Chapter 248
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 248
Chapter Title: Is That the Power of a Boy My Age?
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Is that really the power of a boy my age?
Isn't this joke going a bit too far?
Basara stared blankly at the monster that had been completely neutralized by a single strike.
He was starting to doubt whether Leon was even human to begin with.
No matter how much of a genius someone was, could they really do that? At least, it didn't make sense by any common knowledge he knew.
And then, a bitter sense of helplessness followed.
Just as his grandfather had said, he'd only been gazing at the sky from the bottom of a well.
But he felt wronged.
He'd thought that someday he might catch up to someone like Ashuria Abelgard.
Leon Cascadia. Not even the slightest hint of such feelings arose against the boy standing before him.
Ashuria Abelgard was the disciple of a great archmage, after all.
But for a boy born into an ordinary noble family to be this strong? It just didn't add up.
That was when it happened. The completely neutralized creature began to twitch and resist, and Leon tore open a subspace to draw out a single sword.
A blade radiating an eerie demonic energy.
Basara had seen that sword long ago. It was the demonic sword stored in the Sword House, from the Mielephon family.
A cursed blade that would devour anyone unworthy who dared to wield it with its demonic energy.
Yet in Leon's hand, that demonic sword had turned as docile as a lamb.
-Kiiiiieeeek!!
The monster's eyeball quivered, and the light around it warped, spawning shards like shattered glass.
At the same time, hundreds of tentacles erupted from each fragment, pouring out like water from a burst dam.
The problem was their speed.
It was too fast for even Basara to react.
"D-Danger!"
He only sensed the countless tentacles closing in on Leon's position belatedly.
'As expected of a mage—his reactions are too slow!'
It was already too late for him to do anything, but he moved on reflex.
But before he could act, the situation resolved itself.
Kwajik!!
Luna, standing right beside him, lightly kicked the air, sending out a shockwave that tore most of the tentacles apart mid-air.
What in the world!
Basara's eyes widened in shock.
He'd seen techniques similar to that kick before.
None other than from his grandfather. It was a feat occasionally demonstrated by the Star of Creation.
This slender girl had just performed a technique that only the Star of Creation had ever shown?
"Thanks."
As Leon spoke, the demonic sword in his hand let out a resonant hum, leaving a red afterimage.
Leon hadn't moved from his spot, yet the blade was already dripping with unidentified bloodstains.
-Kiiiiiaaaaaaaa!!!!
Meanwhile, the monster thrashed wildly, blood pouring from its entire body.
Leon slowly approached the massive eyeball, now wriggling like a worm, having lost all means of attack.
"For a thing that devours mana as food, the way to make it spit us out is simple."
Feed it until its stomach bursts—without killing it.
Wuuuung!!!!
Soon, Leon placed his hand on the creature's form and began pumping mana into it.
At first, the thing seemed overflowing with power, but it didn't take long before it started convulsing grotesquely, making bizarre noises.
"What's wrong? It's your favorite mana. Eat up. Stuff yourself silly."
-Kiik…… Kieeeeeek!!
The creature desperately tried to expel the mana in agony.
But it couldn't.
Basara watched blankly before turning to Ashuria, slumped beside him.
"H-Hey…… Ashuria Abelgard. What the hell is going on with that……?"
"He's wrapped the mana so it can't even spit it out…… To do that, he'd lose more than twice the mana he's injecting."
The mana flowing through Leon's hand was already astonishing, and over twice that amount was surging wildly…….
The change came quickly.
Unable to endure, the creature seemed to decide it had to deal with the root cause. It thrashed violently, and with a perung!!, it tore open a massive rift that swallowed everyone present.
At the same time, cool, fresh air touched their skin.
"Hup! O-Outside! We made it out!!"
Before their eyes writhed a massive chameleon-like beast, dozens of meters long, twisting in agony on the ground.
However, having gorged itself so suddenly, it looked too exhausted to even fight properly.
"Professor Leon here. Three troublemakers secured."
Leon brought a hand to his ear and said something.
"Leon, want me to handle the rest?"
"Suddenly?"
"Been needing a stress outlet lately."
At Luna's request, Leon quietly nodded.
"Yeah. Do whatever."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Luna cracked her knuckles with a series of pops and approached at a leisurely pace.
The beast's massive claw shot toward her as it flailed, but a gigantic wolf bursting from the shadows of black mist clamped down on its arm, halting it.
The spectral wolf, radiating immense ferocity, flashed its eyes once before executing a death roll, severing the limb entirely.
With its resistance thwarted, the beast's fate was sealed.
Kwaaaang!!
A deafening roar erupted—not one you'd associate with a clash between a colossal monster and a petite girl—as Berga's enormous body buckled dramatically.
-Kiiiiiiiiii…….
Afflicted by severe internal damage, Berga couldn't withstand Luna's assault and collapsed, breath fading.
For a Beast King, it was an utterly pathetic end.
"Consider yourselves lucky that Berga is one of the weaker Beast Kings. You lot."
Leon let out a deep sigh as he trudged over.
He then stared down at Ashuria and flicked her forehead hard.
"Ow!"
Ashuria clutched her forehead without resisting, rolling on the ground.
"Basara Krevad. Rubas Hontail."
By now, neither had any will left to resist Leon's presence.
The two cadets froze like raw recruits facing a demon captain.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"Yep!"
"Close your eyes."
Ppak!!
"Gaaaaah!! My skull!!"
"U…… Uwaaaah!"
Even with aura reflexively shielding him, the excruciating pain overwhelmed Basara. He forgot his usual poise and screamed, tumbling away.
"You lot…… Ha……. Never mind. The academy will handle the discipline. Especially you, Ashuria Abelgard."
"It hurts, Professor."
"That's why I hit you. You'll probably get a severe reprimand."
Sensing the approach of multiple professors from afar, Basara blurted out a question on reflex.
"P-Professor."
"What?"
"You're…… a mage, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Then…… that swordsmanship you showed earlier……."
"As a bonus."
Basara gave up thinking about it.
He was impossible to comprehend anyway.
"Hoo…… It matches the illustrations in the ancient texts. The Beast King Berga for real……."
"A Beast King emerging from the Demon Realm is shocking enough…… But to subjugate it in such a short time……."
Even the professors seemed to have given up trying to understand.
The exam itself proceeded without major hitches.
Though the results were riddled with variables, the biggest was the former failing cadets.
The ten failing cadets racked up unexpectedly high scores, not just scraping by but landing in the top ranks.
The professors didn't even try to hide their astonishment at the transformation of these hopeless cases.
Word spread that cadets they'd all but written off had shone after just a month, naturally drawing eyes to the one who'd turned them around.
"If you'd accept, you could be a full professor immediately……."
"Nah, I prefer lounging around on the payroll."
"Grr…… What a shame……. Young master, you could be the greatest professor……."
"We'll cross paths eventually. So, what about the failing cadets now?"
"They avoided failing, so no academic probation needed. As you know, the academy isn't that harsh. All prior warnings are wiped, and they'll need four more to trigger probation."
In other words, as long as they didn't suddenly go nuts and slack off, graduation was in the bag.
"At least they've found their path, so no reason to call them troublemakers or failures anymore. You did great work. And thank you sincerely."
"So, the request ends here?"
"On paper, yes. But I'd appreciate more help afterward."
"Understood."
He gave a wry smile.
"As for those three troublemakers who ditched the exam grounds……."
"What happened to them?"
"They broke rules, so discipline awaits. Ashuria Abelgard is slated for a severe one. Coincidentally, results come out today—want to see?"
"No, I've got somewhere to stop by."
I'd taught Ashuria briefly, but she was just a side case compared to the others.
"I see. Heading straight back, then?"
"Yes, thanks to your permission, I can hop through Melissa's dorm and go right away. I'll take my leave."
As I stood, he chuckled heartily.
"Heh heh, really…… Who knows how many times the academy has owed you now. Must be getting on in years for magic to cloud my eyes……."
It felt awkward to assure him things would be fine now.
We still hadn't pinned down what exactly this "young seed" was that Niala, servant of the Red Moon, was after.
That said, Berga's movements felt off, even accounting for the stampede gate.
The exam site was far from the Black Forest to begin with.
No matter how stealth-optimized a creature Berga was, sneaking that far undetected? Dubious.
Whatever the truth, Luna would know best, but she seemed reluctant to discuss it.
And it wasn't just a hunch.
Leaving the dean's office, I packed up lightly with Luna, who'd been waiting, and prepared to head back.
As we walked out, we spotted the ten boys and girls who'd been waiting for us.
"Professor!!"
They'd stood there silently, eyes fixed on us alone, as if waiting since our arrival.
"What're you doing? Exam's over—time to get back to cadet life. And I'm not your professor anymore."
But they wouldn't budge.
"Never in our lives have we experienced anything like this. No matter how hard we tried, professors who offered to help shook their heads and gave up."
Despairing, facing expulsion—that future was all they'd seen. What I'd shown them might've been their one lifeline.
"We'll etch this grace into our bones. Thank you!!"
"Thank you!!"
I scanned the cadets one by one as they awaited my response.
Then I said,
"Cut the crap and go swing your swords a few more times. You think ranking high this time means you're hot stuff? You were competing with newbie rookies, you idiots. Fundamentally short on mana and aura, all you can do is grind harder than anyone, skimping on sleep."
They looked flustered at my words.
"If you get it, move it, you lot."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
I turned quietly as they scampered off.
No need to rush seeing Melissa; we'd meet for dinner.