Chapter 32: Discussion
"Oh, c'mon, Norn, it's rare to see an outsider here, not to mention one who can fight demons at that. You don't need to worry."
"But Kurtz is still injured…"
"It's fine, Norn," Kurtz said, rolling his shoulders to test the lingering soreness. "I'm stronger than you imagine. This small injury is nothing."
"Oh? Big words, huh!" Eric raised an eyebrow, his grip tightening on the wooden stick he'd been carrying. "Let me test you then."
Since Kurtz had mentioned it, Norn felt it was best to let go of the idea of stopping him. His sigh revealed his resignation.
He stepped back a few paces to create fighting space for them, not forgetting to remind, "Eric, watch your limits."
"Don't worry, you're so naggy, are you my mom or what ?"
Eric's words made Norn's eyebrows twitch. He wanted to rush up and punch the guy twice, but he still tried hard to restrain himself. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.
Meanwhile, Kurtz secretly thought that someone should actually give him that warning. The irony wasn't lost on him. Eric had no idea what he was really up against.
After all, if he didn't watch his limits, Eric would probably turn into a hedgehog.
Sure enough, it would be better to use plant-based magic later. Something less likely to cause permanent damage.
"Come on!" Eric pulled out a wooden stick from somewhere and assumed a fighting stance. The weapon was well-worn, clearly his preferred training tool.
Eric was the strongest warrior in the tribe; even Norn was weaker than him in some ways. It was just that Norn fought more cleverly, and if he wasn't careful, he would fall into his trap.
His raw strength clearly exceeded Norn's.
Yet he almost always lost their sparring matches. The frustration had been building for months.
This left Eric feeling quite frustrated, and now seeing someone who could fight well, it was the perfect place to vent all his frustration.
Facing Eric's poised stance, Kurtz smiled slightly, gently raised his right hand, and magic began to surge around him. The familiar tingle of mana flowing through his channels felt reassuring after his recent injuries.
From a distance, Norn keenly noticed that Kurtz's aura had changed, something subtle but unmistakably dangerous, so he immediately shouted.
"Eric, be careful!"
"I know! I'll hold back."
Eric replied impatiently, having already rushed toward Kurtz like a leopard. His movements were quick, smooth, and practiced; clearly, Kraft had trained him well.
"This guy!"
Norn cursed under his breath.
Eric had misunderstood his "be careful"—Norn meant it for Eric, not Kurtz. Sometimes his friend's confidence bordered on stupidity.
Eric's speed was extremely fast. The wooden stick, with a whooshing sound, aimed to strike directly towards Kurtz's abdomen, but it stopped abruptly about a few meters away from Kurtz.
He hadn't held back—something had forcibly stopped his attack.
"What!?"
Eric looked down and found that vines had entangled his feet at some point.
The green tendrils had emerged silently from the earth, wrapping around his ankles like living rope. These vines prevented him from advancing an inch.
And in front of him, light green magic slowly flowed from Kurtz's fingertips.
Eric realized his opponent was actually a magician!
At the same time, these vines, like living creatures, quickly climbed up his legs. Eric tried to struggle but found himself getting tighter and tighter. The more he fought, the more they constricted.
"Magic!?"
Norn's eyes widened, looking at the scene before him in disbelief.
He hadn't expected Kurtz to actually be a magician. The casual way he used the power was even more shocking than the magic itself.
'How did he do it!?'
Kurtz activated a magic circle, and more vines broke through the ground, all tightly wrapping around Eric's body. The spell work was precise, controlled, and clearly showed his extensive training.
"How about it? Do you surrender now?"
Eric's face flushed red, whether from exertion or embarrassment, maybe both.
"Why didn't you say you were a magician earlier?"
"Huh? Didn't I say it? Then I guess I forgot."
Kurtz chuckled, his expression carrying a hint of mischief that definitely deserved punching. At least in Eric's eyes, he really wanted to deck this smug bastard.
"I won't give up so easily!"
Eric suddenly roared, no longer holding back his strength, unleashing it all. Muscles bulged as he strained against the magical bindings.
He managed to break free from the vines on his body, with green fragments scattering like confetti.
Kurtz retreated repeatedly, keeping his distance. Eric's physical strength surprised him a little; the raw power was impressive even by this world's standards.
Freed from the vines, Eric charged at Kurtz again. This time, he was serious, using all of his strength. His footsteps left small craters in the packed earth.
Kurtz, on the other hand, kept retreating, trying to widen the distance, and in the meantime, he released vines, wanting to bind Eric again.
However, Eric, who had been on guard, managed to dodge them. Learning quickly, he twisted and weaved between the grasping tendrils.
"So fast!" Kurtz was secretly startled.
His vines had burst out of the ground in an instant, but Eric still managed to dodge them. The warrior's reflexes were genuinely impressive.
"Then can you dodge this one?"
Kurtz waved his hand, and dozens of weakened light arrows appeared in the air, their glow soft but menacing. The next second, they all shot towards Eric in a coordinated barrage.
Such a large number of light arrows made Eric's scalp tingle, forcing him to abruptly stop his offensive steps and begin to dodge with all his might.
He rolled, ducked, and twisted like his life depended on it.
"Hey! I'm your saviour. Have some shame!"
After barely dodging all the light arrows, Eric hurriedly shouted, sweat beading on his forehead.
"I know, that's why these light arrows are weakened, but it still hurts a lot if you get hit," Kurtz replied with a smile.
'Was this how Serie and Somo felt when they sparred back then?'
A noble mage beating up a backward warrior native.
This feeling made him so incredibly high! The rush of magical superiority was almost intoxicating.
And Eric, facing him, was the one suffering.
"And you told me to hold back!" He shifted his target to Norn, who was watching from the side, "Tell me how I'm supposed to fight!?"
Norn spread his hands, indicating that he also had no idea. His expression was a mix of fascination and sympathy for his friend's plight.
They had only heard of the existence of magicians, but they had never fought against one, so they had no combat experience whatsoever.
Mainly, he also hadn't expected Kurtz to be a magician. No wonder he could escape from the demons' pursuit and even severely injure them. The pieces finally clicked into place.
"Damn it, I'll risk it!"
Eric roared and once again charged towards Kurtz with large strides, throwing caution to the wind.
Anyway, Kurtz had already said that he wouldn't kill him, so he might as well just go all out. Better to lose spectacularly than give up without trying.
Watching Eric's speed surge once again, Kurtz resorted to his old trick, releasing arrow rain, preparing to obstruct him. The spell formation glowed brighter this time.
This time, however, Eric did not retreat. After dodging a portion of the light arrows, he swung his wooden stick to knock down those he couldn't avoid. Wood met magic with surprising effectiveness.
After deflecting all the light arrows, he immediately charged towards Kurtz, taking advantage of the brief moment after Kurtz had just finished casting his magic.
The only way to break the stalemate against a magician was to close the distance.
Kraft had once taught them this knowledge, finally, some applicable wisdom.
However, Eric still underestimated Kurtz, or rather, underestimated Kurtz's magical repertoire.
Facing Eric, who was charging towards him, Kurtz neither dodged nor retreated. With just a casual flick of his hand, he cast a defensive magic barrier, blocking the opponent's attack.
The transparent shield shimmered in the air like heat waves.
"No!" Eric called out anxiously, his stick bouncing harmlessly against the barrier. "You're truly despicable, aren't you?"
He let out the same exclamation as Somo had back then.
Magicians were truly despicable beings, possessing all that power yet none of the honor.
Kurtz did not reply, but merely released arrow rain again, encircling Eric in a ring, but he did not shoot them out. The light arrows hovered circling Eric menacingly, awaiting his command.
Eric immediately froze on the spot, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. The magical glow reflected in his wide eyes.
He absolutely could not dodge light arrows at this distance, and with such a large number, it would be excruciating if he got hit.
He forced a smile: "Ku-Kurtz, you won't really fire these light arrows, right?"
"That depends on whether you surrender or not."
The casual threat carried just enough weight to be believable.
"I… I surrender."
His words ended the fight, and the barrier and light arrows dissipated into specks of light, leaving only the scent of ozone in the air.
____________
Check out the Patreon for advanced chapters right now:
👉 patreon.com/Mr UmU
https://www.patreon.com/Mr_UmU
_______________
Frieren: My Master Serie Don't Know How to Love ~: 40+ Ch.
Warhammer 40K: The Emperor's Raven: 45+ Ch.
Marvel 1919: Rise of an Empire: 100+ Ch.
1960: My Uncle is the Director of the FBI: 65+ Ch.