Volume 17 Chapter 21 Once, He Was A Court Magician Ii
"...I can't get lost in thought right now."
The React Golem was slowly approaching.
Though Estelle had lost an arm, her combat ability should still be intact.
"Estelle-san, I'll try to stop its movements a bit. In the meantime──"
"No, let me handle this."
Estelle stepped forward, overriding Bernard.
"But, you can't do it alone..."
After all, she doesn't trust me.
I'm seen as a hindrance.
"It's not that I don't trust you."
Estelle smiled as if she had sensed his inner thoughts.
"Bernard-kun, you're exhausting your magic power too much, right? There may be new threats, so conserve your energy for now."
"Estelle-san..."
"I can handle him alone. So, you don't need to waste your magic power."
With that, Estelle charged forward.
"[Speed Blade]!"
She slashed with her high-speed sword technique.
Clang!
A regular swordsman would have been deflected, but Estelle's prowess was different.
The React Golem had its left arm severed and leaned back dramatically.
"Amazing...!"
Normally, it would be hard to face such an opponent, but Estelle cut through effortlessly.
Further,
"[Freeze Pillar]!"
She froze the React Golem with ice magic, turning it into an ice pillar.
She's not just any swordsman.
She can use magic too.
The armor of the React Golem, which easily deflected Bernard's magic, could not easily repel Estelle's magic.
However, after some time, it would surely recover from the ice.
"I won't give you time to recover. If you freeze even for a moment, I'll strike while you're vulnerable!"
Estelle charged again.
"[Blash Blade]!"
Estelle's sword shattered the ice-pillar state of the React Golem.
"A top-notch swordsman, and her magic skills are equal or greater than mine... A genius."
Bernard smiled wryly.
Admiration and inferiority complex──
Torn between these feelings, he gazed at Estelle.
* * *
After that, the two explored the dungeon, but no new monsters appeared.
For now, this mission is complete.
"Thank you, Estelle."
Bernard expressed his gratitude to her.
"I'm sorry for being a burden."
"What are you talking about? Because you were here, I was able to fight more easily. You've contributed plenty."
Estelle laughed cheerfully.
"But──"
"Hey, I've realized something."
Estelle smiled at the still downcast Bernard.
"Don't you think we make a good pair?"
Bernard's heart raced suddenly.
"Oh, a good pair...?"
He felt he was far from being a match for her.
With her beauty that caught everyone's eye, and his rugged appearance that was far from handsome.
There was also a significant gap in status between her, a noble lady, and him, a commoner.
"This is our fiftieth dungeon exploration. A 100% success rate in monster subjugation. We're quite the team, aren't we?"
"Ah... I see what you mean..."
He felt intensely embarrassed for mistakenly thinking it had romantic implications.
After all, she would never choose him.
Beyond the mismatch, there was a more fundamental reason.
That is──.
"Goodness, the young court magician of the Uralis Kingdom, looking so muddy... I would appreciate it if you could tidy yourself up a bit before coming to the castle."
When Bernard returned to the castle, a young man spoke to him.
"Marcello, Minister of Internal Affairs..." (T/L: appeared in Volume 7 Chapter 4, even though it was a dragon impersonating him)
His thin face, framed by glasses, exuded an intellectual and aggressive aura.
Though he was only in his mid-twenties, he was known as one of the sharpest minds in the court.
"Still hunting monsters, I see. You could leave that to the knights and the magic division."
Marcello grimaced openly.
"They are just so slow. I can't afford to wait."
Bernard made a bitter face.
"Besides, I've heard that in other countries, court magicians hunt monsters themselves to save the people."
"Do you really think of the minor nations and the great Uralis on the same level? Good grief."
Marcello shrugged.
Looking down on other countries is a common trait of the Uralis Kingdom──especially among some ministers and nobles.
Bernard did not like this trait.
"While we wait for the knights and magic division to deploy... the people will suffer. It's easier for me to act alone."
"Good grief..."
Marcello wore an obvious sneer.
"The people will die and be born again."
"...What did you say?"
"What truly matters is the core that moves the nation. You are one of them. Unlike the people, there is no substitute for you."
"There is no substitute for the people either."
Bernard glared at Marcello.
"I will not change the current way of doing things."
"If you continue, I could report you to the queen for dereliction of duty, you know?"
Marcello stared at Bernard.
A sticky gaze that seemed to exploit human weakness──Bernard hated that look.
And it wasn't just Marcello.
Most of the ministers in this country had that kind of gaze.
"Do as you please. No matter what happens to the position of court magician, I will do what I can. I will help those I can help."
Bernard declared boldly.
* * *
A few days later, Bernard was once again on a monster hunt with Estelle.
Monsters had overflowed from the dungeon in the southern part of the Uralis Kingdom.
Nearby villages were being attacked, causing significant damage to people and crops.
Despite this, no deployment orders had been issued for the knights or magic division.
Perhaps because it was the frontier, they seemed to be taking a wait-and-see approach.
Or perhaps──
(Are they expecting me and Estelle to take care of it?)
If so, then I will simply accomplish it quietly once again.
It will surely be fine.
Because Bernard and she are the best partners.
──But this time, things were different.
"Kyaah...!?"
Estelle was blown away after failing to dodge a monster's strike.
Her right arm was deeply slashed.
"Estelle!"
Bernard screamed.
The monster continued to close in.
"Stop it...!"
In a frenzy, Bernard swung his staff, unleashing fireballs and lightning strikes.
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