Chapter 79

“Mage Battle.”

It’s literally a lecture on how to fight when you encounter a mage on the battlefield.

The skills taught mainly include:

How to break the opponent mage’s concentration.

How to observe magic formulas and identify the type of magic to prepare against it.

How to disrupt the opponent right before their magic activates, creating openings and so on.

Once mastered, these skills are definitely useful at some point. Thus, Mage Battle was one of the most popular lectures at Arsen Academy.

‘That was just six years ago.’

The professor in charge of Mage Battle, Parco Delma, smiled bitterly.

About six years ago, the war in the west of the Empire had ended.

Ending a war that had lasted years was certainly good news. But for Professor Parco, it was closer to bad news.

With the end of the western war, all associated smaller wars had also ceased.

Consequently, battlefields quickly disappeared.

As a result, encounters with mages decreased, and the popularity of Mage Battle gradually faded.

‘Well, that makes sense.’

If there are no chances to face off against mages, it’s understandable that there’s no need to struggle learning those skills.

Of course, that’s a naive thought.

As long as the Empire holds on to its ambitions of territorial expansion, wars will arise again.

‘But the students thought differently.’

They seemed to think it was better to take classes that would help in the present rather than prepare for wars that hadn’t even started.

And as a result,

the once representative Mage Battle at Arsen Academy had fallen to the status of an unpopular lecture. Now they had to worry about a lack of enrollment.

On top of that stress, this morning had added an unpleasant event to his day.

He’d been summoned abruptly from the Military Department early in the morning. Sure, he could understand that up to this point.

But the real problem came next.

‘……Berge Erkazhan.’

The primary player in ending the western war and the head of the Military Department. Summoning Parco at the crack of dawn, he dropped this bombshell.

“One of your students couldn’t take the exam due to official duties. I’m arranging for a re-exam opportunity; please set the exam schedule.”

This was an obvious notification.

And simultaneously, a rather rude action.

No matter how high-ranking he was, to not ask for understanding or a request but to give such an order was quite something.

‘Is he looking down on my unpopular lecture?’

In a sudden wave of irritation, Parco voiced his response.

“I’m sorry, but due to my schedule, I can only make time this afternoon. If that’s alright, I’ll set the exam schedule.”

This was a kind of petty revenge against the rude notification.

Berge seemed a bit baffled by Parco’s words, but he quickly agreed.

And just like that, the exam schedule was set within a day.

‘I feel bad for the student involved, but…’

No, let me correct that.

To be honest, I didn’t feel that bad.

Today’s examinee happened to be a troublemaker with only four days of attendance.

Of course, that was because he’d been suspended for causing some trouble, but that wasn’t something Parco needed to concern himself with.

Whatever the reasons,

the fact remained that he hadn’t attended the lecture.

As Parco was wrapping up his thoughts,

he suddenly sensed a presence!

A hulking man approached, with his upper body completely bare.

Upon spotting him, Parco narrowed his eyes.

‘Ulan Bator.’

The first barbarian to enroll at Arsen Academy and the top scorer. Also, the one who caused multiple injuries during the entrance ceremony—

He was at the center of all kinds of rumors.

Among those rumors, there was one that said,

‘Wasn’t he supposed to be an Expert?’

A powerful individual stronger than most professors.

However, Parco did not buy into that rumor.

If he were indeed that powerful, he wouldn’t need to enroll in the academy. So he brushed it off as exaggerated nonsense.

Just then, a figure caught his attention.

“Hmm?”

A woman with green hair appeared alongside Ulan.

“You are….”

“Haha, hello, Professor.”

The woman awkwardly greeted him with a laugh.

She was Professor Stella from Practical Hunting.

And she had been Parco’s student more than a decade ago. So, he asked with a smile.

“What brings you here?”

“I came as an invigilator.”

“Invigilator?”

“Yes, since this is a re-exam, an invigilator is required.”

All re-exams necessitate the presence of an invigilator.

To prevent cheating.

Remembering this, Parco nodded in understanding.

‘But…’

He found it a bit odd.

Normally, invigilators were usually inspectors. There was no real reason for a professor to take on that role.

But that thought didn’t linger for long.

The important thing wasn’t that.

“I appreciate your help.”

Ulan bowed earnestly.

For a barbarian, it seemed he had learned some manners. Parco nodded in response and then quickly moved on.

“Let’s get to the point.”

“Today, you will face two types of exams.”

“Two types?”

“One will be a written test, and the other will be a practical exam. You see, a written test was administered during your absence.”

Of course, the weight of the grades was minimal.

Since Mage Battle mainly focuses on fighting techniques, practical exams were naturally much more crucial.

“However, I can’t ask the exact same questions, so I’ll substitute them with simpler queries.”

If he were to pose the exact questions from a previous exam, there’s a high chance of facing objections from the other students later.

Also, Parco didn’t want to waste time with a pointless written test, so he immediately spoke up.

“Now then, here’s your first question. Assuming you encountered a mage on the battlefield, what would be your first action?”

“Encountering a mage, huh…”

Ulan’s eyes calmly settled down.

And he didn’t take long to ponder.

“I’ll just split his head with my axe.”

“……What?”

Parco asked, somewhat flabbergasted.

On face value, that could be seen as a correct answer, but it wasn’t the response he was looking for. So he frowned, shaking his head.

“No, I meant explain the process to reach that outcome. How would you approach the mage, and how would you disrupt their magic?”

“Ah, that’s what you meant.”

Ulan seemed to get it now.

“Simple. I’d rush in quickly and split his head before he could use magic.”

“…….”

That was no different from the initial answer.

Parco tightened his lips.

After a moment, feeling a headache coming on, he opened his mouth.

“……Let’s move on to the second question.”

“Ask me anything.”

“Let’s assume you came face to face with a mage who has just completed his spell and is about to cast it. How would you prevent the magic from being activated?”

“I’ll use this axe.”

“So, specifically….”

“After closing the distance, I’d chop off his head before the spell activates.”

For crying out loud, can you stop with the head-chopping already?!

Parco’s face contorted in exasperation, and he replied with visible impatience.

“That’s not as easy as you make it sound.”

“It’s easy for me.”

“Listen! I’m not in the mood to play around with you!”

“If you don’t believe me, I can show you.”

Those chilling red eyes sparkled dangerously.

A sudden wave of intimidation made Parco flinch. But that thought passed quickly as Parco sighed, accepting defeat.

“Alright, fine. I won’t bother asking more questions; let’s move on to the practical exam.”

Even though there were more questions prepared, it felt like a waste of time to continue.

Whatever he asked, he’d only receive more axe-related responses anyway. So Parco turned and walked toward the exam room.

“This practical exam will evaluate how you would subdue an opponent mage in a one-on-one situation.”

All necessary techniques had been taught in class.

If you make the most of what you’ve learned, subduing your opponent should be a piece of cake.

‘But this barbarian is…’

He had gained nothing during his time here.

His attendance was barely four days.

And based on how he had just responded, the outcome was likely to be painfully obvious.

Just then,

“Can I ask one question?”

Ulan raised his hand. When Parco nodded, the question followed.

“How do I subdue my opponent?”

“Simple. Just break this orb.”

The familiar blue orb in question.

Except this time, it was attached to a necklace.

“Likewise, you’ll also have one of these orbs. It must be worn around your neck; if it’s stored elsewhere or breaks, that will be grounds for disqualification.”

“Got it. Understood.”

Ulan nodded again.

Next, Parco pointed to a map of the testing area. The spots for both the examinee and the mage were marked.

“The examinee and the mage will start at a designated distance apart. If we’re talking specifics, it’ll be roughly thirty steps.”

“That’s surprisingly short.”

“You might think so, but trust me, it will feel immensely farther. A mage isn’t a wooden dummy, you know.”

Parco clarified that mages don’t just stand still like trees; they move and fight. The farther away it is, the better for the mage in battle.

“Next up is the evaluation criteria.”

He cleared his throat before continuing.

“Since the goal of Mage Battle is to subdue the opponent as quickly as possible, the shorter the time taken to achieve that, the higher the score will be awarded.”

“And what will cause deduction?”

“It will be determined by how many times the opponent mage is able to cast spells. So, it’s crucial to prevent them from using magic as much as possible while subduing them.”

In summary, you need to subdue the opponent quickly, before they launch any spells, to score high.

Ulan nodded.

He seemed to understand.

“By the way, if you haven’t subjugated your opponent by the time they’ve cast a spell ten times, that will also lead to disqualification, just so you know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Great! Let’s begin. Move to your starting positions.”

As Parco’s words trailed off, Ulan began to move to the designated location. Or at least he tried. Just then he turned back with a curious expression.

“But where is my opponent?”

“Right in front of you.”

“In front of me…?”

“I’ll be your opponent.”

Parco replied with a calm demeanor. At that moment, Stella, who had been quiet until now, butted in.

“Uh, Professor Parco?”

“Yes?”

“I heard that teaching assistants acted as the opponents in the previous exams…”

“Ah, right. That was the case.”

Slowly nodding,

Parco’s eyes sharpened dangerously.

“But not today. I set this up in a rush, so I didn’t have time to call the assistants.”

There was a hint of a sharp edge to his words.

It was evident that he was putting emphasis on the fact that he had rushed the schedule.

“Of course, I know it’s unfair. So to balance things out, I intend to decrease the distance between you to twenty steps.”

“Twenty steps?”

“That’s right. Do you agree?”

Without saying a word, Ulan nodded.

He sure was an agreeable guy. Parco turned to Stella and asked.

“What about you?”

“We have to agree. Since the affected party has given their consent, there’s no room for an outsider to intervene. But…”

“But?”

Just as Parco was about to inquire further, Stella quickly rushed up to grab his hand tightly. Then, with a worried expression, she spoke to him.

“Please be cautious.”

“……What?”

“Absolutely do not let your guard down. Do not go easy on him; fight with all your strength. Treat him like a monster.”

That was a strange reaction.

An examinee wasn’t supposed to be cheering for a professor.

Momentarily taken aback, Parco soon burst into a chuckle.

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of going easy.”

Parco was a high-ranking mage.

Though he had aged and grown frail over time, there was no need for him to be overly concerned.

Just as he turned his body around,

he stood twenty steps in front of Ulan,

and gazed at the exam area, filled with large rocks and trees.

“Use any terrain features to disrupt my magic and subdue me. You can use anything available in the exam area as a weapon.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Additionally, this exam will be recorded, so refrain from hiding the orb or engaging in any fraudulent behavior. If caught, it will result in disqualification.”

Ulan nodded silently.

Now that the explanation was done, it was time to get started.

“The signal to start will be on you.”

“Yes, stay safe.”

Stella expressed her concern until the very end.

She soon left the area, heading toward the podium.

Simultaneously, Parco began channeling his magic.

He completed the magic formulas rapidly, picturing the fight that was about to commence in his mind.

‘The first action is obvious.’

Ulan would most likely rush in to close the distance.

This wasn’t exactly a wrong tactic.

Closing the distance was a fundamental principle in Mage Battle.

‘But…’

If he just charges in blindly, failure is imminent.

What Ulan should do is observe what magic Parco will use and analyze the composition of the spell to gauge its nature.

That way, he could be prepared for the next plans.

‘First, I’ll create a swamp.’

A grade-3 earth magic spell, Swamp.

This spell creates a sticky swamp that hinders the opponent’s movement.

After binding Ulan’s feet with it,

Parco intended to widen the distance using Blink Magic, then rain down attack spells.

‘If he had attended my classes, he’d know how to counter if caught in a swamp…’

But Ulan wouldn’t have known that.

So Parco intended to teach him a lesson for not attending his lectures.

Parco’s gaze sharpened dangerously.

At that moment,

“We will now begin the exam! The whistle will be the starting signal!”

Stella waved her whistle.

Then Parco glared at Ulan before him.

To teach this impetuous young barbarian the essence of Mage Battle.

And in that moment.

Wheeeeeeek!

The whistle blew,

and Parco’s eyes widened.

“……!?”

Suddenly, a sharp pain hit his chest.

Along with it, he struggled to breathe. It felt as if a strong force was crushing his lungs.

‘What on earth….’

His vision grew hazy.

As he couldn’t even catch his breath,

his gaze suddenly fell to his chest.

Then he saw it.

‘……A rock?’

It was just a small stone.

This tiny stone, so often found on the exam floor, had pierced through his orb and lodged itself into his solar plexus.

That was the last thing Parco saw before losing consciousness.

Chapter 21. Cramming