous from the start, and yet he’d pushed through a grueling two-hour duel. In a way, it was impressive.
“Yeah, just walking for two hours is tough. But dueling? You’ve worked hard.”
Banshi seemed to understand how Hei felt and encouraged him warmly.
“But still, having the mental strength to keep up for two hours—that’s amazing. You’ve been studying hard, haven’t you?”
I added my own remark.
“Of course! And after fighting Lamic Vir, I realized something……”
“What is it?”
“I think I might actually win next time. His magic is powerful, but not very… diverse.”
That was not the answer I expected.
At that moment, Banshi and I briefly exchanged glances.
Not diverse.
The very fact that he used the word “diverse” surprised me.
Even the same magic could vary in effectiveness depending on how it was used.
The spells I’d demonstrated so far all fell into the category of “diverse” magic—
Like turning Fire Shroud into gauntlets or Spear Wall into armguards.
And Hei had recognized that in the midst of a two-hour endurance duel.
‘So this is the influence of the Ed Family’s spellbook.’
Even so, his growth was so remarkable that I couldn’t help but smile.
“So, Hei. A week in the infirmary again?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I’d like to rest for a week reading and studying, but…… I guess that’s not possible.”
Even after suffering burnout, Hei hadn’t lost his enthusiasm.
“Books? What books?”
Just then, Banshi suddenly cut in and asked.
“Ah……”
That book Hei and I had kept strictly secret.
We weren’t at the stage where we could share such secrets with Banshi, so he quickly shut his mouth.
“There’s something like that.”
I cut the conversation short, and Banshi didn’t pry further.
“Anyway, Hei, rest up for the week. I’ll come visit when I get bored.”
“Yeah, got it.”
With that, Banshi and I left the infirmary.
As we strolled leisurely down the empty hallway, I glanced around—no other students were in sight.
Even the faintest presence couldn’t be felt, so I asked her comfortably,
“Have you ever kept casting magic for two hours straight?”
“Hmm…… nope?”
“But Hei did. And he’s only in 1st Class.”
“To be honest, I was a little surprised too. No matter how skilled Lamic Vir is, as a family mage, he must be exhausted now, right?”
“He must be. Lamic Vir won’t be dueling again today.”
Being a family mage, it made sense he didn’t suffer burnout.
But even then, dueling again in that condition would be impossible.
“By the way, Sir Archis—have you ever maintained magic for two hours straight?”
“No.”
“Even you haven’t……”
“Yeah, not for two hours—but I have for three days straight.”
“……Excuse me? When?”
“When we learned about the Full Moon Battle during History of Mages class. That time.”
I replied casually, but Banshi’s pupils quivered slightly, as if struck by a shock.
“You mean that battle lasted three days?”
“Yeah. The school didn’t tell us exactly how long it went on, but it was precisely three days.”
“……Sir Archis, you truly lived in a different world from us.”
She meant that our levels of existence were entirely different.
Well, back then, I had been the successor to the Archmage, engaged in life-or-death battles within the Magical Society and the Swordsman Society—so yes, it was true that the world I stood in was different.
“So what? Now we share the same goal and live in the same world. If you grow well enough, one day you might live in that other world with me.”
“That’s right! And then I’ll become your Disciple!”
Banshi raised her voice, clearly thrilled by my half-encouraging, half-inviting words.
“Keep your voice down, you fool.”
I flicked her forehead lightly as a warning.
“Sorry, I just got too excited…….”
“Anyway, are you going to apply for a duel too? I can already think of a trio worth pestering.”
Under the newly revised school rules, students could apply for duels against other students—with teacher approval.
Meaning, I could challenge someone myself.
I had no intention of simply waiting around. Even if I wasn’t overly active, it was best to at least take some initiative.
“For today, I think I’ll just observe the situation. Oh? Looks like Kiena’s putting up another strong fight?”
Banshi projected her Mob display.
[Ranking Board]
Kiena – 102
Lamic Vir – 101
In that short span of time, she’d already completed two duels and even gained points impressively.
It reminded me of when students used to crowd around the library, buried in their summoning books.
As expected, with the spellbooks available in 1st Class, there was no way to deal with Kiena.
“Impressive.”
“But who’s this trio you plan to target so persistently?”
“The three specific 1st Class students in this branch school.”
Banshi started thinking deeply.
Who exactly were the three I referred to?
If I called them “specific,” it meant they shared some common trait—and she was trying to deduce what that was.
“Ah, Russel, Hapert, and Vir, right?”
“Told you, you’re smart.”
She caught on quickly.
“Then please also say I’m skilled next time.”
“That’ll have to wait until 6th Class.”
“Hmm…… That’s a bit disappointing, but since your standards are high, I understand.”
“Good attitude. Alright, get some rest.”
“Yes, thank you. Oh, by the way! May I ask what book Hei mentioned earlier?”
“I’ll tell you later. It’s nothing important.”
“Ah, understood. Then I’ll be off.”
Banshi bowed her head politely.
After parting ways with her, I immediately activated my Mob and sent a duel request.
This time, my chosen opponent was none other than the water-element mage, Lamic Vir.
He must’ve been quite worn out—
That was precisely what I intended to exploit.
It was also a silent warning from me.
‘Abandon the thought of only dueling once a day. Even if it’s not me, someone will wait for your moment of weakness and challenge you just like this.’
That was exactly the message I wanted to send.
Since he’d poured all his strength into defeating Hei, I wanted to test whether this 1st Class student, Lamic Vir, had the resolve to handle the consequences.
I waited in the hallway for the result after sending the duel request. About three minutes later, an alert came through the Mob.
But—
[Duel Denied]
– Reason: Burnout risk.
“Hmm, so they restrict not only those who’ve burned out but also those at risk of it.”
For some reason, I had a reasonable suspicion that it was Nide who denied the request.
After all, she’d secretly helped him during our previous duel—and being a fellow water-element mage was reason enough to doubt her.
“Fine. I’ll just try again tomorrow. Now, my next target…….”
I immediately submitted another duel request.
[Duel Approved]
– Time: 2 p.m.
This time, it went through without issue.
2 p.m.—just late enough to grab a quick lunch before heading over.
As a Double Caster, I also had my Dark Element class in the afternoon, but if I had a scheduled duel, I was allowed to be late anyway.
“You’ve lost your mind, haven’t you? Still haven’t learned your lesson after the Head of House scolded you?”
My duel opponent was none other than Hapert.
The moment he stepped into the arena, he started barking threats at me.
Sigh.
Dealing with him was mentally exhausting, but I had a reason for targeting him so persistently.
Hapert had recently lost to the very Hei he used to look down on.
He was drowning in an indescribable sense of loss.
I intended to amplify that feeling—until it interfered with his studies.
“Hey, enough talking. Let’s just start. A mage should speak with magic.”
“Arrogant.”
Hapert swiftly drew his magical tool—a wand.
And the first spell he cast was Fire Shroud, the strongest 1st Class spell.
Predictable, as always.
His fire wasn’t even warm enough to thaw the chill of a winter day for me.
Not even worth comparing.
“Hey, Hapert.”
“What?”
“I’ve got a question.”
“What is it?”
“Without that wand, can you even cast magic? You’re from a mage family—shouldn’t you be able to, even without it?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Prove it. Try casting without your wand.”
Whoosh!
“Ah! Hot!”