“Oh, oh, look at this, they’re at it,” a man murmured, watching the scene of Jared Murphy’s final training session with his Master, Almeida.
He was Luzer Fischer, someone who acted as an Older Brother Figure to Jared.
“It’s great that I came to help, but now, what should I do?”
Luzer wasn’t here just to check on his Younger Brother. Almeida had summoned him to be a sparring partner to help Jared grow.
“I heard Jared got the magic he wished for, but he’s not quite mastering it… not yet,” Luzer observed.
Watching his Younger Brother spar with his Master was like seeing a completely different person from before. He understood immediately why Almeida had called him.
“It seems Miss Almeida isn’t suited for combat, or rather, she has trouble fighting with Jared.”
He assumed he was called because he and Jared had been evenly matched in combat power in the past. Pfeil was also around, but he was currently occupied with an important task.
“You should have called me sooner. It’s too late now, isn’t it?”
It was understandable that Luzer grumbled like this. He regretted it. The signs of the Progenitor’s revival, Cassandra Hagedorff’s machinations, and Olivier’s abduction. He had ended up not being involved in any of it.
Perhaps Jared, wanting to protect Luzer who was trying to build a happy daily life with a loved one, had kept him out of it. While that was like his dear Younger Brother, it wasn’t. If he considered him as an Older Brother, he wished he had let him be involved.
It was too late to help after everything was over and Jared was weeping. He wished he had been asked for help sooner. This wasn’t just Luzer’s feeling. Pfeil and Laurentz Herring, who were not present, felt the same.
As friends, no, they were practically Family, so they wanted to help Jared in his time of crisis. Not being able to had been painful and regrettable.
“Well, regret and lamenting can wait. I don’t fully understand what my cute Younger Brother is thinking, but I’ll be here to support him. That’s what an Older Brother is for, right?”
With that, Luzer channeled Magic Power throughout his body, transforming it into lightning. In the next moment, he vanished, and in an instant, he descended as lightning before Jared, who was fighting Almeida.
“Yo, Jared. I came to help.”
“…Luzer. Did the Master summon you?”
“I won’t let you call this unnecessary trouble. Now that you have new magic, I’ll spar with you for as many hours or days as it takes until you can use it.”
Luzer glanced at Almeida, and she nodded as if to say, “Please.” He nodded back in acknowledgment and, accompanied by lightning, closed in on Jared.
The combat training between the Older Brother and Younger Brother began like this.
***
“Boys are wonderful, aren’t they? If only this situation weren’t so dire, I would have loved to watch while sipping some wine,” Almeida said with a smile, watching her cherished disciple spar with his Older Brother Figure.
Seeing the Boy blown away by the lightning, she exhaled in relief, knowing calling Luzer had been the right decision. After sparring with Jared for a short while, she realized she had already been surpassed in terms of combat. Almeida, who had never been particularly good at combat, still possessed enough skill that a group of current Court Mages would struggle against. However, Jared, with his new power, had gone beyond that.
Therefore, Almeida believed sparring with him would be meaningless. Luzer was comparable to the current Jared. He had always been a gem of raw talent, but fighting with Jared had awakened his power. They were able to bring out the best in each other through their combat. Something Almeida couldn’t replicate.
Jared had easily abandoned his previous powers for his lost Fiancé and sought new strength. There was a risk of failure, but fortunately, he succeeded in obtaining the power. Now, all that remained was to master it to the same degree as the magic he used before.
However, time was running out. There were only a few days until the Progenitor returned to the Capital City. It was nearly impossible to fully wield his power in such a short time. Furthermore, his opponent was none other than the Progenitor. Even if he could completely master his power, victory was uncertain.
Needless to say, Jared himself must have known this. Yet, he had no choice but to fight. Almeida couldn’t fully grasp her beloved disciple’s true intentions. Did he want revenge for his Fiancé, or did he still hold out hope of getting his Fiancé back?
“…It’s too late for reasons now, isn’t it? You probably want to defeat the Progenitor and get Olivier back.”
She wouldn’t call it arrogance. Humans were just right when they were a little audacious.
“Do your best and take back everything,” Almeida whispered, her voice filled with affection for her fighting disciple.
