Chapter 14: The Practice Battle and the Wizard

“Welcome 1st Year D-Cla~~~ss”

The class for “Practice Battle Simulation” was in a different location, so Igni’s class all went to the Practice Field and heard a familiar voice.

Igni: “Ms. Mila...!”

Yoori: “Igni, you know her?”

Yoori inquires Igni.

Igni: “Yeah, during the Entrance Exam, she’s the teacher that tested me.”

Yoori: “Oh wow. But she’s a small teacher.”

Igni: “Well, she is an Elf.”

Yoori: “Wait, really?! I’ve never met an Elf~”

Igni: “True. Elves don’t usually mingle with people.”

Elves do not typically leave their own territories. Their territories reside deep in forests or the mountains. They prefer locations that are abundant with nature. That is just part of their lifestyle.

But Mila is different.

Mila: “It’s been a while, Igni~~~. You’ve been well?”

Igni: “Yes. Ms. Mila, you look...well.”

Mila: “Thanks~~~. They don’t call me the closest to the ‘Extreme’ for nothing.”

Igni: “Are you striving to be an Extreme?”

Mila: “Oh no. No interest at all~~~. If I really was interested, I wouldn’t be wasting my time as a teacher here.”

Well, that’s true.

As they were talking, another class entered the Practice Field.

Igni: “.....it’s Class C.”

This class is performed by combining two classes together.

And the person leading Class C is…

Yoori: “Oh, isn’t that…”

Igni: “It’s the 1st Year Rep.”

{{Chonky Notes - Shuseki (首席) Literally head seat implying that she’s No. 1 or leader of the 1st years}}

It was the Magic Swordsman.

The organization and order imposed behind her was incredible.

They walked in two rows of perfectly straight lines as they entered the field.

“We apologize for our tardiness. Our last class lasted longer than expected.”

Mila: “Don’t worry about it~~~. Well, let’s begin. Go ahead and start pairing up.”

As soon as she finished saying this, the students began to look at their classmates next to them. It’s only been one week, but all the kids who were now friends group up together.

Iris: “I’d like to pair up with Sir Igni!”

Alicia: “Then I’ll pair up Yoori then?”

Yoori: “Looks like it.”

There’s only 4 in Igni’s group so the pairing was going to be fairly simple...

Mila: “Oh, Igni and Elina will be separate, okay?”

Igni: “.....what?”

Elina: “Understood.”

Or it was SUPPOSED to be simple...

Igni tilts his head as he tries to figure out why he was called out.

The other person called out with Igni was the 1st Year Rep. Her name was Elina and was a Magic Swordsman.

Igni: (So her name is Elina, huh.)

Igni memorized her face and name.

He will NEVER forget it.

It’s because she’s beautiful.

Mila: “Alright you two, please come to the front.”

Igni: “Understood.” Elina: “Yes.”

Both come forward.

Mila: “Alright, let’s begin by having these two do a practice battle~. The win condition is if one side admits defeat. Or if I have to stop the battle. Anything goes. Spells, weapons, or even <MA•GIC> if you know how to use it. Any questions, you two?”

Igni: “No questions.”

But another voice followed Igni’s. Elina: “I have a question.”

Mila: “What’s wrong Miss Elina.”

Elina: “Why do I have to battle this man who I don’t even know?”

Mila: “Why~~~? It’s because it’s going to be exciting watching you two fight!”

Elina: “Exciting? I’ll finish him in an <IN•STANT>.”

Elina glares at Igni as she says this.

Mila: “Miss Elina, I know about your background, but you should be more careful calculating your opponents strength.”

Elina: “Ms. Mila. Are you implying that this man is stronger than I am?”

Mila: “I said no such thing~. What I meant was that I’ve seen many students lose their lives because they miscalculated their opponent’s strength.”

Mila says this nonchalantly.

Yoori: “Wait, did she say they died…?”

Behind Igni, the blood from Yoori’s face withdraws and turns a blueish white.

But this is not an uncommon occurrence. A Wizard will have to fight any strong monsters that appear.

That’s why if they miscalculate their opponent’s strength, they die.

Mila: “So Miss Elina, you have full confidence that you’ll win no matter what?”

Elina: “Of course I do! Please don’t underestimate me!”

Mila: “Then let’s have a penalty game if you lose~~~. What about 'the person who loses will have to do whatever the winner says for a month.' How’s this~~~?”

Igni: “Ms. Mila, I will not do that to any girl.”

Mila: “Wow~~~! Such a gentleman~~~.”

And Igni thought he successfully executed a Popularity move, but…

Elina: “How dare you! Do you think I would lose to the likes of you!”

For some reason, this only angered Elina further.

Elina: “Fine. I accept. If you lose, you will be Class C’s slave for a month.”

And it’s with a penalty game included.

Mila: “Alright you two~~~, do your best~~~!”

Mila is acting out she has nothing to do with what’s about to occur, and guides the two to the practice battle field.

Yoori: “I-Igni! What are you going to do?!”

As they move towards the spot where the battle will begin, Yoori and the others go up next to Igni.

Iris: “Y-Yes, Sir Igni! Your opponent is Elina Owlight. She’s the eldest daughter of the Owlight family!”

The Owlight Family. Similar to Igni’s former home, the Talcoyz Family, this was another noble family desperately seeking to obtain an Extreme to come out from their family.

Igni: (I see. So her infatuation with strength and pride comes from there.)

Edward: “That’s right, Igni! Don’t do this! Aren’t you a [FIRE] : [F]? You’ll die out there! I—I’ll go out there in your place!”

Igni: “What’s wrong, Edward? You worried for me?”

Edward: “Wh—, NO! If I defeat Elina, then I will be the strongest in our class, right?!”

...is what Edward was saying but…

“That’s right! Sir Edward is being worried for you! Understand his feelings, you nitwit!”

“He was originally planning to do you in, but suddenly an even stronger foe appeared, so he’s confused!”

Edward’s friends kindly let Igni know Edward’s inward thoughts.

Igni: “Thanks, Edward. I’ll just take your concerns to heart.”

And Igni stood at the starting line.

Elina: “Huh. At least you got the face of a first-rate man.”

Igni: “Is that a compliment?”

Elina: “Ha!”

Igni: (She scoffed at me. Which is it?)

Yoori: “What should we do, Alicia! Igni’s gonna die!”

Iris: “Alicia! We have to stop him!”

Alicia: “He’ll be fine.”

Knowing Igni’s strength and abilities better than anyone else here, Alicia remained calm.

Alicia: “That guy, Igni, he’ll be just fine.”

“You better give up now-!”

“You think you can win against Ms. Elina?!”

“That guy’s apparently a [FIRE] : [F]!”

“What?! How did you get into this school? Bribes?!”

Class C is pretty rowdy.

Elina: “I’m sorry our class is being loud.”

Igni: “Oh, I don’t mind. If I turn this situation around, popularity awaits.”

Elina: “Did you just say something?”

Igni: “Nothing. Just saying it’s my usual routine.”

Mila stands between Igni and Elina at the center.

Mila: “Both sides, prepare.”

Igni releases 5 fireballs around him.

Elina places her hand on her sword handle and lowers her stance.

Igni: (Sword Drawing Technique, huh)

Igni prepares himself.

Mila: “BEGIN!”

With Mila’s signal, Elina immediately draws her sword. Her sword aims for Igni’s neck to behead him.

Elina: (WHAT?! MY ARMS WON’T MOVE?!?!”

The next moment, Elina recognizes an abnormality with her body.

Elina: (What’s going on?! What’s happenin...g...)

That is when Elina realized that something was holding back her arm.

Igni: “....when you fight with a Magic Swordsman, the standard strategy is to restrain them before they draw their sword.”

Igni was holding Elina’s right arm from above making sure that she couldn’t draw out her sword. Further more, she had 3 [FIREBALL]s before her eyes and 2 in the back.

She was completely surrounded without any room for escape.

An instant.

The battle ended in just one instant.

The rowdy Class C instantly goes silent.

Mila: “It’s over.”

With those words, Igni releases Elina’s arm and erases his spells.

Mila: “See, Miss Elina? You have to measure your opponent’s strength more carefully next time.”

Igni stretches out a hand to Elina.

Igni: “Thank you. Because of you, I was able to go all out.”

In order to protect Elina’s pride, Igni worded it this way, smiled, and stretched out his hand for a handshake but…

Elina: “....don’t…”

Igni: “Don’t?”

Elina: “DON’T **** WITH ME!!”

Igni got punched across the face.

Elina: “UWAAAAHHH!!” (sfx crying)

And Elina ran off the field crying and went far away.

Mila: “Whaaaaaa?!?”

This caught Mila off guard.

Igni: “Ms. Mila, leave this to me! I’ll chase after her!”

Mila: “Okay Igni, good luck! Okay everyone, let’s get back to class…”

Secret of Popularity No. 7 -- “If a woman is running away crying, chase after her.”

For some reason, Igni felt that the situation was different from what the rule intended for, but he chased her anyways.