Episode 9
Episode 9
Mages weren't the only ones who could wield mana.
Swordsmen who had spent their lives training with blades could condense mana and coat their swords with it.
This was the realm of Aura!
Since this looked so spectacular and flashy, many noble children would see it and declare they wanted to learn swordsmanship.
Even those from mage families were no exception.
So when Lee Han first said he wanted to learn swordsmanship, Alarong had thought:
'Ah, he wants to learn Aura. He'll be disappointed when he learns the truth.'
Alarong was a strict knight.
He saw no need to reveal the truth upfront, assuming Lee Han would naturally give up.
But Lee Han persevered far better than expected, and satisfied, Alarong decided to tell him the truth himself.
...Except Lee Han had no particular interest in Aura, which left Alarong rather flustered.
-"I just think it's enough to train myself and protect my own body."
-"...!"
Alarong couldn't help but be impressed by Lee Han's words.
It was a level of maturity uncommon in a child.
To think he was learning swordsmanship with such earnest dedication.
-"Actually, Young Master Lee Han. You too could wield Aura someday."
-"No... I'm fine without Aura. I just want to be a mage—"
-"Aura isn't something you can attain just by swinging a sword for a year or two. But if you keep training diligently as I've taught you, you may achieve it someday."
-"I told you, I just need to protect myself. Sir. I want to live inside the office."
Regardless, Lee Han kept at it as Alarong instructed.
Not because he aimed to attain Aura or become a Swordmaster, but simply because training couldn't hurt.
...And now, the results were showing.
'This feels... better than I expected?'
Lee Han was surprised at himself.
It wasn't shocking that he'd read the pig's movements and struck precisely with his staff when it charged.
He'd learned that technique after being beaten by Alarong countless times.
The staff issued by the Magic School was sturdy enough to double as a club without issue.
But when he hit the pig, he felt something—the surrounding mana rippling and gathering into his staff.
A sensation he'd never experienced during all his sword training!
'Is it because I've started learning magic?'
He wondered if this was what Alarong meant by "you may achieve it someday."
The natural feeling of gathering mana into his weapon.
Of course, it was still far too rudimentary to be called Aura.
True Aura required condensing accumulated mana.
But this alone was enough.
An attack imbued with mana was far more destructive than a simple swing.
-Grroooaaak...
Indeed, the fiercely squealing pig staggered from a single blow before collapsing sideways.
Nilia, who'd been watching, stared at Lee Han as if baffled.
'Did I miss something?? Did he use magic??'
The world of magic was vast, and of course, there were spells to enhance strength or agility.
But those were far too advanced for a freshman who'd just enrolled.
"Did you kill it!?"
"Seems... so."
Lee Han lowered his staff and checked the Mutant Pig's pulse. It was definitely dead.
Yoner rose with support, looking just as bewildered as he spoke.
"Is this class even allowed?"
"I've been questioning that since I met the headmaster."
Even if the secrets of Alchemy lay deep in nature, was it right to have monsters like this roaming where freshmen who hadn't even properly learned magic were sent?
Calling it a pig was generous—given its earlier power, it wouldn't be strange if it had smashed through a thick tree.
'Should I just drop Alchemy?'
Lee Han seriously considered it.
Assuming all the professors at this Magic School were somewhat insane, calculating the mortality rate...
"Wouldn't classes held outside the classroom be more advanced than those inside?"
At first, I thought it might be an easy class where we'd just coast by, but seeing monsters like this now, it seemed things could get much tougher going forward.
"They might send us deeper into the forest next time to collect something like troll saliva."
"Ugh..."
Yoner also frowned slightly at Lee Han's words, seeming troubled.
She did want to open an alchemy workshop someday, but she had no desire to die in the process.
"W-wait. You two aren't planning to drop this class, are you?"
Nilia spoke urgently.
Their circle of friends was already small enough as it was.
These two were the only friends she'd barely managed to make. If they quit alchemy, Nilia would be left to suffer through the class alone again.
"You're not seriously considering it, right?! You're both from the Blue Dragon Tower, aren't you? Come on, don't you have any pride or something?"
"I don't."
"I tend to value practicality over honor myself..."
"......"
At the responses from these two great nobles, Nilia completely sulked.
"Fine, do whatever you want!"
"Huh? Why are you getting upset?"
"She's right. We haven't actually decided to quit yet."
"...Really?"
Just as Nilia turned her head to ask, a familiar screeching sound erupted from the distance.
-■■■!
"...Looks like another one showed up."
"...Might be better to just drop the class after all..."
"......"
What the three found upon rushing over was another mutant pig, just like the one they'd faced earlier.
Realizing that there weren't just one but at least two of these creatures in the area, Lee Han quickly reached a conclusion.
"I think we should drop this class."
"Hey...!"
"Now doesn't seem like the time to be discussing that..."
Yoner pointed downward.
The pig wasn't alone. It was threatening a group of unfortunate students.
'Six of them.'
There were six students, including the Princess and Adenart.
A much better situation than Lee Han's group.
"They'll probably handle it fine on their own, right?"
"Huh?"
Yoner glanced at Lee Han, then back down below. Then back at Lee Han again.
"You really think so?"
"Let those guys deal with it themselves."
Nilia grumbled as she spoke.
She didn't have a favorable impression of Adenart's entourage.
A haughty, arrogant princess and the sycophants clinging to her for favor—that's what they looked like!
"I'll take care of this!"
"!"
One of the six stepped forward. Lee Han recognized him as a noble he'd seen around the dormitory.
"Who is that?"
Though he'd seen the face before, that didn't mean he could immediately place it. Lee Han knew the major imperial noble houses, but he wasn't familiar with all their children's faces.
"Ashan Dalkard."
"Ah. The Dalkard family, then."
"...You know the family but not the face...?"
Yoner looked puzzled.
The Dalkard family.
If the Wardanaz family had traditionally served as the Emperor's advisors, the Dalkard family had held positions like imperial chancellor or treasurer for generations.
A family renowned for their exceptional and precise work.
"If it's the Dalkard family, we can probably trust him."
"Yeah. Unlike Gainando, he seems reliable."
"?"
Nilia, who'd been listening, tilted her head in confusion.
Did they just mention the imperial prince?
Ashan was tall and lean to the point of being gaunt, but his stance as he gripped his staff looked impressive.
Lee Han noticed that Ashan had trained quite a bit in swordsmanship.
Experts recognize each other.
"That Dalkard kid knows swordsmanship too."
"If that's the case... then it should be fine."
Yoner felt relieved.
She didn't want anything bad to happen to the six below.
Ashan pointed his staff at the pig.
"I've read your movements 100%."
Then he took a step.
"You can't escape my predictions. Pig!"
And another step.
Each stride was perfectly measured, as if drawn with a ruler. Lee Han was mildly impressed.
'Is that the Human Campus style?'
Imperial swordsmanship was as diverse as magic.
Strong and heavy styles, fast and light styles, complex and ever-changing styles...
And according to Alarong, there were even styles like the one Ashan seemed to be using now.
"A geometric swordsmanship that creates shapes centered around one's position with each footstep, based on complex mathematical calculations..."
"Oh. That looks fun—can I learn it?"
"...What!? You think that looks FUN!? Doesn't it seem like completely insane swordsmanship!?"
Alarong didn't know that particular swordsmanship and only taught what he was familiar with, but watching Ashan move while gripping his staff reminded Lee Han of it.
Meticulous to the core!
"■■■!"
As Ashan taunted the boar while stepping through his footwork, the boar seemed to have lost its temper.
It let out a fierce cry and charged straight at Ashan.
Ashan sidestepped like a bullfighter and viciously jabbed the boar's flank with his staff.
"Ha!"
"■!"
BAM!
And then Ashan went flying.
The enraged boar had slammed on the brakes and then hurled its body sideways.
"......"
"......"
It wasn't a direct hit, but the impact was nothing to scoff at. Ashan tumbled head over heels.
"Tch. My calculations were off..."
"...So he was just someone who diligently studied swordsmanship without real experience..."
Lee Han muttered.
From the looks of it, he had trained hard in swordsmanship but had almost no actual combat experience.
No wonder his stance was decent, but he couldn't predict the boar's movements and ended up getting launched like that!
"Let's help him."
"!"
Nilia was startled by Lee Han's words.
She never expected him to step up and offer help in that situation.
'Is this... noble dignity...?'
Unlike other nobles who were all talk, here was someone who took the initiative in a dangerous situation.
He seemed like the kind of noble you'd only read about in stories. Nilia was slightly moved.
"If I help him now, I can ask for favors in other classes later. Exams, assignments... especially with the Princess's connections."
"......"
Nilia's admiration vanished.
You opportunistic little—!
Adenart gestured behind her without a word.
The meaning was clear even without speaking.
The four remaining students hastily hid behind Adenart.
Not that hiding would do much...
Adenart suddenly felt a pang of loneliness.
She was the one who told them to step back, but she wasn't exactly happy about the situation.
Still, this was just another duty to fulfill.
Like all the other tasks she had executed flawlessly before, Adenart intended to deal with this boar perfectly as well.
'Read its breathing. If it charges...'
THUD!
With a loud crash, the boar was sent tumbling sideways.
"?!??!"
And then Lee Han appeared behind it, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Glad I wasn't spotted."
"Now you see how important it is to approach with the wind at your back?"
"Yeah. A hunter's wisdom is truly impressive."
"...If you keep taking Alchemy classes, you might deepen that wisdom even further?"
"No. Hard pass."
"......"
Lee Han had already made up his mind.
No more Alchemy!
'I'll live inside the lecture halls.'
Adenart stiffened for a moment before quickly regaining her composure and bowing her head slightly.
"...Thank you, Wardanaz."
"It was nothing, Your Highness."
Nilia, listening nearby, whispered in confusion.
"Why are you speaking formally?"
"Good question. I got swept up in the moment, I guess."
Even though they were all peers and school rules made casual speech the norm regardless of status, the Princess's manner of speaking had unconsciously made him switch to formal speech.
"By the way, if you feel indebted, could I ask you for a small favor?"
Adenart nodded.
"Could you recommend some easy-A classes?"
Since the Princess had a wider network than Lee Han, she'd probably know more about such things.
That was his reasoning.
"......"
From Adenart's perspective, however, the question was slightly mind-boggling.
What in the world was this Wardanaz mage saying?
Surely he wasn't asking just to coast through classes—was there some deeper meaning?
"I know some easy-A classes!"
A familiar dwarf's voice rang out from behind.
Lee Han suddenly felt a chilling sense of foreboding.
Like the time he'd run into his old graduate school professor...
Tap—
The dwarf professor, Thunderstep, grabbed Lee Han's collar just as he tried to dodge away.
And then, in a cheerful voice, declared:
"That would be Alchemy, Wardanaz."
"......"