Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Velgart Energy Arts
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The day after the no-pants duel incident.
The students entered the swordsmanship class as if nothing had happened.
Of course, the way they looked at Bizolt was quite different from before.
He was in the advanced class, yet he lost a sword fight to a student from the basic class. Honestly, it was to be expected.
His opponent was me, someone who intentionally joined the basic class, which at least gave him a flimsy excuse.
'If I hadn't shown any talent in class, you would've been completely ruined.'
Even now, his reputation was buried six feet under.
Some of the basic class students looked at me like a hero, while casting contemptuous glances at Bizolt.
But the atmosphere among the advanced class students was rather hostile.
Their eyes showed they couldn't accept that one of their own had lost a sword fight to someone from the basic class.
That dissatisfaction would probably manifest in some way and affect the guy.
'Whatever.'
I completely ignored all the stares and focused solely on Erich Hort's explanation.
Venderford still only offered a single course.
It wasn't just that other courses hadn't been created yet; it was a crucial period, so this was unavoidable.
"Starting today, you will be learning what is called the Velgart Energy Arts. It is a secret technique that pairs with the Imperial Sound Lock Sword, and it was named after its creator."
Professor Hort explained the incantations of the Velgart Energy Arts in detail.
Everyone, except for the few students who didn't need to learn aura separately, was engrossed in the lesson.
After all, one of the biggest reasons they had enrolled here was for this very energy art.
'Should I give it a quick try?'
Although I had only heard the explanation once, I could see through to the core of the Velgart Energy Arts.
There was no need to think long about it; I just had to try.
*Thrum!*
As I directed my aura into the rotation load according to the incantation, I felt a heavy stirring within my body.
'Huh? This is...!'
I had only tried it after hearing the sequence and incantation, but the Velgart Energy Arts was working properly.
The problem was that the Demonic Soul, which had been dormant inside me, began to move on its own.
The pure aura generated by the Velgart Energy Arts was absorbed in an instant.
Soon, the Demonic Soul flowed along the rotation load, and then it began to gradually change its direction.
It was figuring out the characteristics of the Velgart Energy Arts on its own and finding the optimal flow.
'This is interesting.'
I tried rotating my aura once more.
As I did, the Demonic Soul stirred, accelerating the flow of aura.
The force was so strong that for a moment, the condensed energy nearly burst out of my body.
I squeezed my eyes shut, calming the surging aura.
Once the acceleration of the rotation load subsided, I slowly opened my eyes.
Fortunately, it seemed no one had noticed that I had successfully circulated the Velgart Energy Arts.
"...For today, you will practice the energy art on your own. If you have any questions, you can ask the teaching assistants immediately."
"Yes."
When Professor Hort finished his explanation, the students found spots around the training ground in small groups.
I also sat down in a suitable spot.
In truth, I didn't need to practice the energy art.
'It's less practice and more... exploration, I'd say.'
My goal was to dissect the Velgart Energy Arts piece by piece and see what kind of synergy it had with the Demonic Soul.
I wanted to get the advanced incantation right away, but it was unlikely they would reveal it to a student who had just taken their first steps.
'Ah, would Erich Hort tell me if I asked? He seems quite proud of me.'
After sharing a single meal with him, the way Professor Hort looked at me changed.
It felt like he wanted to take me as his direct disciple.
I even started to regret playing the part of a diligent student so well.
It would be a problem if he offered me a teaching assistant position later.
Hey, old man, dream on.
I'm not a graduate student... no, I'm not a slave.
Feeling an odd sensation, I squinted and looked around.
Sure enough, Erich Hort, standing in the center of the training ground, was staring intently at me.
'Ah, you startled me. Stop staring so intensely. I'm not going to be a T.A.!'
Even though he hadn't even made an offer, I sensed a troubling future and screamed internally.
It seemed it would be better to seriously delve into the Velgart Energy Arts back in my room.
In my sweet home, which was probably a bit dark and damp from being in the shade.
Just in case, I should just pretend to be practicing for now.
* * *
Erich Hort had been in a very good mood lately.
Honestly, when he was first invited to be an associate professor at Venderford, he hadn't been very pleased.
Teaching knights with proper mental fortitude was hard enough, but now he had to babysit a bunch of unruly brats.
What kind of nonsense was this?
'But it was too much money to refuse... Ahem! It's not like I came here for the money.'
He tried to deny it, but it was a fact that he had been offered a large sum.
It was just packaged as him being unable to refuse the Emperor's command.
But after working for a few weeks, he started to think that coming to Venderford was a good decision.
The reason was that he could often find excellent uncut gems.
If he trained them well, he felt they could reach heights greater than any mediocre knight.
Among the donation-based students, Ray Carter stood out the most.
'I need to lay the groundwork before Senior Jerome notices.'
Hort narrowed his eyes as he quietly watched Ray, who was immersed in his aura training.
If Jerome Klebitz were to recognize the student's true worth, he would surely try to recruit him into the Luminous Knight Order.
As a member of the Trophæum, Erich Hort couldn't allow that.
Wasn't this the student he had been the first to teach, the one he had built rapport with by sharing a meal?
Besides, the fact that he was a donation-based student was the most appealing part.
He wasn't already spoken for, so he could be recruited without any friction.
A sudden jolt.
But then, as Professor Hort was watching Ray, something sharp registered on his senses.
He had been lost in thought and his vision was blurry, but this was a presence so intense it snapped him back to reality.
"What was that?"
He opened his eyes wide and looked around, but he couldn't find the source of the power he had just felt.
It had vanished as suddenly as it appeared, as if to mock him.
Erich Hort heightened his senses to their peak and walked among the students.
He seemed to think that he might be able to detect that presence again.
But no matter how hard he looked, the aura that had vanished without a trace did not reappear.
"Was it just my imagination..."
His gaze turned to Ray Carter for no particular reason, but the boy was just silently engrossed in his aura practice.
A student who couldn't even sense external energy yet couldn't possibly have manifested such a powerful presence.
He began to wonder if he was expecting too much from a boy who had just heard the basics of the aura lecture.
With a faint smile, Professor Hort turned his attention back to the students and walked on.
* * *
'Phew! That was a close call.'
The problem was that I had gotten too engrossed in the Velgart Energy Arts and rotated my aura excessively.
Due to the Demonic Soul's acceleration, a large amount of aura was drawn in, despite it being just the basic stage of the energy art.
The suction was so powerful it erased all the mana around me; someone might have sensed the disturbance.
Sure enough, Erich Hort was looking around with a surprised expression.
I pretended to focus on my aura practice and kept my eyes tightly shut.
Of course, I wasn't actually circulating anything.
The Demonic Soul seemed to sense my apprehension and stayed still, holding its breath.
'Is he gone? Gone?'
I peeked around and saw Professor Hort had grabbed a student and was repeatedly explaining something to them.
Thankfully, it seemed I was no longer a suspect.
'Anyway, this thing is incredible.'
The results of trying out the Velgart Energy Arts were very satisfying.
If the basic stage was like this, what would happen if I rotated it with the advanced true incantation?
The acceleration of energy accumulation and its purity would be immense.
Moreover, when the time comes, I felt I could combine it with the Demonic Soul and skip several stages at once.
If I became even stronger than this, I wondered just how far I could go.
Even now, the Demonic Soul's capabilities were far beyond my expectations.
'Alright, let's try again. This time, I'll control the speed so I don't get caught.'
I had decades of experience in aura training and had mastered three different energy arts.
I was at a level where I could freely control my unruly internal energy.
Gently coaxing the Demonic Soul was more than possible.
Sure enough, the Velgart Energy Arts instantly created a massive, powerful current.
From now on, it was the stage of accumulation, a time to refine the aura.
Because of this, I wouldn't draw attention with a powerful inhalation like before.
'This is fast, too.'
The Velgart Energy Arts, synergized with the Demonic Soul, was refining aura at a considerable speed.
Of course, since I hadn't obtained the advanced true incantation yet, it wasn't as fast as the Wheel or Konntraeger arts.
But for a basic stage, this speed was incredible.
'I'm looking forward to the next class.'
I paused my practice and glanced at the advanced class students.
Since it was their first time with the Velgart Energy Arts, they, like me, were only practicing the basic stage.
But they would soon adapt and learn the advanced techniques.
*Thump, thump!*
As I stared at them, my heart was pounding hard.
Ever since reaching the 3rd tier, my progress had been stagnant.
Even with the experience of having reached the 2nd tier, I couldn't completely ignore the sequential growth process.
In my case, it was a matter of lacking an absolute amount of aura.
But now, I felt like I had found a breakthrough.
'No, this is practically a shortcut. I should thank the Head for sending me to Venderford.'
Crow the Black Sand probably never expected this decision would come back to bite him.
As the thought crossed my mind, a grin naturally formed on my face.
But just as the corners of my mouth began to rise, someone suddenly spoke to me.
"Having trouble?"