LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 144: Former Friend
A person in a black robe with a deep hood was standing in front of Halekuwait.
“It’s like an amusement park….”
He muttered as he looked up at the academy. For the 3 days of the tournament visitors are allowed to freely enter the school, but he did nothing more than stare at the outside of it for a while. After that he walked past the main gate heading in the opposite direction towards the venue.
“I see so this is where they are holding the tournament matches then.”
He held a piece of paper in his hand as was checking the match schedule as well as the names of the participants. Behind the venue sat a pure white castle.
“So that must be Fishnatika.”
Then just like that, he passed by the venue and headed towards the bars that were lined up next to each other.
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He sat down at the bar counter with the hood still hiding his face. After a few moments the barkeep brought him a glass of whiskey.
“Are you an adventurer?”
The barkeep asked.
“No, I’m just traveling.”
“I see, so you’ve come to watch the matches then?”
“Yeah, actually I have a friend that is going to participate so I came to support him.”
Behind him four people walking in, all of them wearing white school uniforms. They were Fishnatika students.
“Let’s sit there.”
The group of four took their seats quickly after entering the bar.
“Joanna, are you ok? Today is my treat.”
“That’s all right, I don’t want Saeki to have to treat me.”
Joanna had lost her match with Patrick and looked downcast.
“Don’t say that. Saeki said that he would treat us today so let’s take advantage of that.”
David said, trying to comfort her.
“Saeki, do you have money?”
Kida asked worriedly.
“Obviously?”
The four who had entered were Saeki, Kida, Joanna and David. Although Saeki said he would treat everyone, none of them knew where he had obtained the money to do so. ‘He’ had already noticed their presence well before they had entered the store and was watching quietly from the side while he sipped his drink.
“But I never imagined that Joanna would lose.”
Kida was quite surprised that Joanna had lost.
“It can’t be helped. I didn’t think there would be a student at Halekuwait that would be able to handle spirit magic.”
“Spirit magic?”
Joanna then politely explained spirit magic to Saeki.
“In other words if you sign a contract with a spirit you would be able to use that level of magic?”
“It’s not that easy. There are only two ways to meet spirits. One, is by going to the spirit forest.”
“Spirit forest?”
“Yes, I have no idea where it is but it seems like there are various spirits that live there.”
“And the second way?”
“The second way is to perform a spirit summoning. But I heard that the magic to do so had already been lost so forming a contract with a spirit is not and easy thing to accomplish.”
Patrick’s spirit summoning was magic that had already been forgotten by the world which is why Sabrina was easily able to notice what was going on. Since the magic now only existed in the forbidden book in the restricted area.
“That means…”
Saeki was trying to process what Joanna had just told him.
“At the moment, it’s not possible.”
“Then how did that guy form a contract?”
“Who knows? If you want to know that badly maybe you should ask him yourself?”
Saeki just sighed.
“But more importantly, about your match tomorrow. Nito is strong so he’s going to be holding back, please don’t do anything stupid ok?”
“Something stupid? So what if I act stupid? What’s going to happen? He can deal with me easily can’t he?”
Saeki looked at everyone after he said that as if to ask ‘Am I wrong?’ At that David gave his opinion as well.
“Yeah. The tournament this year ends in Halekuwaits victory.”
Nito’s proposal that was meant to give Fishnatika a starting advantage of 0-1 did not pass when put in front of the investors. So, with Joanna’s defeat by Patrick the score sat at 2-0 and once Saeki fought in his match it would be a total loss for Fishnatika this year.
“……”
Saeki looked a little moody when he heard that but he knew that it was true.
“I never thought that Tim Lloyd would lose.”
David said as he sat remembering the match.
“Yeah, but wasn’t that kid with Nito?”
Saeki was referring to Nem.
“Not interested? I didn’t think that the people he had with him would be so strong, even considering his own strength. She was still so small.”
“Isn’t that normal in this world?”
“Normal?”
Joanna seemed to understand what Saeki meant and answered his question.
“No, Beastmen have a physical advantage over humans but it’s rare for them to be able to hand so much magic. Not to mention the earth attribute.”
“What do you mean earth attribute? Is that some kind of special magic?”
“Another name for it is ‘natural magic’ and it is quite special. Most people generally mistake it for earth attribute but its different.”
“Different? What do you mean?”
“The scale is different. If you generate the earth attribute yourself instead of using the attribute around you then you’re able to manipulate nature. It doesn’t mean that earth attribute magic is totally unrelated but it can be considered magic on a higher scale than the earth magic. As such it’s better to think of them as separate things.”
Saeki just sighed.
“I knew he was strong but this is unreasonable.”
At that David spoke up.
“If thats unreasonable then isn’t it the same for you? Summoned heroes have benefits right? Saeki, you’re able to grow much faster that anyone else. There’s no need to be impatient about it.”
“Even if I have the benefit of the summoned heroes my growth has clearly stopped lately. I also have the earth attribute.”
“Wasn’t your speciality fire magic?”
“Yeah?”
“Then that would be difficult. Saeki, you might be a sage but without the proper earth attributes it would be impossible.”
“Hey!……. I know that..”
Saeki’s voice sounded empty.
‘He’ just listed to the conversation and watched when someone appeared that wanted to talk to him.
“Hey, it looks like you’ve been drinking alone for a while now. Why don’t you come drink with us?”
The man had his head shaved and there were three similar looking people at the table behind him all of them grinning.
“No, you don’t have to worry about me.”
‘He’ took another sip of whiskey without looking.
“Don’t say that! Come have a drink with us! I know! Here I’ll give this to you! When drinking with us for the first time it’s customary to buy someone a drink!”
The barkeep glanced at the situation but didn’t say anything, he looked as though he didn’t want to be involved in any trouble. That’s when Saeki and the others began to notice what was going on.
“Hey, Thats……”
“It’s best not to get involved.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s always noisy here.”
“Is it?”
Joanna looked confused at what Kida had said. Kida and Saeki had come here often as of late, just the two of them. It was the first time that they had brought the other two with them.
‘He’ put down his whiskey and muttered.
“Don’t mind me, I like drinking alone.”
“Hey whats with that attitude when we’re inviting you!?”
The man swung his arm at ‘him’, but the moment his fist connected a small explosion occurred. It was soundless and only someone with a sharp eye could have seen what happened.
“Guoowaa!”
The man’s head was thrown back for know apparent reason and he flew backward. He slammed onto the table that his grinning friends sat at and it collapsed under his weight.
“Sorry, Barkeep. It seems that I broke the table.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get them to reimburse me.”
The barkeep knew instantly that ‘he’ was not a normal person and replied generously.
“You!”
The man’s three companions, angered by their friend being hurt drew their swords.
“Sorry barkeep, I’m going to damage this place a bit.”
The barkeep just smiled as he polished a glass.
“You shouldn’t look away during a fight! 《Magic sword》!”
The edge of his sword began to glow blue.
“What!”
But in that moment a strong wind blew past him.
“Guaaa!”
The two on the side were blown away but the one in the middle managed to stay in place, only losing his balance.
“Don’t look down on me!!!”
Regaining his balance the man pointed his sword and attacked ‘him’ again. ‘He’ down the last of his whiskey and…
He pulled his right hand out from under the robe and points it at the man behind him muttering something inaudible.
“《Lightning wave….”
“Guaa! AH! AH! AH! AH! AH! AH!”
The man convulsed as electricity ran through his body.
“AH!…..AH!…..”
Black smoke rose from the mans body as he fainted, his body still twitching on the floor.
“You guys will be compensating me for the damage!”
The barkeep smiled at the situation and declared this triumphantly. Then ‘he’ put his glass down on the counter and stood.
“What? Are you leaving already?”
“Yes, it was very good. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”
‘He’ left the bar without saying anything, only giving the four people on the ground a sideways look.
“He wasn’t ordinary was he?”
Joanna was impressed.
“Yeah, I couldn’t see him cast anything.”
David was surprised as well and cold sweat had appeared on his forehead.
“Black robe…. He was like a mage in a painting.”
Kida didn’t understand what had just happened at all.
“Hmm? Saeki, what’s the matter?”
Saeki had an entirely different reaction from the other three. He was surprised and confused.
“Why…..was he….”
Saeki suddenly stood up and walked out of the store without saying anything.
“Saeki!”
“Saeki!”
Joanna and David chased Saeki out of the store while Kida followed behind them. Kida had left money on the table to cover the bill before they’d left. When they went outside Saeki was calling to the man in the hood.
“Oi! What did you do!”
“Saeki!”
David was confused by Saeki’s sudden anger.
“Saeki….what’s goin on?”
Kida had just run out of the store so he was a little out of breath when he asked.
“Don’t ignore me!”
Saeki was shouting angrily.
“So you’ve continued your magic training then?”
The man in the black robe muttered.
“Obiously! To kill you, to kill ‘Dragon’s Heart’ I will do anything!”
“Fu…..I see.”
The man smiled slowly as he took off his hood and turned to face the four of them.
“You… are still wrapped around Aries’s finger then?”
Saeki glared even angrier.
“…..Ichijo.”
With his black robe fluttering in the wind Ichijo stared right into Saeki’s eyes as he chuckled.