To be honest, there wasn’t much reason to visit Slayer Coast Island even in the game.
The island had already sunk, and due to the nature of the field, underwater combat was the main focus. Only those who had learned the relevant skills could even enter and fight there.
Every now and then, eccentric players who dedicated themselves to finding Easter eggs managed to clear it by customizing parties around exclusive NPCs, but aside from a single unique item, there was virtually no advantage compared to other field raids.
Naturally, it was heavily criticized among players as a “waste of a map.”
I only ever tried it once, just to flex my veteran status.
As a result, parties customized at great expense for underwater combat ended up being abandoned with nowhere else to use them.
So yeah, there’s really no need to attempt it…
At that moment, Jun’s expression began to harden.
His [Excellent Memory] was bringing up all sorts of related information.
Now that I think about it, while nobles from all factions visited this place, it was especially popular among nobles loyal to the Emperor.
And in the game, after the island was submerged, many of those imperialist nobles died along with it, further destabilizing the empire’s political landscape.
…I guess I really do have to stop it. The silver lining is that it’s not an impossible task.
If he started preparing steadily from now on, there was a chance he could interfere with the Heavenly Church again at a critical moment.
Who knows, the Empire itself might even declare war on the Heavenly Church before that.
Conveniently, the person holding the island’s [Checkpoint] was Viscount Volletic who was an imperial loyalist.
Since he had come all the way here, building a connection with him wouldn’t be a bad idea.
***
“But man, I’ll never get used to these damned banquets.”
Maybe it was because he’d been attending so many banquets lately, but Jun let out a deep sigh. He was starting to miss camp meals more than fancy, well-prepared dishes.
If there was any consolation, it was that Eleanor was attracting just as much attention as he was.
Well, just like high-level mages, high-ranking priests are also rare and highly valued.
Thanks to that, Jun finally had a moment to breathe, using the moonlit beach to calm his unsettled stomach.
Still… I haven’t been able to build any real connection with Viscount Volletic.
To his surprise, Volletic seemed utterly uninterested in the White Whale Mercenary Corps.
No, if Jun were to speculate a little further… it almost felt like the man actively disliked them.
Well, that’s on me. I underestimated the situation.
Just as he thought.
Even among nobles loyal to the Emperor, not all relationships were friendly.
Although Jun was technically neutral, from the perspective of the imperial faction, he was like an outsider who had suddenly shown up out of nowhere.
No wonder I’m not exactly a welcome presence.
Some might approach Jun to earn favor with the Count who supported him.
But on the flip side, there were likely others who felt threatened by that same favoritism.
And Viscount Volletic was clearly one of the latter.
The raid team… I recall he’s been in charge of this raid operation for a long time.
To maintain control over the hard-won [Checkpoint], it was mandatory to clear the raid consistently.
But due to its unique features, Slayer Coast Island was never a popular raid location.
Volletic had spent years building a dedicated raid team for it, steadily earning the Count’s trust.
And now, the Count’s attention is turning toward me. No wonder the man’s irritated.
So then… what should he do?
Guess I’ll have to reroute my intelligence gathering elsewhere.
It might delay things a bit, but it wasn’t like Volletic was the only one on Slayer Coast Island.
And with Chloe currently focusing on expanding their intelligence network, it wasn’t impossible.
Alright, that’s enough thinking about this for now…
Maybe it was from the fatigue, but his thoughts began to wander on their own.
What do I need to take care of once this tour ends? Hmm… The view is nice. And here I am, stuck in work mode even at a resort. What a pitiful life I’m living.
As he began to feel a little sorry for himself and mull over his pitifully work-focused state even while on vacation—
“The famous mage, I presume?”
—someone approached and spoke up without reading the mood.
Jun turned his head with a tired, annoyed expression.
…A mage?
A man dressed in unmistakably “I’m a mage” fashion was staring at Jun with a rather unfriendly look.
Who the hell is this guy?
It was already annoying enough to have someone talk to him when he was feeling down — but to make matters worse, the guy wasn’t even friendly. That just doubled Jun’s irritation.
“What do you want?”
“Wh-What’s with that attitude?”
“……?”
“A mere outsider from outside the Tower, giving me that clearly annoyed look!”
Is this guy nuts?
What kind of cliché is this?
He barges in out of nowhere, doesn’t get the response he wants, and then starts ranting in anger.
Where did this walking stereotype even come from?
“Just go away… I’m not in the mood.”
The long-suppressed mercenary in Jun started to smirk in amusement, trying to rise to the surface. But the stranger didn’t seem to notice the warning signs.
“And this is the kind of person who calls himself a mage out in the world? What happened to the dignity of a mage?!”
Yep. He’s completely crazy…
Jun found himself torn between two old sayings: “You avoid poop because it’s dirty,” and “A disobedient dog needs a beating” (though, realistically, the latter was never actually effective medicine).
While he debated which wisdom applied here, the man kept rambling on.
“To think someone like you would ignore me, a member of the Lannes Magic Tower! I can’t stand this! You lowly scum, I’ll show you what true magical dignity looks like!”
“…With what, exactly?”
“…What?”
“I’m asking what you’re going to use to show me this so-called dignity.”
“Why, with a magic duel, of course!”
Ohhh…
Now that got his interest.
I was already irritated anyway…
This was the perfect chance to legally beat the crap out of this weirdo.
But just as Jun was half-tuning him out, something in the man’s words caught his ear.
Wait a second… Laness?
There were plenty of magic towers out there, but if it was that Laness…
That’s one of the more reputable towers in Blackout.
A rare battle-oriented magic tower.
While most mages from other towers locked themselves away in their rooms with books and research, the mages from Laness were very familiar with real combat.
Come to think of it, I owed them quite a bit in the game too…
Still, considering the typical background of magic towers, it was rare to see someone strutting around and acting like a full-blown noble like that.
Is it different from the game? Well, whatever. Lannes Magic Tower, huh… Compared to the other towers I know, they’re on the more moderate side.
Even in the game’s increasingly dark storyline from the mid-to-late stages, the Lannes Tower fought for the Empire until the very end.
Its tower master was also a fairly decent person, character-wise.
I shouldn’t beat him too badly.
Not that he had any intention of going easy on him, of course.
***
A battle between mages can take many forms, depending on what kind of mage each one is.
If both have honed their skills through knowledge, then they fight using knowledge.
In martial arts novel terms, it would be like a duel of words or a theoretical sword fight.
Of course, since it’s all done through verbal magic, sometimes things escalate when one side pushes some outrageous logic…
Anyway.
Another common method was something similar to that Harry Potter style of duel.
Two mages stand apart at a distance, cast spells at each other, defend in some form, and score points by landing clean hits.
It’s a very traditional method and favored by many mages.
In that case, magical knowledge was still important, but quick reflexes and boldness in combat were equally essential.
…And the final method?
A straight-up brawl.
Just like that time Jun fought Adrian from the Volcatornic Magic Tower.
No rules, no restriction….just hurling deadly magic at each other like you’re trying to kill.
It’s also the method most mages despise the most.
Especially those prideful types like the guy from Lannes who approached Jun. Mages whose sense of dignity is through the roof.
I didn’t think he’d actually go for the brawl approach.
Jun was surprised, sure, but not completely unprepared.
The Lannes Tower itself was specialized in combat magic and naturally preferred this kind of direct fighting style.
Although, to be fair, the mages from Lannes are more used to fighting monsters than other mages.
Either way, this kind of nuance was something only mages would understand. For everyone else in the banquet hall, it was a fresh spectacle.
A duel between the famed leader of the White Whale Mercenary Corps and a well-known mage from the Lannes Tower in Blackout?
This was a big match.
“Kekeke! What a rare sight this is! Cheers to both mages!”
Viscount Volletic let out a booming laugh, as if he’d swallowed a bellows, clearly enjoying himself.
That smug bastard.
Jun had accepted the duel mostly to vent some frustration, but the viscount clapped enthusiastically, clearly welcoming the current turn of events.
I can practically feel how much he wants to see me humiliated.
Meanwhile, the two imperial family members at the center of this banquet didn’t show any intention of stepping in.
Dexter looked openly intrigued, and for some reason, Javier’s eyes were gleaming.
Looks like the Third Prince is finally pulling himself together?
It had been a while since Jun had seen Javier.
Jun briefly glanced his way, then shifted his gaze to his companions.
Aiden, who knew Jun’s situation to some extent, looked worried.
Maya seemed pretty interested and was watching this way.
And Eleanor…
Sorry.
Even in the middle of the crowded hall, she was sweating as she tried to manage several guests at once.
Amidst all that, the mage from the Lannes Magic Tower called out boldly.
“The rules are simple! You may only use up to fourth-circle spells. Uncontrollable magic is forbidden. The duel ends when one loses consciousness or surrenders.”
Having declared the rules, he took his place with confident, imposing energy.
Wasn’t he just acting out, drunk on his own reputation?
At first, Jun had thought he was just a cocky rookie trying to show off his skills in front of a big crowd.
The kind of idiot who mistakes the tower’s prestige for his own.
But judging by his expression, that’s not it.
There wasn’t a trace of arrogance. Just pure pride in his identity as a mage. He didn’t make any unnecessary gestures.
That’s… unexpectedly genuine.
However, if there was something Jun failed to notice—
This part too was unexpected.
Thud!
The duel had only been going for five minutes.
Jun hadn’t taken a single step from where he stood, and yet the other guy suddenly dropped to his knees and collapsed.
“…What the—?”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The mage lay there, his face pale as a sheet.
It was as if he’d been hit by some kind of mana drain. He was completely motionless.
An awkward silence settled over the banquet hall.
This bastard…
He called himself a mage, and yet he couldn’t even control his own mana. He’d recklessly overcast and ended up collapsing all on his own.
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