Ch.36EP.11 – The Knight Hate Spellcasters (4)

Though it may seem obvious, Ihan dislikes mages.

Why does he hate them?

It seems rather obvious, doesn’t it?

As a child, he was a “test subject” for a mage and endured it for a whole “10 years.”

Ten years. Ten years.

Calculated in days, that’s 3,650 days of being experimented on, day in and day out.

The pain he suffered then is something he’ll never forget, no matter how much time passes.

Children discarded daily due to failed experiments.

Increasingly intense experiments.

The resulting wounds, scars, and pain.

The amount of blood drawn was enough to kill him, and the pain of having flesh torn and burned is something one couldn’t understand without experiencing it.

That’s why it’s impossible to forget.

…If he were to tell a priest who follows the Light of Radiance about his life, they would probably say:

“It was a trial sent by God, and thanks to that trial, you are who you are today, so cast away those memories.”

And Ihan would reply:

“—What bullshit.”

If someone experienced exactly what he went through for ten years and still said such things, he might acknowledge their perspective, but what madman would voluntarily endure torture for ten years?

So, even if someone tells him that hatred alone is meaningless, he will forever view mages through colored glasses.

Of course, he shouldn’t generalize all mages.

Not all mages conduct human experiments.

But still, why is it…

‘Why are all the spellcasters I’ve encountered nothing but psychopaths?’

Three years since becoming a knight.

In the countless mysterious cases he’s pursued, mages have always been involved.

Seeing others experiencing the same things he did as a child, or even worse, Ihan became convinced:

‘Good spellcasters? Sure, they exist.’

But most good spellcasters are dead spellcasters.

The same goes for Irene Windler.

Though he knows deep down that she appears to be a normal, kind girl, the mere fact that she’s a mage makes him constantly feel antipathy toward her.

In a way, this might be a compulsive aversion that has been imposed on Ihan.

A compulsion that says mages are beings that must be hated.

But now.

Ihan has succeeded in confirming that this compulsion of his is not wrong at all.

Just look at what’s happening now.

“You’ve taken my words lightly, swordsman. How dare you disregard my orders! You lowly bastard…!”

Isn’t he just spewing words with a broken personality?

Ihan:

“Did you come here to die at the hands of this lowly bastard, old spellcaster?”

“!!!”

He gladly decided to become someone with an equally broken personality.

* * *

A silence hung over the Swordsmanship Department’s training ground.

Not just any silence.

The calm before the storm.

A precarious silence where a powder keg could explode at any moment, and then:

“Hmm.”

Ihan casually pulled out a hand axe from his chest.

“Let’s have a bit more conversation first.”

“…What’s the purpose of drawing a blade while talking?”

“You’re suddenly interrupting my precious class time, so why should I tolerate it? Whatever a spellcaster says is probably all nonsense, but I’ll listen first, and if it’s even more nonsensical, I’ll have to throw this.”

“…Such a lowly swordsman.”

“I wonder what would happen if that swordsman hit you with an axe.”

“…!”

Whether the old man was angry or not, Ihan playfully wiggled the hand axe.

As if ready to accept any provocation.

But this wasn’t just a joke.

In reality, Ihan’s mood was at its worst.

Despite his polite warning yesterday, someone had invaded his “territory.”

And:

‘What else could it mean to come in a group like that, if not to fight?’

The crowd of mages that had gathered.

There were about 17 young mages, which was evidence that the guy had come to engage in a power struggle.

For Ihan, who already had an extreme aversion to mages, this was an unpleasantly uncomfortable situation.

He felt obligated to teach the old mage that life is a real battle, and emitted a sincere aura of intimidation.

“…Ignorant swordsman.”

However, the old mage, Odwal Bernard, who seemed like he would act arrogantly, suppressed his aura.

Though his eyes still looked fierce, neither he nor his disciples drew their staffs.

In knight terms, it was equivalent to not drawing swords.

He knew it too.

Fighting a knight at such close range would be suicidal.

‘For a spellcaster, he’s maintaining his composure? Well, I guess that’s why he works as an academy professor.’

But one must be cautious.

Mages are like active volcanoes that could erupt at any time, and they can become violent at their whim, like people with split personalities.

Sure enough:

“You don’t understand.”

“…What?”

“You don’t understand! How delicate mages are…!!”

The composure he showed just moments ago was gone, and the old mage suddenly shouted like someone with anger management issues, pointing at him.

“You lowly swordsman! What have you done to that genius to make her neglect her magic training! You villain of the world…!”

“Remove your finger before I cut it off.”

“It’s because of you! You must have said something strange! That’s why she’s become so delinquent!”

“I warned you.”

Their conversation didn’t mesh.

Both were just saying what they wanted to say.

But one thing was clear: neither of them had any intention of backing down, nor did either of them want to have a proper conversation.

An old mage who despised knights, or rather, all those who couldn’t use magic, and a knight with a deep aversion to mages.

In reality, normal conversation between the two was impossible.

All that remained was conflict.

In such a situation:

“In-Instructor, please calm down!”

“You shouldn’t fight!”

Swordsmanship Department cadets rushed to stop him.

Though it had been a short time, they had already grasped his temperament to some extent, knowing that if Ihan said he would do something, he really would.

The mage group was the same:

“Professor! Didn’t we agree to resolve this through dialogue first?”

“You shouldn’t do this here.”

“Please, for our sake, don’t!”

It seemed that the 17 Magic Department cadets hadn’t come for a show of force, but to prevent Odwal from causing trouble.

They too were fully aware of their professor’s temperament and had followed him. Ironically, both the knight and the mage, restrained by their disciples, had no choice but to calm their excitement.

And at that moment:

“I think it would be best for both of you to calm down first.”

A man stepped forward and volunteered to mediate.

“L-Lord Roen…”

As the promising heir of Lionel, with noble bloodline, atmosphere, and mystique, spoke, even Odwal, who had been showing a ferocious attitude, visibly hesitated.

As if he hadn’t expected him to step in personally.

Once the situation was somewhat under control, Roen said:

“Both of you are too excited. As a result, you’re both just saying what you want to say without trying to calm the situation.”

Roen’s dark, pearl-like deep gaze turned toward Irene.

Flinch!

Irene flinched, but as if it wasn’t his concern, his cold gaze remained fixed.

[Arin, did you do something wrong to that handsome boy?]

‘N-No, I didn’t? …I think?’

Irene briefly felt something ominous in the cold gaze directed at her, but unfortunately, she didn’t have the leisure to identify the source of that ominousness, and Roen spoke:

“Professor Odwal Bernard. Please calm down and talk. I’d like a clear explanation of why you brought your forces to another department, and what you want to say to Lady Irene Windler.”

A calm and respectful tone, but not one that was backing down.

Rather, it exuded an extraordinary charisma.

The so-called dignity of a hegemon.

Lionel.

It was the dignity befitting the royal family of the North.

“Hmm…”

In the face of such dignity, even Odwal couldn’t act recklessly.

Although he might consider all humans except mages to be insignificant, he wasn’t so reckless as to treat someone with such dignity carelessly.

Odwal straightened his collar to regain his composure…

“—Old man, I’m disappointed. I thought you’d man up and fight, but you’re just running your mouth? I’m hurt.”

“…You bastard…!!”

Somehow reloaded, Ihan immediately launched a provocation.

Odwal started to act up again, and the Magic Department cadets could only look at Ihan resentfully while trying to restrain Odwal.

“…Instructor.”

“What? It’s better to just fight it out honestly than to argue pettily with words. I’m straightforward.”

“……”

* * *

Once the situation had calmed down somewhat, a representative from the Magic Department cadets came forward to convey Odwal’s grievances, and though it was a rather complex and lengthy story…

“So, in the end, he came to confront the instructor because he restricted ‘telekinesis,’ is that right?”

Arno summarized, and though the Magic Department cadet seemed disgruntled that his explanation had been so compressed, he tried not to show his dissatisfaction and nodded.

“Y-Yes. If I were to summarize roughly, that would be it.”

Ihan had recommended exercise for Irene’s health, or rather, for her “survival,” and had restricted the telekinesis she used as naturally as breathing.

He wasn’t saying she shouldn’t use it at all, but rather that she should reduce its use in daily life as much as possible.

It was Ihan’s consideration and effort, hoping that she would walk more and become healthier.

…However, the problem was that this came across as extremely distasteful to Odwal, who was a mage supremacist.

“Professor Odwal often says, ‘Telekinesis is the foundation and essence of all magic, and a mage’s [primal power]’… As such, restricting telekinesis means controlling a mage’s power development. To use a knight as an example, it’s like telling them not to do strength training, yes…”

“Is that also the old man’s teaching?”

“…This is just my personal opinion.”

“I thought so.”

“Haha…”

As expected of that old man.

However, just as everything has a common thread, Ihan had to acknowledge a statement he didn’t want to admit.

‘Telekinesis is a mage’s power, so it’s like strength or physical fitness.’

Just as exercise needs to be done consistently to be effective, magic also requires consistent training of telekinesis to develop.

But Ihan had restricted this, so the old mage must have felt various discomforts.

In a way, Irene was acting against the teachings of mages, and Ihan had forced her to do so.

A man who would go berserk because a cadet coughed during the entrance ceremony, the fact that he had been quiet until now suggests that he discriminates in his outbursts.

“…Tsk, you should have said that from the beginning.”

It was a somewhat reasonable explanation, and if he had said something like that first, Ihan wouldn’t have been so antagonistic.

Of course, he doesn’t feel sorry.

‘What’s the point of feeling sorry for a spellcaster?’

Ihan snorted.

“I-I’m sorry, Instructor. If we’re assigning blame, it’s because of me that this happened…”

“Chick No. 2, you’re not at fault.”

“B-But.”

“Let me ask you one thing. Has Chick No. 2 ever neglected magic training because of my class?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

She could affirm this with everything she had.

[That’s right, I nag you every day, and Arin has never skipped training.]

With the ghost girl in her head nagging her daily, she has never missed magic training.

The same goes for restricting telekinesis in daily life.

“I use it all the time except when exercising. Like when I don’t want to get out of bed and need to bring a cup of water, or when I’m styling my hair.”

“…I’m a bit envious of that.”

“Hehe.”

She had the diligent laziness(?) to consistently work hard to achieve both goals.

And hearing her words:

“See? I don’t see any problem, so I don’t understand why you’re making such a fuss, old man.”

He gestured with his chin to the old mage as if asking if he was satisfied now, and Odwal trembled and rebutted:

“You fool, that’s not the issue! Magic must be pure! No impurities should enter her genius!”

“…I don’t understand why being healthy is considered an impurity?”

“Why does a mage need that ‘health’ in the first place! With telekinesis, or rather, ‘magical power,’ ‘we’ can live healthily as much as we want! Instead of wasting time accumulating unnecessary impurities like exercise and physical strength, it’s more efficient to train magical power…!!”

“…You’re insane.”

How can logic be so extreme?

This is no different from saying that one can be healthy by just taking supplements without consuming food.

It’s the logic of a madman.

“Old man, let me say again, your logic is…”

“You! Old man, old man! Stop calling me that! I’m only twenty-eight!!”

“…Huh?”

…Was there something wrong with his ears?

Ihan blinked for a moment and looked at the cadets around him.

A questioning gaze as if asking if they had heard the strange sound too.

To this, they:

“…Twenty-eight? Kunta, you might not be familiar with the common language yet. I think I heard something strange. That old man looks older than our High Priestess.”

“You didn’t mishear, Kunta. You heard correctly.”

“What did he do to…”

They whispered as if he hadn’t misheard, and Ihan looked at the old man, or rather, the excessively aged mage, with astonishment.

‘…He’s two years younger than me?’

Perhaps.

“You didn’t sell your lifespan to a demon, did you?”

“You bastaaaaard…!”

Finally, Odwal grabbed Ihan by the collar.

Crack!

“Arghhhh!”

But it was immediately broken.

Meanwhile, looking at this old mage…

No, the young mage’s appearance, Irene Windler:

[Arin. Let’s exercise hard and stick to the diet the instructor gave us, okay!]

‘…Yes, I was planning to do that anyway.’

She began to make up her mind to improve her lazy lifestyle.

Indeed, what motivates people is the existence of a negative example.