Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Runner Loan
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Loan and Jose's duel seemed, at a glance, to be quite evenly matched.
No, some even believed Jose had the upper hand.
Jose's swordsmanship was renowned for its speed, even among Runners, and it looked as though Loan was only narrowly avoiding his strikes just before they landed.
They jumped to the conclusion that Loan didn't even have a moment to cast his magic.
"He's plotting something again, isn't he?"
Quite a few people thought the same as Lucas. That was how many times Loan had defied expectations.
"It looks less like plotting and more like observing. As if he's studying."
However, most, like Sienna, had accurately assessed Loan.
After all, the ones watching this duel weren't ordinary people but members of the Union.
‘First, I need to re-examine my breathing.’
In reality, Loan was tracing his steps back to his very first memory of seeing mana, delicately recalling every moment.
His magical power might be outstanding and his injected knowledge vast, but in the context of the system he was trying to build, it seemed logical to view his senior mages as mere beginners in mana.
He was deep in thought when it happened.
Shhhk-
Suddenly, Jose put some distance between himself and Loan.
"Are you toying with me?"
He was a skilled swordsman, one whom even Lucas acknowledged.
Having been an Odds for six years, his experience and skill had grown considerably, and thanks to a good upbringing in a fine family, his magical power was also exceptional.
It was only natural for him to show his displeasure with Loan, who wasn't launching any proper attacks.
Loan bowed his head, expressing his apology.
"My apologies. Your swordsmanship is so refined that I wanted to commit it to memory."
"Nonsense."
"I had a moment of realization, so I acted without thinking."
It was a common occurrence.
Sparring was, after all, a way for both parties to grow through such moments.
Since his opponent was candidly admitting to gaining insight while fighting him, Jose couldn't remain entirely hostile.
"Then show me what you've really got."
"I will."
As soon as Loan finished speaking, Jose drew upon his magical power all at once.
The surging magical power awakened his entire body before settling firmly in his lower half.
Swhooooosh!
With his sword leading the way, Jose's body charged toward Loan, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind.
Loan guided the Convection, which he had been constantly circulating without releasing, into his fist.
Just as the tip of the sword was about to touch Loan's chest.
Loan twisted his body smoothly, precisely examining the blade that flashed before his eyes, and then thrust his fist toward a single point.
Recalling the blue-glowing fist Hans had shown him, he aimed for the central axis of the sword that shot forward like a beam of light.
Kwang-!
He put his all into it.
"Kugh!"
Following the deafening roar of immense magical power colliding, Jose's sword, unable to withstand the impact, flew from his hand and went soaring.
Loan spoke to the dumbfounded Jose.
"I've shown you."
It was Jose's clear defeat.
"Enough!"
As Commander Garcia's declaration rang out, Loan glanced up at the platform.
The face of the Governor-General, whose eyes were covered, yet somehow seemed to be smiling.
She clasped the commission certificate and spoke.
"Odds Jose, proceed with your next duel. Runner Loan, that will be all."
Such a swift change in title.
Loan could only blink his eyes rapidly in bewilderment.
Jose tapped Loan's shoulder.
"I did not see that coming. I will be ready next time."
Leaving those bitter words behind, he departed the training grounds first. At the same time.
"Runner Loan!"
Lucas came running onto the training grounds, arms wide open.
"Wow... is this for real? A Runner in less than half a year since graduation."
"I know..."
Typically, it takes a mage ten years to advance from Odds to Runner.
It was an unbelievable result, but then again, it was unreasonable to compare Loan to other mages in the first place.
Still dazed, Loan received congratulations from Lucas, now the sole Odds in the Faith Division, followed by praise from his seniors.
"Thanks to you, I feel like we can hold our heads a little higher."
"Looks like you've made progress in combat while with the Stability Division. It felt like your punch was infused with aura."
"It felt different. Maybe a magic punch, if you will."
"What a truly awful name."
His bewilderment gradually eased with his seniors' playful banter.
Loan expressed his gratitude to each of his seniors.
Finally, Oscar and Adrian received Loan's thanks.
"I was promoted thanks to your guidance. Thank you."
"You're the youngest among the Runners. You'll have to work twice as hard."
Adrian said.
Oscar reached out to pat Loan's head, but hesitated and lowered his hand to pat his shoulder instead.
"The promotion ceremony will be held tomorrow, after all the evaluations up to the Runner rank are complete."
"Yes."
"From now on, you need a different mindset. You've become a member who can represent the Union on your own."
"Understood."
Loan turned his gaze toward the training grounds where the next promotion duel would take place.
* * *
The next day, after all the evaluations were finished, the promotion ceremony was held.
Standing on the platform and looking down, Loan was overwhelmed by the sheer number of Union members lined up in formation, filling the grand training grounds, along with personnel from the administration and other indirect departments.
He'd been told that about half the members were present, excluding those on external missions, but seeing them all gathered like this, their presence was truly formidable.
"Unless there are unavoidable circumstances, attendance at the promotion ceremony is mandatory."
That was what Sienna had told him before he went up to the platform.
The last awards ceremony was only for the recipients, and the promotion evaluations yesterday and today were voluntary for those who wanted to cheer, so why was attendance at the promotion ceremony mandatory for everyone?
While he was wondering, Lazarus's voice boomed across the grand training grounds.
"From Odds, who were once but a possibility, to Runners, who now stand proudly on their own to become the vitality of the Union—"
Three people, including Loan, were promoted in this evaluation. Countless eyes fell upon them.
"And here are the Seekers, the strength of the Union, who will expand their domain of establishment from themselves to the world."
Five were approved for promotion. Compared to the number of applicants, not many had achieved their goal.
The martial prowess to take on an entire noble house, the position of a 7th-ranked vice-commander able to oversee a division's practical affairs, the authority to enact the Union's will anywhere in the world and pass judgment on sin.
As significant as the weight of that responsibility was, crossing the threshold was no easy task.
Loan felt a small sense of relief as he looked at them.
The distance he usually felt seemed to have shortened just a little.
"Seeker of the Pragmatism Division, Yorgos."
The announcements continued in the meantime.
It was time to receive a new badge on their chests.
Those whose names were called stood before the Governor-General one by one.
The Governor-General's incredibly fine and delicate hands touched their chests. The old badges were replaced by a new light.
She said.
"Thank you."
She offered thanks, not congratulations. And with it, a smile.
The gentle curve of the Governor-General's lips felt incredibly benevolent.
Was that why?
"Runner of the Faith Division, Loan."
When his turn came, Loan's heart began to pound.
Loan walked slowly and stood before the Governor-General.
"... ."
After a moment of silence, the Governor-General's hand touched his chest.
The Odds insignia on his left breast vanished, and the silver Runner insignia, which had floated gently in the air before his eyes for a moment, settled into the empty spot.
During the process, Loan didn't know where to look.
Looking at the crown of the Governor-General's head somehow felt sacrilegious.
He tilted his head back slightly, trying to gaze into the distance, when...
"Thank you."
The Governor-General's voice reached him.
She had said the same words to everyone, but somehow, it sounded different this time. It wasn't just his imagination.
Just like himself when he recited, she had gently pushed mana into her breath, tickling his ears and stirring his heart.
It was only natural that the Governor-General's sincerity was conveyed in its entirety.
Within it were unspoken words: that she had seen his talent, that she was proud he had kept his promise.
Loan placed his fist over the new silver badge, showing the highest respect he could.
"Now, the promoted Runners will descend from the platform and exchange greetings with all those present."
Only then did Loan understand why so many people were filling the training grounds, standing in such perfect posture.
He walked, and he stopped.
He met each person's eyes, placed a fist on his chest, and exchanged greetings.
Amid the welcoming greetings, he saw eyes full of trust.
"We're counting on you."
"Thank you."
It was the moment he was finally acknowledged not as a mere possibility, but as a comrade who would run alongside them.
* * *
After a day of rest, Loan returned to the Faith Division and went straight to the commander's office.
"Oh, our new Runner is here?"
Adrian greeted Loan warmly. He and Sienna were the only ones in the office.
"Sit. I have something for you."
He sat down as Sienna instructed, and a small notebook and pen were abruptly placed on the table.
"Ah..."
He remembered it. The magical tool he had first seen during the Ollen mission. A carrier pigeon that allowed Union members to communicate over long distances.
"It's an item issued to members from the rank of Runner and above."
"Yes. You told me about it then."
He had even examined the magic circle drawn on the pen before.
However, he couldn't fully understand the circle, neither then nor now.
This was because much of it was abbreviated, and Loan suspected there was a special trick to it that couldn't be handled with mere formulas.
"This carrier pigeon corresponds with only one person. In other words, once this notebook understands your magical power, no one else can use it."
"It understands magical power?"
"It does so by absorbing your magical power through the pen. No two people have the exact same magical power."
Loan nodded and picked up the pen.
"Write your division and your name."
As instructed, he wrote the neat characters for "Faith Division, Loan" on the first page of the notebook, which was faintly embossed with the Union's mark.
In that moment, the Convection flowing through Loan's body was sucked into the pen, as if it had found an unexpected vent.
It wasn't an excessive amount, so he watched silently without showing any reaction. A faint magical power flowed from the nib-shaped tip, writing words that didn't actually appear on the paper.
"Since it's written with magical power, it's not actually visible, but because your intentions are connected, the meaning will be conveyed..."
Sienna trailed off slightly, suspecting that Loan could probably see it anyway.
And indeed, Loan's eyes could clearly see the process of the neat handwriting being absorbed into the paper.
"Now that notebook has become your Familiar Object. The two are a pair, so you can now send and receive information."
"To send something to the Administration Bureau, I write it down, tear out the page, and let it fly, right?"
"That's for reports, yes. For questions, you just write them down and leave them."
"Are the two different?"
Adrian, who had been watching the process with interest, suddenly spoke up.
"Reporting information about missions is its most important function, but of course, you can also request information you want to know. Try writing something you're curious about."
"Here?"
"Yep. Ask anything. As long as it's a question that can be answered, you'll get something."
Loan nodded and wrote down the question he was most curious about at that very moment.
[Where is Franco?]
He wanted to retrieve one of the lost Shevilles.