An Unexpected Opportunity
In the grand city of Vivaldi, every building lining the streets screamed avant-garde excess, each one striving to outdo the last in sheer opulence. Yet even in a place like this, not every structure dripped with flamboyance. One such exception was Vivaldi Hospital. True to its purpose, the building prioritized practicality over design. Compared to the rest of the territory, it was utterly ordinary—its only notable feature being a rather lovely garden. But as the old saying goes, in a village where everyone has only one eye, the two-eyed man becomes the freak. Standing tall and modern among those garishly ornate buildings, the hospital instead became a striking standout, drawing every passerby's gaze like a lone crane among chickens.
"……."
Inside a certain four-bed ward on the fourth floor of that very hospital, a boy sat by the window on the left side of the door. His eyes were closed in quiet meditation. As darkness swallowed his vision, the world around him fell into silence. The only sound that reached him was the faint, soothing strains of classical music drifting in from the hallway—fitting for a hospital built in the city of art.
After roughly five minutes, the boy opened his eyes and slowly clenched and unclenched his fist.
It's manageable.
The gaping wound in his side had yet to fully heal, but the twisted magical circuits from overuse seemed to have recovered somewhat. Moving his body was still out of the question, but casting spells from a stationary position should be fine.
I still can't believe it.
Looking at his relatively intact condition, it was hard to accept that he'd been teetering on the edge of death. In fact, the entire battle that day felt hazy, like it might have been nothing more than a dream.
But it couldn't have been a dream.
The three stars now engraved inside him were proof enough that it had all been real.
With that thought, Jeon turned his head slightly toward the bed beside him.
"Ugh... I'm starving."
On the adjacent bed, Togun lay curled up, groaning in hunger. Because of severe internal ruptures, he'd been unable to receive any nutrients other than IV fluids for days. Jeon wasn't the only one who'd nearly died that day. In fact, Togun had suffered even worse—his entire skeleton shattered, left sprawled across the ground. Jeon didn't know it, but the doctors had said it was a miracle he'd even been found alive.
Both of them had undergone hours-long major surgeries performed by expert recovery mages. Thanks to that, their healing rates were exceptional, but the medical bills had undoubtedly skyrocketed to astronomical levels. If the kingdom hadn't agreed to cover all treatment costs for this incident, even Jeon would have found it difficult to pay his share.
"Just hold on until today... then I can have rice porridge. Please, just let today pass quickly..."
Togun kept muttering to himself like a chant. Perhaps because he was a magic rejector and had received an extremely high-concentration magical recovery treatment compared to normal people, the healing process was fully perceptible. A throbbing pain deep in his gut mixed with his hunger, creating a strange, indescribable sensation.
So magic rejectors have these kinds of inconveniences too.
Ever since the Majoan had taken power as the kingdom's second-in-command, magic had become an indispensable part of daily life throughout the Ellemental Kingdom. Hospitals were no exception. Most medicines used there were enhanced with magic to boost their effectiveness. While Jeon had benefited greatly from them, the effects were minimal for Togun.
Perhaps the acupuncture treatments common in the Fan Empire—which enhanced natural healing—would suit his body better than this kind of magical medicine. Though even those methods sometimes involved injecting magic through the needles, so it wasn't entirely certain.
At least he can use magic tools that don't require active magic power. That's something to be grateful for.
If even that were impossible, he would have faced the tragic fate of living as an uncivilized person in this highly advanced society, unable to even properly use a smartphone.
As Jeon thought this and prepared to speak to the starving Togun, the sliding door to the hospital room opened with a soft rattle. A woman stepped inside.
Julia Evergreen, from the Special Investigation Unit's Violent Crime Team 1. Her left arm was still in a cast, the injury from Eun Ma-hyun not yet fully healed. At the sight of her, the man lying quietly with his eyes closed on the bed opposite Jeon slowly opened his eyes and sat up.
"Here for a get-well visit?"
Marvin Doyan. Vivaldi's strongest mage, who had reached 6-star rank. He was also one of the three people in this room who had suffered the most severe injuries during the Ariaadna Square terror attack. In that sense, this shared room could be called the intensive care ward for critically wounded patients.
"No. I'm not here for a get-well visit."
Julia answered without even turning her head toward Marvin. It was unusually casual speech for her—normally she maintained at least surface-level politeness. But neither Jeon nor Togun seemed particularly surprised. They'd already heard about their relationship from Marvin beforehand.
They were classmates at Benedict Academy, right?
They'd even heard that despite their vastly different appearances, the two were actually the same age. Back then, Julia Evergreen had been the top student, while Marvin Doyan had come in second. The fact that she was ahead by a full star despite being the same age proved just how prodigiously talented she was. Of course, reaching 6-star in his early forties meant Marvin's talent was nothing to scoff at either.
If he hadn't chosen to return to his hometown of Vivaldi Territory, the two might very well be working together in the Special Investigation Unit right now.
"How are you feeling?"
Julia completely ignored Marvin and walked over to Jeon and Togun's side of the room.
"I'm a patient too, you know? Can't you at least throw me a polite 'are you okay' even if you don't mean it?"
Marvin grumbled, clearly hurt by her attitude. Julia turned to look at him with an expression of pure disdain.
"Getting beaten half to death by someone of the same 6-star rank and ending up hospitalized—is that really something to brag about?"
"It wasn't him who did this to me."
Marvin frowned, clearly offended. Julia let out a loud snort.
"Still, you were losing, which is why he had to step in, right?"
"……."
He couldn't deny that. It was true that he'd been overpowered by the surprisingly strong Man-ryang. And not just barely—he'd been pushed right to the brink of defeat.
If that guy hadn't happened to pass by at just the right moment, things would have ended badly.
In that regard, he'd been incredibly lucky. Jealousy, furious at having lost Kindness, had kicked Man-ryang in the side just as the warrior was about to deliver the finishing blow. Of course, right after that Jealousy had snapped, "Why the hell are you getting your ass kicked by this pathetic trash?" and Marvin hadn't escaped becoming a target of his frustration either.
After being knocked unconscious by him, Marvin had woken up here. Looking at the other patients in this room, it was impossible not to realize just how hard Jealousy had hit him.
No threat to his life, but if he hadn't received proper treatment, he would have needed months of recuperation.
If a 6-star mage had been reduced to that state, anyone weaker would have died instantly from the blow. Recalling that day, Marvin turned his head away in a huff. Only when he finally fell silent did Julia turn back to Jeon and Togun.
"On behalf of the police, I would like to express my gratitude to both of you."
No one could deny the significant role the pair had played in resolving this incident.
"I stopped by while I was here for treatment, so I don't have anything with me today. However, once you are discharged and return to the capital, you will both be awarded commendations bearing His Majesty's personal seal."
Jeon's eyes sparkled at those words. A commendation stamped with the king's personal seal would be an outstanding addition to his credentials as he worked toward his future dreams.
"That concludes the official message from police headquarters. What follows is my own personal goodwill."
Seeming to have noticed his reaction, Julia gave a small smile and continued.
"Are you familiar with the Academy Tournament scheduled for mid-October?"
"Yes, I am."
While Benedict Academy, founded by the Majoan, was undoubtedly the most famous academy in the kingdom, the Ellemental Kingdom was home to countless other academies. The Academy Tournament was a grand competition where selected representatives from each school competed to prove their academy's superiority. It was essentially a massive sports festival of magic.
Naturally, a winning record carried significant weight as a credential. Jeon had always planned to participate once he reached the upper years and became eligible to represent his school.
"If you wish, I can arrange for you to participate in this year's tournament."
Julia's offer accelerated Jeon's plans far beyond what he'd expected.
"Normally, individual participation in the Academy Tournament is not permitted. However, there are exceptional circumstances where it becomes possible."
What he needed was justification. Proof that even though he hadn't been selected as an official representative, this student was more than qualified to compete. If necessary, Julia was prepared to bow her head and ask her team leader to grant that qualification.
"What do you think?"
This was clearly an act of genuine kindness on her part—a way of repaying Jeon for helping her during the fight with Man-ryang.
"Thank you."
There was no reason to even consider refusing. Jeon bowed his head, expressing pure gratitude for her goodwill. Julia's lips curved into a gentle smile.
"Every year, Benedict Academy claims the championship in the Academy Tournament. That's precisely why it has earned its reputation as the kingdom's premier academy. In reality, most schools compete with the goal of reaching second place rather than first."
"If you manage to outperform the other academies and achieve an outstanding result, combined with this commendation, you'll have more than enough credentials to join the Special Investigation Unit."
First place might be too much to ask, but even a top-three finish would likely lead to the team leader personally coming to evaluate him after he passed the police exam.
"And if, by some miracle, you defeat Benedict Academy's current representative and take first place, you'll be recruited immediately without needing to take the exam."
Defeating every genius in the kingdom and claiming the top spot would be proof enough of one's own power.
Normally, that would be impossible.
Fifteen years old and already 3-star. It was certainly an impressive achievement. But there were many students across the continent's academies who were even stronger. Some had entered later than Jeon and already reached 4-star. The reason Jeon was considered a genius was because of how young he was when he achieved 3-star. On his own, winning an award—let alone first place—would be nearly impossible.
But if that boy helps him...
The use of magic tools was not prohibited in the Academy Tournament. And the Masao family heirloom was officially classified as one of the kingdom's highest-grade magic tools—an artifact. Though his proficiency was still low and he could only use it for short periods, if he made good use of the treasure that had once severed the arm of an 8-star martial artist, winning wasn't entirely out of reach.
"The tournament uses teams of four. Once you've decided on your members, please contact me at this number. I'll handle the registration for you."
"Thank you again."
"Think nothing of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have work to attend to."
With those words, Julia gave a light bow and left the hospital room. Marvin grumbled to himself about being ignored until the very end, then flopped back down onto his bed. Jeon watched him for a moment before quietly closing his eyes.
This is an opportunity.
An unexpected chance given to him by Julia Evergreen. Beneath the blanket, his hand clenched into a tight fist.
"……."
He slowly turned his head toward Togun. In his heart, he wanted to ask him to participate together. But after everything Togun had been through—following him all this way only to get hurt—it felt far too shameless to ask. Especially since what Jeon needed wasn't Togun the mage, but Togun the swordsman.
Although he'd drawn the heirloom against wanted criminals and high-ranking martial artists out of necessity, every time he used it, all the magic power he'd painstakingly accumulated would vanish. That was why Togun disliked using that sword.
"The Academy Tournament, huh? Sounds fun."
As if reading Jeon's thoughts, Togun spoke first with a smile. It was both a concession and an act of consideration—his willingness to help Jeon chase his dream.
"Thank you. I swear on the name of Raedelli that I will repay this debt."
"Come on, it's not that big a deal."
After all, the magic power he'd accumulated this time had been completely wiped out again. Whether he gathered more over the next two or three months wouldn't make much difference. Though Togun spoke casually, Jeon knew just how big a decision this was for him.
"If it really bothers you, you can just buy me a meal later."
Looking at Togun's playful grin, Jeon finally let out a small laugh and nodded.
"As long as your stomach fully recovers, I'll buy you as much as you want."
Gurgle.
Right on cue, a loud rumble came from Togun's stomach. He clutched his hungry belly and flopped back onto the bed with a thud.