Academy – Determination

body {
font-family: Georgia, serif;
line-height: 1.6;
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 20px;
}
h1 {
color: #333;
border-bottom: 2px solid #ddd;
padding-bottom: 10px;
}
p {
margin-bottom: 1em;
text-align: justify;
}

Hero.

The Goddess’s blade to cut down the Demon King.

However, it is not precisely known when the Hero awakens that power.

According to the testimonies of past Heroes, they awakened when they tried to save someone.

Based on these testimonies, scholars speculate that—

When emotions become intense and the desire to help someone reaches its peak.

At that moment, the power fully awakens.

-Thump. Thump.

Jade suddenly felt his mind clear.

‘Why suddenly my body?’

He couldn’t identify it, but a small, warm energy was stirring in his chest.

The will that had faded earlier surged again within Jade’s body.

“First…”

Regaining his senses, Jade stopped despairing and stood up.

In the video, Lena was still pinned under Doran, wailing.

—Ahhk! Master♡ Stick it in harder! Oghhh♡

“Lena…”

This is beyond ‘bad,’ it’s the worst situation.

But Jade steeled his heart.

‘I can’t give up on her like this.’

There is no one to save us.

The Rain Academy students have already turned their backs and sided with Doran long ago.

The Rain Academy professors are watching Doran’s every move and not intervening at all.

In the end, I have to do it with my own strength.

It might already be too late.

She might not be able to return to her former self.

But I still have to try.

‘Nothing will change if I just sit here.’

-Bang.

Jade kicked the door open and ran out. And immediately ran towards the Rain Academy.

**

The place Jade went to with a desperate heart,

-Creak, clatter!

Was the Magic studies lab inside the Rain Academy.

The Magic studies professor was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the student.

“Who is it? …Ah, Jade. What’s wrong?”

But she quickly regained her composure and asked him the reason.

“Can you tell me how to beat a Wizard? You know the weaknesses of Wizards, Professor.”

“What? That’s a rather embarrassing question.”

To suddenly come and ask a Wizard about the weaknesses of Wizards. She was dumbfounded by Jade’s words.

But, like a professor, she quickly grasped the situation.

‘Jade wouldn’t come like this unless it’s about Doran and Lena.’

“Are you thinking of challenging Doran to a duel?”

“Uh…”

It can’t be helped now that things have come to this.

Jade decided to ask outright since his intentions had been discovered.

“You know your student Doran well, Professor, right? Any weaknesses or anything?”

The Magic studies professor hesitated for a moment at Jade’s burning eyes.

Jade looked like he was begging for even a small glimmer of hope. But even if she helped, Doran was a 5-Star. The gap between them was too great.

In the end, words urging him to face reality came out of her mouth.

“You don’t have the talent, so it’s no use anyway. Do you think telling you ‘Doran’s Protective Magic usage is clumsy’ will help you beat Doran? He’s even been hiding his skills from me until the duel, so it might not even be a weakness anymore.”

“But until I try…”

“Whether it’s a Swordsman or a Wizard, mana amount is the most basic thing when facing a mana user. You know your own mana talent better than anyone, don’t you?”

The Magic studies professor sighed.

“Haa… The situation is unfortunate, but you should just give up.”

Her words were a clear sign of rejection. Nevertheless, Jade grabbed the professor’s arm and desperately pleaded.

-Grip!

“Please. Just help me once!”

“…I’m sorry. Besides, I’m busy preparing for the upcoming exam.”

In the end, Jade let go of the arm he was holding.

“…No. I’m sorry for coming so suddenly.”

Jade trudged out of the lab.

He’s a pitiful child who works harder than anyone but doesn’t grow as much. The Magic studies professor looked at Jade’s back with pity.

She knew what Lena was going through at the Rain Academy, but even as a professor at the Rain Academy, she wasn’t in a position to do anything.

Rather, as a professor at the Rain Academy, it was even more difficult for her to intervene in the situation that arose as a result of the duel.

‘But at least this much.’

“Wait a moment.”

-Stop.

The Magic studies professor suddenly called out to Jade.

“Yes…?”

“Putting aside winning the duel. How are you planning to challenge him to a duel? Do you think Doran will just accept it if you challenge him?”

“That’s…”

It was something he hadn’t thought about at all. He had only been thinking about how to win the duel.

Jade scratched his head at the unexpected question.

“I guess you haven’t thought about it? I’ll give you some help with that.”

“Do you perhaps know a way?”

“First, you need to know about Doran’s past. In fact, Doran was kicked out of Rain Academy for bullying commoners and came here. I know this because he’s a student I have to supervise.”

“I knew it…”

Jade nodded, thinking, “I knew it.” There was no way a guy who bullied people for being commoners would have stayed still at Rain Academy.

“And because of that incident, Doran fell out of favor with his father, Count Jesto. He seemed to be paying more attention to him than his first son because he was quite a talented child… but not anymore.”

“I’ve been talking too long. The conclusion is to demand a duel regarding Count Jesto. You have to find a way to pressure him. Whether it’s a lie or whatever, just make him accept the duel.”

“Thank you so much!”

Jade bowed to the Magic studies professor to express his gratitude. It might have been a small help to her, but it was a great hope to him.

“No. As a woman, I had to stand by and watch Lena’s situation. It made me sick to my stomach. Honestly, I don’t have high expectations, but if you do duel, I’ll cheer you on.”

-Thump.

Jade came out of the lab and fell into thought again.

He had found a way to challenge the duel, but he still didn’t know how to beat Doran, which was the most important thing.

He couldn’t think of a good way. Even if he tried to get help, he knew they would refuse like the professor earlier.

“Huh…?”

At that moment, someone flashed through his mind.

The person who was talking to Lena in a friendly manner at the Adventurer Guild.

It was Boris, the receptionist.

Boris first met Lena when they were working on a group project at the Adventurer Guild. He was a scary-looking man, but he remembered him being kind to the students.

He heard that Boris was a 6-Star adventurer who was quite famous in his prime.

“Perhaps Boris…”

Jade headed to the Adventurer Guild with a desperate heart.

**

-Jingle jingle.

Jade opened the door of the Adventurer Guild and ran to the reception desk.

Boris was taken aback by Jade’s panting appearance in front of the reception desk.

‘I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere…’

Boris paused to think.

“Sorry, who were you again?”

“I’m Jade. I came with Lena for a group project.”

“Ah. Jade!”

Boris remembered Jade’s appearance when he was carrying out a request for a group project and greeted him happily.

“It’s been a long time. But what brings you here? Are you here to carry out a request?”

“No. Boris. Please make me stronger.”

“Yeah… what, what?”

Boris was taken aback by the unexpected words.

“I have to save Lena.”

But when the word Lena came out of Jade’s mouth, his expression hardened.

“Lena? Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Lena lately. Is something wrong?”

“That’s…”

Jade quickly explained everything, from being bullied to Lena and Doran’s duel and what was happening to Lena now.

Boris listened to Jade’s words, his face hardened, and remained silent for a moment.

“…”

He was angry that Lena was being humiliated, and his hands trembled as he clenched them tightly.

“I understand the situation. Lena seems to be in a bad situation. According to you, it seems like she won’t be able to hold out any longer.”

“I have to get Lena out of that guy’s clutches as soon as possible!”

“That’s true, but how are you going to save her?”

Jade looked at Boris with burning eyes.

“Duel, I’m going to challenge Doran to a duel.”

“A duel? It’s good to challenge him to a duel… but will Doran accept it?”

Boris shook his hand up and down, urging him to face reality.

“Besides, even if he accepts the duel, Doran is a whopping ‘5-Star’. According to you, even Lena was defeated by him, even if it was because of a surprise attack. You’re only a 3-Star, or is it 4-Star now? Anyway, you’re no match for a 5-Star.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to train me. You’re a 6-Star.”

“What do you think I am, a god? How can I make you strong enough to beat a 5-Star overnight?”

“Just trust me and train me once.”

Jade knew that he had an unknown power in his body, although it was weak. He believed in the intuition that this power would make him stronger.

Jade looks at him and begs with the face of his last hope.

‘If you come out like this…’

Boris has always found it difficult to refuse when someone asks him earnestly. That’s why he was always swayed by Lena.

Boris finally sighed.

“Haa… Okay. It’s for Lena, so I can spare some time.”

Boris looked around for a moment and walked out of the reception desk.

“Everyone must have gone to eat dinner by now, so there won’t be anyone to receive. Follow me.”

**

Jade followed Boris and arrived at an empty lot behind the Adventurer Guild. The empty lot was desolate, as if people didn’t use it often.

“First, take your sword and swing it.”

At Boris’s words, Jade drew his sword and swung it.

Whirr- Whoosh!

As he swung it along the swordsmanship he had been training hard, Boris carefully examined it from the side.

“Hmm. Your swordsmanship isn’t bad… In fact, it’s amazing compared to your Star. You must have worked hard.”

Boris approached Jade.

“But the fact that you’re still only at the beginning of 4-Star means…”

He put his hand on Jade’s shoulder and briefly examined Jade’s body.

“I guess your talent for mana is still severely lacking.”

“Yes…”

Once again, talent is blocking Jade’s progress.

“First, try using mana.”

At Boris’s words, Jade slowly put mana into his sword.

‘Is it my imagination?’

He tries to put mana in as usual, but it still doesn’t go in well—

-Thump

Suddenly, the power that had been cowering inside him stirred. Then, it began to draw the surrounding mana to Jade.

‘What is this…?’

Jade instinctively realized that he could handle more mana than usual.

A large amount of mana that he had never handled before began to be put into his sword.

—Whooong.

“Ha, ha…”

Jade let out a hollow laugh. A blue blade was rippling on his sword.