Equipment Printing School Mage

Would such a person appear here? He didn't think anyone in the Friendly Arms had such an appeal.

All in all, this seems like another deceptive trap.

Emiya hesitated for a moment and said, "...Then, how about we take a more conservative approach? Let's not reveal our identities yet."

If the other party is the great wizard, then he should not make things difficult for them.

If this was indeed a strategy to test the state of the Friendly Arm, then at least they could still retain the opportunity to fight back.

The paladin pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That's all right. I'll open the city gates and prepare in the tower."

"it is good."

The capstan turned, the drawbridge dropped, and the city gate opened wide.

Emilia quietly drew her sword, put it at her waist, stood in front of the city gate, and shouted to the old man outside: "Please come in! It's dangerous outside now. We must close the city gate immediately."

The old man outside the door had lit his pipe at some point and was puffing away slowly, letting the wisps of smoke gather above his head into the shape of stars.

Emilia walked out of the city gate and said calmly, "Sir, please come in."

Fortunately, the shapeshifter had a habit of imitating its original owner, which in turn made it quite easy for him to imitate the shapeshifter.

"Ah, thank you very much. The young people nowadays..." The old man in red robe pressed his pointed hat and approached the city gate while speaking polite words.

Then, their eyes met.

Almost at the same moment, confusion and astonishment appeared in the old man's eyes: "...Huh? Wait a minute, you're not..."

Well, it was obvious that Emilia had no way out at this moment.

If the situation was not the most optimistic one, his own life would be in danger.

Emilia never liked to sit still and wait for death.

He immediately drew his sword and pointed it firmly at the visitor: "Human Immobilization..."

The so-called human immobilization spell is a spell similar to the immobilization spell on Earth.

Once the spell is cast, it completely deprives the opponent of their ability to resist. Even the most powerful enemy will be completely exposed and become extremely vulnerable.

In various fabricated legends, this type of spell is so powerful that it has become rare, becoming a kind of plot-killing ability that relies on the strong to bully the weak.

In reality, if a spellcaster really possesses this spell, it will become a permanent killer weapon.

The old wizard's reaction speed was totally disproportionate to his aged appearance.

The old man's right hand, hidden beneath his red robe, quickly formed a hand gesture, then gently pushed forward. The magic power that Emiya had gathered with great difficulty was instantly dissipated.

A textbook-perfect spell counter: brief, quick, and thorough.

It also means that the gap between the two is as huge as heaven and earth.

It doesn’t matter if the old man is a friend or an enemy – the outcome won’t change much.

Seeing this, Emiya couldn't help but freeze in place.

The old man smiled mischievously: "You ignorant brat, now it's my turn."

"If your counterattack fails, prepare to be a furu* for a day!"

Just at this moment, the morning light finally came, and the flame-like glow lit up from the east, accurately reflecting the movement of the old man's right hand into Emiya's eyes.

The old man's spellcasting was the same as his previous counterattack—precise and efficient, his fingers and wrists twirling and dancing, weaving a pattern so intricate it looked like a sky full of stars.

This old man may be very strong, but his mind is obviously not commensurate with his strength.

Strands of cold sweat oozed from Emilia's forehead, and her heart began to beat as fast as a drum.

Time seemed to slow down.

The so-called spell counter is often too difficult and inefficient - you must be ready when you realize you're about to cast a spell, and counter before the opponent finishes casting.

This late-comer-in-command approach is like the most difficult simultaneous interpretation. The translator doesn't even know what language they're about to hear or what the speakers are about to discuss. Therefore, spell countering is a most difficult and delicate art.

You must have keen senses, tight nerves, rich experience and a calm mind.

Fortunately, before he was about to leave the Mage Tower, his teacher had conducted a period of special training in spell countering hell.

It was more like a beating than a special training - his teacher generously bombarded him with all his life's knowledge, and he had to do his best to identify and counter the spells.

It was hard to say how effective this training was, as Emiya was unable to counter most of the spells, and as a result, she spent most of the training period receiving treatment.

However, this seemingly crazy special training gave Emiya a chance to struggle.

Emiya's right hand also began to dance, and Emiya even had the opportunity to analyze the difference between his teacher and the old man in front of him.

——Unfortunately, Emilia came to a sad conclusion: his teacher was obviously inferior to the old man in front of him in terms of arcane magic.

The old man's smooth casting gestures were enough to prove that he had been endowed with powerful magic and unparalleled experience by the years.

It was clearly just the traces of a finger, yet it was as difficult to understand as an undeciphered spell book.

And Emilia could only do the best she could.

The only chance the old man gave was to inform him of the spell that was about to be released.

But even so, the only chance of dismantling it lies in Emiya's own arcane foundation.

Emya had hardly ever met another wizard before, so he could only hope that his previous efforts in the arcane were sufficient.

"...Spell Counter!"

Emiya also stretched out her hand and completed her counterattack.

The sun seemed to have risen a little higher. Its rays streamed into the towers of the Friendly Arm. The cold sweat on Emilia's forehead was particularly conspicuous in the sunlight.

But, at least, he didn't turn into Furu.

The old man's eyes widened a little, and he withdrew his hand in slight surprise, and flexed his palm in disbelief.

He paused for a moment, raised his head slightly, and sighed deeply from the bottom of his heart: "My spell was actually countered... What a terrifying young man."

"So, nothing's happened to Friendly Arms yet. That's good."

Emiya saw the old man winking at him: "-But you still have to become Furu."

"Time stops."

This time, the old man did not use any gestures, but just moved his lips slightly.

When Emilia tried to cast a spell to counterattack again, the only response from his body was emptiness.

His magic power had been completely used up that night.

The next second, the old wizard's figure disappeared from his sight. Wisps of smoke slowly drifted from behind Emilia to the front.

Then, Emiya quickly lost control of her body, and her limbs turned into tentacles dancing in the air.

He instinctively curled up his tentacles, releasing some air. The air currents intertwined, producing a muffled sound: "Furu."

As for Emilia, her mood at the moment can be described in just one word.

Grass.

*Furu: A kind and intelligent creature resembling a small jellyfish with some telepathic abilities.

Author's Note: I finally have some free time! I should be able to update daily for the next while!

Twenty-three introducers, teammates

In the glow of the morning sun, the old man in red robe walked into the shadow of the city gate, and on his pointed hat were two motionless jellyfish-like creatures.

One of them waved its tentacles and poked its companion. A cut appeared on its gelatinous face, and it spoke in a standard, almost unusual, Common Language: "—You've seen me transformed into a furu, why are you still rushing forward?"

The other Furu, sitting upright in his peaked hat, replied meticulously, "I have carefully considered the matter."

"Should I sit back and watch my companions suffer alone, or be transformed into Furu together? The latter won't cause me any real loss, and it's obviously closer to the path of kindness than the former."

"...Isn't this way of thinking a bit too utilitarian? It's totally un-Paladin-like."

Mars's transformed Furu remained unwavering: "A paladin cannot rely solely on enthusiasm. Otherwise, breaking his oath or death will always come sooner or later."

"--stop!"

The two Furu's conversation didn't last long before an old pipe fell from the sky and hit them between them, bringing a rebuke from the old wizard: "You two, you're just chatting like that! My hat is not a saddle!"

The old wizard stretched out his hands, grabbed the two Furus's elastic bodies, threw them in front of him, and then snapped his fingers, and the two turned back to their original forms.

Emiya stumbled and barely regained his balance. He straightened his clothes in confusion. "...Huh, is this the end of the transformation?"

All in all, I was deformed for less than a minute.

"You saved a Harper. In consideration of this merit, I will let you go today." The old wizard took a puff of his pipe and then observed the Friendly Arms in the early morning. "...Why is there no one here?"

Emiya replied, "Because your identity is unknown, we have the others hiding in the castle's secret passages. They are ready to evacuate at any time if anything unexpected happens."

The old man's pace slowed slightly. "...Admirably calm. What if I want to chase?"

Emiya followed the old man, her expression having returned to its usual calm. "If spellcasters acted without restraint, the world would have been turned upside down long ago."

Unfortunately, spellcasters have always been very conservative in their use of magic.

The limits of magic were enough to amaze all scientists. But as far as he knew, in the remote areas of this continent, people's lives were still not much better than those in the Middle Ages on Earth.

"Ha," the old wizard sighed, "Power isn't infinite. Even those who possess it prefer to show off rather than actually do anything with it."

"Very good. Among mages, the true victory lies in a sharp mind, not in talent or magical power... Your teacher has found a good student. Mr. Paladin, what are your thoughts?"

Mars replied, following the rear of the team. He glanced outside the city gate, confirming that there was still no one outside before saying, "If a large number of skirmishers are sent out, I will try to provoke the enemy leader, reveal my value, and demonstrate my military strength and mobility."

He paused. "...Of course, there's the most important point. Even when the other side has hostages, refuse to surrender."

All answers cannot be perfect, they can only show the thinking of the answerer - but they are enough.

"Forcing the other party to choose between an innocent person and a valuable target is very good, very good." The old man stroked his beard with satisfaction. "As long as there are young people like you in this world, there is still hope."

The three of them walked into the empty inn square. The old man didn't seem to mind, but waved his cane and whispered a few words into the air.

Soon, the clamor of the crowd grew closer like a tide, and those who had been hiding in the secret passage gradually emerged from the castle. When Emilia's unharmed figure came into view, the whispers of the crowd paused for a moment.

The real Cosette followed the boss and waved to Emilia from a distance: "Emilia! Are we safe now?"

Emilia looked at the old man's back, sighed, and answered loudly: "If nothing unexpected happens, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief!"

As soon as he finished speaking, even more deafening cheers erupted, nearly overturning the entire castle. The old wizard then smiled and greeted Niggins Mirrorshadow, who was at the front, while the old dwarf bowed with a look of honor.

Apparently, this long day is truly over.

A surging crowd cheered and rushed towards the two of them. Seeing that the situation was not good, the paladin spoke at a very fast speed: "Sir Emilia, I am deeply grateful for saving my life tonight. If you need me in the future, I will do my best to help you. Goodbye!"

And Emiya... again. His magic power has been used up.

Emilia, who had been calm all night, finally showed shock in her eyes when faced with the crowd: "Wait a minute - Cosette, don't jump over -!"

************************

"boom!"

Emiya staggered open the door of her room, holding the handrail and breathing heavily.

"belch--!"

I burped at the same time.

For the first time, Emiya began to sincerely thank the invading shapeshifters.

If these invaders hadn't frightened everyone all night, this group of guys might have continued to cause trouble for a whole day.

The drinking is not something that can be solved with just three glasses of beer.

Emiya glanced at her bedside out of habit, then her face darkened.

Next to the bedside cabinet, in a blind spot from the outside, there should have been a giant crystal sword as tall as a person.

But now, there is nothing there.

The sword's original name was the Confessor, a gift from his teacher.

To be more precise, it is temporarily kept by Emiya.

Emiya repairs the sword, and his teacher will do his best to find a way to send him back to Earth during this period - this is the agreement between master and apprentice.

But this plan was ruined at the very first step.

Emiya took a deep breath.