episode_0096

“So far!”

The cold, frozen body melts in an instant.

My body began to instinctively shrink from the red magic power of Teacher Shaferi that seemed to swallow up the surrounding air.

At the sound of Teacher Shaferi’s resolute shout, I finally became aware of the surrounding situation, calmed my excitement for a moment, and calmly let go of Sein’s rapier.

Ting..

Sein’s embarrassed eyes are even more trembling.

I speak slowly to ease people’s tension.

“Sparring was fun.”

＂Sainnim.＂

Sein also had an intuition that he would not be able to stop Dahein’s final attack.

absence?

no..

It was clear that the moment was inevitable.

The difference in power I felt for the first time.

Se-in, feeling that this wild yet sharp sense of battle that he feels from Da-heein is not one-sided at all, clenches his trembling hands into fists.

Crackling..

How was he able to become a strong person through his countless experiences?

And how I was able to overcome difficult moments and move on.

I could clearly tell from the couplet just now.

Does this situation sound familiar? Dahyun, who showed a brighter smile, immediately offered her hand as if she was happy.

Sigh.

“Can we have the next sparring together?”

Black hair that looks like it’s looking up at the night sky.

Dahyin’s eyes were so sparkling, like the blue moon clearly rising through them.

Without realizing it, Se-in carefully holds on to the hand that Da-hein offers.

Suddenly.

Unlike other men, he is clearly leading and has a dignified appearance with a strong energy.

Excited.. Excited..

Dahuin, who achieved victory, was not conceited about his own strength.

Instead, he just smiled innocently, as if the sparring he had just had had become a more valuable experience. Seeing him like that, people’s hearts began to beat little by little.

I wonder if my heart is racing because of the heavy breathing caused by the intense sparring.

Sein is so confused right now that it’s hard to tell whether her heart is racing because she really likes him.

She was now feeling the sensation of heart palpitations for the first time in her life.

“You almost beat Seinnim…? Is that also a man?”

“Actually, that’s the same as winning, right?”

“Perhaps…”

“Dahui, was it only me who could see the thin membrane around your body?”

“Ah.. No way. It is said that only {Service Knights} can release magical power to the outside without any medium.”

“I must have seen it wrong.”

just as expected. As soon as Se-in and Da-hein’s sparring was over, whispers began to be heard from the gathered female students.

Nevertheless, my eyes were on Sein.

“Sain, are you hurt anywhere?”

That’s how much I was worried about Sein. I didn’t think there were any effective hits, but her trembling hands were unusual.

With even more concern, I tried to check whether Sein was injured.

Aside from the abrasions on the hand holding the rapier, he luckily seemed to be unharmed, with only dust on his collar.

Chin chin!

I gently brush the dust off the collar of such a worldly person.

“I’m glad there were no major injuries.”

Excited.. Excited..

just as expected. Sein’s face turned red as he couldn’t come to his senses due to his heart pounding.

Perhaps because he was not used to this kind of situation, he was more rigid and did not take any action.

“Your face is red.. Sein, are you okay?”

Slurp..

The white shirt he wore as a top was torn down halfway by the blade of the rapier that penetrated the {defense shield} due to Sein’s attack.

Without even knowing it, I was about to place my hand on Sein’s forehead…

“Student Dahein, let me look at you for a moment.”

Teacher Shaperi’s heavy voice mixed with seriousness as usual made me feel intimidated.

‘What are you doing that for?’

＇Your expression is scary.＇

I had a million thoughts about whether I had done something wrong.

＂Sain. then!”

I, so nervous, let go of Sein’s hand that I had been holding on to and followed after Mr. Shaferi.

Tread.. plod..

Dahein’s warmth was clearly conveyed through the black gloves.

Sein’s face became even more flushed due to these complex and subtle emotions.

And then… the world watched him quietly leave.

＇This is my first time.＇

‘I’ve never been pushed around like this by someone.’

As a member of a noble family who serves Ver, the princess of Duke {Bainsheer}, Sein has not been lazy at every moment and has put in great effort to become a “sword” who has devoted allegiance to the dukedom.

Parents’ natural yet coercive demands and an environment passed down through generations in the family made them indoctrinate them with the world’s values from a very young age.

Thanks to that, he was able to grow into one of the most recognized talents at the {Royal Academy}. Sein himself was proud of that.

But today…

Everything about my first taste of defeat.

There was a sense of relief as if one had been liberated from the obsession with victory that had been shackling the world for so long.

Sein, who had always been first place and was caught up in an ideology that was not brainwashed and only looked at the top.

Today, for the first time, I started to become interested in something different.

＇What is this pounding…＇

The female students who found her standing blankly, overcome with strange emotions, quickly rushed over to help her.

“They tell me I’m cute, so I’m not even afraid.”

“Sir, let me say something.”

Sein could not hear the voices of the female students following her.

Se-in is looking at his own hand, which still has warmth left in it, and feeling its lingering warmth.

＇Dahuinnim..＇

***

A building built with sturdy-looking brown trees as its frame.

It is surprising to see thick and heavy-looking stones stacked neatly in between.

＇It looks stronger than I thought.?＇

It wasn’t as flashy as it looked from the outside, but the regularity was clearly evident in the rough appearance, so I just looked around and followed Mr. Shaferi.

＂Is it fascinating?＂

＂It’s surprising… Sometimes there are students who can’t control their magic and cause trouble around those around them..＂

Teacher Shaperi’s words, as if he were pointing at me, are dizzying.

Rattling!

“It’s a troubling situation..”

just as expected. Mr. Shaferi led me into his private office, sat down on the sofa, and began fiddling with his throbbing eyebrows.

Naturally, I was crumpled by the teacher’s reaction and slowly lowered my head.

＂Um.. Teacher Shaferi?＂

“Perhaps I did something wrong..”

It was difficult for me to understand the sight of Teacher Shaperi sighing as if he had committed some kind of big mistake.

“wrong??”

＂Nothing..＂

＂It’s just… I brought you here to give you advice in advance because I was afraid of being harmed by those handsome noble ladies. All students.”

Of course, I did not understand Teacher Shaperi’s words, whose meaning I could not understand.

I just sparred with the given opponent to the best of my ability.

“It seems like you really don’t know anything.”

“I’ll explain it just once. All students.”

Although I was bothered by Dahyun’s continued questions, I couldn’t leave my teacher’s son alone, so I told the story briefly in order to maintain his life at the Royal Academy.

According to what Mr. Shaferi said, this {Royal Academy} is comprised of commoners, slaves, and orphans…etc. It was said to be an educational institution where people of any race can enter, regardless of their status, as long as they have the given abilities and talents. Of course, I know this too.

“But this is only from an external perspective. All students.”

“In reality, that’s not the case.”

In fact, he explained that such things are extremely rare and that most high-level nobles are strengthening their position through this {Royal Academy}.

Even if he couldn’t prove his skills, he would have been able to command enough just by being admitted.

“It’s all in the past, but I didn’t want something like that to happen.”

It is said that Mr. Shaferi, who was once a commoner, was also unable to graduate completely due to some incident here. I think it was probably some kind of mischievous bullying.

Fortunately, the teacher, who earned the official title of “knight” based on the excellent achievements he had shown so far, said that he became a faculty member at the {Royal Academy} to prevent other students from being in the same situation as him.

“You’d better think carefully. All students.”

“Nobles are people who laugh from the front and stab from the back. “The higher the status, the better.”

Of course, there would be nobles who were not like that. However, he brought me here to advise that it is better to avoid contact with high-ranking nobles if possible.

A nobleman’s good intentions can sometimes cause great anger. That’s how envy and jealousy follow.

It was a moment when I could see what resolution the teacher had in becoming a faculty member at {Royal Academy}.

But whatever the reason…

In my opinion, sparring is an experience where you compete solely on your skills, regardless of your social status, and at the same time, you can grow further by discovering your own shortcomings and strengthening them.

Because I knew this fact better than anyone else, the wall of status was just unfamiliar to me.

Of course, I assumed that Ms. Shafferi would not be unaware of this fact, so I bowed my head respectfully, feeling grateful for her sincere advice.

‘There’s no harm in being careful from now on, right?’

After understanding the prejudice of social status, which I had only vaguely felt for a while, I came to think that there was no need to be disliked by nobles.

“thank you. Mr. Shaferi.”

Shaferi, who seemed to like Dahain’s polite behavior, nodded slightly and looked away as if he was embarrassed.

“Now that I think about it… I saw that they used some unusual magic during sparring…”

just as expected. Shaferi, who was watching Dahuin’s {armor made of titanium slime} closely during the sparring, seemed to slowly recall the scene and soon began to ask with a meaningful expression.

‘It’s not that I felt wrong.’

‘I’m sure I’ve fought something similar to that.’

＇Yes… it’s tough, but it’s a strong energy.’

At that moment, Shaferi’s eyes suddenly changed and he began to ask questions with pressure, as if he was interrogating Dahyun.

Of course, I wanted to get rid of it, saying that I had no obligation to reveal my abilities, but… I guess I couldn’t refuse the question from Shaferi, who had helped me just a moment ago, so I tried to gloss over the situation for now.

“I don’t know if it’s because of this…”

To prepare for any unexpected situation, I take out a magic stone the size of a thumbnail from [Tagpog], which I obtained by defeating it before coming here. Of course, it had been completely refined by the {Magic Iron}.

‘It’s a good thing I made it in advance..’

He explains the situation by handing over a processed [Tagfog] magic stone that appears opaque brown in color.

“I think it’s because I’m carrying this in my arms.”

“I don’t have the “attribute” in magical power, so I’ve been fighting in this way by corrupting the attribute with magic stones.”

“Could it have been a foul..?”

Shaferi, who seemed to be looking around at the neatly processed [Tagpog] magic stone that Dahuin gave her, soon said that the purpose of the magic stone changes depending on the user’s ability… as if it didn’t really matter if it was used at any time.

As such, it is said that other female students also occasionally use magic stones processed by the “Dwarf” race to supplement their own lack of magical power.

It is common to receive help from magic stones without going too far.

＇Thank goodness.. we passed safely..’