Mightiest Melee Magician-Novel - Chapter 20

Mightiest Melee Magician

[ Translator – Jreaming ]

[ Proofreader – Artethrax ]

Chapter 20

The preparations for the 4th test finished smoothly.

Even now, whether it was about the ‘Grand Festival’ or ‘Valedictorian’, the academy was noisy with talks about me and Michael.

However, I chose to stay focused on what I needed to do.

Which was, Quests.

I trained for 4 more days after my strength became <960>.

And finally,

As my strength reached 1000, Straang was promoted to Rank 2.

Thanks to this, my strength instantly increased to <1200>.

“So, your strength finally reached 1000?”

“Yeah. To be precise, it became 1200.”

“This is where you start for real. Look at your quest. The difficulty and reward should’ve increased.”

I opened my Quest window.

It was true.

As the quest entered the second stage, the number of punches and kicks I needed to do in a day increased, and a 15km run was added too.

But thanks to Straang’s recent advice, I had already increased the punching and kicking to 5000 each, and since I was steadily increasing how much I ran, it wasn’t an unbearable amount.

Rather, it became a favourable situation where the training amount felt the same, but the reward had increased threefold.

However, there was one quest that I didn’t understand at the start.

Which was,

Just what was I meant to do?

At that moment, Straang, having eaten his fill after advancing to Rank 2, told me while rubbing his bloated belly,

“Burp~! That was nice. I told you when we first met, right? That I could become anything?”

“Yeah? You did.”

“I can do it now. Materialization transformation.”

The now Rank 2 Straang could stop looking like a teddy bear spirit and could transform into a ‘Materialization’ form that one could touch and see.

“Then, can you transform into a human form?”

“Yep. If I become Rank 5. But for now, it’s impractical for me to transform into a complete human.”

“Then what can you transform into now?”

“Should I show you?”

Straang laughed jokingly.

Before I could respond, a red smoke suddenly covered his body.

The smoke seemed to spin around Straang’s body, and after a bit, he appeared with a completely different form.

Which was…

“…a scarecrow?”

The form of a scarecrow.

It looked slightly different to the normal wooden scarecrows, as it had both arms and legs attached to it.

Considering he was the Incarnation of Strength, I expected him to take a more divine form, so a scarecrow was quite unexpected.

As I showed a puzzled expression, Straang spoke to me.

“Don’t ignore me just because I’m a scarecrow. Do you know how big of a help I was when Draka first did his Real Battle Training?”

“Real battle training? So, what you’re saying is… you’re used for training?”

“Yep. To be more accurate, it’s for your quest.”

“…Ah.”

That’s right.

The objective of Straang’s current transformation was…

To be a scarecrow used for the Quest.

“So going forward, I need to do battle training with you every day?”

“That’s right.”

From now on, once every day…

I needed to diligently spar with Straang.

“I’m too weak currently, so it’s only to the level of a 3rd-class Magician or Rank 3 Knight… but later, when I regain all my strength again, anything would be possible. If you wanted, even demonkind or dragonkind.”

First, a humanoid scarecrow.

Next, a real human.

Even later, a myriad of monsters and also demons.

Straang’s unique nature allowed him to be free of a singular form.

If certain conditions were met, he could transform into any shape and size.

This also meant he could be used for training to increase my battle proficiency.

“…Wow.”

A jackpot.

Michael was a magician.

And a pretty capable magician at that.

Since I was a failure as a student for the past 5 years, I had never fought one on one against another magician, and in this situation, I had to prepare for the <Man-to-man Combat Test>.

But now, that training was possible.

An ability that appeared just when I needed it most.

I didn’t have to worry about anything else.

I said to Straang,

“Then, let’s do it right now.”

“Which one?”

“The Magician.”

As I requested the magician, Straang created a fissure in the air and a huge wooden staff appeared in his hands.

“Sure.”

And then, without warning…

“Hap!”

Started pouring out magic against me.

Straang shouted,

“Even if you get hit by my magic, it only does enough for knockback and can’t damage you. So, don’t worry about it!”

Only a knockback, even if hit by the magic.

Even if I hit Straang, he didn’t take any damage.

Indeed, a situation that allowed for endless training.

“…So is that it?”

I flared my strength into both fists.

<1200>

An immense strength that I had never felt before twitched in my hands, and with it, I charged directly into Straang.

At that moment, I thought about Michael Galehill.

‘Michael Galehill… Would he have prepared enough?’

As I prepared to face Michael, he would definitely also be preparing to face me.

Whether it be with a good method…

Or a bad one.

* * *

The Professor of Potion Crafting, Elrick Galehill, exploded in anger from his frustration.

“Shit! Damn it!”

He had succeeded in pitting the ogre against Ruin.

But who could have guessed the outcome?

For an academy student who was inexperienced in realistic battles to show a similar battle strength as the ogre and even defeat it in a single strike.

He even received additional points that revived his grades.

From a different point of view, it looked like Professor Elrick had wished for Ruin to get a good mark and thus helped him.

Thanks to that, Ruin Ardell had currently reached heights unreachable by others, and was receiving the attention of everyone in the academy.

However, the biggest problem was…

‘To face this Ruin Ardell of all people…’

The fact that Michael Galehill, his own nephew, would be facing Ruin in the 4th test.

If it continued like this, it became quite obvious that the Galehill family would receive humiliation in the 4th test.

Naturally, this meant that attending as the representative for the ‘Grand Festival’ that began on the 7th month wouldn’t happen.

And there was now a chance that they could also lose ‘valedictorian’.

This was… something that mustn’t ever happen.

‘I need to somehow turn it back.’

The Galehill family must be at the top of the academy.

If Michael Galehill’s skills were lacking, Elrick, as the professor, needed to make it happen.

The best magic family of House Galehill had been the best in the Radian Kingdom from long ago.

And it would be the best in the future.

Using any means necessary.

Knock Knock.

At that point, someone knocked on Professor Elrick’s research lab door and he replied as if he had been waiting.

“Come in.”

The one who entered into the research lab was none other than Micahel Galehill.

Michael grumbled in annoyance as soon as he saw his uncle.

“So, what do we do now?”

“You damned kid. Is that something you should be saying right now? If you were just a little bit stronger…”

“They say you made a significant contribution into raising Ruin’s grades.”

“W-what?”

“Aren’t they right? That it was your idea to make Ruin go against the ogre? Thanks to you, Ruin got the best marks in all of history, and if this truth enters the Galehill house, you’re definitely going to be in a tough position.”

“A kid like you dares to threaten-”

“That’s not important. What are we going to do now?! Are you going to keep letting that Ruin bastard run wild? If that guy really becomes the academy representative and attends the ‘Grand Festival’…”

“…No, that won’t happen.”

Professor Elrick shook his head and reached for a potion bottle in his drawer.

“Kekeke, take this.”

The bottle had a small flower drawn on it, but it was a strange drawing of the flower drinking blood.

“This is… the Herb of Awakening, Burning Flower.”

The Herb of Awakening, Burning Flower.

Growing in the northern Lands of Hallucination, it was a rare and precious medicinal herb.

Some also used it to create special elixirs.

It created an awakening effect in the user, rapidly increasing their mana collection rate to decrease casting time, and pushing their mana evocation to the absolute limit.

The effect also dulled the senses to make them forget their pain.

It granted enormous power, but it also had a notable side effect.

“I-if I drink this… they say it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe.”

Due to its hallucinatory effects, it became hard to distinguish friend from foe.

The excited state that rushed into the user numbed their reason.

Because of this, it was a dangerous potion that was only used on the battlefield or in the direst of circumstances.

Professor Elrick nodded his head.

“That’s right. Simply, you won’t be able to see very well. Huhu. It seems you haven’t been dozing off in my classes.”

“B-but why? No way… You want me to drink this?”

“I do.”

Michael’s confident face faded instantly.

“A-are you crazy?”

Drinking an unauthorized elixir resulted in disqualification.

And if it was a very dangerous elixir like this?

Even harsher punishment.

Potentially enough to lead to expulsion.

However, Professor Elrick only narrowed his eyes and said,

“Are you in a position to pick and choose? Haven’t you seen how that bastard Ruin fights? Do you want to lose to that kid, humiliate the family, and be kicked out?”

“B-but I’ll get caught for sure. I’ll get caught by the other professors.”

“Did you forget who I am? That checking all the potions is my job?”

Elrick Galehill.

Professor of Potion Crafting.

The inspector who checked all the students’ potions and decided if they could take it or not.

However, Michael Galehill shook his head.

“Professor H-Hydel will definitely know my level of strength. He’ll d-definitely notice I changed.”

“Do you think I didn’t prepare for such a small thing?”

Professor Elrick pulled out another bottle.

It was a glass bottle with no markings on it containing a clear liquid.

“This is a potion that will conceal the fact that you took a dose of the hallucinogen. Drink this after drinking the hallucinogen. You’ll never be found out.”

Professor Elrick was thinking of using all sorts of methods.

“If they ask how you got so much stronger? Who cares? They don’t have any proof. You just don’t need to get caught. Huhu.”

“……”

No matter how dangerous the method was…

Michael Galehill, even though he had made up his mind, was starting to get scared at the unexpectedly excessive and dangerous elixir.

“I-is this the only way?”

However, Professor Elrick made a snake-like wicked smile and tried to calm Michael.

“Don’t get too scared. Your brothers, your father, your grandfathers, they all also won like this. You need to become an outstanding magician, isn’t that right?”

“……”

An outstanding magician.

What being an outstanding magician meant was being one who used any means necessary to win.

That kind of magician.

Doing any dishonorable act to stand above others.

If you could stand above others, the cheating here became ‘justice’.

This was… the tradition of House Galehill.

The only way they survived.