My Magic Has No Upper Limit

Maki shrugged, looking completely nonchalant.

’You just wait until I advance to Middle Level Swordsman!’ Gray thought resentfully.

The wooden door of the Swordsmanship Training Ground creaked open.

"I’m not seeing things, am I? Did the sun rise in the west...?"

Zelir’s figure appeared in the doorway.

He saw the scene before him, dumbfounded, and couldn’t help but wonder if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

’Gray... is actually here practicing Swordsmanship of his own free will?’

"Yo, Zelir."

Gray looked back and greeted him. "You’re here too... Shouldn’t you be practicing Magic? What brings you to the Swordsmanship Training Ground?"

"I wanted to test a new Magic technique I learned... no, no, no, the real question is, what are *you* doing here?"

Zelir looked Gray up and down, a stunned expression on his face. "Have you had a change of heart?"

"I just figured drinking and messing around every day is pretty boring..."

Gray pursed his lips.

"Besides, you were right before. I really was living in the shadow of the past... I can’t use his mistake as an excuse to let myself go."

"So, I figured I might as well try. Whether or not it pays off is another story."

"Hmph... Figured it out, huh."

Zelir chuckled. "So, how does it feel to be trying again?"

"Not great."

Gray glanced at Maki next to him. "Especially when I’m getting my ass kicked by a guy who used to be weaker than me."

"While you were out having a good time, I didn’t slack off one bit. It’s only natural that I’d surpass you."

Maki rested his Wooden Saber on his shoulder and turned his gaze to Zelir.

"Speaking of which... I’ve been meaning to ask. Aren’t you a Mage? Why do you carry a Longsword?"

And it wasn’t just some ordinary Longsword for last-ditch self-defense in an emergency.

Maki could tell that Zelir’s Sword was of fine craftsmanship.

And for a Mage of average build, its weight would make it difficult to even hold with one hand, let alone swing.

It would be incredibly difficult to wield.

"My physical conditioning is pretty good, so I thought I’d practice some Swordsmanship. It gives me another way to fight," Zelir said.

"A Mage? Practicing Swordsmanship?"

Maki had never heard of such a thing, and a curious look appeared in his eyes. "For real?"

"Don’t underestimate this guy. Under normal circumstances, he can fight me to a near-standstill."

Gray said, "And when you add in all his weird Beneficial Magic, he’s already better than many Warrior Adventurers, at least when it comes to close combat."

Hearing Gray say this, the interested expression on Maki’s face grew even stronger.

"Come on."

Zelir patted his chest and said to Gray, "Hit me."

"What for?"

Gray gave Zelir a surprised look. "What, are you like Marcus, about to advance to Middle Level Warrior?"

"Just try it." Zelir took his stance.

"What a strange request..."

Gray picked up a Wooden Saber from the ground, tested its weight, then swung a simple, unadorned horizontal slash at Zelir’s chest.

THUD...

As expected, Gray’s attack was blocked by a faint layer of mist.

The force behind the Wooden Saber was completely deflected and neutralized.

"Didn’t you already know this Magic? Why are you still testing it?" Gray was not at all surprised by the result.

He had seen it many times before.

"No... I didn’t channel any energy just now. The Magic was released automatically by my body," Zelir said.

"Automatically released Magic?" Gray was a little confused.

"Yes... It’s called a Trigger Skill."

Zelir clenched his fist, very satisfied with the effect.

"As long as I’m hit by an external attack, my body will automatically activate a pre-prepared Defense Magic without me having to waste time on Casting."

When Gray attacked him just now, Zelir had intentionally relaxed his mind and didn’t react at all.

But he suddenly felt the Domain he had constructed tremble.

Immediately after, the Fog Flowing Gauze, which had been on standby, activated instantly and blocked the external attack.

The whole process was as smooth as flowing water, utterly wondrous, and required no conscious effort on his part.

"Fully automatic defense?"

Gray stroked his chin, lost in thought. "Sounds pretty good."

"Yes, after mastering this Magic technique, my personal safety will be greatly improved."

Just as Zelir finished speaking, a sudden gust of wind rushed him from behind.

And it was incredibly fast!

Although Zelir had a premonition, his body couldn’t react in time at all.

CLACK...

The Wooden Saber, swinging in from behind, was stopped steadily by the Fog Flowing Gauze the instant before it would have struck the back of Zelir’s heart.

Only then did Zelir turn his head.

The attack had been launched by Maki.

"Hmm... Not bad. Looks like you’ve really mastered that Trigger Skill of yours."

Maki withdrew his Wooden Saber. "Blocking an obvious attack is nothing. Being able to defend against a sneak attack—that’s what real security is."

Zelir breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn’t expected Maki’s sudden attack at all, but it was indeed the best way to test the skill’s effectiveness.

"I’ve partied up with some Junior Mages before. Hmm... how should I put it? They’re completely different from you."

Maki leaned on his Wooden Saber and recalled.

"Offensively, they were passable. They had some decent high-power Magic to provide fire support."

"But their weaknesses were also obvious. Those Junior Mages just weren’t in good physical shape."

"They had poor Physical Strength, ran slowly, and would get out of breath just from carrying a few things. I’ve also never seen any of them use a Magic technique like a Trigger Skill..."

"And they couldn’t cast the kind of Beneficial Magic you use, either... All in all, they’re not as well-rounded as you."

"It’s probably because I study a wider range of things."

Zelir thought for a moment, then asked, "Maki, in your adventuring career, have you ever seen a Mage get injured?"

"Of course I have."

Hearing this question, Maki gave a dismissive laugh.

"After all, the Vanguard’s protection can’t be perfect, and not every Mage is as well-rounded as you..."

"Some get their arms bitten off by a Demon that ambushes them from behind because of bad positioning. Others lose their composure and sprain an ankle while trying to flee."

"Have any died?" Zelir asked.

"Of course."

Maki nodded. "Like I said before, you guys are the most reliable squad I’ve ever met. I’ve joined a lot of parties, and plenty of them had members who were just there to fill a slot."

"They get scared when they meet a strong enemy and want to back out, or they screw up when coordinating with teammates and end up hurting their own."

"Add to that a lack of trust between everyone, and it’s easy for a rout to happen."

Maki’s tone became subtle. "That’s when it’s most dangerous for a Mage... Take a guess, do you think a typical Mage can get away?"

Hearing Maki’s description, Zelir fell silent for a moment.

’Looks like what Bev said before was right.’

"Alright, Gray."

Maki gave his sword a flourish. "Let’s continue our practice."

"No hitting the face!" Gray emphasized.