Terra Crost.
The special magic instructor for the young lady.
I had seen her a few times from a distance.
Although the young lady called her “auntie”, she didn’t actually look that old. She seemed to be in her early thirties at most.
Well, considering that Aura users and magicians tend to look younger as they grow more powerful, the title the young lady used might actually fit her true age, though her appearance didn’t suggest it.
“You seem quite skilled in Fleet.”
“Fast, right?”
“Yes, I knew you were an Aura user, but you’re more capable than I expected.”
As Terra spoke, she continued to pat my head.
It felt strange. When a child like the young lady patted my head, it was one thing, but when it was a beauty who looked like she was in her early thirties, it was another matter entirely.
“How old are you again?”
“Eighteen.”
“What? You look older—early twenties, I’d say.”
Terra was so surprised when I told her my age that she finally stopped patting my head.
Do I really look that old? Strange, I didn’t think so.
My features might be a bit sharp, but overall, I thought I looked fine.
“You’re a former slave, yet you’re already so adept at using Aura at your age?”
Ah, maybe that’s why she assumed I was older.
Well, I do pick things up quickly.
“All you ever do is train. You don’t even bother to play with your master.”
The young lady said this somewhat curtly.
It seemed my constant training had been bothering her.
But what could I do?
Unlike in my previous life, learning Aura in this world was exhilarating and fun.
You could move faster than the eye could see, smash bricks with your bare hands, and create small explosions with your palms while conjuring thin protective barriers.
In a world with little entertainment, the joy of seeing progress in training was my one solace.
“Still, it’s rare to see someone so skilled at this age…”
Had my skill in Fleet drawn too much attention?
Terra, the young lady’s magic instructor, looked at me with a peculiar gaze.
“You’re not just being raised for nothing, are you?”
It was a piercing look, similar to the one Lowell sometimes gave me.
“Boy, how far can you go?”
“…”
I hesitated to answer.
But when those blazing red eyes turned toward me, I felt compelled to respond.
“Don’t bother my puppy!”
The young lady suddenly grabbed Terra’s hand, pulling it away from my head.
“Oh my, what did I do?”
“You’re making Puppy uncomfortable.”
…Nice save, young lady.
Yeah, I’m just a puppy—what more could you want from me?
“Calling him a puppy, I didn’t think much of it, but he’s fascinating.”
However, no matter how much the young lady tried, Terra still held the position of her instructor.
Tap.
Terra’s slender hand tilted my chin upward.
“Even your looks are quite appealing.”
Her crimson eyes and hair glimmered as her face drew closer.
…Seeing her up close, her age really was hard to believe.
“Do you want to watch a sparring match?”
“…Sparring?”
“You’re always training. I figured you might be interested in seeing a duel between magicians.”
“Teacher?”
The young lady, clearly flustered, looked up at Terra, but truthfully, I was intrigued.
A duel between magicians—it’s not something you see every day.
“Looks like Puppy is interested.”
Perhaps noticing my curiosity, Terra released my chin and smiled.
“Then come along.”
“Are you seriously bringing him?”
“Of course. It’ll be in the training grounds anyway, won’t it?”
And so, somewhat unexpectedly, I found myself invited to observe a magic duel.
…But wait. Wasn’t this guest here to spar with the young lady?
All the maids who had worked hard to prepare tea for the visit would be disappointed.
“The training ground is nice and spacious.”
The venue we moved to was none other than the training grounds I always used for my own practice.
It seemed the duel would take place here.
…This should be exciting.
A duel between magicians.
I was curious to see how it differed from battles involving Aura users.
“Both sides, take your positions and prepare.”
At Terra’s command, the young lady and the guest stood on opposite sides of the field.
“Our puppy, over here.”
Terra beckoned me to her side, and before I realized it, I was standing beside her.
“Sit.”
Without hesitation, I sat down beside her. Terra patted my head as if I were an actual dog, which felt… peculiar.
“Do you know the common ground between sparring matches for magicians and knights?”
But then, having a conversation like this—it was hard to define what kind of treatment this was.
“…What is it?”
“It’s that strategy is key. Isn’t that what you knights do all day?”
… Well, of course.
For Aura users, strategic thinking is the foundation of all combat.
Since it’s hard to use techniques repeatedly in a single battle, you must apply them judiciously at the right time to gain the upper hand.
“Magicians, too, have limits on the number of spells they can use. Especially those two—still novices—they have to be extremely careful.”
Novices, huh?
Having seen the young lady’s fireball before, I wouldn’t underestimate her like that.
She could incapacitate a regular person with one hit.
Maybe even an orc. I’ve only tested stabbing them with a sword, so I’m not sure about their resistance to magic.
But more importantly…
Pat, Pat.
How long was she going to keep patting my head?
The young lady started it earlier, and now Terra hadn’t stopped.
My hair, neatly combed by the maids, was completely undone.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“…Nothing.”
“Ah, does it bother you that I keep touching your head? Cute.”
Noticing my gaze, Terra finally removed her hand.
At least she respected me enough to—
“Can’t help it; my hands just go there.”
Scratch, Scratch.
…Or not. Now she was scratching my chin like I was an actual puppy.
“Why are you so tame, anyway? Weren’t you a Colosseum Champion?”
“…You knew?”
“I heard the rumors when you first arrived.”
Now that I think about it, Terra had been the young lady’s instructor two years ago.
It wasn’t strange that she knew about me.
“From what I’ve read, you were pretty ferocious back then. Why’d you turn into such a docile puppy?”
…So she really did know a lot about me.
And yet, here she was, petting me like this?
“It’s just… I like the life I have here.”
“Oh? So being treated like a puppy is your preference?”
“…”
“Adorable. Want to come to my house?”
“…Please don’t tease me.”
“Oh, such loyalty.”
Oh my. How far will she tease me?
Scratch, Scratch.
She continued to scratch my chin like a dog, her amusement evident.
“But enough of that. The match is about to start, so watch carefully.”
“…Yes.”
“Such a sulky face.”
Well, I’m used to the petting, so fine.
Instead, I focused on the sparring match that was about to begin.
Both participants looked deeply focused, muttering something under their breath.
That must be casting.
“Typically, they’ll start by building up barriers.”
“I see.”
“Since both sides get the same preparation time, whoever builds their barrier faster and stronger gains an advantage. Looks like Aria won this round.”
“I agree.”
Even to my untrained eyes, the young lady’s barrier appeared clearer and sturdier.
I wondered if her opponent could even break through it.
“Anyway, watch closely. It’s starting.”
While Terra continued scratching my chin, the match began.
Boom!
As expected of magicians, they opened with blazing fireballs.
“Whoa…”
My first impression was how spectacular it looked.
Magicians really were different. Unlike Aura users like me, who relied on techniques like Fleet or Track in unseen, split-second movements, magicians fought with dazzling displays of power.
“The young lady is impressive, but the guest isn’t bad either.”
I already knew the young lady was a genius, but her opponent seemed quite capable, too.
With flowing orange hair, the guest unleashed fire magic, her attacks noticeably more potent than the young lady’s in sheer firepower.
“Do you not know who she is?”
“No, who is she?”
“Seriously? You don’t know Serena Astel?”
“Astell?”
I didn’t know her name, but I recognized the family.
The Astel Count family.
The most prestigious magical lineage in the Adel Kingdom.
They founded and run the Royal Magic Academy and are renowned for their expertise in fire magic and siege warfare.
During the war, they were second only to the Boyd family in contributions—or so Lowell told me.
“Yes, the Astel family. You’ve heard of them?”
“…I have.”
“She’s their genius—the ‘Sun of Astel’.”
…The sun?
It sounded like an overly grand title, but looking at her hair glowing with mana, it wasn’t hard to see why.
Her magic was equally overwhelming.
Look at the size of that fireball—it’s almost as big as the young lady herself.
“…Isn’t that dangerous?”
Even with the layers of barriers the young lady had built, it looked risky.
“Of course it’s dangerous. But I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Ah.”
“And Sir Lowell is here, too.”
Well, that made sense.
With these two around, the young lady wouldn’t come to harm.
“By the way, if anything comes flying our way, you’ll need to deflect it. I’ll be busy casting protective spells for my students.”
“…I don’t know how to do that.”
“Don’t you know how to use Rush? Knights use it to break spells.”
Oh, so Rush was meant for that?
…Well, it makes sense. Since it releases Aura in a burst, it would be effective against spells that use mana, which is a similar energy.
“Keep it in mind; you might face a magician someday.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
Hearing it explained from a magician’s perspective really made it click. She wasn’t a teacher for nothing.
Anyway, as I continued to watch the duel with interest:
Boom! Crash!
The two magicians’ spells collided repeatedly.
Although the young lady’s firepower was weaker, her speed and strategy seemed superior.
“Serena’s a genius too, but Aria surpasses her.”
“The young lady?”
“Yes, she’s too talented to be cooped up in this estate.”
Hmm, is that so?
To me, she’s always just been someone who complains every day.
Although… her progress in magic is undeniably fast.
As I was watching the duel with growing fascination.
“Haahp!”
Where they had been exchanging smaller attacks to probe each other earlier, now both magicians launched larger fire spells that collided in an intense burst.
Wow…
Since both were fire specialists, the spectacle was incredible.
Honestly, maybe the Colosseum should’ve hired magicians instead of monsters.
This level of spectacle was on a completely different tier. It made me realize why the stale gladiatorial fights with swordsmen had lost popularity.
And then…
“Uh-oh….”
“It’s coming this way.”
… The spells collided, and one of the fireballs was deflected—right toward me and Terra.
“As I said, I’m not blocking it.”
But.
And with that, Terra casually cast a barrier… around herself only.
This woman…!
She was all affectionate earlier, patting and scratching like I was her pet, but now she leaves me to handle this?
For a moment, I thought about using Fleet to dodge.
But if I did that, the fireball would crash into the surroundings, leaving the maids with a mess to clean up. Ugh, fine.
I activated Track as I rose from my seat.
She said I could deflect it with Rush, right?
Let’s see how this goes.
It might even be a good learning experience.
I didn’t bother with Fleet, just moving steadily in the slowed-down world of Track.
As the fireball approached, I swung my arm deliberately toward it.
Then, just as my hand made contact with the flaming sphere.
‘Rush.’
I released the Aura I had gathered in my hand in a controlled explosion.
And then—
KABOOM!
The fireball erupted brilliantly in the direction I had aimed.
“Wow.”
The effect was stunning.
“What in the world…!”
Beyond the remnants of the explosion, I caught a glimpse of Serena’s shocked face.
Oops. That reaction meant I might’ve overdone it.
But for now, I simply savored the satisfying sensation of that perfect Rush.
