I Became a Magical Genius After Regression

Chapter 24

“Glare?”

It was an uncharacteristic word for Randell, who had been mature and polite for his age.

Manwellin, surprised, widened his eyes and looked at him, but Randell continued nonchalantly.

“A guy who wants to be a knight, if you came to pick a fight, why don’t you say it outright instead of beating around the bush?”

“What, what?”

“What, did you set this up on purpose to embarrass me in front of people? If not, say it now. I’ll apologize and go home.”

Then, after a moment of confusion, Nilson smiled with satisfaction and said,

“Ha, are you insulting me right now?”

“Insult? You insult the young lord all the time, so why can’t I insult you a little?”

“When did I ever insult the young lord…?”

“You interrupted the young lord while he was speaking and caused this mess. Am I wrong? Or did the young lord summon you with a message spell without my knowledge?”

“That, that is…”

“Come on! If you know you’re stupid, think before you speak. Is your head just for decoration? And if you’re going to pick a fight, do it properly.”

Randel said this while looking at Manwellin.

He smiled as if seeking permission, but was it an illusion that the smile seemed to be enjoying itself?

“Ugh…”

Manwellin, who had been pondering like a dog needing to relieve itself, finally nodded.

This was no longer a matter of a trainee’s misconduct.

At the point where Randel openly retaliated with provocation, it became a matter of pride between two men, and between a wizard and a knight.

Of course, one was a novice and the other a trainee.

“Hurry up, you idiot.”

“…!”

Nilson’s face turned red, but he somehow held back.

Born into a merchant family and accustomed to commanding employees, he had never heard such an insult.

But one cannot retaliate in front of the young lord.

With veins bulging in his neck, Nilson bowed his head to the young lord.

“Please forgive my rudeness, young lord.”

Then he went down to the training ground where Randel was waiting.

As the two stood in the training ground, the trainees and knights who had been training there moved away.

The knights watched them with interest or with stern expressions.

The former expected Nilson to teach the wizard a lesson, while the latter seemed to think Nilson had acted impulsively.

Finally, the two faced each other.

Then Nilson spat out the words he had been holding back.

“You b*stard… Do you know what you’ve done?”

“What have I done? I’m playing with you as you wished.”

“Ha! You don’t know your place because everyone around you pampers you. A commoner without even a title…”

“What? Weren’t you a commoner too?”

“Our great-grandfather was granted the title of baron―”

“Oh~ So you’re saying you’re a commoner now. You should have done well when you were a noble, but now you’re just showing off after losing everything.”

“It wasn’t losing everything, it was an unjust accusation…”

“Looking at the way you act, it doesn’t seem like it. Then go to the lord and confidently say you’re a noble. If he acknowledges it, then fine.”

“…You lowly b*stard. There’s no reasoning with you.”

While the two were growling at each other, or more precisely, while only Nilson was growling and Randel was annoyed.

A knight came and said,

“The weapon to be used is a practice sword. Also, the purpose is to show how a knight responds to a mage, so minimize the attacks.”

“Understood!”

Nilson answered as he received the practice sword from the knight.

‘What a bunch of nonsense.’

Randel sneered at the show.

Just a moment ago, he clearly said he wouldn’t attack, but now he’s subtly changing it to minimize attacks.

But the truly absurd part was something else.

They trusted a trainee to do this.

‘They’re pairing me with a trainee, not even a proper knight?’

Of course, no one knew that Randel was a 2nd-circle mage.

So he had to face them with only 1st-circle magic.

But that was more than enough.

With a casting time of one second, what couldn’t he do?

The knight, unaware of Randel’s thoughts, walked out between the two and raised his hand, shouting,

“Then… Begin the duel!”

* * *

Grit.

Nilson ground his teeth in anger.

‘How long has it been since I’ve faced such an insult?’

Of course, trainees were like the servants of knights, so it was common for them to be targets of venting and insults.

But Nilson was rarely in such situations.

Thanks to his family’s wealth, he had greased the palms of the knights well.

It wasn’t always avoidable, but even when he was harassed or insulted, it was mostly physical.

But the guy in front of him was not that kind of knight.

He was younger than himself.

Such a guy kept babbling incessantly, driving him mad with anger.

‘I won’t kill you.’

Even though it was a practice sword, it wouldn’t be difficult to send someone to their grave if he wanted to.

It was a practice sword with iron core embedded in solid ebony wood. And usually… a human head is weaker than ebony wood.

But he couldn’t do that.

He was a talent personally brought by Lady Manwellin.

There were rumors that the lord also favored him, so if he killed him openly, his own life would be over.

‘But…’

Isn’t the opponent a wizard?

In that case, even if a few fingers disappeared, it wouldn’t hinder his magic.

‘No, I’ll crush his nose.’

He didn’t like his smooth face anyway, so it was perfect.

He would make him live his life unable to show his face, always wearing a robe.

While Nielsen was thinking that, a shout was heard.

“Then… let the duel begin!”

Nielsen drew his practice sword from his waist.

Then he spun the sword around his wrist and said,

“Lowly scum, I’ll be generous and let you have the first attack.”

Randell chuckled and said,

“No, didn’t you say you’d minimize the attack?”

“I changed my mind.”

“Fine, do as you please. But are you sure it’s okay to give up the attack so easily?”

“Stupid b*stard. In close combat like this, a wizard is just a knight’s prey. If I don’t give you a chance, do you think you can even cast a spell?”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Hehe, think about the time it takes you to cast. 10 seconds? 20 seconds? No matter how long it takes, my sword will be faster.”

“No, it won’t.”

“What do you mean, no?”

“Casting time.”

“What?”

“One second, man.”

Swish!

It was right after those words were spoken.

A green aura gathered in Randel’s outstretched hand.

Simultaneously, it transformed into an arrow and was shot.

“Gasp!”

Nielsen reflexively turned his head.

One side of his cheek stung as if he had been slapped.

The magic arrow had narrowly grazed Nielsen’s cheek.

“You, you…!”

Nielsen touched his cheek in disbelief.

But it wasn’t a mistake.

The stinging sensation on his cheek was real.

“C-Casting can be this fast?”

Even for a genius wizard, it takes at least 10 seconds to complete a 1-circle spell.

But Randel’s casting just now was instantaneous.

No, did he even cast it?

A flustered Nielsen shouted at the top of his lungs.

“You coward! Using an artifact in a duel!”

“No? Or, yes? Well, it’s something similar…”

Randel changed his words, trying to deny it.

He did use something.

But it wasn’t a low-grade artifact that shoots magic arrows, it was an artifact said to be made by a god that twists the timeline.

“Ha! You were so arrogant because of that. But didn’t you know that artifacts have a cooldown time? Try shooting again!”

“Got it. Magic Arrow.”

Clang!

Another green arrow flew.

This time, Nielsen reflexively swung his sword and deflected it to the side.

But his face was colored with shock.

“This, this is…”

“Why are you so surprised? Because it looks like real magic instead of an artifact?”

“This is ridiculous! A wizard casting this fast!?”

“That’s right. But if it doesn’t make sense, what are you going to do about it?”

Randell sneered as he spoke.

Seeing that confident face, Nielson suddenly had a bad feeling.

Come to think of it, this guy was rumored to be a genius among geniuses.

Not a swordsman, but someone who learned magic on his own.

So he had asked a friend who was learning magic a while ago.

The answer he got back was cold.

―Is there such a person in the world?

―Right? It was a lie after all.

―Even the heads of the wizard guild can’t do that. Could the founder of magic have done it?

An apprentice wizard who had created up to the first circle in the mental world said so, so he naturally thought it was a rumor.

But… what if it was true?

“Magic Arrow.”

As he deflected the third incoming spell, Nielson thought.

This, something is wrong.

A drop of cold sweat ran down his temple.

* * *

Ten minutes had passed since the duel began.

But the training ground, where knights and other trainees were watching, was utterly silent.

The only sounds were.

Paaang.

The sound of something flying.

Kang!

The sound of it being deflected.

“Huff, huff…”

Someone’s rough breathing.

And finally.

“Magic Arrow.”

It was just a short phrase repeated for ten minutes.

Kaang!

“Ugh!”

Nielsen deflected another incoming Magic Arrow.

He had lost count of how many he had deflected already.

After fifty, he gave up counting.

But one thing was certain.

At this rate, he wouldn’t last much longer.

His hand, gripping the sword, was numb from the accumulated impact, to the point where he couldn’t even feel the pain anymore.

‘What is this! What the hell is this!’

Nielsen was in a state of extreme confusion.

If he had been caught off guard and ended up like this, he wouldn’t have felt so frustrated.

But he had followed the textbook combat strategy for a knight facing a wizard.

It wasn’t complicated.

Dodge or deflect the magic, close in, and take the head.

The fight between a knight and a wizard was essentially a battle of distance.

If the knight succeeded in closing in, the wizard would die.

If he couldn’t close in, the knight would die.

But now, he couldn’t even get close.

Against a 1st Circle wizard.

To be precise.

Tadadak!

Nielsen, gritting his teeth hard enough to break them, charged towards Randel.

He ran in a zigzag pattern, changing direction every second, to prevent Randel from casting a spell.

Just as Nielsen had predicted.

Randel couldn’t immediately fire a Magic Arrow and kept changing the direction he aimed with his hand.

Wandering eyes.

And as Nielsen got close enough to Randel.

Squeeze.

Nielsen’s shoulders tensed up.

A precursor to a powerful thrust.

‘This time for sure…!’

Nielsen unleashed the condensed power in his shoulders.

Now the sword would shoot out, and the blade would tear into that wizard’s shoulder flesh.

But then it happened.

Once again, a calm incantation echoed.

“Magic Arrow.”

From Randel’s mouth, who had already aimed his hand precisely at Nielsen, came the dry words.

The earlier confusion was, of course, an act.

At the same time, a green arrow was fired, activating without even casting.

‘Grr! Again!’

Nielsen screamed inwardly.

If he ignored it and thrust his sword, it would be Nielsen’s victory.

After all, the power of Magic Arrow was about the same as a strong punch from an adult man.

It would leave a bruise or, if unlucky, break a bone, but that much could be endured.

However.

Clang!

Nielsen gave up the thrust and raised his sword to block the Magic Arrow.

The problem was the target of the Magic Arrow.

The green arrow was flying straight at Nielsen’s throat.

If it hit properly, his vocal cords would be destroyed or his neck bone would break.

No one could grit their teeth and take that hit.

‘Damn it!’

Nielsen cursed while trying to correct his disrupted stance.

Not yet. It’s not too late yet.

Although the thrust had failed, and he had to stop in place because of it, if he charged again now, he could still take that wizard’s neck.

But this time, another spell flew at him.

“Wind.”

Whoosh.

A strong gust of wind rushed towards Nilson.

It aimed for his head, but it was just wind after all.

Nilson chose to endure it with his eyes wide open.

But it was a misjudgment. The wind, filled with sand and dust, made his eyes bloodshot.

He couldn’t see because of the tears.

Of course, Randel didn’t stay still.

Tap tap tap.

In the meantime, Randel, who had retreated far back from Nilson’s narrowed attack range, spoke with a disdainful tone.

“Tsk tsk, don’t you have any learning ability?”