Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Alekson's Recommendation
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Time until the first class── four days.
Alekson. The man who came closest to claiming the title of Mercenary King. Knight Crusher. Weapon Master.
Among those who made their living by the sword in this era, there was no one who didn't know his name. He always swung his axe on the front lines, earning scars but never defeat.
Just listing the black wizards whose heads flew from his axe was enough to understand why his fame echoed across the world. "Leather Thief," "Wicked Landkeeper," "Bloodline Blade."
Above all, the reason he was revered was that he upheld his honor even on the merciless battlefield. He never abandoned his comrades; if someone had to stay behind to buy time, he volunteered. He faced danger first and led those who fell short.
The famous tale of him turning against one of the Grand Duke's territories to protect his mercenary band's loyalty spoke volumes. He unconditionally cherished his own people.
That was precisely why.
Becoming Alekson's disciple offered the perfect disguise.
Bennett Helton. Second-year at the academy, main weapon: longsword.
After enrollment, he stood out among students with his exceptional physical abilities and ferocious swordsmanship, catching Alekson's eye and forming a loose mentor-disciple bond that continued to this day.
It was all planned.
After thoroughly analyzing Alekson's tendencies and concluding he enjoyed giving advice, Bennett deliberately approached with sloppy sword techniques. It was an effective strategy.
Though Alekson's primary weapon was the axe, he was proficient with countless arms. Trying to fool him sloppily would only earn a "Why are you swinging your sword so strangely on purpose?" and invite suspicion.
So Bennett did his utmost to learn swordsmanship poorly. He self-taught from a madman's sword manual without a proper master. Whether his efforts reached the heavens...
Alekson wanted to fix Bennett's "deformed growth from being ruled by killing intent," and Bennett seized the chance to build rapport. He swung his sword until his hands blistered. Alekson greatly admired his persistence and determination.
Thus, he had secured a sturdy shield at the academy.
If his disciple faced "unjust accusations," Alekson would protect him until the truth came out. Minor suspicions would be dismissed as misunderstandings.
So, even if things went awry and Bennett's identity as a black wizard was exposed, he could at least buy time. It would greatly aid the plan.
...
The day of execution approached.
The black wizards infiltrating the academy would install magic circles throughout by the designated date, stirring unrest from the shadows to amplify students' fear and anxiety. If undetected, they lurked; if exposed, they maximized casualties.
It was fertilizer for the grand magic── "Nightmare Summoning"──to be cast by the black wizard commanding this raid, "Fear-Eating Corpse Flower."
She could absorb humans' negative emotions to boost her magic's power. The gloomier and darker the academy's atmosphere, the exponentially stronger she became.
The academy's mood was already far from good.
Conflicts between factions, students grinding their teeth in endless competition, teaching assistants ground down for professors' achievements──for those living without revelry or pleasure, stress built to the point of bursting at a touch.
The academy's darkening naturally was thanks to the grand magic circle spanning the entire grounds, meticulously completed over 30 years through repeated infiltrations and exposures by black wizards. It subtly stimulated the dominant emotion in all living beings within range.
Rumors slyly spread by black wizards played a part too. Tales like highborns pulling strings to murder disliked students.
A little more prodding. Just a bit more.
Bennett donned his academy uniform and hung the longsword at his left hip. He'd received a summons from Alekson today, so he headed to the faculty residences. He didn't know the purpose, but it was a critical time.
Before leaving the dorm, Bennett gazed at his reflection. Dull gray hair, a gruesome scar covering half his face, and a distant eye. The scar was a memory. Every glance in the mirror vividly recalled old grudges.
The academy had its share of outcasts. But Bennett suspected Alekson accepted him due to shared one-eyed fates fostering kinship.
Building more intimacy with Alekson before execution day was wise.
"You're here, Bennett!"
A booming voice that echoed greeted Bennett. Alekson's residence was a tidy, modest single house. The furniture inside was precisely aligned at right angles.
By looks alone, a large tent or barbaric hut suited him better. But contrary to appearances, Alekson was a delicate soul.
"You summoned me, Master?"
"Yeah, nothing major. I found someone worthy to be your master."
Bennett's wariness spiked. Suddenly scouting another master? Had he slipped up? Or was Alekson leaving the academy?
"Hahaha! Don't make that face, Bennett! It's purely because I found someone worth learning from."
Bam!
Alekson clapped Bennett's back with his pot-lid-like rough hand. Bennett thought three more hits would leave him combat-ineffective. He seriously wondered if this was a ploy to deal damage while lulling him.
Alekson rubbed his bushy beard──his habit when pondering or reminiscing.
"The academy mandates teaching 'Illusion Magic Countermeasures.' With the previous professor gone over some unsavory business, they needed a replacement."
"I see."
"I planned to request a dispatch from the Violet Magic Tower. Someone with rich combat experience and credentials. 'Puppet Lorelei,' known for fine character, was a candidate. Even 'Charlie of Pain,' infamous but peerless as an instructor."
"......"
"But... Second Prince Irid suddenly pushed someone in. Said to entrust not just Illusion Magic Countermeasures but students' lacking combat experience to him too."
"...No way. You mean using Illusion Magic for real combat training?"
It was laughable. Attempts to integrate Illusion Magic into training had failed repeatedly. The gap between reality and illusion was too vast, or output too weak to hold.
Infusing realism wasn't easy either. Even a world crafted by three illusion mages squeezing their mana required deformative, low-detail figures and objects to manage data.
No one gained real experience from lumpy clay-like goblins.
"Exactly, it's absurd... so I opposed it. Told him to prove it. Half-expecting some silver-tongued flattery to sway the Second Prince. But that narrow-minded Alejandro fell for it."
"Professor Alejandro...?"
"The real shock's coming. I lost a word duel to a mage."
"...Pardon?"
Bennett's mind froze. Like a priest losing an argument to a passing farmer. Any hack might scorn "How do you lose a word fight to a mage?" but Alekson was beyond that.
"I've said it before: weapons hold heart. Not some philosophical nonsense."
It was Alekson's insight from 40 years on battlefields.
"Attack, evade, defend? If attacking, how much damage to take? Where to weave feints? These judgments interweave in combat."
It shared aspects with chess. Actions blend judgment. Weight an attack 60%, defense 40%; anticipate two moves ahead for counters; load power at key moments.
Thus, dissecting a weapon's intent reveals the wielder. Infer fighting and behavioral style.
"That's why I say your sword reeks of killing intent. It assumes yielding an arm to win. But the swordplay blooming on that bastard's tongue..."
A flicker of fear crossed Alekson's eyes.
Not fear of ghosts. It was terror of the inexplicable──sun rising west, seawater falling skyward.
He reminisced.
"First move was a probe. He countered with his own feeler. Already off from the start. Word duels are arguments... they break if one gets stubborn. But he calculated properly."
Weight, destructive power, muscle mass. He sensed meticulous consideration of visible data, excluding hidden mana and uha. Aware of physical inferiority, flowing the incoming axe aside.
Though mere words, Alekson envisioned concrete combat. Sword and axe clashed in his mind.
"After three exchanges, the fourth. That's when I sensed... something wrong."
That swing trajectory.
Unseen in any existing martial school. Visualizing the mage's tongue-drawn path, Alekson blanked momentarily.
His head said: a novice mage's crude sketch.
But his gut, honed on battlefields, screamed opposite. Dangerous. Heart clenched inexplicably, incomprehensibly──a decisive move.
"At some point, offense and defense flipped."
So seamlessly he didn't notice; when he did, Alekson, leading the assault, scrambled defensively. Slow and frail, yet the mage's blade struck first despite later initiation.
Yet Alekson didn't admire the exquisite technique. Instead, revulsion like worms crawling veins made him shudder.
Disassembly.
The mage's sword efficiently dismantled him. Mechanically, minimal movement, precise, always gaining slight edge.
No heart. Prioritizing attack or defense? Targets? All shifted by efficiency. Alekson fought a hundred-headed monster.
And that monster always chose the optimal move.
Whittled away.
Slightly from outside, carved off, vanishing.
"Late game... just flailing."
Like thinly slicing skin from flesh until existence faded. Alekson sweated, thrashed. But couldn't escape layer-by-layer peeling.
"Thus, I died on the 147th exchange."
Recollection ended.
Alekson's face twisted; mere recall brought cold sweat. His fists clenched, trembling unwittingly.
Bennett saw Alekson like this for the first time.
"...Then I admitted it. If that mage were perfectly born in body too... he might one day challenge the empire's boy knights."
"......"
"Go seek his teachings, Bennett. Without my uha... I might've mimicked that mage's way. But I've set my path, hardened. You're different. Bennett... learn that mage's swordsmanship."
Learn from bigger waters, better masters. Alekson admitted his limits, urging his disciple. Bennett ground his teeth.
His mind reeled.
"...Yes, Master."
Bennett nodded, rising.
A variable.
A Violet Magic Tower mage Alekson rated so highly would disrupt plans. Investigate, inform infiltrated black wizards. Eliminate if problematic.
Gazing at Alekson's hollow-seeming figure, Bennett blurted unwittingly.
"Still, I have only one master."
"You brat..."
Alekson's expression softened faintly. Bennett bowed, exiting.
Alekson's status unchanged. Still perfect cover, shield. Comforting the downcast Alekson scored points──necessary for the plan... probably.
Information Bennett gathered from black wizards and friendly classmates:
Name: Unknown.
Age: Unknown.
Affiliation: Violet Magic Tower.
Direct disciple of the Violet Magic Tower Master.
Backed by Second Prince Irid.
Seen carried by a suited maid.
Maid sparked catfight with academy girls.
Visited campus lingerie shop upon arrival.
Suspicious activities spotted at certain academy spots.
Last night, witnessed heading south from faculty residences.
"......"
Bennett noted "womanizer" in his report upward. With such a flashy profile, honey traps would work.
"Suspicious activities..."
Direct contact later. First, check what the Violet Tower mage plotted. Tonight, deep when all slept.
Bennett closed his eyes, tracing his soul's outline. Carefully tore a corner. Heart-ripping pain flashed; vast mana remained in his fingertips.
Soul and body intertwined. Weakening soul harmed flesh. Using one's soul for black magic inevitably shaved lifespan.
Bennett always hesitated using his soul for black magic.
But recalling how all he'd once had was devoured by flames──only ashes in his hands──steeled him. Courage to complete the plan, whatever it took.
Soul-consuming magic amplification. Mana swirled into his pupils. Surging blood he spat into the trash.
About three years' lifespan gone, but irrelevant for plan completion.
The spell showing one minute past now clearly revealed a full day prior. Bennett tracked the hooded mage and suited beauty's illusions.
He arrived at a lecture hall clearing.
Captured image: mage burying something with a shovel. Bennett scanned, confirmed empty, magicked the soil away instantly.
"...A sword?"
An ordinary-looking sword lay buried.
No one buries trash with a shovel at night──especially in rain. Plus, they used shovels to avoid magic traces. So meticulous, yet ordinary? Unlikely.
Suspecting, Bennett thinly sliced his palm with it.
Blood dripped. The blood-soaked sword awoke from standby.
To prevent 'feed the demon sword' murders on civilians, it activated on blood detection.
-Are you my new master? The one who awoke me...
Confirming demon sword, Bennett sealed it instantly, belted it. Couldn't be found.
"...Womanizer, backed by Second Prince, wise enough to best Alekson verbally, hiding demon swords in academy..."
...A fellow black wizard?
Perhaps a high-rank dispatched by "Fear-Eating Corpse Flower" for plan completion.
Black wizard network was compartmentalized. Bennett only contacted 'higher-ups'; couldn't identify academy infiltrators. Thus, impossible to confirm if Violet Tower mage was ally now.
If fellow, rebury sword better.
If not, taking it fine. But if not black wizard, why bury demon sword here? Churches handled them with rewards.
As he pondered deeply, footsteps approached.
"......"
No time to rebury or disguise. Bennett grabbed the demon sword and fled.