Water Magician

Editor: Tseirp

The end of the Demon Lord Mountains came into view for the group on the morning of the day after the battle with the Red Bear.

“Finally…”

Then Ryo responded to Niels’ muttering.

“There’s a saying that goes, one who travels a hundred miles must consider the last ten miles as their second half. Another goes, there’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip. Don’t let your guard down, Niels.”

“I-I don’t really get it… but I’ll be on my guard…”

Somehow, Niels felt that Ryo had said something very decent, so Niels answered honestly.

Of course, he had no idea what a hundred miles or ‘twixt meant….

“Wow, it’s a pretty big expanse of land…”

“They look like horsemen…”

“No, those are probably…”

“Centaurs…”

Ryo marveled at the land, Amon found something, Niels gave his first impression, Zeke suggested it was something else, and Etho hit the bullseye.

“Centaurs!? Hooray for the world of fantasy!”

Ryo exclaimed in surprise.

Harold and Gowan, by the way, were stunned and speechless….

Naturally.

Centaurs are monsters rarely seen in the Central Countries.

Rather, it was much more common running into wyverns….

That, too, was frightening to think about.

“I see. So this is why Archbishop Graham asked us to stop by here first.”

“Etho?”

Ryo asked Etho after hearing his words.

“Centaurs are wise monsters. They are no doubt monsters since they have magic stones in their bodies, but it is said that they can communicate with people. Rather than military spirit… they are a race that is all about power. And as long as you go through the ‘Battle Festival’, it is said that you can get any information you desire.”

“Battle Festival…”

Etho added, and Ryo muttered a little excitedly at the name.

“But, these Centaurs are also a part of the Demon Lord’s Army, right? And we came here in the first place to meet with the top brass of the Demon Lord’s Army, right?”

Zeke questioned.

“Well, all that will naturally become clear once we meet up with them. They’ve already noticed us anyway… so we have no choice but to go.”

Niels decided as the leader.

Even Ryo admired Niels’ boldness and decisiveness at times like that.

As the party descended the mountain and emerged onto the plain, a group of Centaurs, numbering well over two hundred, lined up ahead of them.

Then one of the Centaurs, armed to the teeth, stepped forward and said:

“This is our land. None shall trespass.”

Niels, from the party, replied.

“We don’t mean to trespass on your land. We’ve come here to seek the whereabouts of the Demon Lord.”

The Centaurs gasped as Niels’ words echoed.

An exclamation so to speak.

And started buzzing….

Chink.

The murmur subsided when the well-armed Centaur struck the ground with his spear’s butt end.

“Very well. If there is something you want to know, ask with your sword. That is our way.”

With that, he turned around and called out.

“Chiron!”

“Aye!”

The Centaur called Chiron answered and came forward.

Looks like he’ll be doing the ‘fighting’.

“So this is the so-called ‘Battle Festival’… How do you want to do this?”

Zeke asked Niels.

“Hey, can you guys let me have a go at it?”

“Eh…”

“Niels?”

Surprisingly, Niels offered to go himself, Amon was absolutely mortified, and Ryo called out to him with a question mark above his head.

That was very unusual.

Niels still had that punk-stereotype vibe, looked like a muscle brain, and had a muscular physique, the very epitome of a vanguard swordsman.

But he doesn’t often opt to participate in this kind of mock battle.

Not that he’s bad at them, of course.

However, in such cases, it is usually Amon who represents ‘Room 10’.

This is probably the reason why Amon was so excited.

He had expected that he would be the one to go, but the party leader suddenly announced that he’d do the honors.

Of course, he has no complaints about that, but…why?

Under the gaze of the six, Niels poked his cheek with his finger and said shyly:

“No, you see…Centaurs are like the pinnacle of monster warriors…and you don’t often get a chance in your lifetime to fight them with all you got. So I thought I’d take this opportunity…”

Niels is a boy, too.

He wants to fight the strong.

No, not quite, even girls love to fight the strong, for example… Sera, or Leonor… mm, well, neither of them are exactly ‘human’….

Anyways, it doesn’t seem to matter if it’s a man or a woman….

“Good luck, Niels!”

Amon encouraged him with a big smile on his face.

He probably understood Niels’ feelings.

Since they’re both swordsmen from ‘Room 10’.

“The ‘Battle Festival’ is not about winning or losing. Of course, if you win, all the better, but even if you lose, as long as the Centaurs acknowledge you, it’s all good.”

Etho said and patted Niels on the shoulder.

Harold and Gowan were just nodding over and over again, without a word.

They were probably glad that Niels, whom they admire, was so motivated.

“As I recall, I heard that magic is not permitted in the ‘Battle Festival’.”

Etho nodded in agreement with Zeke’s words.

It is a ‘battle’ with swords.

“Niels… in situations like this, Abel would surely pull it off. And now Abel said. ‘Niels will do just fine’. So go out there and give it your best shot.”

“!”

Ryo conveyed the words that Abel had spoken to him through ‘Soul Resonance’.

There was no way that Niels would not be inspired by the encouragement from Abel, whom he admired.

His body was teeming with motivation.

“I’m off!”

Thus, Niels threw himself into the greatest ‘battle’ of his life.

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