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"You're going to compete with us elves in magic?"
Elison couldn't help but laugh in disbelief when he heard that.
The Grey Elves' magic originated from the teachings of Melian. Though Melian was a Maia, she shared her essence with Yavanna, the goddess of plants, and once served both Vána, the Lady of Blossoms, and Estë, the Lady of Rest, back in Valinor.
As a result, the Grey Elves were able to learn plant-based magic, sound-based spells, and enchantments related to sleep and hypnosis.
In terms of magical knowledge alone, they were no less capable than the Noldor Elves.
"Plant Binding!"
Elison chanted the spell, and thick vines, each as wide as a wrist, burst from the ground beneath his feet and surged toward George.
He figured he wouldn't even need swordplay or archery—his plant magic alone would be enough to teach this arrogant human a lesson.
But as the vines rushed toward him, George didn't even lift a finger. He simply opened his mouth, and a surge of tricolored flame erupted forth, instantly reducing the vines to ash.
"A spell of that level won't work on me."
"That flame!"
Thingol, who had been lounging on his throne ready to enjoy the show, suddenly sat upright, his expression shifting the moment he sensed the immense power contained within George's breath of fire.
"It seems you do have some skill after all."
Even Elison paused, stunned that George could breathe fire, though he still wasn't convinced he would lose.
To elves, magic was merely an aid—their true strength lay in close combat and archery.
Elison pulled out the longbow from his back, nocked an arrow, and aimed at George, his voice full of confidence:
"Next, I'll shoot five arrows—one into each of your arms and legs, and the fifth into the seam of your trousers. I'll pin you right to the ground."
In terms of archery, Elison ranked among the top thirty in the entire Grey Elf kingdom. And with their metal-tipped arrows, elven bows didn't need to fear fire.
In a flash, Elison drew his elven longbow to full tension. Five arrows flew out in rapid succession. His hands moved so fast and his technique was so precise that the later arrows caught up with the first, ultimately aligning mid-air and flying at George with synchronized speed.
"Elison's archery has improved again!"
The gathered elven nobles couldn't help but exclaim in admiration at the five-arrow volley.
If this had been a battlefield, he could've scored a five-kill combo against orcs with a single shot.
"Arrows, huh? I can shoot those too—except mine are made of light!"
A radiant white magic circle appeared in front of George.
"Light Magic: Rain of Light!"
Countless glowing arrows shot forth, blasting Elison's five arrows aside with ease before turning to strike at him.
Elison quickly dodged out of the radiant barrage's path and drew his elven sword, charging directly toward George.
No matter how skilled he was with a bow, there was no way he could release that many arrows at once like George had with his magic. If he kept trying to duel at range, he'd surely lose.
His only chance at victory was close combat.
Elison moved swiftly—within the blink of an eye, he was at George's side, launching into a masterfully practiced sword strike honed over a thousand years.
"Watch out!"
From beside the throne, Lúthien couldn't help but cry out in warning. She had noticed that George hadn't even turned his head toward Elison, as if he hadn't seen the incoming attack.
But she was wrong.
Just as Elison's blade came within a meter of George, the magic circle beneath George's feet lit up.
"Light Magic: Domain of Radiance!"
A blinding barrier of light instantly formed around George, rapidly expanding outward. When it collided with Elison's sword, the force was so strong that it blasted the weapon straight out of his hand.
"Giant Magic: Arm of the Colossus!"
At the same time, George extended his right arm, which immediately grew enormous—transforming into a massive, muscular limb that seized Elison in a single powerful grip.
No matter how hard Elison struggled, he couldn't break free from George's grasp.
Holding Elison effortlessly in his hand, George turned to Thingol and the surrounding elven nobles and spoke:
"The spells I just demonstrated are part of the light magic and giant magic courses I currently teach at my academy. Given the intelligence of the elves, I believe that if you came to study with us, learning these wouldn't be too difficult."
Thingol and the other elven nobles fell into a heavy silence upon hearing George's words.
The spells George had just demonstrated clearly carried a powerful force of light—something the Grey Elves sorely lacked.
The reason the Noldor Elves were stronger than the Grey Elves was largely because they had once bathed in the radiance of the Two Trees. The light within them granted power that could suppress Morgoth's dark armies.
But if the Grey Elves could learn the human George's magic, they too would possess a similar power of light—one that could help them stand against Morgoth's forces without fear.
It must be remembered that during the Age of the Two Trees, before the Noldor had even arrived in Middle-earth, Morgoth—then in possession of the three Silmarils—had led many brutal assaults against the Grey Elves' kingdom, commanding legions of orcs.
Though Melian had erected the Girdle of Melian to shield their land, Morgoth's dark influence still spread steadily toward the Grey Elves' domain.
To ease the burden on his wife, Thingol personally led the Grey Elven armies to engage Morgoth's orc legions in numerous bloody battles along the borders of Doriath.
Yet the orcs, with their thick hides, relentless numbers, and fearless disregard for death, proved extremely difficult to defeat.
Had the Noldor not later landed in Middle-earth and forced Morgoth to withdraw his troops, the Grey Elves might not have been able to hold their kingdom at all.
Still, elves were a proud race. To them, the idea of learning magic from a human—a race they looked down on—was hard to accept, creating a deep internal struggle.
George, seeing the silence that had fallen over the entire hall of elves, allowed a smile to slowly spread across his face.
Silence meant hesitation. And hesitation meant that the Grey Elves were already tempted—they just needed a little extra push.
"In fact," George said, "the magic I just used was cast at less than one percent of its full power. I didn't want to risk injuring him."
As the eyes of Thingol and the surrounding elves widened in shock, George continued:
"Your race is far more naturally gifted in magic than humans. If someone like me, a mere mortal, can wield such powerful spells, then for elves—who possess eternal lifespans and unlimited time to study—your potential is limitless. You'll one day be able to wield these spells far better than I ever could."
"You're saying… the spells you used just now were only one percent of their usual power?"
Thingol leapt from his throne, his expression filled with disbelief.
If George's spells really were that powerful, and the Grey Elves could learn them—then what fear would they ever have of Morgoth and his orcish hordes?
"If you don't believe me," George said calmly, loosening his grip on Elison and shrinking his arm back to normal size, "I'm happy to give you a proper demonstration. But this place is too small—we should head outside."
Without hesitation, Thingol waved his hand and said firmly:
"Very well. Let us all go outside and see your demonstration!"
Even if the power of George's spells wasn't a hundred times greater—but merely ten times stronger—it would still be reason enough to send their people to his school to learn.
The elves were proud, yes—but they weren't fools. Any magic that could strengthen the kingdom's combat prowess was not something they would ignore simply for the sake of pride.
(End of Chapter)