Ch 110
“Sparring Match?”
“Miss Mastien has requested a sparring match with someone!”
“And the opponent!?”
“It’s a face I don’t recognize… they seem to be around the same age as Miss Mastien…”
“Does Miss Mastien have a rival among her peers?”
It’s fun even just to watch a fight, but the protagonist of this fight is the Miss of a Grand Noble Family whom the nobles at the banquet hall looked up to.
The Grand Noble Family’s Miss unexpectedly displayed an entertainment-like disposition, and people were so delighted that their eyes almost popped out.
I guess this is the talent of a superstar. Whether you like it or not, it drives people crazy—
That’s why I felt like I was going crazy too.
‘A sparring match…’
Miss Heynya of the Grand Noble Family Mastien—spoke proudly.
That she, too, had reached Rank 5.
In other words, Heynya believes that I am currently at the Rank 5 realm.
It was a reasonable assumption.
When I last met Heynya, I was at Rank 5, and only about a month has passed since our last meeting.
“Why, don’t you believe me? Heh heh. Did you think you were the only special one?”
Miss Heynya’s shoulders rose constantly, showing how she interpreted my confused expression.
Damn it.
What is this. This indescribable guilt.
First, I felt the need to get out of this situation.
If I were truly at Rank 5, as Heynya thinks, we would have had a close match, thrilling the audience and earning applause, but right now, the difference in strength between Heynya and me is too clear.
If I recall my sparring match with Sir Melthas, it was like the difference between a child and an adult.
To conduct a sparring match under such conditions?
The point of the sparring match will be how well and how much I let Heynya win.
It will be an uncomfortable sparring match for both the participant and the audience.
“Why aren’t you answering? Perhaps you’re thinking, ‘If I suffer the humiliation of defeat at the hands of Miss Mastien in front of all these people, how will I handle the aftermath?’”
“…”
“I guess that’s the answer. You’re arrogant, anyway. Well, I’ll admit it. You’re the one who deserves it.”
“That’s…”
“But! Let me tell you clearly, it won’t turn out the way you think. I don’t think I’ll win easily, but conversely, I don’t think I’ll lose easily either. No. I won’t lose. I will win. Definitely. I’ve changed, and you’ll feel it thoroughly.”
The vibrant color in Heynya’s green eyes became increasingly clear.
It was the confidence of a genius.
That confidence was quite different from what I had seen in Heynya when we first met.
It was as if it contained a much stronger and more positive force.
Even I, watching her, felt excited.
“Let’s get started, shall we? I can’t hold back any longer.”
Heynya’s emotions were smoothly rising, transforming into a state suitable for a sparring match.
How on earth can I make Heynya lose interest in this sparring match?
“…”
After much deliberation, I gestured to Heynya.
And I raised my hand at an angle only Heynya could see.
“?”
Heynya’s gaze turned to my hand.
Two outstretched hands.
I began to fold the fingers of that hand one by one.
One, two, three, four, five.
And six.
“?”
Heynya’s expression became listless.
I heard a voice saying, ‘What are you doing?’
“…!?”
But soon, that expression changed drastically.
I heard a voice saying, ‘What are you doing!?’
-Don’t be ridiculous! It’s a lie!?
Then Heynya began to interrogate me with her eyes.
-…
With mixed feelings, I showed her my hand again.
And I repeatedly folded and unfolded my index finger, the seventh finger.
“Hey!”
Heynya, unable to bear it any longer, shouted.
With the most wronged face in the world
“D-don’t be ridiculous! That’s not how it works!!!”
“…”
Fidgeting.
I could only repeat the fidgeting of my index finger with a disheartened feeling.
“I don’t believe it! No, I can’t believe it! That’s impossible!”
Her body was more honest than her words.
I could feel Heynya’s will to spar rapidly decreasing, whether she correctly interpreted my signal or not.
“Th-this… cowardly… unfair…”
Separately, I could see her resentment towards me rapidly increasing.
A whining voice.
The dignified challenger instantly transformed into a spoiled child.
“Now, now. That’s enough.”
Master Mastien, Heynya’s older brother, intervened between us at that moment.
✦✦✦
The weight of status.
Master Dray of the Mastien Family’s attitude was amiable, but Lisir felt a strange sense of pressure.
“Heynya, stop it. You’re making the other person uncomfortable. Excuse me, I startled you, didn’t I?”
“Yes? Oh, no, I’m fine.”
“By the way, that’s amazing.”
“Yes?”
“For our Heynya to show such competitiveness towards someone else. It’s very rare. What’s your relationship with our Heynya?”
Dray looked Lisir up and down.
“Ah, we’re Magic Tower colleagues.”
“Really? Wow, this is surprising! I never thought our Heynya would make friends at the Magic Tower.”
“Tch, we’re not friends or anything!?”
Heynya, who had been listening to the conversation, exclaimed in surprise.
Lisir, surprised by Heynya’s reaction, also exclaimed.
“What!? Aren’t we friends!?”
“Uh…?”
Heynya, embarrassed, was acting irritable.
She fidgeted with her hands and rolled her eyes nervously.
“W-well…? Then… if you really want to… it’s okay if we’re friends…?”
Dray burst out laughing beside them.
He looked like he thought his sister was adorable.
“This is a joyous occasion! Our Heynya has made a friend. As far as I know, this is probably the first time?”
“Dray! Don’t say weird things!!!”
“What I mean is, it’s rare for you to acknowledge someone. Right?”
“…”
“Oops.”
Dray, as if escaping Heynya’s glare, spoke to Lisir.
“You’re Heynya’s friend, so it’s okay if we use informal speech, right?”
“Yes? Ah, of course.”
“I’m Dray Ye Mastien. And you are?”
“I’m Lisir.”
“Lisir, just Lisir…”
Dray’s expression changed.
From the expression of an older brother looking at his sister’s friend—
To the expression of the second son of the Mastien Family looking at an outsider.
Unlike Heynya, Dray was in a position to work for the Family on the front lines.
By approaching groups or individuals who could be beneficial to the Family and forming good relationships with them.
Some people referred to Dray’s method as ‘Talent Acquisition’.
Dray quite liked that expression.
Because the attitude he took when approaching people wasn’t much different from that of a collector approaching their collection.
Dray was now interested in Lisir.
‘Why is Heynya interested in him…’
It was because his younger sister, Heynya, had shown interest in him.
Given that she rarely opens her heart to others, Heynya’s discernment could be considered as strict as Dray’s ideals.
Dray was curious, from a talent scout’s viewpoint, what element had captivated Heynya’s heart.
‘Lisir. Where lies your value?’
After a moment of observing Lisir, he opened his mouth.
“You know? Our Heynya has achieved the Rank 5 realm.”
“Ah, yes. I just found out.”
“Isn’t that amazing? Roughly one year since she started learning magic. Even reaching Rank 4 would be amazing, but Rank 5? Since you seem to be a wizard too, I’ll ask you. Do you think this incredible rate of progress makes sense?”
Dray’s words were filled with boundless affection and pride.
In fact, if someone else had Heynya’s talent, Dray would have used any means necessary to ‘acquire’ that person.
“Dray… please stop…”
At that moment, Heynya spoke in a trembling voice from beside him.
Dray thought she was ashamed of his immodesty.
Modesty was a virtue only for those with mediocre talent.
Someone like Heynya had no reason to be modest, and as far as Dray knew, Heynya was well aware of that fact.
‘Is she embarrassed in front of her friend?’
Dray concluded Heynya’s behavior as such.
“Rank 5? What is this… how long has it been since she started learning magic…”
“Rank 5 in just one year… Miss Heynya might really be rewriting history…!”
“The status of the Grey Tower—”
And, pleased with the reactions from those around him, he continued.
“I heard what Heynya said. You’re also Rank 5, right?”
“Uh, that—”
The surroundings buzzed again.
“What, that person is also Rank 5!? At such a young age!?”
“Still, unlike Miss Heynya, that person must have trained in magic since childhood…”
“Even considering that, isn’t it still amazing! There are countless people who haven’t reached Rank 5 even in their thirties!”
“Well…
Compared to Heynya’s case, it was a more subdued buzz.
It was also Dray’s state of mind.
‘Rank 5…’
As a Grand Noble.
And as a talent scout who had met countless talents.
Lisir’s magical realm didn’t impress Dray much.
He acknowledged it, but he didn’t feel the need to ‘acquire’ him with effort.
Thus, Dray’s curiosity was piqued once more.
What aspect of this man had captivated the meticulous Heynya and opened her heart?
‘Perhaps it’s because they’re in similar positions…’
Eventually, Dray reached that conclusion.
A minor incident that occurred as Heynya adapted to the new environment of the Magic Tower.
Until recently, Heynya was at Rank 4.
Therefore, she would have been interested in Lisir, who was of the same age but at a higher level.
But now Heynya is Rank 5.
She wouldn’t be able to look at Lisir with the same eyes as before.
And the same would be true for Lisir.
The emotion a genius evokes in a commoner is akin to a disaster.
‘Considering Heynya’s personality, their relationship won’t last long.’
The talent scout had solved his curiosity and lost interest in the subject.
Dray, having returned from talent scout to Heynya’s older brother, smiled at Lisir.
“Rank 5 at that age. That’s amazing. You must have been relentlessly diligent, not content with your outstanding talent. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Heynya, but I’m relieved. She seems to be doing very well. Your contribution is definitely a part of that. For that, I’d like to express my gratitude.”
He patted Lisir’s shoulder warmly.
Dray’s demeanor towards Lisir was so friendly that they could have talked for a whole day.
“From now on, will you stay friends with our Heynya?”
“I would like to, but considering Miss Heynya’s personality—I think Miss Heynya will be the one to decide that.”
“Hahaha! That’s true! Well then, I’ll be going—”
However, he casually ended the conversation with Lisir.
The reason he attended the banquet held at the Golden Barley Trading Company today was solely for ‘Talent Acquisition’.
He had no more time to spend on Lisir.
“Master Dray.”
“Yes?”
“That person has arrived.”
“Oh, really?”
A servant approached and delivered the awaited news.
The news that ‘Frozen Breath’, the former Master of the Blue Tower, had arrived.
He would soon head to the Guild Master’s VIP room.
“Master Eron…!”
At that moment, Karia, the Guild Master’s daughter, who had arrived almost simultaneously, delivered the same news to Eron.
‘The Guild Master’s daughter is so affectionate… Ah, I see. That person is the Saint.’
Dray, once again a talent scout.
His gaze turned to where Lisir and the Saint stood together.
His gaze was fixed solely on the Saint.
“If you don’t mind, would you like to come with me?”
The Saint exchanged glances with Lisir and nodded.
They headed towards the Guild Master’s VIP room together.
✦✦✦
“Oh, you two—”
Dray, who had arrived at the reception room while talking to Eron, his eyes lit up the moment he entered the room.
Valode of the Red Tower.
Maldad, the Demon Hunter.
Shakan of the Sky Walker Tribe.
Not one, but three individuals who stimulated his talent acquisition desires were already seated.
“Master Dray.”
They immediately stood up and bowed to Dray.
Dray returned the bow and was about to continue the conversation when—
“Lisir!”
They approached Lisir with bright smiles.
“My friend, what brings you here!”
“Ah, I happened to have the opportunity. And you all—”
“What else would we say if you say that? We also came here by chance.”
“We’re also waiting for our business to be resolved, just like you.”
“It’s just that, I intended to quickly take care of Lan’s request and leave—but somehow it turned out like this.”
“I’m sorry. I think it’s partly my fault.”
Bang! Bang!
Shakan heartily patted Lisir’s back.
“It’s okay! It’s okay! Don’t apologize! Thanks to you, we’ve gained a very precious connection! Don’t you think so?”
Shakan looked at Valode and Maldad, and they immediately nodded in agreement.
“…”
Dray was quite surprised by their behavior.
Dray knew the three of them, and he knew how difficult they were.
But their attitude towards Lisir now.
He wondered if they were really the same people he had met before.
‘Lisir…’
The dying embers were rekindled.
Just as the talent scout was about to show interest in Lisir again.
The door opened, and a chilling cold air flowed in.
It was an old man who seemed to have all his hair turned into facial hair.
An old man with thick eyebrows and a full beard stood there with a young woman.
The former Master of the Blue Tower.
Frozen Breath, Pallag.
The appearance of the big shot who made everyone in the room seem like youngsters instantly heightened the tension.
They immediately straightened their posture and tried to greet him.
“That’s enough, sit down. I didn’t come here to make you greet me.”
Pallag dismissed them with a casual gesture and sat down at the head of the table.
The young woman who had accompanied him immediately approached and stood beside him.
“Ahem.”
Having settled down, Pallag cleared his throat and began to speak.
The former Master of the Blue Tower was currently thirsty.
Thirsty for boasting.
The perceptive Dray continued the flow.
“Duke Pallag. I believe this is my first time meeting your companion. Is she perhaps the one you recently took in—”
Grin.
The old man’s thick eyebrows and beard twitched with his smile.
He said.
“It seems you’ve heard something.”
It was a gaze that seemed to press for a predetermined question.
Dray smiled wryly and, once again perceptively, continued the flow.
“I heard that she possesses outstanding magical talent worthy of Duke Pallag’s discernment.”
“…”
The Three Big Shots also showed interest in Dray’s words.
The former Master of the Blue Tower, Frozen Breath, whose fastidiousness bordered on eccentricity.
The fact that he, who was known for being ruthless even to his disciples, had taken on a new disciple after letting go of everything.
Just how outstanding is she?
With such expectant gazes, the bald old man, pleased, opened his mouth.
“From now on, this old man will tell you a fun story. It’s a story you’re all familiar with. An old and ailing wizard retires from the front lines and begins to wander the continent. To check if there was something he missed while running forward all this time. Then, in a certain village, he met a girl. That girl was already a Rank 3 swordsman who had mastered Blue Breath.”
It’s an introduction that couldn’t be more shocking than this when discussing magical talent.
Pallag, without a doubt, observed the reactions of those present.
To watch their shocked reactions.
Like a foolish old man boasting about his granddaughter.
“?”
His expression suddenly contorted.
“Duke Pallag, could that mean…!”
Only Dray showed the reaction Pallag expected.
Everyone else was glancing at a young man with strange expressions.
✦✦✦
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