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Chapter 1 – The “Useless” Support Magician
Today, I will reaffirm it again. We don’t need an incompetent magician who can only use supportive magic in this party. You’re fired, Alec Huguette.
“…Huh?”
On the way back from the dungeon. The words that came out suddenly were entirely unexpected for me.
“Tomorrow, I intend to start conquering the 30th floor of the dungeon. However, it will be difficult to conquer the dungeon at the current rate. Do you know why? court magician Alec Huguette?”
The crown prince of the Gardana kingdom, Regulus, who has been working hard to conquer the dungeons on a daily basis, throws out a question to me as if he were telling a confused child.
The current king of the Gardana Kingdom had ordered Regulus, the heir to the throne, to conquer dungeons so that he could inherit the throne in an orderly fashion. And as a court magician, I helped him as a member of his party to conquer the dungeons under the royal decree, not to let the crown prince die in the process.
However, I was also ordered not to let Regulus die. As a result, I was assigned to assist Regulus, who was overconfident in his own abilities, and his two followers.
Although I have initially been better at taking the brunt of an attack than assisting, I could not afford to do so and had no choice but to oblige. In spite of such a situation, he said something like that.
He could not keep his mouth shut.
“That’s because I have a useless person like you in my party.”
And then, as if he wanted to follow up, he added.
“I was wondering how much of that was because my father said you were a good magician, but all you do is assist me endlessly. You don’t even attack; you’re useless.”
A look of contempt was directed at me. But regardless, I came back to myself in a hurry and started to deny Regulus’s words.
“Please wait, Your Highness…! It’s true; I apologize for the fact that I’ve been focusing solely on support magic. But there is a reason for that——.”
“Hmm, you can only use support magic, so you’ve been focusing on support magic. You should have said so honestly, Alec Huguette. I’ve heard that you got an excellent grade at the magic academy and became a court magician, but you were just a person who was helped by the people around you, weren’t you?”
Yes, I was like that. And before I could say so, the words were covered by one of his followers.
“Well, let’s not go any further. We should turn back. You… are not the only one. You’re not the only one who’s afraid to go further into the dungeon.”
One of the followers snickered in sympathy and mocked me as well as Regulus.
“You don’t want to go on because you can’t use magic to protect yourself and all you can do is assist. …I really don’t like that. His Majesty personally ordered me to include you in my party, and I have put up with it so far. But no matter how generous His Highness is. He can reach his limit. I can’t stand to conquer dungeons with a useless person like you.”
“I don’t mean that I didn’t like … using magic except for support.”
I just obeyed the order of His Majesty the King, and I was desperately trying to assist the prince to prevent him from dying. I’ve been so focused on that; I didn’t have time to use any other magic.
However, since I’ve been working with them, I’ve never used any magic other than for support. So, they probably won’t believe me when I say that.
“So, that’s how it is. That’s why. We don’t need you in this party. Oh, and don’t worry, okay? Tomorrow you’ll be replaced by an excellent magician.”
Whatever I said, my words would never make it through Regulus. But I had to say it.
I had to tell Regulus that he overestimated his own abilities. If he continues as he is, he will surely lose his life in the not too distant future.
“Fuhahaha. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. This time, we’re not talking about ‘useless,’ but genuine and competent court magician.”
Is that right? said Regulus, asking his two followers to agree with him. Yes, according to what I know, the one who will join him is among the most talented magicians. From the way they nodded their heads enthusiastically, I knew immediately that it was the prince’s followers who had brought in my replacement.
…But as far as I know, I don’t remember any court magicians who are especially good at supporting type.
In the days of the magic academy, there was a person who specialized in support magic that I could not help but call him a genius——, but that person is probably working as an adventurer in a distant land.
I’m sure that they will be compensated with a fatal price unless they can get her to help them. That’s why I decided to appeal directly to His Majesty, who ordered me to join Regulus’ party.
Even if my words don’t reach Regulus, if I can get His Majesty to tell him, we can still talk——.
This is why I decided to stand back and watch Regulus walk away with the two followers who were smiling wickedly at me.
And the night of that day.
I went to the castle in order to achieve my goal of appealing directly to the king, but I was unable to do so.
“——Please leave now, Alec Huguette-dono. You have already been stripped of your position as a court magician. As you are aware, the royal castle is forbidden to enter, except for those involved. So, please——.”
A useless magician.
Along with that stigma, I had been stripped of my position as a court magician by the crown prince, and I couldn’t do anything about it, and that left me stunned.
While I was wandering aimlessly in the glow of the stars in the sky, a voice suddenly came to me.
“Hey, Alec? Is that you?”
The voice had a caring tone. Above everything else, the voice sounded familiar. I had dropped my gaze to the ground and hurriedly looked up to see who it was.
“Jor, ha…?”
There was a girl with red hair that gave me the impression of lively. There was no way I could mistake her for someone else.
Why is she here? I don’t know.
She is a friend of mine from the magic academy, who was supposed to have parted ways with me four years ago——and she is Jorha Eisenz.