Ch. 187: The Little Brother and the Wizard
“Class E and Class A. Please take your designated positions.”
Using a [Wind] Spell, the speaker amplified their voice to carry across the field.
Class E and Class A’s match was the first event of the second day. This day, there was an unbelievable amount of spectators all around.
Igni: “Wow. This is just like the [Tournament]....”
Igni looked around at all the people sitting in the spectator seats.
The crowd was yelling at the top of their lungs, and their cheers shook the area as they rooted for the two classes.
To be accurate, they were rooting for two specific people.
“Miss Estea, you can do it!!”
“We’re cheering for you! Go for it!!”
“You’ll win, Fray!!”
“Class A!! You’ll be the champions!!!”
This match was between Estea and Fray.
From yesterday, Class E had centered their strategy around Estea as expected. Igni didn’t see Class A’s match, but they had also opted for a strategy centered around Fray.
Alicia: “..........I just noticed this but…”
Igni: “Hm?” The giant display prepared for the spectators zoomed up closely to Fray and Estea.
It showed Fray who was full of confidence facing Estea who seemed to be very nervous.
Alicia: “I wonder if this match was designed with how to fight along with [Extremes].”
Alicia sat next to Igni and spoke from underneath her large hat that hid her face.
Igni: “........now that you mention it, every class is centering their strategy around the strongest Wizard in the Class.”
Even though they were all 1st years, there were a few with outstanding talents and abilities.
Igni wondered how they would be treated once they graduated.
Those few individuals would be treated similarly to [Extremes].
Alicia: “The strategy depends on how well you can support the strongest ‘individual’ as a group. …….or am I overthinking this?” Igni: “I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t put it past the teachers here…….” While they were talking, the two classes finished their preparation, and the signal to begin the match rang.
Alicia: “......that reminds me, isn’t Fray your younger brother?” Igni: “Hm? Oh, yeah, he is.”
Igni nodded. It wasn’t something he was trying to hide from Alicia. Indeed, Igni was not trying to hide his connections to the Talcoyz Family. So there was no reason for him to feel awkward about answering Alicia’s question.
He just did not feel the need to tell anyone.
But it wasn’t as though Igni never cared about his background as a former Noble.
It was during the time when he was training in the [Demon King’s Realm] whenーー
<<<<>>>>
[Hm? Igni, what’s the matter? Why are you eating your food like that…..?]
[I figured if I eat like this, no one would think I’m from a Noble's family.]
Lucas looked surprised and disgusted at Igni’s manners.
[Hmmm…so, Igni, you are trying to hide the fact that you are a former Noble?]
[Yeah, because you told me that Nobles can’t be Popular! See! I’m using my brain too!]
[How shallow!! And you’re grossing me out!!]
Not being able to tolerate Igni chewing with his mouth open, Lucas slapped Igni making him fly back
In fact, Lucas disdained people who spoke while they chewed the most. Conversely, he favored women the most. When a woman spoke while chewing, the two factors would completely cancel each other out and leave nothing.
[ARGH?!?! What was that for?! I’m eating, Grandpa!!]
[Don’t chew with your mouth open! How were you raised?!]
[I was raised by your son!!]
[I taught him every manner there was!!]
Igni: (Ohhh, that’s why that guy made a fuss about table manners…..)
Igni placed two and two together.
[Now listen to me, Igni. All things can be useful with the right timing.]
[The right timing…..?]
Igni sat up as he looked at Lucas.
[In other words, the label as a former noble can be useful depending upon the situation…..]
[WhーWhat do you mean….?]
[Hmmmm, well, think of it this way. Imagine that you are an ordinary citizen.]
[But I am an ordinary citizen now…..]
[But then, you meet a girl. You see her crying and when you ask her what is wrong, she answers, “I was a noble, but they expelled me from the family….!”]
[.........?!]
[Now then, Igni. What would you think….?]
[IーIt’s an opportunity……! I think I would be able to help her…..!!]
[You’re exactly right. And you can also reverse the situation. In a critical moment, when you need a girl’s help, you can use it to show your vulnerability……!]
[I…..I see……..but huh? I thought the Ultimate Secret to Popularity Rule #1 was……]
ーーStrong men are Popular.
This idea of showing vulnerability clashed directly with the principle of strength, and Igni’s head went white with panicked confusion.
[That’s why I’m telling you that you have to find the right moment, you idiot!!]
[HーHey, don’t call me an idiot…..]
The word stung Igni.
[But at your level, you won’t be able to discern those right moments. Just forget it for now.]
[Huh? Just forget about it?]
[It's a nice tool to have, but that’s after you have the basics down. For now, just focus on becoming popular without relying on your past history!!]
[OーOkay, grandpa! I’ll do it!!]
<<<<>>>>
ーーis the memory Igni recalled.
Alicia: “So….what do you think about your little brother? Is it awkward to talk to him?”
Igni: “Ummm, not really…….It’s not something I think about……”
In fact, if Alicia didn’t mention Fray, Igni would not have remembered that he had a younger brother.
Igni had simply never thought about his brother at all.
Yoori: “Oh! Igni! Look! Estea and Fray!!”
And Yoori grabbed Igni by the hand and pointed towards the display.
Igni: (His hand is so soft…….!)
The soft sensation of Yoori's skin made Igni doubt if Yoori was really a boy, but as Igni looked at the large screens, there he saw Estea and Fray hurtling Spells viciously at one another.
Butーー
Igni: “.........hm?”
Yoori: “What’s wrong, Igni?”
Igni: “No, it’s…….something’s not right.”
Yoori: “What do you mean?”
Igni: “From the point of manipulation to the activation of the Spell, Fray has a longer lag.”
When you concentrate Magic and then begin manipulating it, it becomes a Spell.
Making the motion as smooth and natural as possible, you will reduce the time loss that occurs before the Spell activates.
In short, that is one of the fundamentals to becoming a 1st rate Wizard.
But the fight that Igni saw before him was too one-sided.
Estea’s Spells flowed out of her in quick succession, and Fray had a hard time just defending himself.
Igni: “......was he…….that weak?” Igni could not help himself as he muttered the words. He simply could not believe how poorly Fray was doing.
Yoori: “Maybe he’s not feeling well today?” Igni: “.....that could be true.”
Igni: (He could have a fever or something.)
While Igni watched Fray, the fanfare indicating Class A’s victory echoed across the field.
While Fray held Estea at bay, his classmates were able to get all of Class E’s flags.
It was a disappointing result for Igni, but because it was Fray, he let the thought go, and it was quickly forgotten.
