Chapter 8 – The Activities of an F-Grade Troublemaker

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!”

I screamed in agony, overwhelmed by the terrible pain.

It was excruciatingly painful.

Looking back now, it was indeed a crazy thing to do.

Cutting off my own arm to create an opening was a wild choice.

But I don’t regret that decision.

After all, I won.

I had finally achieved a victory over Maximilian Wilhelm, the martial arts professor of Class A.

Although my body was covered in wounds,

And Maximilian hadn’t even used his full strength, let alone wielded a weapon.

Even though I lost an arm, it was okay.

If it had been a real battle, I would have been the one to survive.

‘I managed to do it without using Aura Awakening.’

I am weaker than the professor.

Even if I’m on the same level as him.

An Aura Master capable of using Aura Awakening.

However, the gap between those who have reached this level is so vast that it seems like another stage should be added.

Moreover, in this WFS, one can first learn Aura Enhancement and then Aura Expulsion, among other skills.

In terms of Aura, it’s more about learning the techniques rather than reaching a certain stage.

Aura Expulsion, Aura Envelopment, Aura Enhancement, Aura Awakening – the difficulty of acquiring these skills increases in this order, and they are usually learned in that sequence.

Because of these factors, even if one reaches a higher stage, proficiency needs to be separately developed.

Even an Aura Master might have lower proficiency than an Aura Ace in Aura Enhancement.

“First, go to the infirmary and receive treatment from a priest. But now that I think about it, I can’t go there by myself.”

Immediately after the duel ended, Professor Maximilian analyzed the situation and gave the optimal instruction.

“Cadet Elia. Could you bring a priest from the infirmary? It would be better to summon a priest here.”

“Understood.”

Elia disappeared in an instant following Maximilian’s instructions.

But I couldn’t care where she disappeared to.

I was too weak to even stand and had collapsed to the ground.

‘I will survive in Class A no matter what. The higher I climb, the stronger the political pressure from my reckless actions will become.

And I will somehow keep it a secret that I can use Aura Awakening.’

With these thoughts deeply engraved in my mind, I fell into a brief sleep until the priest came to treat me.

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Raei  Translations
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Bang—

Creak—

In a situation where I could see nothing, noisy sounds tickled my ears.

“AAAAAH.”

“Haat Cha!”

The sound of a battle cry urged me to wake up quickly from sleep.

“Ughhh—”

Groaning, I opened my eyes and lifted my head to assess the situation.

Beside me, an elderly priest was emitting light from his fingertips, healing my body.

My flesh reattached, my pale skin regained its vitality.

The blood returned to where it belonged.

Just a pass of the white light, and the brutal scene returned back to what it was.

While watching a miracle, the priest, realizing that I had awakened, offered me advice.

“I recommend you avoid fights that could cause injury for a while. The class exam, and now this duel.

You’ve already lost a significant amount of blood due to heavy bleeding twice.

The power of holy energy is for restoration, not creation. It can’t bring back the blood that has already been lost.”

I was already aware of this information.

It was a phenomenon that occurred because my blood and body were too far apart.

Though if holy energy is literally poured into the body, this condition can be resolved.

Of course, under normal circumstances, my body would naturally produce blood, so there’s usually no need to do that.

“This time it was a duel, so we were able to retrieve your arm, but in a real battle, if you can’t retrieve your arm… if you’re unlucky, you might have to live with a disability for the rest of your life. Please don’t do anything so reckless.”

The elderly priest spoke with concern, as if there was a real risk of death.

To alleviate some of his anxiety, I spoke up.

“Don’t worry. If I really think I’m going to die, I’ll use another method.”

After all, I’ve already died once.

I won’t die so easily.

“That’s a relief…”

The old priest left those words and returned to his spot.

To be ready to immediately treat any cadet who came in injured or carried in.

—
Raei  Translations
—

In the dueling arena, other cadets continued their duels.

A considerable amount of time seemed to have passed, as many were taking a break.

Bang—

With a lively sound, another duel ended.

Then Maximilian announced the outcome and paired up new competitors.

“Elia Adonis. And Sylvia Renen. Both of you, step forward.”

As these two names were called, the atmosphere in the dueling arena heated up.

“Finally!”

“Hey, who do you think will win?”

“I’m betting on the top cadet.”

The two girls, Elia and Sylvia, stepped forward to the cheers of the Class A cadets.

Holding a wooden sword and a staff, they took their positions.

These two were among the three beauties I had seen before.

The girl named Elia had long blonde hair and pale blue eyes, embodying the typical Anglo-Saxon stereotype.

And the girl named Sylvia had black hair and mysterious red eyes.

‘Red eyes, she might be an albino. Is she healthy?’

I thought it was a reasonable curiosity, but apart from me, who had been reincarnated, no one else seemed interested in Sylvia Renen’s red eyes.

Instead, the other cadets’ attention was focused on who would win between the two.

I wasn’t sure if it was possible to have black hair and red eyes.

“Hey, which one do you think will win?”

“Based on grades, Elia Adonis probably.

“Sylvia Renen was second, right?”

“The top cadet should perform better.”

“That’s true.”

Listening to their conversation, it seemed that these two were the top and second top cadets, respectively.

They were sizing each other up, trying to deduce who had the upper hand in the fight.

It was a game of “VS,” something I frequently played during my military days.

I remember having intense debates in the army about who would win in a fight between Yasuo and Voldemort.

The conclusion, as I recall, was that Umbridge, casting a chain Avada Kedavra, was the strongest.

While reminiscing about the past, the duel was slowly starting.

With Professor Maximilian’s call, the duel began.

“Then let the duel… begin!”

Instantly, Elia charged forward with incredible speed, rivaling that of Professor Maximilian.

Of course, the professor wasn’t using his full strength, but still, it was impressive that a first-year academy cadet could match a professor moving casually.

Something even I couldn’t do.

However, Sylvia Renen, holding the position of the second placed cadet, was not to be underestimated, much like my former platoon leader in the military.

As Elia approached, Sylvia, as if she had been waiting, suddenly spoke and revealed a magic circle hidden behind her back.

“Glacies aetas (Ice Age)”

With those words, the ground around Sylvia Renen began to freeze in a fan shape.

At the edge of it was Elia Adonis.

Magicians are weak in close combat, so it was a good move for Elia to leap forward quickly before the chant was completed.

However, when cold magic is used, it puts the knight at a disadvantage.

Even if they try to exert power, they need space, and if it freezes, they can’t escape.

If she continues to charge, she will freeze before she can stop, due to inertia.

So, what will Elia Adonis do?

Her choice was a head-on confrontation.

Bang—

She jumped high before her feet could touch the freezing ground and then ‘kicked’ the air after pulling out her Aura.

It was like the air-walking technique from martial arts novels, materialized in reality.

Air, though a gas, has mass and can be supported by Aura, making this technique feasible.

It’s a skill I can’t use due to the fluidity of gases, but the top cadet lives up to her name.

Elia, without even touching the ground, flew towards Sylvia and immediately struck down with her wooden sword.

The sword strike, enveloped in Aura, rushed towards Sylvia.

Bang—

However, Sylvia is one of the most outstanding magicians among the new cadets.

She wouldn’t be unprepared for that.

Using the basic Aura technique, Aura Expulsion, Sylvia slid like she was skating on ice.

She couldn’t use Aura Enhancement, but she reduced the physical strain by taking advantage of the low friction of ice.

Eventually, where Sylvia disappeared, only the cold remained.

Elia, directly exposed to the cold, began to slowly freeze.

But Elia was also one of the strongest knights in this batch.

Before everything froze, she swung her sword towards the air, releasing a sword energy.

And then she threw her wooden sword as well.

Whoosh—

A wide sweep of sword energy skimmed the ground.

And a little higher, the wooden sword wrapped in Aura flew through the air.

The sword energy was broad, and the wooden sword, narrower.

Sylvia had no choice but to jump high if she couldn’t withstand the hit.

“Procella (Gale)”

Fortunately, Sylvia Renen had a way to leap high without Aura Enhancement, using wind magic to hover in the air for a while.

But magic is a force that influences the world and changes oneself.

The influence was not limited to Sylvia Renen alone.

Whoosh—

A gale swirled around a central point, moving various objects and allowing Sylvia Renen to momentarily float in the air.

However, the wooden sword thrown by Elia Adonis was also affected.

The sword she had thrown rode the gale, heading towards Sylvia’s position.

Sylvia, startled by this, immediately sent a simple shockwave to knock the wooden sword away.

Unfortunately, by that time, the outcome was already decided.

Thud—

Elia, still partially frozen, body-slammed Sylvia.

Elia Adonis’s advantage was her incredible speed, as seen in the initial moments.

In the blink of an eye, she had managed to land a hit.

Ultimately, Sylvia was struck by Elia and fell to the ground, with her neck caught in the still-unfrozen left hand of Elia.

The outcome was clear.

Sylvia Renen, always a rational magician, admitted her defeat.

“I acknowledge my defeat.”

“Yayyy!!! I won!!!!”

Thus, the duel between the first and second top cadets ended in victory for the top cadet.

Elia Adonis giggled like a 17-year-old girl, happy.

But the surrounding audience was cheering even more than them.

“Wowwwwww!!!!”

“Did you see her throw the wooden sword!? She created an opening with that and won!!!”

“The top cadet is definitely stronger.”

“Eliaput up a good fight. But Sylvia was flawless. Both displayed incredible skills.”

“This is the result when both are holding back in a duel…!”

The Class A cadets cheered more than when I defeated the professor.

Of course, I was unconscious then, so I don’t remember if they cheered, but in my memory, this was a bigger celebration.

After the duel, a priest approached the two to tend to their injuries.

Both had sustained some damage, so the priests took them to the infirmary.

Then, a giant figure appeared behind me.

“So, what do you think?”

Professor Maximilian asked me.

“About the duel?”

“Yes. Do you think both sides made the best choices possible?”

“Not the best, no.”

It wasn’t the best choice. Elia throwing her wooden sword was too predictable.

Throwing the wooden sword wasn’t the obvious part; it was obvious that Elia was trying to create variables through it.

And Sylvia Renen’s response was inadequate.

She hastily deployed magic, ignoring Elia’s intent, which led to her defeat.

If it were me, I would have used the ice to ascend high, not hover through the wind.

Even if the ice broke, the attack would have already ended by then.

“Really? Can you explain why?”

But I didn’t see the need to elaborate on this.

While my performance might have been high, it needed to seem like a fluke.

Just like how I defeated Maximilian, it had to appear as a psychological maneuver, exploiting the opponent’s complacency to win easily and be expelled.

If I seemed like a genuinely top-ranking cadet, they might overlook the political backlash.

It’s like how a sports star with poor character gets a pass if they have exceptional skills.

“Are both virgins?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“So, your answer?”

“Well, maybe. They’re probably virgins.”

“Then you just need to undress and attack when the opponent is distracted by the shameful sight.”

And another absurd statement.

Of course, it’s nonsense, a ploy to get expelled, but I had to say it.

There’s also no guarantee that virgins would be flustered by public exposure.

But right now, what I need isn’t logic.

It’s stupidity.

And hearing this nonsense, Maximilian quickly subdued me.

“I’ll be sure to pass this conversation on to those two.”

Both of them are from noble families, and saying such a thing…

If they take it as a joke, fine, but if they see it as harassment, I could face political repercussions.

Especially outside the academy.

That would interfere with my goals.

Conclusion: I must stop it.

So, I looked at Maximilian with concealed anxiety, but he was smirking at me.

My anxiety grew with his next words.

“You really thought I’d say that?”

He continued.

“Once you reach a certain level, your senses become extremely acute. You can even detect vibrations that are typically invisible.”

I couldn’t respond to Maximilian’s words.

Because…

“So, did you enjoy playing the fool?”

He had figured out that I was deliberately acting like a delinquent.

I hadn’t controlled all my non-verbal behaviors, so he must have sensed my lying.

But then I thought about it differently.

So what changes?

What difference does it make if he knows I’m acting like a delinquent on purpose?

The chancellor won’t expel me for some mysterious reason anyway.

In the end, it doesn’t matter.

It just increases the likelihood that Maximilian won’t give up on me.

So, I whispered to him.

“You’ll have no choice but to expel me anyway.”

“I’ll make you change your mind.”

It doesn’t really matter.

I’m leaving the academy.

Even if I remain an F-Grade Troublemaker.

That’s the only path I know.

“F*ck it.”

The future is uncertain, but at least I know a guaranteed future and plan to follow it.

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