Ch.262257 – Nameless Swordsman

The Academy Competition consists of ten 5v5 matches per grade level, from 2nd grade elementary to 2nd grade high school.

Watching the highest-level 2nd grade high school matches can be incredibly intense.

Those passionate 17-year-olds live and die for honor.

Their determination to win at all costs always creates thrilling matches.

But that doesn’t mean the 2nd grade elementary matches aren’t popular.

Because…

THUD-

“WAAAAAHHH!”

During a practice match with Yu-na, Ji-hye tripped over her own feet, scraped her face on the floor, and burst into tears.

This is why these matches always end with someone crying.

The humiliation of defeat, emptiness, shame, and a bit of physical pain – it’s perfectly normal for 8-year-olds to sob loudly.

It’s just practice, yet Ji-hye’s face is completely covered in tears. She’s adorably pitiful.

“WAAAAAHHH! IT HUUURTS!”

“Are… are you okay?”

“Waaah… *sniff*… *sob*…”

Yu-na hurried over to Ji-hye and examined her face.

One cheek was red and swollen.

[Cast: Tissue Regeneration]

Yu-na cast the magic I had taught her before.

A spell to help regenerate wounds, but Ji-hye cried out in even greater pain.

“Seo Yu-na! How could you cast it so strongly on a child!”

“Isn’t this how you do it? It heals faster this way.”

“No, come here. Your tissue regeneration magic circle is beyond green and turning red.”

Right now, Ji-hye probably feels like someone’s applying rubbing alcohol to her wound.

[Cast: Cool Breeze]

[Cast: Tissue Regeneration]

I helped Ji-hye sit comfortably and sat beside her, gently stroking her cheek.

Her face looked much better than before.

“Mean…”

Ji-hye glared at Yu-na while sniffling.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Seo Yu-na is mean…”

“Yu-na just wanted to heal you quickly. Don’t be too upset with her.”

“Okay…”

Ma Ji-hye, Detective Ma’s daughter, currently in Class 2-B.

She’s small, just over 120cm tall, but until last year she was among the best in her grade at handling aura.

But now that Class A students are receiving specialized lessons and gaining experience, her position has become precarious.

She needs to be in the top 5, so she must be getting anxious.

Yu-na scratched her head as she approached, then flopped down next to Ji-hye.

“It’s such a shame NoName can’t participate. NoName is super strong…”

“We’ll have to wait until next year.”

“Hehehe…!”

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’ll be funny if you’re still under 120cm next year.”

“Hey.”

“NoName is being too har- pfft…! *cough cough*!”

Ji-hye chuckled then started coughing several times.

These kids are really enjoying themselves now that I’ve let them relax.

“Ji-hye, let’s go to the store for ice cream. Yu-na, you keep practicing with Si-hoo. You still have energy left, right?”

“Whaat? I’m so tired… Then get me a marble ice cream.”

“Si-hoo, what about you?”

“Anything is fine.”

“Anything? Then I’ll get you the cheapest one. Ji-hye, let’s go.”

“Alright! Oh wait, let me grab my glasses first.”

Ji-hye came running back, her short hair bouncing.

Just a moment ago she seemed completely out of energy, but seeing how quickly she recovered reminded me that children will be children.

Though it’s autumn, the daytime temperature showed no signs of dropping below 30 degrees.

I opened my white floral parasol from home and walked closely with Ji-hye toward the store.

“Who do you think will be selected for the competition from the 2nd grade?”

I pondered Ji-hye’s question carefully.

“I think Si-hoo and Yu-na will definitely be selected, don’t you think?”

As their high mental age suggests, they naturally have high mana sensitivity.

Ji-hye, probably remembering her recent defeat to Yu-na in their match, nodded in agreement.

“I’m not sure about the other three. I think Ji-hye has a good chance too.”

The rest are so evenly matched that it’s really hard to rank them before seeing them compete.

Lee Ha-ru, Kim Han-gyeol, Ma Ji-hye, Go Kyung-won, Hong Jun, and others.

“Ji-hye, do you have any worries lately? Have you made many friends?”

Ji-hye is in a different class, so she doesn’t have many opportunities to meet with our group except during lunch.

Besides, I heard she didn’t talk to anyone except Han Seo-ri throughout 1st grade, and unfortunately, they were separated this year, which worried me a bit. Her parents expressed similar concerns to me.

“I really need to get into Class A by 3rd grade… I don’t want to be separated from you all in 3rd grade too.”

“I see.”

The current Cephiron Academy system is too harsh.

Since I transferred in mid-year, there are currently 21 students in Class A.

This means when the school year changes, at least one person must leave for another class.

Twenty students fighting to keep their spots while the remaining sixty try to climb up – this competitive system might be efficient, but it’s a policy that would have been reported for human rights violations and made the news just a few decades ago.

Sometimes I wonder if my thinking is too rigid, but I can’t help feeling sorry for the children.

Currently in Korea, there’s an attitude that sacrificing the majority is acceptable to nurture a select elite.

Then they place excessive responsibility on those few elites, demanding “perfection” in all aspects, like they’re idols.

It’s not really beneficial for either the few or the many.

At least since Principal Gu On-yu took office seven years ago, the overall educational direction has become more friendly, but as a trade-off, they’ve consistently lost badly in the competitions, causing complaints from the foundation.

As those students advance to middle and high school and show inability to adapt to the infinite competition system, other principals probably don’t think highly of her.

“Ji-hye, what do you think of the principal? Does she seem like a good person or a bad person?”

“Isn’t she super nice?”

“Why?”

“She sometimes gives us hamburgers and ice cream.”

“Ah… so that’s why you think she’s good.”

Well, what would kids know about education itself?

Still, I felt respect for all the teachers working quietly behind the scenes for the children.

“But I think we don’t have enough practice time. Plus, they should select representatives as soon as possible so I can decide whether to help with training or not. Who selects them just three weeks before the competition? Don’t you agree? Here, have a Melona.”

“Thanks, NoName! I’ll enjoy it! But didn’t you buy one for Si-hoo?”

“Oh right. I guess I’ll just give him half of my Twin Bar.”

“Poor Si-hoo…! But NoName, you seem to pick on Si-hoo a lot.”

“Do I? Anyway, Ji-hye, do you want to stay at school and practice more?”

She shook her head vigorously from side to side.

Kids these days seem to lack perseverance.

I’ve been consciously trying to restrain myself, but my boomer mindset seems to be emerging more frequently lately.

“Huh? Who are they?”

Several men in black suits were gathered inside the gymnasium.

They definitely didn’t look like academy staff.

Si-hoo and Yu-na were sitting quietly in a corner, just watching them.

“Who are those people?”

“I don’t know either. They just suddenly came in while we were practicing.”

Among the men was a girl dressed differently.

She wore a white dobok top and a navy skirt pulled up to her navel.

A black belt was tightly fastened around her waist to keep her bottoms from slipping.

When she turned her head toward us, her high black ponytail swung behind her.

Her face was surprisingly youthful.

“She’s younger than I expected.”

“Huh? Young? She looks so much older than us!”

Ji-hye questioned my muttered comment.

Right, to you kids she would be an older sister.

Since they’ve entered the elementary division grounds, they must have received official permission from the foundation and academy.

Just as I was about to send a message to Principal Gu On-yu, they approached us first.

‘Translation magic?’

The girl placed her hands on her knees and bowed her head in greeting.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Katsuhata Emika, formally pursuing the path of a mage in the Katsuhata school. We have visited Cephiron Academy to meet Miss NoName.”

* * *

The Katsuhata school, which was the first to adopt the 1st Circle Innate Magic “Adera,” achieved an undefeated championship at the Japanese Emperor’s Cup.

The principle of the magic was so innovative that many theoretical magic scholars have already begun developing similar magic.

This is due to the fundamental problem with the Adera Innate Magic.

‘Adera is truly revolutionary magic. If only one could use this magic alone…’

Why does it specifically require an assistant to amplify and transfer power?

Is it truly impossible to solve this alone?

It was frustrating that while a solution to the fundamental limitations of Japanese swordsmanship had emerged, it couldn’t be utilized in individual competitions like the National Exchange Competition.

Then rumors began spreading on Japanese internet forums that the creator of this innate magic was an 8-year-old child.

It started with a Korean variety show exported to Japan.

Most public opinion held that someone else must have created it to promote a genius girl, but Emika didn’t think so.

‘Then why don’t we just check directly?’

If NoName was truly the creator of the innate magic, she would certainly understand its limitations.

By putting their heads together, couldn’t they develop it further?

The future of Japan depended on it.

The trip to Korea went smoothly.

Many local fans welcomed her at Incheon Airport upon hearing that the Katsuhata heir was visiting Korea.

Numerous media outlets speculated about her purpose for visiting.

After touring Seoul’s tourist attractions to throw them off, they arrived at their true destination when public interest had waned.

Cephiron Academy.

‘Why does Korea entrust the education of its talents to foreign institutions?’

This was a system unimaginable in Japan.

With such questions in mind, Emika entered the academy gymnasium.

A red-haired twin-tailed girl was relentlessly pressing a boy.

But the boy was holding his own.

He defended crucial attacks with magic and countered others with aura.

A talent comparable to heirs of schools specializing in “fist” techniques.

Emika watched their match with brief admiration.

‘But where is NoName?’

According to the academy principal, she could meet her at the gymnasium after classes ended each day.

The Katsuhata school entourage decided to wait there for a while, and Si-hoo and Yu-na inevitably noticed their presence.

Creeeeak-

Eventually, the door opened and a girl holding two ice creams entered the gymnasium.

Emika, who had been crouching, stood up and turned her head.

‘She’s so small…!’

Her twin-tails were so long they almost touched the floor.

Plus, her uniquely shaped hair ties definitely caught attention.

NoName.

A girl with the unusual name that would translate to “Mumei (無名)” in Japanese.

She gave off the vibe of a reclusive master from an anime, making Emika feel excited.

But no matter how young the other person is, one must be respectful when meeting someone from another country.

Emika bowed her head and introduced herself.

But the response that followed wasn’t what she expected.

“So who are you?”

NoName’s question made Emika’s face fall.

“I am from the Katsuhata school…”

“I just heard that part.”

“I’m Katsuhata Emika.”

“Yes, yes.”

“This year I won the Emperor’s Cup… Do you really not know me?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure…”

“Oh! Emperor means the Japanese Emperor, right? Is it about the emperor’s belly or something?”

“Yu-na, be quiet…”

The expressions of Emika and her entourage turned grim.

But thanks to NoName and Si-hoo controlling Yu-na’s mouth, it didn’t escalate further.

“I came to discuss Innate Magic with Miss NoName.”

“Ah, you should have said so from the beginning.”

NoName snapped her fingers with a look of understanding.

Only then did Emika breathe a sigh of relief.

“So you came all this way because you want to spar with me!”

“What?”

“Wow, spar with NoName?”

“OMG, that’s huge!”

“Huh? Is that what she meant?”

Si-hoo belatedly raised a question.

Regardless, NoName grabbed her wrist and led her to the center of the gymnasium.

She handed her protective gear and kindly set up an aura barrier herself.

“Wait, wait a minute!”

She was being led by an eight-year-old child and now was about to fight helplessly.

What were her attendants doing?

The age difference between NoName and Emika is a full 6 years.

Even the Emperor’s Cup, known for its wide age variance among participants, had never seen such a difference.

It’s an absurd match without handicaps.

Emika’s attendants, perhaps hot in their suits during summer, were cooling off in front of a large fan brought by the academy children.

“Katsuhata Emika.”

NoName, standing opposite the girl, called her name to get her attention.

“Ah, yes, Miss NoName.”

“I watched the National Exchange Competition with great interest. You showed considerable talent.”

“Oh… you saw that… Thank you…”

Emika’s cheeks turned red.

The National Exchange Competition was a part of her past that Emika wanted to hide.

With so many victories in her life, why did she have to see that video of all things…

“Wait… You said you didn’t know me earlier…?”

Emika asked with wide eyes.

Doesn’t saying she watched the National Exchange Competition mean she recognized her?

“Ah! I think I’m just starting to remember… or maybe not… Won’t we get to know each other better as we fight?”

NoName smiled innocently.

“If you need a wooden sword in the middle, just let me know, Nameless Swordsman. I’ll wait for you.”