The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 48

Arias Learns

A week had passed since they started living in the Magic Tower.

“[Yes, just like that! That’s right!]”

Leonardo had stabilized the 3rd Circle magic and his 3rd Star core, which he had delayed working on since arriving at the Magic Tower.

Originally, his core had been capable of reaching the 3rd Star for some time, but following the Sage’s advice to prioritize stability with the Circle, he had balanced its growth accordingly.

A whirlwind of continuously released Fireballs—the power and destructive force of which made it almost insulting to compare it to a simple Fireball.

This was because it utterly shattered and melted the rock target with fire.

“…Is this magic originally this powerful?”

“[This is how it’s supposed to be, but the wizards of this era are truly pathetic in how they use it.]”

That was even more shocking.

“[Did you think I told you to focus on your foundation for no reason? I had my reasons for saying so.]”

Leonardo couldn’t help but respect him. Having fought against high-level wizards often in his previous life, he was astonished at the power a mere 3rd Circle magic could display.

“[Enough with the flattery. Now that your foundation is solid, you can move on to the next stage.]”

“[No, your Unique Magic.]”

Leonardo asked back with a surprised expression. It was no wonder—his teacher’s progress was too fast.

Unique Magic, a type of magic that bears a unique characteristic created by the individual. It was considered the pinnacle of magic, often praised as the achievement of a Great Wizard.

“[What’s this talk of a Great Wizard? In fact, you can create it as soon as you learn beginner-level magic. It’s just that in this era, it’s been oddly revered.]”

The Sage said this calmly, scratching his eyes and eyelids. In fact, Leonardo had faced off against wizards who wielded Unique Magic before.

When he thought about it, the Unique Magic used in those battles was indeed nothing special compared to general magic.

“[Anyway, that’s it for today. Rest well, and we’ll meet tomorrow.]”

“[Oh, right?]”

After all, this man had embedded the Philosopher’s Stone into his own heart. While it seemed like something that should be questioned ethically or morally, Leonardo decided to put it off for now, as it felt too bothersome at the moment.

“[By the way, where’s Arias?]”

Ariasphil had decided to learn Spirit Summoning from Physis for a week. Recently, it had become difficult even to see her face.

“[…But can she learn Spirit Summoning in just a week? No matter how talented she is, it should take at least half a year to a year.]”

Around the age of 17, she naturally started using it. She had a stomach wound, but suddenly, a Water Spirit appeared and healed the injury.

“[Naturally…? So, in other words…]”

Leonardo himself couldn’t teach her, and Arias only used it as an aid, never taking it seriously. While it might have been beneficial for her to learn, he didn’t see the need to push her unnecessarily.

From the beginning, after obtaining the Holy Sword, she would frequently unleash beams of light from it, so what significance did Spirits hold for her?

While the Spirits would create blades out of wind, Arias would carve out cliffs with just the force of her sword wind.

“[…Hmm… If that’s true, it’s a bit frightening…]”

“[No, that’s not what I mean… How did she even die?]”

To the Sage, it was hard to fathom how such a genius—bordering on monstrous—especially one who was a hero, could die.

<…To be honest… I don’t really know either.>

“[Hey, if you don’t know, who would?]”

“[…What?]”

By the time Leo had arrived at the scene, it was nothing short of a living hell.

Had Ariasphil not been there, the annihilation of an entire nation wouldn’t have been out of the question.

The Sage silently nodded. The wound from that day still lingered as a painful scar for Leo, making it impossible for the Sage to respond recklessly.

“Leo!”

At that moment, the protagonist of this tragedy came running toward Leo.

“Arias…!”

Leonardo suddenly fell silent. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that he had no choice but to stop speaking.

“[…Oh…]”

Arias’s attire was on a different level from her usual clothing.

While she typically prioritized mobility and comfort, the clothes she wore now were designed to highlight and focus entirely on the allure of the woman named Ariasphil.

She was simply wearing an ordinary blouse and a long skirt.

While the outfit revealed little skin, it accentuated her natural innocence and emphasized her slender waist, contrasting with her full chest, exuding a sensual charm—almost to the point of flaunting it.

Just seeing her made him feel as though his heart was suddenly pounding fiercely.

“[That’s not just your imagination…]”

Shut up. Even if it was just an illusion, an illusion it was.

“…How do I look?”

“Sorry?”

She asked as she subtly moved closer.

“These are clothes given to me by Physis. He said they would suit me.”

While the styling was indeed very appropriate and fitting, it was also quite a torturous outfit for his heart.

A mixture of resentment and gratitude toward Physis began to meld into one.

“[That just means it’s good…]”

That’s completely different. Entirely different. If he couldn’t understand that even after hearing this explanation, then there was nothing more to say.

“…How do I look?”

Arias asked, subtly striking a pose. Though it was awkward, it somehow worked, capturing both charm and cuteness at the same time.

“Y-You look beautiful… very much so…”

Leo lowered his head to hide the redness of his cheeks, leaving a comment on Arias’s beauty.

“Really? I’m glad!”

Arias smiled with an innocent expression, but in reality, it was different.

‘…According to plan…!’

Over the past week, Arias had not only learned Spirit Summoning.

* * *

In truth, she had already completed her Spirit Summoning training on the first day.

‘…Is this really your first time…? Really…?!’

‘…Yes? Why…? Is something wrong…?’

‘Quite the opposite…! How can someone be this talented?!’

Ariasphil was excessively beloved by both Spirits and mana. What Physis taught her wasn’t even proper Spirit Summoning.

‘…I just taught her how to perceive mana as a personality… But she immediately did this…’

As soon as Arias heard that method, she gathered all the Spirits from the forest inside the greenhouse around her.

The Spirits all uttered the same words as if they had rehearsed it.

“[We just felt like we had to come.]”

Looking back, all the Spirits Ariasphil had encountered so far were already contracted fairies.

Even these contracted Spirits were naturally drawn to her, indicating that Arias’s talent might have been beyond the ordinary from the start.

‘…Should I refine something more?’

‘…No, there’s no need for that.’

After that, Physis had to completely revise the lesson plan.

Normally, the standard approach was to increase affinity with Spirits by communicating with those who barely responded to the summoning, and then proceed with forming contracts.

‘Shouldn’t I be doing that too?’

‘No, for you, making a contract would actually be a disadvantage.’

The purpose of forming a contract was to deepen the bond with a Spirit. The deeper the connection with a Spirit, the more magic and mana one could use, and it also allowed for complex commands and conversations.

‘But you, you can communicate with Spirits wherever and whenever, as long as there’s mana. If you form a contract, you might end up being bound instead.’

Spirits were also intelligent beings. It wasn’t uncommon for them to harbor emotions like anger or jealousy, refusing to assist the Spirit Summoner.

‘That’s why most Spirit Summoners don’t prefer to contract with multiple Spirits. It’s troublesome and comes with a lot of difficult restrictions.’

‘But Chief Anus has contracted with quite a few Spirits…’

‘That’s because of the benefits of being from the same homeland. Spirits from the same region are naturally closer to each other.’

In fact, even the non-contracted minor Spirits collaborated in Anus’s battles. Spirits sometimes valued connections based on regional or familial ties more than humans did.

‘But for you, every place in this world is like your hometown.’

Arias’s affinity with Spirits was exceptional, to the point of being overwhelming. As long as she didn’t cause large-scale destruction in a Spirit’s region, all Spirits would likely be favorable toward Ariasphil.

‘So, there’s no need for you to make a contract. It would only worsen your relationship with the Spirits.’

From now on, the focus was solely on the extent of magic usage with the Spirits. The advantage of Spirit Magic lay in how easily it could be executed if one had high affinity, so for Arias, this wasn’t even a challenge.

‘Then, shall we learn something else as a way to take it easy for now?’

‘Something else?’

Physis showed her a picture with a relaxed smile.

‘How to seduce Leo. This is the main lesson, right?’

At some point, Arias had taken out her notebook.

* * *

‘…Everything’s going according to plan…!’

Arias felt satisfaction as she observed Leo’s embarrassed expression.

The clothes she was wearing now were also part of the plan, given to her by Physis to entice him.

‘These clothes are the best. If they were too revealing or skimpy, it would be obvious what you’re trying to do. But these clothes, while covering everything, highlight your body’s charm, making you look even more alluring.’

As Ariasphil had anticipated, she felt no discomfort wearing such clothes. However, the boy standing before her seemed incredibly flustered.

Leo, who was usually so mature, now seemed so adorable, desperately trying to hide his flushed face.

‘Now for stage two.’

Arias decided to maximize her strengths.

“It’s been a while, and I’m feeling a bit stiff… How about we spar?”

“Sparring? Sounds great!”

One might think that sparring wouldn’t do much to showcase femininity, but that could actually work in her favor, allowing her to exploit his vulnerabilities.

‘The important part isn’t just during the sparring, but after it ends.’

During the spar itself, expecting any intimate contact might be unrealistic.

However, afterward, it would be different.

She could use the excuse of being exhausted from the sparring to be carried or held by him, and if there were any injuries, they could tend to each other’s wounds, disinfecting them directly. The ultimate goal was…

A massage after the spar.

‘No matter what, it will naturally create an intimate atmosphere. The physical contact will seem normal, and even if there are little moans, it wouldn’t be strange, but for the listener, whether they like it or not, they’ll be conscious of it.’

Moreover, if Arias were the one receiving the massage, she could closely watch Leo awkwardly kneading her body. If she were the one giving the massage, she could legally touch Leo’s body. Either way, it was a rare opportunity, a reward not easily obtained.

“…Heh… Heh…”

“[…Why is she grinning so goofily?]”

<…>

Leo couldn’t bring himself to defend her. Saying she was being “goofy” might have been too harsh, but he couldn’t completely deny it either.

Leo, flustered, could only manage to stammer out a few words.

“Then, for the sparring…”

“A sparring session, huh? That doesn’t sound too bad.”

The voice came from a woman who walked into the area, carrying an unnecessarily large and heavy staff.

Although she was wearing a black suit, her voluptuous figure was clearly outlined by her curves, and the suit itself seemed to accentuate her mature allure.

“If it’s not too much trouble, may I spar with you first?”

“…It’s been a while, Lady Eilyn Tempeius.”

Leonardo dropped to one knee, offering her a respectful and dignified greeting.

Eilyn Tempeius.

She was the heiress of the Tempeius family, known as the pinnacle of the magical world.

‘…A woman…’

And now, she was Arias’s rival.