This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 155

Beatrice’s gaze did not waver from the intense competition unfolding on the broadcast screen.

In fact, Beatrice’s interest in the Combat Department had been minimal until now.

She had no interest in the gathering of the continent’s top talents due to the appointment of the Hero.

After all, Beatrice preferred Larze Gion over Ted Redymer among the heroes.

Even when she heard about the joint classes with the Combat Department starting from the second semester, she only felt annoyance and no excitement at all.

The long-standing prejudice of the magicians against the unarmed fighters…or to put it more bluntly, their indifference, had somewhat contributed to the sense of superiority.

But a few months ago, there was an incident where the Lord of Monmas, Enoch, reached out to the disciples of the Hero.

No matter how high their magical prowess was, the opponent was not easy to deal with.

Yet, the news that a student had defeated Enoch bare-handedly caught Beatrice’s attention like a magnet.

‘It’s almost impossible.’

Even if it was incomplete, it was the power of the leader of the Monma Corps.

To counter that required constant mental training and exploration of advanced truths and magic, which was also difficult for a high wizard.

Such an achievement accomplished by a mere freshman in the Combat Department.

People praised the courage and mental strength of Ban.

But Beatrice couldn’t just vaguely pass over the cause of such a rare phenomenon.

There must have been something special about Ban, and she felt she had to discover it to ease her conscience.

So, she continued her polite attempts to make contact, such as sending letters…but perhaps being of noble descent, his arrogance was quite high.

‘Hmph…’

If it weren’t for the watching eyes, she might have sniffed disdainfully.

Despite the distorted thoughts, Beatrice calmly placed her hand on her knee and maintained a dignified posture and expression.

Some of her contemporaries would accuse her of condescending to her noble subjects, but she did not care.

Even if her birth wasn’t noble, there was a way to be noble enough.

Beatrice straightened her back and her eyes took in the battle in the arena again.

‘As expected…’

As expected, the two from the Combat Department were struggling.

“Iron Arrow!”

A powerful magic…or rather, throw that ruthlessly destroyed the barrier of the twins in the preliminary round.

But this time, it was completely different.

Thud!

The iron staff that was shot out only left small dents on the surface of the barrier and fell to the ground of the arena.

Neither the speed nor the destructiveness was comparable to before.

Confused expressions of Ban and Luke were broadcasted.

Kwagwagwag-!

Followed by a fire-based attack magic.

Their movements to barely avoid it were noticeably more sluggish than before.

Beatrice recalled the countermeasure meeting a few days ago.

“Please refrain from using offensive magic as much as possible. They will either dodge it all or counterattack.”

“Then?”

“How about focusing on weakening spells?”

Agreements followed with nods.

The professors added a few more words.

“Since they only believe in physical abilities, that side should be more effective.”

“Try to avoid direct confrontation as much as possible, stack weakening spells, and have a showdown when their stamina runs out.”

“Luke Selsood seems to have learned the Berserker type of martial arts, so using mental magic should be effective.”

“Hm, I’m worried that the audience’s reaction might not be very good.”

“Isn’t it more important to win now than worry about that? Well, I trust Professor Iveta to explain it well.”

The main match went exactly as planned.

All sorts of weakening spells were poured onto Luke and Ban, and their nearly superhuman physical abilities gradually faded.

They had to fight without any weapons in the first place.

When their physical abilities declined, they couldn’t break through the barriers that the students of the Mystic Department had put all their efforts into.

Iveta’s enthusiastic commentary echoed through the arena.

[Such delicate control of magic is moving! Everyone, it’s not just dazzling magic that is outstanding]

[It’s regrettable that the audience cannot directly experience the flow of this beautiful magic]

…Of course, due to the boring match, the audience’s reaction was lukewarm.

However, Beatrice’s eyes began to shine brighter and brighter.

It was because the uniqueness of Ban was gradually emerging.

On the other hand, Luke, who was hit by all sorts of weakening spells and mental magic, was groaning like a sick chicken.

But Ban was much healthier than Luke.

There were quite complex reasons for this, but first and foremost, it was his keen sense of detection.

‘Should I call it a magic breakdown?’

His habitual detection instinctively grasped the structure of the magic enveloping his body and resisted it.

In simpler terms, something like ‘dispel magic’ was constantly in operation.

‘Plus, he has innate magical resistance.’

Thanks to that, the match could continue.

Ban had been hit by many more weakening spells than Luke, but…

Bang!

Finally breaking through the concentration saturation, he approached the opponents at close range several times and delivered threatening blows.

As his hefty fist sliced through the air several times, the barrier shook as if it were about to break.

The audience finally cheered.

[Such brute…no, reckless methods]

Against the backdrop of Iveta’s biased commentary, the bewildered wizards continued their spell chanting.

“Touch of Decline!”

“Swamp of Lost Sensation!”

“Stained Mind!”

Ban’s body was momentarily shrouded in a faint light.

“Ugh…”

Shaking it off, he got up and charged forward again.

Meanwhile, Beatrice’s purple eyes had been fixed on Ban’s sweaty face in close-up.

‘I’m sure.’

Ban’s multitasking ability seemed superior to anyone she had seen.

‘How can an unarmed fighter be like that?’

Magicians are trained from a very young age to handle various calculations and tasks simultaneously through systematic training.

Training to play chess while implementing magic.

Training to draw different pictures with both hands simultaneously, and so on, were typical examples.

However, Ban was showing much better multitasking skills than the magicians who had gone through such complicated processes for many years.

He was running, throwing, dodging, and unconsciously dismantling magic through detection.

‘Research subject….’

Beatrice felt her lips dry up.

Yes, he was a research subject, but at the same time, he was similar to her.

Her genius, represented by ‘multicast,’ was also ‘multicast.’

‘If I handle it well, maybe the first proper magic swordsman could be born.’

Beatrice’s expression grew distant as she recalled the various preparations she had made in her laboratory.

Meanwhile, the magical two-on-two was becoming increasingly fierce.

Luke, having regained his stamina, joined forces with Ban and advanced.

They resisted, dodged, and fought back against magic, struggling through the battle.

Ban even intermittently used basic spells like illumination, entanglement, and telekinesis, gradually increasing Beatrice’s interest.

Such unwavering determination and dedication were aspects that even the Mystic Department duelists, thoroughly prepared, had not expected.

Ding ding ding-!

[The time for the duel has ended.]

Eventually, the decision went to the judges.

Sighing, Beatrice gracefully grasped the hem of her dress and rose from her seat.

With a heavy heart, she resisted the urge to run away; there were too many watching eyes.

Anyway, watching for the past thirty minutes, Beatrice had been convinced.

That boy, Ban Dietrich, would become the best partner (subject) she could ask for.

Before someone else coveted him, she had to claim him.

As she departed, Iveta’s voice echoed behind her.

[Based on fair judgement, the winner of this magical two-on-two is…]

* * *

Back in the waiting room, Luke threw the sweaty towel onto the floor.

Fortunately, there was no one to nag him.

It was because Ban had been taken by that girl from the Mystic Department.

‘Actually, it’s for the best.’

Sitting down on a chair, Luke stretched his body.

…It was truly a tough fight after a long time.

Various weakening spells that had gnawed at his stamina were annoying, but…the mental magic pouring out from the middle was too annoying.

Mental magic subtly dug into the crevices of the mind and ruthlessly exposed them.

Memories of the past that had been indiscriminately brought up were swirling around in his head like shattered glass.

Luke couldn’t help but utter those words.

“This motherf–”

It was fortunate that he didn’t say the next word.

Quickly turning his head, he found himself staring into jade-colored eyes.

“It’s been a while since I heard you curse like that.”

As Evergreen approached, Luke reflexively clapped his hands.

“Don’t come closer, I smell of sweat.”

“Aren’t I the same?”

“…Your match ended a while ago. What are you doing here?”

“I watched your match.”

Evergreen grinned and unceremoniously took a seat next to Luke.

Due to their recent busy schedules with individual Battle Arena preparations, it felt like they hadn’t talked like this in a long time.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Luke muttered.

“You did great in your match. I heard the professor praising you.”

“You were cool too.”

“…But I lost.”

“You lost, but you fought well.”

“Sounds like you’re just making fun of me.”

Evergreen chuckled softly.

“No, I mean it. You were really impressive.”

A moment of silence.

Luke sighed and continued the words he had been holding back.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask you to go to the arena first. But the reason I applied like this is because I want to go with you. In the end, I couldn’t go…”

“Senior Deindart isn’t my type.”

Luke couldn’t help but be stunned by the sudden comment.

Deindart senior isn’t my type.

Not my type.

Evergreen’s…not her type!

In the aftermath of that revelation, he couldn’t help but ask a dumbfounded question.

“Th-then, what is your type?”

“Hmmm.. Someone a bit sharper and more handsome, with a few cool scars on their face, and a rough past…? Ahaha, something like that.”

“…Who would that be?”

“Well, there is someone. Close by.”

Evergreen, perhaps belatedly feeling embarrassed (for following Karen’s instructions faithfully), muttered, “Um, I should take a break,” and rushed out of the waiting room.

“….”

Luke forgot about the bitterness of defeat.

Now, perhaps.

He felt like he could charge back into the arena and face a hundred mages.

* * *

Meanwhile, Luke’s companion found himself in a rather awkward situation.

“It’s an honor to meet the heir of the noble Dietrich family. I’ve heard that you are a person of elegance and dignity, and seeing you in person, you are even more dignified. I am happy to meet you….”

Ban stared blankly at the grandiose greeting from the chief magician of the Mystic Department.

‘…Is she making fun of me?’

It was a greeting more suited for a salon than a dim corridor like this.

Wiping the sweat dripping from his cheek, Ban answered cautiously.

“Um… I’m really sorry, but could we get to the point quickly?”

The match of Leciel was starting soon.

Certainly, she would overwhelmingly win, but Ban still wanted to be there to cheer her on, watching from the scene.

There was no ill intention behind his urgency, but for some reason, Beatrice seemed a bit put off.

Veins popped in her hand as she gracefully grasped the hem of her dress – she was tense.

“Hmph, a nobleman indeed.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

But she quickly returned to her composed expression, as if nothing had happened, and put on a formal smile.

“I have a proposal for you. It won’t be a loss for you, Ban.”

Ban cocked his head curiously.

* * *

And so, amidst their own circumstances, the curtains of the festival slowly descended.

It was almost sunset.

The glow was gradually fading into the main street of the festival, spreading waves of various colors throughout the entire campus.

Underneath the multicolored clouds, amidst the shadows of children bustling about, a sense of contentment filled the air.

“Hiya, that was really fun.”

Cuculli, who had been busy with dismantling the tavern, straightened her back and spoke in her characteristic cheerful voice.

Her horns twitched slightly from side to side, a reaction that only came out when she was extremely satisfied.

“Eutcha-”

Karen, holding her own trash bag, stood next to her.

“…I didn’t expect you to participate so enthusiastically.”

“Huh, is that surprising?”

“I just… thought you’d be more interested in things like the Battle Arena. I didn’t expect you to help with the cleanup too.”

Cuculli laughed innocently.

“Ah. This is all~ part of the memories!”

Truly fitting for her.

Her answer, brimming with nonchalance, made Karen chuckle.

“If you look closely, you really live each day to the fullest. Playing pranks, eating enthusiastically, going around all over the place.”

“Of course, each day is so precious. I can’t just let it pass by.”

“Geez. Despite having a much longer lifespan than us. Drama queen.”

“….”

“Hm?”

But Cuculli had already left.

She was clinging to the back of Nyhill, who had just finished cleaning up and was leaving the kitchen….

“Nyhill. Make me something delicious again.”

As Nyhill’s lips awkwardly stiffened, the rescue squad immediately intervened.

“Hey, stop bothering Nyhill.”

“Do you want to torture the poor kid who’s been cooking all day?”

“Ugh, Cuculli.”

The silent and diligent girl who faithfully carried out her duties had gradually become a favorite of everyone, to some I’m not bothering him. Nyhill, do you hate me?”

“…I don’t hate you.”

“See!”

Especially when Cuculli had been teasing Nyhill for the past few days.

Their colleagues secretly enjoyed watching the contrasting combination of the two, both in personality and appearance.

“Hehehe, Nyhill. Do you want to come play with Big sis in the kitchen storage?”

Although Cuculli seemed to stick around only because of food, she actually had her own thoughts.

‘This girl… There are many interesting corners to explore.’

Cuculli’s eyes sparkled as she slowly reached out toward Nyhill’s waist.

The blue eyes were fixed on the dagger at Nyhill’s waist from the beginning.

‘…Even the faint smell of spirits emanating from the dagger.’

Noubelmag is the only craftsman who can create spirit artifacts.

Then why did Noubelmag give ordinary prototype weapons to the other students and bestow such a unique weapon only to Nyhill?

‘A spirit artifact isn’t something that can be easily made, even by Noubelmag.’

…Noubelmag’s will could be seen as the will of the Hero.

What connection could there be between a common academy freshman and a hero?

‘Hmm, suspicious, suspicious.’

Cuculli’s eyes narrowed into thin slits.

“What are you doing?”

“Oops.”

…Hey, your instincts are strangely sharp.

With a quick retreat, Cuculli grinned.

Perhaps it was because of her mood, but it felt like the handle of the dagger she brushed against trembled slightly.

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