Unduh Aplikasi
2.24% Strongest Warlock - Wizard World Irregular / Chapter 25: The Higher The Expectations, The Greater The Disappointment

Bab 25: The Higher The Expectations, The Greater The Disappointment

“I’ve heard that the Scarlet Witch was one of the Pillars of last year’s First Years,” Nicole said as he gave Ethan a side-long glance. “She must be good to have been personally chosen by a Professor of the Academy.”

The young man pretended that he didn’t hear Nicole’s statement, and simply focused his attention on the two duelists in the center of the arena.

“Isn’t that First Year one of the pillars? I believe his name is Langston Kerr.”

“Isn’t that the noble family that holds great influence over the other nobles in Eastshire?”

“Indeed. It seems that he challenged one of the Pillars last year in order to redeem himself from failing the Initiation Ceremony.”

“What a feisty kid. Just because he is handsome, and his family is of noble standing, he thinks he can do anything he wants here in the Academy.”

“Is that jealousy I hear? I’m sure that if you had his qualifications, you’d probably do the same.”

Ethan listened to the chatter in his surroundings and understood a bit of what was happening. It seemed that Langson had taken the initiative to offend the Scarlet Witch, Garnet, forcing her to challenge Langston in a duel.

“Are duels here very common?” Ethan asked Nicole who seemed to be very knowledgeable about the rules of the Academy.

“Yes,” Nicole replied in a heartbeat. “Since using Magic to attack someone in the Academy is against the rules, they needed to find a proper avenue to settle disputes. Of course, the victor isn’t always the one who was in the right. Having duels in the Arena gives people the chance to duke it out with each other, without fearing punishment from the Academy.”

“What happens to the loser of the duel?” Chloe inquired.

Nicole didn’t answer right away. Instead she narrowed her eyes to look at the two combatants in the Arena.

“It really depends on the contract they made before starting this duel,” Nicole replied. “Usually, a Professor mediates, and acts as the referee of the match. Since the one that was offended is Garnet, she'll probably ask Langston for some kind of compensation if he loses.”

“And, what if she is the one that loses?” Ethan asked.

“I don’t know,” Nicole replied. “But, in cases like this, it is the offender that will be the one compensating, instead of the offended.”

Ethan rubbed his chin as he pondered Langston’s motive for offending the Second Year Witch, who was known to have a quick temper.

‘Is it really just because he wants to get some fame?’ Ethan thought. ‘Being able to defeat a Second Year, who was also a pillar, would definitely show everyone that he is an exceptional Wizard. But, does it really have to be this way?’

What Ethan, and the others didn’t know was that Garnet was the daughter of a Baron.

Langston belonged to the Kerr Family, a Ducal Family, and Garnet’s family, the Estreas, was a member of an opposing faction.

Naturally, Langston wanted to humiliate the Second Year Witch, as well as send a message to the children of the nobility in the Academy that if they didn’t align themselves with his faction, they were his enemies.

This was very common in the Magical World because nobles prided themselves in being exceptional Wizards and Witches, which often led to conflicts with other nobles.

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman riding on a flying broom descended into the center of the Arena.

She was none other than Professor Ophelia.

“I will be the referee of this duel,” she declared. “The match will end if someone surrenders, loses consciousness, or is unable to continue the match. The safety mechanism of the Arena is now activated.

“As long as it is active, neither of you will die. Anyone who is about to receive a deadly blow will be automatically kicked out of the arena. Are both of you ready?”

Langston nodded before looking at his opponent with a mocking smile.

“I’ve always wanted to see how strong the previous Pillars of the First Years were,” Langston said as he pointed his wand at the red-headed lady in front of him. “Scarlet Witch, is it? After this match, you’ll just be called Scarlet B*tch.”

“Mr. Kerr, inappropriate words are not allowed here in the Academy,” Professor Ophelia stated. “Watch your words, or I will be forced to take disciplinary actions.”

“Understood, Professor,” Langston replied with a cheeky smile.

Garnet, whose patience had reached her limit, had also taken out her wand, and pointed it at the ground in front of her.

Seeing that both duelists were ready to fight, Professor Ophelia declared the start of the match.

“Start the Duel!” Professor Ophelia declared.

As soon as she gave the signal to attack, Langston immediately cast his magic with the intention to end the match as soon as possible.

“Tenebris Famma Anguis!”

Dark flames surged out in front of him, creating a fiery snake that lunged at Garnet with its jaws wide open.

The Scarlet Witch wasn’t fazed by Langston’s first attack, and simply slashed her wand sideways, using it like a sword.

Immediately, a blade made of flames, sliced the black snake in half, dispersing it completely.

“Chantless,” Nicole arched an eyebrow. “It seems that being a pillar of the previous year wasn’t just for show.”

Langston, whose spell had failed, raised his wand above his head, and unleashed his second offensive spell.

“Flamma Verberare!”

Several dark fireballs materialized in the air and shot towards the Scarlet Witch like cannonballs, making the spectators gasp in shock.

“He certainly has high magic power. I’ll give him that.”

“Although his control needs some work, this kind of output is enough to destroy a car.”

“The Scarlet Witch is in trouble now!”

However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Garnet slashed the fireballs with her wand, cutting them in half while they were still in mid-air, dispersing them completely.

“Are you done?” Garnet asked as her red eyes glowed faintly. “As expected of a Kerr. All talk and no bite.”

Langston gritted his teeth as gathered all of his magical power at the tip of his wand and unleashed his strongest attack.

“Try to slice this!” Langston roared. “Magna Fragor!”

A giant fireball that was nearly two meters big materialized in front of the blonde boy, who believed that his superior magic could overcome every hurdle in his path.

Since the magic of the Arena was activated, preventing anyone from dying, he decided to go all out and use his strongest skill to devastate his opponent.

For the first time since the match started, Garnet pointed her wand towards Langston and unleashed her own spell.

“Ignis Eversor,” Garnet chanted.

Immediately, a crimson fireball erupted from the tip of her wand and shot towards the giant black fireball that was headed in her direction.

Compared to the two-meter tall fireball that Langston had cast, the crimson fireball that Garnet had unleashed was only the size of a basketball ball.

Those who were watching had already deemed that the one who would win the battle was Langston, but as soon as the two fireballs collided, all of their assumptions were proven wrong.

For a brief moment, the giant black fireball absorbed the basketball-sized crimson fireball in its body. However, two seconds later, the giant fireball exploded, shocking everyone.

But, it didn’t end there. The crimson fireball remained intact and continued its trajectory towards the arrogant blonde boy who thought that he already had this duel in the bag.

A scream of disbelief and anger escaped Langston’s lips before he was ejected from the arena, preventing the crimson fireball from burning him to a crisp.

“Winner, Garnet Estrea!” Professor Ophelia declared before shifting her gaze towards the blonde teenager who was glaring hatefully at the red-headed Witch who stood in the arena. “Mr. Kerr, I hope that you will follow the agreement written on the contract. Failure to do so will result in your immediate expulsion from the Academy. Do I make myself clear?”

Langston gritted his teeth, but he had no choice but to nod his head. He was the one that provoked Garnet first, so the Academy wouldn’t sit idly if he didn’t honor the details of the duel’s contract.

Although the Kerr Family was an influential Ducal Family in the Magical World, they didn’t dare offend the backers of Brynhildr Academy, who could easily make them regret ever sending their son to study there.

‘Amazing…’ Ethan thought as he gazed at the Scarlet Witch, who had easily defeated Langston, whom many believed would be the winner of the match. ‘She’s so strong.’

As if sensing his gaze, Garnet glanced in Ethan’s direction and gave the handsome teenager a curt nod before leaving the arena.

Chloe, who noticed that Ethan was staring hard at the departing Scarlet Witch, pinched his waist, making the latter cry out in pain and shock.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Ethan asked as he rubbed his poor waist, which had suffered an injustice.

“You had a stupid look on your face, so I thought that someone cast a befuddle spell on you,” Chloe replied with a smile. “It seems that it was a false alarm.”

Ethan wanted to flick Chloe’s forehead so badly as a way to return her favor. However, after remembering that the pretty lady with light-brown hair was like a honey badger when provoked, he decided that it wasn’t worth it getting beaten up for something so stupid.

Besides, Chloe could cast Fire Bolts, while he couldn’t cast anything. Right now, he was at a great disadvantage, so he decided to be the bigger man and set aside his grudge for the time being.

“One day, I’ll get back at you, and it won’t end with just pinching your waist,” Ethan said, disgruntled.

“Oh, then what else are you planning to pinch?” Nicole asked in a teasing tone. “You’re not planning to pinch ‘those’ kinds of places, right?”

Ethan and Chloe blinked at the same time because they didn’t know what Nicole was talking about.

Seeing that her joke wasn’t understood by the two teenagers, Nicole simply shook her head and smiled.

‘It seems that these two are either ignorant or innocent,’ Nicole thought. ‘I guess I’ll hold back on teasing them for now.’

The pink-haired beauty then shifted her attention on the handsome blonde boy who had stormed off in the distance because of the embarrassment of losing in front of so many people.

‘Truly a pity,’ Nicole mused. ‘The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.’

A sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head helplessly.

As one of the Pillars of the First Years of the current school year, Nicole thought that she wouldn’t feel bored with people in the same age group as her. She came to the academy to look for talented Wizards that held great promise.

But after seeing Langston’s lackluster performance, she hoped that there was someone among the First Years, who could give her a duel that she would never forget.


Bab 26: Chloe’s Revelation

Inside the great dining hall, Ethan was eating alongside the members of his Manor.

Since their number was smaller compared to the other Manors, they had a table reserved for themselves that sat up to thirty people.

The other Manors, of course, had their own section, where they ate. However, on this particular day, there were two extra people sitting at the Dud Manor’s table, which made their members look at them with curiosity.

“What are the two of you doing here?” Ethan asked Chloe and Nicole who sat beside him. “Don’t you girls have your own table over there?”

“The food served to everyone is the same,” Chloe replied. “It doesn’t matter if I eat there, or I eat here. The taste will not change.”

“She’s right, you know.” Nicole supported Chloe’s statement. “Also, this place is a lot quieter compared to the other Factions. Over there, It’s like constantly hearing a buzzing in your ears while everyone eats and talks at the same time. This is heaven compared to that place.”

Ethan then glanced at his Head Prefect, Henry, and the latter just nodded his head.

“We don’t mind if the two of you stay here,” Henry stated. “Just as long as you don’t disturb anyone else.”

“Thank you, Senior Henry,” Chloe replied with a smile.

“Much thanks, Senior.” Nicole winked.

True to their word, Chloe and Nicole just ate, and only started to chat with Ethan after they finished eating.

“There are two more days before classes start,” Nicole said. “Have you picked the courses that you’re going to take, Ethan?”

The blue-haired boy nodded as he shared with them his daily schedule.

“Hmm… Martial Arts Training and The Study of Magical Creatures in the morning,” Nicole muttered as she read Ethan’s daily schedule. “History of Magic, Spell Casting Classes, and Flora and Fauna of the Magic World in the afternoon. Wow, you got all the basics covered. I’m quite impressed.”

“We share the same schedule for Study of Magical Creatures, and Spell Casting Classes.” Chloe sighed. “I didn’t get Martial Arts Training, History of Magic, and Flora and Fauna Classes. My other courses are Advance Spell Control, Beast Bond Mastery, and Potion Making.”

“Well, I also have Martial Arts Training, and The Study of Magical Creatures, and Magic Knight Training Classes in the morning,” Nicole commented. “In the afternoons I have Spell Casting Classes, and Advance Spell Control.”

Ethan was quite happy that they all had similar classes together. He didn’t know how his academy would turn out once classes officially started, but he was really looking forward to the possibility of learning how to use magic.

He didn’t set his expectations too high because what happened in the Flying Broom shop still made him feel anxious. Also, he had tried to cast magic using the wand that had recognized him in secret, but the results were quite disappointing.

The young man wasn’t able to create even a small spark, and the vision of the mermaid he saw back then never appeared again.

It was as if everything that happened was just a daydream, making him almost lose heart in his current situation.

In the end, Ethan made a decision. He would stay in Brynhildr Academy for a year, and if things didn’t turn out well for him, he would not continue through his second year and just go to a normal academy instead.

Since he was a Dud, he wouldn’t be missed, and the Professors in the Academy wouldn't find his decision an impulsive one.

In fact, some of them even supported this change in pace because Duds that studied in Brynhildr Academy often felt depressed due to their peers being able to use magic, while they could only watch from the side.

‘It’s fine to dream,’ Ethan thought as he walked back to his Manor, while being accompanied by Chloe. ‘But, I don’t want to chase an impossible dream.’

Truth be told, it was hard to not feel envious of his cousin, who could use magic whenever she wished. They had also decided to become a Duo during practical tests. His role would be to act as the close combat fighter, while Chloe dealt with magical bombardments.

“Hey, Chloe, does your family have the lineage of Wizards and Witches?” Ethan asked.

According to the book he read in the library, most Wizards and Witches inherit their magical powers from their parents. Of course there were exceptions, when a Wizard or Witch was born from completely normal parents, who didn’t have a drop of magic in their blood.

“Yes, it runs on my mother's side of the family,” Chloe replied. “Have you not wondered why our Surnames are Gremory instead of our father’s name? It’s because the women born from the Gremory Family will always carry their surname to their own children, regardless of the surname of their husband.”

Ethan stopped in his tracks after hearing Chloe’s explanation. He had indeed wondered why his Grandma still had the surname Gremory even though she was married to his Grandpa. However, he didn’t expect that their family name had such a rich and magical history.

“Is your mother a witch?” Ethan asked. “Is Grandma a witch too?”

Chloe firmly shook her head. “My mother, my Grandma, and your Grandma are both normal people. Even if you are born into a Wizard and/or Witch family, that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be born with magical powers.

“Of course, since they are part of the Gremory Family, they know a thing or two about the Magical World. So, it will be best if you write Grandma Agnes a letter and tell her the truth. Maybe, she can even answer some questions that I can’t answer due to my lack of experience.”

Ethan had been putting off writing a letter to his grandma because he was having a hard time deciding what he was going to write in his letter.

After Chloe’s shocking revelation, he was finally able to piece together the unbelievable things that his grandma had done over the years, like pull a spiked club out from under her skirt, which Ethan had long thought to be an impossible act.

‘I guess I really need to write a letter to Grandma,’ Ethan thought. ‘I also don’t want her to worry about me so much.’

He was raised with love and care by his adoptive family. They had always been honest with him, and although it was a difficult choice, they told him the truth that he was adopted when he was twelve years old.

Ethan had already had his suspicions in the past, so their revelation about being adopted didn’t come as a big shock to him. But, this time, it was different.

He had accidentally stumbled into a Magical World of Wizards and Witches, and he found this world scary and fascinating at the same time.

Since his Grandma’s family had a magical background, it would make sense that he could confide the fears he was feeling in his heart to her.

After all, aside from Chloe, the only people that he trusted in the world was his family.


Load failed, please RETRY

Hadiah

Hadiah -- Hadiah diterima

    Status Power Mingguan

    Membuka kunci kumpulan bab

    Indeks

    Opsi Tampilan

    Latar Belakang

    Font

    Ukuran

    Komentar pada bab

    Tulis ulasan Status Membaca: C25
    Gagal mengirim. Silakan coba lagi
    • Kualitas penulisan
    • Stabilitas Pembaruan
    • Pengembangan Cerita
    • Desain Karakter
    • Latar Belakang Dunia

    Skor total 0.0

    Ulasan berhasil diposting! Baca ulasan lebih lanjut
    Pilih Power Stone
    Rank 200+ Peringkat Power
    Stone 862 Batu Daya
    Laporkan konten yang tidak pantas
    Tip kesalahan

    Laporkan penyalahgunaan

    Komentar paragraf

    Masuk

    tip Komentar Paragraf

    Fitur komentar paragraf sekarang ada di Web! Arahkan kursor ke atas paragraf apa pun dan klik ikon untuk menambahkan komentar Anda.

    Selain itu, Anda selalu dapat menonaktifkannya atau mengaktifkannya di Pengaturan.

    MENGERTI