[EN] Episode 20 - The Losers' Rematch 1

The graduation ceremony concluded without incident.
A golden medal, awarded to the student who submitted the best thesis, dangled from Wingester's neck beneath his academic cap.


No sooner had the ceremony ended than representatives from several prominent guilds within the kingdom began gathering around Wingester.


Since the graduates' theses were bound together and published annually throughout the entire kingdom, Wingester's name was already known to them.


“Are you by any chance that Wingester fellow? I'm from the sales department of the Primag Trading Company...”
“Hey, no cutting in line! We from the Akra Trading Company were waiting for Wingester first!”
“Hey, everyone, keep order! He's a student, isn't he?! Do you intend to make a spectacle of yourselves in front of the young man!”


At Koch's sudden outburst, they belatedly shuffled back into line, looking sheepish.


Wingester, though reluctant, had no choice but to proceed with the formalities: exchanging greetings with the merchants and receiving their business cards one by one.


Their interest, needless to say, was in the lightweight mana concentrator Wingester had submitted in his thesis.


“Young Wingester. We'd pay any royalty you ask. Please, bring your exceptional technology to our Akra Trading Company...”


As this same script repeated with different people, Wingester felt a slight surge of irritation.
But he couldn't just walk out in front of Professor Koch watching nearby, so he had to endure it.


Only after greeting dozens of guild employees and filling his bag with business cards could he finally be released.


“Haah...”
“Ha ha ha! That's great, Wingester!”
“It's not great at all...”
“Isn't it a joy that the people of the kingdom value your skills so highly?”


Seeing Koch pat Wingester's shoulder encouragingly, the rising irritation subsided somewhat.


“So, what are your plans for that technique going forward?”
“......”


He didn't want to give it away to anyone, if possible.
It was a technique Wingester had painstakingly researched for years within the academy.
Its very first beneficiaries should be its developer, Wingester, and his family.


"Well, Wingester, I trust you'll handle it wisely. ”
“…Yes.”
“But those merchants who just came to greet you aren’t fools either. They’ll desperately cling to you, begging for the technology.”
“…….”
“Well, if you run into trouble, give me a call.”


With that, Koch walked back to his carriage.
Wingester watched him go, lost in thought about what lay ahead,


when suddenly.


“Senior-! Congratulations on graduating!”


Berett, who had appeared beside him, grabbed his arm and bounced up and down excitedly.


“Ah. Berett.”
“I'll be following you next year, after all.”
“Right. Work hard.”
“Oh! By the way, if things keep going like this, the Magitech Club will disband. What should we do?”


That was true.
The club, which had operated with minimal members from the start, would lose Wingester, Romulus, and Haixian, who were graduating this year.
If things continued like this, the club wouldn't be able to survive due to lack of members.


“...Berett.”
“?”
“There are probably still quite a few students with low mana aptitude hiding away in the academy.”
“......”
“For now, Berett can take the lead.”
“...Is that okay?”


Wingester thought for a moment, then shook his head.


“Zessler's a bit clueless outside his own research, so Berett's the right person for it.”
“Hehe...”


Pleased by the compliment, she beamed and waved goodbye.
She now had to go gather students to keep the club going.


Turning suddenly to look at the entrance to the auditorium where the graduation ceremony had been held, Wingzester saw several soldiers clad in the ceremonial robes of the Royal Guard Mage Corp gathered, talking to Romulus.


They were surely trying to recruit him into their respective units.


“That guy's got it made.”


For the first time, Wingester felt a twinge of envy toward Romulus.


Wingester himself would be hounded by large merchant guilds eager to acquire his skills, no matter which path he chose, leaving him with a headache.
Meanwhile, Romulus only needed to become a member of the prestigious and well-paid Royal Guard Mage Corp.


Wingester quickly shook his head.
Looking at it the other way, it meant Romulus had no other future.
That guy had no other possibilities from the start.


He could only think about that, only choose that.


“...So I'm the one with far more freedom, then.”


From afar, Romulus watched Wingester make his way home.


A man whose talent made him utterly unbeatable.
A guy who, despite clearly being superior in every way, gave no impression of ever being defeated.


But that too would be overturned tomorrow.


“Look forward to it, Wingester…!”


Romulus, his academic gown draped over his back, was fiddling with something wrapped in cloth behind him, something long enough to surpass his own height, his fighting spirit burning brightly.


*


The next day.


The duel site was set at the very place where the two had clashed years ago over the Berett kidnapping incident.
This was at Romulus's request, reflecting his strong intent to avenge himself against Wingester.


“You're here.”


Romulus had arrived first, sitting on a rock waiting.


But his attire was peculiar.


“...What are you thinking?”
“What?”
“You're a mage. So why...”
“...Why am I wearing armor?”


Saying this, Romulus grinned, as if showing off, and spun around once, displaying the armor he wore, complete with a short cape.


“Doesn't it suit me?”
“I'm asking what the hell you were thinking when you put on that outfit.”


Romulus just smiled silently, offering no answer to the question.


“...I'll find out when we clash, is that it?”
“...Yeah.”


He didn't know exactly what it was, but it definitely didn't seem like it would be as easy as before.


Wingester thought he'd done well to bring the new Barrett Staff, thickly wrapped in cloth, strapped to his back. Just as he was about to pull it out,


Thud.


From behind a tree several meters above, someone who shouldn't have been there appeared.


“……!”
“Well, how should I put it… it seems you ignored our opinion.”
“Hello, Wingester.”


Not at all hello.
Cold sweat trickled down Wingester's forehead.
He couldn't pull this out where she was standing.


“Why?”
“...Because I don't want to see the two of you kill each other.”


Wingester gritted his teeth silently.
As if reading his thoughts, she answered immediately.


“Why are you so certain? Romulus isn't the type to kill anyone...”
“...Because I'm worried about you.”
“......!”
“If things continue like this, Wingester, you'll surely do something you'll regret.”


Wingester's eyebrows knitted in displeasure as he scowled.
Even if she was royalty, what part of him had she seen to make such a confident statement?


“I am not that foolish.”
“...Then why is there such anger in your eyes?”
“......”


The princess shook her head quietly.


“Wingester. I forbid you to enter this duel harboring anger. in my name as the Princess.”
“Guh…!”
“Please, at least here….”
“That’s impossible.”


Faced with Wingester's outright refusal, Romulus tried to leap to his feet, but the princess blocked him and looked down at Wingester with sorrowful eyes.


“…….”
“...I beg you. Wingester.”
“You must know what Romulus did, right?”
“……!”
“My anger holds not a shred of falsehood. Princess. Please return.”


Finally, the princess bit her lip, seeming to deliberate, before delivering the decisive line to Wingester.


“Then I shall ask you. Do you intend to... kill Romulus?”
“What?!”


Romulus, listening nearby, flinched and looked down at Wingester.


Though their start had been rocky, they had been participating in club activities together and considered themselves friendly rivals.
Yet the princess's words made it clear that was nothing but Romulus's delusion.


“......”


Wingester said nothing, merely offering a casual smile.


“Wingester...”
“...Do I seem like that kind of person to you?”


The princess, choking back emotion, swallowed hard and nodded.


“...Yes.”
“......”
“Wingester...!”


It seemed the princess possessed some talent for discerning people's hearts.
That she could pierce through Wingester's own thoughts with such precision.


“...Anyway, Your Highness. Please return. A magic duel is no child's play.”
“It doesn't matter. I'm a magician capable of protecting myself.”
“......”
“Or is it because something has happened that you cannot show me?”


The more they spoke, the more Wingester found himself drawn into it.
Finally, ignoring her, he stood silently at his position, beginning to fiddle with and inspect his magic tools.


“...Begin.”
“Wait. Wingester.”
“Why?”
“...I'd like you to answer the princess's question.”


Romulus wore an expression of unprecedented seriousness.
He had to confirm the true intentions of this man, whom he had always considered a good rival and friend.


Because depending on his answer, the nature of this duel would be turned upside down.


“......”
“Wingester! Answer me! What am I to you?!”
“Romulus...”


Wingester gritted his teeth.
Honestly, his thoughts about him weren't fully sorted out yet.


He was definitely an annoying guy, but...


“...You see me as a rival, but that's a serious miscalculation.”
“……!”
“You see... I could only fight you on equal terms after I resolved to ‘kill you’.”
“...What?”
“To bridge the gap between our starting points, that was the only way.”


Only then did the princess understand why Wingester had been so fiercely determined.


For the one without to bring down the one with, they must throw everything they have at it, by any means necessary.


That was how vast the gap between them truly was.


“Was it a few years ago... Back then, thanks to you doing that stupid thing of kidnapping Berett, it was easier to steel my resolve.”
“Guh...!”
“But now, that's gone. You're purely burning with a competitive spirit, seeing me as a rival...”
“Yeah, it's different now. Because you beat me.”
“That's what's so terribly wrong.”
“So what the hell are you talking about?!”
“...I didn't win.”
“What?!”
“In that moment, I truly intended to ‘kill’ you.”
“……!”


Wingester, seemingly resolved, unwrapped the Barrett Staff from its cloth.


“And you're ‘alive’ now.”
“…….”
“At that point, I lost to you.”
“Gah…!”
“So, all this time, you've been running around saying you'd surpass me. From my perspective, that was quite a nuisance.”


The princess bit her lip, her eyes fixed on the two of them.
She didn't know what would happen if they clashed now.
If things got too extreme, she was prepared to throw herself in to stop them.


“Wingester…!”
“Come at me. Romulus. Today… I’ll finally put you to rest.”
“You mean it…?”
“…Yes. Finishing what we couldn’t that day… here would be fitting.”


-To be continued-