Chapter 36
Recently, Academia has been in an uproar.
Current students and professors alike are buzzing and eager to talk. I thought the atmosphere in Academia would only become this lively during festival episodes, but…
One person’s appearance has ushered in that season early.
Master Helion, the Holy Magician.
While he could be called a great magician based on his skills, he is also a genius divine magician.
It’s said that, with a bit of exaggeration, he can lift any curse or heal any wound except for his left arm. Just like a Saint.
And another astonishing fact is, despite being only in his thirties…
He is currently ranked 7th in the Hero Ranking.
In just five years, he is expected to rise to 2nd place when he turns forty.
Now, how impressive is this ranking?
The value and power of the Hero Ranking exponentially increase from single digits, and for over a decade, aside from Helion, it has remained unchanged.
For instance, it takes about four individuals ranked 11th to match the strength of the 9th place, solidifying the fact that strong contenders have monopolized the rankings all this time.
Helion is the one who has triggered the collapse of the steadfast Hero Pyramid.
The protagonists of this story trail behind him, growing rapidly in his wake.
One could argue that the reason the main characters were able to make it into these rankings later on is due to him paving the way and giving them a push.
In other words, Helion can be considered an important character in the story’s background.
“Right, Vargan-sama. There have been no cases of outsiders visiting our village, let alone Helion. Yes… of course.”
The voice of an older man, tinged with some static, brought a hint of tension.
The image of the old man reflected in the crystal appears somewhat strained.
The angle is slightly off, making him look lopsided. Even after several communications, it seems he hasn’t quite gotten used to it yet.
“Okay, I understand. If any unusual situation arises or if any traces of outsiders visiting are discovered, report immediately.”
“Of course, this is a command from none other than Vargan-sama. I, Bart, though aged, will make sure to inform you promptly.”
Village Chief Bart, who helped Alicia overcome her trauma.
In fact, I only learned his name recently. Until then, I had simply called him the chief without knowing his name, but now I address him by it since he revealed it to me.
I heard from Loyal Bram’s report that Bart was acting well as I had instructed him beforehand. Although I’m at Academia now and can’t visit often to check.
I’m receiving steady updates on progress through Bram and Bart.
⎯Thanks to Lord Vargan’s grace, Rubid Village is developing day by day. Even I, Bart, am recovering my health more each day. This is all due to the great Schugenharz⎯
I cut the communication and moved on.
Bart is great, but once a conversation starts, he goes on and on. I hope his lifespan is as long as his rambling.
I don’t want to bother searching for new candidates.
“I suspected there’d be a connection to Rubid Village, but maybe I was wrong…”
I don’t know what Helion’s intentions are.
I don’t even know how he got here.
If I knew more, I could move more confidently, but it’s all shrouded in fog, making me cautious.
So, I contacted the Village Chief of Rubid Village to check if Helion or any other outsiders had visited, asking to inform me, but I have yet to receive any sightings.
That was the place with the highest probability.
If not there… perhaps somewhere else.
There are two prominent incidents that are suspected to have led Helion to Academia.
One of them is Rubid Village.
The other is Alicia’s purchase.
I need to wait a bit longer, but for now, Rubid Village is the most likely incident.
Another reason could be that Alicia was taken out of that countryside early.
Her talent was revealed through a church pilgrim who visited her home. It’s possible her absence changed the future.
But of course, I can’t definitively explain or confirm the exact process.
Even with Schugenharz’s wealth and connections, it’s impossible to see everything in the world. I can’t put surveillance on everyone, can I?
‘Helion came here through some chain reaction. Currently, there’s no way to know how.’
Moreover, the outcome, which is just as important, or even more so, is that he becomes a mentor-mentee relationship with me.
It’s obviously true that keeping him close gives me more information than distancing myself. So, the existing plan will proceed without change.
First, I’ll continue analyzing newly added information to gauge his intentions and aim for surprising results in the Class Battle.
This plan seems most fitting.
‘I wonder how it will turn out.’
Allies are closer, enemies are even closer.
Whether he will become an ally or an enemy to me is uncertain.
But the risks are always present, and there’s nothing in my current hand that raises concerns.
The risk isn’t great.
On the other hand, the rewards for success are enormous.
Not doing it would be foolish.
So let’s set the stage properly.
Now, who might disrupt me in this episode?
Ranked fifth in entrance scores, a passionate and zealous man, Leon of the Oscel Banteol?
Or, ranked fourth, my fiancée who loathes me, Portlet Troa Erica?
If it’s neither of those, then the third-ranking candidate, the Saint Diphelia from the Darek Union?
None of them are easy opponents, but the biggest threat is certainly this one.
⎯Thud!
I advanced a piece on the game board. It was shaped like a man in white holding a sword, wearing a crown.
The figure, painted in white and wielding a sword, is crowned with a crown.
It makes the surrounding conversations seem pitiful, almost like the protagonist of this game.
Yes, this is it.
The goal is set.
The room is also determined.
The biggest obstacle in the current situation is this fellow. And the means to stop it is…
*Tap.*
The black horse is positioned to face the white horse, blocking its path and preventing it from advancing.
In order for the white horse to reach its desired target, it must inevitably fight the black horse.
Meanwhile, another black horse, which is providing support from behind, stands still, observing the situation.
Imagining the scene in advance makes me chuckle.
Now, doesn’t this seem quite entertaining?
I’m eager to see how you will react.
Your flustered face already dances in my mind.
Isn’t that so?
Oh, prince, who bears the blood of the holy royal family.
Please don’t let me down.
“The first protagonist, ‘Ocell Bui Arterion.’”
*
‘He was always a daunting character, but recently, he has become even more formidable. I wonder if he’ll really end up hurting himself…’
In front of a door in the male dormitory A, a man stands hesitating, unable to make a move.
His name is Ocell Porn Fallon.
He is the heir of the Porn Count family in the Ocel Kingdom.
‘What should I do? Should I just knock and go in? But… what if I get scolded for interrupting? He hates being bothered as it is.’
Fallon chews on his nails, lost in thought. He’s been in this state for the past 20 minutes.
It’s about time he made a decision one way or another, but for someone as overly cautious as Fallon, making a decision was akin to a death sentence.
Every now and then, the curious glances from other students made him feel even more uneasy. Would he get reported for this?
“Alright, let’s knock and go in! He surely hasn’t eaten yet today, so he must be hungry.”
On the tray he held in one hand was a well-balanced meal of various breads, vegetables, and meat.
He could definitely make sure he gets his nutrients.
Fallon cleared his throat.
He’d been in this position a few times before, but the difference in status made him nervous every single time.
Finally, he reached out to knock.
*Knock, knock.*
“Prince, Prince Arterion! It’s me, Fallon. Are you in there?”
“……….”
Silence.
Not even an echo returned.
Fallon was flustered.
Could it be that he’s not inside?
He usually responds at least, but today not a single word from him.
Fallon knocked again and called for Arterion, but still, only silence greeted him.
For a moment, Fallon stopped all actions, instinctively turning the doorknob. It was a movement backed by instinct, not thought.
“It’s unlocked…?”
Fallon carefully opened the door and peered inside. It was dark without any lights on.
“Prince…? Are you there…?”
He called out in a somewhat diminished voice, but still no reply from Arterion.
“Um…?”
However, it wasn’t that he sensed nothing at all.
Mana.
A very dense and intricate aura of mana.
This prickly sensation, which fundamentally constitutes his being, clearly reveals the character of the individual. This is Arterion’s mana. If Fallon has been with him for a long time, he’d know.
The feeling truly reveals the character of the individual. This is Arterion’s mana. If anyone could understand it, it would definitely be Fallon, who has been with him for a long time.
“…But it’s different. Is it the power he holds? Or is it the presence? Something… no, this, could it be…!!”
⎯Clang!
In that moment, Fallon’s eyes widened in shock, and he dropped the dish he was holding without noticing as he hurried inside.
Normally, it would have been unimaginable to step into a prince’s room without permission.
However, for Fallon, there was something more important than that. He could deal with the scolding later.
This level of mana.
This level of pressure.
The completed power that he couldn’t feel just a few days ago.
“W-wait, Prince finally…!!”
In the room where Fallon arrived, Arterion was barely catching his breath, seated cross-legged on a red magic circle.
Sweat was pouring down his head, clothes, and the floor around him.
The heat radiating from Arterion and the intense mana filled the room.
“A-ah… Aah! Prince!”
Fallon collapsed onto the floor, starting to shed tears of reverence.
Arterion, who entered the academy as a second-best student, tried not to show it, but he must have been extremely frustrated.
He shortened his sleeping time even further, swinging his sword before going to sleep or forgetting the etiquette instilled in him since childhood, reading magic books while eating during meal times.
He was desperately putting in effort to a degree that it was painful for Fallon to watch.
“Fallon… is it?”
Though the room was dark, Arterion didn’t recognize Fallon right away, that was how immersed he was, pouring all his strength into it.
“Y-yes! That’s right. Prince, it’s Fallon. Guooh! Wow, Prince… congratulations! Finally… finally completed…!!”
Fallon tightly grasped Arterion’s hand. It was as hot as if it were on fire.
The corners of Arterion’s mouth moved. He smiled. The emotion felt was satisfaction.
Seeing that, Fallon burst into tears even more like a waterfall.
‘How long has it been since the prince expressed satisfaction with his own achievement! 3 years? 5 years? No, it must be longer than that!’
“…Finally, I have reached it. Finally… I have attained the realm of using the 「Red Aura」.”
The red aura, a step above the common blue aura, literally radiates red when surrounded by it.
People say that the red aura is the realm of absolute talent, achievable only by a select few, even among the swordsmen praised as geniuses.
To call someone who has reached that level simply a genius is to demean them.
He reached that level at the young age of seventeen. That’s why Fallon was shedding tears and reacting this way.
Arterion was a born swordsman.
For swordsmen, aura is as important as a sword or life itself.
Today marks a monumental day that will be engraved in history.
“Truly the reincarnation of the Sword Saint! Indeed, the prince is born with the destiny of a Sword Saint!”
On the night before the Class Battle.
The first protagonist, Arterion, at this moment.
He stepped one step closer to the name of ‘Sword Saint.’
