Chapter 210

The principals held a certain symbolic value. They were individuals evaluated purely on achievements, regardless of academic ties or personal connections, among those affiliated with a region or organization. These achievements included earning merits on the battlefield, eliminating disaster-level monsters threatening civilian areas, or contributing to the advancement of swordsmanship and magical studies. At the academy, their mere existence was a source of pride, and they were generally revered with awe. It was natural for such comments to emerge. “It doesn’t seem like they’re lying, but do they really believe that?” “…Looks like they’ve collectively lost their minds.” The reaction was typical—someone like me, still wet behind the ears, surpassing them? On the other hand, I could understand the perception of those on our side. They had witnessed firsthand my swift defeat of the Orca King, Dordone, who shattered Arkandric. Even if I confessed to being an ordinary individual, they’d likely dismiss it as a joke, given how deeply entrenched they were in their delusions. “Hersel even took down a Bone Dragon with a single strike.” “Exactly as Limberton said. And that’s not all. The boss defeated the Sun of Destruction and descended to the ground without a scratch.” It was something I could only hope would pass, wishing to flee from the situation. I thought I could brush it off since exaggeration was commonplace, but the ridicule pouring in from other regions stirred a deep sense of shame. “Seriously, saying it earnestly just makes it funnier.” “Yeah, your student council president is really impressive. Anything else to add?” “Come on, what else could I possibly make up here?” The students’ chuckles spread to the faces of some from Valient and Wisdom. Still, perhaps it was better than a wide-reaching misunderstanding. “Alright, enough. Let’s quiet down and move on.” I demanded silence from the group and averted my gaze from Ares, who was calmly glaring at me. Though the tension with them bothered me, I was reassured that we wouldn’t cross paths in a duel. With a lighter heart, I planned to spy on Scarlett or enjoy the rare vacation. Let’s see—our theater group consisted of me, Erucel, Mircel, Limberton, and Aslay. The rest were heading to a tavern. “Ah.” I suddenly remembered something. I needed to prepare a bribe for Dorosian. Since I intended to ask her to train the magic department, going empty-handed wouldn’t be ideal. Hmm, a luxury scarf would be nice. Winter was approaching there soon. *** The tavern was noisy. Bang! People slammed their mugs on the table, and voices grew harsh, as if threatening to beat someone who crossed them. “Bastards. Laughing without knowing a thing!” At Silla’s irritation, Bellman cautiously scanned their surroundings. “Lower your voice, Silla, and put the mug down gently. This isn’t an ordinary tavern.” The expensive décor, crafted wooden furnishings, and patrons’ noble attire made it clear this was a high-class establishment. Unlike places frequented by adventurers or commoners looking to relax, the sharp gazes around felt piercing. Bellman examined the bottles of various drinks on the table. What Silla drank wasn’t even a particularly strong liquor. “Was her alcohol tolerance always this low…?” “Oh, that? She just wanted a sip of mine, and that’s how she ended up.” Riamon smugly held up a black-labeled bottle. “Rocktan’s Flame Brew? She must have quite the constitution for alcohol.” “Well, I used to drink almost daily before coming to Frostheart. Quietly, on my own.” Riamon glanced around with slight annoyance, sighed, and poured some for Bellman. “You should try some too.” “I’m not looking to get drunk.” “Does it matter? We’re leaving soon, so who cares what others think?” Riamon’s attitude felt typical, but it struck Bellman how much had changed. Rocktan’s Flame Brew was an incredibly expensive liquor, costing nearly half of the gold he had received from Hersel. As Bellman watched Riamon’s generosity, he realized how different things had become. When he took a sip, the burning sensation in his throat was oddly accompanied by a refreshing coolness. Riamon, wearing an expectant expression, ordered another bottle of the same liquor. Even Ricks, curious about the taste, showed interest. “What’s so special about it?” “You’ve never had it?” “My family’s poor. We’ve never been able to afford something this expensive.” Perhaps feeling pity, Riamon quietly poured some into Ricks’s glass. Ricks delicately sipped the drink like he was handling holy water. But before long, the drink vanished from his glass in a single gulp. “Ah, so this is the world of the wealthy…” As Ricks smacked his lips, Riamon coldly drew the line. “If you want more, buy it yourself.” Caught in the mood, others began ordering Rocktan’s Flame Brew. Among them, only Leana remained composed, finishing her drink without distraction. Thirty minutes later— “They all looked down on us.” At Bellman’s drunken lament, Riamon replied bluntly. “Of course. Our academy is dead last.” Ricks’s drunken complaint followed. “Out of all of them, I hate Valient the most! The others at least glanced at me, but they didn’t even spare me a look!” “Well, other than your ponytail, there’s nothing distinct about you. Besides, wasn’t there someone with the same hairstyle in Scarlett? That makes you even less noticeable.” Edina’s drunken grievance came next. “Sniff, how could they treat someone as delicate as me like some crazy woman? This is the first time I’ve been so humiliated. It really hurt my feelings.” “Don’t worry about it. Silla over there was officially deemed the crazy one. Right now, you’ve just replaced what’s-her-name… Klab? Grav something.” Silla had already fallen asleep. Among them, the only one making any sense was Leana. “Everyone seems too drunk. Shall we head back?” “You’re even stingier and lonelier than I am.” “Shut your mouth, Riamon.” Just then, Bellman slammed his mug on the table. “More than anything, I can’t stand it! Why does he have to be treated like a fool?” “That’s right, Bellman! Insulting the captain is like insulting all of us!” “You feel the same way, don’t you, Ricks?” Riamon stayed silent. Talking recklessly about Hersel could very well get someone killed. “…Honestly, I want to bring them down a peg too,” said Leana after a brief pause. “I don’t think that’s possible,” Riamon replied calmly. Sharp gazes instantly locked onto Riamon’s face. Silla, who had been asleep, was now wide awake. “Say that again. What? It’s impossible?” As Silla glared at him with murderous intent, Riamon merely shrugged. “Scarlett and Ever Blaze might be possible. Hersel exuded a strange confidence. But you know who the next opponent is, don’t you?” As soon as he mentioned Wisdom, their faces darkened. “Even if the three siblings secure three wins, this isn’t an individual match—it’s a team competition. The rest of the matches aren’t guaranteed victories. That much was evident even in the first round. And now you’re talking about defeating Wisdom in the second round and then taking on Valient? No one thinks that’s realistic.” Riamon took a long swig of his drink before continuing his blunt critique. “Let’s be real: even winning the first round was a miracle for Frostheart. This year’s batch of competitors is stacked—most of them are renowned names.” “So what? We just give up? Settle for winning the first round and aim for third or fourth place?” After a long silence, Silla leaned back against her chair, realizing she had lost her temper. Riamon surveyed the subdued mood, speaking softly as he usually did. “If we want to win, we need something more. To get stronger in a short amount of time.” There were only four months left until the Integrated Tournament. Riamon had been pondering the solution and had finally come to a realization. “So, the method is—” Bang! Before he could finish, heads began collapsing onto tables one after another. Everyone was completely drunk. Riamon glanced at Leana, who smiled lightly before standing up abruptly. “You’re responsible for making us drink such strong liquor.” Leana turned her back coldly and walked away, leaving Riamon to sigh deeply. That night, Riamon hauled a borrowed cart back to the dormitory. The cart was loaded with limp, unconscious men and women, and passersby whispered as they watched. Their stares felt even more humiliating than those at the academy. *** The academy excursion, intended to feel like a vacation, had passed in the blink of an eye. When I returned to Frostheart, the sight of the half-finished fortress made me run a hand down my face. “Ah, I want to leave again.” “Couldn’t agree more, Mircel.” Erucel and Mircel clicked their tongues in disappointment. It hadn’t even been long since we returned. “There’ll be another opportunity, I’m sure. Besides, Mircel, you can leave freely, can’t you?” “Yeah, but it’s boring without you guys.” “Wow, Mircel, are you including me in that?” “Erucel, you’ve been decent lately. Definitely better than that Daisel guy.” Erucel looked indignant. Unbothered, Mircel turned to me, eyes gleaming with excitement. “Hey, can you teach me swordsmanship?” “Out of the blue?” “Out of the blue? The duel isn’t far off. It’s not an odd request.” “That’s true…” But asking a novice like me to teach swordsmanship? I decided to leave that to the expert—Donatan. ‘Donatan, come up with a convincing excuse.’ ‘A ridiculous request, but fine.’ I adjusted Donatan’s words and relayed them. “Ask Father instead. While I have a broad knowledge of swordsmanship, I lack the depth he possesses.” “Huh?” “Father’s swordsmanship is unparalleled in its focus. And since you’re learning Tenest-style swordsmanship, it’s best not to stray far from your excellent teacher.” Mircel seemed to mull it over before nodding, as if the reasoning made sense. “Then I’ll have to get permission from Rockefeller first, huh?” Knowing he’d easily get approval, I shook my head. “You don’t need to worry about that.” At Frostheart, there weren’t any professors capable of teaching Mircel properly. After all, this was a Pathfinder training institute, not a place for deep mastery of swordsmanship. Still, I couldn’t fault him for working hard to achieve good results. And most importantly— “I’ll allow it, so there’s no problem.” In this world, my word was law. If anyone dared defy me, I could always quit the student council and throw a tantrum about losing in the first round. *** By the time the fatigue of travel wore off, I was eager for some personal time. I decided to postpone my request to Dorosian and student council tasks, instead heading to a secluded grove for a rare moment of peace. Click. I drew the “Shadow Blade of Weakening” from my belt and took a deep breath. During the Dordone incident, I had proven something by using the “Elixir of Dreams.” It allowed me to wield the vital force known as ‘jinqi’ without suffering any penalties. What I aimed to do now was unleash that power completely. I hadn’t had the chance to test what kind of backlash might occur without the elixir, given how busy things had been. Not that I expected to die or anything. ‘Good posture, Hersel,’ Donatan’s guidance rang in my mind as I savored the surging energy. I transformed the blade into a mana blade and held my breath. My target was a drifting cloud in the sky. Ping! My arm swung like a whip, slicing the cloud cleanly in half. But before I could marvel at the sight, I quickly assessed my body. Looking down, I saw my arm hanging limp. I couldn’t feel a thing. And for some reason, my eyelids grew heavy. [Threat detected. Type: Life-threatening exhaustion.] [One-second invincibility activated.] [1-Second Invincibility Cooldown: 60 Seconds] It seemed that the “Elixir of Dreams” had an entirely separate mechanism of judgment. 『Elixir of Dreams ● Attribute Type: Illusion A potion meticulously crafted by Irte, the Lord of Dreams. Duration: 3 minutes. Upon consumption, all abnormal states that arise during its duration are converted into illusions. Even cooldowns for traits are constantly reset. If death occurs, it too becomes an illusion when the duration ends.』 If the potion nullifies all abnormalities that occur during its duration, the “1-second invincibility” trait merely resolves imminent crises as they arise. Of course, there was no feature to recover from fatigue within those crises. Naturally, exhaustion led to sleepiness. ‘Take care of my body,’ I thought, entrusting my body to Donatan as I accepted this realization. *** Donatan attempted to move Hersel’s body intermittently, but his movements were sluggish, unlike usual. It would take at least another 30 minutes of sleep before normal mobility would return. For minimal defense, Donatan propped Hersel against a tree, hugging the sword close. That’s when he sensed a presence in the distance and turned his head. “What business do you have?” Perhaps because of the stillness of the forest, the faint sound startled the intruders, who began whispering among themselves. “How did he notice us from such a distance when we’re not even visible?” “…No idea.” “By the way, why are you tagging along? What about Dame Bellen?” “Of course, I’ve attended all of Dame Bellen’s lessons, Riamon. I just want to train in my free time as well.” The uninvited guests were Riamon, Silla, and Leana. “You have insane stamina, really. Ahem, anyway, Hersel, I have a request for you.” Riamon stopped and spoke with a serious expression. “Teach me swordsmanship until the Integrated Tournament.” Faced with this sudden request, Donatan blinked in surprise. To read Chapters ahead ???? CH 211-215 (Graduation) $3 CH 216-220 (Integrated Academy Tournament) $3 CH 221-225 (The Underdog) $3 CH 226-230 (Who am I?) $3 CH 231-235 (Frostheart Vs Wisdom) $3 CH 236-240 (I want to lose) $3 CH 241-245 (Finals) $3 Prev I TOC I Next Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Like Loading...