The Goddess of War's First Gear
"As expected, nothing I haven't heard before." I slid the book back onto the shelf. The spine, bearing the title The History of Battle Mages, slipped back into its designated slot.
It made sense. According to Deyla, the training methods for Battle Mages were currently monopolized by the Five Great Families.
Besides, there was only a single line of information about Checkmate.
A hero who suddenly appeared, ended the monster wave, and protected the northern region of the Empire. It merely stated that he was revered as the Saint of the North.
There was no mention of his appearance, combat style, or anything else. If Deyla hadn't mentioned his gender, I wouldn't have even known he was male.
"The Martial Deity, Checkmate..." A Transcender who used a chess term as an alias... This was undoubtedly another variable that hadn't existed in the original game.
"Ah, what a headache."
At this rate, my plan of slacking off while providing support from the shadows was going down the drain. After all, a literal Transcender was interfering. And not just any Transcender, but a Battle Mage—an all-rounder who possessed the strengths of both a mage and a warrior.
As I made my way out of the library, sharp metallic rings echoed through the air. Clang! Clang! Perhaps because the grand training ground was nearby, the sounds of clashing weapons carried all the way here.
"Should I go take a look?"
Conveniently, a certain character came to mind when thinking of Battle Mages. With light steps, I headed toward the training ground.
The grand training ground.
Unlike the smaller training rooms focused on individual practice, this place allowed students to challenge anyone nearby to a duel at any time.
Clang!
"Ugh!"
Year, gender, department—none of that mattered in the grand training ground. If you wanted to fight, you simply grabbed the person next to you and challenged them. In this haven for true brawlers, the word 'refusal' was nothing more than a formality.
A red-haired beauty clad in armor stumbled backward, unable to withstand the heavy blow.
"Hmm... I had high hopes for the Golden Generation, but this is disappointing."
The second-year student who had blown her back with a single strike walked over slowly.
Grit.
Gritting her teeth so hard they threatened to shatter, she raised her sword and took her stance once more. A satisfied smirk played on the second-year's lips at her display of grit.
"Your skills are terrible, but I like your attitude."
Clang!
"Ugh!"
"Let's see if you have the skills to back up that attitude!"
Under the senior's relentless barrage of strikes, the female knight was pushed back helplessly. With every blow she blocked, her arms shook like reeds in the wind, and her legs wobbled like a newborn calf's. Yet, even then, she did not let go of her sword.
Having endured the onslaught to the very end, she finally collapsed to her knees, panting heavily.
"Pant, pant... Thank you for the match, Senior."
"Well, it was nothing. Call me if you ever want to spar again."
As the second-year waved and walked away, she barely managed to stand on her trembling legs to bow in gratitude. The moment he was completely out of sight, she collapsed back onto the ground.
"Disappointing..."
The Tail Viscounty. In that quiet, rural territory, she had been hailed as the greatest prodigy. At the tender age of seventeen, she could manipulate aura as freely as any seasoned knight of the estate. She had believed she would thrive even at the academy.
But...
"What's with her? Why is she so weak?"
"Don't tell me she can't even manifest incomplete Sword Qi?"
The ability to manipulate aura was merely a basic prerequisite for admission. She didn't even need to look up at the second-years; plenty of her own classmates could already manifest incomplete Sword Qi. There were even students her age who could wield fully formed Sword Qi.
Especially Idrian Goldenroad. Just a few weeks ago, he had been morbidly obese, yet he had shed the weight in an instant and manifested a masterfully refined Sword Qi.
It must be the difference in talent.
The stage of aura control that she had spent years of blood and sweat to achieve was something a true genius could surpass in a matter of weeks. No, even before losing weight, Idrian had slain a low-ranking demon while carrying a body so heavy she would have struggled to even move in it.
I shouldn't be like this...
Tears welled up in her eyes. It felt as though the path she had walked was being utterly invalidated by the overwhelming wall of talent.
No! Stop being so weak-minded!
The Viscount didn't go through all that trouble to send her to the academy just to watch her wallow in self-pity! She had to train hard, grow stronger, and graduate.
Once I graduate, I'll repay the Viscount's kindness and buy my parents a nice house.
Her parents had sold their original home just to afford her living expenses at the academy. For the sake of her parents, who were undoubtedly living in a cramped, tiny house right now, she couldn't afford to stay down.
"Aja, aja! Fighting!"
Forcing her trembling legs to stand, she gripped her sword. She brushed the dust and dirt off her armor.
The Viscount bought this for me. I have to take good care of it.
Viscount Tail, the lord who had recognized her talent when she was nothing but a commoner, hired a knight to teach her swordsmanship, and even paid her academy tuition. He was practically a second father to her. Since he had gifted her this armor to celebrate her admission, she had to make it last as long as possible.
Whoosh!
Ignoring the strange looks from the people around her, she swung her sword. At that moment, a mischievous voice drifted over.
"Want me to take a look at your swordsmanship?"
The tone was strangely familiar. She turned her head toward the voice and froze.
Obsidian-black hair, dark eyes that shone like black diamonds, and pale skin that contrasted sharply with them. He approached with an easy, relaxed smile. The man who had toyed with Idrian—even after Idrian manifested Sword Qi—as if playing with a child, showing her a wall she might never scale in her lifetime.
"Garena, was it?"
The second-year senior who had recently taken the academy by storm. The man whom the students who witnessed his duel called the Sword Deity was addressing her.
I stepped into the grand training ground. As I scanned the crowd looking for Garena, a clear, melodious voice reached my ears.
"Aja, aja! Fighting!"
Cheering herself on without a shred of embarrassment despite being surrounded by at least five hundred people. There was only one person capable of doing that.
The Goddess of War, Garena.
The future Goddess of War who would single-handedly annihilate demon legions with a sword in one hand and a magic staff in the other. Right now, she was merely labeled the underachiever of the Golden Generation. This earnest, slightly dense female knight had been a fan-favorite among readers.
By the time I tracked down the source of the voice, the red-haired knight was sprawled on the ground. When Garena finally pushed herself up, her legs wobbled pitifully.
Did she get thrashed again?
I recalled that before her fate intertwined with Idrian's, she used to frequent the grand training ground only to get utterly demolished. It seemed she had challenged another senior today, only to be beaten to a pulp.
Tsk. Normally, she would have learned the Swallow Magic Combat Style from Idrian and risen to fame as the Goddess of War.
But with the massive variable of Checkmate—the Martial Deity who introduced the Battle Mage training method—and the prestigious Battle Mage families, Idrian's path might shift. If Idrian went in a different direction, Garena might never get chosen. In that case...
I'll just have to connect her to Idrian myself.
I already had a connection with him anyway. If I brought him a top-tier talent like her, wouldn't Idrian, who was practically obsessed with nurturing heroes, drool at the prospect?
"Wh-Why me?"
"Uh-uh. Mind your honorifics."
Flustered by my sudden appearance, Garena had slipped into casual speech. When I teased her, she instantly bent ninety degrees at the waist like a terrified recruit at boot camp.
"Good day, Senior!"
"Whoa... I didn't mean for you to go that far. It was just a joke. Relax. Anyway, you seem to have a lot on your mind."
"Was it that obvious?"
Embarrassed, Garena twirled a lock of her red hair.
"Who on earth would think someone shouting like that doesn't have a care in the world? Besides, it's written all over your face."
"Ahaha..."
Only then realizing what she had done, her face flushed so red it looked ready to burst. If I poked her cheek, would it actually pop?
"Shouting that loudly in the middle of the grand training ground. You've got some serious guts."
"Please stop... Please..."
Like a teenager whose cringey past internet posts had just been exposed, Garena couldn't lift her head. She clearly wanted to shut my mouth but couldn't bring herself to touch a senior, so she just kept fidgeting with her hands.
Cute.
I could see why she was the heroine Idrian loved to tease the most. Her reactions were just too satisfying.
Well, she looks like she might die of embarrassment if I keep this up, so I'll stop here.
The important thing lay elsewhere.
"So, do you want me to take a look at your swordsmanship or not?"
I needed to awaken her true talent. Through Idrian, of course. She hesitated for a moment at my question, then looked up at me with clear, resolute eyes.
"It would be an honor, Senior."
"No need to go that far. First, raise your sword."
Garena's talent was the Dual Core. If she mastered both magic and aura, her growth rate would multiply exponentially.
Her currently lacking swordsmanship will experience explosive growth.
While other Battle Mages failed because their swordsmanship and magic both ended up mediocre, Garena was the type of machine that required two gears to function properly. Since she only had one gear running right now, it was only natural she was labeled an underachiever.
To put it another way...
Even with only half her talent active, with just a single gear turning...
"She still managed to get into the academy."
"Yes? What do you mean by that, Senior?"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself."
The Dual Core was the talent of the Great Sage Swallow. Seeing Garena's potential, which was twice that of the Great Sage, there was no way Idrian would be able to resist teaching her.
Absolutely not.
But to make that happen...
I should probably get close to her first, right?
I looked down at Garena, whose eyes were sparkling with anticipation at the prospect of me reviewing her swordsmanship.