The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 68

Haste was a spell that activated the body with mana to draw out the maximum possible speed a human body could achieve.

Specifically, it pushed the body to its own limits, making it more effective on knights than on mages.

However, Haste also accelerated the aging of the body.

This was because it extracted an excessive amount of core energy in a short time.

Knights, who trained their bodies rigorously, could endure it to some extent, but mages often couldn’t handle the side effects, leaving them aged and frail.

Most mages, as a result, appeared weak and worn-out for their age.

‘Kaang!’

Once again, Enk’s spear struck the ground.

After several failed attacks, Enk appeared slightly fatigued, while Hardaf, though not physically tired, seemed a bit anxious.

It seemed his mana reserves weren’t as abundant as they looked.

Hmm, could this mean there’s a chance?

“The thunder seeps into the earth and unleashes its power—Lightning Field!”

Hardaf finally cast the spell he had been muttering about.

Dark clouds formed in the air, and countless golden lightning bolts rained down around him.

The area within a 4-meter radius of Hardaf was bathed in a golden glow.

Lightning Field was a spell best used to secure distance.

It created a discharge zone by striking a designated area with lightning.

Its advantage? It could attack multiple targets.

Of course, that assumed the opponent stepped into the discharge zone.

Well, if someone wanted to become a kebab, they could certainly try crossing it.

“Tsk!”

Enk, who had been charging forward, stopped abruptly, gripping his spear tightly in front of the Lightning Field.

It might have been possible to leap across a 3-meter gap, but 4 meters was too far.

Furthermore, faint electrical currents were flowing even in the air.

What will you do, Enk?

If it were me, I’d throw the spear.

But for some reason, swordsmen and spearmen alike always seemed afraid to let their weapons leave their hands.

Enk twirled his spear, pointing the blade downward.

Then, he raised it as though considering throwing it.

But the decision seemed difficult, and he froze with the spear still in his grip.

I could see his breathing grow heavier.

“Throw it, Enk.”

Mages like Hardaf, experienced and middle-aged, often used safety measures when they felt the tide was turning against them.

Creating distance usually meant they were preparing a large-scale spell.

And with lightning magic, while the spells took longer to cast, their attack speed was terrifying once completed.

Make a decision, Enk!

Either throw it or get hit.

Those are your options.

“The golden lightning that awakens terror in the dark earth and rouses black demons—gather at my command and strike down my enemy before me. Awaken fear and summon demons to execute judgment…”

“…Ugh!”

The amount of mana being used made it clear this was a large-scale spell.

It was comparable to Icicle Lance in terms of magnitude.

For a 5th-class mage, it was a burdensome spell—a massive lightning construct designed for a one-shot kill.

Strong enough to destroy a castle gate, it was a powerful offensive spell.

As the spell reached its climax, Enk still couldn’t make a decision.

If he threw his spear and missed, it would mean instant defeat.

Even if it succeeded, it might still seriously injure the opponent.

After all, a spear was a piercing weapon. A glancing blow wouldn’t stop the enemy. To win, he’d have to stab or pierce through.

“In accordance with my will, my incantation, and my resolve, let the great lightning…”

[Rai, bark!]

“Growl!”

Instead of shouting for him to “Throw it!”—which would undoubtedly have been criticized as cheating—I used Rai.

Rai’s deafening bark echoed through the hall, and in that moment, Enk gritted his teeth and hurled the spear.

The spear arced through the air, cutting through the faint electric currents with a crackling noise as sparks danced around it.

At first, it seemed as though the spear might veer off course, but it broke through the sparks and embedded itself deeply into Hardaf’s right shoulder.

The impact caused a spurt of blood, and the Lightning Field vanished instantly.

The spear remained lodged in the ground of the arena, a testament to Rai’s enhancements.

“Argh! This… cough… ugh!”

Hardaf, clutching his injured shoulder, doubled over.

With the spell interrupted and his mana destabilized, Hardaf coughed up blood.

Oof, that must hurt.

As I winced at the sight, the referee’s voice rang out, and two priests climbed into the arena.

[Stop! The match is no longer viable. A verdict will now be issued. Return to your positions!]

That was it. Once a weapon left your hand, it couldn’t be retrieved.

In matches like this, losing your weapon meant forfeiting.

“Well done, Enk! You’ll win for sure. Don’t worry, Chad guarantees it!”

“Yeah, the mage is down, so it’s our victory.”

“But… since you dropped your weapon, it might be unclear. What do you think, Sir Enk?”

The group offered comments as Enk returned to the waiting area.

He leaned on a chair, exhaling heavily but not sitting down, as they had to await the result.

“…Ha, that was exhausting. I was more nervous than during that duel three years ago when my entire fortune was at stake.”

“Good job, Enk. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, Ash. Fighting is my livelihood anyway.”

That’s not true. The fact that fighting is your livelihood makes it even harder to step into something like this.

Be more confident, Enk! Like me, hehe.

Enk was an experienced mercenary and a highly valuable spearman.

Spearmen, like Spirit Summoners, were rare, and the deeper one delved into the art, the harder it became to master.

[Ahem, the results are in. Hencho Hardaf wins against Enk by a margin of 6 to 4.]

“That’s absurd!”

“Why is Enk losing?!”

“What? How is it that Sir Enk lost? Why?!”

Those unfair bastards…

While the group protested, the answer was obvious.

They would claim it was a disqualification because Enk had thrown his weapon.

Anyone could see Enk had won!

Strictly speaking, he didn’t “lose his weapon”; he threw it!

These brainless fools with rotting eyes…

“The opponent has been carried away, and Enk is…”

[The Council of Elders has reached a decision. There will be no further deliberation. Enk clearly let go of his weapon, and at that moment, he was defeated.]

The usually kind Ash seemed stunned by the ruling, but the noble elders remained adamant.

So, they just couldn’t stand the idea of letting Ash win quietly, huh?

If they keep provoking me, I might make sure their beloved Prince Rene disappears without a trace.

Watch yourselves.

“I have a question for the Council of Elders.”

[Geenie… Crowell. Wh-what is it? A question?]

“I’d like to know who among the nobles judged Enk as defeated.”

My words made the Council visibly tense.

What a sight! Watching these middle-aged men flinch as I stepped closer was amusing.

Why do something shady if you’re going to react like this?

[Wh-why do you want to know?]

“I’m just curious.”

[W-what… are you planning to say?]

“Because later, I might ask the dragons about it. Surely their wisdom could determine whether this ruling was biased. And if I asked nicely, they might even swoop down immediately to deal with the noble elders who made such biased judgments… ‘Grrrr!'”

I playfully bared my teeth, and the trembling nobles turned pale.

Nobles are the same everywhere—always underhanded.

Fine. Let’s see how this plays out.

In their panic, they turned to the Emperor.

[Your Majesty! Th-this woman is…]

“Hehe, I was joking, just joking. Seeing such esteemed nobles trembling so much, I realize I shouldn’t have teased you.”

The nobles’ faces turned red with embarrassment.

Of the twelve present, six had turned pale at the mention of dragons. Those must be the ones who made the biased judgment.

I’ll remember those faces.

As I ground my teeth in frustration, Enk spoke quietly.

“It’s fine, Geenie. Don’t antagonize them. It’ll only tarnish your name. Besides, I’m the one who threw the spear. If they say I made a poor decision, then I did. They’re the referees, after all.”

“Hmph, even referees can be judged.”

“Really, it’s fine. I’m satisfied. I held my own against a 5th-class mage. I feel bad for Ash, but… hey, why does my spear feel… different? Huh? It’s sturdier, shinier… What’s going on?”

“Oh, that? It got struck by lightning. You know how they say lightning can rejuvenate things? Don’t overthink it, Enk. It’s better now, isn’t it?”

I hoped he wouldn’t notice, but…

As Enk kept flipping and inspecting his spear, muttering to himself, I patted him reassuringly.

So perceptive…

[Master, I upgraded everyone’s weapons! Praise me! Puhihihi!]

[Good job, good job.]

Rai wagged his tail proudly, seemingly more interested in receiving praise than the results of the match that had just passed.

This silly creature… Sometimes, I think Rai embodies a sort of innocent charm.

As the match ended and the next began, an unexpected and tragic reunion occurred during the match between Chad and the female swordsman Nickel, who had drawn orange balls.

“Do you really not recognize me, Chad?”

“…Huh?”

“It’s me! Nickel! Nicker! We were childhood friends in Arende Village. Don’t you remember? I still remember your name!”

The tragedy began when Nickel didn’t move even after the match started.

Seeing his opponent standing still, Chad, who had already been reluctant to attack a woman, also froze.

You fool! You should’ve struck while you had the chance!

“…Uh?”

“Don’t you remember? You challenged me once to see who would become a Grandmaster first! The loser had to treat the winner!”

“…Oh, Nick! Yeah, I remember. The snot-nosed Nick! But… you were a girl?”

“What?! So you thought I was a boy this whole time?!”

Oh dear, Chad. Were you always this dense?

What was supposed to be a duel turned into a reunion scene.

The Emperor smirked, clearly amused, while the nobles and princes fidgeted uncomfortably.

In the sacred “Scale of Heios” arena, what were they even doing?

“Yeah, back then, you were dirtier than me. Always covered in cuts.”

“That’s because of our pretend war games… Anyway, do you know how much trouble you caused when you ran away? The whole village was in an uproar!”

“Ah, that. It wasn’t me; it was my father. Something about turning the Arende Lord’s prized hunting dog into stew… I ate some, too. Anyway, that’s why we fled.”

[Rai screamed internally, seemingly resonating with the story.]

I mean, you’re a spirit, not a dog!

Though, sometimes even I get confused.

Chad and Nickel bickered like old friends, their swords forgotten.

Finally, the exasperated Council shouted:

[Enough! Continue the match! What are you doing before His Majesty?!]

“Oh, right, the match. Let’s fight, Nick. And then let’s grab a drink afterward.”

“…Hmm, I don’t know? Excuse me, nobles. Is forfeiting an option?”

[Forfeiting?!]

The hall fell silent, save for the faint, stunned gasps of onlookers.

Prince Rene’s face turned pale, and if not for the Emperor’s presence, he might have lunged at Nickel to shake her senseless.

“Yes. I was only here to provide escort services. Honestly… if it weren’t for Lord Rovenin, I would’ve left the moment I found out Prince Rene was a criminal.”

“Oh, is that so? Then I win, right?”

“Nickerrrrr!”

Chad shamelessly claimed victory despite having done nothing.

Prince Rene foamed at the mouth, calling Nickel’s name, but she ignored him.

Oh dear, Prince Rene.

This is what happens when you neglect your relationships.

The Council, looking incredulous, asked:

[So… are you truly forfeiting?]

“Yes, I don’t care who becomes Crown Prince. Honestly, as a Dmitrian, I’ve always questioned why I should fight for Prince Rene. Moreover, my opponent is an old childhood friend, so I’m even less inclined to continue. I don’t have any ambition to become a noble either, so please consider Chad the winner.”

[Th-that cannot… be allowed…]

“I accept the forfeit. Move on to the next match.”

The Emperor’s acknowledgment silenced any dissent.

No one would dare oppose his decree.

The Council of Elders had been backing Rene, while the Emperor was clearly supporting Ash.

[Your Majesty!]

“I have spoken. What is your grievance?”

[Understood. Then… we will prepare for the next match.]

The grinding of teeth from the Council was music to my ears.

Serves you right for that biased judgment during Enk’s match.

Our group’s mood instantly lifted after the unexpected free win.

“Wow, I didn’t know this could happen!”

“Right? It’s great, isn’t it?”

“Of course! A forfeit counts as a win! Just look at those sticklers for rules—they can’t say a word about it.”

“Yay! This is amazing. But, uh, Chad seems to be bringing that woman over here?”

Indeed, as Withry had noted, Chad was escorting the female swordsman Nickel over to us.

Though Nickel didn’t resist and walked calmly toward us, the situation was odd. Just minutes ago, we’d been opponents, and now she was joining us.

“Everyone, meet Nick!”

“My name is Nickel!”

“Right, Nickel. She’s an old friend I played with from when I was a kid until I was about ten.”

“Until your family ran away in the middle of the night.”

…What’s with these two?

They have the vibe of a budding couple.

The rest of the group stared silently at Nickel, unsure whether to welcome her.

Except for Rai.

[Bear man’s friend, be goneeeee.]

Now, three matches remained.

The current score was 1–1.

Neither side could afford to lose another match.

Right now, the risk was ours.

“Withry, you’ve got this! Use the strategy I told you!”

“R-Roger!”

“Stick to it! No matter how dirty or underhanded it seems, victory is what defines justice! Got it?”

“Got it!”

Withry, now thoroughly influenced by my selfish ideals, stepped onto the battlefield. Gale looked worried but stayed quiet.

I offered him some encouragement to ease his nerves, though for some reason, my words of comfort always seemed unpopular.

“Don’t worry, Gale! If it looks like Withry might die, she can always forfeit.”

“Uh… actually, I’m worried that Withry is becoming more like you…”

“What? Do you want a beating?”

“N-no, nothing at all!”

Gale, your match is next, so I’ll let it slide this time.

Behind me, Chad and Nickel were chatting away, and Enk, his tension eased, had joined Lox in a dazed stupor.

The only ones properly observing the match were Ash, Gale, Rai, and me.

Oh, and Rai had a question.

[Master, what’s this “running away in the night” they’re talking about?]

My dear Rai, always so curious. Normally, I’d answer, but right now, I’m a bit busy.

I turned to Gale.

“…Gale.”

“Yeah?”

“Rai’s asking what running away in the night means. I need to watch the match, so could you explain it?”

“…Huh?”

Handing Rai over to Gale, I focused on the arena.

Would Withry succeed?

Based on her earlier practice, she seemed to be getting the hang of it.

[Vanessa Cridit versus Withry. Participants, take your positions. Three, two, one!]

“Sylph! Unbreathing!”

“Salam… kyah! W-whoa!”

As expected, Sylph’s summoning speed outpaced Cridit’s Salamander.

Simultaneously, Withry used ‘Unbreathing’, which was originally my spell with Undine, designed to gather water and block an opponent’s breathing.

However, Withry adapted it with Sylph to create a vacuum by removing air, achieving a similar result.

If he could create a perfect vacuum, Cridit wouldn’t stand a chance.

Even if not perfect, removing air was enough to make the strategy effective.

Withry, grinning confidently, turned to me and waved.

“It worked! Unbreathing is a success!”

Hey, hey, focus ahead!

Sylph’s Unbreathing merely removed air, rendering breathing impossible but leaving some freedom of movement.

Minimal communication was still possible.

This allowed Cridit to summon Salamander, though her voice was distorted by the lack of air.

“Salam… Sa… Why isn’t it working?! Grr!”

The strategy involved another trick: interfering specifically with fire spirits.

“Why can’t she summon her spirit?”

“Huh? It’s because there’s no air.”

Ash tilted his head in confusion, clearly puzzled.

“No air? What does that have to do with fire?”

“Air provides oxygen for combustion. Without it, fire can’t exist. Elementary school science.”

“Elementary school? What kind of school is that? Science? That’s a subject?”

Caught off guard, I deflected with a vague gesture.

“Uh, look! A flying alien!”

“What’s an alien?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Forgive me, Ash.

This world had nothing to do with science, so I shouldn’t have mentioned it.

Fortunately, Salamander didn’t appear.

Just as Sylph couldn’t be summoned underwater, Salamander couldn’t exist in a vacuum.

This confirmed my theory.

Given how fire spirits struggle even in humid or rainy conditions, I had deduced that a vacuum would render them unsummonable.

Cridit did possess a “Lava Stone” ring, which compensated for fire spirits’ environmental weaknesses, but it seemed useless within Sylph’s Unbreathing.