Fucked (1)
The match was five minutes from ending when Elaine lost all words at the sight before her. The mana radiating from him was incomparably denser than anything the adventurers had shown so far. Was it even possible for a human to emit mana like that? The quantity might have been no more than a handful of millet, yet it felt as if it could tear apart every ounce of power in the room.
While she stood there stunned, the message appeared in front of Taegi.
Heavy Strike
It was the basic spell every martial artist learned—Heavy Strike. The same one the other adventurers had used. And yet it was completely different. The same spell, but utterly unlike the rest.
A low hum rose as mana coalesced in his hand. It was nothing more than a foundational technique. Under normal circumstances, such a basic spell should never have been enough to shatter a gauge. But the sheer threat radiating from it made her want to stop him.
The instant Elaine tried to intervene—
Whoosh!
He threw the first punch. His fist flew straight toward Waild’s face, only to suddenly veer sideways at the last moment. The attack sailed harmlessly into empty air.
Yet the concentrated mana he had gathered tore through the atmosphere and slammed into the arena floor.
KWAAAAAANG!
A cloud of dust exploded upward. Then Taegi muttered under his breath,
“Controlling my strength is a real pain in the ass.”
Elaine’s jaw dropped. The power behind that strike had surpassed most advanced spells, yet he was complaining about holding back. At that exact moment, he continued,
“Well then, I suppose I’ll only show this much of a martial artist’s capability for now.”
Everyone around her—including Elaine—doubted their own ears. They had all assumed he was a martial artist.
Whoosh!
He released another surge of mana. This time there was no oppressive pressure, but the quality was every bit as refined as before. A new message appeared before Elaine’s eyes.
Mana Amplification
It had already been dense. Now he was amplifying it on top of that? The moment the thought crossed her mind, an overwhelming pressure crushed down on the entire arena.
Elaine grit her teeth and forced herself to keep watching.
At the same time, another message appeared.
Memorize
The magic circle he had stored began to unfold. As a magic swordsman, Elaine prided herself on her knowledge of magic. Yet the moment she saw the man’s spell, that pride vanished completely. Taegi’s magic existed on an entirely different level.
Just where did someone like him come from all of a sudden?
While she wondered, the circuit continued to complete itself. Simply watching it gave her the feeling that she was gaining some kind of insight. She wasn’t the only one. The participants presumed to be wizards were all staring in open-mouthed awe.
He’s practically shouting “Pick me.”
Until now, most adventurers had only thought about winning. But the man before her was different. He wasn’t simply trying to win. It felt as though he was deliberately showing them: This is the kind of magic I can use. This is the level of skill I possess. And I can even cast it this slowly and leisurely.
They say geniuses usually lack consideration in these areas…
It seemed the genius standing before her was an exception. Just as she was reevaluating him highly—
Kyaaaaak!
His magic finally completed. A blue bird flapped its wings. For a moment she genuinely wondered if he had created life itself.
The next instant—
Whoosh!
The blue bird shot toward Waild at terrifying speed.
KWAAAAAANG!
The aftershock left Waild completely unconscious. And with that, the match between the two came to an end.
When every match had finally concluded, the professors—including Elaine—gathered in the conference room. She glanced around, taking in their expressions. Most of them looked thoroughly fed up with the whole affair.
Looks like they’re planning to pick someone at random.
Honestly, it wasn’t surprising. Most of these professors were renowned in their own right. It made sense they would assume the average adventurer’s level was nothing special.
After all, I’m the only one who saw Kim Taegi’s true ability.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the nearly bald Professor Melson spoke up.
“Does anyone have a recommendation?”
The other professors remained silent, clearly too bothered to bother. It seemed everyone they had watched had been equally mediocre. Elaine slowly raised her hand.
“I do.”
“Hmm? You have someone?”
All eyes turned to her at once. She nodded.
“Yes. I have a recommendation.”
“I see. May I ask who it is?”
“His name is Kim Taegi.”
The professors all tilted their heads in confusion. That was only natural—they had never heard the name before. Melson asked,
“Do you have his application form?”
Elaine handed it over. Melson narrowed his eyes as he read.
“Adventurer C-rank… and no other career history?”
The professors frowned. Those who had stayed silent now saw their chance and began muttering.
“Professor Elaine, no matter how mediocre the adventurers are, you can’t just recommend anyone.”
“Hmm. He does look rather handsome. Perhaps your taste in faces influenced your choice?”
“Come now, surely our Professor Elaine wouldn’t do something like that?”
The thinly veiled barbs kept coming. From their perspective, Elaine was an eyesore. Becoming a professor at Oxford Academy normally required a long list of accomplishments. Yet unlike the rest of them, she had been personally scouted by the chairman. It was only natural they would assume she had gotten in through connections.
It’s not like that at all, though.
While Elaine seethed inwardly, Melson cut in.
“Everyone, please calm down.”
The professors shut their mouths. Melson then asked,
“Professor Elaine, who was his opponent?”
“It was Waild—the man who had been considered a strong candidate for the assistant position.”
“I see.”
Melson stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking again.
“Beating a strong candidate does suggest he has some skill. However, the problem is his complete lack of career history. While this test doesn’t place much weight on experience, an adventurer who is only C-rank with literally nothing else on his record is hard to accept. Even if his ability is decent, there’s no guarantee he’ll be a good assistant to a professor when he has no background at all.”
Elaine had no immediate rebuttal. It was understandable that they would say such things without having witnessed Taegi’s power. But still—
I can’t let this go.
If he had only been slightly better than the others, she could have accepted their decision. But that wasn’t the case. The overwhelming display he had shown could become a tremendous source of hope for humanity if shown to the students. Especially now, with the Hero and other exceptional freshmen enrolling.
Just as she opened her mouth to argue—
“Let’s wrap this up.”
A deep, dignified voice echoed through the room. At the same time—
Creak.
The conference room door opened. Every professor, Elaine included, rose to their feet. They bowed respectfully as Melson spoke on their behalf.
“We greet the Chairman.”
“There’s no need for such formality.”
The professors straightened. The chairman, Haberte, continued.
“I’ve been listening to the discussion.”
“Then perhaps you could persuade Professor Elaine—”
“No.”
Chairman Haberte cut Melson off mid-sentence. He stroked his long white beard and declared,
“We will accept him.”
“Pardon?”
The professors’ eyes widened in shock. Melson immediately objected.
“B-but Chairman, the man Professor Elaine recommended has virtually no career history at all. While the test was designed to overlook experience, this is simply too extreme.”
“Hmm. You’re referring to the C-rank adventurer status?”
“Yes. That is correct. The C-rank itself isn’t the issue. The problem is that aside from that, everything about him—his background, his origins—is shrouded in secrecy. In times like these, allowing such a person into the academy could lead to who-knows-what. Especially since I understand the Hero herself will be among the new students this year.”
“I see. That is indeed a reasonable concern. However, having witnessed his ability firsthand, I do not share your worries.”
“What?”
Melson looked genuinely startled. The chairman of Oxford Academy—the legendary Great Mage—had personally observed a mere assistant selection test? While the professors reeled in shock, Haberte continued.
“I felt an unusual surge of mana from the academy and went to check. His skill was, well, beyond words. I understand your concern, Melson. You’re worried he might be a defector, aren’t you?”
“Yes. With the number of defectors increasing lately…”
“I know. But from what I saw, he does not strike me as one. If he were a defector, everyone in that arena—including Professor Elaine—would already be dead.”
The professors swallowed dryly. When the chairman himself spoke so highly of the man, there was little they could say.
“In conclusion, I wish to take him on as an assistant. Does anyone object?”
“………”
“Then we’ll consider it unanimous and hire him as an assistant.”
With those words, the professors’ meeting came to an end. Incidentally, Taegi ended up assigned as Elaine’s assistant.
The day before the entrance ceremony, Lucyd—the one called the Hero—stood in the private room she had been assigned, staring into the mirror.
“Not bad.”
The reason she was dressing up like this was simple. One of the Hero’s abilities was Divine Foresight. She had received a prophecy.
It definitely said I would have a fated encounter with some man at the café in front of the school today, right?
Lucyd tried to neatly arrange her golden hair, but—
“Ugh… it’s not working.”
Maybe it was because her second youngest sibling had always done it for her back in the countryside? The comb refused to cooperate. She painstakingly tamed the stray strands.
A little while later, she let out a long sigh.
“Haa… I’m already tired.”
Once she finally finished, she examined her outfit.
Wearing something this plain probably isn’t good enough, right?
Since it was a fated encounter, she felt she should at least make an effort. After all, that man might become her future boyfriend!
With such fantasies swirling in her head, Lucyd checked her wardrobe. Unfortunately, she only owned one dress and some comfortable everyday clothes. The only remotely presentable option was her school uniform.
Ugh… I should’ve kept some money instead of sending it all to my siblings.
She had sent every coin of the royal capital’s support allowance to her younger brothers and sisters. After all, she only needed the bare minimum to get by. After a moment of hesitation, she made her decision.
I guess the uniform is the best choice.
Wearing a dress to a café felt far too over-the-top. Besides—
There’s no way I can put that thing on by myself.
It had already taken forever just to fix her hair. Putting on the formal dress the imperial family had given her for social events would take even longer. And it wasn’t meant for private use anyway.
Having made up her mind, Lucyd quickly changed into her uniform and headed straight for the café.
Upon arriving at the café, Lucyd looked around nervously.
Who is it? Who am I supposed to meet?
The prophecy had clearly said she would have a fated encounter with a certain man here. The problem was that there were far too many men around.
Ugh. I have no idea who it could be.
While she brushed her bangs aside and scanned the room, a staff member approached with a professional smile.
“Miss?”
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not. Feeling awkward, Lucyd quickly glanced at the menu. The moment she saw the prices—
“Huk!”
She involuntarily gasped.
The cheapest thing is thirty copper coins?!
That was enough to buy five loaves of bread back in the countryside. And that was just for one drink.
As expected of the royal capital…
While she stood there in shock, the staff member stared at her pointedly. He seemed quite busy with the customers behind her. Swallowing her tears, Lucyd ordered in a trembling voice.
“U-um… could I have one iced Americano, please?”
“Certainly.”
The staff member walked away. Lucyd stared blankly at the price list, still in a daze.
Thirty copper coins for one drink…
Just as she was having a minor existential crisis, the order arrived.
“Your iced Americano is ready.”
Lucyd stared at the cup placed before her. It had cost thirty copper coins. Yet—
Is… is this all I get?
The cup was so small that one sip would probably finish it. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had been scammed. She glanced around. Everyone else had received the same tiny cup and was drinking it as if it were perfectly normal.
It must be that good, then.
She shook her head, desperately trying to convince herself. Then, with eyes full of anticipation, she lifted the cup. On the surface it looked like nothing but black liquid. It didn’t seem particularly appetizing, but surely it was worth the price.
The moment she took a sip—
“?!”
The bitterness nearly made her spit it out. She barely managed to swallow.
Gulp.
Wait, this costs thirty copper coins?!
It was supposed to be worth five loaves of bread, yet it tasted no different from bitter medicine! She glared furiously at the iced Americano.
At that exact moment—
“Ah, shit?!”
A startled voice suddenly rang out beside her. She turned her head to see what was happening.
Splat!
Her vision was suddenly filled with whipped cream. The sweet scent tickled her nose. As she frowned in confusion, a hand reached out and wiped her eyes.
There, standing in front of her, was a man with black hair and black eyes.
At the same time, he muttered the words that revealed his inner thoughts out loud.
“Fucked.”
It seemed the man before her was the fated partner the prophecy had spoken of. What a fateful encounter indeed!