episode_0021
by fnovelpiaIt was a tiring day. After finishing lunch, I sighed deeply again as I counted how many times I had been challenged to a duel by the people gathered. I wondered what rumors had spread to cause such a thing, and after drinking my apple juice at dinner, I put down my glass and looked out the window. Before I knew it, the sun had set and the moonlight was shimmering. I felt like sighing once again at the thought of finishing dinner and the impending work, but I made an effort to erase that thought from my mind and took a sip of the juice the fairy had left for me before starting my meal.
After quickly finishing my meal and going downstairs to the first floor, someone was standing there. It was a familiar face, the student known as the “wind clown” whom I had greeted last time.
“Where are you going?”
“I work at Ignolia.”
“You should be careful at night. You never know who might suddenly attack. You know the academy is dangerous.”
“I’ve already refused all duels today, so someone might show up and attack me.”
“There’s already a rumor about a bold new student who has refused all duels.”
“It’s funny to be called bold for something like that.”
At my words, Miles burst into laughter. Wondering what was so funny, I looked at Miles, who suddenly approached me and put his hand on my shoulder.
“You know, people at the academy are very competitive. Tomorrow will be the same, and the day after that too. That’s the life of a celebrity.”
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t students like you, Sharen, or others receive more duel requests than me?”
“You haven’t shown your skills yet.”
Miles slowly nodded at the words. He didn’t show any hostility, it was true. He hadn’t dueled anyone in front of others, nor had he shown exceptional magic at the entrance ceremony. He hadn’t created pillars of fire like Cerestia, or summoned multiple lightning bolts like the Thunder Witch, or wrapped wind around his body and demonstrated speed like the Wind Jester, or displayed light magic like Sharen.
Because he didn’t show any hostility, perhaps that’s what made him so intriguing.
“To be honest, I’m curious too. How strong a friend is he, or maybe he’s not strong? In my heart, I want to challenge you to a duel right now, Astan! But… you’d refuse, wouldn’t you? Right? So, I’m still waiting. However, if I hear rumors about you dueling someone, then I’ll be prepared.”
“If you really want to fight, Frost Storm.”
“Don’t call me that, it’s cringy. I haven’t been officially given a title yet.”
“Among people, they already call you that. The title isn’t something someone specifically decides on. It will keep changing, but it will probably be determined by whatever title you were first called.”
“As long as it’s not something like Frost Storm, it’s cringy.”
“Then isn’t Wind Jester cringy?”
Miles shrugged and spoke, making me scratch my head.
“It’s tough.”
“If you have power, you should receive appropriate treatment for it.”
Of course, I couldn’t understand those words.
“The person who caused a ruckus behind the tavern last time has been identified.”
I put down the plate I was wiping and looked at Toa Madam, who was holding a bunch of papers in her right hand.
“Ignolia Security Alert: This recent magical disturbance incident is suspected to be the work of the Half-Demon tribe. It is speculated that before coming to Ignolia, he killed seven mages in Photon. You’re lucky to have survived, Astan.”
“If it weren’t for the Academy senior saving me, I would have died.”
“Still, it’s a dangerous world. Always take care of yourself.”
“I can protect myself, it’s the others who are worried.”
Upon hearing my words, Aunt Toa chuckled and then pressed my forehead firmly.
“That’s one of the most common mistakes made by the Academy’s magicians, rushing in without knowing their own strength and ending up dead.”
“It’s not that extreme.”
“If you have power, learn how to use it. Even though I may not know how to use magic, I’ve seen plenty of magicians.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
And she started wiping the dishes again. As she wiped the dishes, the thoughts that came to mind were about the assailant who attacked me back then. Being a half-elf, why would a half-elf be in Ignolia… didn’t make sense. Ignolia was a place where diverse people gathered, so being a half-elf wouldn’t lead to discrimination or anything like that. But what puzzled me was why? Why would a half-elf who kills magicians be here in Photon?
Photon…
Thoughts about Sharon came to mind. Sharon was from Photon, a Tirk of Photon. There seemed to be a connection, something felt like it would come to mind, but the memory didn’t surface. It was definitely a scene I had seen somewhere, and surely the identity of that man was written somewhere.
In the content I read then… who was the student who died? What was the identity of that man…?
As my thoughts became more complicated, I sighed and put down the wiped plate, taking a sip of water. I couldn’t remember, even though it was definitely something I had read. It seemed like a story from Volume 1.
Suddenly, in the midst of this, the image of that man came to mind. His head was covered with the hood of his robe, so his face wasn’t visible. Faintly visible were his cheek and jawline; the robe covered his entire body, so all that was visible were his hands. There was something. Something, some connection between what I remembered and that man.
What was it, what was it?
“Aunt Toa.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Has the name of that half-elf been revealed? Or his purpose?”
“They say he took his own life in prison. His name and purpose didn’t come out. The only thing that was somewhat revealed was the tattoo on his arm, which was the mark of the former Demon King’s army.”
At that moment, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place in my mind.
The man came for Sharen. And the man is not dead yet. I knew this. As my thoughts cleared, my fist clenched.
“It’s scary.”
It was a lie coming out of my mouth, but I knew it in my body. I only know one volume, which is the beginning of a real novel, but someone will die at the academy this semester. I couldn’t recall the details, but that’s how it is.
Someone at the academy was a spy for the Demon King.
“You seem lost in thought, moving leisurely past curfew.”
Senior Leonar was standing in front of the gate.
“Senior Leonar, what would you do if there were a spy for the Demon King at the academy?”
“If there are those who follow a dead Demon King, that’s amusing. If a new Demon King has emerged, I don’t know. But if that’s not the case… I can’t think of an answer. Why suddenly ask that? My attitude will change depending on your answer.”
“Do you know about the recent attack in Ignolia?”
“Erika said she caught the culprit, that’s all I know.”
“They say the culprit has the mark of the Demon King on his arm. So I became a little curious. There might be more Demon Kings hiding in Ignolia.”
I looked at Senior Leonar, and he looked down at me with his arms crossed, then shook his head.
“It’s impossible at the academy. Even if they were spies for the Demon King, we’re not weak enough to lose to them as magicians.”
“That’s right.”
Murders happen. I didn’t know who it would be. If I had a good memory, I might have caught the culprit.
In those thoughts, I scratched my neck.
“It’s late, let’s go back to the dorm quickly.”
“Aren’t you going back, Senior Leonar?”
“I have to stay here until all the students return, or else I’ll have to call Erika, but I can’t find where that crazy woman went. I’ll have to use location tracking magic soon.”
“Even if it’s Erika, you won’t find her with that.”
“If someone says they’re going to use a location tracking spell, that’s the moment my body will freeze.”
I gave a wry smile at those words, then bowed and greeted them before entering the school gate. As I hurried toward the dormitory, a thought crossed my mind.
Did Senior Erika really know who that person was?
“It’s the second class.”
Senior Erika spoke to me, and I approached her.
“What are you going to teach today?”
“I was thinking of teaching mana control again, but if you can think about putting mana into a glass bottle, you might as well think about storing attributes, which is something you haven’t even learned in class yet… whether I should teach it as a first-year subject or if it’s okay to go a little beyond… I’m pondering. Let’s think about that later.”
She finished speaking and gripped her wand in her right hand.
“For now, try your best with all your might. That’s the only way to understand your shortcomings.”
“Okay.”
And after saying that, I extended my right hand and simultaneously held the incantation for a shock spell on my lips.
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