"I simply want to know whether Sir Brynhart is truly as remarkable as the rumors claim—someone who is not only an extraordinary swordsman but also an extraordinary magician."
Belmont raised his head to meet Riezel's gaze, finally revealing his true intention.
"Would you grant me one wish and have a match with me?"
"A duel of magic."
Upon hearing that, everyone present was stunned for a moment before the entire hall erupted into an uproar.
"Ah, so that was his real objective all along?"
"Duel, huh?"
"What a calculated move..."
In an instant, the crowd couldn't help but begin discussing it among themselves.
At first, they had all wondered what Belmont was trying to accomplish by openly provoking Riezel in this way. Although it was supposedly for the woman he had set his sights on, picking a fight with Riezel for no reason was undoubtedly an incredibly foolish thing to do.
One should know that not only was Riezel a supreme powerhouse whom even Jinas's strongest Old Sword Saint had admitted was superior to him, but he also had two female Sword Saints following him.
No matter how one looked at it, building a friendly relationship with someone like that was far more worthwhile than making an enemy of him. Especially since Sword Saints, unlike magicians, were not burdened by numerous restrictions, offending three Sword Saints at once was an extraordinarily unwise decision.
It should be noted that magicians were not particularly frightening to those in positions of power.
Defensive magic barriers such as Light of Heaven had been installed throughout the residences of every major noble family, though their level was far inferior to the original. Even the city lord's manor in the neutral city of Sinielle possessed a magic barrier capable of stripping magicians of their power.
For that reason, Sword Saints alone were the ones people truly feared, and that was also the primary reason everyone had begun fearing Riezel. Not only was he an extraordinarily powerful Sword Saint himself, but he also had Sword Saints serving under him.
In their eyes, that force was terrifying enough to destroy a powerful noble family with ease.
More importantly, even if they actually did so, the kingdom would most likely not dare pursue the matter afterward for fear of offending them.
After all, excluding Riezel, Euryale, and Lilith, the kingdom only had five Sword Saints remaining, and each belonged to a different faction, making it nearly impossible for them to unite as completely as Riezel's side had.
As a result, Jinas no longer posed much of a deterrent to Riezel's group. Naturally, no one wanted to provoke him, including both the Royal Faction and the Duke Faction.
Who would have thought that this was what Belmont had been planning?
A duel of magic?
Now that was something worth watching.
"Excuse me, what exactly do you mean by this, Marquis Muraguet?"
Yuri looked at Belmont with growing irritation.
"M-Ms. Lilith?! Calm down! Please calm down!"
Behind Riezel, Lizbeth's frantic attempts to restrain Lilith could also be heard.
"Haha, it's only a friendly match..."
Belmont let out a light laugh, his expression remaining relaxed and easygoing.
"Everyone says Sir Brynhart excels in both swordsmanship and magic, standing above everyone else in both fields. Naturally, I became curious."
"Isn't everyone else curious too?"
"As for swordsmanship, Sir Brynhart has already demonstrated it countless times. He even once accepted a thousand consecutive challenges in a single day without suffering a single defeat. I don't believe anyone doubts that you are a great and powerful swordsman."
"But when it comes to magic, you've never displayed it publicly."
"So, why not take this opportunity to show us? Let us witness the brilliance of the greatest genius in the history of the Akasha Continent."
After praising Riezel to the heavens, Belmont spread his arms and smiled.
"You don't even need to display Strategic-Class Magic or anything beyond it, and there's no need to use Tactical-Class Magic either. Let's simply compete using Combat-Class Magic and allow everyone to witness your skill with magic."
By this point, the smug satisfaction in Belmont's voice had become nearly impossible to hide.
Everyone knew that even if a Tactical-Class or Strategic-Class Magician could cast tremendously powerful Tactical-Class or Strategic-Class Magic, that did not necessarily mean they were proficient in Combat-Class Magic.
Like most people, Belmont didn't entirely believe that Riezel had mastered magic beyond the Strategic Class. However, regarding the rumors that Riezel himself was a Strategic-Class Magician, he preferred to believe them rather than dismiss them.
Even so, what if Riezel truly was a Strategic-Class Magician?
Belmont refused to believe that someone so much younger than himself—a genius who filled him with envy and jealousy—could have cultivated his swordsmanship to such terrifying heights while also mastering Combat-Class Magic.
It was precisely because of that belief that Belmont dared to provoke Riezel and challenge him. He intended to defeat Riezel, establish himself as the greatest magician among Jinas's nobles, and prove to Yuri that he was the most suitable partner for her.
So what if Riezel was a Sword Saint?
So what if Riezel was stronger than Jinas's strongest Old Sword Saint?
Outstanding magicians should unite with other outstanding magicians so that superior bloodlines could continue to be passed down through future generations.
As a devoted bloodline supremacist, Belmont firmly believed that once he demonstrated the Muraguet family's exceptional magician bloodline and overwhelming magical talent, Yuri would naturally choose him.
Whether that idea was foolish or not was another matter entirely.
Regardless, when Belmont proposed a 'duel of magic,' everyone immediately became interested, including Riezel.
Riezel quietly sized Belmont up for a brief moment before a faint smile gradually spread across his face.
"Are you really sure?"
As he spoke, a faint smile carrying a hint of mischief spread across Riezel's face, as though he were quietly watching a clown put on an amusing performance right before his eyes.
"Of course."
Belmont answered with complete confidence.
Everyone immediately turned toward Riezel, their eyes filled with anticipation as their curiosity grew.
Thinking about it carefully, Riezel had indeed displayed his swordsmanship most of the time since arriving in this world, while only rarely demonstrating his magic before others. Whether it had been his duel against Rohm, Raven, Redson, Hardt, or Sorren, Riezel had rarely relied on magic.
As a result, many people had become curious whether this legendary genius, rumored to have mastered magic beyond the Strategic Class, possessed equally impressive accomplishments in Combat-Class Magic.
Only Raven, Nibald, Florent, and the others who had personally witnessed Riezel perform all kinds of unbelievable and absurd magic looked at Belmont with sympathy.
"Come to think of it... He's also a magician with Imaginary compatibility who can use space magic..."
Serena also recalled some of the rumors surrounding Riezel's magic and vaguely felt that his combat ability as a magician was likely no weaker than his swordsmanship.
Yuri already knew about the astonishing magic Riezel possessed, so she remained silent and said nothing more.
In fact, she neither disliked nor particularly liked Belmont.
Even so, from the moment she learned that he was a bloodline supremacist, she had already decided to keep her distance from him because she clearly understood that the person he desired was not 'Yuri Frenzel,' but 'Marquis Frenzel, the Strategic-Class Magician.'
Even if it weren't her, as long as someone else around Belmont's age was single and an outstanding magician of the opposite sex, he would pursue them without hesitation.
Every generation of the Muraguet family's head had been exactly like that because they had only one unchangeable requirement for their spouse—they had to be an outstanding magician.
As long as that person was an exceptional magician, it didn't matter who they actually were.
Knowing that, there was naturally no way Yuri could have any feelings toward Belmont's pursuit.
And after today, any remaining goodwill she had toward him disappeared completely, leaving only disgust.
It was inevitable.
Why?
Simply because he had publicly challenged Riezel.
For that reason alone, a fool like that deserved to embarrass himself thoroughly.
"Fine. Let's have some fun."
Riezel accepted Belmont's challenge with the relaxed attitude of someone about to begin a simple game rather than a duel.
"Excellent!" Belmont exclaimed joyfully, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. "Let's head outside!"
"No need." Riezel shook his head without the slightest hesitation. "We'll do it here."
Belmont froze on the spot.
"Here?"
Everyone else was equally caught off guard by the suggestion.
"Uhh, that's not a good idea..." Nibald finally spoke up with a deep frown. "Even if it's only Combat-Class Magic, it's nothing to joke about. One mistake could destroy this entire building."
Everyone immediately nodded in agreement.
A swordsmanship duel was one thing.
As long as the special abilities of Special Swordsmanship weren't used, the participants would merely exchange sword strikes. With enough restraint and precise control, the surrounding environment could remain completely undamaged.
Magic, however, was an entirely different matter.
Even a small fireball was enough to ignite the entire building and reduce it to a raging sea of flames.
Under those circumstances, who would dare remain inside and watch a magic duel unfold?
Riezel's response, however, was as simple as ever.
"Dance around spirit of the atmosphere, lord of light."
He suddenly began chanting.
"Contract with the guardian of the forest, and envelop us with the song of the land."
"Surround us, become a great barrier of forest light, and protect us - my name is Alf."
A magic circle spun open beneath Riezel's feet, causing everyone's expressions to change.
"Via Shilheim."
By the time everyone reacted, Riezel had already completed the magic and released a barrier of light.
In the next moment, a barrier engraved with intricate magical patterns expanded outward, causing everyone nearby to instinctively retreat. Only after it had expanded to a diameter of roughly twenty to thirty meters did it finally stop.
Outside the barrier, all the banquet guests stood watching like spectators in an arena.
Inside the barrier, only two people remained.
One was Riezel, and the other was Belmont.
"W-What is this?"
Belmont looked completely at a loss.
"Chill. It's just a defensive barrier that seals off the space inside from the outside while blocking both physical and magical attacks."
Riezel casually bounced on his heels before smiling at the bewildered Belmont.
"Now we can both use magic without worrying about everything around us."
Hearing that, Belmont finally calmed down somewhat.
Meanwhile, outside the barrier, Nibald and the other magicians examined Via Shilheim with amazement.
"No doubt, the completion level of this barrier is incredibly high. At the very least, it's comparable to a Tactical-Class Magic Barrier."
Nibald lightly knocked on the transparent barrier before him, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"Indeed. You can clearly feel that magical energy has been completely isolated. What an extraordinary barrier magic."
Another voice sounded from behind Nibald.
"Lord Ferras."
Nibald immediately became noticeably more respectful and bowed toward the elderly man behind him.
Yes, the newcomer was none other than Ferras Lacremis, the director of Spriller Academy and the godfather of the world of magic.
"What do you think, Grandmaster Nibald?"
Basking in the respectful gazes of everyone around him, Ferras smiled at Nibald.
"Who do you think will win this duel?"
Hearing the question, Nibald hesitated.
He wasn't hesitating over who would win, but over whether he should answer honestly.
It should be noted that the Muraguet family's ancestor had been among the founders of Spriller Academy, and as the current director, Ferras maintained close ties with the Muraguet family.
It was even said that the instructor who had guided Ferras in his youth had been one of the Muraguet family's former heads.
Because of that, not only had Ferras always maintained a close relationship with the Muraguet family, but the current family head, Belmont, also regarded Ferras as his teacher and treated him with the respect due to a master.
Nibald himself had likewise received much guidance from Ferras, allowing him to achieve everything he had today.
For that reason, it was rather difficult for him to speak honestly in front of Ferras.
"It's fine." Ferras saw through Nibald's hesitation and reassured him. "Just tell me what you truly think. As the kingdom's foremost authority on Combat-Class Magic, I'd like to know which side you favor."
"Very well..." Nibald smiled bitterly. "Forgive my bluntness then, but I believe Sir Brynhart has the greater chance of winning."
"Are you certain?" Ferras suddenly looked interested. "Belmont's Combat-Class Magic is no joke. At the very least, he's considerably better than that little girl from the Frenzel family."
Because the Muraguet family was a prestigious family of magicians, their research into magic had always been at the forefront of the kingdom, and they placed great importance on Combat-Class Magic. Whether they belonged to the main family or a branch family, every descendant studied Combat-Class Magic from childhood.
As the current family head, Belmont possessed the highest level of magical proficiency in the entire family.
If Yuri's mastery of Combat-Class Magic allowed her to fight on equal footing with an ordinary Sword Master, then Belmont was unquestionably capable of matching an expert Sword Master in battle. Even someone like Albert—the greatest swordsman below the rank of Sword Saint—would not have been able to defeat him easily.
Needless to say, that was already an extraordinary accomplishment.
In Jinas, only Nibald could use magic well enough to rival a Sword Saint, but other than Nibald, Belmont's combat ability ranked among the top five—or even the top three—of all magicians.
If the Muraguet family's inherited mystical artifacts and magic items were added to the equation, then even if he could not defeat a Sword Saint, he could at least contend with one for a time.
With all that in mind, could Belmont really lose against a Riezel who was using only magic?
"...Yes."
Nibald answered after another brief pause.
"Sir Brynhart's magic is by no means weak. In certain aspects, it even surpasses my own. I have personally witnessed it."
Hearing those words, Ferras raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm, in that case... I'll have to watch this battle very carefully..."
Ferras shifted his gaze toward the inside of the barrier, looking at the calm and composed Riezel.
Everyone else did the same.
With that, an unprecedented magic duel officially began.
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