Chapter 96 : Team Competition

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Chapter 0096 Team Competition

Translator: Tseirp

After yesterday’s simulated battle between Gordon and Klimt.

In the end, Alicia, the Wind Magician from the Hero Party, Bellrock, the Earth Magician, and finally even Roman, fought one-on-one mock battles.

Roman’s opponent was Emil Fischer, the first company commander who had been fond of swords since he was a child in a knight’s family, but … as expected, he couldn’t match up to the Hero.

The Hero party had breakfast in the prepared annex.

After having breakfast at the cafeteria in the training ground, Fiona and the other two adjutants held a debriefing session in the Division Chief’s office.

Yes, three people.

Normally, Deputy Chief Oscar, who stays holed up in the 4th Exercise Area, would still visit for breakfast and morning reports, but he did not show up this morning.

“What about Deputy Chief?”

As expected, his adjutant Jurgen asked Fiona with a worried look on his face.

“Um, leave him alone.”

“Ar-are you sure?”

“He’ll come out around today. That’s a precursor to that.”

Fiona replied with a smile, understanding that Oscar had finally arrived at the point of organizing his feelings.

“If teacher is coming out … should we apply for a team battle in the morning? Anytime would be fine if it seemed that teacher would not come out anytime soon … but if he’s coming out today or tomorrow, the sooner we hold it the better.”

“Is that because Roman-dono would only challenge Deputy Chief once he comes out?”

“Yes. We won’t be able to have Roman-dono as an opponent. Isn’t that a waste?”

Fiona laughed and replied to Marie’s confirmation.

(Since Deputy Chief’s return is in sight, a dazzling smile has returned to Her Royal Highness.)

Marie was delighted in her heart.

“What do you mean by ‘Let’s have a team battle today’?”

Graham, the priest who was negotiating for the Hero party, confirmed with Fiona.

The Hero Roman was waiting with other members a few steps behind so that he wouldn’t get tangled into saying unfavorable words.

(Graham also has a lot of troubles.)

Fiona, who was the cause of that trouble, thought with a laugh in her heart.

“How about seven versus seven? I understand that it is not easy to have seven people at the same level as your party, but this is a never-before-seen experience, a match with the Hero party. I hope you agree.”

“No, we understand that your division has talented people from yesterday’s mock battles.”

In the simulated battles yesterday, Gordon, Alicia, and Bellrock fought in magic matches using Fire, Wind, and Earth, and although the Hero side won all the matches, the division also fought quite well.

Gordon, the Fire Magician, completely changed his preconceptions after he saw that not only he but also Alicia and Bellrock did not encounter easy wins.

They were matches that were quite close …

Of course, excluding the battle with the Hero.

“I understand. I will accept the mock battle of seven versus seven.”

Graham thanked Fiona and summoned the party members who were behind him.

“Thank you. Well, the problem is our members. Let’s let Jurgen join, he was dissatisfied with acting as the judge the whole time yesterday. The judge will be another person, Graham-dono, are you okay with that?”

(Here it is!)

After hearing Fiona’s suggestion, Graham thought to himself. This was a swap to win.

(As an adjutant, he was either a person who had no fighting ability and was good at coordinating, or a person who had the power to overwhelm ordinary division members, but so he’s the latter? This is troublesome but … as long as Roman is here, there shouldn’t be any chance …)

“Yes, of course, it doesn’t matter.”

Graham accepted the change in judge.

“Jurgen, Marie, 2nd Company Commander Nin, 3rd Company Commander Stock, 4th Company Commander Elsa, and Deputy Recovery Officer Marma. The judge will be Emile, the 1st Company Commander who fought the Hero yesterday. Yup, these will be the members.”

“Excuse me, Your Highness. There are only six members on our division side …”

Marie, the adjutant, asked Fiona with a feeling of dread.

“Of course, that’s because I’ll be participating too, so that’s seven people.”

“Oh, I knew it …”

Marie’s shoulders slumped to the expected answer.

As her adjutant, Marie wanted Fiona to be in a safe place …

“I have the deputy recovery officer Marma, but the Chief officer Fin and the rescue squad are all on standby. I can handle it even if something unforeseen happens. Don’t worry.”

Fiona smiled at Marie.

“The rules are almost the same as yesterday. Immediate death attacks are forbidden. The match will end if it is judged that all seven members surrender, faint, or cannot continue the battle.”

At a distance of 50 meters, the Hero party and Fiona’s party faced each other.

“Full strength bombardment from the start. Make the Hero party serious.”

Fiona whispered to her party.

And the voice of Emile, the first company commander who was the judge, echoed.

“Now, the match begins!”

“<Light Javelin>”

“<Fire Javelin>”

“<Sonic Blade>”

“<Fire Ray>”

“<Color of the Wind>”

“<Stone Spear Killing Room>”

“<Heaven and Earth Collapse>”

The strongest magic attacks from the seven most elite members of the Empire’s Emperor Magic Division.

The magic barrier encasing the training ground was fully deployed but a part of it was chipped off.

Thunderous roars ripped through the grounds, lights flashed, and dust covered the area.

“Um … instant death attacks are prohibited …”

Emile’s words, the first company commander acting as judge, did not reach anyone.

“Chief … released Heaven and Earth Collapse …”

“Marie-san and Jurgen-san went full power too …”

“They’re dead, right?”

The members of the division in the audience seats whispered with surprise.

The dust that blew up around the Hero party settled down and it was finally possible to see …

“Unharmed …”

Somebody muttered in the audience seats … but many members of the division had the same thoughts.

Marie’s <Color of the Wind>, Jurgen’s <Stone Spear Killing Room>, and Fiona’s <Heaven and Earth Collapse> … were all the strongest spells in their respective fields in the Empire as wide-area attack magic cast by an individual.

They couldn’t believe that they were unharmed.

However, that was limited to the members of the division sitting in the audience seats.

The members of Fiona’s Party at the training ground found it normal.

“So it broke the magic barrier but it couldn’t break through the Hero’s holy sword?”

Adjutant Jurgen muttered.

Roman stood at the forefront of the Hero party with his holy sword.

“Muu … my magic barrier disappeared without enduring much of the blast.”

“My generated clay wall didn’t have much use too.”

“My wind barrier also disappeared just from a gentle brush from that wide-area Wind-Attribute attack …”

The Priest Graham, The Earth-Attribute Bellrock, and the Wind-Attribute Alicia grumbled.

“In other words, if Roman didn’t sweep it aside with his holy sword, everyone would have been killed by that previous blow!”

“Hey, Gordon, you should have cast a magic barrier too.”

Gordon’s angered voice was shot down by the Scout Maurice.

“Everyone!”

Hero Roman’s voice reverberated.

“Go all out without holding back.”

The entire party nodded to Roman’s words.

“OK <Party Haste> <Enchant Wind>”

When Ash Khan, who hadn’t spoken a word before, chanted the trigger words, the entire Hero party was wrapped in wind, and Hero Roman’s holy sword and the Scout Maurice’s dagger shone green.

“Your Highness, she is an Enchanter. The speed of everyone in the Hero party will increase.”

“!”

The members in Fiona’s party were surprised by Elsa’s, the 4th Company Commander, words.

Even Fiona, who always maintained calm in battle and took it as her creed, was not an exception.

However, she did her utmost to not reveal it on her face.

“A magic class not found in Central Nations. They’re coming!”

At the same time as Fiona’s warning, magic attacks from the Hero party fell onto Fiona’s party in return.

At the same time, Hero Roman, Scout Maurice, and Ash Khan, the Wind-Attribute Enchanter, plunged into hand-to-hand combat.

It was Marie against Maurice, Jurgen against Ash Khan, and Fiona against the Hero Roman.

“Roman’s opponent … as if the princess can …”

Those words spilled from Gordon’s mouth.

It’s impossible … Gordon was about to continue … but he couldn’t.

Roman and Fiona collided in the middle of the party and started a fierce sword fight.

Roman was a Swordsman.

Moreover, he was the Hero.

In addition, he had sped up with the effect from Haste.

But, Fiona was matching up to Roman without taking a step back.

In the first place, clashing swords with the Hero was a 『phenomenon』 that rarely occurred.

The holy sword Astarte wielded by the Hero Roman.

It was impossible to clash against it with a normal sword.

An ordinary sword would shatter with just one clash.

However, Fiona’s sword was not an ordinary sword either.

One of the two magic swords that the Imperial family was proud of, the treasured sword Raven.

A mythical sword that was said to have the two attributes of wind and fire in a single swing.

A jet-black sword said to have been forged through a collaboration of gods long ago.

It was a sword that the Emperor used for generations.

However, the current Emperor Rupert VI bestowed it to Fiona.

The treasured sword Raven appeared closer to a rapier than a sword which suited it to be carried by a woman than a man and more importantly, Rupert told the people around him that the sword liked Fiona more.

There was no further explanation and since no one could coerce Emperor Rupert, Fiona had been holding it ever since.

Fiona had carried Raven for eight years since it was given to her when she was ten years old. A partner, in a sense.

That partner opened up all her potential in the face of the opponent at a level that she had never fought against in her life.

The 『Wind-Attribute』 that the treasured sword Raven was imbued with increased the speed of Fiona’s movements, including the speed of her sword.

A pseudo-haste state.

In addition, Raven’s 『Fire-Attribute』 qualities also raised Fiona’s own ability as a Fire-Attribute Magician.

It made it possible to fire offensive magic between sword clashes, something that could be thought of but usually impossible to do.

Casting magic as though exhaling … no, she was doing it even more smoothly as Fire Javelins and Piercing Fires were fired by Fiona towards Roman.

Even Roman could not achieve that.

Simply put, it increased the number of moves Fiona had.

To be precise, she could mix in attacks that must be avoided and not blocked.

Normally, when a person tries to cast magic during a sword clash, there would be a slight gap.

Therefore, if the opponent is at the same or a stronger level, they should not cast magic; and if the opponent is at a weaker level, there was no need to bother to cast magic … ultimately, it is inconceivable to cast magic during a sword clash.

(But … the Princess made it possible.)

The Hero Roman was amazed as the fierce battle unfolded.

While fighting with a sword, her magic was cast very smoothly.

As the clash of swords continued, Roman couldn’t help but notice.

This fighting style wasn’t something that came as inspiration or thought of on the spot, but something that had been built up and polished through a long period of training.

She had been training by simultaneously attacking with her sword and casting magic from when she started her basic training.

Fiona began learning the sword when she was four years old.

None of her ten older sisters did that, but it was the result of Fiona’s fervent request to her father, Emperor Rupert VI.

Why did she start saying that she wanted to practice the sword?

Because the desire was born the moment she set her eyes on the sword on Rupert’s waist.

“Raven? If Fiona practices her utmost and can wield it properly, I will lend it to you.”

What Rupert said at the time was half a joke, but also half-serious.

Encounters with a lifelong 『partner』 were sometimes fateful.

Rupert had already felt at that point that that might be the case.

And six years later … On Fiona’s tenth birthday, the treasured sword Raven became Fiona’s partner.

It was a week before Fiona met her most cherished person.

Fiona’s swordsmanship had been trained since the age of four and with Raven since the age of ten.

The only person in the division who knew all about it was Oscar, her teacher.

But today, her full strength was displayed in front of the members of the division.

“Wow …”

Silence dominated the audience seats.

The Emperor’s Magic Division was, of course, made up of all Magicians.

However, just because a person is a Magician doesn’t mean that they can’t fight in close quarters.

It’s over once their magical power runs out.

It’s over once the enemy gets close.

There was no good reason to build up such a fragile group.

Strong magic was a matter of course but their close combat ability must also be strong.

That was what was required of an Emperor Magic Division Magician on the battlefield.

Division Chief Fiona who stood at the head of that division.

The division members knew that Fiona was strong with a sword, but didn’t expect her to be strong to that extent.

While Roman and Fiona’s sword fight unfolded in the center, Adjutant Marie was also engaged in close combat with the Scout Maurice.

But it was strange close combat.

Maurice from the Hero party was a Scout.

She held daggers in both hands and fought with light movements.

Therefore, rather than striking from the front, attacks by sneaking around or behind the opponent were her mainstream means of attack but …

Against Adjutant Marie, she couldn’t get behind her.

No, to be precise, she would try to circle, but Marie easily dealt with it.

That didn’t mean that Adjutant Marie was fast.

Of course, she was faster than a normal Swordsman, but she was slower than Maurice, who acted as the Scout of the Hero party.

But she couldn’t circle her.

Because there was a constant downburst, a strong downdraft around Marie.

Marie, the Wind-Attribute Magician, had a very unique one-on-one fighting style.

She would almost unknowingly create a powerful downburst around her and fight while hindering her opponent’s movements.

In a typhoon with wind speeds of 50 meters, one probably can’t move as they desire?

Around Marie, such winds were always blowing from above toward the ground.

Regardless of whether you move lightly or steadily, you can’t even move properly.

Moreover, this was the worst kind of opponent for Maurice, a Scout who relied on nimble movements.

(This is bad. Of all the people to be my opponent. I have no luck ... no, did you calculate that far and pair me with this person? Princess with a beautiful face, how nasty.)

Scout Maurice pondered on a strategy while moving without stopping in one place to not let her opponent lock onto her.

Shuut.

Kang.

She tried throwing a throwing knife, but it was still blown away by that damn wind.

(This ... how can I defeat her ... I can’t get close to her, my throwing knives can’t even reach her ... I wonder if I should just endure and wait for someone else to assist?)

Maurice was a Scout in the first place.

Even during their adventures, combat power was not expected of her, and along with Graham, who played the role of the healer, their role was to not die.

Of course, as a member of the Hero party, her fighting ability was miles above ordinary Scouts but she was still not as strong as the rest of the party.

(A complete stalemate ...)

Maurice sighed lightly.

Close combat was happening in three places.

Hero Roman versus Fiona in the middle.

Maurice versus Marie on the left side of the Hero party.

And on the right, the Enchanter Ash Khan versus Jurgen.

There was no occupation called 『Enchanter』 in Central Nations.

What were they like in the first place?

Enchantment is the act of adding a ‘temporary’ attribute to a friend’s body or weapon by magic.

And the magic profession that specializes in that is an 『Enchanter』.

Why were there none in the Central Nations?

The reason was simple. Because Enchanters cast without magic chants.

Ryo, Sera, and the members of the Empire’s Emperor Magic Division cast magic without chanting, but that was an exception among the Magicians of the Central Nations.

In fact, even for Magicians who belong in the same Imperial Army, the 『Emperor Magic Division』 does not chant, but all 1st to 8th company of the 『Imperial Magic Army』do.

It was solely due to Fiona and Oscar’s insistence that the 『Emperor Magic Division』 always cast magic without chanting.

Even beginners can easily cast magic by chanting.

However, the strength of the magic cast that way was almost constant no matter who casts it.

There was some research testing if an Advanced Magician cast beginner magic or intermediate magic, it would be more powerful than expected, but fundamentally the power remained constant.

In addition, because it takes time to chant, there would be a lag time before the magic activates.

That could be fatal in combat.

Therefore, when Fiona and Oscar reorganized the Emperor’s Magic Division, they made sure to thoroughly enforce casting magic without chanting.

Well, that was why Enchanters didn’t exist in the Central Nations because there was no 『magic chant』.

It was also Jurgen’s first time seeing one.

(Her Highness and Elsa said that Graham could utilize close combat either unarmed or with spear technique, but Ash Khan-dono, a Wind-Attribute Magician? And she is an Enchanter ... I guess I can gain valuable experience.)

Ash Khan, whom Jurgen was facing, fought hand-to-hand combat style with armored gauntlets and legs and by applying haste to her body to speed up.

It was a fighting style that didn’t suit a Magician, but she would probably retort Jurgen by saying, ‘I don’t want to be told that by you’.

Jurgen was attacking with orthodox swordsmanship.

Jurgen Bartel was the second son of Count Bartel.

The Count family was succeeded by his older brother, who was eight years older, but Jurgen had been trained in general martial arts since he was a child, as a regular member of the family who produced excellent Swordsmen for generations.

Therefore, from a young age, he vaguely thought that he would join the Imperial Knights when he was eighteen.

In fact, his ability with the sword was excellent.

At the age of fifteen, he began to defeat his tutor who was the Count’s swordsmanship instructor, and at the age of sixteen, even his father, the head of the family, could not rival him.

By the time he reached adulthood at the age of eighteen, his eight years older brother was the only person stronger than him with the sword. At that time, his brother was one of the Twelve Knights of the Emperor, who were the best of the Imperial Knights.

For that reason, Jurgen caught the eye of the Emperor.

He fought a good match with his elder brother in the Twelve Knights. Moreover, he had just reached adulthood.

Emperor Rupert VI would not overlook such talent.

After detailed investigations and hearings, Rupert decided that he would be of help to Fiona and Oscar, who were close in age.

Jurgen was then entrusted to Oscar and trained in various ways for six months before he was then assigned as Oscar’s adjutant and Fiona’s guard.

That was almost two years before Fiona was appointed as the Division Chief of the Empire’s Emperor Magic Division.

The sword Jurgen used was an ordinary iron sword with a blunt blade used in the training ground.

Of course, they could use the weapons they normally used for this mock combat.

That was why Fiona was using the treasured sword Raven, and the Hero Roman wielded the holy sword Astarte.

However, Jurgen knew that he was not good at stopping his blade, so he decided to use a sword with a blunt blade that would not kill the opponent even if he struck them.

If his superior Oscar heard him say that, he would likely sarcastically say ‘Hey, that’s quite some confidence’, but there was no other way around something he was bad at.

It would be terrible if he killed a person and said it couldn’t be helped.

Jurgen had no choice.

Basically, Ash Khan attacked and Jurgen defended, and the battle between the two continued.

Ash Khan’s martial art was decent, but from Jurgen’s point of view, there seemed to be gaps to take advantage of.

The rest was timing.

If he missed the timing, everything would be wasted. It was the same with anything.

Jurgen discretely aimed for the timing while dealing with Ash Khan’s attacks.