Chapter 27 : Storm’s Breeding Ground – (4)

After parting with Camilla, we continued to wander around Glintmarch a bit more.

Sofia, with the money she had taken from Bella, generously spent it all, especially buying various things for me.

First, a cadet uniform.

There was a cadet uniform sold separately by craftsmen, in addition to the one provided for free to all cadets.

Naturally, it was superior in every way, from the material to the finish.

Sofia gave me the one she thought would suit me best in terms of size and color.

It was a cadet uniform with a black base and striking red embroidery.

Of course, being made by a craftsman, the price was exorbitant, but Sofia paid for it without hesitation.

Well, I suppose it didn’t matter to her—it probably wasn’t her own money.

“Are you sure this is okay? Wouldn’t it be better if you wore it, Sofia?”

“I’m going to be fighting a lot anyway, so it’ll get ruined quickly.”

“Fighting?”

At my question, Sofia gave a shy smile and placed her index finger over her lips.

As Luerin had said, it seemed Sofia continued to engage in bloody battles at the academy even while I wasn’t around.

“Oh, and this is a gift for you.”

“A gift?”

Sofia took me around various shops in Glintmarch and bought me a wide variety of things.

From simple pins to waterproof cloaks, leather belts, and even expensive books.

The books were carefully selected by Sofia, a thoughtful gesture since I still couldn’t fully read or write.

Why was she doing all this for me? It was a bit overwhelming, but it seemed I was a benefactor to Sofia.

Refusing would be rude, so I figured the best way to show my gratitude was to make good use of everything.

“Thank you. I’ll definitely repay you later.”

“No, you don’t need to. I’m doing this because I want to!”

Sofia nodded vigorously, emphasizing the “want” in her words.

Luerin, who had been silently watching, muttered in a small voice, just loud enough for me to hear.

“Hubby.”

This time, I couldn’t bring myself to argue.

We had returned from Glintmarch, but the Sabbath was still not over.

After a few drinks of beer, Sofia went to rest early, and naturally, I headed to Luerin’s dormitory to keep my promise to her.

Instead of sharing a dormitory with the other cadets, Luerin had a small private room attached to the guild building.

“It’s a privilege. I’m favored by the guild master,” she said proudly, puffing out her chest.

Unlike Sofia, her full figure made a statement.

She seemed unaware of it, so I cleared my throat and turned my gaze away.

“So, how should I practice blood magic?”

“How far can you use blood magic?”

“How far?”

“How many things can you do?”

“Well, not too much. For example, I can create arrows with blood, or form a thin shield to block attacks. Basically, I just manipulate blood.”

“…Simple?”

Luerin raised an eyebrow after hearing my explanation.

“You’ve only been using blood magic for two months, right?”

“That’s about right.”

“But you’re already at that level?”

Her surprise was similar to Ayla’s.

Then again, it took Luerin several years to become proficient with fire arrows.

It seemed that either the structure of blood magic was easier to master than regular magic, or perhaps it was because I had Lily’s blood, or even Zinjou’s.

After that, Luerin instructed me to demonstrate my blood magic.

Pachak! From a distance, I shot an arrow, piercing the scarecrow.

Luerin squinted her eyes.

“Accuracy is good enough. As for destructive power, there’s no need to mention it.”

“The guild master said there’s nothing more to teach me.”

“But your application skills are lacking.”

Luerin hastily continued.

She raised her hand, and a fire arrow was summoned.

It flew in a curve, landing on the scarecrow’s head with perfect precision.

It was truly impressive.

I hadn’t realized before, but Luerin was an excellent witch, recommended by Aila.

“Magic isn’t just about creating arrows and shooting them. Application is important.”

“Application?”

“If all you use magic for is basic things like shields or magic arrows, it’s because you lack imagination. Magic can do so much more.”

“Like turning a human into a frog?”

At my question, Luerin’s face stiffened.

It seemed that both the guild master and witches took offense to this kind of question.

“Sorry.”

I quickly apologized.

Luerin glanced at me with narrowed eyes before casting another spell.

This time, it wasn’t a fire arrow.

A thin line of flames traced along the ground, spreading and engulfing the area.

Soon, a wall of fire rose from the line of flames, swaying in rhythm with her hand movements, almost as if it were being played by a traveling band.

It was a beautiful sight.

It was a mystery that no mere human could have created.

I watched Luerin’s magic in a daze.

“How was it?”

“…How did you do that, Senior?”

“I etched a magic circle on the ground and designed it to react to my mana.”

Even after hearing the explanation, I couldn’t understand it.

The excuse Luerin had given when she lost to me in our duel—about being careless—was no mere excuse of a loser.

If it had been a real battle, not just a duel, and if Luerin had used her full strength to deploy her magic, and if I hadn’t rushed to close the distance and engage in hand-to-hand combat, I would’ve been a crispy vampire snack by now.

“It’s amazing.”

“You could do it too.”

“Me?”

“Do you remember when you fought the vampire noble at Berrington?”

I nodded at Luerin’s question.

“The blood magic the noble used then is similar to this. As a magician, I could tell for sure.”

“Ah.”

The vampire noble, Hoover, had manipulated the blood that soaked the ground to pierce me from beneath my feet.

It was no different from the wall of fire Luerin was using now.

The point is, I could do it too.

“So, how about it? Do you think you could try it?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s definitely worth trying.”

“Right.”

Luerin let out a small sigh as if to say that was enough.

“Well, by the next Sabbath, try to manipulate the blood scattered on the ground. That’s your homework.”

“Got it.”

I nodded obediently.

Though I was unsure, Luerin was indeed an excellent hunter.

Excluding her bad luck, it was reasonable that Ayla had instructed us to team up.

“But why fire?”

“…Huh?”

Before leaving the personal room, I asked Luerin.

In our previous duel, she had wielded a whip made of flames, and all the magic she showed me this time was also fire-based.

It wasn’t a question with a particular reason behind it.

Unlike Ayla, who tormented me with various elements like wind and ice, Luerin only used fire magic.

However, when I asked, Luerin’s expression slightly stiffened.

Though her face was generally emotionless, it was clear she was somewhat agitated.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“…Magicians have elements that are specialized according to their mental images. For me, that element is fire.”

“Mental image?”

“Mental image is… sort of a trauma. It reflects one’s mental and spiritual state.”

Luerin pressed her lips together.

Seeing the pained expression on her face, I remembered what she meant.

“Senior, that trauma…”

“Sorry, could you leave?”

Luerin spoke, and I silently left the room.

Then I realized that I had asked an inappropriate question.

There could only be one event that had mentally scarred Luerin.

Witch hunts.

Burning at the stake.

The flames that had been cast upon Luerin’s parents, branded by the crowd who accused them of being witches, were now flickering at the tips of their daughter’s fingers.

That evening, I returned to my dorm room and leaned against the window sill.

It was customary to sleep during the night hours.

But the cadets in the dorm didn’t stop me.

There were rumors about me circulating.

“Did you hear? She walked around Glintmarch like a queen.”

“She must’ve spent a lot of money.”

“Must be nice.”

I tried to ignore the whispers as I pulled a dagger from my robe.

A dagger made from the fangs of a vampire, the Ballad.

I carefully ran my finger along the sharp edge of the dagger.

An indescribable agony rushed through me.

Even regeneration wasn’t happening properly.

It seemed certain that this was a weapon more dangerous than a stake to a vampire.

The first hunter, Ivan, had given me this dagger.

The first reason was to place trust in the hunter recommended by the priest.

The second reason was that if I ever ceased to be human, the dagger was meant to pierce my heart without hesitation.

And if I lost my humanity, it would most likely be because Lily exercised her influence over me.

“Lily…”

I recalled the image of Lily, who had surrendered to her instincts in the cabin.

The vampire Lily was simply a monster thirsting for blood.

The vampire queen must have triggered her true nature.

So, would I also one day lose my reason and become a monster like Lily was back then?

Meanwhile, the blood flowing from my fingertips did not stop.

Since regeneration wasn’t occurring, I had essentially received a wound, the likes of which I hadn’t felt in years.

The pain from it, however, brought a strange clarity to my mind.

Whether I would become a bloodthirsty monster or not was still uncertain.

Since I didn’t know, I decided to focus on the task at hand.

To become a hunter worthy of standing beside the priest.

To do that, I had to grow stronger.

I was learning blood magic from Luerin.

I was researching the vampire traits with Eleonora.

In other words, what I needed now was swordsmanship to deal with vampires.

The first teacher that came to mind was the priest, but he was out hunting for a dragon.

The second was the gravedigger, but his whereabouts were unknown.

The person I could turn to was…

“Ah.”

As I thought about it, my eyes landed on the Ballad.

Why hadn’t I thought of this earlier?

The owner of the Ballad was the first hunter who had fought alongside the priest, one of the founding members of the guild.

I made up my mind.

“…Are you asking me to train you?”

The next Sabbath, I went to a tavern in Glintmarch.