episode_0027

Yesterday I was called out by Heidiera, and today during lunch time, Seldianne came to see me.

And now, after school, Senior Perjena was suddenly dragging me somewhere.

It felt like a lot had happened in the past two days.

“Senior, where are you going now?”

I asked the girl with the two-toned blue short hair who was draped around my neck.

Her jade eyes glanced at my face, and she giggled, baring her fangs.

“You’re not going anywhere? You’re just walking. Heh heh.”

“Oh… Really? Did you want to go for a walk together?”

“This little shit, who does he think he is? What, I just wanted to go for a walk.”

“You wanted to do it.”

“Yeah, Emma.”

Senior Perjena’s straightforward personality was to speak honestly about her feelings while getting upset at strange things.

If a senior who usually likes to be alone suddenly wants to be with someone, there must be a good reason.

In times like these, it would be the duty of a disciple to follow quietly.

“If it’s okay with you, I’ll be happy to hang out with you.”

“It’s good because it’s you, not because it’s you, you punk. Just like that.”

I don’t know if he was angry or praising me, but my senior looked away with an embarrassed expression.

“I have such a narrow network of relationships that when I’m bored, the only person I can call is you, my disciple.”

“You’re close with Tirisia too, right?”

“That guy! Rather than being close… He doesn’t show off his aristocratic air, so he’s relatively easy to deal with. He was your girlfriend too. Anyway, I’m saying that you’re better than those other bastards. Got it?”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t keep you for long. Let’s just walk around the square and talk.”

“You can hold on for a long time.”

“What, this kid broke up with his girlfriend and now he’s strangely free. Pakshi.”

Phew, my senior’s light punch landed in my stomach.

“Ugh.”

The giggling senior let go of the arm around my shoulder, put his hands in the pockets of the jacket he had roughly draped over his arms, and started walking beside me.

“So, how’s your swordsmanship training going these days? Are you doing as I taught you?”

“I’m trying. My grades aren’t that good, though.”

“The disciple’s incompetence is all because of his master’s incompetence. Don’t blame yourself.”

“No, I was a total beginner, but it’s all thanks to my seniors that I’ve grown to this level.”

“Heh heh, that’s right.”

It was early in my first year at the Academy that Senior Perjeena and I began our master-student relationship.

I entered the academy with Tirisia, and I got a miserable result in the competition where the skills of the new students were evaluated through duels, similar to the Yeonmu Festival.

Until then, I was just an ordinary commoner who was born with magical powers.

Well, it’s still the same now.

However, Tirisia immediately took first place in the Academy rankings in the freshman evaluation.

Even from the noble Brood family, the main evaluation of her was that she was the birthplace of the strongest magician of all time.

The last person to compete against Tirisia in that tournament was Senior Perzena.

A former Academy Ranking #1 who lost a fierce battle with Tirisia Brood by a narrow margin with only the potential of a commoner without any noble blood.

Although she detested arrogant nobles like Seldianne, she secretly liked Tirisia, who was easygoing and humble, yet stronger than her.

It was only natural that the gaze of such a senior would reach me, who was standing shabbily next to Tirisia.

The senior could not accept the situation in which the nobleman she liked and had feelings for was so weak.

That’s how she suggested that I become her swordsmanship disciple.

The biggest reason for the proposal was that, as a commoner like himself, he should stand next to a great noble and at least not be taken advantage of.

Since then, a year and a few months have passed while I was receiving swordsmanship instruction from my senior.

In pure swordsmanship duels where I only strengthen my body with magical power, I was lucky enough to be able to get a match with Lucica, who was ranked 27th, but compared to the strength of my senior or Tirisia, I was still a very pathetic person.

No matter how hard Beomjae tried, the overwhelming innate gap was not something he could easily bridge.

Of course, now that I’ve broken up with Tirisia, it’s a story that has no relevance.

“I’m sorry.”

My senior said, roughly patting my head.

“I wanted to raise him to a level where he could proudly stand next to the little Brewer.”

“No, my senior guided me well enough. It’s the part where I should have tried harder.”

In the face of the not-so-good results, the senior smiled bitterly at the words of comfort they shared with each other.

“What do you think, now that you’ve broken up with that guy… Have you lost your purpose of becoming strong? Disciple.”

“The purpose of becoming stronger… ”

Certainly, as Lucica said, I think I’ve been training to be someone who is recognized by everyone.

Even if others would never acknowledge it, I thought that putting in the effort was the least I could do for Tirisia.

But that direction has now completely lost its way and derailed.

Tyricia chose another man, and I only got the evaluation that I was worth breaking up with from everyone.

If Kelg Durakal, the chairman’s son, reveals his presence in the future, that evaluation will become even more solid.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to just quietly fade away into oblivion as an ordinary person.

Because too much interest won’t help you in life.

If I were left alone, I would probably choose that.

But now, the story is a little different.

Heidi said, “Prove yourself from now on.”

I want to ask everyone to correct their wrong views.

Celdianne also wanted me to become stronger, even if it was just to satisfy her own hypocrisy.

Lucica was very disappointed in me for abandoning Tirisia and letting go of her hand.

It was definitely a little upsetting that she thought I was an idiot.

When I look at all of those circumstances, I am now,

There were still plenty of reasons to get stronger.

“Senior.”

I smiled, looking at my senior’s face as if he was expecting some kind of answer.

“Nothing has changed. I broke up with Tirisia, but… I think my fundamental purpose still exists. I want to become stronger. For others, for my seniors, and for myself.”

“Is that so?”

The senior who had been stroking my head and then slapped me on the back with the hand he had been stroking, came back in front of me with a ferocious smile.

“That’s what I wanted to hear, kid.”

She raised her arm and pointed her finger at my face.

“Then let me add one more reason to the teacher’s greed.”

“Are you greedy?”

“Okay.”

Senior Perjena bared her fangs and this time pointed at her own face with her thumb.

“At the next dance festival, you will be in the top five instead of me, okay?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Pak-ssi! I mean it! I won’t be participating in this dance competition, so I’m telling you to do your master’s work instead. Do you understand?”

“No, wait, I know what you mean… but you’re saying that your senior isn’t participating? Why?”

When I asked her with wide eyes, she answered as if she was annoyed, scratching the back of her head.

“Why, you know… Because of the accident before… ”

“Ah… ”

What the senior was talking about was the magic explosion incident that happened last year.

If a wizard’s magical circuit is unstable and magical power is forcibly circulated, the circuit itself will explode because it cannot withstand it, and that is one of the mistakes a wizard must be most wary of.

When a magic circuit explodes, the magical power that bursts out strikes every part of the body, causing all sorts of damage and side effects. It is natural for muscles to rupture and bones to break, and if you are unlucky, the magic circuit may be completely damaged, ending your life as a magician.

In the worst case scenario, you could lose your life.

The senior clicked his tongue and stroked his arm as if feeling the cold.

“I haven’t been feeling well since then.”

“I see… ”

Senior Perjena was a commoner who always went through harsh training to overcome his limitations.

However, as a result of pushing himself too hard, he suffered a magical explosion during training and suffered major damage that destroyed his entire body.

After recovering in the intensive care unit for several months, the senior was fortunately discharged safely, but it seemed that the aftereffects still remained in his body and it would be difficult for him to fight in the Yeonmu Festival.

“Are you in a lot of pain, senior?”

When I asked her with a worried face, she shook her head and smiled as if it was a useless worry.

“Not to that extent. It’s not like you have to fight with your ex-girlfriend.”

“Then… does that really mean that I should receive the award instead of my senior?”

“Yes, Imma. This Master wants to see his disciple show off in front of those noble rascals—that’s what I mean. You have a strong desire to be strong, but I’ll push you a little harder. Understand?”

The senior who approached me pushed my forehead with his fist.

“But until then, this teacher will guide you with all his might. Can you do it?”

I smiled and nodded at the blue girl who was grinning fiercely, showing her fangs.

“Of course. Oh, but… ”

“Ahh? Are you dissatisfied?”

I told my senior, who was glaring at me with his eyes wide open, an important fact.

“Senior… But… There are already two people I’m supposed to train… What should I do?”

“What?! Who are you?!”

“Heidiera and Seldianne.”

“Ah …

The senior who shouted with his mouth wide open was circling around me in agony.

“These fucking bitches… are already spitting… ? I’m gonna beat you up… Fuck… ”

The senior, who had been mumbling something and thinking, eventually grabbed my shoulder and said.

“This won’t do, gather all those bitches together tomorrow.”

“Ah… Yes.”

“I need to negotiate who I will train with.”

“Okay… ”

Even after accepting the order, the senior continued to mutter something while biting his fingernails.

“This is ridiculous… You fucking bitches… You were just waiting for this moment…? Damn it… ”

I couldn’t hear what he was saying very well, but his expression looked very angry.

Why are you doing that, senior?

*

So the next day.

After school, there were five people standing in the middle of the Academy Square.

A girl with black curly hair. A girl with golden bun hair. And a girl with blue two-tone short hair.

The three stood in a triangle, looking at each other with heavy, serious faces.

And next to her, Tirissia and I were smiling awkwardly.

Gogogogogogogogo!

In the murderous atmosphere, I had the illusion that the air was trembling.

Students walking home nearby were so shocked when they saw this sight that they took a detour and went back in a different direction.

“… ”

What on earth is going on here?

I just watched the burning triangle before my eyes together with Tirisia.

“Hey, kids.”

The first to speak was Senior Perjena, whose blue eyes were radiating light.

“Let me ask you something. What kind of training are you weaklings going to give my disciple?”

The one who responded to those words with a raised eyebrow was Celdiane Elkonja, her crimson eyes shining beyond the fan.

“Oh-hohohoho! A commoner with so little magic power would be so good at teaching people! The ability that the commoner standing over there needs to develop is magic, not swordsmanship! You are the expert in that field! Why don’t you refute me!”

Even with just the two of them, they created an ominous atmosphere as if a dragon and a tiger were fighting, but surprisingly, there was a chinchilla joining in the fight.

“Both of you are wrong… What Lord Leto needs now is guidance from a dwarf who can handle the same shadow magic…! Also, the dwarf intends to teach Lord Leto the vision of the East that does not exist in this region…! Uuuu… ”

“Ahh? What kind of guidance is that guy who can’t even speak properly?”

“I totally agree! It’s so frustrating to hear it even for a moment! Miss Isidel, get out of here!”

“shi, no…! I will teach the Lord Leto…!”

“This is it! I’m teaching you!”

“You are the perfect person for the job!”

“Heeelp… !”

“Ah …

“This profit!”

Tuqwaaaa …

The three men shook the plaza as they each emitted black, gold, and blue magic from their bodies.

“… What is this.”

As I was looking at the monstrous sight with a hollow laugh, Tirisia spoke in a dry voice from the side.

“… Erto was this popular.”

“Popularity? It seems fortunate that it doesn’t explode.”

As I shook my head, Tirisia muttered something.

“A little… unexpected.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Huh, no. It’s a good thing that so many people want to help Erto.”

“Is that so…?”

“Then.”

The silver-haired beauty smiled gently and stared at the girls in front of her with her jade-colored eyes.

“Yeah, that’s really fortunate.”