Vol. 12 Ch. 14: The Hunt

Within the forest serving as the venue for the magic-combat match, Hubard Dee walked between the trees, humming a tune.

The preparations for the "hunt" were already complete. All that remained was to wait for his prey to come strolling in.

His uncle, the 〈Cannonball Mage〉, found beauty in seeing how far he could increase the power of a single strike, but what Hubard considered important was somewhat different.

What mattered was how much fun he could have while hunting his prey.

"Hm-hm-hm... Now then, I wonder how much fun those guys will give me."

Hubard leaned against a nearby tree and closed his eyes.

The image that rose behind his closed eyelids was the witch who had once overwhelmed him at Minerva—the 〈Silent Witch〉, Monica Everett.

Back then, she had been thirteen or fourteen years old, even scrawnier, frailer, and shabbier than she was now.

The mages of Minerva were divided between practical types who excelled at combat and scholarly types who enjoyed research. Monica was clearly a scholarly type to everyone who saw her, and Hubard himself had believed that as well.

But only five seconds after the magic-combat match began, Hubard realized he had been mistaken...