Chapter 25

[Маgiс Sрarring with Mаgiс Аррrentice Вist]

• Will уou aсceрt thе Quеst?

• If rеfusеd, futurе Quest prоgression will bе imрossiblе.

• Rеwаrd: А minusсule аmount оf Exреriеnсe Pоints, prоgression to thе nеxt Quest

Khan, hаving сhecked the Quest mеssаge that appеаred befоre his еуеs, immеdiately aсceрtеd thе Quest.

[Quest hаs bееn acсeptеd.]

After all, if he didn’t рrоceеd with thе Quest, stоry prоgression would bе impоssiblе.

If that happenеd, he wоuld bесomе what’s cоmmоnlу callеd a ruinеd сhаrасter.

Оnсе, when rаising аnother character, he had deliberately refused a Quest once.

It was because he felt a perverse urge to do the opposite.

‘Well, it didn’t matter since it was a character I was raising as an experiment anyway… But now, this isn’t a game; it’s reality.’

Khan was well aware that this place was no longer a game but reality.

‘If I refuse the Quest, it’s over; if I die, it’s over.’

If it were anyone else, they’d be terrified and wouldn’t even be able to live properly in this game world, but Khan was an exception.

Because he possessed a 10th-grade Skill.

While Khan was momentarily lost in thought after accepting the Quest.

Suddenly, someone approached him swiftly.

The person who reached Khan’s side in an instant was Bist, a Mage from Eldrida.

“Khan… was it? I am Bist, who completed the basic Mage training course at the Green Magic Tower. Hearing Baron Jurente’s words, it seems you defeated fifty Orcs at once. Frankly, I find that hard to believe.”

“……”

Khan first stared at Bist without giving any answer.

Then, Bist continued speaking.

“Seeing your lack of response, it seems you have no intention of denying it. I can barely sense any Mana from your body. Just how do you claim to be a Mage? For your information, I despise those who impersonate Mages the most. If I get an unsatisfactory answer, it means I’m considering killing you.”

“……”

It seemed like a situation where a wrong answer could lead to death, yet Khan felt no tension at all.

After all, this situation was the precursor to the Quest starting.

“It’s suddenly getting noisy…”

“Indeed… Since it’s a Mage from the Green Magic Tower speaking, I’m also starting to have some doubts.”

“By the way, how did Viscount Buttner manage to hire a Mage from a Magic Tower… I’m truly envious!”

The Nobles enjoying the Banquet had, before they knew it, stopped their conversations and were all staring at Khan and Bist.

The atmosphere inside the Banquet Hall instantly grew heavy.

But Khan still wasn’t answering.

‘No need to provoke him first.’

After all, there was someone else who would step forward here.

“That’s not true! Sir Khan saved me and my father when we were almost killed by an Assassin! Sir Khan is a more outstanding Mage than anyone else!”

“Sh, Sharin…! Calm down first…!”

The person defending Khan on his behalf was neither Byutek nor Baron Jurente, but Sharin.

However, unlike Sharin, Deilis was panicking, breaking out in a cold sweat.

‘If he’s a Mage from the Green Magic Tower, he’s a formidable powerhouse… Moreover, Mages from the Green Magic Tower are famous for being heartless and ruthless…’

There are five Magic Towers in the Kingdom of Sinsiniel.

The Green Magic Tower, where this Mage named Bist completed his basic Magic course, was famous for being wealthy and having many insane people.

Sharin might unnecessarily get harmed.

So Deilis, though it was futile, desperately tried to restrain Sharin in a panic.

“Dad, don’t just stand there; say something too!”

At Sharin’s unrestrained words, Deilis hurriedly approached Bist and bowed his head deeply.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry! It’s true that Sir Khan is the benefactor who saved me and my daughter… but it seems my daughter has overstepped her bounds… Please forgive her just this once……”

“Pfft…! Hahahaha!! How absurd.”

Bist, seemingly ignoring Deilis entirely, suddenly burst into laughter and continued.

“How audacious. You seem to have quite a Talent for Magic…. Hehehe… From what I see, you seem to have more Mana and superior magical Talent than that fool named Khan over there.”

“Sir Khan is a far more outstanding Mage than I am?!”

“Hmm, so in your view, that Khan fellow’s Magic is superior to mine?”

“Of course! Naturally!”

No matter how much of a lunatic Bist was, he needed a pretext to properly verify Khan’s magical prowess.

Smirk—

And Sharin, just as Bist had calculated, gave him the answer he wanted.

“Then we can verify it right now.”

“Huh, how do you plan to verify it?”

“Hey. What about you? Shall we verify who is stronger between me and you? Judging by your expression, you already seem scared. If you tell the truth even now, I might forgive you a little.”

He shouted at Khan, as if he had lost interest in Sharin.

Hearing such words in front of everyone, it would be impossible to refuse.

‘If you are a real Mage who learned Magic, you’ll take the bait.’

Mages usually had immense pride in their Magic, so it was common for them to fall for such Taunts and step forward.

‘If you refuse, I’ll kill you right then and there.’

Bist was not the merciful type; he had killed every single Magic impersonator he had encountered so far without exception.

Even though this was inside a Banquet Hall, there was no exception.

‘His Mana is pathetic, and his Circle is an incomplete, awkward 1st Circle. He’s just a rookie.’

In Bist’s view, a ‘real’ Mage started from a perfectly formed 1st Circle.

‘Actually, I’m more interested in that audacious girl. With that level of Talent, her skills will likely improve quickly.’

Just as Bist was eyeing Sharin, Khan finally opened his mouth.

“Let’s do that.”

“Then I’ll take that as you accepting the Magic Sparring! You understand that you could get injured or even lose your life due to unavoidable accidents during the Sparring, right?”

While injuries from failed control of power during Sparring were common, deaths were rare.

“My, my… That Mage Bist seems very angry. Seeing him go this far, it seems he plans to kill him under the pretense of an accident.”

“I heard Mages despise impersonators; it seems that’s true.”

The Nobles in the Banquet Hall whispered among themselves.

None of them stepped forward to intervene, purely for the sake of entertainment.

How often in life do you get to see Mages Sparring right before your eyes?

So, the Nobles also secretly wished for Khan and Bist to actually engage in Magic Sparring.

And just as Jurente, the host of the Banquet who had been merely observing until now, was about to take a step forward and speak.

Tap.

Someone grabbed Jurente’s shoulder.

‘How dare someone…!!’

There weren’t many people here who could casually grab the shoulder of the Banquet host, a Noble.

Jurente, momentarily angry, tried to turn around and say something, but he couldn’t.

“Viscount Buttner…!”

“Let’s observe for now. Let’s verify together just how great a Mage Sir Khan is.”

“……”

Buttner spoke with a very benevolent smile, but for some reason, it sent shivers down his spine.

‘What on earth is he trying to do…?’

Jurente wanted to stop Bist immediately if he could, but he couldn’t refuse the words of Buttner, who held the most influence in this vicinity.

Khan stood at a crossroads of choice, pondering.

‘I am curious.’

Khan was curious about two things.

Whether he could win against Bist in a Magic Sparring with his current strength,

And what would happen afterward if he truly won against Bist in the Magic Sparring.

‘According to the original <Geo Arc> storyline… after losing in the Magic Sparring and being on the verge of death by Bist’s hand, Viscount Buttner intervenes and barely survives. I wonder what will happen if I defeat him.’

While playing <Geo Arc>, no one had ever defeated Bist in this Magic Sparring Quest.

In-game, defeating Bist was an impossible Quest from the start.

However, the current Khan, with not only a 10th-grade Skill but also three more Hidden Skills, thought it might be possible.

‘Not just ‘might be possible.’ It’s absolutely possible.’

Bist, smirking nastily before him, was a Mage of considerable Level 13, but Khan was confident he could win.

That’s why Khan raised one corner of his mouth in a long, arrogant smile.

“Right. You understand you could die too?”

“What…? How dare a runt like you talk about killing me? Haha, you must have a nerve! You should impersonate within limits.”

“As long as you know, that’s fine.”

“You bastard…!”

Bist wanted to kill Khan right then and there if he could, but he couldn’t.

If he acted so senselessly in a place where all the Nobles were gathered, he would undoubtedly be severely beaten.

Bist’s eyes met those of Buttner, who was standing far away.

Then, Buttner stepped forward and shouted loudly.

“Everyone attending the Banquet! You must have heard the entire conversation just now! It seems my Mage and Sir Khan have gotten into a bit of a quarrel. They wish to hold a Magic Sparring here. Is that acceptable?”

“It would rather be a precious spectacle.”

“How often in life do you get to see a Sparring between Mages? We are actually in favor.”

Most of the Nobles nodded.

Jurente, too, was dumbfounded and had no choice but to agree.

“Then the Magic Sparring between the two shall take place on the Banquet Hall stage.”

“Agreed.”

“Brente, can you serve as the referee?”

“Of course.”

“Then Sir Khan and Bist, please proceed to the stage immediately.”

At Buttner’s words, Bist smirked and went up on stage, and Khan also headed toward the stage.

“Hoho, this is truly something to look forward to!”

“No matter how skilled that Mage Khan is said to be, defeating a Mage from a Magic Tower is impossible.”

“I think so too.”

All the Nobles predicted Bist’s victory.

“Sir Khan…”

Byutek, Deilis, and Sharin were looking at him from below the stage with worried expressions.

But contrary to their worries, Khan was actually getting a little excited.

Thump… thump… thump…

A sense of tension he hadn’t felt even when fighting Monsters was slowly rising.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

He was genuinely curious about what Quest would appear if he won the Magic Sparring.

Brente, who took on the role of referee, went and stood in the center of the stage.

Then, he glanced once at Khan and Bist positioned on either side and opened his mouth.

“You both seem ready. Can we start immediately?”

“Sure.”

Only Bist answered his words; Khan merely nodded.

“From now, the Magic Sparring between Mage Khan and Bist begins!”

Whoosh…!!

As soon as Brente’s words ended, Khan and Bist simultaneously began drawing up their Mana.