Chapter 360: I’m a Mage Too. (2)
Hubert pointed a trembling finger at Delmud, who had stepped forward, and shouted.
“What, what the hell! Why are you stepping out?”
“Why? Is there a rule that says I can’t?”
At Delmud’s cold words, Hubert clamped his mouth shut. He had nothing to say.
The Tower Masters and elders didn’t usually step forward out of custom or for the sake of appearances. However, in the distant past, even the elders would occasionally duel one another.
With Delmud stepping forward, the atmosphere shifted once more. The mages of the Crimson Flame Tower were now at a loss, pacing anxiously, unable to act.
“Who will come out?”
Delmud’s sharp gaze swept across the Crimson Flame Tower’s mages. Those who met his eyes quickly lowered their heads and avoided his stare.
Since the Tower Master had stepped forward, it was customary for the opposing side to send out their own Tower Master. However, Hubert lacked the courage to do so.
In the end, Vanessa stepped forward, her expression resolute. It had been decided from the beginning that she would take the last stand if necessary.
“No, don’t go,” Alfoi said, grabbing Vanessa’s arm and shaking his head.
She looked at him with trembling eyes.
“Alfoi…”
“Even you… No, even the Head of the Research Institute wouldn’t be able to win. Going out there would be a meaningless death.”
There’s only so much that “trying” can achieve. Alfoi, better than anyone, knew Vanessa’s capabilities.
In terms of accumulated knowledge and innate talent, she might surpass Delmud. But right now, her circle level was lower, and her mana was significantly lacking.
No matter how exceptional Vanessa was, the gap in power was insurmountable.
“Still… there’s no one else that will go.”
Hubert and the elders were trembling in fear, unwilling to step forward. Watching their pathetic display, Alfoi bit his lip and spoke bitterly.
“Then just don’t go. Let’s forfeit.”
“He won’t accept that.”
“Then we’ll have to fight. It’s better for all of us to fight together; it raises our chances of survival.”
Alfoi turned to the other mages and shouted with a furious expression.
“Damn it! What are you all doing? Don’t you see what’s going on? Those bastards are planning to kill every one of us! They came here fully prepared for this!”
Hubert looked at Alfoi with trembling eyes.
“Alfoi…”
“Get a grip! If we don’t fight, we’re all dead anyway! Step forward already, you fools!”
The sheer force of Alfoi’s words startled everyone. Even Hubert, though still trembling, managed to muster his voice.
“Then… why are you moving backward?”
Alfoi, though appearing resolute, was subtly inching backward while still holding onto Vanessa.
“…”
He didn’t reply and simply froze in place.
Maintaining his determined expression, Alfoi carefully gauged the reactions of those around him before taking another step back.
While everyone remained dazed, Delmud’s voice cut through the air with a chilling tone.
“Step forward, anyone. I don’t care who.”
Hubert was paralyzed with indecision. Whoever went out there would surely die. There was no one here who could stop that man.
No, perhaps there was one.
At some point, Ghislain had risen from the spectators’ seats and was making his way closer.
“C-Count Fenris, we must bring this to a conclusion. Please intervene and mediate,” Hubert pleaded. Ghislain was their last hope. An all-out war would result in disaster, and he couldn’t let the Tower be destroyed under his watch.
Ghislain nodded a few times and addressed Delmud.
“They’re asking to end this here. What is your stance, Tower Master?”
“Unacceptable. I have no intention of stopping. And I must remind you that interfering in matters between mages as a noble is overstepping your authority.”
Fwoooosh!
A powerful wave of mana surged from Delmud’s body, making his stance clear he had no intention of retreating.
Fueled by the death of his first disciple, Delmud was brimming with rage. He wasn’t about to stop.
Ghislain, for his part, was limited in how much he could intervene as a noble. Delmud planned to use the pretense of a “conflict among mages” to wipe out the Crimson Flame Tower, then deal with Count Fenris afterward.
Killing everyone here would be the most efficient way.
Ghislain, still calm, nodded slightly and spoke to Hubert.
“The Master of the Scarlet Tower isn’t wrong. By custom, my ability to intervene is limited.”
‘You’re the last person to talk about customs!’
Hearing such words from the man who disregarded customs more than anyone else made Hubert feel faint.
If Count Fenris didn’t intervene, they would really have to fight. And their opponent was a 7th-Circle mage.
Sending out a disciple, knowing they would die, was out of the question. Even Vanessa, an outsider, couldn’t be sacrificed.
When Hubert looked at the elders, they all shook their heads with horrified expressions.
‘Sigh, is this really the end of our Tower under my leadership?’
In the end, he realized he would have to go out himself. He might last longer than the others, but Delmud would undoubtedly kill him.
‘That bastard really intends to destroy our Tower.’
Otherwise, Delmud wouldn’t have acted so recklessly, not with Count Fenris present. It was clear that he was confident in his ability to navigate through any political pressure that might follow.
‘What should I do? Are we really going to fight like this?’
He couldn’t send someone out to die, nor did he want to die himself. Even if someone were to sacrifice themselves, there was no guarantee that would end the duel.
In the end, the only option was for everyone to fight together. This conflict wouldn’t end until one of the two towers was completely destroyed.
With a somber expression, Hubert looked toward Ghislain and said,
“Count, you should step back now. It seems we’ll have to settle this today.”
To his surprise, Ghislain replied with a casual expression,
“If you lack confidence, why not use a guest mage?”
“What? Vanessa is a 6th-Circle mage. She won’t win. But if you’re willing to send her out…”
“No, no. I meant a different mage.”
“A different mage? Who?”
Ghislain smiled brightly and said,
“I’ll go.”
“…Excuse me?”
Before Hubert could even react, Ghislain stepped forward.
“As a guest mage of the Crimson Flame Tower, I will participate in this duel.”
At those words, Delmud’s brow furrowed. What kind of nonsense was this?
“Count, don’t joke around. Do you really think you can stop the duel with this stunt?”
“It’s no joke. I’m saying I’ll fight.”
“This is a duel between mages. You’re not a mage.”
“Who says I’m not a mage?”
“What?”
A chilling smile spread across Ghislain’s face.
“I’m a mage too.”
Hubert and the elders thought to themselves.
‘Ah, this lunatic is at it again.’
While they appreciated that he had stepped forward, his claims always felt absurd. If he was going to bluff, couldn’t he at least make it believable?
Regardless of their thoughts, Ghislain slowly raised his arms.
Fwoooosh!
Suddenly, several blazing crimson-black spears formed behind him, floating ominously.
Everyone’s jaws dropped at the sight.
“W-What is that? What kind of magic is this?”
“It seems like mana… but also not?”
“Is Count Fenris really a mage?”
The power Ghislain wielded was a blend of mana and elemental energy. Rooted in his unique mana system, it was a force neither purely magical nor entirely spiritual.
For this reason, the mages couldn’t precisely discern the nature of his power. However, such a display was unmistakably the work of a mage, leaving them unable to refute his claim.
Even Delmud seemed slightly taken aback by the power Ghislain revealed.
‘He can use magic?’
There had been no reports of this from Count Desmond or the ducal families. Not even the rumors from the battlefield mentioned such abilities.
‘They called him a brilliant knight, but he never displayed power like this.’
The sheer intensity of the energy radiating from Ghislain was astounding. It wasn’t something one could achieve with a few days of practice.
‘Has he been hiding his strength all this time?’
Delmud had always found Ghislain intriguing, but seeing the Count’s abilities firsthand was even more astonishing. To think he had concealed such power while dominating battlefields and defeating Count Desmond.
Delmud narrowed his eyes as he stared at the mana spears hovering behind Ghislain.
‘It’s not pure mana. What kind of power is this?’
The energy felt tainted and chaotic. As a 7th-Circle mage, Delmud could sense that its origins were deeply unsettling.
‘Did he dabble in dark magic? Well, it doesn’t matter.’
Delmud smirked cruelly. He was one of only two 7th-Circle mages in the kingdom. Whatever power Ghislain possessed, it wouldn’t be enough to challenge him.
‘This works out well. I was going to kill him anyway.’
It was just a matter of timing. Now that Ghislain had willingly entered the duel, no one could interfere.
Killing Count Fenris first would make it easier to eliminate everyone else.
‘Participating in the duel himself also gives me a perfect excuse to deflect any pressure from the royal faction. This is an even better opportunity.’
Feigning reluctance, Delmud spoke to establish a pretext.
“Even if I were to recognize you as a mage, Count, it is still inappropriate for a noble to interfere in the affairs of the Towers”
“Hey, you lapdog of the Ducal House.”
“…What?”
“You came here intending to kill everyone anyway, didn’t you? So why bother with this pretense? Let’s settle this right now, just the two of us.”
Ghislain’s savage grin and blunt words left Delmud momentarily speechless.
A moment later, Delmud threw his head back and burst into raucous laughter.
“Ha, ha-ha-ha-ha!”
Rumble!
The magical energy contained in his laughter alone was overwhelming, forcing people to cover their ears and retreat.
Such was the sheer might of a 7th-Circle mage. Even his laughter carried enough power to inflict harm.
Delmud fixed his gaze on Ghislain and said,
“Fine. I’ve grown tired of this charade. I never understood why we needed to bother with all this when strength would resolve everything in the end.”
Delmud had restrained his destructive tendencies only because of Count Desmond and the ducal family’s expectations.
It had been a struggle to suppress his destructive nature, and he’d never truly unleashed the full extent of his power as a 7th-Circle mage.
When one possesses power, it’s natural to want to flaunt it. Delmud had been biding his time, yearning to bathe the kingdom in blood. But now, he no longer needed to hold back. Both Count Fenris and the Crimson Flame Tower had to be annihilated.
“Today, all of you will turn to ash.”
Booooom!
Delmud’s body began to rise into the air.
Watching the scene, Hubert shouted desperately.
“A m-magic barrier! Raise the magic barrier!”
Vwooom―!
A magic barrier spread across the area, but everyone knew it was futile.
The power of a 7th-Circle mage could not be stopped by such a barrier it was certain to be easily breached.
“Retreat! Get back, now!”
At the shouts of Hubert and the elders, the mages of the Crimson Flame Tower quickly fell back. The mages of the Scarlet Tower had already created significant distance.
“Lord!”
Vanessa tried to rush forward, shaking off Alfoi’s grip. However, Gillian stepped in her way, stopping her.
“Sir Gillian! The lord is!”
Gillian shook his head. Having been forewarned by Ghislain, he had no intention of letting anyone interfere.
“Trust the lord.”
“But…”
Vanessa looked at Ghislain with anxious eyes.
As a mage, she understood why 7th-Circle mages were called superhumans.
From the 7th Circle onward, a mage’s power transcended previous limits, allowing them to manifest truly supernatural phenomena. A 7th-Circle mage was a being of a different level.
This would be the strongest opponent Ghislain had ever faced.
Floating in the air, Delmud glared down at Ghislain with a haughty expression and spoke.
“Because of you, the affairs of the North have been ruined. Today, I will pass judgment on you.”
Ghislain, looking up at Delmud, smiled.
“You said everything would be solved through strength in the end, didn’t you?”
“Yes, there’s no need to drag this out. Once you’re dead, Amelia will take control of the North. Then, with the exception of the East, all regions will be ours. The civil war will end swiftly.”
“That’s good news to hear.”
“What?”
“There’s something I like to say to people.”
“And what is that?”
In that moment, crimson light flared in Ghislain’s eyes.
“I also love solving things with strength.”
Fwoosh!
The dozens of spears floating behind Ghislain shot toward Delmud.
Watching this, Delmud’s face twisted in displeasure.
“How arrogant.”
As he extended his hand, overwhelming mana surged, gripping the space around them.
“Fire Storm.”
Flames erupted around Delmud, intertwining and coiling together into a massive storm of fire.
Fwoooosh!
The fiery storm consumed the mana spears racing toward Delmud and then swept toward Ghislain, engulfing him entirely.
“Lord!”
Vanessa finally broke past Gillian and rushed forward.
But the others retreated even further. The massive storm of flames threatened to breach the magic barrier at any moment.
Everyone was paralyzed with fear. Someone muttered in a trembling voice.
“T-This is 7th-Circle magic…”
The flames dominating the area weren’t just magic they resembled a natural disaster.
“It’s over…”
“There’s no way to win…”
“We should run while we can…”
Hubert realized he had been deluding himself. No matter how many mages gathered here, they could never defeat Delmud.
The difference in power between circles grew exponentially, and this encounter drove that truth home.
They had to escape. It was the only way to survive.
“E-everyone, retreat! Request reinforcements from the Marquis of Brivant”
“Uwaaaaah!”
Before Hubert could finish, a cheer erupted from the disciples.
Fwoosh!
The colossal storm of fire split apart, and Ghislain burst through, unharmed.