The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 87

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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The Natural Enemy of Mages Has Been Reincarnated – Episode 87
At the mention of a duel, Princess Sillis was far more startled than Zeke McLafflin himself, the one directly involved.
It was clearly an act of discourtesy in anyone’s eyes.
“Prince Jack! This man is like a lifesaver to me, my benefactor! And yet you speak of a duel!”
“What’s the harm? I mean no ill intent—I simply wish to witness Prince Zeke McLafflin’s prowess. And besides, shouldn’t the opinion of the person in question matter most?”
Jack fixed his gaze directly upon Zeke McLafflin.
“What say you, Prince Zeke McLafflin? Shall we test our mettle against each other, man to man? I confess, hearing of your exceptional skill as a mage has kindled a competitive fire within me.”
Zeke McLafflin did not answer immediately, instead studying the man called Jack with careful deliberation.
‘His competitive spirit is genuine—no falsehood there. I can see plainly that he truly wishes to test his strength against mine. But what is his true intention in proposing this duel?’
Unaware of the jealousy driving Jack’s challenge, Zeke McLafflin nodded with indifference.
He was not one to shy away from a fight that came to him.
“Very well. What form shall this duel take? A magical contest?”
In that instant, bewilderment flashed across Jack’s face.
“A magical contest? Are you unaware that my family is renowned for swordsmanship?”
“Ah, you are an aura user then? I was not aware.”
In truth, Zeke McLafflin had known.
He had sensed no mana core emanating from his opponent’s heart.
He had merely feigned ignorance, fearing that appearing too knowledgeable might prove troublesome.
Yet he could not have anticipated that this very act would ignite the flames of Jack’s pride.
“Let us depart at once, Prince Zeke McLafflin.”
“As you wish.”
“Jack!”
Princess Sillis attempted to stop him, but Jack paid her no heed and departed with Zeke McLafflin toward the Training Ground.
Anxious and restless, Princess Sillis soon rushed toward where her father stood.
She meant to stop them both.

* * *
‘What an extraordinary achievement. Reaching the 7th Circle at just sixteen years old.’
Duke Jose sat in his Study Room, contemplating the boy who had saved his daughter.
Without him, House Deporte would have crumbled under Azrahil’s assault.
‘I’d like to inform the McLafflin Grand Duke of this news, but… since Sir Zeke finds it troublesome, I suppose I have no choice.’
Through this incident, the Deporte Family had incurred a tremendous debt to the McLafflin Family.
Or more precisely, a debt to Zeke himself.
‘I don’t know when he’ll leave, but I do hope Sir Zeke stays as long as possible. Ideally, at least until he and Sillis develop some connection…’
Recently, numerous suitors had been visiting the Duke’s Mansion.
Duke Jose had not turned them away, but that didn’t mean he approved of them.
He had opened his doors solely to give his daughter, who despised arranged marriages, a choice in the matter.
But now his thinking had changed.
‘I must make Zeke my son-in-law by any means necessary. Even if my daughter doesn’t take a liking to him, I need to create every opportunity for them to grow closer.’
It wasn’t Zeke’s talent that captivated him, but rather his character.
Unlike others, he harbored no greed and possessed a righteous heart that willingly aided others.
And he was not only the one who saved the family but also possessed the kind of talent worthy of being called a genius of the century.
What could possibly be lacking in him?
If anyone were to choose a son-in-law, they would unhesitatingly pick Zeke.
The reason he hadn’t visited his daughter immediately upon hearing she’d awakened was precisely for this reason.
To avoid interfering with her connection to Sir Zeke.
‘The moment she regained consciousness, she went to thank Sir Zeke. I mustn’t disturb their time together.’
Perhaps Sillis would come to favor Sir Zeke?
It was while entertaining such hopes that it happened.
“Father! It’s me, Sillis!”
“Come in.”
Jose smiled as he spoke to Sillis, who had burst through the door.
“Yes, I trust your conversation with Prince Zeke went well—”
“Father, please stop him!”
His daughter’s sudden cry was filled with unmistakable urgency.
“Stop whom? What do you mean?”
“Prince Jack! He suddenly challenged Prince Zeke to a duel and dragged him off to the Training Ground!”
“What?”
A duel challenge to their important guest who had saved the family? How utterly disrespectful!
Duke Jose leaped from his seat in shock.
“Understood. Let’s go at once!”

* * *
Jack Reinhardt was a swordsman with unwavering pride in himself.
He took greater pride in his family and father than anyone else could.
Because of this, he had never once entertained the thought of losing to a mage.
He possessed the skill to back up such confidence.
‘A 7th Circle mage at sixteen? Impressive for such a young age. But that’s all there is to it.’
If his opponent was a genius in magic, then I was a genius in swordsmanship.
At twenty-one, I had already reached the lower ranks of Aura Master.
In truth, that placed me on equal footing with a 7th Circle mage.
‘That’s why I confidently challenged him to a duel. I’ve defeated 7th Circle mages before.’
Aura users don’t only spar with fellow swordsmen.
In fact, the current trend emphasized duels with mages even more.
After all, encounters with mages were far more common than with other Aura users.
‘I’ve trained extensively in how to face mages. I’m confident I won’t lose, even against a 7th Circle.’
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason I had challenged him to a duel.
The truth was, my desire to display my strength before the woman I favored was far greater.
‘If I defeat this fellow before Sillis’s eyes, she’ll understand. That I’m the more suitable person to protect her.’
While entertaining such sinister thoughts, I arrived at the Training Ground.
As it was where the guards trained in swordsmanship, wooden swords were prepared on one side.
Of course, for Jack, who could manifest an Aura Blade, they were unnecessary.
Zeke, noticing that I didn’t even glance at the wooden swords, asked with a puzzled expression.
“You won’t be taking a weapon?”
“A weapon? I have no need for one.”
Jack raised his hand with a face brimming with confidence.
Whoosh—
Pure white light enveloped my hand, and the form of a long blade materialized.
“I have this Aura Blade.”
“An Aura Master?”
Finding his wide-eyed expression amusing, Jack let out a short laugh.
“You didn’t know? Why else would I have challenged a 7th Circle to a duel? I only made the request because I’ve reached that level.”
“Lower rank Aura Master?”
“You’ve got a keen eye—or did you just guess? Either way, I’m not someone to underestimate, so you’d better be on your guard. One careless moment and you could lose a limb.”
“You mean we should fight as if it were real combat?”
“Of course. Did you think I’d go easy with a wooden sword? A duel isn’t child’s play. That wouldn’t be any fun.”
Zeke stared at me intently, but Jack’s words were sincere.
“So don’t hold back. Even if you kill me, I won’t blame you for it.”
“Does that mean I shouldn’t be blamed if I get injured either?”
“For a mage, you catch on quickly. I like that.”
A duel between equals was always more dangerous than one between the strong and the weak.
A single mistake could easily result in a fatal wound.
Zeke knew that well enough, but truthfully, he felt no nervousness.
An Aura Master of the lower tier stood no chance against someone of his intermediate caliber.
Even without resorting to magic.
‘Still, I’m curious. What will a duel with an Aura Master be like?’
I’d only ever faced mages before—this would be my first time fighting an Aura Master.
In that sense, I couldn’t help but feel anticipation.
Though for me, it was little more than entertainment.
‘I should take it easy on him during the match.’
It was at that very moment.
【Sudden Quest: Achieve Victory Using Aura Instead of Magic】
└Your duel with Jack Reinhardt of the Baiso Kingdom will begin shortly.
└Win the duel using only Aura without employing magic.
【Conditions】
└Achieve victory in the duel using Aura
【Rewards】
└Random stat increase of 800
└5th-tier skill proficiency increased by 6,000
[Do you accept the Quest? Y/N]
An unexpected Quest had appeared.
‘Win with Aura instead of magic?’
The system seemed to want me to reveal my strength rather than conceal it.
‘But in this world, it’s common knowledge that magic and Aura cannot coexist.’
If Zeke, already known as a mage, were to use Aura?
The looks from those around me would be predictable.
‘They’d probably stare at me like I’m a monster. Or else they’d praise me as a legendary Spellblade.’
Though I’d already made a name for myself as a Spellblade, word hadn’t yet reached the Deporte Duchy.
‘Whatever the system’s thinking, there’s no harm in following through with the Quest.’
The system was an entity that understood the surrounding circumstances better than I did.
There was no reason to refuse a system that offered rewards and aided growth.
Considering everything, using Aura didn’t seem like it would complicate matters.
‘Besides, I have Dragonian as an excuse.’
Having accepted the Quest, I turned my gaze toward Jack.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to draw your staff?”
“A staff isn’t necessary.”
At that bold statement, Jack’s eyes narrowed.
‘Ha! Does he have pride too? Or does he mean to say I’m beneath his notice even without a staff?’
Either way, his mood had soured.
All the more so because he knew a staff was essential for any mage.
“Do as you wish. Whatever you do, you’ll only be at a disadvantage. Then shall we head to the Training Ground to prepare for the duel…”
“Young Master Jack!”
At the thunderous call, Jack stopped mid-sentence and turned his head.
“Father-in-law?”
Duke Jose came rushing over in a flustered state.
And Princess Sillis was right behind him.
It seemed she had reported everything to her father.
‘Well, this works out perfectly. I was growing bored without an audience.’
This was an opportune moment to impress my future father-in-law and my betrothed.
A most favorable turn of events.
Though the Duke didn’t see it that way, erupting in indignation.
“What in blazes are you doing? Challenging our guest to a duel without permission? I didn’t take you for someone so lacking in courtesy!”
“Father-in-law, it’s not like that—”
“Who gave you leave to call me that?”
Jack’s face flushed crimson at Duke Jose’s rebuke.
His future father-in-law’s unexpected fury left him thoroughly flustered.
“P-please, calm yourself and hear me out.”
“Cancel this duel at once! What manner of disrespect is this toward our family’s benefactor?”
“But surely a duel cannot proceed without both parties’ consent? If I had refused, Lord Zeke would have declined as well.”
“Regardless, how could you impose such exertion upon a guest who should be resting?”
Unable to bear it any longer, Zeke interjected into the conversation.
The quest had to be completed, after all.
“I have no objections, Duke Jose.”
“Are you truly certain? You need not accept if you’re unwilling.”
“Not at all. I was growing restless, and this is a welcome opportunity to stretch my limbs.”
‘What?’
Zeke’s response was more than enough to ignite Jack’s competitive spirit.
Moreover, with Duke Jose openly taking Zeke’s side, his pride could not help but be wounded.
‘So that’s how it is? Fine. Let’s see what you’re truly capable of, my mage friend.’
Jack concealed his inner frustration and turned back to Duke Jose.
“You see? There’s no problem with the duel now, is there?”
“Hmm… since Lord Zeke has consented, I suppose it’s acceptable…”
Duke Jose trailed off, worried that Zeke might sustain an injury.
“Lord Zeke, let us proceed to the Training Ground! Now that we have an audience, I must perform all the better. Haha!”
Eager to demonstrate his swift victory, Jack hurried toward the Training Ground.
Zeke followed after him, while Sillis watched their departing figures with anxious eyes.
“Will… will he be alright? If Lord Zeke were to be injured…”
“Do not worry. Lord Zeke is a 7-Circle mage. He will not be easily harmed. Should any danger arise, I shall intervene.”
Though her father’s assurance as an 8-Circle mage provided some comfort, Sillis remained concerned for the safety of the man she had chosen as her betrothed.
“Lord Zeke, then I shall begin.”
“Very well.”
Jack conjured the aura blade he had displayed earlier.
“I’ll need to deploy my mana shield at maximum capacity.”
“I won’t be using a mana shield.”
“What?”
Refusing to use a mana shield against an Aura Master was unthinkable.
It was tantamount to abandoning all defense.
‘If he’s forsaking defense… could he actually pull off a shadowless strike? No, he’s just bluffing for show. Princess Sillis and the Duke are watching, after all.’
Yet Jack couldn’t help but gasp at what Zeke did next.
He witnessed something far beyond a shadowless strike.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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