Chapter 197 : Chapter 197
Chapter 197. Professor of Defensive Magic (2)
Defense is the best offense?
Radel was intrigued at once.
That offense is the best defense was a story Combat Magic majors had heard until their ears wore out.
It was because Professor Lilian had consistently claimed so usually.
‘If you have time to defend, you should attack the opponent one more time, right?’
Radel felt a slight chill recalling Professor Lilian’s brightly smiling face.
No matter how calm Radel was in everything, dealing with Professor Lilian, whose actions were unpredictable, wasn’t easy.
Perhaps recalling the same thing as Radel, fear dwelled in the expressions of Combat Magic majors.
“Professor Lilian won’t like this.”
“Is this right?”
“How does Defensive Magic become an attack?”
Some students raised their hands and asked after contemplating.
“Professor, I don’t understand what you mean. Does defense alone become an attack?”
Then Professor Bronson cut in sharply as if annoyed.
“It does.”
At the attitude that explaining was also annoying, students were at a loss for words and hesitated.
Most people here didn’t come because they were interested in Defensive Magic in the first place.
“Hey, didn’t they say Defensive Magic is easy to score in?”
“We didn’t know the professor would suddenly change.”
Professor Alberto, who taught Defensive Magic before, seemed to be someone who gave scores quite generously.
However, according to what Radel had experienced, the standard by which Professor Bronson gave scores was strict.
Perhaps the seniors also felt that instinctively, as everyone’s expression had stiffened.
“Anyone who has taken that professor’s lecture?”
“Would there be any…….”
“Somehow it doesn’t seem like it will be easy.”
Amid the chaotic atmosphere, Professor Bronson opened his mouth.
“Everyone come outside. It would be better to see directly.”
Leaving only those words, Professor Bronson went out to the training ground.
Radel followed closely behind him and asked.
He was also glad to see the professor in an unexpected place.
“Professor, did you teach Defensive Magic too?”
Even if he was doing it temporarily due to circumstances, he wouldn’t take charge of magic unrelated to himself.
However, Professor Bronson threw a question at Radel instead of answering.
“Why do you think you lost to the 4th Princess?”
It seemed he was asking about the one-on-one duel with Estina when he went to observe the Combat Magic major.
It seemed the news that he was splendidly broken by Estina and carried to the treatment room back then had reached even Professor Bronson.
Radel contemplated for a moment and answered.
“Because I am weak.”
“Tell me in more detail.”
At Bronson’s words, Radel opened his mouth again.
“I couldn’t use magic skillfully and my response was late. Relying only on the sword in the meantime was also a problem, and I think having low magic power was also a big factor.”
Then Professor Bronson smirked.
That guy had the ability to view himself objectively.
That was a big advantage as a mage.
“Quite accurate. But the last remark is wrong. Even with low magic power, there are plenty of ways to win.”
* * *
The sun was blazing in the training ground.
Professor Bronson looked around at the students taking Defensive Magic.
About fifteen in total.
Although Combat Magic majors were also seen, there seemed to be more majors unrelated to combat like Alchemy or Cryptozoology majors.
Defensive Magic was not a preferred magic for Combat Magic majors.
Rather, it was often taken by other majors to avoid situations where combat might occur.
Even Radel wouldn’t have taken it if Professor Lilian hadn’t changed his timetable.
Because Radel, an Integrated Major, lacked time to take subjects unrelated to his major.
However, Radel thought there was a reason for Professor Lilian’s recommendation.
Although listening to other friends’ stories, it seemed like a subject Combat Magic majors didn’t take.
Combat Magic majors usually didn’t feel the need to take Defensive Magic, like Gusto who could already use defensive Holy Magic, or Inette who wasn’t even interested saying Defensive Magic is dull.
Professor Bronson also knew that fact.
He pinpointed a student who seemed to be a Combat Magic major and asked.
“How do you usually defend against magic?”
At Professor Bronson’s question, the student answered flusteredly.
“……It depends on the type of magic.”
“That would be so. You, try attacking that guy.”
Professor Bronson pointed to another student with an indifferent expression and said.
“N-now? With attack magic?”
“Yes. Attack using any magic. Then you, try blocking that in return.”
Just in time, both students Bronson pointed to were Combat Magic majors, so starting a battle suddenly wasn’t difficult.
Because everyone was accustomed to raiding or dueling with magic while climbing the Combat Magic Tower.
The student designated by Professor Bronson took out a staff and aimed at the other student.
And shouted a spell.
“Burn!”
Then flames appeared in the air and the air became hot instantly.
“Fly!”
As he swung the staff again, a fireball flew towards the opponent.
However, the opponent wasn’t someone who would just watch that.
“Water!”
Immediately summoning the water element to counter the fire element to respond, he summoned his own spirit as well.
“Spirit Summon!”
Then an Earth Spirit in the form of a wolf was summoned.
WHISH!
The spirit leaped in a single bound, jumped over the flames, and attacked the opponent.
While the spirit was charging, the next spell was completed.
“Wind!”
It was a typical battle of mages.
When attacking with magic, neutralizing or dodging with magic of a different attribute while chanting the next spell was the basic of Combat Magic.
Or there were many cases of summoning a spirit to entrust support and preparing spells in the meantime.
It was also difficult to use other spells while using Defensive Magic.
High concentration was needed to complete a spell, but in a chaotic battle, it wasn’t easy to pay attention to defense and offense simultaneously.
In that case, one was bound to focus on attack spells that could definitely inflict damage.
It was the reason defense wasn’t treated importantly in mages’ battles.
However, mages focusing only on attack magic also meant that conversely, a person who could use Defensive Magic properly could occupy an advantageous position in battle.
Professor Bronson knew that fact well.
“Stop.”
Bronson, who was watching the students’ battle, raised his hand and stopped them.
“Everyone must have seen. You are not defending at all while fighting.”
Radel also agreed with Professor Bronson’s words.
If Radel had fought using magic, it would have flowed similarly.
If there was a difference, would it be that he could use a sword?
Professor Bronson looked around at the students gathered in the training ground and opened his mouth.
“There must be people here who have learned Defensive Magic.”
Students who had learned Defensive Magic from Professor Alberto in the previous semester nodded slightly.
“Anyone who has used Defensive Magic in actual combat?”
Then the students looked flustered.
Although they had learned it, they had rarely applied it in actual combat.
Most thought Defensive Magic was close to support magic or magic useful in emergency situations, but didn’t think to use it in actual combat.
“Why didn’t you use it?”
“……Because Defensive Magic cannot withstand strong magic.”
That student’s words were also correct.
Magic became stronger in power the more vivid and distinct the image recalled was.
It was the reason simple and certain elemental magic like fire, water, wind, etc. was strong.
But Defensive Magic was too abstract magic to recall a precise image.
Even if students concentrated, Defensive Magic broke easily with one shot of powerful elemental magic.
Because there was a difference in concrete imagery.
Professor Bronson clicked his tongue and looked at the students.
“It is real Defensive Magic only if you can use it in actual combat.”
And he said this.
“Use the strongest magic you can use right now.”
“Pardon?”
Students asked flustered at the words without a subject.
“Professor, who are you telling us to use magic on?”
Then Professor Bronson spoke confidently.
“Of course, it is me.”
Attack the professor suddenly?
The students’ expressions stiffened.
“No, no matter what…….”
“How can we attack the professor?”
“And the strongest magic among those we can use at that.”
They didn’t come expecting to fight from the beginning like Combat Magic either.
The students who came here were pacifists who didn’t like fighting, except for a few Combat Magic majors.
If they wanted combat, they would go learn magic related to combat, not come to learn Defensive Magic.
As if expecting such reactions from students, Professor Bronson added.
“If there is anyone who can penetrate my Defensive Magic, I will treat this semester’s exam as a perfect score for everyone.”
As soon as those words ended, the students’ eyes changed.
Getting a perfect score at the Academy was close to impossible.
An opportunity to get a perfect score in even one subject didn’t come easily.
It was the moment everyone’s motivation ignited.
“Burn up!”
“Fly!”
“Pour down!”
The training ground was instantly filled with terrifying spells.
They were truly appearances blinded by scores.
Radel thought indeed it was the Academy seeing the seniors throwing spells at Professor Bronson without hesitation, their hesitation from earlier gone somewhere.
‘Everyone is sincere about scores.’
As each student was an excellent mage, it seemed they had no choice but to be sincere in front of grades.
Furthermore, seeing attack magic pouring indiscriminately on Professor Bronson, it seemed even if they weren’t particularly Combat Magic majors, they each possessed at least one powerful magic of their own.
‘This is what the Academy should be like.’
Seeing their overflowing competitive spirit, a smile was also drawn on Radel’s lips.
Radel also took out his staff.
However, he didn’t prepare a spell.
Radel closed his eyes first and started to feel the flow of mana.
* * *
POOF!
BOOM!
RUMBLE!
Powerful magic poured simultaneously on Professor Bronson.
Bronson, who watched that silently, muttered simply.
“Block.”
As that single word fell, the magic power wrapping around Professor Bronson wriggled.
And in an instant, a round sphere was created.
CRASH!
Tremendous dust rose in the training ground.
Hope bloomed in the eyes of students who threw spells.
At this level, no matter how solid the Defensive Magic was, it wouldn’t have been able to completely withstand their attacks.
But when a magical storm passed once and the dust cleared, students had no choice but to be appalled.
“No, how!”
“Magic poured down that much?”
“No way!”
The sphere of magic power wrapping around Professor Bronson was perfectly fine without a single scratch.
This is Defensive Magic?
Students’ eyes widened.
It was their first time seeing such powerful Defensive Magic.
And among the stunned students, Radel was surprised in a different sense.
In Radel’s eyes, which had been reading the flow of mana since earlier, Professor Bronson’s magic felt different.
‘As expected of Professor Bronson.’
Radel swallowed his saliva.
At that time, Professor Bronson waved his hand to shake off the dust and asked Radel.
“Why didn’t you attack? Did you give up?”