Asmer looked at Osian, and his face was sad.
Perhaps seeing Asmer's reaction, the little boy turned around and spotted Osian.
“Who are you?”
From the first glance, I realized that he was a cheeky kid.
He was younger than Martinez, maybe thirteen at most.
His skin is almost pale, and his curly reddish-brown hair covers his ears.
He is dressed in standard clothing, with a brown vest as a base. Over it, he wears a baggy robe that covers his entire body.
He has a handsome face, which I'm sure will make him popular with women when he grows up, but the problem is his eyes.
Ferocious pupils that seemed to contain the ferocity of the wild, they drew Osian's attention.
Carved into the clearing were the marks of battle.As much as he hated to admit it, Asmer had been defeated by this kid.
‘Surprising.’
Asmer is a knight who has mastered the Starlight Sword.
Even if he's not quite up to par, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone more powerful than him.
And yet, Asmer had lost. Was he caught off guard because he was a child?
‘Even if he let his guard down, the fact that he lost means that this kid’s skills are outstanding.’
Plus the way Lorraine and Diolan reacted to try to stop him.
All the evidence pointed to this kid.
“I said, 'Who are you? Can't you hear me?’”
“.......”
I could tell from his impression and his eyes, but his speech is really rude.
I wondered if he sensed the heaviness in my expression but Lorraine whispered urgently beside me.
“Don't ever, ever, ever call him a kid, he hates that!
Osian nodded.
“And who are you to do that, kid.”
“......!”
“......!”
Lorraine and Diolan's eyes widened.
At the same time, they both stared at the child Osian had called kid.
Despite their pleading gazes, the child's lips twisted upward, revealing pearly white teeth.
Although he was smiling, his eyes clearly held anger.
“You've got some nerve. Did you say that knowing who I am?”
“Should I know?”
“You're the new fixer who came in this time? Then you should know your senior in the industry.”
A senior? Osian's eyebrows twitched.
His gaze flicked to Lorraine and Diolan, who both nodded in unison in agreement that it was true.
“Senior? This kid who hasn't even been weaned off the bottle yet?”
“......!”
Lorraine's mouth dropped open, and Diolan rolled his eyes and shook his head.
He'd done it, he'd done it.
He'd known this conflict was coming, and he'd tried to stop it, but his good sense had gotten him this far.
“You.......”
The kid's previously smiling face contorted into a grimace.
Not once, but twice, he was practically asking for a fight.
Lorraine and Diolan shrank back, backing away.
Asmer and the fallen knight trainees also regained their composure and distanced themselves.
Naturally, only Osian and the little boy remained in the clearing.
“Wash your ears and listen carefully, my name is Edgar Lowe. I'm a fixer for Violet Fox, and I'm your senior.”
“Osian.”
“There are two things you should know. Number one. I hate being called a kid.”
“What do you call a kid if you don't call him a kid?”
Edgar extended his second finger.
“Second. There’s no one who has ever said that in front of me and been fine.”
That was the end of the warning.
A blue glow emanated from Edgar, the little guy, and quickly converged on his right hand.
‘Hmm?’
Osian's eyes widened in interest.
He couldn't help but wonder. Even with his robes on, who would have thought this kid was a mage.
He's too young, and he has the temper of a fixer.
There was not a trace of a wizard in him.
‘Well, wizards don't have to be intelligent, rational, and kind.’
If you think about it, isn't Edgar the perfect person to be a wizard with a unique personality?
What was more surprising was Edgar's magic.
The energy gathered in his right hand flashed with light and transformed into a bluish sword.
“[Pure Magic]. Among them, are you using the magic of the “Sonning School”?”
Pure magic is a type of magic that fixes mana into a simple physical form and uses it to create destructive power.
The magic crystals scattered by the rampaging mage the other day were also pure magic.
Pure magic was simple and easy, but it was not a magic to be ignored.
Simple is best.
Simple was sometimes more effective than any complicated process.
Pure magic was subdivided into several schools.
Crystallization, crystallized rock, etc. The “School of David,” which practiced the simplest, most primitive forms of throwing.
Rope, staff, shield, etc. The Carmelo School, which weaves magic into threads to create a variety of improvised tools.
And finally.
It was the "Sonning School" that made weapons and fought with them in their own hands.
Edgar lunged at Osian.
His movements were surprisingly quick and swift for his small frame. The moment he felt nimble, he was already in range, swinging a greatsword made of magic power.
'Body reinforced with magic power. Moreover, the magic power in the greatsword is also extraordinary.’
The sword at Osian's waist was drawn.
The greatsword clashed with the silver hilt, but Osian didn't move from his seat.
Asmer's eyes widened as he watched.
‘I, I was knocked back when I blocked that, but the heir took it so easily!’
Edgar was not to be underestimated just because he was young. Despite his small size, the magic within his tiny body far surpassed that of even the most veteran mages.
It wasn't just the sheer amount of it. Edgar knew how to manipulate it to his advantage.
It had been a bitter pill to swallow for him to have been caught unaware, and to have been robbed of the flow of the fight so early on.
But Osian, the Heir to the Starlight, was different.
“Blocked?”
Edgar was surprised that his first blow had been so casually blocked.
Most opponents would have been defeated with a surprise like that.
But Edgar was a Violet Fox fixer after all.
At the same time that his first attack was deflected, his free hand formed a projectile of magic.
‘The crown jewel of the School of David's magic.’
Ten of them, spreading out in a fan-shaped pattern, and beyond the bolts, they were actually melee shots.
And to everyone's surprise, Osian was able to deflect all ten of them.
-Dada dada dada dada!
The sword danced beautifully in the air, and then all the crystal bullets shattered and dissolved into magical particles in the air.
It was an unbelievable sight to behold.
No wonder the aspiring knights and Asmer's eyes glowed with a strange heat as they watched.
Meanwhile, Edgar's attack continued.
Edgar threw his greatsword into the air.
He pulled it from his hand and threw it again, and again, and again.
After about ten repetitions, a sword circle of magic formed around him.
The magical greatswords were all pointed at Osian.
Edgar waved his hand, and the greatswords shot out like arrows.
“Hmm.”
Osian looked at the scene and had to make a choice.
“I guess I'll have a hard time with a normal sword.”
[Starlight Sword.]
Starlight burst forth from Osian's sword.
Edgar blinked in surprise. He'd never seen a sword emit such a steady stream of heated starlight before.
From that reaction, Osian could tell that Asmer was defeated before he could even draw his Starlight Sword.
At least he didn't give it his all, so there's an excuse for his defeat.
Osian parried all of the flying greatswords while thinking such futile thoughts.
The power of the Starlight was too much for the greatsword to handle, crushing it into powder.
In the midst of the disappearing greatsword, Edgar had already entered the next phase.
One of his hands shot up vertically, forming a giant hammer.
The sight of him holding a hammer bigger than his own seemed unreal.
'A battle mage after all.’
The pure magic of the "School of David" was similar to the [Divine Alchemy] of the Paladins.
It was possible to create such a weapon-like structure with magic.
Of course, it was Edgar's own vast magical power and excellent combat sense that made it possible.
It was impossible for an ordinary mage to create and wield such a weapon while moving so swiftly.
-Boom!
If this hammer fell it would flatten a man but Osian, who wore a shield on his left arm and caught it lightly.
“You blocked this?”
Edgar frowned. He didn't know what else to say, since his powerful hammer was so easily blocked.
He didn't get the feeling that the opponent had enhanced his body with magic. If that's not the case, then he must be an enhanced human or a mutant of the physical enhancement class, but he didn't get the slightest hint of that.
So pure physical power is really that powerful?
Before Edgar could even think about it, Osian lifted his leg.
'Coming!’
Edgar jumped back. It was a swift movement, like a lunge.
He didn't know what Osian was going to do, but if he got out of his range, he'd.......
-Quang!
Osian stomped his foot.
Unlike his usual stomp, this one was a bit more forceful.
It was enough to cause the clearing to vibrate loudly, and the glass of a nearby building to shatter.
The ground cracked around Osian, and Edgar, who was backing away, lost his balance and went airborne.
‘What the......!’
No matter how much magic he had enhanced his body, he was still a small boy.
His essential mass hadn't changed, which is why his body floated so lightly with a single stomp of Osian's foot.
It was enough time for Osian to reach Edgar.
Edgar, being the wizard that he was, formed a dagger of magic in his hand and hurled it at Osian.
Osian, however, swung his shield and parried the dagger. The power of the storm within the shield rose up and deflected all of the projectiles.
As he approached, Osian raised his hand.
Bam!
He slammed his fist down on Edgar's head.
“Kek!”
Edgar fell flat on the ground like a stoned frog.
The stomping of Osian's foot had caused a stir in the less-traveled part of the neighborhood, and there were people everywhere, shouting and poking their heads out of windows.
Lorraine asked, her voice trembling.
“He’s not dead, is he?”
“I controlled my power.”
Retrieving his sword and sheathing his shield, Osian twirled his wrist.
If he hadn't strengthened his body with magic, his head would have been shattered, but Osian wasn't unable to control it to that extent.
“Holy shit. How easy it was for him to.......”
Lorraine felt dizzy in front of her eyes. What kind of person was Edgar Lowe?
He's a fixer with incredible magical skills, a fierce temper, and excellent combat sense, even at such a young age.
If his personality had been a little friendlier, he would have found a place in some magical academy, not as a fixer.
If he had stayed that way for another ten years, he might have become a master, a real master.
Osian had subdued Edgar far too easily.
Besides, that wasn't Osian's power. Edgar was no match for him either, but it was clear who had the upper hand in a fight this easy.
“You asshole.......”
“Hoh. I thought you only had a bad temper, but you've got quite the stomach.”
Osian looked at Edgar in surprise as he staggered to his feet.
He controlled his strength, but Edgar still took a beating.
“This time I lost because I let my guard down! Fight me again!”
“Never mind.”
Osian snorted and landed a hard punch on Edgar's forehead as he barely got up.
-Thwack!
With a sound that made me wonder if his skull was actually cracked this time, Edgar flew backwards and collapsed.
Osian rolled his eyes and looked at the fallen Edgar.
“Come back stronger if you want to win. Kid.”
Not that Edgar heard him, of course.
*
The stunned Edgar was carried inside the Violet Fox.
Although his body was strong and he would recover quickly, Osian ended up being kicked out.
Ronan's decision was made in case Edgar made a mess when he woke up and started fighting again.
‘I've done my job, I've recovered my power, and there's nothing to be impatient about right now, so I'm going to take it easy for a change.’
Osian walked down the street and found a tavern.
Inside, he saw a nice bar table and display case, though not quite as nice as the Violet Fox.
He casually sits down and asks the bartender.
“What's your specialty here?”
“Do you want something mild or something strong?”
“If it's not strong, is it still called alcohol?”
The bartender nodded, then skillfully mixed a cocktail and placed it in front of Osian.
“This is our specialty, the Applejack. Even the toughest mercenaries get a three-day hangover after drinking it.”
“Excellent.”
Osian took a light sip of the Applejack.
Indeed. It was a powerful drink for a bartender to brag about like that.
How many times have I fidgeted with my glass, trying to drink sparingly because I felt it was a waste to drink it all?
“Nice gentleman there. Do you mind if I join you?”
A pretty woman casually sat down next to him.
Without looking up, Ossian replied.
“If I say no, are you going to walk away?”
“Oh my. You want to drink such good alcohol alone when you have a beautiful woman next to you? How greedy.”
Osian's eyes turned sideways.
“So, what is your business with me, Grace?”
Grace Seeker.
The leader and eldest sister of the Blood Brotherhood, smiled at Osian with a twinkle in her red eyes.