Chapter 220: Strategic Weapon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 220: Strategic Weapon
Aside from the Asian region, places like Americana, Africana, and Europe were a total shitshow, but that wasn't my problem.
I didn't have the slightest clue what was actually happening in the colonies, but since the "Lebensraum" was fully prepared, I could confidently say the situation was satisfactory.
Later, when I go on a colonial tour, it might be nice to visit "Big Head Korea," which had gobbled up Manchuria.
"By the way, is it okay to show me a map like that?"
"Huh? This map was distributed by the Magic Tower. You can probably find versions without the special functions in places like the library..."
It seemed I hadn't seen it because I’d been living such a diligent and upright life.
Come to think of it, except for the Murim, information regarding the Earth Colony and the Demon Realm Colony wasn't that hard to come by; there were just restrictions on traveling there.
"Just now... when you were raising the temperature... I noticed your calculation of the magic formula seemed slow... I'll check that part for you..."
"Okay..."
My family specialized in butchering people, so it might be hard for you to understand why I have to learn trivialities like magic. However, as an adult who knows that the more skills(?) you have, the better it is in this second playthrough of life, I could only say I was grinning and bearing it.
No, wait.
"Isn't the reason I keep getting it wrong because you're a bad teacher, Teacher Yvette?"
"Ugh..."
Thinking about it, there was no way I could be bad at an inferior discipline like magic, which even childish brats like my youngest sister could do well.
"I-I'm teaching as hard as I can..."
"Don't just teach hard! Teach well! Well! Properly! Cleanly! Don't you get it!?"
"Ugh... I-I'll... try again..."
With her shoulders slumped, Teacher Yvette began to explain the theory behind the magic circle used for raising the temperature of fire once more.
"I don't get it. Why is heat released when energy is being generated? The total amount of energy is increasing!"
"Ugh... th-there... there's a formula proven by the Law of Mana-Entropy Sum... if you look at the energy balance equation separately, the mana fluidity factor and the mana trembling frequency..."
"I don't get it!"
"Understanding this and using it comes later... for now, just focus on simple phenomena..."
"I don't get it!"
"To express it through a formula, we have to assume a situation..."
"I don't get it!"
"We set a formula that only works in special cases, and then slowly increase the variables..."
"Teacher Yvette, you're a terrible teacher!"
"Hing..."
Because of Teacher Yvette, who kept spouting crazy nonsense that ignored basic physical common sense, my progress in magic was bound to be slow.
***
"Teacher, I've finished compiling the performance evaluation scores for the class. Here is the homework grading sheet. I've also checked the announcement book. I've marked the sick leaves in the attendance record, and I've collected the materials for the children who left early from the infirmary. Also, regarding the materials Yuriel's mother sent for the field trip at the end of this month, the planning section is insufficient, so I think we should reject it."
"Yes, excellent, Vice Squad Leader. Thanks to our Alma, I was able to focus on Yong-hwan!"
"I'm just happy the children are getting hit less..."
It felt like the Vice Squad Leader and the Homeroom Teacher were colluding behind my back, but I ignored it. Lately, my understanding of the sword had been skyrocketing compared to my magical achievements, so I was busy swinging a wooden sword around at the front of the classroom.
"Ah, I feel like I'll get it if I swing it just a bit more... Hey, Number 2. Bring your wooden sword."
"Sniff... sniff... this is the fourth time today..."
"You better come quickly before I call you for the rest of the week, got it?"
Attendance number 2, Yuriel, walked out sniffing and grabbed her sword. She was a stupid brat with less talent than me, but she was good to use as a punching bag.
I don't know what kind of drugs she was on, but her swordsmanship was improving rapidly. For the parts that required actual combat, I felt like I'd understand if I just called her over and hit her a few times.
"Class President... are you going to enter the swordsmanship tournament? You're working really hard lately."
"What's that? Hey, don't dodge, block! Block!"
"Hieek!? D-Dodging makes the next move easier..."
It was obvious those damn goddesses had dumped all the talent onto the girls. If I used mana or martial arts in earnest, I was confident I could easily crush them, but when swinging the sword with pure physical strength, she was dodging based on overwhelming reflexes alone.
She didn't seem to realize it herself, but after using the kids in our class as various punching bags, I realized that girls were just born on a different level.
They were certainly more naturally gifted in terms of stamina and physicality than the male seniors or peers at school, but I was a genius of the Sow Sword Style. No, that's not it.
With the blood of an Elf—who are naturally superior—flowing through me, and the additional physical abilities gained from chugging elixirs, it was ridiculous to even compare me to the girls who were considered "decent" fighters.
The standard for "decent" in this otherworld would be enough to easily enter a military academy, which is one of the ultra-elite routes, but since I was surrounded by people who were Swordmasters at the very least, I wasn't particularly impressed.
For the record, the expression "decent" is something Aoi Takahara uses, so I'm just mimicking her; it has nothing to do with my subjective evaluation.
Anyway, after beating the brat during every break, I finally got a concrete, tingling sensation.
"Get up! I'm serious! Seriously! You bitch, get up right now!"
"Ugh... fine, fine. So you're saying you felt something?"
Aoi, who had been hit on the butt, stood up from the sofa with a long yawn. Since she looked annoyed that I’d woken her up, I had no choice but to give her a little punishment.
"Dick confiscated for two days."
"Ack! Ack! Ack! My mistake! My mistake! So! How did it feel? Hmm? Are you finally breaking through the wall to the Peak Expert level!?"
Aoi snapped to attention and started sucking up to me. Unlike the magic teacher, I liked these physical-type teachers because they listened well.
"No! I think I broke through the wall to the First-Class level!"
"...?"
Aoi's grey eyes blinked blankly.
"What wall is there in First-Class?"
"No, I'm telling you, I felt that tingling sensation!"
"Uh, well... give it a try."
Aoi stretched lightly. Seeing her even let out a long yawn, I lunged at her immediately.
"Die!"
"Hmm, hmm... it does feel like the First-Class level. Or, should I say, you're awkwardly hanging on the edge of it."
"I'm going to kill you... Aoi Takahara..."
I muttered the name of the wolf sister who was sitting on my back, crushing me, as if I were cursing her.
"I've heard there's a wall when moving from First-Class to Peak, but I wouldn't know about that. I just did it and ended up as a Fist Master..."
This crazy show-off was mocking me.
"What do I have to do to become First-Class?"
"Just keep doing it consistently. There shouldn't be anything special. Your mana capacity is already at a level that rivals those extreme magic types. Out of Mind, Technique, and Body, you just need to fill the Mind and Body parts. We're from the Unorthodox Faction, so we don't know much about the Orthodox lineages."
"By 'we,' do you mean all the executives?"
"Yeah. For Orthodox martial arts, you'd probably have to go to the PMC side dispatched to the colonies."
It seemed I’d have to go to another company owned by Hindel.
"Then, can I go to a PMC company that works for legitimate pay, instead of a place like this where thugs hang out?"
"I think this sometimes, but Master, your words are very harsh. We also do proper work and earn money, you know?"
Aoi Takahara began to spout nonsense.
"Colonial smuggling."
"It's just passing along items with unnecessarily high tariffs. We're like bundle merchants. We don't sell dangerous goods."
I had a lot to say, but there were plenty of other stories left.
"Leveling redevelopment areas."
"It's... contributing to balanced development by revitalizing the local economy and creating new residential complexes."
The lies were starting to flow smoothly from her mouth.
"Kidnapping men from the colonies and selling them to islands."
"That's giving them re-employment opportunities. A new chance at life for people who spend all day drinking on the streets! The managers over there even thank us for taking the troublemakers off their hands."
The colonies were running much more equally between genders than I thought, so she was just nicely packaging small-scale human trafficking conducted at the Governor-General level.
"Planting moles to cause chaos when unions or committees are formed."
"It's... gathering trends and selling them to people who need information. Honestly, those groups rarely function properly and just act as tyrannical interest groups. They need a proper brake."
She was spouting nonsense quite creatively, but knowing she would just escape into sophistry if I kept talking, there was no point in continuing the conversation.
"Does something called a conscience even exist in you?"
"...."
The thug slightly avoided my gaze.
"So, what do I have to do to become a First-Class swordsman?"
"I told you, the answer is just doing it consistently. Even in our field or the magitech field, just because someone has genius talent doesn't mean they can just play around and become the strongest. They also have to climb up while panting and shedding blood and sweat. The only difference is whether that time is short or long."
In the martial arts novels I read, people reached the Enlightenment Realm or the Profound Realm just by breathing. It felt like it was my fault for starting my second life in such a piece-of-shit world.
"And since Master has all these experts attached to him, you'll grow in no time if you just do as you're told. Even Lisar and Youfei, who were too lazy to train, are doing it properly again because of Master."
"I haven't seen them much lately. They were training?"
"Whether it's because of the elixirs or the martial arts, they'll reach the extreme... no, the Enlightenment Realm anyway. If they can't move to the next stage, it's not teaching anymore; it's just interacting."
Aoi chuckled as she stroked my hair with a sticky touch.
"What about Aoi?"
"Me? I'm not at a mature level like the Boss, but I've made my entry."
"A low-tier bitch like Aoi is a master of the Demon Transcendence Realm?"
"Well, it hasn't been that long for me either. Maybe five years?"
I was simply terrified thinking about how many strategic weapons that crazy woman Hindel was planning to shove into someone else's kingdom.