Chapter 96: Team Competition

FYI I am planning to switch my site to a ‘Dark mode’ site to save everyone’s eyes. But will take some time to configure the code.

After yesterday’s simulated battle between Gordon and Klimt.

In the end, Alicia, the Wind Magician from the Hero Party, Bellrock, the Earth Magician, and finally even Roman, fought one-on-one mock battles.

Roman’s opponent was Emil Fischer, the first company commander who had been fond of swords since he was a child in a knight’s family, but … as expected, he couldn’t match up to the Hero.

The Hero party had breakfast in the prepared annex.

After having breakfast at the cafeteria in the training ground, Fiona and the other two adjutants held a debriefing session in the Division Chief’s office.

Yes, three people.

Normally, Deputy Chief Oscar, who stays holed up in the 4th Exercise Area, would still visit for breakfast and morning reports, but he did not show up this morning.

“What about Deputy Chief?”

As expected, his adjutant Jurgen asked Fiona with a worried look on his face.

“Um, leave him alone.”

“Ar-are you sure?”

“He’ll come out around today. That’s a precursor to that.”

Fiona replied with a smile, understanding that Oscar had finally arrived at the point of organizing his feelings.

“If teacher is coming out … should we apply for a team battle in the morning? Anytime would be fine if it seemed that teacher would not come out anytime soon … but if he’s coming out today or tomorrow, the sooner we hold it the better.”

“Is that because Roman-dono would only challenge Deputy Chief once he comes out?”

“Yes. We won’t be able to have Roman-dono as an opponent. Isn’t that a waste?”

Fiona laughed and replied to Marie’s confirmation.

(Since Deputy Chief’s return is in sight, a dazzling smile has returned to Her Royal Highness.)

Marie was delighted in her heart.

“What do you mean by ‘Let’s have a team battle today’?”

Graham, the priest who was negotiating for the Hero party, confirmed with Fiona.

The Hero Roman was waiting with other members a few steps behind so that he wouldn’t get tangled into saying unfavorable words.

(Graham also has a lot of troubles.)

Fiona, who was the cause of that trouble, thought with a laugh in her heart.

“How about seven versus seven? I understand that it is not easy to have seven people at the same level as your party, but this is a never-before-seen experience, a match with the Hero party. I hope you agree.”

“No, we understand that your division has talented people from yesterday’s mock battles.”

In the simulated battles yesterday, Gordon, Alicia, and Bellrock fought in magic matches using Fire, Wind, and Earth, and although the Hero side won all the matches, the division also fought quite well.

Gordon, the Fire Magician, completely changed his preconceptions after he saw that not only he but also Alicia and Bellrock did not encounter easy wins.

They were matches that were quite close …

Of course, excluding the battle with the Hero.

“I understand. I will accept the mock battle of seven versus seven.”

Graham thanked Fiona and summoned the party members who were behind him.

“Thank you. Well, the problem is our members. Let’s let Jurgen join, he was dissatisfied with acting as the judge the whole time yesterday. The judge will be another person, Graham-dono, are you okay with that?”

(Here it is!)

After hearing Fiona’s suggestion, Graham thought to himself. This was a swap to win.

(As an adjutant, he was either a person who had no fighting ability and was good at coordinating, or a person who had the power to overwhelm ordinary division members, but so he’s the latter? This is troublesome but … as long as Roman is here, there shouldn’t be any chance …)

“Yes, of course, it doesn’t matter.”

Graham accepted the change in judge.

“Jurgen, Marie, 2nd Company Commander Nin, 3rd Company Commander Stock, 4th Company Commander Elsa, and Deputy Recovery Officer Marma. The judge will be Emile, the 1st Company Commander who fought the Hero yesterday. Yup, these will be the members.”

“Excuse me, Your Highness. There are only six members on our division side …”

Marie, the adjutant, asked Fiona with a feeling of dread.

“Of course, that’s because I’ll be participating too, so that’s seven people.”

“Oh, I knew it …”

Marie’s shoulders slumped to the expected answer.

As her adjutant, Marie wanted Fiona to be in a safe place …

“I have the deputy recovery officer Marma, but the Chief officer Fin and the rescue squad are all on standby. I can handle it even if something unforeseen happens. Don’t worry.”

Fiona smiled at Marie.

“The rules are almost the same as yesterday. Immediate death attacks are forbidden. The match will end if it is judged that all seven members surrender, faint, or cannot continue the battle.”

At a distance of 50 meters, the Hero party and Fiona’s party faced each other.

“Full strength bombardment from the start. Make the Hero party serious.”

Fiona whispered to her party.

And the voice of Emile, the first company commander who was the judge, echoed.

“Now, the match begins!”

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The strongest magic attacks from the seven most elite members of the Empire’s Emperor Magic Division.

The magic barrier encasing the training ground was fully deployed but a part of it was chipped off.

Thunderous roars ripped through the grounds, lights flashed, and dust covered the area.

“Um … instant death attacks are prohibited …”

Emile’s words, the first company commander acting as judge, did not reach anyone.

“Chief … released Heaven and Earth Collapse …”

“Marie-san and Jurgen-san went full power too …”

“They’re dead, right?”

The members of the division in the audience seats whispered with surprise.

The dust that blew up around the Hero party settled down and it was finally possible to see …

“Unharmed …”

Somebody muttered in the audience seats … but many members of the division had the same thoughts.

Marie’s , Jurgen’s , and Fiona’s … were all the strongest spells in their respective fields in the Empire as wide-area attack magic cast by an individual.

They couldn’t believe that they were unharmed.

However, that was limited to the members of the division sitting in the audience seats.

The members of Fiona’s Party at the training ground found it normal.

“So it broke the magic barrier but it couldn’t break through the Hero’s holy sword?”

Adjutant Jurgen muttered.

Roman stood at the forefront of the Hero party with his holy sword.

“Muu … my magic barrier disappeared without enduring much of the blast.”

“My generated clay wall didn’t have much use too.”

“My wind barrier also disappeared just from a gentle brush from that wide-area Wind-Attribute attack …”

The Priest Graham, The Earth-Attribute Bellrock, and the Wind-Attribute Alicia grumbled.

“In other words, if Roman didn’t sweep it aside with his holy sword, everyone would have been killed by that previous blow!”

“Hey, Gordon, you should have cast a magic barrier too.”

Gordon’s angered voice was shot down by the Scout Maurice.

“Everyone!”

Hero Roman’s voice reverberated.

“Go all out without holding back.”

The entire party nodded to Roman’s words.

“OK ”

When Ash Khan, who hadn’t spoken a word before, chanted the trigger words, the entire Hero party was wrapped in wind, and Hero Roman’s holy sword and the Scout Maurice’s dagger shone green.

“Your Highness, she is an Enchanter. The speed of everyone in the Hero party will increase.”

“!”

The members in Fiona’s party were surprised by Elsa’s, the 4th Company Commander, words.

Even Fiona, who always maintained calm in battle and took it as her creed, was not an exception.

However, she did her utmost to not reveal it on her face.

“A magic class not found in Central Nations. They’re coming!”

At the same time as Fiona’s warning, magic attacks from the Hero party fell onto Fiona’s party in return.

At the same time, Hero Roman, Scout Maurice, and Ash Khan, the Wind-Attribute Enchanter, plunged into hand-to-hand combat.

It was Marie against Maurice, Jurgen against Ash Khan, and Fiona against the Hero Roman.

“Roman’s opponent … as if the princess can …”

Those words spilled from Gordon’s mouth.

It’s impossible … Gordon was about to continue … but he couldn’t.

Roman and Fiona collided in the middle of the party and started a fierce sword fight.

Roman was a Swordsman.

Moreover, he was the Hero.

In addition, he had sped up with the effect from Haste.

But, Fiona was matching up to Roman without taking a step back.

In the first place, clashing swords with the Hero was a 『phenomenon』 that rarely occurred.

The holy sword Astarte wielded by the Hero Roman.

It was impossible to clash against it with a normal sword.

An ordinary sword would shatter with just one clash.

However, Fiona’s sword was not an ordinary sword either.

One of the two magic swords that the Imperial family was proud of, the treasured sword Raven.

A mythical sword that was said to have the two attributes of wind and fire in a single swing.

A jet-black sword said to have been forged through a collaboration of gods long ago.

It was a sword that the Emperor used for generations.

However, the current Emperor Rupert VI bestowed it to Fiona.

The treasured sword Raven appeared closer to a rapier than a sword which suited it to be carried by a woman than a man and more importantly, Rupert told the people around him that the sword liked Fiona more.

There was no further explanation and since no one could coerce Emperor Rupert, Fiona had been holding it ever since.

Fiona had carried Raven for eight years since it was given to her when she was ten years old. A partner, in a sense.

That partner opened up all her potential in the face of the opponent at a level that she had never fought against in her life.

The 『Wind-Attribute』 that the treasured sword Raven was imbued with increased the speed of Fiona’s movements, including the speed of her sword.

A pseudo-haste state.

In addition, Raven’s 『Fire-Attribute』 qualities also raised Fiona’s own ability as a Fire-Attribute Magician.

It made it possible to fire offensive magic between sword clashes, something that could be thought of but usually impossible to do.

Casting magic as though exhaling … no, she was doing it even more smoothly as Fire Javelins and Piercing Fires were fired by Fiona towards Roman.

Even Roman could not achieve that.

Simply put, it increased the number of moves Fiona had.

To be precise, she could mix in attacks that must be avoided and not blocked.

Normally, when a person tries to cast magic during a sword clash, there would be a slight gap.

Therefore, if the opponent is at the same or a stronger level, they should not cast magic; and if the opponent is at a weaker level, there was no need to bother to cast magic … ultimately, it is inconceivable to cast magic during a sword clash.

(But … the Princess made it possible.)

The Hero Roman was amazed as the fierce battle unfolded.

While fighting with a sword, her magic was cast very smoothly.

As the clash of swords continued, Roman couldn’t help but notice.

This fighting style wasn’t something that came as inspiration or thought of on the spot, but something that had been built up and polished through a long period of training.

She had been training by simultaneously attacking with her sword and casting magic from when she started her basic training.

Fiona began learning the sword when she was four years old.

None of her ten older sisters did that, but it was the result of Fiona’s fervent request to her father, Emperor Rupert VI.

Why did she start saying that she wanted to practice the sword?

Because the desire was born the moment she set her eyes on the sword on Rupert’s waist.

“Raven? If Fiona practices her utmost and can wield it properly, I will lend it to you.”

What Rupert said at the time was half a joke, but also half-serious.

Encounters with a lifelong 『partner』 were sometimes fateful.

Rupert had already felt at that point that that might be the case.

And six years later … On Fiona’s tenth birthday, the treasured sword Raven became Fiona’s partner.

It was a week before Fiona met her most cherished person.

Fiona’s swordsmanship had been trained since the age of four and with Raven since the age of ten.

The only person in the division who knew all about it was Oscar, her teacher.

But today, her full strength was displayed in front of the members of the division.

“Wow …”

Silence dominated the audience seats.

The Emperor’s Magic Division was, of course, made up of all Magicians.

However, just because a person is a Magician doesn’t mean that they can’t fight in close quarters.

It’s over once their magical power runs out.

It’s over once the enemy gets close.

There was no good reason to build up such a fragile group.

Strong magic was a matter of course but their close combat ability must also be strong.

That was what was required of an Emperor Magic Division Magician on the battlefield.

Division Chief Fiona who stood at the head of that division.

The division members knew that Fiona was strong with a sword, but didn’t expect her to be strong to that extent.