Chapter 436

The rain was falling in a steady stream. The clouds were grayish and grimy, making the blue sky seem like a poor substitute. The tributary of the Timen River that cuts through the Acalusia Gardens was swollen to overflowing.
“Good morning, did you get a good night’s sleep?”
Gazoo Adrienne was waiting for us in the lobby, her dress clinging to her body. I apologize to Erzébet, but no matter how I looked at it, her mother was more attractive.
I hadn’t even laid my head on the pillow, let alone slept soundly, but I just smirked.
“Thank you, my lord. Your mansion is very nice.”
“Well, I slept well too—!”
“Woohoo, that’s great, let’s go straight to the exam room.”
Adrian walked out the door. Maid Liz followed like an entourage.
Only, neither of them was holding an umbrella. Just as I was thinking it was a form of harassment, Adrian waved the fan covering his head in the air.
Paaaaaaah—!
A great surge of mana gathered, and a ceiling and walls of telekinesis covered the hillside road.
“Let’s go, the gardens at Acalucia are beautiful even in the rain.”
“Ooh… As expected, a prestigious magic family.”
Adrian led the way. We followed her, groping around like cavemen discovering fire for the first time. The path that led from the mansion to the garden had been transformed into a giant tunnel. The transparent walls and ceiling didn’t allow a single drop of water to penetrate, even as the rain soaked the world.
‘That’s Eri’s mom, I can’t believe she can do this kind of magic so effortlessly.
The raindrops were beautiful as they hit the grass. Like jewelry that only reveals its brilliance after polishing, the rainwater glistened on the trees, enhancing the lushness of the garden.
For the first time, Asel, who had been shrinking, reacted differently.
“——is awesome.”
“You can do it, dude.”
“Gee, is that really true, that I can do this magic?”
“Sure. As long as you don’t get ripped to shreds by Erzebet in today’s test.”
“Huh.”
Asel’s face paled, and Liz, walking beside him, giggled. The air was crisp with the smell of grass, and it was an uplifting walk.
“—Mmm.”
But there was a subtle worry on Gazoo Adrian’s face.
I looked at her and cocked an eyebrow.
“Is something wrong?”
“Ah–you’ve got me worried, I don’t see the quartermaster, he’s off-duty, and he’s been missing since yesterday evening.”
“That’s a lot of stuff going on, aren’t you just taking a break?”
“Well, I’d rather it was, but—I’m not that kind of person.”
“Hijack.”
Asel hiccupped. He seemed to know something, but didn’t bother to ask.
It was most likely related to what I had discovered last night, and there is a time and place for every secret to be revealed.
We walked like that for about fifteen minutes. The transparent tunnel led us straight to our destination. The place where the test was to be held was House Akalusia’s training grounds on the outskirts of the estate.
“It’s dirty big. This is why money is good.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the state of the arena.
The facility was far too large and magnificent for a single family. In sheer size alone, it looked like three of the Galerion Pavilion’s first arena, where Nabiroze’s classes were held.
“You have come, my lord.”
Armored guards stood in front of the massive domed arena. One of them stepped forward and saluted, and Adrian nodded.
“It’s raining and we’re having a hard time. What about Erzebet?”
“Young Ae arrived thirty minutes ago. It could be my imagination, but she seemed to be in a better mood than usual.”
“I see, so I don’t know if I should be happy that this is the occasion to shake off my lethargy—.”
Adrian smiled bitterly. We were escorted into the arena by an overly polite escort. In the center of the vast circular arena stood a woman in Akalusian uniform.
“You’re early, Erzebet.”
Instead of answering, Erzebeth simply bowed her head. Her manners were indeed the pride of the house, and her clothes were neatly pressed and her hair properly combed.
Looking her up and down, Adrian asked cautiously.
“—How is the wound on your chest?”
Adrian was a good mother, after all. She was referring to the telekinetic blow to Erzebeth for her rudeness the previous morning. Erzebet smiled brightly.
“I’m fine, my lord. As always.”
“Hah–that’s great, I hope you’re honorable.”
“Hoo hoo, don’t worry.”
The entrance exam process was pretty straightforward.
With Asel and Erzebet flanking him, Adrian ascended the dais to speak. In the audience sat thirty to forty people who appeared to be Acalusia’s adopted children.
“This is Gazoo Adrian. First, I would like to thank you for being an initiate. Today we have an ember of the Great Fire seeking to become a part of Akalusia. The challenger’s name is Asel. He is the sixth to see the light since Acalusia was founded on the banks of the Taimen River.”
“Ew, ew?!”
Adrian unfolded his fan, and a spotlight fell on Asher’s head. I wiped my forehead and cursed as I watched him freak out like a little girl.
Do you really need to pump and inflate your liver?
But the Akalusians weren’t interested in the snarky response.
“—he saw the road? That kid?”
“This is the first time since Young Ae, this is amazing—!”
“Hmph, you’ll be a good wizard in the future, cheer up, kid.”
One by one, they marveled at the fact that Asel had seen the light.
As someone who’s been following him since the beginning of time and watching his progress, I wasn’t too impressed, but it’s a much bigger accomplishment than I thought it would be.
Adrian said.
“As you know, Acalusia grants trials according to the prowess of the challenger. The trial befitting a challenger who has seen the light is, of course, against the toughest of insiders, and that honorable role falls to Erzebet de Acalucia.”
“Ooh! Is the young lady going to confront it herself?”
“This is unprecedented in many ways.”
The audience roared. Erzebet stared straight ahead, a cold smile on her face. He could hear Asel’s heart pounding even from here.
“If you defeat your opponent, you pass. However, please be advised that if you show a shining base even in defeat, you may pass at our discretion.”
“Good.”
I chuckled at the second condition of acceptance. Adrian had no intention of letting Asel go. He seemed intent on making him a part of Acalusia one way or another, as long as it wasn’t a battle I could barely see with my eyes open.
“Then let’s get right to it, do you two swear to fight an honorable fight, in this hall stained with the blood of Akalusia?”
“Yes. I swear.”
“Hawk, I swear.”
Asel and Erzebet answered at the same time. After taking their oaths, they moved to the far end of the arena, Asel shivering through clenched teeth in anticipation of the duel.
I sneaked up on him and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Relax, you’re going to be the greatest wizard ever.”
“Roh, Ronan—why didn’t you listen to me earlier? This is not the time for this. In the basement, in the basement–!”
Asel sobbed. If you poked him in the cheek, he would burst into tears like a water balloon at any moment.
“Whoa, what an asshole.”
I sighed and pulled him up by the back of his head.
And then I whispered in his ear.
“There’s Adeshan’s body. This is it? A body that shouldn’t be there, cremated. There was a lot more.”
“What the—.”
Asel sucked in a breath. I ran a hand through my red hair.
“I know, I know. I didn’t think you’d kill the chief of the cavalry, but you’re quite the digger, Asel, digging up secrets when I didn’t ask.”
I took my hand off Asel’s head. He was looking up at me, completely dumbfounded.
“Well, we’ve come this far, there’s no running away from it. I told you this was your test, did you have anything prepared?”
“Uh, well, I mean–I found out it was reverse magic, so I practiced all night–but other than that, I don’t have anything.”
“Reverse magic. That’s good.”
I shook my head. He’d seen Asel or Erzebet use it a few times in the original world. Certainly, countermagic was one of the few things that could overturn a serious weight difference.
“That’s it. Give me a punch.”
“You’re going to be killed, Ronan. The atmosphere is strange—! It’s not the same Erzebeth I talked to last night!”
“It’s your mood, it’s your mood.”
“Argh! Argh!”
Preparation time was over. I patted him vigorously on the back. Asel stepped forward, groaning like a whipped slave. When he and Erzebet stood face to face, Adrian shouted at the top of his lungs, “Come on!
“Then, let the entrance examination of challenger Asel begin!”
“Waaaaaaaaaah!!”
A thunderous cheer erupted from the audience. The bell tolled cleanly, signaling the start. A wry smile tugged at the corners of Erzebet’s mouth.
Taking a desperate deep breath, Asel opens his mouth to say something.
“Hey, Invisible Handle—”
“Inferno Circle. Rage Storm. Silent.”
Spell after spell flowed from Erzebet’s mouth. Mana swirled around her like a vortex. With a flick of her fingers, the entire arena floor was covered in geometric magic circles.
“What the—!”
Adrian’s eyes widened. The raucous crowd quieted suddenly. Before they could react to the unexpected magnitude of the magic.
Kaaaaaaaaaah!!!
Dark red flames erupted along the edges of the magic circle. Flooding like a raging river, the flames not only wrapped around the sides like a hedge, but completely engulfed the ceiling. As the hemisphere of flame took shape, a crackling current ripped through it.
“Hey, isn’t that too much?”
“Eri, what were you thinking—! Stop the duel!”
With an urgent cry, Adrian extended his fan. A shockwave of telekinetic force struck the hemisphere. But the curtain of fire and lightning did not dissipate or break, only flickered briefly.
Even Akalusia’s gazoo would require a well-prepared spell to break through it.
“—I trusted you.”
Adrian bit her lower lip. When the situation didn’t improve, she prepared to cast a proper spell. Mana began to gather in her hands, so intense that the atmosphere seemed to warp.
“I knew it.”
“Ronan?!”
As I watched, I jumped in place.
After leaping a good ten meters, the body spun in a swallow and landed in front of Adrian.
“Don’t interrupt me, I’ve got to get through this.”
“Excuse me?”
She was just about to project a destructive spell when she stopped in anger.
“What do you mean, don’t interfere! If you don’t stop right now, Asel will die!”
“If you’re an asshole, maybe, but you’re not going to die, and I don’t know who taught me that, but I’ve learned to be okay with that.”
“—neh?”
Adrian frowned. Gingerly, he touched her hand, and the gathering mana dissipated. The fiery hemisphere glowed brighter and brighter by the second.
I don’t know what’s going on inside, but I’m sure it’s hilarious.
After calming Adrian down, I sat down on the floor of the podium.
“It’s okay, you can relax. I’ll tell you what I’ve found out since last night, about this great family secret.”
“Secret—?”
“Well, there are several—but this is probably the one you’ll be most interested in.”
He paused for a moment.
“First of all, it’s not Erzebet who’s fighting Asel right now.”