[V16C15] Master of Sales

In front of Hugo, Glenn finished an incantation and glanced around anxiously with a fireball in hand. Hugo could tell exactly what he was thinking.

(Ah… Yeah, in a battle royale like this, it’s hard to pick a target. I totally get it~)

If everyone is around the same level, then you should go for someone you think you can beat.

But if there’s one clear powerhouse, then you should team up with the others to gang up on them.

And in this situation, the powerhouse was undoubtedly Glenn.

Glenn looked around until he saw Hugo. The moment they locked eyes, Hugo realized that he had been chosen as the target. He ducked behind a tree and deployed a defensive barrier.

The barrier for the magical battle reinforced the trees inside the arena, so hiding behind one was enough to considerably dampen the force of oncoming spells.

Add a sturdy defensive barrier on top of that, and even Glenn’s high-powered magic could be blocked.

(And given the current positioning, Clarence-san should move into action… I hope!)

Hugo performed a small fistpump as his prediction ended up being spot on. Clarence launched his serpent of sand at practically the same time as Glenn’s fireball.

The giant serpent darted at Glenn, about to tear into him with its fangs… but it seems that was a feint.

Its tail suddenly split into ten razor-sharp spears, which launched themselves at both Glenn and Isaac at the same time.

Isaac avoided the spears by diverting their trajectory with reinforced threads of water. Glenn, on the other hand, had been too focused on attacking Hugo to dodge. He got hit by several spears in the arm and screamed in pain.

Hugo tried to take advantage of the chaos to slip away under the cover of the trees… but then he tripped on one of the water threads.

(Ah, crap.)

Sure enough, Clarence noticed the opening and sent the sand serpent at the stumbling Hugo.

The face of the serpent had no eyes or scales, so its head was as smooth and slick as polished stone… until it opened its jaws to reveal a row of sharp fangs. A bite from those was sure to deal serious damage.

(Then how about this!)

Hugo deployed a barrier using a shortened incantation. Not around himself, but inside the serpent’s mouth.

This barrier prevented the serpent from closing its jaws, so it could no longer bite down. Hugo gave himself a pat on the back for the quick thinking.

…Or so he thought, until the serpent dissolved into a pile of loose sand, before reforming back into a serpent in front of the barrier.

“It is sand, after all,” Clarence said to the stunned Hugo.

The way Clarence acted so calm in the middle of a battle was terrifying. It would have been better if he looked even a little smug about it.

Hugo turned his back to Clarence and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

However, the web of water threads covering the area made that difficult.

These threads were normally as fragile as spider silk, so they could be easily broken on contact. But once Isaac reinforced them with mana, they became incredibly durable.

To make matters worse, there was no visual cue as to which threads were reinforced, so Hugo had no choice but to avoid them all.

(Walker-kun… Your magic seems like a huge pain in the ass…)

Hugo was good enough at water magic to create threads of water, but he had zero desire to copy Isaac’s technique. Managing the threads was sure to be extremely annoying.

(Just how much area did he cover with these threads? And how does he keep track of them all without his brain going kaput? Is there like an army of mini-Walkers in his head doing it for him?)

While pondering that, Hugo nearly tripped over another thread.

Once he regained his footing, a sudden realization popped into his head.

Was their decision making being influenced by these threads?

When Glenn was unsure of who to target, he ended up throwing the fireball at Hugo. Perhaps that was because of the fewer threads in Hugo’s direction compared to Isaac and Clarence.

When Isaac deflected the attack from the sand serpent, it went after Hugo next because he stumbled over a thread.

(Is Walker-kun using these threads to lure us around…?)

A cold sweat ran down Hugo’s back.

He felt like a puppet, with invisible strings coiled around his limbs.

And the puppeteer pulling his strings was Isaac Walker.

…Perhaps they should have gone after him first.

The moment that thought crossed Hugo’s mind, someone dropped down from a tree in front of him. The figure’s black robes spread out like a pair of wings, revealing the vivid green-blue lining contained within.

It was Isaac, and his rifle was already aimed directly at Hugo’s head.

(Thank goodness I kept chanting while on the run! Good job, me!)

Hugo instantly deployed a small defensive barrier to shield himself.

Enchanted bullets possessed high penetration power, so they could break through a barrier that was too thin.

To counter this, Hugo prioritized thickness over size. His barrier was a shield just large enough to protect his upper body.

(It’s easy to block a gun because you can tell where it’s aiming. Just look at the barrel!)

Isaac pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot came with a sharp pain in Hugo’s abdomen and lower body. He tumbled to the ground and cried out in pain.

(Why…!? My barrier was perfectly aligned with the barrel!)

Hugo knew nothing about Isaac’s shotgun rounds. He had no choice but to roll away and flee into the brush.

＊　＊　＊

Louis sat on a sofa with his legs crossed, glaring at the white screen. His face remained sour, but he calmly analyzed the situation.

The most notable participant was, of course, the Silent Witch’s disciple, Isaac Walker.

From his movements and overhearing the whispered commentary of the nearby Monica, Louis was able to grasp the characteristics of his magic.

(…His fighting style is far too compatible with the Silent Witch.)

Isaac’s water threads seemed like an exceptional tool for reconnaissance, defense, and disruption. However, there was one major issue. Using them in team combat would require a high degree of coordination.

After all, Isaac had to cover the area around him in these threads. It would be disastrous if his allies accidentally got their weapons tangled, or flew into them with flight magic.

…But if paired with the Silent Witch, it was a different story.

Monica specialized in precision over power. She would have no trouble aiming through the gaps in the threads.

Moreover, the physically weak Monica rarely moved around during battle. There was no need to worry about her tripping over the threads.

Louis closed his eyes and imagined it.

The Silent Witch protected by a web of water threads.

The disciple shields his master while keeping tabs on the battlefield with high-precision reconnaissance magic. Then, the Silent Witch uses that data to snipe down all their foes. They were surely a force to be reckoned with.

(Did he think that far ahead when choosing his combat style?)

Isaac’s magic had a wide range of practical applications.

Using water threads for reconnaissance and movement interference might even be effective against dragons.

For example, Magic Corps members working as a team could use the threads to slow down the dragons. Even the slightest delay would make the job of the attackers much easier.

In addition, the threads might be useful in luring dragons away from populated areas. That would contribute to reducing casualties.

The water shotgun was certainly not ideal against dragons, but it seemed good for exterminating pests with low magic resistance. With enough ingenuity, these spells could be expanded for use in other areas too.

None of the spells used by Isaac Walker were all that special. They could not possibly compare to a unique gift like chantless magic.

Which meant that other people could use them if given the magical formula and enough time to practice. That alone gave him plenty of value.

(…He knows how to market himself.)

In this magical battle, Isaac needed to demonstrate his worth as a mage.

Rather than showcasing a one-of-a-kind talent, he presented versatile spells that could be passed on to others. This was a contribution to the development of Ridill’s magecraft as a whole.

(I’ve heard rumors about Duke Erin being a shrewd businessman… I see now. He is indeed a master of sales.)

Essentially, Isaac was marketing his products, the water-based reconnaissance magic and the shotgun, through a live demonstration. He knew that a dragon-hunting veteran like Louis would want these spells.

The trick to sales was to tickle the wants of the target audience. Isaac Walker understood this well.

Melissa was right when she said Isaac’s true strength lay in areas other than magic.

(…That said, he cannot take on all three with just those water threads and a shotgun.)

The water threads were only good for support, making his only offensive tool the shotgun. Since his gun required a decent amount of time for reloading, it was difficult for him to come out on top.

Moreover, there was one more thing bothering Louis.

According to the documents submitted before the match, Isaac Walker possessed a mana capacity of 153.

Not an exceptionally high number, but not low either. And yet, he seemed to be acting incredibly conservative with his mana.

(…Does he still have some trick up his sleeve?)

Just as Louis started growing suspicious, a loud voice came from the sofa to his left. It was Monica.

“Ike, do your best! …Y-You can do it!”

This surprised Louis far more than anything he had seen from Isaac.

It was the first time he ever heard Monica raise her voice.

＊　＊　＊

The masters in the spectator seats were only allowed to cheer. And now, all four disciples had gathered in the same place.

This was the moment. Monica took a deep breath and shouted.

“Ike, do your best! …Y-You can do it!”

“Go, Ike! Nice one! You got this!”

From the same sofa as Monica, Silas also started a series of loud cheers.

Then, Bradford and Mary joined in from the back row.

“Hugo! Show ‘em what their senior can do!”

“B-But Master~… W-Wait, time out, please…! Walker-kun, you’re so brutal that it’s scaring me… Agyaah…!”

Hugo continued running around the pillar, screaming every time Isaac fired the rifle. All of it could be heard from the spectator room.

“Clarence, do your best too~.”

“Yes, Milady.”

Clarence responded to Mary’s cheer by collapsing his sand serpent into a cloud of dust. It was time for a change of strategy.

“Doing it this way tends to get things a bit messy… I hope you can forgive me.”

Monica quickly realized what Clarence was aiming for.

The water thread magic used by Isaac had a certain weakness, and Clarence was about to take advantage of it.

“This is the critical moment!” Monica shouted. “You can do it, Ike!”

“Ike!” Silas followed. “Show them what the guys from the east can do!”

＊　＊　＊

Cyril was taking notes at the table with the other recorders, doing his best to calm himself down.

He got flustered when Monica acted so familiar with Count Ambard. Then again when he noticed Isaac’s feelings for Monica. And a third time when Monica whispered to Raul and Silas with their faces so close.

And now, after seeing Monica cheer for Isaac, Cyril had almost reached his limit.

The timid Monica was raising her voice and cheering for someone. This was incredible growth, and Cyril was proud of her. He wanted to join her in cheering for Isaac, but he could not.

Because Cyril realized the name of this feeling. There was no mistaking it. This was… panic.

——If he gets serious, there’s no way I can win!

Whether in studies or magic, Cyril had never thought about beating Isaac before.

Of course, Cyril wanted to graduate at the top of his class and meet his stepfather’s expectations. However, he considered “his class” to mean “everyone but the prince”. His Highness was on an entirely different level, one that he could never hope to reach.

(And yet… I…)

Cyril covered his mouth—as well as the fake beard—with his hand.

(I just thought that… I don’t want to lose to him…)

This was why Cyril got crushed by the realization that he couldn’t win.

For some reason, he was trying to compete with Isaac. Cyril could hardly believe his own thoughts.

He gripped his quill and did his best to calm down.

The best way to stay calm was to keep your hands busy. Currently, Cyril was working as a recorder for the magical battle. His job was to take accurate notes.

There were four recorders for this match, one for each of the participants. The other three were members of House Roseberg, seated at the same table as Cyril.

The job of a recorder was to document the spells cast by their assigned mage, such as the type of magic and time of casting.

That said, Cyril was assigned to Glenn, and Glenn was barely using any magic. There was hardly any work for Cyril to do.

(Why is Dudley not using flight magic?)

Cyril understood why Isaac needed to conserve mana. Isaac had limited mana due to starting at half capacity to maintain his face.

But Glenn had plenty of mana. What was he saving it for?

Upon closer inspection, it didn’t look like Glenn intended to save his mana. It seemed more like he wasn’t even trying to win the match.

A frown formed on Cyril’s face as he continued watching Glenn on the white screen.

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