The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years (Web Novel KR) Vol 1 Chapter 116

“Puhaha!”

Mischael burst out laughing, Isaka smiled slightly and Leita covered her mouth with her hand.

Only Heinz maintained his calm indifference.

Mischael looked at Frey with tears in his eyes from laughing too hard.

“I guess you have some pride now. At least it's better than the old days when you were more timid than a mouse.”

Mischael's gaze became cold.

“Distinguish courage and foolhardiness, stupid.”

“I know how to make the distinction.”

“…”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became frozen.

MIschael wasn't smiling anymore.

Instead, displeasure and disgust were clearly visible in his gaze.

It was the same way one would look at a bug if it landed on them. (TL: before or after freaking out?)

What was wrong with this weakling who used to tremble with a single glare?

“Because we are in front of father, I'll let this go once.”

“You don't need to let it go.”

“…are you really out of your mind?”

When Frey openly challenged him, Mischael expressed his anger in a threatening way.

But Frey didn't stand down at all.

Instead, he completely ignored Mischael's posturing and took a sip of tea.

“…okay. Good. I intended to teach you some manners later, but it seems I have to do it much sooner than I expected. Follow me.”

Mischael's face burned red as he left the room.

If it wasn't for Leita and Isaka being in the room, he might have already flipped the table in anger.

Frey got up and followed him.

“It seems that child has changed a bit.”

Leita giggled softly as she said.

“Maybe we'll see an unexpected result.”

“…no. Frey could never beat Mischael.”

Isaka got up from his seat and followed Frey and Mischael with a stiff expression.

Leita then turned to look at Heinz.

“Heinz, aren't you going to go watch?”

“I'm not interested.”

To be exact, it was obvious to him what the outcome would be.

At Mischael's level, he would be unable to win even if Frey decided to lay down and sleep during the fight.

No, it would still be their loss even if the entire Blake family tried to fight him.

The Blake family was a Wizard family, but no matter how many wizards they had, they would all be powerless in front of an 8 star Wizard.

'I'm not sure about the Apostle.'

Heinz also knew that there was an Apostle among the members of the Blake family.

Personally, he believed that it was the family head, Isaka.

“Hmm. I see.”

Leita gave a mysterious smile.

Heinz shot a glance at his mother and a thought flashed in his mind.

He had a faint feeling that this woman in front of him, Leita, his mother, could also be the Apostle.

* * *

The training ground in the mansion.

Having come this far, Mischael now sported a suspicious expression.

He couldn't help but shoot an incredulous glare at Frey.

'Did he really lose his mind?'

This was his younger brother.

No, he didn't even consider him to be his brother.

Unlike Heinz, who was second to none when it came to talent, Frey was pathetic in every way.

He was trash who could not even use 1 star spells.

This was why they didn't share the secrets of the family with him and instead sent him away to the distant academy.

Yet such a guy was now standing in front of him with a calm expression.

This fact made his mood worsen.

It wouldn't be enough for him to just win.

He had to make Frey realise the difference between them.

So that he would never look at him in such a way again.

“Cast the first spell.”

“Huh?”

When Frey tilted his head, Mischael let out a laugh.

“I'm saying I'm giving the first move to the younger brother I haven't seen in a long time.”

“…”

Frey wondered what his next move should be.

When he glanced to the right, he found Isaka standing there without any expression on his face.

And after a while, Leita walked over after receiving a parasol from an attendant.

It wasn't hard for him to beat Mischael.

Certainly, he was a top notch Wizard, but he was only human.

For Frey, who had been traveling together with the Demigod traitor, Riki, and had even encountered their leader, Lord, Mischael was as dangerous as a newborn baby.

'An overwhelming victory, a difficult victory, or an unfortunate defeat.'

Those were his three options.

First, he'd need to get an idea of Mischael's ability.

After thinking this, Frey finally cast a spell after a very long time.

“Magic Missile.”

Chut.

“…ha.”

The disdain on Mischael's face was evident.

It seemed like he was thinking about what to do for a long time, but in the end, he only used the 1 star spell, Magic Missile?

Shek.

“…!”

He hurriedly scrambled to the right.

In the same instant, the Magic Missile rapidly narrowed the distance and brushed past his side.

'What was that speed?'

Mischael's embarrassment was palpable.

He felt a stinging pain in his side as the spell had grazed him.

Taht.

Frey kicked off from the ground and rapidly approached Mischael.

Isaka's eyes shined slightly when he saw Frey's movements.

“Kuk! Ice Arrow!”'

Mischael hurriedly cast a spell.

An arrow made of ice shot towards Frey.

Its accuracy, speed and power were intimidating.

At least, for someone other than Frey.

Paht.

Frey didn't slow down at all, and instead, he twisted his body to avoid the Ice Arrow.

“What?!”

It was a move that almost surpassed human ability.

The shock was even greater for Mischael, who only saw Frey as a Wizard.

Seeing this, Isaka clicked his tongue softly.

'He learned magic martial arts…'

That was the only explanation.

Frey avoided three arrows and destroyed two more with his fists, but his advance didn't slow down at all.

In an instant, Frey arrived in front of Mischael.

Their eyes met.

“…Spirit Fire!”

Fwoosh!

Flames engulfed Mischael's body.

This 5 star spell, Spirit Fire, was the strongest spell he had in his repertoire.

The flames fluttered around Mischael as though they would burn anything that tried to approach him.

But.

Grab. (TL:…I agonised over this sfx for literally ten minutes before giving up…)

Frey ignored the Spirit Fire and grabbed Mischael by the collar.

Shock covered Mischael's face.

Frey's hand was burned by the flame.

But the thing that shocked Mischael the most was Frey's expression.

Although his hand was being burnt, Frey's face didn't even twitch.

“Ps-, psycho!”

Frey raised his hand without saying anything and lifted Mischael's body into the air.

“Uh, uhh…”

Dozens of spells passed through Mischael's mind, but his mouth didn't move at all.

This was proof that he lacked practical experience.

His ability to cope with unexpected situations was also poor.

Spirit Fire, a 5 star spell, was burning his hand, but he was able to ignore that and continue fighting?

What the hell were his nerves made of?

Crack!

“Kuk…!”

Mischael's body was slammed to the ground, and he coughed as the wind was knocked out of him.

Isaka clicked his tongue.

'It's over.'

The most important thing for Wizards was the ability to remain calm regardless of the situation.

Failure to do this would result in hesitation while casting.

And even if the spell did manage to get cast, it would only be about half as powerful as normal.

Mischael was obviously shaken.

No, he probably couldn't even think properly at that moment.

Even now, as he lay on the ground, he probably didn't realise what happened.

On the other hand, Frey's strategy was perfect.

'With the skill he displayed, Frey didn't need to say the name to cast Magic Missile.'

Yet he'd done so anyway.

In a loud voice that Mischael was able to hear.

This was obviously deliberately done to make him lower his guard.

Mischael's carelessness had reached the peak when he saw Frey, who had been thinking for such a long time, cast a 1 star spell.

But the Magic Missile had been fast and threatening.

At that point, Mischael's composure was slightly shaken.

Then, Frey quickly narrowed the distance, which was an unthinkable move for a Wizard.

Mischael used Ice Arrow to fend him off, but it didn't work.

His carelessness had vanished, but in its place was confusion.

At that point, the match had been decided.

“…”

Frey looked down at Mischael.

He had no grudge against this man, and the match had already ended.

However, Frey Blake's debt still remained.

Kuk.

Frey clenched his fist.

Then he put it right in front of the face of Mischael, who was groaning in pain.

Pak.

“Ugh…!”

He felt a slight resistance before his nose bones were crushed.

Blood quickly covered Mischael's face.

“Li-, Little Master!”

Someone cried out from the side.

It was Alexandro, the steward he'd met before.

He came running over with a white face.

“I-, I'll take him to get treated!”

With those words, he quickly ran back into the mansion with Mischael on his back.

If it was dealt with quickly, they might be able to fix his crushed nose.

Then Isaka walked up to Frey as he wiped the blood from his fist.

The burns from the Spirit Fire stung a bit, but it was still bearable.

“You learned magic martial arts.”

“I thought it would be difficult to win with magic, so I tried something else.”

“It was excellent.”

“…thank you.”

Isaka spoke with pure admiration.

Frey was certain that he hadn't garnered any suspicion.

'Using martial arts was indeed the wisest decision.'

If he had only used magic to defeat Mischael, they would have wondered how he got so strong so quickly, but since he also made use of martial arts, they would not question him.

The duel had highlighted Frey's exceptional wit and quick judgement while also emphasising Mischael's sloppiness and inexperience, so Isaka wouldn't think that Frey's skill was too high.

In conclusion, he had managed to attain an overwhelming victory without revealing any of his true strength.

“But magic martial arts also requires mana. Has your mana sensitivity increased from before?”

“It's improved a lot since then.”

“Hmm.”

…He had changed.

Isaka was sure of it.

Was it an awakening?

He couldn't help but think of the Frey of the past, who would always be extremely timid in front of him.

“It was a great display of skill. Magic Warrior. There's also that path,”

He had a surprisingly calm reaction.

Frey, who was puzzled, couldn't help but ask.

“Is it really okay for me to learn martial arts?”

“It doesn't matter. You're the third son anyway. Plus, we're not a Wizard Family. We're a Magic Family.” (TL: coughs in translator)

'You are the third son anyway.'

Frey's expression became a bit strange when he heard that.

These were words that 'Frey' had longed to hear in the past.

It was a remark made by a father who finally recognised his child, but it didn't affect Frey in any way.

He was more curious about Isaka's calmness.

This was because he showed no reaction even when the family's eldest son and heir, Mischael, had to be carried away with a destroyed nose.

'Is he really a 7 star Wizard?'

It was then.

Leita, who had walked over while they were talking, gave Frey a beautiful smile.

“I'm proud of you, Frey.”

“…”

Even Frey was made speechless at that moment.

If a stranger had been looking at this scene, they would think that she was a mother who cared deeply for her child.

But that was impossible,

The cold Isaka in front of him, the smiling Leita, Mischael, who had been carried away before, and even Heinz, who was not there, had all made Frey's childhood a nightmare.

Heinz might have been forced by circumstances, but that didn't change the fact that he was one of the culprits who forced 'Frey Blake' to make the extreme decision of taking his own life.

This was why Frey felt extremely disgusted watching Leita approach him with a motherly smile on her face.

“Frey, do you remember Princess Fiore that you met in the afternoon?”

Leita spoke in a quiet voice.

“Of course I remember.”

“Why do you think the princess, who is favored by the Emperor, came to our family?”

“I don't know.”

“She came to pick a husband.”

“…huh?”

“Originally, I was thinking of choosing Mischael or Heinz. Because they're both of age to start their own families.”

That was completely unexpected.

He didn't even know why she was bringing up such a topic with him.

Well, the Blake family's prestige certainly wasn't much lower than that of the imperial family, but…

“But now that I think about it, you would also be a perfect match for the princess.”

“….”

Frey fell silent at Leita's words.

An arranged marriage?

He never would have expected such a thing.

Even when he saw the engagement between Peran and Sonia, he didn't think that he would have to go through something like that.

Much less with a party like the Third Princess.

Leita laughed as she saw Frey's expression.

“Although the Third Princess certainly isn't young, she is still the best prospective bride as she lacks nothing, being it appearance, pedigree, or intellect. She is the perfect partner.”

“…I know that. But it's so sudden.”

“Well, I have no intention of revealing it to the public immediately. First, we'd need to raise your reputation, which has been swimming at the bottom for such a long time. So as to not make Fiore embarrassed to have you as a partner.”

“…”

Only

“Fortunately, the princess doesn't seem to have a bad opinion of you. It might just be a small appreciation right now, but it will certainly develop into a good relationship if you keep meeting over time.”

Although it was incredibly surprising, he didn't have any reason to accept.

Just as Frey opened his mouth to reject the offer.

“Don't be hasty. If you do this, you could proudly become a true member of the Blake family.”