Because leaving Wind Whisper Fortress was equivalent to leaving the safety of the national borders, the diplomatic mission made the unprecedented decision to stay for one day to rest the men and horses before departing the day after next.
During this day and a half of free time, General Theodore of Wind Whisper Fortress took the initiative to suggest using the fortress army to test the strength of the mission’s guard.
Clang!
A heavy broadsword and a longsword collided.
The battle qi belonging to two Rank 8 Warriors began to tear and clash until it merged into an incomparable hurricane.
Only then did the two men finally sheathe their weapons.
“Master Theodore’s strength is improving rapidly. I’m afraid it won’t be long before you surpass me,” Aaron said as he returned his longsword to its scabbard.
Seeing that Theodore’s movement in stowing his broadsword lacked even the slightest hesitation, he spoke with an envious tone.
The Trenton Family truly deserved its reputation as the empire’s premier noble house.
At twenty-one years old, Theodore could swing a broadsword and hold his own against an established powerhouse like Aaron who had spent years training.
There were even faint signs of him suppressing the older man.
“You must be joking, Uncle Aaron. I am indeed slightly stronger in terms of raw power, but when it comes to agility and combat techniques, I am far behind you.”
Theodore wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled frankly.
“Just now, you had three ways to take my life, right?”
Aaron smiled without saying a word, making Theodore feel a bit discouraged.
He tossed his broadsword aside, pulled over a stool, and sat down.
“Fine, fine. I admit I can’t beat you, but you have to tell me—how is my big brother’s strength these days?”
As the Captain of the Guard for the Trenton Family, Aaron also served as an instructor for the four young masters, so he knew their strength well.
After comparing Cassius and Theodore in his mind, he replied, “Master Cassius’s battle qi is stronger than yours, but his practical combat experience is inferior. In a surprise attack, you would certainly win.”
“So that means if the fight drags on, I won’t necessarily be able to win against Big Brother?”
Seeing that Aaron did not refute him, Theodore waved his hand dismissively and grinned.
“I’m not surprised by this result. Big Brother’s talent has always been the best among us, aside from our little sister. But with her lazy nature, the position of the next Duke of Trenton will likely go to my uncle’s family again.”
“I don’t really care who holds the position, but I do care about the fact that sitting in that position allows for better protection of my little sister.”
He scratched his head and said helplessly, “But I also know my personality isn’t suited for being the head of the family, so the position will definitely still go to Big Brother. Besides…”
Theodore’s grin widened even further.
“Having a powerful, maniacal older brother will make certain people even more afraid to mess with her, right?”
While the warriors were busy, Winnidith—whom Theodore treated like a delicate flower in a greenhouse—had also become interested.
She picked up her wand and found a few mages to play a game with.
Whoosh!
Another blue light bullet hit a balloon.
Winnidith yawned out of boredom, her azure eyes reflecting the disheveled appearance of the mages.
“I say, you aren’t holding back on purpose, are you? At your current level, I’ll have to ask the Magic Association to re-evaluate your qualifications as mages.”
Hearing this, the unlucky mages who had been dragged out all turned red, yet not one could argue back.
The thought of going easy on her… they indeed had it at first.
After all, no matter how much of a genius Lady Winnidith was, she was only a Rank 5 Mage.
But when she fired off Rank 3 light bullets at the speed of Rank 5 wind blade magic, they realized they were gravely mistaken.
Was this a Rank 5 Mage?
This mana capacity!
This mana conversion rate!
This casting speed!
They would have believed it if someone said she was a veteran Rank 7 Mage!
Thus, the mages stood there like wooden chickens.
After a balloon reached a certain height, they would mechanically raise their staves and watch as a light bullet, like an upward-flying raindrop, shattered the poor balloon.
Their eyes were full of bewilderment.
‘Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? What on earth have I been learning my whole life?’
Of course, what they didn’t know was that Winnidith had long been qualified to apply for Rank 7 Mage status.
It was just that magic at Rank 7 and above involved exceptionally long incantations, so she was too lazy to learn them.
“How boring.”
Seeing the mages standing there in a daze, Winnidith’s playfulness vanished.
She casually picked a familiar-looking mage from the group as an opponent for a real combat exercise.
“Me?”
Mela, who had been called out, pointed at her own nose.
Her fairly pretty face began to twist with anxiety.
She really shouldn’t have joined this diplomatic mission.
The thought of asking for a replacement had not yet been spoken when the surrounding mages automatically retreated 100 steps, clearing an ample battlefield for the two of them.
No one wanted to be the unlucky one.
Even the mages who were usually on good terms with Mela quickly backed away when they met her eyes.
‘You bunch of cowards…’
Mela’s eyes went dead.
She shuddered when she heard Winnidith speak.
“You are a Rank 7 Mage after all, so I’ll take the lead in attacking. No objections, right?”
Mela nodded tearfully.
In the next moment, a dense rain of light bullets smashed toward her like a storm.
“Rank 3 Magic: Light Bullet!”
‘This isn’t Rank 3 magic at all!’
Despite her internal complaints, Mela was a Rank 7 Mage recognized by the Magic Association.
She lifted her staff, and a film of water began to expand.
The film was very light and soft, appearing as though it would break at a touch.
But miraculously, no matter how fierce the light bullets were or how much pressure they exerted, the water film remained intact.
“To be able to use Rank 6 magic to this extent, Miss Mela truly deserves her position as the mage specially invited by the Persis Family.”
Some mages nearby recognized the move and marveled at it.
But in the next moment, the expressions of both the onlookers and Mela froze.
“Rank 4 Magic: Great Fireball!”
A giant fireball with a diameter of twenty meters blocked Winnidith’s silhouette.
The scorching heat made Aaron and the others at the other training ground feel parched, so how much worse was it for Mela, a mage with a weak constitution, facing it head-on?
The water film evaporated in an instant, and the crimson firelight illuminated Mela’s pale face.
If she took this move head-on, she wouldn’t die, but she definitely wouldn’t escape massive burns.
Mela’s expression tightened.
She thrust her staff into the ground and opened her arms in a chanting posture.
She was going to use Rank 7 magic to cancel out a Rank 4 spell cast by Winnidith… such a dramatic scene felt like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of these habitually proud mages.
In the path of magic, the absolute gap in talent cannot be overcome by hard work.
“May the Spirit of Water have mercy. Rank 7 Magic—Water Flower Canopy!”
Starting from Rank 7, the nature of magic changed.
Everything before it was collectively known as low-rank magic, where mages utilized elemental power in the air.
But once Rank 7 was reached, the caster had to trace the source of magic—communicating with the elements themselves.
Among the eight elements—wind, water, fire, lightning, wood, earth, light, and dark—Mela had the highest affinity with water.
Naturally, the power of her water magic was the strongest.
In this magical contest, Winnidith finally suffered her first setback.
However, the watching mages showed no signs of relief; their expressions became even more grim.
To be able to hold out for several seconds against Rank 7 magic using only a Rank 4 spell—if this story were told in the past, people would surely laugh and say they didn’t understand magic at all.
But now, this scene was actually happening before their eyes.
“Nice power. You learned that move from Mr. Grayson, didn’t you?”
Facing Rank 7 magic, Winnidith did not dare to be careless.
The blue bracelet on her right hand lit up, and a vast amount of mana gathered in front of her.
Lightning elements in the air leaped forward, eventually forming two ring-shaped lightning orbs.
This was the strongest Rank 5 magic she could currently cast.
With the help of the Blue Sea Bracelet’s massive mana and the Archmage’s staff, the power of this move could touch the threshold of Rank 7 magic.
Facing the weakening water pillar, Winnidith threw the lightning orbs.
The moment the two touched, the lightning orbs were submerged by the water.
However, they did not disappear.
Instead, they turned into tiny currents distributed within every drop of water.
In the training ground, Mela, who was controlling the water pillar, suddenly had a change in expression.
She could feel her control over the water weakening.
A moment later, she realized what was happening.
Those lightning elements were merging into her magic!
Winnidith was trying to achieve Dual Element Fusion in the middle of a battle!
And she was using her enemy’s magic!
Mela smiled bitterly and dispersed her mana.
The surging water pillar gradually turned into pure water elements and dissipated into the air.
If the contest continued, putting aside whether the young lady could achieve Dual Element Fusion—a feat only a Rank 8 Mage could accomplish—Mela would definitely lose control of the spell.
A mage who could not even control their own magic had no reason to continue.
Besides, she could not actually let the out-of-control magic harm the eldest lady of the Trenton Family.
“I surrender.”
Mela raised both hands above her head.
Seeing Winnidith jumping for joy, she couldn’t help but feel curious.
Just what height would this young lady take magic to in the future?
It was truly something to look forward to!
“Oh, right. According to our agreement, remember to go back to the Royal Academy of Magic and re-take the Rank 7 Mage certification exam when we return~”
‘Damn it!!!’
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