Chapter 34
The Assistant Who Got Taken Down
As Mari was assigned an assistant to teach her the shield magic, Lakias continued the lesson.
“…The remaining student will continue to be managed by the assistant, and now, let’s move on to magic duels. Clarice!”
“Yes!”
A woman, called Clarice, sluggishly walked up.
She had dark circles under her eyes, and her messy hair was loosely tied to the side, though she must have been quite a beauty originally.
But as she approached, she seemed hesitant.
“You want me to duel against a freshman, Professor? I’m not sure about this…”
“If you win, I’ll grant you a nap tomorrow.”
“Oh, in that case…”
Suddenly, the assistant became energized.
‘A nap tomorrow? Is getting a nap the reward? What kind of life do assistants live here?’
Idnia wondered as she observed the assistant.
“Now, let’s get someone from the most populous dorm, Zephyros, to step forward.”
“…”
All the students paused for a moment.
Did they have to duel against the assistant?
Anyone who had learned magic from an assistant could tell that the assistants were far more experienced than they were.
“Don’t be dramatic. You’ve all had some early training.
I’m sure there’s someone who believes they’re a magical genius, right?
Come on out.
If you defeat the assistant, you’ll earn 2 points.”
“If no one volunteers, the dorm leader will get 1 demerit.”
And then, Isolde Polchen stepped forward.
“I’ll do it.”
“Good. I like your confidence.”
Isolde moved forward, and the platform where she and the assistant Clarice stood rose.
It was the same magical stage used for summoning spirits.
A transparent magical barrier surrounded the area.
Both Isolde and Clarice stood on top of a magic circle that was drawn beneath them.
“If you step outside this circle, you’ll lose. You can surrender if you want, but I’ll impose some restrictions to make sure the skill gap isn’t too large.
Assistant, you may only use 0-level spells with clear projectiles.
When the freshman casts their spell three times, you may attack only once.
You may use defense spells at any time, but only shield spells.”
“…?”
The students were all taken aback.
It was normal to restrict the assistant, but the restrictions were severe.
It was like telling someone to play chess with their hands tied behind their back.
‘What? It’s like you’re tying up their hands and feet and then telling them to fight?’
‘Can they even fight like that?’
‘I know the assistant is strong, but even so, Isolde Polchen is no slouch. Is it really okay for her to only attack once every three times?’
But Assistant Clarice was smiling confidently.
“Alright, let’s begin the duel!”
With the professor’s signal, the duel began.
As soon as the duel started, Clarice brought her magic staff to her heart and shouted:
“Glory to the God of Magic, Trismegistus!”
“Glory to the God of Magic, Trismegistus!”
Isolde also made the same declaration and quickly summoned a fire spirit.
The fire butterfly summoned in Magram’s class appeared.
In Magram’s class, the Fire Demon was present, so everyone could summon fire spirits easily, but even without Magram’s influence, Isolde was able to summon a low-level fire spirit on her own.
“Oh… such a beautiful spirit.”
“Here it comes! Be careful!”
Isolde warned and raised her magic staff.
-Fire Arrow!
A fire arrow rose around her staff.
“Hmm.”
Assistant Clarice cast the shield spell.
As soon as she did, Isolde attacked.
-Fire Arrow Overload Explosion!
Incredibly, Isolde shot the fire arrow she had summoned through the fire butterfly spirit.
The fire arrow was absorbed by the butterfly, and from its antennae, a blazing energy was generated, transforming into a powerful heat ray that shot out.
It was the same heat ray that appeared in Magram’s class, but even more powerful and faster.
“Wow!”
Clarice swung her magic staff, and a light shield appeared in front of her, spinning around to block the heat ray.
The heat ray nearly pierced the shield, and Clarice whistled in admiration.
“Wow, for a freshman, that’s impressive.”
However, she didn’t lose her smile.
“Alright, now it’s my turn.”
“Huh?”
“Now it’s time for me to attack. Although, you could argue that I shouldn’t count the spirit’s attack, but what do you think? Will you make that claim?”**
“No.”
Isolde, looking at the confident Clarice, cast another spell.
Incredibly, this time, it was an Ice Arrow.
“Hmm? You’re using an Ice Arrow while your fire spirit is out?”
Clarice paused, unsure of what Isolde was trying to do.
“Here it comes.”
Instead of launching the ice arrow, Isolde sent the fire butterfly forward.
She fired the Ice Arrow low, aiming it at Clarice’s knee height.
At the same time, she cast another spell.
-Fire Butterfly! Wings of Flame!
The wings of the fire butterfly flared up, and the butterfly spun at an incredible speed, transforming into a giant blade of fire.
The low-flying ice arrow was hit by the flaming blade, causing it to evaporate into steam. The fire blade then shot out, aiming for Clarice from all directions.
All the students watching were horrified.
“Isolde’s skill is this strong?! Is the assistant in danger?!”
But…
-Shield Magic Attribute Conversion, Anti-Elasticity!
-Shield Magic, Twin Spell!
Three shields appeared, spinning and deflecting every attack.
In fact, the reflected fire blades even started to hit Isolde, forcing her to cast her own shield spell.
“Ugh…”
The flame that came from the shield spell hit her clothes.
“Now, it’s my turn to attack. You’ve cast three spells, right? Want to continue? You can surrender now if you want.”
Clarice looked at Isolde with amusement.
“…?”
Isolde was stunned.
Not only her, but all the students watching were in shock.
‘What? Is this… the real Isolde?’
‘She’s no match for Clarice?’
‘The professor probably knew this was going to happen…’
The students trembled in awe.
They had all assumed Isolde was the best in their class, but now…
She couldn’t even come close to the assistant.
“I won’t back down. Please, teach me one more thing.”
Isolde’s pride wouldn’t let her give up.
“Ah. Alright, then…”
Clarice smiled and cast another spell.
-0 Level Magic, Static Spark…
Sparkling electric sparks, a mild electrical discharge, appeared in the air near her staff.
But…
-Spell Overload!
The energy surged beyond the spell’s intended level.
And then…
-Spell Maximization!
The sparks turned into bright, visible lightning.
-Twin Spell!
The lightning then split into two powerful bolts.
“Huh? W-Wasn’t the rule that you could only cast once every three spells?”
“Isn’t that breaking the rules?”
The other students were shocked, but Crown Prince Rudolf recognized the magic for what it was and shook his head.
“That’s spell conversion.
It’s not a rule violation—she really only cast one spell.
But to do it like this… wow. I’ve never seen anything like it, even from court wizards.”
Rudolf, who had seen many court mages, was astounded.
Meanwhile, the magic surrounding Clarice became something far beyond a simple 0-level spell.
“Now, let’s go! For my sweet nap!”
Clarice lightly swung her staff, and the lightning shot out, instantly destroying Isolde’s fire butterfly and heading straight for her.
Isolde quickly cast her shield spell, but it was shattered in an instant, and the lightning veered away, striking the ground instead.
-SIZZLE!
The ground burned, sending shockwaves outward.
Isolde staggered back and fell on her behind.
The lightning had intentionally hit the ground near her, sparing her life.
Clarice had never intended to actually hurt Isolde.
She believed that even if she struck the ground, it was enough to defeat her.
“Phew. That was silly of me.
Why duel a freshman?”
But I promised you a nap, so here we are…”
Clarice was genuinely happy with her victory.
Lakias, watching from the sidelines, also seemed pleased.
“Well done, Clarice. I’m glad to see you’re enjoying yourself.
As promised, I’ll give you the night shift in the lab.”
“Wait, no, the deal was…”
“Yes, the night shift in the lab means you get your nap tomorrow. No lies here.”
