Chapter 4 – The Former Demon King Fights in a Magic Duel
“To think a C-rank mage would show up… This was completely outside of my predictions…!”
Odette’s carriage sped toward the site of the magic duel. She was late because she had been investigating until the very last minute. Only just before the investiture ceremony had she finally discovered that Princess Salvia’s guardian knight was Alex Kielce. In the end, she hadn’t been able to relay that information to Yuuki.
Normally… a C-rank mage would never become a guardian knight…
Alex Kielce was 21 years old. He had a proven track record at the Magic Guild and was even involved in the exploration of the massive dungeon known as ‘Elysium, the Capital of Ancient Magical Civilization.’ By all rights, he shouldn’t have had the time to take on the duties of a guardian knight.
But the House of Kielce had made a blunder in the recent incident. The second son, Jilvan, had tried to interfere with the ‘Guardian Knight Selection Trial’ and failed spectacularly—using the worst possible method of summoning a specter and attacking the trial proctor. While Gael was the one who used the summoning magic, the order had come from Jilvan. The Kielce family was held responsible, weakening their position.
And that was when Princess Salvia had made her move. She proposed to become the Marquisate’s patron in exchange for Alex becoming her guardian knight. All so she could use the power of C-rank mage Alex Kielce to crush Iris’s guardian knight.
“Honestly, how despicable!”
The carriage came to a halt. They had arrived at the arena. Odette leaped from the carriage and ran toward the entrance.
“Hold it! Only authorized personnel are allowed beyond this point!”
“I am Odette Sley, second daughter of the House of Sley!” Odette shouted at the guard standing watch at the gate of the Magic Proving Grounds—also known as the Colosseum. “It has been arranged for me to watch today’s duel alongside Princess Iris. Escort me to Her Highness Iris Liestia at once!”
Guided by the guard, Odette walked down a long corridor. This was one of the facilities owned by the Magic Guild, used for magical training and competitions between mages.
In the center of the building was a vast, open space. While the guild members sometimes called it the Colosseum, it was, in reality, just a proving ground. It was sometimes planted with medicinal herbs for magical experiments, and at other times, animals were released into it.
Today’s duel wasn’t a fight to the death or even to injury. It was meant to be a battle to determine a winner under a fixed set of rules. With that thought, Odette quickened her pace. Her frilly dress was incredibly annoying. She was only wearing such an outfit because she had been invited as the daughter of a duke. In order to stand beside Iris, who was watching over her guardian knight’s battle as a princess, formal noble attire was required. But it was a complete mistake. It was so restrictive she could barely move.
“…It seems it hasn’t started yet.”
Odette finally reached the spectator stands of the arena, out of breath. The audience was sparse, consisting mostly of Magic Guild officials. There were some nobles as well. The ones occupying the most prominent seats were members of the House of Kielce, though Jilvan, who was under house arrest, was not among them. Guild trainees were also present—those who would soon become their partners.
Within the spectator stands encircling the arena, special seats for the two princesses had been set up on the west and east sides, each positioned closest to the action. To the west was Princess Salvia. And to the east was Iris’s seat.
“My apologies for my lateness, Your Highness.” Odette bowed at Iris’s side.
“I have been waiting for you, Odette,” Iris replied, clad in a blue dress. “Thank you for attending my guardian knight’s magic duel today. Please, I ask that you cheer for my knight, Yuuki Grossalia, alongside me.”
“It would be my honor, Your Highness.”
The two girls glanced around. There was no one in the nearby spectator seats. Instead, several guards stood in attendance nearby. Iris and Odette exchanged a nod, and Iris gave a small wave—a signal for them to be dismissed. The guards followed the princess’s order and left the area. The two girls saw them off with smiles, and then—
“…Odette. What do I do?” A pale-faced Iris looked at Odette. “I told Lord Yuuki. I told him he didn’t need to go along with this, that he should just forfeit. And yet… why…”
“It’s because he’s angry, I imagine.”
“…What?”
“Iris, did you tell Yuuki about what’s been happening with you and Princess Salvia?”
At Odette’s question, Iris shook her head.
“Well, I did,” Odette said. “I told him about how your tenth birthday present was destroyed, and how she revealed Grandmother Rachel’s immortal constitution in front of the other princes and princesses. And also about how the letters I sent you were sometimes opened by someone else.”
“Why would you do that?!”
“Because Yuuki asked me. He asked what kind of life his girl was living.”
“Lord Yuuki did?”
“He asked if you were still a picky eater, if you’d learned to eat your beans, or if you’d grown out of the habit of sleeping with your stomach uncovered in the summer. Just like a father worrying about his child.”
“You told him all that, Odette?”
“As a lady, I only shared the parts that were appropriate.”
“But… you didn’t have to tell him about Sister Salvia…”
“That’s because no matter what anyone asks you, all you ever say is ‘I’m fine.’” Odette jabbed a finger at her. “When Yuuki asked what kind of person Princess Salvia was, you said, ‘It’s fine. She’s a normal person.’ When he asked if you were sure he didn’t have to participate in the duel, you said, ‘It’s fine. I’ll handle it.’ With so many ‘it’s fines,’ anyone would be worried, not just Yuuki.”
“…But…” Iris clutched the hem of her dress tightly. “But my Lord is so reckless! He’s the kind of person who would do anything for his family. If I told him someone was being cruel to me, he would absolutely go too far!”
“…Honestly, you two understand each other so well, it’s just infuriating.”
“…You don’t think… my Lord knew what I was thinking?”
“Of course he did.” Odette nodded. “He knows you’re worried. And knowing that, he decided to fight for your sake this time.”
“…………Yeah. I know.”
“You have a long road ahead of you. Are you prepared?”
“Prepared?”
“Because to Yuuki, you’re still that small, helpless child.”
“—Huh?”
“The way I see it, Yuuki is like a much older brother who’s known you since the day you were born. It’s going to be tough making him see you in a romantic light~. You’re in for a real struggle~.”
“O-Odette… that’s so mean…”
“On the other hand, you don’t need to worry about Yuuki being reckless.”
“I don’t?”
“No. We discussed it and came up with a countermeasure.”
Odette looked toward the arena. From the southern gate, Yuuki was just making his appearance. He wore a jet-black robe prepared by the Grail Trading Company—something he had requested himself, made of a durable material and complete with a hood to hide his face. Beneath it, he wore his Magic Guild uniform. In his hand, he held a staff. It was a metal rod, about half the length of his arm.
“That’s one of the countermeasures. A custom staff that Yuuki designed for himself.”
“A custom staff for Lord Yuuki, so quickly…? Was it the Grail Trading Company?”
“Yes. Since it was for Yuuki, they rushed to make it for him.”
Next, from the northern gate, Alex Kielce appeared. He was dressed in a pure white robe and also carried a staff. A surprising number of ‘Ancient Magic’ users preferred to use them. To activate an Ancient Spell, one needed to draw a sigil in the air with their finger in addition to the incantation. While it was generally done with just a finger, some found it easier to draw with a staff. Conversely, others found that the weight of a staff slowed them down. Alex Kielce was likely the former.
“C-rank mages are strong, aren’t they…?”
“They are. To qualify for C-rank, one must be able to navigate the third level of ‘Elysium, the Capital of Ancient Magical Civilization.’ It means they have the strength to fight the monsters on that level and return alive.”
“Will Lord Yuuki be alright?”
“Are you worried?”
“Yes. That Lord Yuuki will… overdo it.”
“You needn’t worry about that,” Odette said, leaning close to Iris’s ear. “That is precisely why Yuuki and I have been training these past few days.”
“Odette… that’s not fair. Training with my Lord…”
“You’ll just have to endure it. Now then—about our strategy…” Odette whispered the plan she and Yuuki had decided on to Iris.
“…I understand. I’ll do it.”
“It’s starting, Iris.”
The two mages, one in black and one in white, faced each other in the center of the arena. Both wore a sort of ornament on their heads. The winner would likely be the one who snatched the other’s.
From her seat in the west, Princess Salvia was watching them. She was too far away to see her expression clearly, but she was probably smiling. Of course she was. There was no way a mere Magic Guild trainee could defeat a C-rank mage.
“…………My Lord… No. Lord Yuuki will win.”
“…Probably.”
“But if he gets hurt, I will not forgive Sister Salvia.” Iris’s hands clenched into fists.
Squeezing her hand in return, Odette stared at the arena as the referee, a fellow mage, blew a whistle.
Magic Guild Trainee, Yuuki Grossalia.
Magic Guild C-Rank Mage, Alex Kielce.
The magic duel between the two guardian knights had begun.
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