Mightiest Melee Magician

The Ravirdyne I returned to after a month was as magnificent as always, and the scenery around the Magician’s Tower was also beautiful.

But I couldn’t enjoy the scenery like I did a month ago.

A lot of things had changed during the last month.

“So, did you enjoy your mission?”

“……”

The Fire King was curious enough about my abilities to attach a tracker behind me, and this was done quite bluntly.

Enough for me to recognise them as more of a dangerous individual rather than an ally.

However, I chose to talk in a way where I wouldn’t expose myself.

“Did I enjoy it? Damn it. You were right, Fire King. This mission that no one chose. There was a reason for it.”

“……Tell me more about it.”

“The mission that no one had completed. I became tempted by the title of ‘first’ to do it. However, that was truly a double-edged blade. When I arrived at Sky Mountain, I truly felt that this mission was beyond myself. The boundary was definitely too sturdy, and I couldn’t find a way to enter inside.”

Hearing what I said, the Fire King Teron narrowed his eyes.

“So what you’re saying…… is that this mission was a failure?”

“Yes. As you can see, this was a total failure. The first winner of the Grand Festival to fail their mission, I’ve become that fool. I am so embarrassed, I have no excuses.”

“……”

Rather than talking about the ogres of Sky Mountain,

I chose to fail the mission.

However, Fire King Teron seemed to not like the way I spoke, furrowing his brows before gesturing to Stray Cat, who was standing behind me.

It was a signal to get out, and Stray Cat left the room.

The top of the Magic Tower.

In the Fire King’s room, only the Fire King and I remained.

As if looking through me, he stared at me with an unpleasant expression.

“You are pretty proficient in hiding your expression, but you’re still a greenhorn when it comes to lying.”

“……”

“Seems we need to become a bit more honest with each other.”

Fire King Teron.

He desired to receive my honest answer.

“You have the same strength as the ogres, and you were also selected by the first ogre chieftain Kunkhan’s tooth. And the mission you selected had to be going to explore the first gathering place of the ogres. Don’t you think these are too related to be considered a coincidence?”

And so, I smiled brightly at him.

“Is that why you had surveillance on me?”

“Rather than surveillance, let’s say it was for your protection.”

“Those magicians said the same thing. However, I would like to believe the magician at the boundary would know the differences between the dictionary definitions of ‘surveillance’ and ‘protection’.”

“I was simply concerned for you.”

“Concerned?”

“Concerned that you may become a magician who opposes the Magic Tower.”

“……”

A magician who opposes the Magic Tower.

What did this truly mean?

“Magicians that do not follow your will… Are they all magicians who oppose the Magic Tower?”

“Of course, they do differ a bit case by case…… But my life experience tells me this. They mostly do.”

“That experience alone doesn’t tell you everything.”

“You bore me. We’re starting to discuss some fleeting things. So, tell me honestly. What did you see in Sky Mountain?”

In that instant, the Fire King’s eyes lit up.

“In that place… Were the first ogres living there?”

“……”

It was a frightening stare, enough to make me fearful for a moment.

It was obsession.

It was madness.

The dangerous side of the Fire King that Tirion Ignit had warned me about.

As I looked at him, I slowly opened my mouth.

“I didn’t see anything. I couldn’t enter.”

“It would be best for you to not lie a lie that can be uncovered. You seem to know about Millie’s Covenant better than I.”

“……”

Millie’s Covenant.

The promise that, as long as one didn’t lie, a magician had the right to protect their secrets.

Of course, I knew this very well.

I had predicted that he would try and trip me using this.

“If I put my mind to it, I could go through your memories right here right now.”

“So you’re threatening me now too.”

“Only if necessary. It’s not particularly hard to do.”

“……”

But I didn’t surrender and didn’t lie.

“Aren’t you incapable of doing it?”

“……What?”

“I have told you I failed the mission, yet you will really dominate my mind and go through my memories to prove me wrong? The great King of Magicians will do that?”

“……”

Yeah.

He wouldn’t be able to do it from the start.

No, I knew that he wouldn’t do it.

The famous King of Magicians acknowledging that they sent a tracker against a student during their mission to the whole world and then dominating that student’s mind and seeing into their memory?

This was an impossibly difficult action for the Fire King’s ego to take.

There was only one thing he could do.

It was neither Millie’s Covenant nor mind domination.

He could only threaten me to tell the truth.

This was all.

That was why I asked him again.

“I am only a student. Why do you have so many things you want to confirm about me?”

I already knew his answer.

The artifact of Area X in the Magic Tower had selected me.

This had proven that, the seat the Fire King was sitting in…

I was its next master.

Of course, at the end of the day, this was still only a possibility.

My current self was only a small thorn.

An unimportant thorn that couldn’t even pierce the foot of the giant known as the Fire King.

However, no matter how small a thorn was, someday, it could topple a giant.

The Fire King knew this too.

This was why he was so wary of me.

“You dare bet against me…… I do not want to acknowledge that you’re ‘only’ a student.”

“……”

“Alright, I’ll accept it. With this, your first official mission has ended with a failure. You may now return to your academy.”

Just as it had happened before, he would continue to observe me in the future.

* * *

* * *

Ravirdyne.

That excitement I felt when I first visited this place had all disappeared.

It became a city that I just wanted to escape.

‘Phew, I nearly spilled it.’

If the Fire King was a more absurd individual than I thought, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. I would’ve had to tell him everything.

However, as I thought, he was someone wary about how he’s perceived by the world.

And he was only a man stuck in a position where he must follow the perceptions.

This was why it only ended with a simple threat.

I was able to deal with it like this today, but because I didn’t want to stay in this place any longer, I wanted to quickly leave the magic tower and walk straight toward the mana train station.

But then…

“Ruin.”

“……Irene?”

At the front entrance of the magic tower, a welcome face was seen.

“Were you perhaps waiting for me?”

“Yes. I heard that you finished your mission and arrived back at Ravirdyne.”

“Ah, so that already spread. Then you must’ve heard that I also failed.”

“Yes. You truly wrote history. The first student to fail the mission after winning the Grand Festival. Ruin Ardell.”

“……”

This was a little embarrassing.

However, since I knew that she had no intentions of mocking me, I laughed a bit.

“Well, isn’t it great to be the ‘first’ at anything?”

“Fufu. Your uncaring attitude is the same as always. If it was me, I would be pretty devastated.”

“Well, I just don’t want to be disappointed by something small like this. So, what’s up?”

At my question, Irene Prius looked a little flustered and shrugged.

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“Nothing’s up… I just wanted to see you. We were a team once, so I thought we were pretty close…… Can’t I come to greet you?”

As Irene pouted her cheeks jokingly, I was the one who got flustered.

“Ah…… No. Of course you can. Seems I’ve asked a stupid question.”

“It’s good that you know.”

We both laughed together and walked side by side through the Ravirdyne cityscape.

There wasn’t any particular destination, but we naturally headed toward the mana train station.

“You’re returning to your academy for the first time in a while. How do you feel?”

“Hm… How can I say this? I’m looking forward to seeing my peers…… and also worried that they will pester me.”

“Pester you?”

“You know that not everyone likes me. I have some enemies.”

“Ah.”

“……”

What was that knowing smile?

Did I really look like I would have a hard time?

Hmm……

Contrary to my question, Irene smiled and laughed as if it was funny.

“After you return to your academy today, when will you visit Ravirdyne again?”

“Here? I don’t know. I don’t particularly want to come back to this place.”

“Really? Everyone likes Ravirdyne though.”

“How do I say this…… It’s too fancy. I feel unwelcome here.”

It was fancy, and there was a coldness hiding behind it.

I had seen both the faces of this city.

The Fire King’s true face that was hidden behind a mask called kindness.

The temptations of the Golden Palace that in the end contained a prince who only wanted a puppet.

However, I didn’t have a reason to talk about these to her right now.

“Next time, rather than Ravirdyne…… let’s meet somewhere else.”

“Somewhere else?”

“Yes. Come visit my home territory sometimes. Compared to Ravirdyne, which is always bustling, it’s a small and quiet countryside territory…… But while you’re staying there, I’m sure that your heart will be comfortable.”

My hometown, the Ardell Territory.

Having received my formal welcome, Irene Prius looked elated as the tip of her mouth squirmed a little before opening into a wide smile.

“……Really?”

“Sure.”

“When I do, you can’t ask me why I visited. Not like today.”

“Alright. I won’t.”

At my reply, she let out a small breath she was holding and smiled comfortably.

“The Ardell Territory…… I’m looking forward to it.”

After walking together for a while, we ended up at the mana train station.

The mana train I would take would be here at any moment.

Suddenly, Irene reached her hand out toward me.

“Then, let’s see each other again. Soon.”

“……”

It was a handshake.

A totally soft hand compared to the rough ogre hand of Ormerush from Sky Mountain.

I grabbed Irene’s hand and smiled.

“Yeah. Let’s.”

At that moment, the mana train had swiftly entered the station.

Yeah.

It was finally time to return to the academy.

——