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 46. Doing As One Pleases

“Ha! So, it was a fox’s retreat, Hermes!”

Rescuing Katia, Hermes gazes at Aster.

In response to his gaze, Aster smiles.

“It’s no fun if things are done without my consent. Now, I can defeat myself with my own hands. That’s what his expression seems to convey.”

“And how arrogant you are! To leave it all to others!? What can you do in this situation!”

Aster swings his hand excitedly, urging on the soldiers he controls with flames.

“With my magic, empowered by true strength, I’ll crush you along with Katia!”

“…”

“Hmph, it seems you’re at a loss for words! When faced with my power, wielders of such dark magic as yours are nothing!”

Hermes shifts to defense with Katia’s ghostly soldiers. Though his moves have increased, the soldiers under Aster’s control launch a relentless assault. He’s forced into a defensive stance for the moment.

Observing this, Aster becomes even more confident, and his words flow more freely.

“Behold! And submit! This is my magic, [Ahura Mazda], the strongest magic bestowed upon kings, chosen by the gods! Only I, the chosen one, can wield it! You impostors like yourselves will never reach it no matter how hard you try—”

“Yeah, got it.”

—Abruptly.

Hermes’ words, were released suddenly without any context but filled with terrifying certainty.

Though Aster felt a faint chill, he spoke as if shaking it off.

“Got it!? What is it? That I’m just a fake! That the fact you tried to oppose me—”

However,

Aster’s words are once again interrupted. This time, the soldiers halted by the massive wall of light he conjured, and by Hermes’ words.

“Your magic, I understand.”

“What—”

“‘The magic only I can wield,’ is that it? You seem quite confident in your magic.”

Then, he activates it.

His magic, a magic anyone can wield.

But mastering it requires immense training and effort, especially to reproduce ancestral magic. Activating the [Emerald Tablet] and—chanting.

“‘Radiant celestial judgment, My flaming ring judges the heavens and earth with seven lights.'”

The basic function of the [Emerald Tablet] is magic reproduction.

However, reproducing the Bloodline Magic class is not as simple as seeing and instantly reproducing. Even for simpler ones, it takes a day or so, and for complex ones, it needs weeks of research and analysis.

There are still bloodline magics that have not been fully reproduced, and reproducing them, including the true value of Bloodline Magic, the Liberation has not succeeded.

But.

Since coming to this royal capital, he has reproduced many bloodline magics. Just a while ago, he successfully analyzed [Soteira Triuvia], which boasts the greatest complexity among those he’s seen so far.

That experience deepened his understanding of bloodline magic. Understanding the principles of bloodline magic, grasping its laws, and stepping further into the abyss of magic. This means a reduction in the time required for analysis.

The culmination was his words after the battle with Sarah.

“I’d like to see it, the path that person tried to take forward. And—magic.”

Yes, he was shown Aster’s bloodline magic.

In the best seats, carefully, thoroughly. And even generously observed the magic engraving liberation, the secret core.

So—reproducing the basic function was easy.

With that confidence, he increases his magical power and begins the incantation.

“…Stop…”

He doesn’t understand the logic. But Aster is convinced.

What Hermes is about to do now—will succeed.

“Stop, don’t be ridiculous, know your place! That’s my magic, something like you shouldn’t—”

“No, that’s wrong. Magic doesn’t belong to anyone. Anyone can use it.”

“Stop it! Don’t use it! Don’t reproduce it! Don’t take away my specialness!!”

It’s a desperate cry resembling a plea from Aster. But there’s no way he’ll listen to such a thing.

Hermes declares, reciting the inscription.

“Spell Reenactment—[Ahura Mazda].”

Without discrepancy, crimson flames manifest in his hands.

Hermes releases it radially, as he did before.

Hermes still can’t fully reproduce the Liberation with his current strength.

However, along with analysis, he also understood the essence of this magic. Namely, the flame and the ability to manipulate and control it.

There are various types of magic engraving liberation, but in the case of [Ahura Mazda], it simply explosively enhances the user’s abilities and firepower. It’s not a type that can use some new special effects; that much was clear from watching Aster.

—In other words.

Using flames to control others besides himself is simply a normal ability even in its base state.

With this analysis result, he releases the flames of control, imitating what he saw before.

Like before, they entwine around the soldiers, and the two flames burn fiercely. As if vying for dominance.

“Ugh, soldiers! Don’t lose to such impostors!! You are chosen noble warriors to defeat this demon!!”

“Soldiers, I won’t force anything upon you. I will restrain the force that compels you. So please, follow your own feelings. If you want to rest, you can rest. I affirm that.”

Forcing someone’s desires, and respecting others’.

It’s inevitable which way the hearts of the soldiers, who have been inflicted with tremendous pain without any will or spirit to fight, will lean.

Furthermore…

It’s a stalemate. If the same magic with the same effect clashes.

The difference lies in the fundamental abilities of magic. The amount of magical power. The output of magic power. The ability to manipulate. And the ability to perceive.

They’re fighting in that field of competition.

Aster, who once despaired just by seeing Hermes, had already lost to him 10 years ago without giving up.

“Why… why…!”

The flames disappear. The soldiers collapse with expressions of relief, distorted by pain yet finally able to rest.

He tries to release the flames of control. But they are hindered by Hermes’ flames and show no effect.

Eventually, Aster stops releasing flames and looks up—his face contorted.

“—Hermes!!”

Perhaps to disguise the clear sense of defeat, or simply because his blood is boiling.

He charges at Hermes, enveloped in flames—

“…You seem to be misunderstanding.”

Hermes remains calm to the end.

“I simply restored what you had deviated from. I’m not your opponent—it’s not me.”

Simultaneously, hostility flies at Aster from the side.

“Ugh!”

“You pledged to ‘defeat alone,’ didn’t you? If you aspire to be a king, uphold what you said until the end.”

Dodging instinctively and avoiding the attack, he looks in the direction it came from.

“Thank you, Hermes. Everything’s fine now. Your Highness, let’s settle this.”

“Katia…!”

With a revived fighting spirit, Katia confronts Aster with a hateful gaze.

“Don’t interfere—!”

And so, the battle resumes.

Though he can’t use the magic engraving liberation, Aster, somewhat recovered from commanding the soldiers, charges with ordinary flames. Katia, mentally recovered, deploys her ghostly soldiers to the counter.

Their fight continues. However, Aster focused on something else.

“Hermes! You bastard—!!”

Hermes isn’t fighting Aster.

The reason for this is nothing more than ‘out of respect for Katia’s will’ in his mind.

But Aster sees it differently.

Repeatedly obstructing him, surpassing him with the same magic, yet not directly trying to defeat him.

—It felt like he was being told he wasn’t worth fighting directly.

Fuelled by such thoughts, he only harbors hatred towards Hermes without even looking at Katia fighting now. And what he’s doing is the same as before, a straightforward charge without any ingenuity.

Even if Katia is exhausted, there is no way he could win in such a state.

“Why! It’s wrong, something’s wrong!!”

Unable to accept reality, Aster shouts.

“There’s no way I should lose to you! There’s no way you’re a better magician than me! It’s absurd if you’re not a failure!! Katia ended up like this because of you! Why, what did you do? What despicable means did you resort to, Hermes!!”

“I don’t consider the results of my efforts as despicable. From your perspective, it might get considered so, and I have no means or intention to correct that. What you think is up to you.”

Hermes doesn’t actively try to change others.

What he did to Katia was an exception among exceptions, and he wants to cherish that thought.

But he has no intention of saying something to someone whom he doesn’t even feel like changing.

So, he.

Thins out the emotions that were already weak. With no interest whatsoever, Hermes directs his gaze at Aster.

“So, just one thing from me. —Do whatever you want without my knowledge.”

“—What—”

As those words pierce Aster’s heart—

At the same time, from Aster’s unguarded chest, a ghostly soldier’s assault strikes.

This time, it truly becomes the decisive blow, ending the conflict.