Chapter 123 - Episode 11: "I Wonder What That Anti-Magic Equipment Was Even For?"
Good day! It is Violia Nico Fortesia!
Yesterday Keeb beat up my former fiancé, so I am in a very good mood!
And today is the day Doran faces Lital...
I'm in a delicate mood, wondering how it will turn out, feeling both excited and anxious.
While I was eating breakfast for the time being, Doran suddenly spoke up.
"Come to think of it, watching Keeb last night made me think."
While everyone was focusing on Doran due to his sudden remark, he continued like this:
"Do I get a reward if I defeat an opponent with a connection to Violia?"
"...Yes, I suppose so. Though it is limited to cute boys."
"I see."
He must be talking about how I baked a cake as a reward for Keeb yesterday... eh, was Doran planning to ask for something too!?
"Hmm, I have often been told by high society that I lack cuteness... my dear sister. Am I included in that limitation?"
"Of course! Onii-sama is special!"
I was a bit startled by Doran, but I don't mind Onii-sama at all! Because he is my brother!
"Ah, Young Lady, then what about me?"
"You are out!"
But the skeleton is out!
"I guess I'd be out... oh, right, can I have some of your blood soon? I've run out."
"An addict is naturally out! Just go ahead and get high on the supply I left with Giovan!"
These guys are so brazen!
"Hehe. Sorry for being the only cute one."
"Ugh, I'm starting to want to punch this precocious brat."
Oh, is that so! I'm starting to want to pet him all over!
"...So, Doran. Was there something you wanted?"
Now, the conversation has strayed quite a bit, so let's bring it back here.
It's rare, or rather, unlike him, for Doran to say something like that... I'm curious.
...I thought so, and when I asked.
"Right. I was thinking of getting some of your blood."
It was a shocking answer.
"A-Are you planning to become an addict too!?"
My blood! My blood! In other words, that means it's a raw material for medicine, doesn't it!? Or a deadly poison that kills dragons, doesn't it!? Either way, I can't think of any good reason to want such a thing!
"It's not like that. I have no plans for poisoning, and if I want narcotics, I'll buy them from Giovan. I just have something on my mind."
"Eh? Something on your mind?"
...What is it? Conversely, I'm curious now!
"...E-Err... if it's my blood, I've left a certain amount with Giovan..."
"No, only if I win today's match."
...So he insists on asking for it as a reward? My blood? Even though he has no use for poisoning or getting high?
H-Hmm...? N-No, I don't understand at all...!
Well, since breakfast is over, it's time for today's matches to begin. I'm curious about Doran's request, but I'll put it aside for now!
Today is finally the fourth match, the quarterfinals. Here, Doran will face Lital.
Me? I'm facing another boring noble brat, as expected! Send me someone more challenging! This is a waste of a Fortesia! My true strength, categorized as male-female-Fortesia, cannot be displayed like this! Grrr!
"...I wonder how it'll go."
"Who knows... well, it's Doran. He'll manage somehow. But it's a fact that the odds are against him when facing a mage."
Now, today Keeb and I are watching together. Naturally, we are looking down at the stage from the room that is off-limits to unauthorized personnel!
"Does Doran have anti-magic equipment or anything?"
" I haven't heard anything like that in particular. It's not impossible that Giovan prepared something... but hmm, it doesn't seem like it."
Giovan was complaining last night, saying, 'So far, there's no turn for me other than raking in the cash! Well, it's better if there isn't!' Yes.
"Then what will he do? Magic can attack anywhere on the stage. Doran is unarmed, so he can't win unless he brings it into close combat. Isn't this hopeless..."
"Well, let's just enjoy watching."
In terms of advantage and disadvantage, Doran is naturally at a disadvantage. If Lital were the same naive little child as before, I could be certain that Doran could blow past any disadvantage, but it seems Lital has grown pointlessly over this past year.
...Now, I wonder how Doran will break through this? Since he requested a 'reward,' he must have a plan for victory.
Both sides shook hands and greeted each other on stage. It's a customary sight.
However, it doesn't look like there's a conversation like there was between Keeb and Dactor-sama. Or rather, since Doran is in full-face plate armor, I can't see if his mouth is moving!
The announcer's talk went in appropriately, and finally, the two are facing off.
"Take your stance!"
At the referee's words, Lital readied his staff, and Doran took a low posture, a charging stance.
Honestly, both of their first moves are so easy to read. But this is also acceptable. Combat isn't just about outwitting the opponent. There are plenty of times when it's a case of 'I knew it was coming but couldn't stop it.' Making the opponent predict and then going straight beyond that prediction is also a strategy.
"...Begin!"
Now, with the signal to start the match, Lital began to concentrate... and Doran charged straight toward Lital with simple honesty.
Doran's movement should have been predictable for Lital as well. Naturally, Doran, coming straight at him, would be a perfect target.
...Of course, that's if it were at a 'normal speed.'
Doran's speed is incredible. From Lital's perspective, it must have felt like the gap was closed in a mere instant.
As a result, despite Doran charging straight in, he wasn't targeted by magic, and Lital ended up moving greatly to evade Doran.
Once they start moving, Doran is naturally the faster and stronger one. Doran didn't even give Lital an opening to activate magic, cornering Lital again with a roundhouse kick.
It seems Lital has finally understood that he is fighting against an out-of-the-norm monster. He began to change his strategy.
Lital suddenly used magic and soared into the air with a flutter.
Seeing Lital floating fluffily in the air, the spectator stands stirred. They are whispering things like 'Is he an angel or a fairy?' Well, a normal human can't perform levitation without some sort of trick.
...Well, the trick is obvious. It's likely wind magic. Controlling one's posture in mid-air must be quite difficult, but Lital is doing it, albeit somewhat unstably.
And while floating in the air, Lital began to fire water magic.
Both the audience and Doran were surprised by this. He's floating in the air with wind magic while attacking with water magic. Once you get the hang of wind magic, it probably becomes reasonably stable, but even so, using two types of magic simultaneously is quite rare.
...But with this, I understand how Lital has become stronger over this past year. He likely practiced staying in a safe zone as much as possible while firing water magic to finish off monsters.
This is a very effective strategy... and from Doran's perspective as the opponent, it's the worst strategy.
The opponent is in the air. Out of reach. And yet the opponent is attacking.
...Isn't this quite desperate?
Doran evades all of Lital's water magic spells as they fly at him one after another. Water magic has a trajectory that's easy to read, so it's much easier to avoid than something like lightning... but even so, they are like arrows fired without any prior movement, so normally, one shouldn't be able to dodge them after seeing them.
Yet Doran is doing it. The moment Lital fires the water magic, he sees the water arrow that was fired and dodges it.
...Lital is starting to show signs of panic. Against ordinary monsters, he probably could have won with this tactic until now, but after all, the one Lital is facing now is a werewolf. Against an out-of-the-norm monster, things won't go as they always have.
Perhaps Lital intends to rush the conclusion, as he fired three water arrows at once. Water threads flew in succession, beginning to wrap around Doran's neck to strangle him.
...But Doran tore the water threads apart and... started running toward the spot directly beneath the floating Lital.
Even though he's floating in the air and the opponent's attacks can't reach him, it must be quite scary for Lital since the opponent has closed in.
Still, Lital didn't panic and fired water magic at Doran, who had come directly beneath him, seemingly defenseless.
However, Doran's subsequent action was likely beyond all expectation.
Without avoiding the water magic, rather, as if going to meet the water magic...
...Doran leaped toward Lital.
And a few seconds later, Doran, having shown a superhuman leap, grabbed Lital's leg and dragged him down to the ground.
Losing control of his wind magic, Lital fell just like that.
Doran took a stance to choke Lital's neck with his elbow... and there, the signal for the end of the match was given.
Superhuman behavior.
The reckless courage to charge into magic.
And the slightly decadent sight of a holy knight dragging down a mage with the appearance of an angel or a fairy to the ground.
...The audience is overjoyed. After all, it makes for a great picture.
They love strong warriors. They love rare things. And they very much love beautiful things. There's no way the audience wouldn't be delighted seeing Doran's fighting style.
Lital, who had been dragged down, was stunned, but eventually, he bit his lip and hung his head in frustration. There, Doran, who like Keeb didn't even have the audience in his sight, reached out a hand to Lital, and Lital took that hand and stood up while looking perplexed. Hmm, to be able to properly accept the opponent's kindness right after losing, he's quite a well-adjusted person...
After that, did Lital say something, and did Doran respond? They are talking a little bit.
...And immediately after they finished talking, Lital's face changed from frustration and perplexity to pure surprise... and then, he gave a soft, angel-like smile. Yes, he's become sturdier, but his smile still retains traces of an angel. He's about 60 to 70 percent angel.
Doran saw that, raised a hand lightly in a casual manner, and quickly left the stage. Lital also snapped out of it, gave a deep bow toward the VIP seats, and left the stage, ending this match.
...I'm curious about the exchange between those two. I'll ask about it later.
...Now then.
If Doran were carried to the first-aid room just like that, it would be a disaster.
I am one thing, but he is also a criminal. Yes.
...Well, in his case, he was imprisoned just because he's a werewolf, so his circumstances are quite different from mine... either way, if he takes off his helmet and armor, it will lead to trouble.
Therefore, knowing that treatment would be delayed, I had Doran retreat to a suitable separate room instead of the first-aid room. ...With Carol's cooperation.
Yes. Carol was in the VIP seats, and Doran is dressed as a holy knight. Therefore, if he is taken by the Saint before going to the first-aid room and leaves the venue, he can escape.
It took a bit of effort from Carol, but for now, Doran has successfully escaped the venue!
After that, Keeb and I each finished our matches quickly, and we hurried to the inn where Doran had returned ahead of us.
"Oh, welcome back, Young Lady and company. The treatment for this lovable idiot is already finished."
Giovan, who had returned with Doran, greeted us with a wry smile while pointing to Doran, who was wrapped in bandages.
"...How are the injuries?"
"It's nothing much. A few holes were opened, but the armor blocked most of it. The ribs are fine. A hole was opened in the stomach, but it's much smaller than before. It's only about as big as a needle passing through. Those are the only wounds."
He says the armor blocked most of it... but next to the bed where Doran is sitting, the discarded holy knight's armor has two dents and two holes in the torso section.
And the inside of the armor is smeared with blood. ...Did he open a hole in his stomach again? It seems like a repeat of that one time...
"You really are reckless, aren't you?"
"If he controlled the wind magic, he would escape. So I wanted to aim for the moment he fired the water magic."
Doran... well, chose to take down Lital rather than worry about getting injured himself. The result is these holes.
...He must have known this would happen, yet he still felt like charging head-on into magic...
"Can you move for the matches from tomorrow onwards?"
"I'll move. It's clear today. If I'm exposed to the moon, I should be able to regenerate to some extent."
Werewolves really are convenient.
"This guy's a wolf, after all. I've procured a bit of a rare medicine. Here, fairy dust."
What Giovan showed us was a small bottle containing beautiful, glittering powder.
...I've seen it before too. It's a high-grade monster material.
Fairies can't even be seen unless you're a human who can use magic to some extent, and since they are nimble creatures, catching them is a struggle. Well, if you get the hang of it, they're relatively easy to catch.
I used to go to the forest where fairies appear during summer vacations, catch them, pluck their wings, and collect their dust. Fairy wings and dust sell for a high price, so it's perfect for earning pocket money. Ohohohohoho.
...But, come to think of it, while I've collected fairy dust, I've never used it. What kind of effect does it have? Wasn't this a catalyst for magic? Does the effect change when made into medicine?
"Fairy dust increases the effect of moonlight. Normally it's a catalyst for fairy magic and not something used for wound medicine, but I thought it might work for this guy."
"Ah, so that's what it was..."
I remembered. Fairy dust is something used as a catalyst for magic that uses moonlight.
Yes, for a werewolf whose wounds heal when exposed to moonlight, it would make for a good wound medicine...
"And also, I put moonstones between the bandages. I figured our boss would go and get a wound or two without a care, so I had them ready. I really am quite thoughtful, aren't I?"
"Yeah, it helped. Thanks to you, I'll be able to go wild again tomorrow."
"Nice. Keep it up and crush that noble guy with the pretty face too, Doran. If another hole opens up, I'll do something about it."
"You're quite talkative when it's not you getting a hole opened in you."
"That's because I'm in charge of intellectual labor."
Well, the werewolf and the skeleton seem to be having fun.
...I'm starting to understand why Doran is teamed up with Giovan, even now...
Now then, that day we had a dinner party in the inn room without going out.
"Doran, that was good. You looked cool watching you."
Immediately, Keeb is in a good mood, wearing a smirk. Yes.
"Keeb. As a mage, how was my way of fighting?"
"It's absurd, but isn't it not bad? Honestly, I wouldn't want to fight Doran."
He's being prickly, but from Keeb's perspective, this must be the highest form of praise. 'I wouldn't want to fight Doran.'
"Then, Contraus. If it were you, how would you have fought against that mage?"
"Hmm? Me? Let's see, I'd interfere with the opponent's wind magic with my own wind magic to bring them down, then follow up with earth magic. If the opponent shows an opening, I'd go in for a punch. That would be checkmate."
"...It's no reference for someone who can use magic."
"Is that so? Well, if I weren't using magic, I'd probably throw a weapon. Or charge in just like you did. Well, I think I'd read the water magic appropriately and parry it with a weapon. Oh right, unexpectedly, if your read is right, you can parry magic even with a non-anti-magic weapon. Especially water and earth magic are easy to parry. You should try it sometime."
Doran was also asking Onii-sama about tactics, but well, Onii-sama's way of fighting is no reference for anyone! Onii-sama's way of fighting, where he intends to parry magic with an iron pipe, is absolutely no reference! If Doran is a monster, Onii-sama is even more of a monster than that!
After that, while discussing anti-mage combat and having a time that was either meaningful or not, where we concluded that 'we are almost no reference for each other.'
"Come to think of it, Doran charged into magic with just ordinary armor, right? So, the guy Keeb beat yesterday, what was it. I think his standing has been further diminished."
Suddenly Chesta said that.
I thought Chesta just wanted Doran to be active, but he surprisingly looks at things from other people's perspectives too.
...Yes, that's right. Now that you mention it, it's true. Dactor-sama's disappointing result of 'losing to a mage with anti-magic equipment' yesterday is further highlighted by Doran's wonderful result of 'winning against a mage with non-anti-magic equipment.'
"It's fun that the Prince's standing from yesterday is further diminished. It's like we're taunting him as much as possible. I like your way of winning, Doran."
"Well, I feel good about it too. If the reputation of the royalty has dropped, it means we're one step closer to the overthrow of the country."
"Isn't it fine to just be happy that a jerk met with a jerk's fate? That's how I feel."
"...Well, that's fine too."
Well, for me, it's exactly that. I'm happy when a jerk meets with a jerk's fate. Exactly as he said!
I wonder if Dactor-sama is currently drenched in tears at the castle! Ah, just imagining it makes today's dinner delicious!
...Now then.
"Here. This is my blood."
After the meal, I took some of my own blood, put it in a small bottle, and handed it to Doran.
"...Ah, the talk from this morning, huh. Wasn't it limited to cute ones?"
"Because I'm curious about what you're going to use this for. ...Oh, naturally, you mustn't use it for evil, alright?"
"I wonder what a villain is saying."
That's true too. Yes. Both he and I were villains.
"Well, I don't mind. I'll promise not to use it for evil. I won't cause trouble for anyone."
Doran says that while tucking the small bottle of blood into his clothes, but that doesn't mean he's going to use it to get high himself, does it...?
"Your blood can be preserved with its toxicity almost unchanged if it's in its raw form, right?"
"Yes. Oh, but if you're going to preserve it for a long time, it's better to add a chemical so the blood doesn't clot. I recommend snake venom. If you dislike poison, it'll be a bit expensive, but you could put it in a bottle made from a Timekeeper's Needle or a Mirror of Time, or add Mocchiri Unyoon's Tears...? Giovan should have a stock of my blood in a Mirror of Time bottle."
"I see. Understood. I'll ask him."
...Even so, I wonder what he intends to do with my blood by preserving it for a long time? Does he mean he'll use it far in the future? Surely he doesn't intend to just display it... Hmm, I'm curious.
"...So, what are you going to use it for? This."
"I'll tell you if you can beat me in the finals."
Eh, are you going to drag it out here?
Well, since Doran says he 'won't cause trouble for anyone,' it probably won't be used for anything outrageous... but I'm curious.