Chapter 14. Sparring

Terra Crest.

The Young Lady’s magic tutor.

I’d seen her a few times from afar.

The Young Lady calls her “Auntie,” but… she doesn’t actually look that old. Early 30s, tops.

Well, considering that Aura Users and Magician Women look younger than their actual age the higher their level, her actual age might match the Young Lady’s nickname, but at least outwardly, she didn’t look it.

“I saw earlier, your Fleet is pretty skillful, huh?”

“My Dog’s fast, right?”

“Yeah, I knew he was an Aura User, but he’s better than I thought.”

As Terra spoke, she was still petting my Head.

Being petted by a little Young Lady is one thing, but being petted by a beautiful woman in her early 30s, even if she’s a bit older, felt… strange.

“How old are you?”

“Eighteen, Master.”

“What? You look older. I thought you were in your early twenties.”

Terra was so surprised after hearing my age that she took her hand off my Head.

Do I really look that old? Weird, I don’t think so.

I might look a little bit of a punk, but my looks are decent enough.

“You’re a former Slave, and you handle Aura that well at your age?”

Ah, that’s why she thought I was older?

Well, I did learn pretty quickly.

“He spends all day Training, doesn’t even think about entertaining his Master.”

The Young Lady said this somewhat curtly.

Seems she’s been bothered by my constant Training.

But what can I do?

Unlike my previous life, learning Aura in this world is genuinely thrilling and fun.

People can move at speeds invisible to the naked eye, and they can gain the monstrous strength to crush bricks with their bare hands.

Plus, in this world, small explosions can shoot from your hands, and you can even create thin protective shields.

Especially in this place with zero entertainment, seeing the results of my Training is my only joy in life. So, what can I do?

“Still, it’s rare to use it that well at that age…”

But…

Was my use of Fleet too proficient?

Terra, the Young Lady's magic Tutor, is looking at me with a strange expression.

“Guess there’s a reason you’re keeping him around, huh?”

A piercing gaze. Similar to Lowell’s.

“Kid, how far can you go?”

“....”

That made me hesitate to answer. However, with those burning red eyes fixed on me, I felt I might have to say something, but then…

“Don’t bother my Dog!”

*Swish.*

The Young Lady grabbed Terra’s hand, which was stroking my Head, and pulled it away.

“Oh my, what did I do to bother him?”

“My Dog’s uncomfortable.”

…Nice one, Young Lady.

Yeah, I’m a Dog, what more do you want from me?

“I didn’t think much of it since you called him a Dog, but he's interesting.”

However…

No matter how much the Young Lady tries, Terra's in the teacher position here.

*Tap.*

Terra’s slender fingers grasped my chin and lifted it.

“I like his looks too.”

A face with red eyes and hair drew closer.

…Seeing her up close, it's hard to believe her age.

“Do you want to watch a Sparring match?”

“...Sparring, Master?”

“You said you’re always Training, right? I thought you might be interested in watching Magician Women spar.”

“Master?”

The girl next to her seemed flustered by that suggestion… but honestly, I am interested.

A Magician Women’s sparring match, where else would I get to see something like that?

“Our Dog seems to want to watch.”

Perhaps reading my expression, Terra let go of my chin and smiled faintly.

“Then follow me.”

“You’re really taking the Dog?”

“Yeah, we’re doing it in the Training Ground anyway, right?”

Just like that, a bit unexpectedly, I ended up attending a magic Sparring match.

…So, that girl wasn’t a Guest, but the Young Lady’s sparring partner.

What a shame for the Maids who diligently prepared for the snack party.

“Hmm, the Training Ground is nice and spacious.”

We moved to the place where I always Trained.

Looks like the Sparring match will be held here.

…This is going to be interesting.

A Magician Women’s sparring match.

I wonder how it’ll differ from Aura Users.

“Both sides, stand and prepare yourselves.”

With Terra’s single command, the Young Lady and her Guest stood on opposite sides.

“Our Dog comes here.”

And I, led by Terra, naturally ended up next to her.

“Sit.”

“Yes, Master.”

She naturally sat me down beside her and started stroking my Head. It really felt like she was treating me like a Dog, which was a strange feeling.

“Do you know the common point between a Magician Woman and a Knight’s Sparring?”

But then she talks to me like this, so what kind of treatment is this, really?

“...What is it, Master?”

“It’s that mind games are important. You guys do it all the time too, right?”

...You bet.

The basics of being an Aura User are all about those mind games.

Since you can't use your techniques multiple times in one Fight,

You have to use them effectively at the right time and place to gain the upper hand.

“Magician Women usually have a limit to the Magic they can use, especially if they’re both newbies like that. They have to be very cautious.”

Newbie Magician Women?

Having seen the Young Lady's fireballs, I wouldn’t underestimate them like that.

She could take out an ordinary person in a single hit.

Hmm, could she take out an Orc in one hit too? I've only ever stabbed them with a Knife, so I don't know how resistant they are to Magic.

Besides…

*Pet, pet.*

How long is she going to keep stroking my Head?

Starting with the Young Lady,

She's been petting me so much that the Maid’s handiwork on my hair is completely undone.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“...Nothing, Master.”

“Ah, does it bother you that I keep touching you? You’re cute.”

Seeing my gaze, Terra removed her hand.

At least she respects me as a "Dog"...

“This is addictive.”

*Stroke, stroke.*

...Or so I thought, but after removing her hand, she started gently scratching my chin.

“Why are you so docile? You’re a Colosseum Champion.”

“...You knew, Master?”

“I heard the rumors when you first arrived.”

Come to think of it, Terra was the Young Lady's Tutor two years ago as well. It’s not surprising that she knows about me.

“From what I’ve heard, you were quite wild during your Gladiator days… Why did you become such a tame puppy?”

…She seems to really know me.

And someone like *that* is petting me?

“I just like it here.”

“Really? You have a thing for being treated like a dog?”

“…”

“Cute. Wanna come to my house?”

“…Don’t joke around.”

“My, my, such loyalty.”

Seriously. Just how far is she going to tease me?

*쓱쓱.*

Even now, she's still stroking my chin like I'm some kind of puppy.

“Anyway, it's about to start, so watch closely.”

“…Yes.”

“Sulking now, are we?”

Well, I’m used to being touched, so whatever.

I focused on the sparring match about to begin.

Both of them are deeply focused, muttering something.

That's casting, huh.

“They usually put up barriers like that before starting.”

“I see.”

“They get the same amount of time, so whoever creates a faster and stronger barrier gains an advantage in the sparring match. Aria won this round.”

“Looks like it to me too.”

Even I could see the Young Lady’s barrier was clearer. It looked pretty solid. I wonder if the guest can break it.

“Anyway, watch. It's starting now.”

Just like that.

While I was talking with Terra, who’d been scratching my chin, the sparring match began.

*콰앙-!*

As expected of Magicians, the sparring started with them throwing fireballs at each other.

“Whoa…”

My first impression was simply… flashy.

Magicians, huh? A far cry from those hikikomori Knights who use Fleet on the track and fight amongst themselves in a time others can’t see.

“The Young Lady is impressive, but that other woman is amazing too.”

I’d already heard that the Young Lady was a genius.

But the guest facing her was also quite something.

Waving her light orange hair, she used flame magic.

Honestly, in terms of firepower, it’s clear the Young Lady was outmatched.

“Don't you know who she is?”

“Who is she?”

“Geez, you don’t know Serina Astel?”

“Astel?”

I don’t know the name, but I've heard of the Family.

Astel Count Family.

Aren’t they the Adel Kingdom’s most prominent magic Family?

They founded and operate the Royal Magic Academy, and they're masters of siege warfare, specializing in flame magic.

Lowell told me they earned the second-most Merit after the Void Family during the war.

“So, you know the Astel Count Family?”

“…I do.”

“She’s their biggest genius. The Sun of Astel.”

…The Sun?

I thought it was a bit much for a title, but…

Looking at her crimson hair, shining with Mana, it did bring the sun to mind.

And the magic she unleashed was incredible.

Look at the size of those fireballs.

Almost as big as the Young Lady…

“…Isn’t that dangerous?”

Even if the Young Lady layered her barriers, it seemed dangerous.

“It is. But I'm here.”

“Ah.”

“And so is Master Lowell.”

Hmm, very logical.

This Magician too.

And most of all, with Lowell here, there’s no way the Young Lady will get hurt.

“By the way, if anything comes this way, you have to deflect it. I have to cast spells on my students.”

“…I don’t know how to do that.”

“Don’t you know how to use Rush? Knights use that to break magic.”

Ah, so *that’s* what Rush is for.

…Makes sense. It's an Aura burst.

It would be perfect for breaking magic, which uses Mana, a similar energy.

“Keep that in mind. You might have to face a Magician Woman someday.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

It’s much easier to understand when a Magician explains it from their perspective.

She's a Tutor for a reason.

Anyway.

I continued to watch the sparring match with interest.

*콰앙-!! 쾅!*

The two continued to clash with their magic.

The Young Lady was still outmatched in firepower, but…

She seemed a step ahead in speed and tactical maneuvering.

“Serina’s a genius, but Aria is even more so.”

“The Young Lady is?”

“Yes. She’s a talent wasted being cooped up in this Mansion.”

Hmm, is that so?

The Young Lady I knew mostly just complained all the time.

Well, she *did* learn magic incredibly fast.

Just like that.

As I continued to watch the interesting match…

“Haap!”

While their earlier attacks were smaller, testing each other out…

This time, larger flames truly collided.

Whoa…

Since both were flame users, it was quite a spectacle.

They should hire Magicians instead of Monsters at the Colosseum.

This is on a whole different level. Now I understand why those boring Gladiator Fights flopped. Just as I was thinking this…

“Uh, uh…”

“It’s coming this way.”

…The magic collided, and one of the fireballs ricocheted towards Terra and me.

“Like I said, I’m not blocking it.”

And with that…

Terra cast a protective barrier, but only around *herself*.

That bitch…!

All that petting and stroking…

You're supposed to see things through to the end!

For a moment, I considered using Fleet to escape, but…

That would make a mess of the surroundings.

And the Maids would have to clean it up… Screw it.

I activated Track and stood up.

She said I should use Rush to deflect it, right?

Let’s give it a try.

It might be good experience.

I didn’t bother with Fleet.

I watched the slowed-down world and swung my arm slowly.

And so.

When my hand met the fireball…

‘*Rush*.’

I unleashed the Aura I’d concentrated in my hand.

And then…

*콰아아앙-!!*

The fireball that was flying toward us exploded spectacularly in the direction I’d used Rush.

“Wow.”

That was effective.

“What was…!”

Beyond the lingering image of the explosion, I saw Serina staring in surprise. I felt a pang of regret, but…

For now, I savored the feeling in my hand.