For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

The high-ranking paladin exclusive training room borrowed through Helena.

For some reason, the training room was empty, so it ended up being just us…

It wasn’t like there were only a few high-ranking paladins in the headquarters, and they wouldn’t skip training, so something must be up.

Maybe they were in a meeting with Helena?

A high-ranking paladin wasn’t just a powerful entity, but also commanded other paladins in emergencies.

They had to recall the dispatched paladins and combat priests, and, if necessary, turn the headquarters into a fortress and hold their ground.

They must be busy from the planning stage with so many things to do.

Well, in any case, it was nice to be able to use the training room without worrying about others.

While receiving a practical lesson in Blood Force from Iona.

BOOM!!!

Startled by the explosion sound behind me, I quickly turned around.

“What happened?!”

The ground was deeply gouged and charred black, as if a giant fire snake had slithered through.

In front of it stood Elisha, looking dazed, while Iris was clapping her hands with a blissful expression.

“…What in the world happened?”

“Hmm, hmm. Student Yandel. Let’s pause the duel and check on Elisha.”

“Uh, yes.”

Iona pushed me forward with a playful smile, seeming to have noticed something but not saying it.

Judging by the atmosphere, it didn’t seem anything bad. Tilting my head, I approached Elisha.

Seeing it up close, it was even more incredible.

A crater deep enough to reach my waist. The shimmering heat waves in the air. The suffocating traces of mana.

“Elisha? Did you do this? It doesn’t look like an accident…”

“Hey, Yandel…”

Elisha turned her head with a creaking movement. Her blue eyes, like a clear sky, were filled with intense ripples.

Elisha, looking extremely agitated, stammered out her words.

“I… I think I became a mid-level magician?”

“Eh.”

---

Elisha had ascended to the rank of a mid-level magician.

…Although it was really sudden, it wasn’t entirely surprising.

Elisha was naturally talented enough to become a grand magician if nurtured well, and she had been growing rapidly since becoming my slave and venturing through dungeons.

She was on the verge of becoming a lower magician, so she could have crossed the barrier at any moment, given the right opportunity.

I just didn’t expect her to suddenly cast intermediate magic without any warning.

“Congratulations, Elisha!”

“Thank you, Yandel. With this, I also…”

I asked Elisha, who was smiling faintly, the most curious question.

“By the way, what about the threat to your life? Intense emotions? Mana overflows? How did you awaken in such a peaceful atmosphere?”

“…Huh?”

Elisha tilted her head in confusion, and I did the same.

We both tilted our heads for a while before Elisha, seemingly realizing something, opened her mouth wide.

“You don’t mean…”

“Huh? Why? Did I say something wrong?”

Not only Elisha, but everyone else seemed to have caught on to something.

Why am I the only one who doesn’t know…?

For a moment, I was left tilting my head alone. Carla, who was next to me, spoke up in a very cautious tone.

“Um… Master?”

“Yes.”

“Usually, it’s not about awakening but steadily breaking through the wall through training.”

“…What?”

My mind went blank for a moment.

You don’t need any special quest to have a second job change? Of course, this world isn’t exactly a game, but at least in H&A…

“Wait.”

Come to think of it, in H&A, awakening quests were only needed when becoming a grand magician or sword master.

To become a mid-level or upper-level magician, you just needed to steadily increase the number of spells you could use and raise your attribute ranks.

The experience needed to move to the next level was incomparable to before, but there wasn’t any special event required.

It might seem like you break through the wall rapidly after clearing a dungeon or subjugating cultists, but…

Strictly speaking, you step into the next level through the system’s settlement after the battle.

Unlike me, who awakened during battle and then received the settlement separately.

Iris, who had been standing on tiptoe, gently patted my head.

“Don’t be too shocked, Master. Whether it’s an unstable enlightenment gained in a life-and-death crisis or a solid answer built up from the basics, the endpoint is the same.”

“…Iris, you…!”

Feeling emotional, I pulled Iris’s chubby cheeks.

Streeetch.

“Where do you get off pretending to comfort me while insulting me?! You’re the worst!”

“Eek! Didn’t you often compare my chest with Lady Yareunshade’s chest! I’ve been waiting for this day…”

“Hey.”

“Ow! It hurts! It really hurts! I’m satisfied with just doing it once, so I won’t do it again! So please stop pulling my ears!”

Even though I had only grabbed her ear and not pulled yet, Iris was whining dramatically. I guess her ears were sensitive.

I let go of her, and Iris drooped like a kitten grabbed by the scruff of its neck.

I grabbed Iris’s wrist from behind and waved her arm like a puppet.

“Well… it’s a good thing if you crossed the wall without any danger.”

Thinking about it, Elisha had been learning magic steadily all her life since she was young.

As Iris said, it was probably just that the training she had accumulated so far had finally paid off.

By the way, from intermediate magic onwards, the caster’s personality and the core’s characteristics become distinct. I wonder what Elisha’s style would be like.

For now, Carla and I specialized in firepower. There was also the resonance characteristic of the Lintblum Core, and our goals roughly overlap.

I wanted a powerful strike to overcome all crises, and Carla grew up aiming to be a fortress-like traditional magician.

I had seen the grown-up version of Elisha in H&A, so I knew she specialized in rapid fire, but I had never seen it firsthand, so I was curious.

“Hey, Elisha. If you don’t mind, can you show me your intermediate magic?”

“Oh? There’s no problem with that. However, I’d like to correct one thing.”

Elisha raised her wand with a bitter smile.

“I may not be as pressed as you, Yandel, but I was in a fairly tight spot too.”

Elisha looked towards the traces of heat that had just cooled down and began to gather her mana. In response, the shadow of an element floated beside her head.

Originally, the shadow would only have the forms of wind and water, but now it had the pattern of fire added.

“Why can’t I surpass Carla? Why do I fall behind even you, Yandel? Why did my master do something so reckless for someone like me? Am I just a burden in the end?”

“Elisha…”

Heavier thoughts than expected.

Elisha was a genius, full of pride in herself. But the events of the past half-year must have deeply wounded her pride.

Things turned out well enough, but the result wasn’t what’s important. The problem was that Elisha couldn’t do anything during the process.

As always, and for everyone, the gap between reality and ideals was cruel.

As I looked at Elisha with some concern, Iris, who had already come to her senses, pressed her head against my chest and chuckled.

“Don’t worry. Elisha isn’t that weak. Master just needs to watch closely with open eyes.”

“…Yeah.”

The swirling mana. The shadow of the element flickering, as if it were alive, scattering its presence.

A shadow created by the light of mana, engraved in the image of the mind. An illusion created by the Elementus Core.

But at this moment, it was clearly real.

“Yandel, my dear. In the endless torment, you told me. You said I could do it. That my path wasn’t wrong.”

Yes, we had that conversation in the carriage on the way here.

Elisha glanced at me, then nodded with a refreshing smile.

“I think so too.”

The mana that had been blooming around Elisha began to converge on the tip of her wand.

“Let me show you here that your faith wasn’t in vain. So, as the Master said, watch closely. This is my magic… Fire Tornado!”

Whoosh!

The gathered mana quickly expanded, creating burning flames.

A whirlwind of fire swirled close to the ground. It looked like a snake slithering forward.

Did she lay the Fire Tornado on its side? It was clean and fast. Most importantly, Elisha had completely skipped the incantation just now.

She had just reached the mid-level magician rank and was already casting magic with just the activation word.

Just as I showed power beyond ordinary intermediate magic, Elisha was reducing incantation time and casting more quickly.

That was Elisha’s path, fully utilizing the characteristics of the Elementus Core.

I marveled inwardly, watching for a moment. As expected of release-type magic, the fiery storm quickly subsided.

Feeling a mix of admiration and regret, I raised my hands to clap.

“Sharpness Hurricane!”

“What?”

Elisha’s second magic followed immediately.

A pure wind storm traced the exact same trajectory as before. The magic, having lost its heat but gained sharpness, mercilessly shredded the front.

Even this was amazing, but Elisha didn’t stop there.

“Tidal… Wave…!”

A thick stream of water shot out fiercely, further carving out the crater.

At the same time, I quickly grabbed Elisha, who was about to collapse.

“Ugh!”

Iris got squeezed between Elisha and me, but that wasn’t important right now.

It took a bit of time at first, and she struggled at the end, but using intermediate magic three times in a row was impressive.

Of course, each magic was much weaker than mine or Carla’s. But using them consecutively changes the story.

Although still immature, she was close to the walking natural disaster I remembered.

Elisha, who always pursued and obsessed over being the best. Even if she loses a rival, a master, or is shunned by her kin.

She always looks ahead, taking one step at a time, laughing out loud.

I realized once again that this woman in my arms was Elisha.

Elisha, who had lost all strength, giggled at my bewildered expression.

“How was it? Pretty good, right?”

“Not just pretty good; it was the best.”

Right now, Elisha had Carla and Iris by her side. She might still be shunned by her kin, but I was here to affirm her.

How strong would Elisha become? How fast would she rise?

“I’m a bit excited.”

Without realizing, I muttered with a grin. But Elisha just sighed with a disgruntled look.

“When you make that face, it sounds weird.”

“…Go complain to Faye!”

Tomorrow, it’s your turn.

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