episode_0070

Living a busy life, anyone might suddenly have this thought:

‘I wish I had multiple bodies!’

Especially when assignments pile up or work accumulates, one desperately longs for someone to do the work in their stead. There’s a lot to do and a lot one wants to do, but only two hands. In the end, it was impossible to do everything.

However, I was different. If I had the will, I could do anything.

With our dreams becoming reality, our efforts weren’t limited to making bombs or concocting trivial plans.

Currently, I am simultaneously undergoing training in two locations.

First, at the academy’s indoor training ground, Violet 24 is getting enthusiastically beaten up by Instructor Frederick.

In front of me is a batting machine used for baseball practice, and I was frantically dodging the balls shot out at high speed.

“Focus! Do you think the balls will just avoid you if you stand still? Move!”

“Uwaah!”

I ran wildly in all directions, mana concentrated throughout my body.

At the same time, at a private training ground a fair distance from the school, Irene charged fiercely at Violet 65 with a sword.

Clang! Clang!

“Aghh!”

“Focus on the spar, Violet!”

“Got it! I’m going in again!”

I tumble, I roll, I fall again. But it’s okay. This is training.

“Still got some guts, huh? Shut up and get ready!”

“Are you okay? Alright, I’m going in again!”

At the same time, in two locations, Violets set aside their embarrassment, stood up, charged again, fell again, and rolled again.

***

Let’s turn back time to a few days ago.

Through past experiences, we realized the necessity of training.

“Numbers are important, but we need to raise our qualitative level.”

“We can’t be swept away helplessly like last time!”

What’s the most certain way to improve our skills here?

Training. Fortunately, in this messed-up academy, there was one person who could teach us.

“Let’s go to the instructor!”

After classes ended, I headed to the training ground where I usually had melee combat lessons. Instructor Frederick was still inside the gym, inspecting various parts of the gym and the sparring weapons.

“Instructor-nim! Please teach me!”

“…You insolent brat. Until now, you’ve barely paid attention in class, and you even skipped a lesson once. What’s gotten into you suddenly?”

Faced with the instructor’s reproachful gaze, I had nothing to say. I felt a pang of guilt inside. Indeed, there was a time I didn’t attend class for a few days due to a lack of motivation.

“And what do you want to be taught? I’m already teaching all the basic melee weapon usage in class, aren’t I?”

“Not that! Mana control methods! I want to learn body reinforcement techniques!”

Frederick’s eyes creased with disbelief at my request. His scarred face wrinkling made him look a little scary.

“Right now? Haven’t you seen the syllabus? You’ll learn it in class in a few weeks anyway. Understood? Now go.”

“Yes… but, couldn’t you at least give me some tips right now?”

Frederick got angry.

“Am I your private tutor?”

“…Ugh!”

“I see why, you just want to fight, don’t you? I heard the news about you dueling that fourth-year delinquent psycho. Oh, that’s your ‘how did you know’ expression. The rumor spread so widely that it reached even my ears, as an instructor. I often hear about duels, but I never imagined the protagonist would be a first-year student I personally teach.”

Frederick’s eyes slowly distorted, creating a dark shadow.

“I heard you got beaten up pretty badly. Well, it’s a relief that you won, but… Brat, you punk, did you think the world was a joke just because you have a unique ability? Just because you can quickly draw sword energy, you thought you could smash anything in your way, didn’t you? Tsk tsk…”

“…”

“And body reinforcement ability is on a completely different level from mana emission. If you learn it clumsily, your muscles or nerves will get damaged. It takes at least a few weeks of training to even get the hang of it. Just learn it when others do. More importantly, I’m an instructor. I can’t set aside time to give you special treatment. It goes against fairness. Understood?”

I was speechless.

“I’m sorry.”

“…So you do feel sorry, huh? Go on. It’s getting cold.”

I was rejected outright. As expected, I tried my luck, but it seems it won’t work. It was unreasonable even by common sense. Frederick entered the small office inside the gym.

“Should I learn from another friend?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

Unfortunately, Irene didn’t have the ability to teach anyone. She was smart and talented, but being smart and teaching someone were separate issues.

“Look closely, you just channel mana like this and flow it this way. Don’t you get it?”

“I don’t understand what ‘like this’ means at all!”

It was the same with Daphne.

“Violet. Was my explanation helpful? Did you understand the theory?”

“Ah… I understood!”

“You didn’t, did you? Oh dear…”

I also took the time to ask Kalia, but she had a different problem.

“Ah, Violet. I’m sorry, but I can’t really help you with this one.”

Kalia used body reinforcement and mana emission as naturally as breathing through her unique ability, Unyielding Flames.

The techniques a normal Awakened can learn through training and abilities acquired through unique abilities are as fundamentally different as sharks and whales. It wasn’t something that could be taught.

Because a unique ability is a superpower that can be used as naturally as controlling one’s own body, like the clone technique I use.

Kalia teaching me body reinforcement was as meaningless as an eagle trying to teach a wolf how to flap its wings.

Everyone around me was just incredibly talented girls.

“Should I look for someone else?”

I walked towards the gym exit. I was thinking about looking for someone else when the door burst open and a stranger walked in.

“Long time no see, little junior. Is Vulture here?”

“Who are you?”

“Ah, you wouldn’t know.”

The man looked around for a moment, then wiped his hand across his face, revealing the sharp features of a middle-aged man wearing glasses.

“Professor Albert!”

“Professor Albert-nim, you mean! Still impolite, aren’t you, you wench. …Frederick! Frederick! Where are you?”

Hearing his name called, Frederick came out of the office, his eyes bulging like saucers.

“…Egret? Damn it, why are you here…”

“Let’s talk, you bastard. Right now!”

While I watched blankly, the two entered the office. A moment later, indiscernible shouts were exchanged, and then loud thumps, cracks, and explosions could be heard.

“Is this the Polaris-style greeting?”

About ten minutes passed, and the two burst open the door and came out.

“I’ll check the detailed information this evening, but that’s…”

“Yes, even if I had ten mouths, I’d have nothing to say [a proverb meaning being utterly speechless/having no excuse]… But, huh? Why are you still here?”

“Were you eavesdropping on us?”

As the atmosphere was tense, I immediately shook my head.

“No! I came here because I had something to ask Instructor-nim to teach me.”

Professor Albert adjusted his glasses slightly.

“Alright, what is it?”

“Body reinforcement… I don’t know how to do it.”

“What? That again? Why aren’t you going back already…”

Frederick was pointing his finger when Albert interrupted him.

“It’s nothing, is it?”

“Why are you like this now?”

The two older men whispered to each other.

“Hey, you punk. It’s basic! Just teach him!”

“What did you say?”

“You have plenty of time. The kid’s curious and wants to learn, why are you refusing?”

“I’m not a private tutor, so why? There’s no need for me to give him advance lessons…”

“Advance lessons, my foot! Back in our day, we should have already covered mana emission and body reinforcement by now. Didn’t they adjust it because the school’s standards dropped? And, in this idiot’s den, is there any first-year student besides him who actively asks questions because they want to learn?”

“Hmm…”

“You weren’t like this before. Where’s the instructor who taught tirelessly day and night? What about your responsibility as a teacher?”

“Responsibility? That’s rich coming from you…!”

I couldn’t understand Professor Albert’s intentions for suddenly taking my side, but I figured a good outcome was a good outcome, so I looked at him with expectant eyes.

Frederick finally changed his attitude.

“…Alright! Alright. I’ll do it. Albert, you… I’ll see you later.”

“Good, that’s more like it! Junior punk.”

Professor Albert raised his head and looked at me confidently.

“Express your gratitude, junior punk. Thanks to me, you’ll now be able to learn what you need from that old man instructor!”

“…Damn you.”

“See you this evening.”

When the professor left, the instructor didn’t hide his annoyance.

“Damn, Egret, that bastard, why now of all times…”

“Instructor-nim! So you’re going to teach me right away, right?”

“Yes. We’ll start right now. I have an appointment tonight, so let’s just do about an hour today and finish.”

I didn’t know why the instructor’s attitude changed so abruptly.

Still, isn’t it good that it worked out?

***

At the same time, Irene and Violet 65 prepared to finish their sparring session at a location outside the school. For this, they even rented out an entire private training ground.

“Alright, until you properly learn how to use mana, I’ll spar without reinforcement too. Ready?”

“Yes! Come at me with all you’ve got!”

Irene was dressed differently from her usual school uniform, wearing a black coat, vest, shorts, and various protective gear. I wore my special black uniform I used for infiltration.

“A sword? Wasn’t your main weapon a spear?”

“I can use it. I’ve learned the basics, at least.”

While Irene checked various things, I also rummaged through my inventory. As I tried to take out a sword, I grabbed one I’d never seen before. When I pulled it out, a rapier glowing with a fiery red light appeared before my eyes.

This is… the one Martina used in the last duel…

“This is…!”

“Blade of Blazing Flame? Why is this here? When did I pick this up?”

“Is it real? Check!”

Holding the item, I brought up the status window for the first time in a while, and the clear five characters, [Blade of Blazing Flame ☆☆☆☆☆], appeared before my eyes. The five stars decorating the side of the text also burned into my mind.

“A 5… 5-star weapon! Finally!”

“Did she drop it?”

“Let’s duplicate it!”

Violets in other locations immediately duplicated the 5-star weapon.

A much cruder-looking rapier appeared compared to the original. The name, [Degraded Blade of Blazing Flame ☆☆☆], was noteworthy.

“What’s the difference?”

“The reduction in stars means… its performance has decreased.”

“Violet? What are you doing? That sword…”

“It’s nothing!”

It felt like a waste to wield such a precious 5-star weapon right now. Especially since I didn’t even know how to use it.

I put the rapier away and took out the practice one-handed sword I had been using.

“I can only offer basic guidance on sword forms or movements. My best is to be your sparring partner. Understood? Then, come at me first!”

“Here I go!”

I gathered all the meager things I had learned so far and charged at Irene.

“Yelp!”

She lightly twisted her blade, and I dropped my sword.

“Reckless. Don’t just swing wildly, observe your opponent’s movements. Understood?”

“Yes!”

And so, the Violets’ training began.