I’m Not Becoming a Graduate Student! – Chapter 27

Sion stepped into the arena.

He fixed his stance, locking eyes with Estroja.

The moment Professor Mehden gave the signal, they would probably unleash a barrage of magic.

‘Time to get tense. Even if it’s not all-out, I still have to take this seriously.’

His opponent was Estroja Perrawell, hailing from one of the ‘Three Great Magic Families’ of the Empire, as Patrick had mentioned.

Rumor had it that the Perrawell family had produced many court magicians…

If that were true, then Estroja likely received elite training from a young age.

So, letting his guard down was not an option.

‘What magic would be most efficient to use right at the start? Assuming she casts spells faster than me, a barrier, right? Let’s use a barrier with my left hand and then Fire with my right. Or maybe Wind, which is faster….’

As he ran his mental simulation, pondering what strategy would be most effective,

“Mr. Sion.”

“…Yes?”

Estroja spoke to him first, wearing a benevolent smile as she gazed at him.

What could she possibly want before the duel begins?

“I have a favor to ask of you, Mr. Sion.”

“A favor?”

“Yes, it seems you’re quite nervous about the duel.”

Estroja continued, her radiant smile making her look like a painting.

…If Patrick hadn’t called her the ‘embodiment of eloquence,’ he might have thought the same.

Placing a gentle hand over her heart, she said,

“I’d like to offer you the first move.”

“The first move…?”

“Just as it sounds. You may not know this, but there’s a culture in noble duels where the superior grants the first move to the inferior.”

Having said that, Estroja covered her mouth with her hand.

“Oh, of course, I don’t mean to imply that you’re inferior. It’s just that you seem nervous… If that upset you, I apologize.”

“……”

Those crescent-moon-shaped eyes of Estroja.

Sion gazed into them intently.

Is this what Patrick meant?

‘She thinks of me as lesser. And with her apologizing first, I can’t get mad… She’s really something.’

Estroja was still smiling benevolently at him.

But upon a closer look at her face, it was clear.

Despite that beautiful smile, her eyes were not smiling at all.

“Alright. If you’re giving me the first move, I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“Oh no, thank you for accepting my unreasonable request.”

“Then I’d like to request something of my own.”

“Please, go ahead.”

Sion flashed a confident smile.

Not the sort made by Estroja… but a bright grin bursting with confidence.

“Try to hold on as long as possible.”

“…!”

Before Estroja could even raise her eyebrows at that,

Professor Mehden’s voice rang through.

“Then… let’s begin!”

With that, Mehden Demurniza’s cue started the duel.

The magic in Sion’s heart surged.

It quickly coursed through him like a rush, and Sion extended his right palm.

“—Fire.”

The 1st Circle elemental magic ‘Fire’.

It summoned a small fireball, roughly the size of a fist…

Used primarily to light campfires or candles, this spell was also thrown at opponents as an attack.

There shouldn’t be a student in the Magic Department’s first year who doesn’t know Fire.

“…Is that Fire?”

Someone muttered.

In an instant, the arena was engulfed in flames.

The fire gushed from Sion’s palm, spreading out in a fan shape.

But Sion’s attack didn’t end there.

‘Fire is just a smokescreen.’

While continuing to spew Fire with his right hand, he began preparing another spell with his left.

The reason he chose Fire as his first spell was to obscure vision and disrupt the chant.

Thanks to that, Sion couldn’t see, but that was fine.

Swelling—!!

The magic power concentrated in his left hand.

Simultaneously, rocks began forming around Sion.

This was a spell applying the 1st Circle elemental magic ‘Earth’.

‘Rock Shot.’

Screech—!!

The Rock Shot that had torn apart goblins rained down.

Each shot, like a sharpened cone, was aimed precisely at wherever Estroja might be.

‘…Nothing?’

At the moment the rocks passed through the flames, holes appeared, but within those holes, Estroja was nowhere to be found.

It was then that Sion realized his oversight.

‘Is she advancing on me…!!’

Having dispelled the rain of fire with magic, it was highly probable she was already closing in on him.

If he had deployed a barrier, it wouldn’t be difficult.

Sion leaped back, stopping the Rock Shot.

“Water…!”

Sweeping—!!

Imagining a fierce wave, a massive amount of water shot from his left hand.

It made contact with the fire, creating a tremendous amount of steam and rapidly flying out, literally sweeping the arena clean.

Sion ceased both spells with his left and right hands.

The mist caused by the collision of fire and water obscured his vision.

But that was likely the case for his opponent as well.

Swelling—!!

Gathering the last ounce of magic, he concentrated it in both hands.

What he envisioned were blades sharpened like knives.

He released them all at once.

WHOOSH!!

The sharp wind sliced through the steam.

The 1st Circle spell ‘Wind’ shredded the obscuring white mist entirely, and Sion caught his breath while surveying his surroundings.

However.

“…?”

To his left and right, Estroja Perrawell, his battle opponent, was nowhere to be found.

What’s going on? Why can’t I see her in the arena? Did she use an invisibility spell or something?

“Sion.”

Step by step,

Professor Mehden Demurniza approached the arena.

“Estroja Perrawell has been declared out of bounds.”

“…Out of bounds??”

As the intensity of the battle cooled down, Sion’s vision returned to normal.

Scanning the audience, he finally spotted Estroja’s face.

She was covered in dirt and had gone pale, staring back at him.

…Out of bounds?

‘Looking at that dirt-covered uniform… Did she jump out of the arena?’

Two meters high is about the height of the second floor of an apartment.

It wouldn’t break any bones… but why would she ever throw herself out of the arena mid-duel?

Thud!

As Sion was lost in thought, Mehden placed a hand on his shoulder.

“…Technically, Estroja should be the one disqualified, but truth be told, Sion, you are also disqualified.”

“Me…?”

“Yeah. Didn’t I say only to use 1st Circle magic?”

“??”

Sion cocked his head.

“I clearly used only 1st Circle magic, didn’t I?”

“…Do you really think what you cast just now was 1st Circle magic?”

“Yes. Fire, Earth, Water, Wind… I only used 1st Circle elemental magic.”

He obscured visibility with Fire, then attempted to confirm Estroja’s position with the Rock Shot.

When she wasn’t visible, he pushed the water back with Water…


Then using Wind to disperse the smoke, he tried to secure her position.

His quick situational awareness and the magic deployment skills to back it up.

And all of that was done using only the basic elemental magic of the 1st Circle.

What he had failed to consider was—

“Just now, what you used, ‘Fire Breath,’ is at least a 3rd Circle magic.”

“…? Fire Breath?”

“Rock Shot and Wind Blade are also 3rd Circle magic. The only one that even counts among them is the Water Wall, which is 2nd Circle magic.”

“???”

Sion blinked, taken aback.

The spells he had utilized…

He just realized they weren’t 1st Circle spells but at least 2nd or 3rd Circle magic.

*

Sion stepped down from the dueling platform.

As he trudged along, the crowd parted like the Red Sea.

Glares like those for a monster felt quite stinging.

“Using 2nd and 3rd Circle magic recklessly without chanting…?”

“Is that even possible? Even a second-year would struggle with that….”

“She just cast magic without hesitation against Estroja—yikes! She’s looking this way!”

“Is this what happens when you underestimate a commoner?”

“It’s like a declaration of war…! Everyone, avert your eyes!”

The commotion was echoing in Sion’s ears.

It seemed that the noble class had perceived him as setting an example by dealing with Estroja.

Fear was apparent in their gazes as they looked at him.

‘No… What did I even do to have them react like this?’

Sion felt an absurdity rise within him.

He felt wronged as though he had done something wrong.

He didn’t quite grasp the professor’s claim that he had used high-level magic.

“Enough noise. …Let’s continue the duel.”

Whether the students were in an uproar or not, Professor Mehden continued with the duels.

Time was tight, as all students in the Magic Department must duel at least once.

Sion scratched the back of his head while watching their duels.

“Genesis waters, answer my call and manifest before me. Water!”

“Mother Earth, lend me your strength… Earth!”

Fist-sized water and rocks flew toward one another.

It felt like watching children play.

Sion stared blankly at it all.

“Go win! Go win!”

“That’s more like it.”

“Oh… it’s fierce. Who do you think will win?”

Some students watched the duel with excited looks on their faces.

Sion realized his mistake through their reactions.

‘This duel can’t be the average standard for first-year students, right…?’

He didn’t want to accept the reality but soon hung his head low.

He had become painfully aware of having underestimated his own abilities.

What should he do? Send a massive wall of flame and a sharply-honed Rock Shot at those students?

“Mr. Sion.”

“Oh, Estroja….”

Estroja approached Sion’s side.

Her smile remained on her face.

However, her uniform and face were dust-covered, giving her a bit of a messy look.

Especially, he could see her lips quivering as she got closer.

“I felt quite regretful about our previous duel. I slipped and ended up out of bounds because of your potent flames.”

Estroja spoke cheerfully to Sion with a bright smile.

As usual, there were followers around her, but for some reason, they seemed to maintain a distance.

Maybe she didn’t want to get tangled up with him?

‘Who knows what schemes she has hidden beneath her words… but I have to say this.’

Without Patrick’s interpretation, it was difficult to fully grasp her meaning.

Perhaps her greeting was a ruse to mess with him.

Still… he had to say it.

“I’m sorry! Estroja.”

“…Yes? What’s up? So sudden.”

Bowing his head,

Sion unexpectedly apologized to her.

What he sought was a simple ‘sorry.’

“I used too strong of magic against you. I thought I controlled my strength somewhat… but it seems I failed.”

“………………”

“It’s meant to show the professor students’ skills, but because of me, it might have been disrupted… I’m really sorry. Will you please accept my apology?”

With that,

Sion bowed down, extending his hand for a handshake.

He waited for her to accept his apology.

‘…Why is she saying nothing?’

But she neither took his hand nor said a word.

Wondering what was wrong, as Sion slowly raised his head,

“…!”

Sion was startled and swallowed air, taken aback by Estroja’s expression.

Her normally benevolent smile had twisted grotesquely, looking almost demonic.