A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 94. Before The Battle

The rules for this group magic battle are straightforward.

A section of the school grounds is designated as the battlefield, with both classes stationed at opposite ends. At the center of each class’s territory stands a human-sized crystal of considerable strength; destroying this crystal means capturing the territory—essentially, winning.

Between the two territories are various obstacles, such as terrains with height differences and areas dense with trees. Navigating these obstacles and allocating students for attack and defense will be key tactics that showcase the commander’s skill.

“──Look, everyone, so many nobles have come to witness this grand event. Don’t you see this as a perfect opportunity!? We can show our strength and the power of our unity to all these people!”

At Class A’s camp.

As usual, Clyde is stirring up the students with grand words, emphasizing the presence of the observing nobles.

For those who value honor, this was effective. Class A students echoed Clyde’s sentiments.

Watching this, Clyde smirked inwardly.

──There’s no way we’ll lose.

First, the difference in student ability. The absolute strength of Bloodline Magic is a decisive factor.

Therefore, if Class B were to win, it would have to be by leveraging the terrain and unconventional tactics.

But──I’ll stop them.

As a high-ranking noble, Clyde has studied strategy to some extent. Hermes, the opposing commander, is clever but ultimately a commoner and cannot surpass Clyde’s well-educated mind.

(It’s clear we have the superior strength, and I’ll crush any clever tricks they try. Perfect, oh, I can’t wait for the signal to start!)

Praising Class A students while claiming the credit for himself, Clyde reveled in his anticipation, grinning uncontrollably.

Soon, as if to respond to Clyde’s expectations,

Bang. The magic signal to start the class battle sounded.

It’s finally here, Clyde thought. He and Class A waited confidently, wondering what tricks would come──

──And immediately, confusion enveloped all of Class A.

“……What……?”

No one moved.

The battle had definitely started.

Yet, none of the Class B students in the opposing camp showed any sign of movement.

(What’s going on……?)

Clyde had anticipated that they would attack first.

It wasn’t unreasonable, even by general standards. After all──it’s an undeniable fact that Class B is at a disadvantage in strength.

Against a stronger opponent, it’s common sense to take the initiative. Delaying would only lead to being overwhelmed by sheer power.

Therefore, he couldn’t read their intentions at all.

Clyde──along with many Class A students, used general magic to view Class B’s camp, specifically focusing on Hermes in the center.

And then, at that very moment.

As if they had anticipated the timing──perhaps unbelievably sensing the activation of far-sight magic from this distance, Hermes moved.

With a faint smile, he gazed at them calmly.

He slowly extended one arm towards them, beckoning.

The intention behind the gesture was clear.

──We’ll let you take the first move. Come at us as you please.

[──]

The moment they realized this.

A burning red determination ignited within every Class A student using far-sight.

“……Very well.”

Slowly, Clyde began to raise his hand, his temple twitching.

Other Class A students shared his resolve, waiting for Clyde’s signal.

“Wait, Clyde!”

But only one.

Sensing the danger due to her retained calmness, Katia urged with a worried expression.

“It’s dangerous; we should observe for now. Anyone can see that their goal is to lure us into attacking. Rather than taking the bait, we should fortify our position and──”

“What cowardice, Lady Katia!”

But by then, neither Clyde nor Class A could be stopped.

“What’s there to fear? Do you think this Class A will lose in a head-on clash!? Can’t you trust your classmates!?”

Despite Katia’s furrowed brows, Clyde, unperturbed, raised his hand high and took a deep breath.

……In a normal situation,

Even Clyde or Class A might have felt uneasy about such an obvious provocation and held back.

But they had already seen it. Heard it.

──The verbal battle between Clyde and Hermes just before the match. The unforgivable words Hermes had spoken.

‘There are plenty of reasons why you’ll lose.’, an unmistakable provocation.

That left them with no option but to advance. Refusing to rise to such a challenge was not something Class A’s members had learned to consider.

Indeed, even before the battle started,

They had already fallen into Hermes’ trap.

And, just as Hermes intended, Clyde shouted loudly,

“──Everyone, advance! Let’s show Class B the difference in our strength head-on!!”

He ordered a full assault, taking the fatal step into the scenario Hermes had planned.

◆

“……Wow. They really came.”

Hermes, the mastermind, couldn’t help but feel deflated at how readily Class A had charged.

But he quickly refocused. This was only the first move, and there were still many challenges to overcome before achieving victory.

First──he had to address the worried faces of Class B.

Even though they had endured harsh training, Class A had always been a symbol of fear and despair. It was no wonder they were frightened by the all-out charge.

So, he reassured them.

“Don’t worry. There’s no need to be excessively afraid.”

First, he directly addressed their fear.

“They have done things to you that I don’t know about. There’s also the tension of this real battle and the fear of being watched by so many nobles. But──for now, forget all that.”

Next, he guided them to a better mental state.

“Specifically, remember the days of training. Times when you were completely exhausted and focused solely on improving yourselves without any room for fear or cowardice. Those were tough, but pure and satisfying times──”

Unlike Clyde, Hermes didn’t overly excite or raise his voice.

Instead, his words flowed naturally, like water and wind, seeping into their minds.

“──The opponents you need to confront with all that energy are right in front of you now. That’s all.”

With these final words,

He could see that their minds were calm and almost in an ideal state.

(……Good)

Then, the next step.

The fact that Class A’s charge was a threat was undeniable. So, the first move was to disrupt it.

“For that, I’ll be counting on you.”

A perfect candidate was standing right beside him.

Receiving his words, ‘she’ twisted her lips as if to say she had been waiting for this.

Class A student, Lionel von Arlens, was eager.

He had middling abilities within Class A, yet felt his current position was unjust.

This inter-class battle was his chance. By achieving remarkable success before the crowd, everyone would recognize his true power.

That included the insufferable Class B transfer student, Hermes. Despite being a commoner, he was too prominent, especially with how the beautiful new duchess, Katia von Thrakia, trusted him. It irked Lionel.

Surely it was only because they were childhood friends. If he could take Hermes down in this battle, her delusion would clear up. She might even appreciate him. If so, she would be his.

Believing in such a future without any doubt, he charged at Hermes with twisted desires──unaware that he was too far ahead.

Finally, he got Hermes within his magical range. Preparing to unleash a spell at the fool──

“Gotcha, fool number one.”

In an instant.

It felt like a silver gust of wind passed in front of him.

A shock ran through his head, and before he could understand what was happening, his vision went dark and he lost consciousness.

“Charging alone at a fortified enemy is foolish──didn’t you know about me, unlike Hermes? Why would you leap into this range without hesitation? I genuinely wonder…”

The girl’s exasperated mutter was no longer heard.

Without even realizing what had happened, he became the first dropout of the inter-class battle.

It was over in an instant.

Even if he was somewhat ahead, it was shocking for a member of the esteemed Class A to be knocked out with a single blow.

Witnessing this, they remembered.

In Class B──there was a formidable mage-slayer who must never be approached.

“──Well then.”

The girl, Nina, who had achieved this, faced Class A.

With a graceful, yet intense smile, she asked,

“Who wants to be next? I’m in a good mood today. So I might entertain you for a bit.”

Her seemingly innocent smile only amplified her intensity.

Class A students were frozen in place, cold sweat dripping, unable to advance further.

“I can’t entirely blame them.”

Hermes, who sparred with Nina daily, knew her terrifying prowess well.

Seeing her there, and witnessing that scene, it was understandable they would halt their charge.

But──stalling was the worst option.

Hermes had feared that Class B would be overwhelmed before they could bring the fight to their terms. That the raw power of Class A would create an unrecoverable situation.

However, Nina had prevented that. Now, before him were the stalled Class A students──the enemy troops halted before his territory.

──It was like an invitation to attack.

“Charge!”

He finally gave the order.

With a roar, Class B charged at Class A. Each one targets their optimal opponent, charging without hesitation, thanks to prior planning and training.

Class A was caught off guard, and it was too late. They had no choice but to counter the charging Class B.

Immediately, countless spells flew haphazardly at the front of Class B’s camp──it turned into a chaotic melee.

It wasn’t 30 vs. 30, but thirty one-on-one battles in the same place.

Just as he had described at the outset, the battlefield had become exactly as planned.

(……Perfect)

He evaluated the flow of battle so far as flawless.

The biggest challenge had been creating this situation. His previous assessment of ‘fifty-fifty’ when talking to Katia included whether they could achieve this scenario. Now that it was done, the current situation favored them.

Because──he muttered with a light smile,

“With this, they’ve already──lost ‘two’ people.”

It was no miscount.

One was the student Nina had just taken down.

And in this battlefield, where individuals mattered more than strategy,

The rear commander had no role.

So,

Unable to use Bloodline Magic or other exceptional skills, the opposing commander Clyde was now,

At this moment, an ineffective dead weight, contributes nothing to the battle.

That realization must have dawned on him.

Hermes glanced at Clyde’s pale, disbelieving face in the enemy camp, surprised at becoming useless so early.

But without any complacency, he calmly considered the next phase and turning points in the battle.