episode_0008

“Aaackh!” “Is your shoulder doing well this life?”

Blaber, who was as big as a bear and quite famous as a powerful magic combatant, was humiliatingly exposing his back to Ras! Everyone in the class was astonished, and even Prince Leontidas, who was usually hard to surprise, was quite shocked by this. Ras’s skill was passable, but Blaber was a top-tier brute who fought much better than Ras. In their several magic combat training matches, and even in the basic swordsmanship classes’ sparring, Blaber had always beaten Ras soundly. It was even well-known in the academy that Blaber very obviously disliked Ras. After all, Blaber’s persistent flirting with Lizley was a well-known scoundrel act among first-years. But because there was a significant skill difference between the two, Ras meting out justice by beating up the lecherous guy? That was completely out of the question. However, Blaber’s undefeated streak against Ras was broken today. And it happened in just one strike, with the actual combat scene omitted. Incidentally, in their last sparring session, Ras had just been sweating profusely like a squirrel, dodging flames throughout the match. Eventually, he was directly hit by a fireball, rolled on the floor, and was battered by Blaber with mana-infused fists and feet. It was such a harsh beating that it was admirable he didn’t show a pathetic appearance or shed tears. Though, it was also because he’d fainted midway through the beating, leaving no chance to look pathetic…

“…Winner, Ras Etgard. Ras, quickly release Blaber…” Among the stunned crowd, Isera, who was the first to regain her composure, declared the victor and restrained Ras, who was still twisting Blaber’s shoulder.

“Yes.” Of course, Ras subtly twisted Blaber’s shoulder a bit more, pretending to release him, completely dislocating it. However, his technique was so unbelievably covert that this time, everyone, including Isera, missed the act of violence.

“Ughaaah…!!!!” Blaber himself screamed and thrashed, clutching his dislocated shoulder, but no one came to his aid. Instead, Isera sighed deeply as she watched Blaber squirming and crying. A skilled soldier, even if severely injured, must first use mana to administer self-emergency treatment to avoid dying from the injury. Isera thought, ‘Even if he’s a promising talent or the offspring of a high-ranking noble family, a child is still a child.’

“Blaber, shoulder dislocations or arm amputations happen quite often on the battlefield. Instead of wailing, use mana to administer emergency self-treatment.” Meanwhile, she didn’t forget to subtly chastise him, feeling quite pleased to see Blaber, who usually looked down on her for being a commoner, in such a state. And from the beginning, Isera believed that Blaber had brought this upon himself. If Blaber were to learn the universal truth that if you do harm to others, you might eventually receive the same back, wouldn’t that be a relatively cheap lesson?

What Blaber had done to Ras last time, under the guise of a sparring match, was quite severe by anyone’s standards. How was it during their last match, on the day Isera herself had an urgent external matter and had to reluctantly appoint a substitute professor, arriving late to class? The idiotic professor, sponsored by the Stipula family, didn’t properly stop the match even after a clear winner had been decided, almost leaving Ras permanently disabled. ‘Even if it’s a practice-oriented class, how could he ignore a fainted student? I can’t even punch that idiotic professor.’ That day, Isera exercised the utmost patience to restrain herself from striking the professor who had neglected his duties. It was also she who rushed onto the sparring ground instead of the substitute professor who merely stood by watching, and knocked down Blaber, who was rampaging like a wild boar. Afterwards, the Dean of Academic Affairs and others vehemently dissuaded Isera from convening a disciplinary committee, and most importantly, Ras himself pleaded for it to be overlooked, but resentment lingered.

Isera Bernstein was a principled person and greatly disliked nobles throwing their weight around. So, she was very satisfied watching Ras overcome that day and magnificently repay the humiliation. ‘Did he endure humiliation and then make a bloody effort to repay it? He has a refined appearance but also a manly side…’ Isera had no way of knowing that Ras had become exponentially stronger due to his experience from having regressed, but it was a good thing regardless, as Ras indeed made a bloody effort.

Swish swish swish!!!! While Isera was briefly admiring, a group of people who ‘had to do what they had to do’ diligently began their work. Leone’s pitiful assistant family, always on swift standby in the classroom, rushed onto the sparring ground. What followed was swift and accurate emergency treatment, without questions or hesitation! The assistant family performed simple healing magic and emergency knot-tying techniques, known as ‘Hell’s Bandaging,’ which were painful but effective. They then quickly lifted the wailing Blaber, who was groaning, onto a stretcher and rapidly moved him towards the infirmary.

“Everyone…! Look…!! It’s Ra-s Et~gard!!!” Meanwhile, Ras, as if immensely pleased, raised both arms and boisterously showed off his victory. Thump— His gloating was a bit annoying, so I gave him a light rap on the head as a reminder to be quiet during class.

“Don’t make a fuss and get down. I have something to ask you, so come to my office after class.” “Whine…” Ras scratched his head as he descended, but for some reason, Isera didn’t dislike him. Instead, she began to think about nurturing this talented individual well in the future.

Just as she was about to give feedback on their match, feeling secretly pleased, she heard— “Professor-nim—” A sharp, questioning voice, the kind Isera disliked, came from outside the sparring arena.

“Emma, do you have a question? I was about to explain…” “It was a magic duel… did Ras properly use magic to fight? Or did he just take advantage of a misfire? I thought a magic duel should be fought using magic…” From Isera’s perspective, it was a foolish question whose intent she couldn’t grasp, but she roughly understood after seeing the student who asked it. Emma’s magic combat grades had been poor all semester, and she was completely inept at sparring. However, despite everything, the level of the question was so low that Isera couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.

“First… Ras used magic brilliantly. Emma, what exactly do you think magic is? Spewing fire from your hands, or creating ice… these aren’t the only forms of magic.” Sighing deeply, Isera continued her explanation. “Did anyone see what kind of magic Ras used? If so, I’ll give 2 bonus points.” From Isera’s perspective, there were probably only two students in this class who could have caught even a fraction of that instantaneous strike. One was Leontidas, who boasted a formidable level of martial prowess, having inherited the fraudulent blood of the imperial family, and the other was…

“I saw Ras-gun use shield magic on both hands. I didn’t see clearly after that, though.” The one who raised her hand and quietly spoke was Marisa Adelard von Valencia, the top student of the year. She was the daughter of the most prestigious ducal house in the Sephiroth Empire, located just below the imperial family, and Leontidas’s fiancée. Unlike Leon, who had a somewhat mischievous streak, she was calm and upright, a talented woman who excelled in every field.

“Yes. Marisa will receive 2 bonus points. Ras ‘directly’ disrupted the flame magic Blaber used with his hands enveloped in mana shields.” Even after hearing the extraordinary explanation, no one expressed interest or surprise except Leontidas and Marisa. Apart from those two, the first-year fledglings couldn’t even properly grasp how incredible this feat was. The technique Ras used was a type of dispel that only veterans fighting on the biggest battlefields against the Kashmir Kingdom might vaguely know how to use. While there was an undeniable amateurishness to it, it was absurd that a mere kid would even attempt it, let alone succeed.

“One of the most important spells on the battlefield is the shield. More than flashy elemental magic, prioritize honing things like shields and magic missiles… And…” After that, the explanation continued, and the next sparring matches immediately followed. And Ras, who had suddenly become today’s hot-shot, was watching the children’s somewhat fierce duels with considerable interest, muttering his own advice.

“Aish… too much mana. There, you just need a little dash! Like sprinkling salt…” “Tsk, tsk, tsk…!!! The extraction is completely sloppy!! Where’s the fighting spirit?!” Like that, for example.

“………” Lizley, who had been hesitating whether to say something or even offer a compliment, couldn’t bring herself to speak to him due to his strange appearance. Lizley had disliked that her fiancé, Ras, was always beaten like a dog on a hot summer day by the type of loafer she detested most. But as soon as she said she would grant his ‘wish,’ he immediately and overwhelmingly won, right before her eyes? ‘He played hard to get… Hmm~ So, you were that dissatisfied? I’ll ease up a bit from now on. Ugh…’ With such thoughts, she even felt a genuine liking for Ras, who had shown his capabilities after such a long time.

However, Ras, who returned victorious, was nowhere near the doting sunflower she had known; instead, he stretched out both arms in a gesture of demanding praise and then continued to give advice in that manner… ‘Is he still playing push-and-pull? Did he perhaps get private lessons in dating? It’s clearly a trick…’ Lizley denied that she herself was growing increasingly restless, even as she called it an obvious trick. Meanwhile, she had no idea in her wildest dreams that the ‘ship’ had already sailed ten years ago.

“Alright, this is today’s final sparring match. Irha, Lizley. Come up.” And Isera’s call, like a trick of fate, brought Irha and Lizley together.

“Ugh… I really need to do well today because of my grades…” Watching the cowering Irha, Lizley let out a faint, slightly bitter smile that others couldn’t see. She was glad a target had appeared for her to subtly release the stress she’d accumulated from Ras.

“Ras, watch closely. Though it’s only natural for me to win.” Lizley, doing something she usually wouldn’t bother with, gracefully stepped onto the sparring ground. Meanwhile, Irha followed, her head bowed low like an overripe, rotting stalk of rice.

“…This… it’d be bad if my minion just goes around getting beaten up… My minion has to be strong…” Ras, seeing the sight, frowned and muttered, then nodded as if he had made a decision. Ras decided to raise his weak minion into a strong one through iron-like advice. A past and future entirely different from that day ten years ago began to unfold.

***

So Irha and Lizley had a sparring match at this time. I don’t remember every single detail from ten years ago, not even a single word. Moreover, this was right after I found out Lizley had committed adultery, so my memories are blurry apart from the anger. In fact, there’s a high probability I was beaten unconscious by Blaber at that time too.

Anyway, those two fighting in this class? Of course, the outcome would inevitably be Lizley dominating her. How could that seagull, who came from an orphanage and was so accustomed to going hungry that she’d eat mint chocolate bread with relish, possibly defeat that malicious witch…? For reference, being from an orphanage isn’t a fault; it simply means that in such an environment, there’s no opportunity to access expensive studies like magic, putting them at a disadvantage from the starting line.

Lizley is an absolute bitch in terms of personality, but she’s also good at many things, and her magic is quite high-level. Even if not as much as the Duchess of Valencia, she was still ranked among the top tiers throughout the entire year. Plus, Lizley has been quite stressed over the past few days because of me, so she’ll probably try to relieve it subtly, won’t she? Hmm… Irha needs to be tormented and beaten a bit, but only I can do that. My minion has to be strong, no matter what. That way, my prestige won’t be damaged.

Actually, from my perspective, having experienced all sorts of hardships, Irha seems to have a talent for fighting, if nothing else. The situation is terrible right now, but if I properly cultivate her, she might become quite useful… It can’t be helped. It will be a bit strenuous, but should I try to help her just once? And also to properly see how much talent she has. I very quickly manipulated and gathered mana. Then, I created a very small and secret mana pathway and transmitted my voice to Irha.

[Hey, minion. Don’t look at me, and listen carefully.] “…???????” But the idiotic Irha, upon hearing my voice, looked around and then stared at me. Ugh, that trouble-causer, seriously…! She’s so stupid, no wonder she just grins while eating mint chocolate bread.

Anyway, this magic is the voice transmission magic I learned from our neighboring Kashmir Kingdom. Compared to general telepathy, it has the disadvantage of a shorter range and the risk of being eavesdropped on, but it also has the advantage of being much easier to learn. Of course, general telepathy is an extremely difficult advanced magic, and even this is a considerably difficult, intermediate-level or higher spell that consumes a fair amount of mana. At my current level, it’s a spell I’d normally have to overexert myself to use, so I was already starting to feel the internal reverberations.

[If you don’t look forward, I’ll give you five hundred raps on the head. Anyway, no time, so listen well. Don’t engage in long-range magic combat needlessly; first, circle and reconnoiter. Focus mana on your legs and feet. If you heard me, answer internally!] “…Internally… reconnoiter…!…legs… feet… okay…!!!” No…! Seeing how truly idiotic she is, it’s incredibly frustrating. I’m already furious with the taste of blood in my mouth!!! Still, endure. I must endure…

“Lizley is much more advanced than Irha, but she should still be good enough for practice, so don’t hold back too much.” In front of them, Professor Isera was giving coaching that was the complete opposite of what she’d given during my match with Blaber. Lizley was hypocritical; when fighting opponents weaker than her, she often held back, pretending to be kind. But just looking at her hidden malicious expression, I knew she wouldn’t do that today…

[The opportunity is fleeting. If things go wrong, be prepared to roll like a donkey. You need to go for close combat if you want to land even one hit on her. Don’t answer this one.] “…Gasp!!!” Somehow, controlling that trouble-causer felt like it was going to be an incredibly tough job.