The Strongest Wizard Becomes a Countryside Guardsman After Taking an Arrow to the Knee

Chapter 274 – Steff vs the Elite Magician

The old man didn’t move. He was completely unconscious.

Steff then looked worriedly at the man.

「Is...is he okay?」

「He’s fine!」

Cruz said with a smile.

You could see, even from far away, the old man was breathing. He wasn’t hurt...too bad.

That’s why a battle-axe like Cruz could tell he wasn’t severely injured.

Cruz turned to the grand master and said again, 「Master, so I guess Steff really has won?」

「...it seems so...」

He was a bit reluctant, but admitted that the man had lost.

「Congrats Steff!」

「T...thank you very much!」

Cruz ran out to hug her.

I, on the other hand, ran out to the office head. I checked his breathing and pulse.

Vi-Vi joined me.

「How is he?!」

「Just passed out.」

「Okay. The guy screamed like he was going to hell! It sent a shiver down my spine.」

「Yeah, if Steff killed this guy, I’d have one hell of a bad conscience.」

「Yeah, you’re right.」

I used some magic to sprinkle cold water on the man’s face.

「Gasp! Aaaahhhh」

He awoke and made a strange voice at me.

Then he looked at Vi-Vi’s face and made another strange sound.

He had awoken to a wolf and cow mask.

He might have thought he was in hell.

「Glad to see you’re okay!」

I said, a bit ironically and then we joined Cruz.

She was talking happily to the grand master.

「That guy was an easy knock-over. You want to battle again?」

「Well...」

The grand master didn’t look too excited about the idea.

Then, someone watching called over to the grand master, 「That guy WAS a great magician, but it’s been years since he quit as one.」

The grand master said that this office head hadn’t lost any of his touch, though.

Whoever it was was still complaining about the loss. I shouted out to him, 「Yeah, that magician of yours was too weak.」

I was fanning the flames again. I could see that magician was, well...I saw his face redden.

「I’d like you to not mock my brother in magic, the office head.」

「He mocked one of my friends first, I’m afraid.」

「It’s true what he said about beast-humans being useless magicians! It wasn’t mockery!」

「Then I guess an office head that gets beaten by one is even more a mockery!」

「He just wasn’t prepared! She attacked him in the middle of a chant!」

「Hah hah hah. Can you make excuses like that about battle? You must have never been in a real fight.」

I said, and the magician suddenly ran forwards, 「ME AGAINST THAT BEAST-GIRL!」

Steff looked at me with a troubled expression. I nodded to her.

「Understood. I will face him.」

「Good, beast-girl. I won’t let that cowardly surprise attack happen to me!」

Then the next match began.

No way for her to use a surprise attack. I could tell because the magician had already put up a magical barrier.

「With this, your attacks won’t reach me!」

He looked at her proudly, but the barrier was thin. Any normal attack would break it.

And it was small. If you attacked him from above or below, it would hit him easily.

Seeing this, Steff looked troubled.

She was worried it might be a trap.

Vi-Vi looked at me with a frown as well, 「Al, Al, is that a joke?」

But the magicians there thought it was a big deal.

「Yeah! No way she can hit him now!」they were saying.

The general asked the grand master, 「Is he a very good magician?」

「One of the best. He’s in the top class of the young magicians.」

「Top class? That is something.」

「I was thinking of recommending him soon to the capital magician staff...I hope to have your help as well.」

You needed very good recommendations to get into that position.

You would become the top magicians of royalty.

Some of the magicians would become inspectors for the royal family.

Those in the capital would be the specialist inspectors for the royal family.

After all, the grand and vice masters of the magical guild had all been historically the top staff of the capital magicians.

The directors of the guild were always the superiors of those that were capital magicians.

Also, it was the place that many capital magicians looked for employment after retirement.

「It’s our job to defend the country by sending our best to the capital magicians. You should thank us.」

「Well, thanks then.」

While the general and grand master were talking, Steff asked, 「May I begin?」

「However you want.」

-WHUFFFF!

「GyaaaaHHH!!!!」

She shot something that turned in the air and behind the man’s magical barrier.

It was a fireball that spun in the air and attacked the magician.

The man was covered fire and screamed for his life.

「Ah, that looks painful.」

If the guy hadn’t mocked Steff, I would have felt sorry for him.

「Not hot, but painful?」

「Of course hot, but more pain than hot.」

I’ve been hit by fireballs myself. They hurt a lot.

「I see...」

Vi-Vi nodded to herself.

While we were discussing this, the elite magician fainted.

Seeing this, Cruz said to the grand master, 「I guess this is a win too?」

「...you’re right.」

He now had to accept TWO losses.

The other magicians were screaming and hollering even more.

「I thought that guy was our strongest! What a CHEAT!」

「What do you mean strong!? He was the guy that said that beast-girl couldn’t do magic!」

I shouted angrily, and they all shut up.