CHAPTER 44 - Dueling the Merqueen

"What conditions?" I asked at the merqueen.

"A duel without your wand." The merqueen said with a smirk.

{Bitch, that's basically asking a wizard to fight with his hands!} I thought for a moment.

It was not like wandless magic is impossible, I'm not the only one able to use it, but it's not something that simple students might be able to do.

At least, for me, this wasn't a huge handicap. Actually, it might not even count as a handicap.

"Fine. I accept. A fight without wands." I said, trying to keep a worried face.

"KYA!" She suddenly screamed and talked in mermish to the merpeople around her.

At her command, every merperson around swam out of the plaza and surrounded the place. Even those that were in their houses came to look.

"Now we will duel." She said with a smile. "My name is Murcus, Merchieftainess of this colony."

"My name is Logan. Logan D. Taylor. Student at Hogwarts." I said with a bow, as in a formal duel. Or well, at least I tried to bow, but it was basically impossible underwater, as I wouldn't stay fixed on the ground.

"What are you trying to do?" Murcus asked as she tilted her head.

"I tried to bow..." I muttered before fixing my posture again.

"..."

"Ok, I'm ready." I said, with my wand already inside my holster.

"Don't you want a spear to duel?" The merqueen asked.

"Not really. I'm quite good with my hands, you see?" I smiled as I tried to take a fighting stance.

"Suit yourself." She said as she signaled to one of the mermen, the same bearded one that was bickering with me before.

Raising his spear, he then swung it down, which marked the start of our duel.

At the signal, Murcus quickly swam towards me, her speed was quite amazing, and it would probably be impossible for me to evade her without a wand. At least if I was a normal wizard.

Using Arcane Step I evaded her tackle, turning around I swung my arm and sent an Arcane Pulse towards her. A blue-colored wave of magic power surged from where my arm passed and quickly rushed towards the merqueen. It looked impressive when used underwater, as it even dragged the water in a torrent, probably making it hurt even more when it impacted.

"!" The merqueen looked surprised and rushed to swim up to evade the wave.

Not giving her time to react, I used Arcane Step once again to fly towards her. And just as I did, a thought suddenly came to mind.

{I'm such an idiot!}

[I agree 100%] The system followed.

Until now I forgot that I could use the levitation spell to move underwater freely.

{Exani Hur!} With a thought, I activated the spell and swung my arm, which carried more strength this time thanks to my free movement.

"What's this magic!?" The merqueen asked in surprise as she used the trident's shaft to defend. As my fist hit the shaft, she was actually pushed back.

I tried to follow up with another attack, but she swung her trident to stop me. But instead of evading, I used Arcane Shield to stop her attack and ended up being pushed back a couple of meters.

The merqueen opened her mouth and shouted what looked like a water bullet.

{She could do that!?} I thought as I summoned another Arcane Shield to stop the bullet, which sent me back a couple more meters.

Without letting me recover, she rushed towards me with her trident. Before she could reach me, I used another Arcane Pulse.

Surprised she tried to stop and change her direction, but she wasn't fast enough, so she tried to stop it with her trident.

The force of the pulse pushed her back towards the plaza below with a groan. I was about to go down to hit her, but it seems like the Arcane Pulse was strong enough to stun her, as she clutched her head and tried to regain her composure.

"Are we done?" I asked just to be sure.

She stayed there in silence for a moment, shaking her head to regain her senses. After a little bit, she looked up and stared at me for a moment. And she nodded.

"I lose." She said. "I don't know what kind of magic you used, but it's true that you won."

As she spoke she tried to swim towards me but was still a little affected by the impact of both Arcane Pulse and the pressurized water that it dragged towards her.

"Let me help you." I moved towards her and used my healing magic.

[You've healed someone. 15pts have been earned!]

[Congratulations! You've completed a hidden quest! You've defeated the merqueen in a formal duel! Even without using your wand, you surprised her with your cheap tricks!]

[250pts have been earned]

[Congratulations! You've completed a hidden quest! You've healed a member of another intelligent species for the first time! There you go forming connections even with those that are not human!]

[500pts have been earned]

"Is this… healing magic?" The merqueen asked in surprise.

"Yes." I nodded.

"It is amazing, no wizard would ever try to use healing magic on us, apart from those like Dumbledore who don't discriminate against us merpeople, or other magical races."

"Well..." I scratched the back of my head. "I'm not the kind to go discriminating against other intelligent species just on what they looked like."

[You killed trolls and other creatures, though?]

{...No comments. Now I feel bad...}

[But you'll probably do it again, won't you?]

{It's your fault, you game-like system!}

[I never told you to kill trolls, though.]

{...No comments.}

While I debated in my head with the system, it seems the injuries of the merqueen completely healed.

"Thank you." The merqueen said as she raised. "I see that you're not like those wizards that believe themselves to be superior to everyone else."

"Um, no, I'm not like them." I smiled awkwardly.

"Also, your magic is something unusual. I know that there are wizards and witches capable of using wandless magic, but yours is something I've never seen. Even your ability to move underwater impressed me very much."

"Thanks, I hope that my use of magic didn't go against what we agreed beforehand..."

"Not at all, young wizard. The agreement was for you not to use a wand. And you did not." The merqueen said with a smile. "Now, I guess it is time for me to keep my end of the deal."

"So are you taking me to the place?" I asked with my eyes wide open.

"Yes, I will." Murcus said with a smile, as she gestured for the rest of the merpeople to come.

As he came closer, he nodded at me.

"It was an impressive fight." He said. "I never thought that I would see a wizard moving like that underwater, you've surprised me."

"Thanks." I smiled awkwardly.

"Muruk, I'll lead this young wizard to the place he wishes to reach." Said Murcus.

"Why don't you let me guide him, your majesty?" Muruk said. "It's the duty of your subordinates."

"No." She shook her head. "The agreement was for me to guide him. I'll fulfill that agreement."

"As you order, my queen." Muruk said as he bowed and went back.

"Now, shall we go?" Murcus said as she gestured to me to follow her.

Thankfully, as this time I was actually using my levitation spell, it was possible for me to move freely underwater, and following her wasn't a problem at all.

[And you still ask why I doubt your intelligence?]

{It was a mistake! I just forgot that I could use it underwater!}

[Whatever you say.]

As I, once again, fought with the system, we finally made it to some kind of underwater ruins that was at the base of one of the faces of an underwater mountain.

"Here it is, Logan." Murcus said as she stopped.

All around us, I could see different ruins and broken walls that had engravings of subaquatic plants and animals, some even had a weird decoration that made me think of ancient myths of underwater civilizations from my old world.

There was one particular engraving that repeated constantly all around, and it was that of an octopus.

"Um… Is this the place?" I asked as I looked all around.

The merqueen chuckled, probably because of my confused face.

"Yes, but not here exactly." She said as she pointed with her trident to the face of the mountain.

"Huh? I have to climb that mountain." I tilted my head, as I looked up. I kind of saw a faint light coming from the middle of the mountain, but it was too dim.

"No." She shook her head. "The real entrance lies behind that wall of rocks. You see that old trident there?"

She pointed towards a small piece of rock with an old trident placed over it. I nodded.

"That's a signal, to mark where the entrance to that cursed place is."

"Have you entered there before…?" I asked.

"No." The merqueen shook her head. "But there are stories of my people going in there and losing their mind."

I gulped.

"But somewhen in the past, the ruins were sealed, and the access was sealed by this wall of rocks."

"Then how did the curse activate again…?" I frowned.

"That, I don't know. But you said this wasn't the only place with this curse. So maybe they resonated between themselves."

"That could be." I nodded as I looked at the wall that the trident pointed at.

{There should be some charm that allows me to make this wall disappear.}

"Well, I have fulfilled my end of the deal." The merqueen spoke. "Now I must return to my colony."

"Thank you for bringing me here."

"You won the right with our duel." She said with a smile. "Before I go, let me give you a little bit more help."

As she spoke, she turned to look at a path-looking trail in the ruin.

"If you follow that direction, you'll eventually reach the shore of the Black Lake that's the closest to Hogwarts." She said as she pointed in the direction of the trail.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." This time I bowed to her perfectly.

"It's no problem." Murcus smiled. "You're welcomed in our colony, young wizard Logan. I'm expectant about what you're going to accomplish in the future."

After that she swam back to the merpeople colony, while I stood there, looking at the message that appeared in front of me.