The Villains I Taught Became Heroes

48 – Magic Tournament – 3

Winning the tournament didn’t bring any significant changes.

Certainly, some wizards wanted to take Lena as their apprentice, but who would give up Lena to someone else? After politely turning them away, we returned to our cabin.

“I-I’m exhausted…”

Strangers coming and asking to work together, or saying things like, “The moment I saw you, I felt that we are destined!” or “You! Become my disciple!” and so on.

There were quite a few statements that even Lena, who was introverted, found it hard to handle.

It must have been a big deal for Lena to reject each one.

“Hehehe… But, I did make a friend…”

“Yeah. Congratulations.”

Yuria and Canon returned to the Ivory Tower.

They had decided to become friends at the post-celebration gathering before going back, and they still seemed pleased with it.

After patting Lena’s head, who was giggling, I sat her down at the table and got to the point.

“Congratulations on winning, but we can’t just sit back now.”

“T-that means…”

“Starting today, we’ll move on to intermediate magic.”

“Yes!”

Ragnarok’s natural magic is fundamentally based on four elements: earth, fire, water, and air. Intermediate magic can be considered as magic based on these elements.

“Basic magic also contains elements, but you can’t consider using those elements. You’re just creating pure elements.”

“T-then what are the elements that don’t belong to the four elements?”

“Those are used in advanced magic.”

“Ah.”

The attributes like ice or lightning become the starting point for advanced magic. Of course, it doesn’t mean there’s no advanced magic among the spells of the Temple.

Through basic magic, one must familiarize themselves with the usage of each attribute to be able to learn intermediate and advanced magic.

“The path to guiding mana is as follows. First is the fire attribute, the Fire Arrow. It’s similar to the Magic Arrow, but you’re imbuing it with an element. It’s easier to think of it as using two types of magic simultaneously.”

“Uh… is it like overlaying or something else?”

“It’s more like synthesis than overlaying, I suppose. Now, give it a try.”

With closed eyes, Lena, who had been murmuring, saw a flame arrow form in front of her. Truly a genius. She learns quickly.

“Shooting it is similar to the Magic Arrow.”

“Hey, yah, Fire Arrow!”

The Fire Arrow she released flew halfway and the flame extinguished.

Seeing Lena puzzled by it, I took her hand.

“You seemed too focused on the arrow itself. These are common mistakes when advancing from basic to intermediate magic.”

“Uh, I see. Then let me try again…”

After repeating the process several times, creating and shooting Fire Arrows, Lena became proficient in it.

“Quite fast. Teaching normal wizards to use Fire Arrows properly would take at least a week.”

“Uh, hehe… thanks to your excellent teaching, Master.”

“You’re doing well. Now, shall we move on to the next one?”

Besides Fire Arrow, there are many other intermediate magics.

You must master more than 80% of these to teach advanced magic, so let’s teach them diligently.

Fortunately, Lena absorbed the teachings without any particular complaints, quickly picking up the special talent that would make any wizard jealous.

Days passed like this.

It was when I was about to check her progress after Lena had been mastering one magic per day.

“…Lena.”

“Yes, yes?!”

“Come behind me.”

As I spoke to Lena, who had come out for today’s lesson with joy, people began emerging from the forest. They were dressed in black.

There was no way I wouldn’t recognize who they were.

“Are you from the Asura Sect?”

“Hehehe…”

At the forefront stood a man without any distinctive features, who chuckled quietly. It was a rather unfortunate laugh. As I faced him and raised my hand, he turned his head sideways.

“Wait. Let’s settle this through conversation.”

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“A conversation with Asura disciples? Sure. Shall we listen to what they’re barking about?”

“Bring back the experiment subject of the Dark Sect. Then I’ll let you go.”

Of course, it had to come to this.

Originally, in the story, Lena caught the eye of the Asura Sect, was drawn into it, and became an enigmatic witch within the Asura Sect.

Asura Sect moved to complete that future.

But was I out of my mind? Hand over Lena to these guys?

I turned my head sideways.

“Lena is my disciple. Do you think I’d give her to the likes of you?”

I had only taught her intermediate magic; I had no intention of sending her elsewhere.

“Wind Javelin.”

A green wind blossom bloomed at the tip of my sword.

In an instant, it transformed into a massive spear of wind and flew towards the head of the guy twitching in front of me.

– Kwajik!

But my Wind Javelin was blocked by a transparent barrier in mid-air instead of hitting the guy’s body.

That guy. He must be carrying a good artifact.

“Do you think I’d come here without any preparation? Hey, guys! Attack!!”

Ten Asura Sect disciples rushed at me.

It was the moment when magicians and swordsmen, ten in total, were about to charge at me.

“Fi, Fire Arrow!”

In an instant, a powerful flame erupted from behind.

Dozens of Fire Arrows hung in the air.

Lena, who shot them generously, shouted urgently.

“M, Master! I, I’ll fight too!!”

The suddenly summoned Spirit Field also nodded and spread its own wind.

The flying Fire Arrows became even stronger as they met the wind.

She hadn’t even been taught about elemental reinforcement, but she was using it like this. Truly, she had become an excellent disciple, grasping the essence after being taught one thing.

“Cack! A mere experiment of the Dark Sect!!”

There weren’t many who could withstand the powerful arrows of fire created by Lena and Sylphid.

That meant those who came here were nothing more than insignificant pests.

In other words, they were just the advance guard.

After severing the necks of those wandering in agony from Lena’s Fire Arrow, I approached the one who seemed to be the leader.

“Ha! Do you think I’ll just take it lying down?!”

The man’s body swelled. It was a technique of the Asura Sect, enhancing the body by accepting the power of malice.

Still, can’t someone at the rank of leader use a technique or two?

“Master!!”

At that moment, arrows of water and fire shot through the air. The man, who had been defending against the continuous attacks with a shield, laughed cunningly.

“Kahaha!! Do not underestimate the power of the Asura Sect!!”

“I wasn’t particularly underestimating the Asura Sect. I just underestimated you.”

I rushed towards the guy using artifact magic to withstand attacks and swung my sword.

He was using a magic shield, a defensive spell specialized in defending against magical attacks.

In other words, vulnerable to physical attacks.

Whether he didn’t know I was approaching to swing my sword, or he was just a mediocre guy, he took my attack head-on.

“Kuaaaah!”

His arm went flying.

As the magic defense broke, arrows of fire and water began to pierce his body.

“Ugh…”

In an instant, the guy with holes all over him met his demise.

Watching this, I approached Lena, who was sweating coldly.

“Are you okay?”

This would be Lena’s first kill.

Sowol was a tough guy, so even if he said it was okay, Lena, who already had a weak mental state, might not be okay.

As expected, Lena’s face had turned pale.

“I-I killed a person…”

“When you live, you might end up killing.”

“I-Is that so?”

“That’s how it is.”

I gently stroked Lena’s head.

To live in this world, one must become accustomed to killing people.

I firmly held Lena’s hand.

“To protect what is precious, one must become cruel. You can consider this as making you a bit stronger.”

“…I, I see. Thank you!”

“Good. Maintain that attitude.”

The response was good, but deep down, it might sting a bit.

Nevertheless, I hope she endures and perseveres through the pain she must inevitably face someday.

“Oh. Um, Master.”

“Yeah? What is it? Do you have something to say?”

While gathering corpses with telekinesis, Lena initiated the conversation.

I wondered what she wanted to ask.

Although I could roughly guess, just to be sure, I asked, and Lena nodded slightly. Her eyes were wavering.

“Um, about being an experiment of the Dark Sect… Is that referring to me?”

She has grown a lot.

In the past, she would have been too afraid to inquire about a topic she might have just kept to herself.

Anyway, what should I do about this?

Considering that these guys have come, Asura Sect will continue to come, and eventually, Lena will learn the truth…

It’s probably better if I just tell her.

“Lord of Fire.”

I explained to Lena while taking out and burning valuable items from the corpses gathered with telekinesis.

About the Dark Sect.

About the Asura Sect.

And even about the experiments they were conducting in the Dark Sect.

“S-so, that means… I was, I was an experiment of the Dark Sect. I see… Um, Master.”

“Did you take me as your disciple because I was an experiment of the Dark Sect?”

“Huh. How… did you… know?”

“I could tell just by looking at your face.”

“Hehehe…”

“I’ve been fighting against the Asura Sect even before I met you. Of course, I knew about the Dark Sect’s experiments. But that alone wasn’t the reason I took you as my disciple. Ren, it was seeing you that made me take you as my disciple.”

There weren’t many people with magical talents like yours.

“W-well, I see…”

Rena, who mumbled softly, looked up at me after nodding her head.

There was no fear in her eyes. I thought she might despair or feel defeated upon realizing she was an experiment.

“I, I may have been an experiment of the Dark Sect in the past, but… there. Right now, I am your disciple.”

“And?”

“…I, I don’t have any intention of going to the Asura Sect.”

I smiled at her firm determination.

“I don’t have any intention of sending you there either.”

Unless the Ivory Tower there could be of help to you.