Chapter 14: vs. The smug magician
Pleven Household is no different from other houses.
That is what the future head, that is me, Oscar, knows better than anyone else.
Like all noble families, we started out as a house of knights. After completing the 100 years of service required to become barons.
When we became nobles, our family was the worst of all at using the sword or martial arts.
But one day, the current head of that time discovered that he had a talent for magic.
Thanks to that, Pleven Household managed to rise in a few years to be a house of counts. We needed to have more connections, so we became vassals of the imperial family.
We became a house of marquises because of that. We swore to serve the imperial family and were granted a place in the seats of the holy wizards.
But thanks to my grandfather, our house became one of the most renowned and important.
For that reason, when I was a child, I was invited to a birthday party.
It was Prince Regulux's, I went with the most expensive gift, at that party he was turning 9 years old.
As I stood in line to drop off my gift.
"Hello."
He spoke to me.
I didn't understand why he did it, I mean, he should do it once he had finished greeting the adults and then his children.
Then he could just strike up a conversation with us.
But, what amazed me the most was one thing.
"Hey, you're the son of Pleven Household, aren't you? I hear you guys are talented in magic, would you mind showing me some of that magic?"
It was those words that captivated me.
My grandfather never praised me.
I thought it was because my talent with wind magic, the only thing I can use since according to my grandfather.
There are people who can't use other magic spells because of their attribute. This one is so strong that for some reason their body rejects other magic element circulating through their body.
At the same time, thanks to that. There are people who can use something called dark magic.
Dark magic is supposed to be used only by demons.
But it seems there are humans who are born with it, and the ministry of magic secretly recruits them.
The world of magic is bigger than it is.
That's why I love magic, that's why I caught the prince's attention.
For that reason, I will not lose.
For the honor of magic, mine as a future holy wizard and, above all. For the pride of the prince who no longer wishes to be together with a woman taken advantage of as his betrothed.
"I don't plan to lose, did you hear right? Weird face."
◇
For some reason, the effeminate Oscar called me a weird face.
Since he was the only one who hadn't made fun of me, I decided to beat him fair and square. But you blew that, now I'm going to kick your ass hard.
We were both ready to fly.
The referee looked at both of us and said.
"The next duel is between Razel Bartlet vs Oscar von Pleven!"
Oscar's steed was a mix between salmon and off-white.
It was supposed to be a fashionable color, since, like his steed, this one was from a company that puts out custom Pegasus.
The guy he had was named Bedivere.
He was very beautiful, but he seemed to be just that, beautiful, not fast.
Well, that's just my opinion.
Whatever.
All set.
"Begin!"
Said the referee.
We both accelerated.
As with Jake, I was flying straight into the mountain again.
Oscar was an expert at magical attacks, so I must be more careful with him than with Jake.
As I pulled away, I heard.
"Wind magic..."
He was reciting a spell.
As I turned my head to look at him, I watched as he stretched out his hand while driving very slowly.
From his hand, a green colored magic circle materialized.
As always, his face did not show that he attached any importance to his opponent.
His lips moved to say.
"Flurry of arrows."
A green wind crossbow materialized.
Just like a real one, it recoiled to shoot the arrow.
It was very surreal.
The arrow was aimed at me, the time from when it recited the spell was 3 seconds.
The arrow when fired, flew at high speed.
It cut the air like a knife.
It made a sliding sound.
I didn't activate my hawk eye, so I couldn't dodge it.
But it seems that the attack missed.
The wind arrow grazed my cheek and smashed into the mountain, generating a large cloud of dust and a loud sound.
Once again, the mountain was intact.
Oscar communicated with me so I could hear it.
"That was a warning shot. Only time I'll ever do that." He was saying as he slowly approached towards me.
"Surrender right now."
"I have no interest with someone like you. My only real danger is Prince Cidfert."
It sounded like Lambert who was talking to me, but that boy's way of expressing himself was to belittle others.
Oscar was just speaking with a hard honesty.
But, I'm sorry. I won't.
"Unlike Jake-dono, I'm not someone confident and foolish."
That's true.
You're not dumb, but you are cocky.
You liked to show off your skills in the game.
"Surrender right now, and you won't live in shame."
I looked at Oscar, then sighed and told him the truth.
"You were always like that in the game."
"What?"
He responded because of the strange thing I said.
"Thinking you're better than everyone else just because of your talent with magic, but that's your weakness."
I half turned around to speed up.
Oscar saw me and sighed as well.
I was no longer heading for the mountain, I was circling around it.
Oscar was again preparing his attack.
"...Really, what a fool you are."
"Wind magic."
His voice was clear.
"Burst of three arrows."
Just as he recited the spell, three arrows materialized in the center of the bow.
This time my hawk's eye was ready.
Come!
"You lost."
Oscar chanted his victory beforehand.
The three arrows were fired at high speed.
But I won't let any of them touch me.
One arrow was flying faster than another.
That arrow was going to destroy my steed.
I dodged it by inches and it hit the forest.
The next arrow was not changing its course, I dodged it and now it hit the mountain.
The next arrow seemed to be the same.
But Oscar hit it with a spell.
"Wind magic: air snake."
The arrow turned into a snake and chased me.
No matter where I went, it chased me.
I entered the forest and the snake kept wanting to bite me.
In the distance I saw a cave.
I entered thinking I would lose it, but the wind snake is just as foolish as its summoner.
◇◇◇
In the stands, Lily and Elize were talking.
"Will Razel-kun be all right?"
"He should be. Oscar is talented with magic, but Razel must plan how to defeat someone who attacks from a distance."
"Will he win?"
Lily's innocent question made Elize thoughtful briefly.
"He said he would win. So, I'll believe him."
Lily looked at Elize, her eyes hinted that she believed her words, but she squeezed her chest for some reason.
They both just watched the screen, to which it showed various sounds of explosions.
While elsewhere in the stands.
"The fight will be over soon, don't you think?"
"I think so. No matter how you look at it, that boy has a low chance of winning looking at his opponent."
"Will he lose?"
"It's a possibility."
"That's a shame."
They said, but then, an explosion was observed by the magic screens.
The girls seeing that, shouted.
"Razel!"
◇
Somehow, I managed to escape thanks to the snake crashing into the ceiling thus generating an explosion.
Now that I was outside, Oscar was waiting for me.
His face was still belittling me.
"It doesn't matter, if you survived, you will lose now."
This time the spell was stronger.
"Wind magic: 18 arrows."
Six bows with three arrows each materialized.
This time the thing was serious.
It was close to the mountain.
It was flying at high speed.
The arrows were also streaking through the skies like missiles.
They were chasing me, but I said I would end this quickly.
I circled the mountain as the arrows chased me.
One after another reached me, but they hit the mountain.
Now there were only eleven left.
But they were so fast, my hawk's eye hurt a lot.
My eyes hurt a lot.
One arrow was approaching from the front as it came forward, another from behind.
I tried to use the classic maneuver of having them both destroy each other, but it was useless.
Even flying in the direction of the sky didn't lose them.
So, I decided to show some of my magic power as this was very dangerous.
I took out a silver nugget that I had kept in my pocket.
I concentrated some magic power, and then I threw it.
A big explosion occurred.
But there were more left.
I couldn't stop, I grabbed more nuggets and did the same.
Several explosions occurred.
Now there were only four left.
They were chasing me, but once again Oscar used a spell.
"Wind magic: big anaconda."
The four arrows merged and became one.
The danger was certain, but that was what I was after.
I stood motionless for a moment as the great anaconda came to devour me.
Oscar gave me his last words.
"It's over."
He half-turned to leave.
The great snake approached, I grabbed my bat, and magical power coursed through every inch.
Like a sword, it was filled with a light glow and when the wind anaconda opened its mouth.
I destroyed it by hitting it hard.
A great explosion of air occurred.
Oscar returned without looking back.
Then.
"Hey."
But when he heard me call out to him, he turned around and his expression was panicked.
"I told you you're too cocky. That's why you'll lose."
His handsome face warped into one of horror.
Her last words were.
"Please."
As I watched my bat approach his face.
"In the face no—!"
I did the opposite of what he said and, my bat hit him full in the mouth and nose.
I could see how his gallant face was deformed by the blow.
His nose was split and his teeth were flying.
Oscar fell off the Pegasus.
His steed, having no one to lead him, also fell.
The steed fell to the ground first and exploded slightly.
While Oscar was caught in time by the rescuers.
As with Jake, he was being lifted onto a stretcher as he heard the referee say.
"The winner is Razel Bartlet! Oscar can no longer continue!"
I'd come back to call for a break, you could only do it once, and now I was up against the most absurdly strong opponent of all.
The brains of brawn.
I could see him smiling, I knew it was his winch.
The break would only last 30 minutes, more than enough.
It's not even half a day yet and I feel I want to sleep already.
In truth, protecting the villainess just because she is my childhood friend is tiring.