Ch.19The Oath of Covenant (1)

# Justin woke up in the hospital room.

Dim sunlight through the window bars was brightly coloring his blanket.

Looking to the side, he saw Catherine reading a book.

“That was reckless, Justin.”

“…I suppose so.”

Justin laughed weakly. He looked at both hands and made fists. He still couldn’t muster much strength.

“I can’t even beat Hersy, let alone the Sword Saint.”

“Of course not. Hersy Minerva isn’t just someone with strong pride.”

Catherine closed her book with a snap and spoke with sharp eyes.

“That confidence comes from actual skill. It’s only natural that a Low like you couldn’t last even a moment. What’s the point of carrying that thing on top of your neck?”

Justin had nothing particular to say.

“So, let me ask you something.”

“About what?”

Justin frowned as he sat up. His abdomen still throbbed with pain.

“Why on earth did you challenge the Sword Saint to a duel like some country bumpkin? Are you crazy enough to want to die?”

Justin stared blankly at the ceiling and said.

“Because she was the strongest.”

“What?”

Catherine furrowed her brows.

“You attacked her because she’s strong?”

“Yes. There’s no point in targeting someone weaker than me. To become stronger… I need to fight the strong.”

“You’re insane.”

Catherine spat out a word unbecoming of a noble as she stood up abruptly.

“I knew you were out of your mind, but I didn’t know you were this crazy.”

“Is that… strange?”

Justin chuckled.

“Of course it’s strange! It makes me question your sanity! Think about it. You need to challenge someone who’s somewhat stronger, not the Sword Saint who’s already beyond student level. What benefit did you get from being beaten by Hersy?”

Justin laughed awkwardly.

“I guess there wasn’t any.”

“But…”

Catherine hesitated for a moment. But realizing there was no reason to hesitate with Justin, she boldly asked.

“Is that really all?”

“What do you mean?”

“…Did you really target her just because she was strong?”

Justin slowly nodded.

“Why do you ask?”

“Nothing.”

Catherine sighed and sat back down.

“When you targeted the Sword Saint, you looked at her like someone with a grudge.”

“…Huh?”

“You looked like someone with a million stories to tell. Did the Sword Saint do something to you? I heard she’s quite righteous.”

Justin wore a momentarily perplexed expression.

“…So that’s how it looked.”

“Tell me quickly. I’ve been waiting seven hours out of curiosity.”

“What, what? Seven hours?”

A startled Justin looked out the window.

The weather was just as bright as it had been right before he collapsed. There was no sign of evening.

“Yes. You were unconscious for three days. Oh, don’t misunderstand. I only came seven hours ago because you weren’t waking up. Anyway, that Hersy bi—I mean, Hersy Minerva doesn’t seem to know moderation.”

Catherine spoke as if displeased.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t use such high-level magic against a mere Low.”

“…Catherine, you’re a Low too.”

Catherine angrily hit Justin in the stomach.

“Ugh!”

“Watch your words, commoner. I told you, didn’t I? I just had bad luck on exam day. I have more than enough skill to be an Expert—”

“Sorry.”

Justin clutched his stomach. It was beyond painful—it stung.

“Anyway, let’s continue our conversation. Why did you make that expression? Is there a story behind it?”

Justin was about to speak but missed his timing as Catherine immediately continued.

“Yes, I thought so. The Windsor I know has a crueler personality than anyone else—righteous? That’s nonsense.”

“…Can I speak now?”

“I’ve been telling you to speak all along, haven’t I?”

Justin sighed and said.

“That’s true.”

He was embarrassed. He never expected his expression would be so revealing.

“…Even for me, challenging the Sword Saint with her overwhelming presence wasn’t easy.”

“What?”

Justin hesitated before speaking incoherently.

“For some reason, since long ago, I become stronger when my opponent is a villain. So I approached her thinking she was a terrible villain in my mind. Without that, I would have neither the courage nor the skill.”

Typically, commoners who enter the Imperial Academy possess remarkable talent.

This was due to scholarships. Realistically, it was impossible for commoners to pay the Academy’s enormous tuition fees.

However, Justin had no talent.

His rank was 1st tier.

He could perform simple daily magic, but anything beyond that was impossible.

With such terrible talent, he normally wouldn’t even be able to set foot in the Academy.

The reason he could enter was thanks to Professor “Lepen Chaser.”

A year ago, Justin lost his parents.

They were killed by a man in a black robe.

He didn’t know who it was or why they killed his parents.

What was certain was that they killed his parents instantly before his eyes.

Justin was endlessly enraged.

And he manifested a strange power he didn’t even know he had.

It was a pure white sword made of light. Being in a state of extreme excitement, he couldn’t see it clearly.

The “black magic” they were using shattered too easily before Justin’s power.

Justin was able to quickly avenge his parents.

Lepen Chaser happened to witness this. Lepen told him many things.

-The one you killed was a black mage. I’ve been searching for them for a long time, but they were here. I’m sorry I was late.

-They probably killed your parents for some purpose.

-If you want revenge, build your strength.

After that, Justin was able to enroll in the Academy with Lepen’s help.

The problem was that he couldn’t use the power he had manifested even once during that year.

Despite it clearly being his own magic, used with his own hands.

Justin was frustrated. It seemed within reach, yet he couldn’t grasp it.

‘…If only I could regain that power, someday I could take revenge.’

After much discussion with Lepen, there was only one clue.

To be endlessly angry.

But that wasn’t easy.

Given Justin’s personality, he couldn’t easily hate someone.

He only got angry when he saw villains.

He got the idea that day.

After seeing magic he had never seen before, his desire for power grew uncontrollably.

He was greatly stimulated when a small boy who barely reached his chest used powerful magic.

Therefore—

Deep in his heart.

He decided to try what he had only been thinking about implicitly.

It was a mind map. Setting up an imaginary enemy and drawing out power by imagining that person as the worst villain.

He had been avoiding it because it seemed uncomfortable, even if it was just imaginary.

But it was only in his mind, and he had no intention of revealing his inner thoughts. Above all, his desire for power was too great at that time.

So he tried it. He created a mind map thinking of Amelia as a terrible villain.

But.

“I didn’t think it would show on my face.”

Justin decided to stop. No matter how much it was just in his mind, no one would like being treated as a villain.

“You’re really unbelievable. Do you have two lives? You harbor killing intent toward a duchess’s daughter for such a reason?”

“…It wasn’t killing intent. I just thought of her as a bad person.”

“Listen. It’s not my place to say, but you need to understand nobles. Nobles and knights might tolerate many things, but they never tolerate insult. The Sword Saint… you picked the worst possible opponent. You should have challenged Hersy instead.”

Catherine grumbled as she stood up.

“Let’s go.”

Justin gave her a puzzled look.

“Where?”

“To get food!”

Catherine sharply exclaimed, crossing her arms.

“…Ah, sorry.”

“What?! You dare refuse when I, Catherine Ovillion, have proposed a meal?”

“I’m sorry. But I have something urgent to do.”

“…What is it?”

“I need to apologize. I harbored such feelings on my own.”

Justin got up from his seat.

**

When he went to the fencing hall to meet Amelia, she had already left.

-The captain? Oh, she said she was going to Dellin’s Lake earlier.

Justin walked toward Dellin’s Lake, thinking deeply.

-Swear that you will never appear before me again.

That covenant would probably be fine.

After all, he was the one seeking out Amelia.

‘But why did she make such a covenant? Because it was annoying? Or…’

Was there another reason?

He couldn’t be sure, but what was certain was that he hadn’t done anything to make Ruide hate him.

He had made one mistake, but he had properly apologized.

He thought it was probably because Ruide found it annoying. There must be a reason he was called the lazy Ruide.

‘But what was that magic I saw then?’

As he walked toward Dellin’s Lake, he kept thinking about Ruide, whom he had tried not to think about.

The magic Ruide had displayed on the practice day.

The countless magic circles that had been deployed and their results when activated.

Justin got goosebumps on his forearm as he vividly imagined it all.

It was overwhelming.

Even to someone like him who didn’t know much about magic, it was such a great magic that just thinking about it made him shudder.

‘I wanted to become friends with him… but that’s impossible now.’

A bitter smile appeared. He looked up.

“I can’t believe I’m coming here again.”

The place where Justin stopped was the entrance to Dellin’s Forest.

The last time he came here seeking help, he had experienced terrible pain.

He didn’t want to come back, but this time he had no choice.

Justin was the type of person who had to resolve anything that weighed on his mind.

“Phew.”

After taking a deep breath, Justin took a step forward.

And at that moment—.

“—!”

The sunlit forest turned black.

Justin hurriedly looked around.

It was night.

A deep darkness where he couldn’t see an inch in front of him.

“What, what is this?”

A confused Justin looked behind him.

A huge magic circle was rippling at the exit.

-Wooooo.

Countless ghosts emerging from the magic circle were flying through the air.

The leaves rustled as they brushed against the large trees.

They were ominously black leaves.

Then, his eyes met with a ghost’s.

The ghost stopped. When one stopped, two, three followed.

All of them stopped. The ghosts stared at Justin. Though they had no eyes, that’s how it felt.

-Crunch.

He heard the sound of teeth grinding.

-Crunch, crunch.

The sound spread widely.

‘I need to run.’

It was almost instinctual.

Justin ran with all his might.