The Path of the Magic Swordsman
"That guy actually won the whole thing."
"His tournament bracket was absolute garbage, but his skills are the real deal."
"Is it just me, or is he starting to look kind of handsome...?"
Ah, yes. This is the stuff. That thrilling shiver running down my spine. The pure ecstasy of achievement. Well, to be fair, it was mostly thanks to my system cheats and Hound's ridiculous innate talent.
"Student Hound? Your acceptance speech, please."
"Ah, yes."
The magic tool amplified my voice. It was basically the equivalent of a microphone in my old world. Or maybe a megaphone would be a more accurate description.
"You shouldn't hold the magic tool too low."
"..."
Even the feedback is exactly like a real microphone... I guess some things are universal, whether in reality or a novel. I raised the magic tool higher.
"First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Headmaster of Estrada Academy for granting me this wonderful opportunity. Despite my commoner background, he graciously admitted me under the title of a Special Scholarship Student. My achievements today are entirely a result of the path the Headmaster paved for me."
First, butter up the Headmaster and make him feel smug.
"Next, I must convey my heartfelt thanks to my swordsmanship instructor, who has guided me with such patience. He ensured I never fell into the traps of arrogance or pride, tailoring his instruction perfectly to my level."
Next, put a smile on the instructor's face.
"Lastly, I dedicate the glory of this victory to Lady Mikaris Merian, Lady Ronia Cardelia, and Lady Linet Estupina, who have supported me unconditionally throughout this journey."
I wrapped up my speech by dedicating the grand finale to them. I sounded a bit like a chatterbox, but hey, a little extra flair never hurt anyone.
As I stepped down from the grand stage, I glanced back and saw the Headmaster dabbing tears from his eyes. Was my speech really that moving? Well, playing the social game is a basic survival skill.
The moment I reached the bottom of the stairs, the swordsmanship instructor clapped a hand onto my shoulder. "Well, well! Our Special Scholarship Student's speech was absolutely magnificent. But tell me, haven't you gotten stronger than me by now?"
"Oh, not at all, sir. Any strength I've gained is entirely thanks to your excellent guidance."
In truth, I was stronger than him. A 6-Star rank was the final step right before becoming a Sword Master, after all. I bowed deeply and respectfully to the instructor.
"Thank you for your teachings, Instructor. I was only able to win because of you."
"Oh, come now, I barely did anything... It was all your own talent." I saw the corners of the instructor's mouth twitching upward. Yep, this is how you navigate the professional world.
"I shall take my leave now, sir."
"Right, go on. Head back to your seat."
As I returned to my seat, the Headmaster spoke into the magic tool, his voice slightly choked with emotion.
He was a good man, but like any school principal, he loved the sound of his own voice. Still, was he really allowed to say something so controversial out in the open? It made me feel incredibly self-conscious.
Once the tedious closing remarks finally ended, I stood up, feeling my chest swell with pride. Just then, Mikaris approached me.
"You'll be a second-year soon. That means there's only one year left until your coming-of-age ceremony, right?"
"Will you host it for me, Lady Mika?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Mikaris hummed a cheerful tune as she tugged on my hand. "Shall we go? To my room."
"Ah, actually, my dormitory room is fully renovated now. It's a shame, but I don't think I can keep staying in your room, Lady Mika."
"Already? Why? How?" The light instantly drained from Mikaris's eyes.
"Well, they did say it would take a little over a week to finish..."
"What a pity. Truly..."
"Should we go to your room just for today? Since it's the last night..."
At my suggestion, Mikaris's face instantly lit up. "Really? Yes, let's do that. That sounds perfect."
Mikaris linked her arm through mine as we walked. I adjusted my pace to match hers, a natural smile spreading across my face. Now this is what I call happiness. Thank you, Mr. Author...!
The moment we stepped into Mikaris's room, she threw herself into my arms. "Hey, Hound. You're only going to look at me for the rest of your life, right?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked if you're only going to look at me."
While it was true that Mikaris was my absolute favorite, my ultimate goal was a harem. I had no idea how to answer this safely.
"Of course. I love everyone."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"What do you mean?"
"It sounds like you're saying you plan on loving other people besides me."
I had tried to play it off smoothly, but the arms wrapped around my waist were tightening with alarming force. I needed to choose my next words very carefully.
"I meant I love everything about you, Mika! Hahaha..."
"Right? All you need to do is obey me, and me alone."
"Of course, of course. Ah, by the way, there's actually something I wanted to consult you about."
"What is it?"
"I want to learn magic."
"Magic?"
I pulled a random magic book from Mikaris's bookshelf. "After fighting the Crown Prince, I realized something. A magic swordsman is the real deal."
"Are you being serious? The only reason that worked is because he's the Crown Prince."
"If the Crown Prince can do it, there's no way I can't. Could you teach me some magic?"
"..." Mikaris furrowed her brow, falling into deep thought. But it only lasted for a moment.
"Well, we can give it a try. But you have to build a solid foundation from the basics, okay?"
"Of course."
As long as I had my 500% proficiency cheat, it would be a breeze. I'd probably breeze through the basics in the blink of an eye, right? ...Or so I foolishly thought.
"Listen closely. To cast magic, you first have to memorize the magic circles. Then, you must visualize the spell formula. It's a discipline that requires immense mental effort."
"..." A splitting headache bloomed behind my temples, making me feel like my skull was about to crack open. Mages actually memorize all these magic circles and spell formulas? I couldn't believe it.
Even the eight professional certifications I had crammed for and earned between the ages of twenty and twenty-six—including my time in the military—weren't this brutal... Clutching my forehead, I groaned to Mikaris.
"Can we take a short break first? I feel like my head is going to explode."
"Sure. It's always difficult for beginners. It does require a certain level of talent, after all." Mikaris began sliding the stacked books back onto the shelf.
"Mika, I'm going to go get some fresh air and stretch my stiff muscles."
"Alright, go ahead. Let's grab some food when you get back."
"I'll be quick."
The moment I stepped out of Mikaris's room, I opened my Special Shop. I began scrolling down rapidly, just as I always did. Isn't there some useful magic package I can buy?
I kept my eyes glued to the Special Shop as I walked, but I couldn't find any particularly good packages. Sigh... Was I trying to rely too much on easy shortcuts? The only magic-related packages I could find were these:
"..." Who are they trying to kid with these prices? I couldn't afford to waste my precious coins on stuff like this. I'd rather buy Hawk Eye instead.
If I saved up just 150 more coins, I could buy the Path of the Archmage. Charging 300 coins for a mere Royal Mage was a total rip-off. Sure, a Royal Mage meant reaching the 5-Circle level, which was nothing to scoff at, but still...
My plan was to hunt a dragon immediately after graduating from the academy. The moment I consumed a Dragon Heart, a 7-Circle magic circle would manifest inside me. On top of that, I'd gain access to the absolute power of Dragon Words, allowing me to cast 9-Circle magic—a level of power akin to a transcendent being among humans. Knowing that, there was absolutely no reason to rush and waste 300 coins right now.
Just as my mind was growing cluttered with thoughts of magic, a familiar voice called out to me. "Good to see you, Hound!" It was Forne Gillette.
"Lord Gillette. Good to see you as well. What brings you to me...?"
"I just wanted to see how you were doing. I learned a great deal from our match the other day."
Squinty eyes and a sly, sinister smile—no matter how I looked at him, this guy screamed "villain." My extensive experience reading romance fantasy novels was practically screaming in my ear: This bastard is definitely a villain! But I had no physical proof.
"Haha, I learned a lot as well. To achieve such mastery with a spear is truly impressive."
"...Is that so? Well, I'm actually planning on abandoning the spear now."
"Are you changing your specialization at this point?"
Forne Gillette wore a bitter smile. "It is my choice, so I must take responsibility for it. Anyway, it was good seeing you."
Without another word, Forne Gillette turned and walked away. But Forne Gillette... that name sounded incredibly familiar no matter how many times I repeated it. If I had known this would happen, I would have memorized the names of the other male characters when I read the original novel... Who could have predicted I'd actually transmigrate into the book? I had been far too busy memorizing the names of the villainesses.
Speaking of which, it reminded me that there was one more villainess I had in mind. However, her personality was notoriously eccentric, which made me hesitate... Still, whether it was for hunting dragons or purifying the Contamination, having a holy attribute on my side was essential. Should I give it some serious thought...?
"..." I decided it would be best to meet her later. For now, I had a promise to keep with Mikaris.
"So, how is it? Do you think you can handle magic?"
"Well... it's a lot harder than I expected."
"Then let's change our training method. Instead of theory, we'll focus on practice. Let's start by sensing mana."
"That sounds much better. I've always been more of a hands-on learner."
In my experience, it was far more beneficial to experience things practically before diving into the theory. Staring at textbooks all day never got anyone anywhere.
"It's your choice, so I won't stop you... but a magic swordsman is an incredibly difficult path to walk."
"I agree. It makes me realize just how impressive the Crown Prince really is."
"His Highness underwent brutal training from a very young age. It's practically second nature to him."
Brutal training, huh... Well, I had my ridiculously broken 500% proficiency cheat. In other words, I could achieve in a single year what took others five. The Crown Prince was currently a 4-Star swordsman and a 4-Circle mage. If I trained for just a year, wouldn't I be able to reach the 4-Circle level too? The only real question was whether I had any talent for magic.
"Anyway, I have an afternoon lecture to attend. I'll see you this evening, okay?"
"Yes, Lady Mika. Have a good class!"
Mikaris gave me a bright smile before heading out to her lecture.
Should I try teaching myself? To get a feel for mana, I began rummaging through the bookshelves in Mikaris's room. Soon enough, I found what I was looking for: The Basics of Beginner Magic, Volume 1.
'To sense mana, one must meditate and feel the environmental mana around them...?' It was the exact same principle as Aura. However, while Aura felt like combining physical energy with environmental mana, magic was about using the body as a vessel to store and channel that mana.
So the foundation is the same, but the process and results are different. Sensing environmental mana was already second nature to me. I immediately began drawing mana into my body. But then... as I tried to form a circle, the mana began gathering around my Aura stars instead.
Huh? Something was off. I could definitely feel the magic, but it was emanating from my stars... Just to be sure, I headed straight to the training grounds.
"..." There was no mistake. I could feel magic swelling within my Aura stars. I immediately flipped open the basic magic textbook.
"To determine one's attribute, one must draw a spell formula?" I began sketching the formula from the book onto the ground. Then, I sat in the center of the formula and entered a state of deep meditation to sense my magic.
I felt it. A magical energy that was a blend of brilliant blue and pure, pristine white. Next, I drew a simple magic circle for a Magic Missile. The result... *Whoosh!* The Magic Missile drew a clean arc through the air and struck the target dead center. It was a success! However, I couldn't activate any other magic circles. It seemed like Magic Missile was the only spell I could cast for now.
Is it because I haven't fully grasped the feel of it yet? I'm not entirely sure. But this confirmed one thing: I definitely had talent for magic. Now, all I had to do was rack up more achievements, get some coin donations, and purchase the Path of the Archmage. A magic swordsman... I can't wait.