Chapter 14: Imam (4)
voQK0RLeigh felt a strange sense of dissonance as he looked at Diella, who stood in her place on the platform.Popp7hM
Tys7HP2What kind of person was this girl named Diella?tAoB
8ylJSelfish, immature, reckless—a true spoiled brat.wIkzPa
iJQShe was a troublemaker whose expulsion from House Duplain would not have been a loss. The memories of her hurling insults and hurting the servants Leigh cherished still flickered before his eyes.SGZmy
7bOBut now, standing tall on the platform, looking at Leigh, there was no trace of that reckless behavior. Beneath the cloak she wore, her gaze toward Leigh appeared calm, tinged with caution and a hint of tension.ZtF
szHL‘Did she really come to win?’JQqsm
uY2qlZLeigh adjusted his arm and looked up toward the terrace where the Grand Duke Duplain was observing from the mansion with that woman, eyes unblinking.jpoN
X1gFw‘Either way, I need to end this quickly.’sqPRHY
DnPThe servant in charge of officiating stood firmly on the platform.GLL
B8olcFhLeigh stepped onto the platform and silently looked at Diella, then commented:3wML
rhTh“I thought you’d be plotting your escape, terrifying the servants with fear all over your face. But you keep surprising me.”9elra
6biLeigh’s noble clothing was more functional than Valerian’s. As he rolled up his sleeves and dusted off his hands, the veins in his arms were clearly visible. Before becoming a mage, he was a strong young man.7qg
r5xIt was hard to imagine Diella, with neither magical nor physical strength, defeating Leigh. His mind was focused on a quick and decisive victory.OBE
izonfrn“Please finalize the duel preparations. We’ll be using the advanced mage duel rules of the Kelbrem Hall in Ebelstein, where the match ends when the first protection circle is activated,” Leigh said.gj3r
7GmJtThe head butler, Delron, read the basic terms from the platform. The Kelbrem Hall rules were already the most common among noble magical duels. There was no need to recite them fully—both participants knew them well.UFozn
XLRE4UtWith that, Delron closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and declared:Ij0wf
1FDI“Begin.”tOw2
B9k7As soon as the match began, Leigh swiftly raised his hand. A taut string seemed to snap, and a fierce fighting spirit briefly burned in his eyes.8pcrsqf
sYu0Each duelist began with a charm engraved with a magical protection circle by a senior mage.N4WZ9Ol
sZ9j“Protection Engraving,” a protection circle of at least three-star level, would activate automatically just before the wearer suffered a serious injury, neutralizing the opponent’s magic and then disappearing. Essentially, its activation meant the wearer had received a significant blow, thereby confirming their defeat.fXqt
Zu2The protection circle lasted about ten minutes from its placement. If the duel didn’t end within that time, the result would be a draw.dhRW
PQHoOf course, Leigh had no intention of allowing a draw, so he focused his mind. Against someone as slow as Diella, a well-placed one-star spell would be enough to activate her protection circle.3CN
jim0HLeigh gathered magic in his hands and began his incantation.FS7oE1
Ag4Yw“Oh wind that sweeps the meadows and splits the earth…”LRBhMal
po3wEven though Leigh had started his incantation with his hand raised, Diella remained still, staring directly at him.3qy
aXiA key aspect of magical duels was incantation speed. When starting at a distance, the one who finished their chant first would have the advantage.2lZjW
Q4Ka1vTo counter with magic, starting the incantation quickly was crucial, yet Diella stood still, her cloak billowing as she stared at Leigh.kZysg
sY8B‘Is she frozen in fear?’4Up
k3Se3Leigh smirked confidently, ready to unleash the one-star spell “Wind Blade” from his fingertips. The idea that the duel would end so easily brought a bit of disappointment. Leigh wasn’t the type to go easy on Diella.jRgJAO
ANUoDThe wind-formed blade shot toward Diella. He was already thinking about her protection circle activating instantly and having her locked back in the annex.wruZwm
slR3Swish!VpQz
Yesi8At that moment, Diella ducked and dove to the side. Her cloak flared, and a flash of her golden hair showed through the fabric. It was an agile movement rarely seen from Diella.lYLR
ag0nHowever, she was still a girl who had been shut inside an annex. No matter how nimble, her movements had limits.BqxcIJ
CmM“Stop right there!”iMI
EAaWith clenched teeth, Leigh released his spell, redirecting the Wind Blade.wCiUa
3wFccThe redirected blade arced toward Diella but did not strike directly.dUf7
JdpBqSwish!O35JVsa
tIgBynBCrack! Crash!nDW3Bi
3tRSACA pillar of ice rose from the ground, blocking the Wind Blade’s path.BOAzpa
55cNormally, a basic ice wall like that, only imbued with elemental magic, wouldn’t withstand the force of a one-star spell.StQ1
zseAf8However, by constantly changing direction, she forced her opponent to alter their attack’s trajectory. Magic with a warped and redirected flow would surely lose half its power compared to a direct cast.rS2L
sqobng6Leigh scowled.gggf
d6sWDiella knew that the more complex and varied the spell’s trajectory, the harder it was to control its power, and the weaker it would become.lnAA
2qLGeIt was a kind of instinctive knowledge that could only be understood through hands-on magic manipulation. After practicing magical manifestation with Dereck to the point of exhaustion, Diella had now honed her sense of magical flow to rival Leigh’s.ByjPQf
T3Y‘So that training wasn’t in vain.’lgK
pC3OStanding tall, Leigh began another incantation, this time planning to cast three Wind Blades in succession—his specialty.8GiC
gPWyQ8If she intended to keep darting side to side and disrupting his magical control, then stopping her backstep movement would be enough.sFBN
pttzAs the next incantation neared, Diella ran to the side, gritting her teeth.CCv
lX1Z6it“Listen closely, Lady Diella. A mercenary’s combat skills differ from a noble’s. We don’t hold fair play as a virtue; our focus is only on victory.”m4PsW
RLDNm“The honorable victory you imagine in a typical magical duel is far from what you’ll face here. You may win, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be recognized.”cYQl3SE
BJ6Q6RBefore stepping onto the platform, Dereck had spoken while looking at Diella with burning red eyes.UeP0L
AeuAW“Even so, you can still achieve a victorious result. Your opponent may be a one-star mage, but he has no real experience in extreme combat.”UWyIkR
ZWx4Mercenary duel techniques, where a small mistake could mean death, were vastly different from the life Diella had lived.DiTQY0
54OEven if Dereck tried to convey his knowledge, it was unlikely Diella—who had grown up as a noble lady—could absorb it instantly.qH04
A7Zb30lThus, Dereck had only passed on the basic principles. It was oral instruction only. True learning could hardly be expected from just a few verbal exchanges with someone who had stood on the razor’s edge of life and death on the battlefield.JU0mclr
QGpcHowever, Dereck’s advice always had a way of exploiting weaknesses. It included elements of real combat not even considered in noble, dignified magical duels.0eRcnO
gLwL5Controlling the battlefield and leveraging the environment. Starting with basic protective tactics using terrain and surroundings, eliminating the opponent’s composure, conserving one’s magic while wasting the enemy’s, and skillfully deflecting powerful spells.9EFv
nH4mMEven if the oral knowledge had limited application, if the opponent clung to noble fair-play ethics, Diella had many tools at her disposal.9lt09
qMAyIocBang!3Xw9
UpYXUSwish!kw0
aEeWith a wave of magic, Diella summoned several more ice pillars.WPuZ
oWEZWStill a beginner, Diella felt her head throb from the effort, but soon she dove between the pillars, using them for cover.uCX
5wYV5pFDereck had told Diella:UHnnH8
bOG“Controlling the battlefield is the most basic element of victory in a duel. Fighting in an open field, a dark forest, or a complex urban landscape—none of them are the same.”A3oMc
acbRmXDiella intended to make the battlefield as complex as possible, to introduce every possible variable.oU6Vmp
TwUIn a duel where triggering the opponent’s protection circle once meant victory, breaching their defense just once could bring triumph.Ljhi
46ujKDiella was a wild-school mage by nature.kkmV
Cn8vWEven when she couldn’t use magic—even when she was in that dark forest, fleeing from Dereck—she had tried to strike from behind, using the terrain to her advantage.ZLRiV
hVpxOThe forest’s darkness, the cover of bushes, gripping a stone with trembling hands, somehow trying to take Dereck down—that memory was still vivid in her mind.w2Jy
yKEaBang! Bang!h65
zZWWhile dodging Leigh’s spell again and circling the edge of the platform, part of the platform’s edge collapsed, and smoke swirled.U6e
lFTN7KDiella jumped toward the collapsed side of the platform and slipped into the empty space below.rSx
f6lqoji‘According to Kelbrem Hall rules, leaving the platform boundary means defeat…!’9mB
66soaLeigh clenched his teeth and dispersed the smoke as he thought.eJ8
qgb9wh‘So that’s it…! The empty space beneath the platform isn’t outside the walls…!’iEGdhU2
00NKDjVLeigh nearly lost his temper at the literal interpretation of the rules, but he couldn’t deny it. The advanced mage duel rules of Kelbrem Hall didn’t account for the possibility of a cowardly opponent hiding in the dusty space beneath the platform to avoid the opponent’s spells.Lv4
WXOicThere had never been a precedent of such a brazen individual crawling under the podium to avoid attacks during a noble magic duel, steeped in tradition and authority.36hGpJr
ZIulhCrack!H9LK6n
h0fvJAt that moment, several ice pillars rose next to Leigh. Diella, who had jumped below the platform, had materialized her magic in the area where Leigh was likely standing.IzaPoCJ
uLFgmDpCrack! Crack!FM15eRk
71pf9CWThe ice pillars erupting from beneath the wooden platform were clearly aimed at Leigh.AEFnPWf
dI6nsFIf a single attack could secure victory, then attacking from outside the opponent’s line of sight was the safest method Dereck had devised.4wvL3e
2iKm4JENobles sought honorable victories. They cast their spells with dignity, showcased their skills, and revealed the results of their training to the public in the Kelbrem Hall duels—where the harsh and deadly reality of real combat wasn’t even considered.E76jh4
tEVVyQIn a real fight, where the goal was to kill the opponent, fairness was never a virtue.lC4bS
zxm5A setting that allowed a one-sided strike against the enemy was the ideal battlefield for a mercenary.raKaA
8nadFtM“Damn it…!”DBD27X
UDHvJLeigh quickly ran toward the center of the platform. It was impossible to precisely locate Diella while she was moving beneath it. Magic couldn’t target someone whose position was unknown.4jENl
FExHUhThe battlefield had been tilted. Leigh had to keep dodging until Diella collapsed from exhaustion.Zf7xErz
AGNIn truth, the solution was simple. Jump into the dusty space below the platform and resume the fight on equal ground.cMN
rw0kIf your opponent was causing chaos in the mud, you had to be prepared to dive into that mud too.YUaZR
DHDWOIRIf Diella had cast aside the noble etiquette of magic duels in her obsession with victory, then Leigh had to adapt and respond accordingly.lK9oT
pxV4THLeigh steeled himself to jump into the dusty space below. If the opponent used such tactics, he had to be willing to get dirty too. That was when he headed toward the part of the platform recently destroyed by the Wind Blade.svW6n
ck4NYCrack.3QNs
80VH“…!”Bcjl
y2YThe collapsed edge of the platform was encased in ice, conjured by magic.PYNWva8
WQBShe had quickly taken the advantageous position on the battlefield and blocked her opponent’s entrance.EMWOe2h
rQfE9p9“This… damn…!”aueHKA
QmwmryMLeigh materialized magic in his hands once more. Creating a new entry into the space below was trivial. Breaking through the wooden platform was child’s play for him.yVG
Wbz1WCrack!d9wl
tlgXjQHowever, as Leigh tried to force his way in, Diella’s attack floated up from beneath the platform. Unlike Leigh’s attack, Diella’s narrower strike didn’t create a large hole in the podium.zuNQC
FXChBut a direct hit from incoming magic would trigger the protection circle. In the world of magic duels, that could decide the outcome.aJ4
gjT9sICrack! Crash! Crash!Z24
XscOhEvery time Leigh attempted to break through the platform to pursue Diella, her attacks interrupted him again and again.TmX
pDcQZSDiella, below, couldn’t pinpoint Leigh’s exact location, but she could roughly infer it using the magical flow or the sound of his footsteps.Vt0
ul8XmsThis difference was significant.tW6
5rZZKMZShe kept targeting the moment when Leigh channeled power to break the platform. At least when his position was certain, she could attack him unilaterally.EI6bp
2fvWHShe had no intention of giving up her advantage in the tilted battlefield. Fairness in combat skills was a luxury for mercenaries.uT0J7R
0MyDiella’s dusty figure flickered through the ice pillars piercing the podium.xnAT
M2crNeqLeigh’s eyes met Diella’s beneath the platform. There was no flash of emotion in those eyes.WhZ
loL4VOjEven in the midst of battle, that cold gaze remained calm—a look he recognized from somewhere.2cffOKB
niR5BCSIt was the same look from that white-haired mercenary tutor, whose emotions remained unshaken even when Valerian grabbed him by the collar.J1gw
a9c3rCold, unfaltering eyes, always trying to make rational judgments, regardless of the situation.gfLMl
LZUHf8nOnly then did Leigh realize. There was no way this small girl had come up with all this on her own.CPx8r
3lUsjzIt was undoubtedly the influence of that white-haired tutor.WRJ98kP
lJT0D“This brat…!”Bcx
NwpCrack! Crack!dhn0vX
HuVZWLeigh summoned his magic again, materializing arrows of magical energy.1Tep
8gCfl2AHe destroyed every ice pillar that dared approach.T0f
UyqLeigh clenched his teeth. If his opponent had thrown away all notions of dueling etiquette and was only acting for the sake of victory, he had no choice but to respond in kind.
***JofKM
iq6“What… what is that…?! Covered in dust… Diella…!”cHnZm
Dk7cMiriela, who had been watching the duel from the terrace, was startled. This scene was far from a noble and courteous magic duel. Miriela quickly grabbed the edge of her skirt, ready to rush down from the terrace. She couldn’t sit by and watch—but the Duke of Duplain stopped her with a firm voice.5vl
qXU1M7“Let the duel run its course.”nCtPH
xyVM0“You…!”JcI
h7UEShe walked over to the terrace railing, placed her hands on it, and silently watched the platform below. The servants also showed clear signs of distress at the dust-filled scene.qWiS7
nr4dThe noble followers seemed unable to adapt to the situation, but the Duke of Duplain, who had crossed many battlefields in his youth, showed no sign of surprise.3XOp
XtzbfHe simply rested his chin on his hand and calmly observed the duel unfold.oHyp6R
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