“Fine, fine, I get it. Conversation’s over. I’ll get serious.”
Übel walked toward him composedly.
Was it a close-quarters attack? But there was no large fluctuation in her mana, and she didn’t even ready her staff. He couldn’t read what she was going to do, but it couldn’t be that great of a spell—
“[Reelseiden] (Magic that Cleaves Almost Anything).”
Übel whispered softly.
Then, she swung her staff lightly, as if swishing away a fly.
In that instant, time seemed to compress like a panoramic vision of one’s life.
Burg was certain.
This is bad.
If I take this head-on, I’ll die.
Faster than his mind could process, every cell in his body understood that. It was an intuition gained precisely because Burg had been through many battles as a First-Class Mage. Übel’s [Reelseiden] was not merely a high-firepower attack spell. It was likely a spell involving a concept.
If he retreated, he could minimize the damage. Even then, he probably wouldn’t escape a fatal wound, but he shouldn’t die. However, either way, the [Immovable Cloak] would be breached. For Burg, who held absolute confidence in his defense, that was an unbearable humiliation.
Only once.
The Immovable Cloak had been breached only once in the past.
That was when he faced Serie—the founder of the Continental Magic Association and a great mage from the age of myth.
Upon their first meeting, she had suddenly launched an attack spell at Burg.
With that one strike, the Immovable Cloak was pierced. However, Burg himself was unharmed. Serie had fired the magic solely to test the cloak’s durability.
To the shocked Burg, who felt as if his world had been turned upside down, Serie said nonchalantly:
[Hmph, it’s reasonably sturdy.]
At that point, Burg was recognized as a First-Class Mage and simultaneously gained the privilege.
He had decided on the magic he wanted long ago, but after having the Immovable Cloak pierced, he changed his mind.
[Please grant me… a magic that can become even firmer, more robust, and sturdier than the Immovable Cloak.]
And so, he was granted a certain magic.
—He would use it now, right here.
Even if the Immovable Cloak was breached, he must not let his ironclad defense crumble. Übel’s passing or failing no longer mattered. This was a matter of pride. If his ultimate defense were to be shattered by such a flippant girl, there would be no meaning to his life as a mage.
Just before Übel’s attack landed, Burg chanted quietly.
“[Diamantschild] (Magic that Changes Hardness at Will).”
He increased the hardness of his entire body.
Against Burg—now firmer than steel, harder than diamond, and even sturdier than the Immovable Cloak—Übel’s magic struck directly.
The result was.
“Ah… I cut a bit too much.”
Those were the last words Burg ever heard.
＊
One week after the Second-Class Mage Selection Exam.
In the forest stretching north of Äußerst, a torrential downpour was falling. It had been clear during the day, but the weather had changed abruptly in the evening. Now at night, there was not only rain but also the roar of thunder.
“Sigh, I’m out of luck.”
Übel’s voice, as she took shelter under a tree, was drowned out by the heavy rain.
Because she had killed the proctor, Burg, a week ago, Übel had been disqualified. She could try again, but the next exam was a long way off. Since leaving Äußerst, she had been traveling aimlessly.
A rustle came from directly above. Looking up, she saw a small bird perched on a branch.
“Are you taking shelter from the rain too?”
Übel asked.
Naturally, there was no reply, but she continued regardless.
“Don’t you think they could have just let me pass? Sure, I heard that killing is a no-no. But I pulled off something much harder than just making him take a step back, so they could have been a little lenient.”
The bird chirped and tilted its head.
“But well, I guess I should consider myself lucky they didn’t revoke my right to take the exam altogether. Even if it was an exam, I did kill a First-Class Mage. Letting me go scot-free for that… the Continental Magic Association is pretty weird, isn’t it?”
As she reached that point, the bird flew off. Perhaps it had grown wary of Übel.
Left alone again, Übel lowered her gaze, looking bored.
The ground was muddy because of the rain. Camping here would be difficult. Moreover, the rain didn’t look like it would stop anytime soon. She could spend the night standing up, but she wasn’t inclined to do so as it was tiring.
“Guess I’ll look for somewhere else.”
Übel dashed out into the rain.
She ran, making splashing sounds on the wet ground. Finding a cave or somewhere to escape the rain would be ideal, but visibility was poor.
Just as the anxiety that she might end up soaking wet for nothing began to surface, she found a small light.
“Oh.”
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Übel headed straight for the light. A house came into view—a two-story wooden building. It had a balcony on the second floor and the atmosphere of a villa.
“Nice. Finally, my luck’s turning around.”
Muttering happily to herself, Übel knocked on the front door.
“Excuse me! Could you let me shelter from the rain?”
Even after waiting a while, there was no answer. Since light was leaking from the window, someone had to be there.
Übel took a walk around the house once. She thought there might be a village nearby. But she couldn’t find any other houses at all, so she gave up and returned to the first house.
“I know someone’s in there. I just need to stay the night. Hey, come out.”
No answer. She was starting to feel the chill from being out in the rain for so long.
It couldn’t be helped. She would break down the door. It was their fault for pretending not to be home.
As she brought out her staff to use magic, the door opened slightly. Peering through the gap was a thin, middle-aged man.
“You… alone?”
—Ah, this man.
Übel sensed something with her animalistic intuition. But she didn’t show it, answering with a perfectly calm attitude, “As you can see.”
The man stared at Übel as if appraising her. His dull, dark eyes moved from her feet to her head. His gaze stopped abruptly. Apparently, he was looking at her staff.
“…Fine. You can stay.”
The man let Übel inside and closed the door with a click.
Immediately past the door, they entered a spacious living room. It was quite messy. Half-finished drinks and meat bones were scattered on the table. It looked as though a banquet had been held there.
“Drop the staff.”
Along with a threatening voice from behind, something cold was pressed against Übel’s neck. Most likely a knife.
“Do as I say, and I’ll spare your life.”
Efficient, Übel thought with admiration as she let go of her staff.
It wasn’t a surprise. From the moment she saw the man’s face, she had expected this. The smell of a murderer wafted off him. That was why she knew. If this guy decided to kill, he would do so without hesitation.
In a situation where her life or death was in someone else’s hands, Übel chuckled.
“Honestly, murderers are so predictable; it really helps.”
“What was that?”
Übel tilted her head just a fraction. A droplet fell from a bundle of her hair. And then—
“Hey! You can kill this guy!”
she called out.
She felt the man reflexively look behind him. He wondered if she had comrades—hearing Übel’s voice, he became wary of his rear. But behind him was only the closed door; there was no sign of anyone barging in. It was a bluff.
In the moment the man’s attention wavered, Übel swiftly picked up her staff. Then, she swung it from the man’s crotch up through his head.
[Reelseiden] (Magic that Cleaves Almost Anything).
It was Übel’s magic that “cuts what she thinks can be cut.” As long as she perceived it as something that could be cut, it would be sliced regardless of hardness, even if it were harder than steel.
Naturally, the human body was a target that “could be cut.”
With one swing from Übel, the man was cleaved in two vertically. It was a swift technique that didn’t even leave time for a scream. The bifurcated corpse fell to the floor with a wet thud.
“Now then.”
Übel wiped the blood spray from her face and headed deeper into the house.
It was faint, but there was another mana reaction in this house. Furthermore, it was coming from beneath the floor. Apparently, there was a basement. Since it was likely a comrade of the man, she had to eliminate them.
Before long, she found the stairs leading to the basement. There was a door at the bottom, with a sturdy-looking padlock hanging from the handle.
“Hmm…?”
The fact that it was locked wasn’t an issue. The door was made of wood, so she could destroy it with [Reelseiden]. More than that, she didn’t think there was a “comrade” beyond it. It felt as if someone were being imprisoned.
I’ll just take a look and see, she thought, destroying the door and heading inside. The basement was a storeroom. Ostensibly expensive ornaments, dresses that nobles might wear, bronze statues adorned with jewels, and even mages’ staffs were lined up haphazardly. All were clearly stolen goods.
“I see.”
She was beginning to understand what kind of house this was.
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