Nothing particularly changed just because we won the competition.
Of course, some mages did rush to try to take Lena as their disciple, but as if I would give her away.
After kindly sending them away, we returned to our cabin.
“I-I’m exhausted…”
Unknown people came to ask her to work with them, saying they felt it was destiny when they first saw her, or demanding she become their disciple, and so on.
There were quite a few statements that were hard for the introverted Lena to handle on the way back to the cabin.
Rejecting each one must have been a big task for Lena too.
“He-hehehe… But I made friends…”
“Yes. Congratulations.”
Yuria and Canon returned to the Ivory Tower.
Before leaving, they agreed to become friends during the after-party, and she still seems happy about that.
I patted Lena’s head as she grinned, sat her at the table, and got to the main point.
“While I congratulate you on winning, that doesn’t mean we can skip what needs to be done.”
“You mean…”
“From today, we’ll start intermediate magic.”
“What!”
Basically, Ragnarok’s nature magic is founded on four elements.
Earth, fire, water, and air – intermediate magic generally refers to magic based on these four elements.
“While basic magic contains elements, you can’t say it truly utilizes those elements. It just purely creates the elements.”
“Th-then what about attributes that don’t belong to the four elements?”
“Those are used in advanced magic.”
“Ah.”
Elements like ice and lightning become the starting point for advanced magic. However, that’s not to say there isn’t advanced magic among the four elements.
You need to internalize how to use each element through basic magic before learning intermediate and advanced magic.
“The path to guide magical power is as follows. First is the fire attribute. Fire Arrow. It’s similar to Magic Arrow, but you imbue it with an element. It might be easier to think of it as using two spells simultaneously.”
“Um… Is it different from stacking?”
“It’s closer to synthesis than stacking? Here. Try it.”
After squinting with her eyes closed, a flame arrow appeared before Lena’s eyes. As expected of a genius. She learns so quickly.
“Shooting it is the same as Magic Arrow.”
“Hiyah!”
The Fire Arrow she shot had its flames extinguished halfway through its flight.
When Lena looked puzzled at this, I took her hand.
“You seem to have focused too much on the arrow. This is a common mistake when advancing from basic to intermediate magic.”
“Hmm. You’re right. Then again…”
After repeating this several times, creating and shooting Fire Arrows, Lena easily mastered it.
“You’re really quick. It normally takes a week to learn to do it consistently.”
“Eh-hehehe… It’s be-because you teach so well, M-master.”
“You’re the one doing well. Well then, shall we move on to the next?”
There are many intermediate magic spells besides Fire Arrow.
We need to master over 80% of these before I can teach advanced magic, so let’s teach diligently.
Fortunately, Lena quickly absorbed everything I taught without any particular complaints.
Her talent would make any mage jealous.
Several days passed like this.
Just as we were about to do a mid-point check with Lena, who had been mastering one magic spell per day…
“…Len.”
“Y-yes?!”
“Get behind me.”
While she was puzzled, people started emerging from the forest. They were wearing black clothes.
I couldn’t help but know who they were.
“The Asura Church?”
“Hehehe…”
The unremarkable man at the front laughed softly.
Quite an unpleasant laugh.
As I raised my hand, he shook his head.
“Wait. Let’s resolve this through dialogue.”
“The Asura Church talking about dialogue. Right. Let’s hear what you dogs have to bark.”
“Return the Dark Church’s test subject. Then we’ll simply leave.”
So they came for her after all.
In the original story, Lena catches the Asura Church’s eye, gets dragged into the Asura Church, and becomes active as the Silent Witch of the Asura Church.
It seems the Asura Church has moved to complete that future.
But am I crazy? As if I’d hand Lena over to them.
I shook my head.
“Lena is my disciple. You think I’d give her to the likes of you?”
I haven’t even taught her advanced magic yet. I have no intention of sending her anywhere else.
“Wind Javelin.”
A green windflower bloomed at my sword’s tip.
It instantly transformed into a huge wind spear and flew toward the head of the guy smirking in front of me.
– Crack!
But instead of hitting the guy’s body, my Wind Javelin was blocked by a translucent barrier in mid-air.
This guy, he has a good artifact.
“Think I came here without any preparation? Boys! Attack!!”
About fifteen Asura Church members charged forward.
Just as the group of mages and swordsmen were about to rush at me…
“F-Fire Arrow!!”
Suddenly, powerful flames arose from behind.
Dozens of Fire Arrows hung in the air.
After firing them without restraint, Lena shouted urgently.
“M-master! I’ll fight too!!”
The already summoned Sylphid also nodded and spread its wind.
The flying Fire Arrows met the wind and grew stronger.
I hadn’t even taught her about element enhancement, yet she’s using it like this. Indeed, she’s an excellent disciple who learns ten things when taught one.
“Gah! Mere Dark Church test subject!!”
Not many could withstand the powerful fire arrows created by Lena and Sylphid.
That means those who came here were just ordinary thugs.
In other words, they’re just the advance party.
After finishing off those struggling from Lena’s Fire Arrows, I approached the one who seemed to be their leader.
“Ha! Think I’ll just take this lying down?!”
His body began to swell. The Asura Church’s dark art of strengthening the body by accepting evil power.
So he knows some dark arts?
“M-master!!”
Then came arrows of water and fire. The guy, withstanding the continuous volley of attacks with his barrier, laughed vilely.
“Kuhahaha!! Don’t underestimate the power of the Asura Church!!”
“I wasn’t particularly underestimating the Asura Church. I just underestimated you.”
I rushed toward the guy who was surviving thanks to his artifact and swung my sword.
What he’s using is a defensive magic called Magic Shield, specialized in defending against magical attacks.
In other words, it’s weak against physical attacks.
Whether he didn’t expect me to approach and swing my sword or he was just incompetent, he took my attack directly.
“Gyaaagh!”
His arm flies off.
As the magic barrier breaks, arrows of fire and water start piercing his body.
“Urghhhh…”
The guy who instantly became full of holes dies.
Watching this, I approached Lena, who was breaking out in cold sweat.
“Are you okay?”
This must be Lena’s first kill.
While Sowol was tough enough to handle it, I was worried about Lena since she’s particularly weak mentally.
Sure enough, Lena’s face had turned pale.
“I-I killed… someone…”
“Well, sometimes you have to kill to live.”
“Is… is that so?”
“That’s right.”
I patted Lena’s head.
To live in this world from now on, she’ll need to get used to killing people.
I held Lena’s hand firmly.
“Sometimes you need to become cruel to protect what’s precious. You could say you’ve grown stronger through this.”
“…I-I see. Thank you!”
“Good. That’s the attitude.”
Though her response was good, it must still hurt inside.
But this was pain she would have had to experience someday, so I can only hope she endures it well.
“Ah. Um… M-master.”
“Hmm? What is it? Something you want to say?”
While I was gathering the corpses with telekinesis, Lena spoke up.
What could she want to ask?
Though I had a rough idea, I asked back just in case, and Lena nodded slightly. Her eyes were trembling.
“Th-the Dark Church’s test subject they mentioned… was that referring to me?”
She’s grown a lot.
She would have buried such a topic out of fear in the past, but now she asks about it herself.
Now then, what should we do about this?
Seeing these guys come, the Asura Church will keep coming, and eventually, Lena will learn the truth anyway…
I might as well tell her myself.
“Lord of Fire.”
After taking anything valuable from the corpses I gathered with telekinesis, I burned them.
Looking down at the bodies burning vigorously in the pit, I explained to Lena.
About the Dark Church.
About the Asura Church.
And about the test subjects the Dark Church was creating.
“S-so… I was a D-Dark Church test subject… I see… Um. M-master.”
“Are you asking if I took you as my disciple because you’re a Dark Church test subject?”
“Eek. H-how… did you know?”
“I can tell what you’re going to say just by looking at your face.”
“Eh-hehehe…”
“I’ve been fighting the Asura Church since before I met you. Of course I knew about the Dark Church’s test subjects. But that’s not why I took you as my disciple. I took you, Lena, as my disciple after seeing you.”
There aren’t many kids with as much magical talent as you.
“I… see…”
Lena murmured quietly, nodded, and then looked straight at me.
There was no fear in her eyes. I thought she would despair or be devastated upon learning she was a test subject.
“I-I might have been a D-Dark Church test subject in the past… but… um. Now I’m y-your disciple…”
“And?”
“…I-I have no intention… of going to the Asura Church.”
I smiled at her as she showed her firm resolve.
“I have no intention of giving you either.”
Unless it’s the Ivory Tower. They can teach you well.