I Became a Civil Servant Who Can Use Magic

A one-on-one duel between an investigator and a mage.

And a fight between a senior and a junior at that.

What’s more surprising is that the junior was the one who proposed the duel.
How bold can one be..!

All team members gathered at the arena behind the headquarters.
Including the department head who somehow learned about it.

The arena was bustling for the first time in a while.
Even if it was just the Inspection Department personnel.

“Who do you think will win?”
“Ria.”

Gilbert and Ead answered without a moment’s hesitation to Psyche’s question.

One-on-one duels are inherently disadvantageous for mages.
They can’t receive someone’s protection, nor do they have time to prepare powerful spells.

That’s why in duels between investigators and mages of similar levels, the investigator’s win rate is much higher.

If this is already the case, what about now when the investigator’s level is higher and they have more practical experience?

Although Ria acts lightly, she is still a proper senior of the Inspection Department.
You could say most investigators can’t even compare to her.

This is why they naturally sided with Ria.

“Becoming 5-star seems to have made her overflow with confidence.”
“It’s understandable.”

Ead muttered, watching Loen spreading her sharp aura around. Gilbert, who was beside him, added a word.

“Loen, how does it feel to become a 5-star mage?”

Ria, who was warming up on one side of the arena, asked Loen.

“Not bad.”

Ria laughed at Loen’s answer.
It’s when your confidence is at its peak.

“Are you deliberately spreading your aura?”
“Ah, this. I’m not fully adapted yet.. I’m having trouble containing my aura.”
“Is that so?”

It’s true that many things change the moment you reach 5-star.
However, it’s not to the extent of being unable to hide one’s aura.

In other words, Loen’s words were clearly a lie. This was the inner thought of Ria and the other team members.

‘She could just honestly say she wants to show off~’

She has such a cute side, really.
Ria, turning her head while stretching, said.

“How intense should I make the duel?”
“Moderately, please. I just requested a duel to check what’s changed, so.”

Ria nodded.

“You know we have a team dinner scheduled for tonight, right? I won’t drag this out too long.”
“Yes.”

Ria had been smiling ever since Loen proposed the duel.
Given her personality that doesn’t shy away from fights, she couldn’t help but be happy.

Of course, she’s also confident she’ll win.

“Either of you, win!”

Psyche shouted, waving both arms.
Of course, inwardly she hoped Loen would win.

Because that would be more fun!
But even Psyche thought the probability was low, so she just pretended to cheer for both.

Ria, who summoned a greatsword as tall as herself by stretching her hand upwards, said.

“You know why I suggested we duel here, right?”
“Because of the protective device installed by the Deputy Director?”
“That’s right. Don’t worry about getting hurt and give it your all.”
“Yes.”

Thud.
Ria, letting her greatsword drop to the ground, offered a small consideration to the mage in front of her.

“I’ll wait until you finish casting.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”

Then I won’t hold back.
Loen immediately started casting magic.

By the way, I thought I’d be dueling alone with Senior Ria,
I didn’t expect everyone to abandon their work and come watch the duel..

Due to her enhanced senses, she could feel her teammates’ interested gazes more clearly.
So it was more burdensome.

Whew.
Loen took a deep breath to calm herself and erased distracting thoughts.

She soon closed her eyes and concentrated.

She began condensing mana in her right hand.

Woong.
The surrounding atmosphere rippled due to the mana condensed beyond its limit.
It was the precursor to a judgment spell.

“Hmm.”

Ead, who had experienced Loen’s judgment before, let out a groan.
The mana condensation is incomparable to that time.

Gilbert unconsciously licked his lips.
Is she really just newly 5-star?

As the judgment casting was nearing completion.

Loen imagined a spear in her mind.
The spear was drawn much more clearly than before.
This was possible thanks to her enhanced senses.

Loen, raising her hand upwards, shouted.

“Judgment.”

Then, a huge gray spear about 5m long appeared.

Oh shit..
Ria’s mouth fell open.

“So much for ‘moderately’.”

As Loen swung her hand forward, the spear plunged down towards Ria.
Swish-

Ria, who had activated her body to the extreme with mana, moved.

‘Dodge? Or counter?’

The moment she took a step to the side while thinking,
she caught the tip of the mana spear moving slightly.

‘It has a homing property.. Then.’

No choice but to counter.

Ria gripped the greatsword with both hands and channeled mana into it.
The blade surface froze rapidly and cold air enveloped the sword.

Then, with a fierce battle cry, Ria swung the greatsword horizontally.
Kwang!

A powerful collision sound followed by an explosion occurred.
Simultaneously, the surroundings were covered in a cloud of cold air.

“……”
“……”

The arena fell into silence.
Everyone was at a loss for words due to the power beyond imagination.

On the other hand, Loen still maintained her tense state.

The duel isn’t over, so letting her guard down is absolutely forbidden.
Above all, there’s no way it would end like this.

Explosion rune.
She placed a trap spell right in front.
Then she prepared her next spell.

As expected.

Ria charged through the cloud.
With an extremely cold gaze unlike her usual self.

Bang!
At that moment, the pre-set rune spell activated.

Ria, who had approached right in front of Loen in the blink of an eye, suddenly bounced up into the air.
Soon after, 5 magic bullets chased after her.

“Looks like she didn’t expect a trap spell to be set.”
“Rather, the power of the explosion was beyond imagination.”

Gilbert answered Psyche’s doubt.

As Gilbert said, it’s not that Ria didn’t expect a trap spell.
She just judged she could break through it with her body.

Thud.

Ria, who endured all the attacks including the explosion, magic bullets, and mana blade, landed on the ground.
You’ve gotten much stronger than I thought?

“I said earlier. That I won’t drag this out too long.”

Ria, with an expressionless face, declared she would go all out from now on.
Her aura changed dramatically.

In response, Loen quietly chanted an activation word.

“Body Amplification.”

Judging that she couldn’t avoid close combat, Loen used a body enhancement spell on herself.

As Loen was silently fiddling with her next card.

Pak!
Ria kicked off the ground and charged like lightning.

Maintaining her speed while deflecting all the magic bullets, Ria arrived right in front of Loen.

Ria and Loen’s gazes crossed.

As Loen raised her eyes, she saw the greatsword coming down from above.
I can’t dodge this, can I? Then.

Mana Ejection!

Loen, who used ejection on herself by bending her arm, bounced sideways and rolled on the ground.
Ow, my knee.

At this, the surrounding team members made incredulous expressions.
Including Psyche.

“Loen is really.. tough, so tough.”

To go that far to avoid an attack?
Wasn’t this duel originally for checking magic skills?

But this,
no matter how you look at it, they’re both serious.

Afterwards, Ria’s consecutive attacks continued.

Whoosh!
Every time the heavy greatsword cut through the air, a dull noise erupted.

Ria pressed on relentlessly.
She didn’t even give time to cast magic.

Loen rolled on the ground diligently.
She deflected the greatsword with defensive magic and hindered Ria’s charge with attack magic.

But once she allowed approach.

“It’s over.”
“It’s impressive that she’s enduring in that state. Even if it’s basic magic, casting while rolling your body can’t be an easy feat.”

Ria and Gilbert determined the outcome.

In that situation, what a mage can do is…. nothing.

Ria’s attacks gained momentum.
The greatsword gradually accelerated.

On the other hand, Loen’s speed slowed down.
It was due to the chilling cold emanating from the greatsword.
Dodging attacks by rolling was also reaching its limit.

‘Should I just surrender?’

She had this thought several times already.
But then the thought of doing as much as she could arose….

If not giving up, she needs to find a way.
At that moment, one method flashed through her mind.

The only way to overcome the current situation.

Triple casting.

She had sorted out the theory at home last night.
However, thinking ‘It can’t be that easy’, she didn’t try it.
She planned to visit her family home and attempt it with her father’s help.

That was the plan, but.
The thought suddenly occurred that it might be okay to try it now.

The theory itself wasn’t that difficult.

Past life and current life.
Split the mind divided into two once more.
The original mind is what needs to be separated at this time.

From my perspective, whether Earth or here, it’s ultimately a continuous life, so the essence can be said to be ‘me from the past life’.
Therefore, what needs to be separated is the mind from the past life.

Past life, Past life 2, Current life.
After naming each mind for concrete imagination.
She immediately attempted mental separation.

In a flash.

After pouring all her concentration, she succeeded in mental separation.
It’s easier than I thought? What’s this?

But there was no time to think more.
Time was of the essence.

She started triple casting.

Attack and magic casting as she had done so far.
And one more here.

After rolling her body and avoiding attacks with barriers, she finally completed the third magic casting.

Senior Ria charged in again.
This time she aimed for the neck with her greatsword held horizontally.

Against this, Loen, who cast a barrier, stretched out her hand.

“Ma..”

Even seeing her stretch out her hand, Ria didn’t slow down.
It’s obviously going to be a magic bullet anyway.

It was time to end this.

However, contrary to Ria’s expectation, the word that flowed from Loen’s mouth was…

“Beam.”

What? Magic beam? She shouldn’t have had time to cast that?
The moment shock appeared on Ria’s face.

Kwaaa-
A thick beam of light swallowed her.

“I can’t believe it.”

Gilbert nodded silently at Ead’s words.
Having witnessed triple casting at an unexpected timing….

“Hss.”

Even the department head, who was quietly watching from behind, held his breath.
He’s not a mage so he doesn’t know the details.
But from what he’s heard, triple casting is on a different level of difficulty.

To suddenly master this?
Even for Franz family bloodline, this is a bit..
Isn’t this too much?

Right after the duel ended.

Loen staggered down from the arena.
I’m really dying here.

“Loen. You’re bleeding from your nose.”
“Huh?”

Loen, with blood trickling from her nose.
Perhaps because the tension was released, dizziness hit her belatedly.

“Didn’t you take it too seriously?”
“Somehow it turned out that way..”

Psyche said as she supported the wobbling Loen.

“What the….”

Behind them, Ria, cursing and pounding the arena floor.
If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have waited for her to cast magic before the match!

Unable to control her anger, Ria took it out on the innocent ground.

Watching the two, Ead drew a conclusion.

“Today’s dinner seems impossible.”
“Let’s just postpone it to next week.”
“Let’s do that.”

In the end, the Inspection Department dinner scheduled for that day was postponed to later.

Recently, people in the Inspection Headquarters called Loen like this:

The Witch of the Inspection Corps.

“Have you heard the rumors from the Barrier?”
“Of course I have. At first, I thought someone was spreading false rumors, you know? I mean, how could a duke’s daughter who grew up comfortably in a greenhouse carry out a great purge with her own hands?”
“Exactly.”

At first, everyone thought it was just a rumor, but when they heard that even the Director acknowledged it as fact, they had no choice but to believe it.
Afterwards, whenever two or more people gathered, they were busy talking about Loen.

“I actually ran into her in the corridor this morning.”
“And?”
“Now it seems like she doesn’t even try to hide her aura.”
“What? No matter what, isn’t it crossing a line to openly display her aura within headquarters?”
“She got an early promotion too. Now she doesn’t care about- mmpf.”
“Shh.”

Those chattering in the corridor suddenly closed their mouths.
It was because a sharp aura was permeating the corridor.

They communicated with their eyes.
I’m right, aren’t I? It’s true.

Thump thump.

Soon, the rumored woman crossed the corridor.

People’s gazes unconsciously turned towards her.
The rumors about her were too brutal to stare openly.
Though from Loen’s perspective, it was no different from openly staring.

Fierce impression, brutal rumors, sharp aura.
Looking at her, who had all three elements, the people standing in the corridor thought of a common word.

Witch.
Is there a word that fits better than this?

Only after she passed through the corridor and disappeared did people breathe out again.

“As expected of the Inspection Department.”
“Indeed.”

And.

Loen, climbing the stairs past them.

‘I can hear everything..’

She couldn’t not know the rumors about her.
How could she not know when people’s whispers have been ringing clearly in her ears since her senses improved?

Loen feels somewhat wronged.

The purge in the Barrier was an unavoidable situation.
Moreover, it wasn’t a rash act as there was even a legitimate justification.

The sharp aura is the same.
It was an unavoidable aspect as she couldn’t hide her aura well after reaching 5-star.

Even so, it wasn’t something she could go around pointing out to everyone individually.

She decided to let them talk among themselves and focus on her own work.

Loen headed straight for the office.

It was time for her interview with Psyche.