Chapter 86 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: A Different Kind of Flight
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'I lost him!'
Emio's face was filled with conviction.
'Once he slowed down, it would be hard to accelerate again!'
In contrast, Emio was still accelerating.
'With this, the others will realize Leo's limits…'
"Hey."
"...!"
Emio's eyes widened as he glanced to the side.
There, riding a broom, was Leo, waving his hand.
"H-How!"
"What do you mean, how? I just caught up quickly."
With a bored expression, Leo summoned his mana.
*Crackle-!*
"This is a little payback for earlier."
Golden sparks danced on Leo's hand.
"Lightning Bolt!"
*Flash! Sizzle!*
"Kugh!"
Emio hastily dodged.
"As expected of a magic tool made by Professor Albi! It may look shabby, but its performance is incredible!"
Emio sneered as he gathered mana in both hands.
An expert in electric magic, Emio chanted a higher-tier spell than Lightning Bolt.
"Chain Lightning!"
*Zzzzzap-!*
A chain of lightning shot toward Leo.
As Leo lightly dodged the attack, Emio shouted.
"It's no use!"
'A homing function?'
Leo looked intrigued.
It was a spell that electrocuted the area around the target it hit, but it seemed Emio had modified the magic formula to give it a homing capability.
As the Chain Lightning chased after him, Leo put more power into the broom and lowered his stance.
*Crackle-! Crack!*
'Kugh! He's dodging all of it?'
Watching Leo effortlessly evade the Chain Lightning that was rapidly targeting him, Emio glared at the broom Leo was riding.
'It's unfair! How am I supposed to win against someone on a magic tool like that….'
"Ice Bolt."
Leo fired a spell forward.
Countless shards of ice shot out like bullets.
"Where are you aiming!"
"Where do you think? Ahead. Chain Lightning."
*Sizzle-!*
The Chain Lightning Leo had cast created a massive electric wire in the air.
"No!"
Emio's eyes widened as a huge net of electricity suddenly appeared before him.
The Ice Bolts Leo had fired earlier were now acting as conductors.
"Kugh!"
Emio hastily came to a stop.
If he got electrocuted now, the match would end with Leo's victory.
*Fwoosh-!*
*Crack! Sizzle!*
Just as Emio, who had barely stopped in front of the electric net Leo had created, let out a sigh of relief.
"It's not over yet."
*Smack-!*
"Huk!"
Leo, his fist imbued with Aura, struck Emio's magic tool.
The magic tool, its formula system momentarily disrupted, began to fly erratically.
"I didn't break it, so you should be able to fix it."
Leo grinned, then flew up into the sky.
"Aargh! Whoa?!"
The out-of-control tool bucked and weaved.
*Fwoosh-!*
"Huk!"
Then it started hurtling toward a school building.
"St-Stooooop!"
*Thwack!*
"Ugh?!"
Crashing into the building wall, Emio slid down.
Giving Emio a final smile, Leo rounded the finish line and returned.
"I'm back."
"Leo. It seems you won't need any separate aerial combat training."
Albi praised Leo with a smile.
Assistant Professor Anna was surprised to see this.
'My, Professor Albi is actually giving a compliment?'
For Anna, it was a shocking scene, as Albi was notoriously stingy with his praise.
"Professor Albi has recognized student Leo's true worth as well! Of course! It's only natural! There's no way you wouldn't notice such a shining talent, Professor! You've also acknowledged that student Leo is an asset the Department of Magic needs!"
'This man is overreacting again. He really shouldn't lose control in front of the students.'
Just as Anna was sighing, wondering when she would have to step in and stop him.
Emio, his face a mess from crashing into the wall, returned with great difficulty.
"I won't accept this! Leo! You cheated!"
Emio shouted in an angry voice.
"What cheating did I do?"
"Who uses Aura in a Department of Magic class!"
"There was no rule saying we couldn't use abilities other than magic, was there?"
Hearing their conversation, the students began to murmur.
"He used Aura?"
"But this is a magic class, so that's a bit…"
Gaining confidence from their words, Emio yelled.
"In a Department of Magic class, it's a principle to only use magic!"
"If this were a normal magic class, I wouldn't have used Aura. But this is a class to prepare for the inter-departmental competition, isn't it? Let me tell you something. Most of the students from the Department of Knights have been devising countermeasures against aerial attacks since the beginning of the semester. Flying isn't that big of an advantage."
"Ugh?"
Emio flinched at Leo's words, then bristled.
"Are you saying the kids from the Department of Knights are better in a Department of Magic class?"
Leo let out a deep sigh.
"I'm saying you need to prepare countermeasures against their attacks. In reality, you lost all mobility the moment your wing magic tool was neutralized. Situations like that can happen anytime during the competition."
The decisive weakness of Wing Magic.
Once the magic tool was broken, the user lost all mobility.
"E-Even so, this match was unfair! You competed with Professor Albi's wing magic tool!"
"This?"
Leo smirked and looked down at the broom in his hand.
"This is just an ordinary magic tool for cleaning."
"What?"
Leo tossed the broom toward the stunned Emio.
Catching the broom reflexively, Emio's face hardened.
Just as Leo had said, it was an ordinary cleaning tool.
"In the first place, I don't know how to use Wing Magic. I never learned it."
"What did you say?"
At those words, all the students were shocked.
"You don't know Wing Magic? It's the most basic of basics, isn't it? No! How did you even chase me without Wing Magic?"
"I used Fly Magic."
"Fly Magic?"
It was a levitation spell with a long history and tradition, existing since before the Age of Calamity.
However, in the current era, with the invention of Wing Magic, it had become a spell that was hardly ever used.
"N-No way."
Emio looked on in disbelief.
"Wing Magic is certainly easy and lets you fly quickly. Looking at it that way, it seems like a superior version of Fly Magic, but."
Leo wore an indifferent expression.
"That's as far as it goes, right? It's heavily influenced by the magic tool, and its formula has clear limitations."
"Leo Flove is correct. Wing Magic is a spell based on Fly Magic. It allows anyone to fly quickly through a magic tool, but that's all there is to it. It focuses on convenience, making the kind of delicate control possible with Fly Magic impossible."
The students who had claimed there were no issues with their mobility avoided Albi's gaze.
"It's true that the development of Wing Magic allowed mages to overcome what was considered their greatest weakness—mobility. But that's only in general cases. You are not ordinary mages, but students of a hero academy."
Everyone flinched at Albi's words.
"And the students from other departments you will be competing against are also hero academy students. Don't think that ordinary methods will work on your competitors. The biggest problem isn't the Department of Knights, but the Department of Summoning. For beast tamers who handle aerial summons and spirit masters who command wind spirits, mages who rely on Wing Magic are perfect prey. Do you now understand what I meant when I said mobility was an issue?"
"Yes…"
Seeing the magic students answer dejectedly, Ren nodded to Anna.
"Everyone, starting today, we will be practicing Fly Magic. Professor Ren, student Torua, myself, and the teaching assistants will help you practice. Before we begin, we need to conduct a test to divide you into classes based on skill level. Please form a line."
At Anna's words, the students began to line up.
"Grr!"
Emio shot a glare at Leo before going to stand in line.
Ren approached Albi and Leo.
"Student Leo can receive instruction on magic combat from Professor Albi."
"I don't have to take the test?"
"What you showed in the match is enough to pass the mobility section, student Leo."
Ren chuckled and was about to go instruct the students when he noticed Torua standing next to Leo and narrowed his eyes.
"Student Torua, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to attend Professor Albi's class."
"You already know all of this! Stop talking nonsense and go guide your juniors!"
Ren grabbed Torua by the scruff of her neck and dragged him away.
Looking at the bustling practice area, Albi spoke.
"We'll need to change locations."
Albi lightly waved his hand, and an entrance to another space opened in the air.
'Fairy magic.'
Leo stepped through the spatial entrance.
He immediately arrived at a different magic practice area.
"What do we do now?"
"Study on your own."
"You're not going to teach me anything?"
Albi sat down on a chair in a corner of the practice area and closed his eyes.
"I'm not sure what I should teach a first-year who can modify Fly Magic to that extent."
Albi, who had recognized just how monstrous the magic Leo had just used was, spoke.
"There seems to be nothing more to teach you at the first-year level. But for me to arbitrarily conduct upper-year classes would be an overstep of my authority. Therefore, the only thing I can have you do as a teacher is self-study."
"Then there's something I'd like to ask of you, Professor."
"What is it?"
"Could I get into Lumerne's Restricted Archives?"
Albi opened one eye and looked at Leo.
"Access to the Restricted Archives is beyond a teacher's authority."
"I'm asking you not as a professor, but as a member of the Jer-on family."
"…"
The Jer-on family.
One of the three great hero families of Lumerne, their influence in the city was absolute.
"Why do you want to enter the Restricted Archives?"
"There's a document I want to find."
"What is it?"
"The history of the Hero Record that isn't known to the public."
"…"
Albi stared silently at the candid Leo before nodding.
"If that's what you want, I'll write you a letter of recommendation."
"Oh."
Leo let out a sound of admiration, thinking things were going more smoothly than expected.
"Of course, even with my letter, you won't be guaranteed entry. To enter the Restricted Archives, you need the permission of the head of the Jer-on family, my older brother, Altech Jer-on."
Albi took out a piece of paper from his coat and scribbled on it.
"All I can do is make the introduction. The rest is up to you."
"Aww."
Leo looked disappointed.
In truth, just a letter of recommendation to meet Altech was an incredible thing.
Altech was someone even most royalty couldn't easily meet.
As he received the letter, Leo thought about Altech.
'He was called the Infinity Speller, wasn't he?'
The one who wielded infinite spells was a mighty hero.
"Wait. But isn't the head of the Jer-on family dispatched to the southern front of Tartaros?"
He was a figure currently absent, as he was suppressing Tartaros on the front lines.
"You can meet his proxy."
"A proxy?"
"Yes. You can meet her easily. She's your senior, after all."
"Who is it?"
Albi let out a rare, deep sigh.
"A third-year at Lumerne, Elena Jer-on."
With a troubled expression, he clicked his tongue.
"She's my niece."
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