Wednesday.
During breakfast, I deliberately sought out Marianne to eat with her, and then we ran together to the Department of Magic classroom.
Marianne complained about why we had to run when we could walk, but I didn’t pay her any mind. With the day to ascend Yuil Mountains fast approaching, not even a little time was to be wasted.
It was absolutely not revenge for having to memorize a thousand magic words, I told her it was all for her own good, which only made Marianne’s lips pout out like a duck’s beak.
The assignments were difficult, but the class itself was definitely fascinating.
Today, we learned about why the types of formulas that can be deployed differ at each Circle stage. It was because the amount of Mana one could handle increased as the Circle stage increased.
The more complex the magic formula, the more Mana it consumed. However, someone who could handle Mana very delicately could deploy high-level magic formulas even with a low-level Circle, that is, with a small amount of Mana.
Thinking about how Edwin Kiadris had demonstrated Formations and magic close to the 6th Circle when he was only in the 5th Circle, I couldn’t help but think that the Child was indeed talented, even if his personality was wicked.
In the afternoon, I went to the Imperial Genealogy class.
Calypse, who made eye contact with me, couldn’t hide his displeasure for a moment, which made me wonder.
It was suspicious how he covered his neck with his hand as soon as he saw me, as if he had heard something. Did Walter bite him arbitrarily and then blame me?
I wanted to ask him about it, but since I wouldn’t run into the Child who had already graduated, I could only be suspicious on my own.
Calypse Agrigent, after clearing his throat for a moment, began to write names on the blackboard with a tap-tap-tap. I felt like I already knew the first words he would say. The noble titles of the Sierren Empire have eight hundred hereditary titles…
“The noble titles of the Sierren Empire have eight hundred hereditary titles, and a whopping two thousand personal titles.”
Amused that I had guessed the answer, I turned to Shayden without realizing it. His face was full of smiles, as if he had the same thought as me.
I lowered my head to swallow my laughter, but received Calypse’s fierce gaze, though I wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
After finishing the Imperial Genealogy class, there was some free time before meeting Wilton Roberts.
Last semester, I used this time to take walks and clear my head. But today, for some reason, I found myself heading to the library. The library was deserted because there were many children taking classes, and my most familiar seat was empty.
I sat down at the wide table, put down the magic word handouts, and spaced out for a moment. I kept feeling like someone was about to sit in front of me, and my heart fluttered.
I hadn’t thought that my heart would feel so empty while spending time together during the vacation. But now that I couldn’t see the Child I saw every morning, I missed him and felt lonely, and I found myself thinking of his face every free moment.
I had brought along the notebook I used to write down magic words to memorize. I opened the back page of the notebook and stopped when I discovered familiar handwriting. I read a line neatly written in Rubel’s handwriting.
What should we eat out today?
It was nothing special. Since we had taken the afternoon class together, the Child’s face, as he urged me to go out and eat after class, vividly came to mind. For some reason, I stared at the neat handwriting for a long time.
I opened a blank page again.
I wrote down the words I needed to memorize one by one. The pronunciation of words with and without the dot was so different that I felt unfairly upset.
I couldn’t memorize all thousand words at once, so I had to memorize them little by little throughout the semester. Unable to concentrate, I barely memorized about five words and got up.
After sunset, Wilton Roberts checked to see if I had forgotten what I had learned before.
For some reason, I felt more awkward dealing with him than I had last semester. Even though I knew he wasn’t acting with bad intentions, I couldn’t help it.
Just because I didn’t feel like this land’s ways suited me didn’t mean I could reject the world. I tried hard to calm my mind.
Wilton, who must have seen that clearly, didn’t say anything about it and neatly corrected my posture and attitude in Stealth.
In the end, I followed him with a right mind.
When I combined the footwork I had with the Sierren way of walking that he knew, something decent came out. Wilton Roberts preferred steps that left no trace. I also completely absorbed and learned his method.
As the class was about to end, Wilton suddenly asked.
“Ernhardt. Do you perhaps have any thoughts on learning about poison?”
“…Pardon?”
“There’s one year left until graduation now. If you’re interested, I’d like to teach you about handling poisons.”
It was a plan I hadn’t considered at all. Poisons, of all things. As a dignified orthodox Martial artists, I had never touched them, nor had I thought I would ever have to. But considering the status of the Sacheon Tang Clan, it wasn’t something I could simply avoid. I pondered.
Suddenly, Rubel’s pale face came to mind. I became unnecessarily anxious at the thought of that fragile Child eating poison and collapsing.
“Do you also teach about antidotes?”
“Of course.”
“I will gratefully learn.”
“Alright. Then let’s rest next week and meet at the front gate at this time the week after.”
“Yes.”
There was still so much to learn. Things I hadn’t thought of kept popping up, making me feel embarrassed. But this is also the path I must walk.
How easy could it be to protect others? The more difficult the path, the more righteous it would be.
Wilton Roberts smiled at me, who was standing respectfully.
I couldn’t interpret what his smile meant. I decided not to think too deeply about it.
❖ ❖ ❖
I had promised to work on the Great expansive divine skill of azure sky with Douglas Mustang on Thursday and Friday afternoons. I was curious about what had happened to Professor Mustang’s mention of Divinity at the end of last semester, so I hurried my steps.
I was briefly surprised to see another person sitting in Professor Douglas’s office. Blanc Cooper. The priest who had taught the Growth and Reflection class last semester was here.
The tall man with a gentle demeanor had dark navy hair and hazy Golden Eye. He carried his slender body gracefully. Whether he was reading a book or moving, he was as elegant as watching the dance of a white crane.
Putting Mage Boulder, with his disheveled hair, and Blanc Cooper, with his neat attire, side by side created a picture that couldn’t be more mismatched.
“Welcome, Young Master Ernhardt.”
“…Yes.”
I politely greeted Blanc Cooper with a bow and sat down in the offered seat. Blanc Cooper returned the greeting with a simple bow, clasping his hands together. It was nothing new, as I had seen it throughout the last semester.
After a brief exchange of greetings and pleasantries, Blanc asked gently.
“I hear that Young Master Ernhardt has shown abilities similar to Divinity.”
“…Ah. That is.”
I didn’t know how the story had been conveyed. Seeing Douglas nod slightly, I replied with a docile attitude.
“Perhaps… that is the case.”
“Would you mind if I took a look?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t mind demonstrating.
I stood up, took out the longsword I always carried at my waist, and put strength into it.
Every day, I received the purest Qi when I woke up, and I had performed Breathing and regulating energy several times whenever I felt disturbed to calm my mind. My internal energy, which had grown significantly since I first entered the academy, permeated the sword.
Just a little bit more, if I polished it a little more, it might become Sword energy. But I still couldn’t reach it. It was because I lacked the amount of internal energy. I swallowed my disappointment and showed a few forms of swordplay before sheathing my sword.
Instead of opening his mouth to speak, Blanc Cooper blinked rapidly and clasped his hands together. La Prira Et-sa. The familiar prayer scattered in a small voice from his lips.
Douglas Mustang, who had been watching the scene, spoke in a gentle voice.
“What do you think?”
“…It’s just as Professor Mustang said. It seems this is also the first Divine arrangement. I will also join Young Master Ernhardt on the path he is realizing.”
I thought it was Mage Boulder’s turn to shout, but he was strangely quiet. Seeing him covering his mouth with both hands and stamping his feet in joy made me laugh.
It was a scene that showed at a glance how they had spent the winter vacation.
They took out the Artifact that they had used to mix aura, Mana, and Divinity during the vacation and showed it to me.
In the center of the glass container, which looked like two round, flat plates stacked on top of each other, was a handful of Mana Stone, and four tubes were placed around it.
With the lids closed on two of the tubes, Blanc and Boulder each held one of the facing tubes. I quietly watched them demonstrate how they each sent Divinity and Mana.
After watching the Mana Stone in the center writhe and turn red for five seconds, Boulder and Blanc simultaneously withdrew their energy. Blanc opened his mouth.
“We will be looking at how forces of different natures react in this way. Young Master Ernhardt… Could you infuse internal energy in this way?”
“…Hmm. Yes. I think it’s possible.”
The Artifact didn’t look sturdy, so I had to be careful, but I had practiced releasing Mana to the Ranunculus throughout the last semester.
Internal energy was a more familiar energy to me than Mana, so I would be able to use it more easily than handling Mana.
Just like when I first encountered the purification magic orb, I grabbed one end of the tube that Boulder had been holding and poured internal energy into the Artifact. Slowly, taking a long breath…
The Mana Stone in the center of the Artifact popped and bounced before becoming quiet and scattering an eerie green light. I could clearly see the internal energy and Divinity embracing and intertwining with each other. I was amazed and widened my eyes at what kind of magic they had performed.
Professor Douglas mediated for the two of us, who couldn’t open our mouths because we were using our energy.
“Then we’ll withdraw our energy at the same time. Get ready when I say three. One, two, three.”
I withdrew my energy. It was mysterious and amazing. Douglas handed me a report that he had organized.
I had received reports like this several times already, but I couldn’t help but be surprised each time. Their methods were unfamiliar, frightening, and gracious to me.