This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 151

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Chapter 151

…Iron staff.

It was a very unfamiliar concept for the wizards.

Usually, the material for a staff was chosen to be much more suitable for mana transmission, such as wood or crystal, rather than iron.

However, Luke and Ban each packed only five iron staffs in their backpacks.

“Iron Arrow!”

Swoosh!

The iron staffs shot out quickly, breaking through the barrier the twins had erected.

Years of rigorous training had honed their flexible and powerful shoulder muscles, enabling them to throw iron staffs at speeds difficult to discern with the naked eye.

Crack!!

…Of course, there was no such thing as an Iron Arrow spell.

But those watching couldn’t help but wonder if there really was such magic.

After the fierce clash, inevitably, the twins’ magic was shattered.

Iveta was beside himself with frustration.

[What on earth is this! This isn’t magic!]

But in front of Kasim and the Hero who had already decided to act shamelessly, his protests were futile.

[Choosing to enhance attack power with reinforcement magic is a wise choice. It would have been impossible with just bare hands.]

[What kind of sophistry is that…]

[Professor Iveta, focus on the commentary!]

Some of the spectators nodded at Iveta’s words, but soon they all began to enjoy the match.

In fact, they didn’t know if what Luke and Ban were displaying was magic or martial arts.

They were already providing enough entertainment.

“Impenetrable shackles! Bind the enemy before you!”

Purple magic coalesced into rings, ensnaring Luke and Ban’s limbs like handcuffs.

It was Fiona’s binding magic.

“Haha, without dispelling magic, you’ll never escape from these bindings…”

Thud!

“……”

As Luke and Ban approached, Benedict raised his staff with a scream.

“Halt! Rise, Stone Wall!”

Crash!

The seemingly sturdy stone wall now bore marks resembling human shapes.

Despair filled the twins’ eyes.

Luke, dusting off stone powder from his shoulders, smirked.

“Iron Arrow!”

Thud!

Unprotected, Benedict was struck by the incoming magical (physical) attack and fell instantly.

Fiona couldn’t help but lose her composure.

“Aaaah!”

Her frail body began to rise into the air.

Flight magic was one of the most mana-intensive magics, boasting a mana consumption that even Fiona, who had been trained in magic since a very young age, couldn’t sustain for more than a minute.

But with her brother already lying on the ground like a frog, she had no choice but to make her move.

‘I have to get out of the range of that brute’s staff throwing.’

No matter how strong they were, what could they do if she unleashed magic from a distance?

She soared into the sky, preparing the most powerful magic she could cast.

…No, she tried to.

Blink!

Before the light burst right in front of her eyes, she had plans to do just that.

“Ah! It’s blinding!”

Kasim correctly interpreted.

[Ah, the brilliant use of magic by Mr. Dietrich!]

[That’s just a flare spell…]

[…Indeed. His skills as a magic swordsman are excellent.]

In the midst of their discussion, Fiona, who had lost her concentration, fell powerlessly to the ground.

And at the point of impact, the most menacing-looking boy she had ever seen awaited her.

‘S-s-scary!’

Originally a handsome young man, Luke was now elevated by the use of Ravias’s martial arts.

With crimson veins bulging all over his body and eyes emitting a dazzling light, he was in a terrifying state.

Trembling with fear, Fiona hunched down.

But…

“If you lack strength, your head will suffer.”

For some reason, he didn’t approach any closer, instead stopping and muttering strange words.

Beyond her field of vision, she saw a white flag raised high, just in the next moment.

“Oh.”

Only then did she realize that she was lying outside the arena, having been scared off by Luke, aside from her brother.

Fiona looked up at the sky, her body trembling against the backdrop of the blue sky.

[The 7th match of the Magic Tournament, which opened a new horizon for magic warfare, is drawing to a close like this.]

[……]

Thus, the duo of Ban and Luke secured their spot in the Battle Arena finals.

.

.

.

…Cuculli, who was watching this behaviour from the stands after her solo exhibition, muttered quietly.

“Ignorant bastards.”

* * *

– Magic (Physical)

– Was a muscle-using magic user.

– Is this okay according to the regulations?
└ What’s the problem with using magic for a fight?
└ If I were a student of the School of Mysteries, I’d feel so unjust that I wouldn’t even be able to sleep.
└ You’re quite innovative. Let’s have a drink~

– I guess there’ll be new regulations starting next year.

– Iron Arrow!!
└ New marbell hero?

Ban, examining the connector, sighed briefly and handed it to Luke.

“I feel kinda sorry about this.”

Luke, lying on the bench, endured the pain coursing through his body.

His once fair skin was now red all over due to burst blood vessels.

It was the price he paid for using Ravias’s martial arts for victory.

Of course, he didn’t push himself to the limit, but perhaps because it had been a while, the side effects were severe.

He grumbled in response.

“…What’s there to be sorry about? We fought fair and square.”

“Fair and square…?”

“According to mercenary standards, it was a match without any shame.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Good job, then.”

Ban exhaled heavily and added.

“Let’s go, Luke.”

The Battle Arena intra-school preliminaries had ended an hour ago.

In the 2-on-2 fights, Evergreen and Deindart secured their spots in the finals after a close battle, while in the party play (4-man), Leciel swept through without any surprises.

Somehow, extreme students had managed to win in all newcomer categories except for the magic 1-on-1 match.

While Ban felt proud and pleased, there was a slight discomfort in his heart.

“Those guys from earlier…”

“The twins?”

“Yeah. I hope they’re not too hurt.”

“Why worry so much? We controlled our strength well enough. They should be fine.”

Even though Luke intentionally spoke firmly, there was a fleeting sense of apology in his expression, so Ban chuckled and replied.

“It’s not like we intended to harm them. I’m sure they’re alright.”

Recently, Ban had been curious about how mercenaries coped with such situations…

“Maybe they’re emotionally hurt.”

“That’s not something I can help with.”

Unlike the Combat Division, there was no minimum age requirement for admission to the Rosenstark School of Mysticism.

While it might be difficult to keep up with the physical demands of combat classes, there were no such restrictions for magic.

The twins they faced today were even younger than them by a few years.

It was a strange feeling to win against kids using tricks…

‘In the second semester, there are frequent joint classes with the School of Mysticism. I should take the opportunity to apologize.’

With that determination in mind, Ban lay down on the bench next to Luke.

It was midsummer.

The sky, already past six in the evening, was filled with clear and bright colors.

The sky, painted with light orange and pink hues, stretched endlessly, with white clouds lightly drifting on the occasional cool breeze.

Luke suddenly spoke, catching Ban halfway into falling asleep.

“By the way, what was the professor talking about earlier?”

“What do you mean?”

“What he mentioned to you.”

After the 2-on-2 magic match ended, the Hero had come looking for them in the waiting room.

They were well aware of the nonsense they had pulled that almost embarrassed him.

Therefore, Ban had expected to be scolded.

Luke had just made his resolve to clean the bathroom in the evening.

However, unexpectedly, the Hero, though somewhat bewildered and incredulous, didn’t reprimand them.

“Yeah, widening your perspective like that is one way to learn. Didn’t you see something new?”

Ban and Luke had opposite reactions to his words.

Luke furrowed his brow in puzzlement, while Ban nodded slightly as if understanding something.

The Hero smiled contentedly.

“Your father was also a rare swordsman with an aptitude for magic. He had been diligently studying it for several years.”

“Really? I had no idea…”

“Not many people would know. Being a mage in a family of swordsmen was probably not acceptable to Felson’s temperament.”

In fact, a general understanding of magic was one of the factors that allowed him to develop such precise control over mana.

“Oh… I see.”

“Since you’re getting into magic, it might be good to investigate the clues you found today. But don’t neglect unarmed combat.”

Having finished his advice to Ban, the Hero turned to Luke.

Of course, Luke looked completely clueless.

Seeing that, the Hero just gave a brief piece of advice before the conversation came to an end.

“I knew from the moment she appeared in the dream.”

“…?”

“It’s good to pour your heart into things, but don’t overdo it.”

As Luke’s face turned red as if it were about to burst, the conversation concluded.

…Perhaps Luke was curious about what the Hero had said earlier.

However, the “clue” mentioned was still too ambiguous to be explained verbally.

So Ban casually changed the subject.

“Was he talking about Evergreen appearing in your dream?”

“Do you want to get hit by Iron Arrow?”

“Sorry.”

As they laughed heartily, they realized that it was time to go help out at the bar.

It was the beginning of the festival.

* * *

I ran into Pia as she hurriedly made her way somewhere, just as I was about to enter the research lab to take a break after finishing the commentary.

“Huh, Professor! Did you finish the commentary well? How were the kids?”

“…Looks like there wasn’t time to check the connector.”

“Huh? What’s that about…”

“Never mind.”

The Hero’s gaze naturally fell on the documents she was carrying.

It was about the Awaken.

‘After the successful conclusion of the final clinical trial during the vacation, we’ll proceed to mass production.’

Though it was less effective than the “Original Awaken” I had consumed, it would be much safer, a refined version.

Starting with military procurement.

It would be a catalyst for a further increase in human power.

I looked at the graduate student who was smiling bashfully, as if achieving such a great feat was nothing.

“You might save countless lives.”

“Oh… It’s nothing. The clinical trial isn’t over yet…”

“Is there anything I can help with? Any obstacles you’re facing?”

Pia hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“There’s nothing specific you can help with, Professor, but I think I should visit the Great Forest area.”

“The Great Forest? What for?”

“There’s a very expensive ingredient for the Awaken. I want to see if there are any alternative herbs I can use.”

In the Great Forest, where mana flows everywhere, rare herbs that are hard to find outside grow.

The chances of finding the adventurous herb Pia is looking for are quite high.

I nodded my head and spoke.

“I understand, but the Fairies are very closed-off. It might be difficult to access areas where rare herbs grow.”

“I’m planning to send a request for cooperation first, but…”

“It might be a good idea to discuss it with Noubelmag.”

“With Noubelmag?”

Pia’s head tilted in surprise at the sudden suggestion.

“Because Noubelmag’s mother is still from the Great Forest.”

Noubelmag’s mother, Ahir, a prominent blacksmith among the Fairies and the creator of the Shape Shifter, was highly respected among the Fairies.

Pia’s expression brightened after hearing the explanation.

“I should ask her for help. Thank you, Professor!”

As she hurried away, she added.

“Oh, and please tell the kids to come to the tavern later if they can. I’ll have plenty of delicious food waiting for them.”

“Sure thing. And feel free to drop by if you have time.”

“What’s a graduate student doing at a festival, haha!”

With her laughter full of melancholy, I entered the research lab.

The active cooling artifact circulating fresh air helped cool the sweat on my forehead.

“A tavern…”

Since the kids were good at everything, it would probably be a pretty decent tavern.

…That’s what I thought until then.

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