[V16C9] Lesson on Non-Violent Violence: The Gentle Leg Sweep

On the sunset of the final day, Isaac finished his training. He paid Hubert and Norman the agreed amount, packed up his belongings, and headed deeper into the forest.

The forest at night was rather quiet, but he could sense the presence of insects and animals. They were more active in summer than winter.

Isaac enjoyed the sounds of the summer forest. It gave him a faint sense of nostalgia, as he remembered exploring mountains and forests in his childhood. Though of course, he still had to be on guard for wild animals.

Suddenly, a branch of the tree above Isaac rustled slightly. He immediately recognized the cause based on the weight of the sound.

He looked up to see a coat of jet-black fur that melted into the night, as well as a pair of golden eyes peering down on him.

“Yo. Done training yet?”

“Yeah. Can you help me with my offensive magic now, Nero?”

“Food! Food comes first!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Isaac set down his pack and began preparing camp. Wildianu, who had been hidden in his pocket, slithered out in lizard form and quickly transformed into a human. He was still wearing his usual attendant uniform.

Nero dropped down from the tree and also took human form, so they became an incredibly odd-looking trio: a man covered in mud, a man in formal servant attire, and a man in an old-fashioned robe.

The three pitched a tent, started a campfire, and prepared dinner.

Capricious as ever, Nero only helped out when he felt like it. However, Wildianu had gotten used to this routine over the past few days, and was now able to set up the tent almost entirely on his own.

Meanwhile, Isaac cleaned the fish Nero caught on a whim. For the large ones, he stuffed herbs in their bellies, wrapped them in thick leaves, and set them by the campfire to cook. For the smaller ones, he simply skewered them for grilling.

As the other two did their jobs, Nero played around on the branches of a tree while grumbling.

“So why did you make me get fish instead of meat?”

“Because meat takes too long to chop up, and cleaning up after is a hassle too.”

“Then why don’t I just buy some chopped meat from Loudmouth’s place?”

In a surprising turn of events, Nero was actually offering to help. However, Isaac had another reason against meat as well, one that he had been keeping secret.

Once Wildianu finished pitching the tent, he joined the conversation.

“Master, I’ve noticed a clear decline in your food intake over the past week. Could it be that you are feeling unwell…?”

Wildianu was seated next to the fire, hugging his knees. Naturally, still dressed in his attendant uniform. Apparently, he believed this was the most compact way to sit on the ground.

Though he was used to the sight, Isaac could not help but think how bizarre it looked.

“Nah,” Isaac replied. “I’m not sick or anything. It’s just… I don’t really want to eat much meat right now.”

“Because it’s hard to move when you’re full?” Nero asked.

Though not exactly wrong, that wasn’t the main reason.

Isaac adjusted the fish skewers by the fire and quietly confessed.

“…I don’t gain much weight when I eat, but if I exercise while eating a lot, I tend to build muscle very quickly.”

“Is there a problem with that?” Wildianu asked.

“Muscle? What’s wrong with a bit of muscle?” Nero followed.

The two non-humans seemed unconvinced, so Isaac continued with a slightly sullen expression.

“Having too much muscle looks unbalanced with Arc’s face.”

“…”

“…”

Everyone fell into an awkward silence. Only the crackling of the fire echoed through the forest.

Isaac moved the firewood, skillfully adjusting the flames as he murmured to himself.

“Arc seemed to admire Prince Lionel a lot, so it makes sense for him to have a bit of muscle. But balance is important, right?”

“…I apologize, Master. I cannot comprehend your reasoning.”

“…You humans are weird.”

The non-humans could not relate, but for Isaac, this was a matter of utmost importance.

Come to think of it, his late father had also been rather muscular. Isaac had always taken after his father more than his mother.

Coincidentally, his rival in love was also concerned about his muscles (the lack of them) at this very moment, stuffing a weasel into his shirt and mumbling, “This makes me look quite buff.”

“Master, the fish has turned a golden color.”

“Yeah, I think it’s about ready.”

Isaac handed one of the crisp fish skewers to Nero.

“Here. You can have the first one, Nero-senpai.”

Nero took a huge bite before Isaac even finished his sentence. He devoured the whole thing in two or three mouthfuls, then crunched on the bones while grumbling.

“I’d still rather have meat.”

“Sure, after I’m done with the magical battle. As thanks for helping with my training, I’ll grant any request.”

“Make that thing with meat wrapped in more meat.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Isaac gave a halfhearted nod as he picked up one of the fish. The skin was crispy, and the inside was tender. Salt was the only seasoning he used, yet it turned out to be delicious. Isaac didn’t mind the distinct smell of river-fish either.

Still, he couldn’t help but think that meat was better. Once he finished the match tomorrow, he could feast on meat to his heart’s content.

“Alright,” Isaac said. “After I finish eating this, it’s time for the final touches… I need to master that spell tonight.”

Wildianu, who was still watching the grilled fish while hugging his knees, turned to Isaac and asked, “Can you make it in time?”

“I will, definitely.”

To prove his worth as a mage, simply casting a spell and landing a hit was not enough. He needed to show something special.

And that something needed to be more than just theoretical. Only a functional spell was worthy of evaluation.

Isaac had tons of ideas he wanted to try, spells he wanted to cast. But his actual skill in magecraft was not there yet.

“Man… nothing ever goes as planned.”

Upon hearing Isaac’s muttering, Wildianu looked like he wanted to say something, but he needed a moment to find the right words. Though Isaac noticed this, he didn’t say anything.

Eventually, Wildianu spoke up once Isaac finished the fish.

“Even so, you seem to be enjoying it.”

“Yeah, it is fun.”

After saying it out loud and hearing his own voice, he said it again to let it sink into his heart.

“I’m really enjoying myself right now.”

Isaac did not want to give up on learning magecraft.

This was why he needed to get results in the magical battle tomorrow. No matter what.

＊　＊　＊

Glenn Dudley had never been good at studying. Whenever he saw incomprehensible strings of text or numbers, it just made him sleepy.

Right now, his master Louis was writing something on the blackboard.

  • Punching/Kicking: Ineffective

  • Leg Sweeps: Dependent on Circumstances

  • Chokeholds: Effective

“Do you understand? These are the rulings for physical attacks in a magical battle.”

Once Louis was done writing, he turned to face Glenn.

(What am I even learning right now…?)

Louis was sure to smack Glenn if he said that out loud, so instead, Glenn voiced another of his doubts.

“Uh… what does ‘dependent on circumstances’ mean for leg sweeps?”

“Good question.”

What in the world was good about that question? Glenn thought to himself. He didn’t feel the slightest bit happy about the praise.

“I’ve always believed that leg sweeps do not count as violence. However, in magical battles, sweeping your opponent’s leg is treated the same as a kick.”

How could it be anything but a kick? Glenn thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Louis adjusted his monocle and continued.

“But if you simply place your foot in your opponent’s path, that is not ruled as a physical attack. I call this one the ‘gentle leg sweep’. The trick is to make sure you hook their feet properly.”

(Even if it’s ruled as okay, isn’t it still just a physical attack in the end…?)

When Glenn went to school, he often wondered, “When is this ever going to be useful in real life?”

Perhaps this was the first time he encountered something that he hoped would never be useful.

“Also, make sure to drill the differences between real combat and magical battles into your head. One hit to a vital area can end your life in actual combat, but in magical battles, damage is determined by the surface area touched by the spell. If you can’t dodge, you should crouch down or curl up to reduce your surface area. Using trees or other obstacles as shields is also a common strategy.”

Tomorrow, Glenn would be participating in a magical battle between the disciples of the Seven Sages.

Glenn’s first thought was “Guess I’ll have to fight the President…” without taking it very seriously. However, Louis seemed extremely fired up for some reason.

He kept telling Glenn stuff like “your master’s honor is on the line” and “you must win at all costs”. And every day, he put Glenn through a rigorous training regimen.

Glenn never cared much about magical battles, and he especially didn’t care about Louis’s honor. If his master wanted more honor, then he could go get it himself.

There was nothing motivating him to try. Honestly, he was starting to get fed up with the whole thing.

“I’ve heard that the Silent Witch’s disciple has difficulty launching water, so he’ll likely try to take you into close range. In a magical battle, your loss is practically assured if you lose the ability to chant. A chokehold can be just as nasty as a magic sword, so make sure to keep your distance and…”

“Huh? But I saw the President launching water before.”

Glenn had been tuning Louis out for a while now, half-listening with his chin in his hand. But once he heard Louis mention ‘the Silent Witch’s disciple’, he found himself interjecting before he knew it.

Louis paused his lecture, and all the expression vanished from his face.

“…Oops,” Glenn gasped, quickly covering his mouth.

He had never told his master about his regular contact with Isaac.

Louis always ranted about how much he hated the Second Prince, so Glenn figured that telling him would only make him angry.

In addition, Louis didn’t care about Glenn’s personal life or friendships, so there was little opportunity to bring the subject up.

Like how Isaac helped him study for the novice mage exam. Or how he witnessed the master-disciple pact between Monica and Isaac. Or how they regularly exchanged recipes in the Meat Cuisine Club and the passionate debate they had on sausages.

“Glenn.”

Louis spoke his name in a scarily flat tone. The lack of emotion only made him more terrifying.

Glenn immediately bolted for the window and began the incantation for flight magic.

Right as he dove out the window, a piece of chalk came out with frightening speed. It grazed Glenn’s leg before smashing into a tree and exploding into bits and pieces.

“Uh, I’ll be turning in early to rest up for tomorrow! Good night…!”

“You’re not getting away, you little brat!”

Louis also chanted the spell for flight magic and jumped through the window in pursuit.

The Barrier Mage chased his disciple through the skies until late into the night, exhausting them both for no good reason.

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