Episode 123. Black Leaves (5)
Lunch time followed.
Rubin took his seat with Oscar and Chloe.
“… … .”
The surrounding eyes were focused on the table where the three people were sitting. It wasn’t because of Chloe. Now, the cadets were starting to get used to the existence of the Imperial Nobles.
There was another reason why I kept looking this way.
Crunch crunch.
It was because of Oscar, who lit up his eyes and started forking. He stacked several layers of meat, stabbed them with his fork, and put them into his wide-open mouth. His mouth felt like it was going to burst, but Oscar kept blinking and chewing.
On Monday, the day after the weekend, meat dishes are usually served for lunch, and Oscar decided that this was the time to get a pile of meat as high as his head.
“Phew.”
Taking a break, Oscar gulped down his drink.
Chloe lowered her head and shrugged her shoulders, finding the sight amusing. Well, for the imperial nobility, there was no better spectacle.
“Oscar.”
“Why? Luden.”
“During the repetitive training, you didn’t do it properly, did you?”
Oscar looked at Rubin and smiled sinisterly. Then he took another bite of the meat with his fork and put it in his mouth.
“Huh? Is what Luden said true? Was he pretending to be weak on purpose?”
When Chloe asked in surprise, Oscar’s eyes narrowed.
“You know all that too.”
“Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a fireball. I was just going over it again step by step. What about you?”
“What should I say, a surprise for the other person?”
Chloe’s eyes sparkled at Oscar’s playful words.
“Then spar with me, Oscar.”
Oscar, who was chewing meat in his mouth, groaned as if he heard something.
Some of the meat scraps fell messily towards Chloe, but she smiled indifferently.
“I wanted to see if it was really that great of a talent as Luden said.”
“Um, Chloe. Sorry, but I have to decline. I want to live a long life.”
“You won’t get hurt because of the sparring armor, right?”
“No, Miss Witherspoon? That’s not what I meant… … .”
That moment when Oscar was sweating profusely because of Chloe who really wanted to spar.
Rubin offered his drink to Oscar. He could take as much meat as he wanted, but only one drink was allowed per student.
“Anyway, Oscar, show me what you’re capable of. I’m curious too.”
Rubin added:
“I want to learn a lot from what you do. So, I’d like you to show me other elemental types, not just fire types.”
“Different elements. It’s not difficult!”
Oscar shrugged and returned to his meal, seemingly forgetting Professor Solana’s advice about eating in moderation.
Chloe and Rubin had finished their meal early and were waiting for Oscar, who was sitting next to them. She asked.
“Luden. How was class?”
“It was difficult.”
It really was. It was a special experience for Rubin, who had never had to deal with mana before.
Darkness and mana.
Perhaps it was because they were opposing forces that could not be reconciled. Although he understood all the theories Solana taught, casting magic was beyond his talents.
Drawing a mana line wasn’t difficult. I had already drawn a mana line before when I tricked Pkin at the Black Tower.
However, the mana line that worked as a whirlwind was on a different level. It wasn’t something that could be done as easily as drawing a picture.
“Don’t be impatient. Since you have Samhwi’s talent, you’ll quickly learn attack magic.”
Then Chloe leaned towards Rubin.
Suddenly, a mana line appeared before my eyes. It was a very thin mana line that only those sitting at the same table could see.
“Look carefully.”
Chloe drew an equilateral triangle, which was the shape of a ‘fireball’.
However, since it was only Samhwi’s Whishi, it would have been useless if Chloe, who was not a Samhwi magician, had drawn it. However, Chloe’s lecture continued.
“Conditions for attack magic. When dividing the scepter into three parts, the density of one side must be higher!”
Then Oscar suddenly intervened. He marked each of the three corners of the triangle with a fork.
“Any of the three doesn’t matter. Just one of them needs to be denser. That’s an attack spell. This is the same for Mo-Hwi and Won-Hwi. However, squares and circles are shapes that are difficult to divide into three.”
That’s why Samhwi is more specialized in attack magic than the other two. It’s simple if you take one corner of the triangle as a reference.
“Area magic has to have the highest density in the center, so it’s advantageous for Won-Hwi, and defensive magic has to have equal density on all four sides, so it’s advantageous for Mo-Hwi. Right, Chloe?”
“Right. Should I draw a whistle?”
“Then this place will become a mess. Just show them when you spar. Not against Nana Luden, but against some other poor cadet.”
At that moment, Rubin looked around and stopped the conversation.
“…Oscar.”
“yes?”
“Let’s stop eating and go.”
Before I knew it, most of the students in Class C had left the cafeteria.
Oscar persisted, saying there was still a lot of meat left, but he had no choice if he wanted to get to the classroom, which was far from the cafeteria, on time.
“Take that fork away from me, Chloe.”
“okay!”
Professor Solana’s afternoon class follows.
Before starting the magic duel, Solana explained the training grounds once again.
“Do you see this neat, square line here?”
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The training ground was a square structure measuring 10 meters by 10 meters, with a border marked with a black line.
“As soon as two cadets enter, a magical barrier will be erected. We must ensure that no other cadets are injured by stray fireballs.”
A sinister smile appeared on Solana’s face, as if she was truly looking forward to the magical duel.
“The duel will be held in a way that volunteers nominate their opponents… … .”
The students all avoided the professor’s gaze, as they expected what he would say next.
“Who wants to go first?”
“… … .”
“It won’t be easy. But the first cadet to volunteer and win will get a store, right?”
It was a sweet temptation, but still no one came forward. They knew full well what Solana had not said yet.
The first cadet to volunteer will receive a lot of stores, but only if they win.
The problem was the opposite: if you lost, the penalty was double the store.
By the way, when designating an opponent, you had to follow the classification method used in the morning class. You could not designate a cadet of a lower level than yourself.
“The upper level can only do this with the upper level, and the intermediate level can only do this with the upper and intermediate levels. And the lower level… … .”
Solana stopped talking as she saw the arms rising above the cadets’ heads.
“Any questions, Cadet Luden?”
“This is my first time applying.”
“Really? A junior is the first to volunteer? Sure. Come out first.”
Rubin walked forward.
Most of the cadets seemed to be hoping Rubin would point them out. Rubin had been amazing in Kaizen’s class, but he was completely different in Solana’s class.
He couldn’t even make a single fireball properly. Everyone was confident that they could win if they fought Rubin.
Of course, the upper and middle cadets seemed to have given up, knowing that there was no way they would be singled out.
“You know that if you point it out and lose, you get penalized?”
“I know.”
“Okay, who do you want to fight with?”
Rubin’s gaze turned to one side. The person who felt the gaze was so surprised that he even coughed.
“Knock knock knock, thud thud.”
“Huh, really? How did you know I like reckless guys?”
Solana was so excited that she almost clapped her hands.
* * *
“Hey, Luden.”
“huh?”
“Why are you surprising people, really?”
Rubin smiled awkwardly. He was now in the training hall. And standing opposite him was Oscar, looking troubled.
The two were wearing armor for magical duels. If an attack magic was effective, a powerful defensive magic would be immediately activated.
“You didn’t say anything to me during lunch. You just asked me to show you some of my magical skills.”
Oscar couldn’t help but be taken aback. He didn’t think that was what was meant when he asked her to show off her magical skills.
“Are you serious about asking to see other elements besides fire?”
“Yeah. I’m serious.”
“If this was going to happen, I should have told you in advance!”
“Then I thought you would avoid me.”
“Of course! How can you trample on your roommate?”
“Oscar. I told you I was serious.”
As Rubin’s voice became more serious, Oscar flinched. He could no longer take this situation playfully.
Oscar ruffled his green hair.
“Are you saying that I shouldn’t even think about looking at it?”
Rubin nodded. It was natural. In the name of friendship, Oscar shouldn’t give up on sparring.
Rubin’s goal was to face Per Lorenzini, not Oscar.
At that moment, Solana’s voice, who had been quietly watching the two, was heard from the other side of the barrier.
“How long are you going to mumble this? Get started right now.”
“Okay, Oscar, let’s get started.”
“Ha, you really don’t know if you regret it? Just try piling up a bunch of penalty points.”
Soon, the two people’s magic training began.
It was naturally Oscar who took the offensive. At first, it was a single fireball of moderate size.
A high-temperature fireball rushed towards Rubin, and he easily dodged it by moving his body.
Boom.
The fireball that hit the magic barrier disappeared.
Then Oscar’s attack magic continued in succession. Fireballs flew towards Rubin one after another.
“Weren’t those two close?”
“Isn’t there something that piled up between them? Even though he’s a low-ranking person, Rubin pointed out Oscar.”
“By the way, I didn’t know Oscar was that strong.”
“It must be a higher level for nothing. Look, it increases the number of fireballs one by one.”
The cadets watching from beyond the magic barrier murmured. Solana watched the duel with interest, arms folded.
‘I think it was Oscar Tunio. There was a reason Professor Benitez took the lead.’
Now Oscar was showing all the aspects that Dahlia and Chloe had shown during their ‘repetitive training’ time.
A fireball that continues to increase in number, while also freely controlling its size.
‘Chloe looks surprised too.’
Chloe watched the duel with an admiring expression. She had finally confirmed Oscar’s talent, which she had only heard about through Rubin’s mouth.
Kwakwakwakwang!
Explosions rang out one after another.
In an instant, the inside of the training ground was covered in dust, obscuring the two figures from the cadets’ view.
“Luden, you know this is an offensive magic lesson, right? You can’t just dodge.”
“Well, I wish you would be a little more serious.”
“Hey, you know that. I’m a philanthropist and a pacifist, you know? Like the Hwan-hyeol clan?”
Rubin laughed lightly at those words.
He was a philanthropist. When I compared him to the Per I saw in my previous life, he seemed like he was not the same person.
If it was the Fer that he knew, he wouldn’t have used magic attacks that were deliberately avoided like that. He would have only used magic to kill his opponent.
The more this happened, the more Rubin wanted to check out Per Lorenzini beyond Oscar as soon as possible.
“A philanthropist? Oscar. Nothing changes as easily as people.”
“You don’t know everything about me.”
“So from now on, I plan to explore every nook and cranny.”
In an instant, Rubin’s hand went down to his waist. Bloody Frost was waiting for his master to grab him.
‘Just a little more’
Beyond the billowing dust, Oscar’s fireball could be seen floating in the air.
“Not a fireball.”
“… … ?”
“I wish you would start doing it in earnest now.”
“Oh, another element?”
It seemed to be referring to elemental magic other than fire magic. Whatever it was, Oscar could handle it naturally.
“Okay. You want me to help you study? Now, you really don’t care if I get a penalty point because of you?”
Rubin shrugged.
Oscar will think he is watching while he regulates the level of magic.
But the same was true for Rubin. Thanks to Glayton’s bracelet, he had anticipated all of Oscar’s attacks.
Rubin is simply creating the most plausible picture possible, one that will fool everyone’s eyes.
yet.
All the dust that had risen has settled.
Swish. Swish.
While making waves, Oscar prepared another attack spell. Each of the earth, water, and wind spells began to unfold.
“professor?”
“… … .”
“professor?”
“Oh, Cadet Dahlia. Do you have any questions?”
“Can I use other attack magic besides fireball?”
“Didn’t I say no?”
“… No. You didn’t say that.”
“But why do you ask? I said it’s focused on practical training. Fireball is just a curriculum, and you just have to win to the best of your ability.”
Dahlia swallowed hard. She really didn’t expect Oscar to be this good. She just thought he was a chatty idiot.
Next to Dahlia, who had become very serious, Solana let out a sinister laugh.
“Hehe, it’s fun. I think the C class competition is the most fun.”
At that moment, Oscar’s attack continued. Each of the four basic attack magics flew towards Rubin.
“… … .”
Rubin waited.
Until the most opportune moment to counterattack arrives.
‘First of all, the wind.’
A concentrated mass of wind came flying at me. It was less powerful than the fireball, but it was faster and difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.
But this much was enough for a ‘shadow rhyme’. To the eyes of a non-manned person, it would just look like a coincidence.
After the wind came the earth. Then came the water.
What Rubin was waiting for was the last, water-based attack magic. To do that, he had to first destroy the earth-based attack magic.
Kwajijijik.
Just then, large boulders floated up around Rubin. Rubin smashed all of Oscar’s earthenware with the tip of his fist.
And then the final stage. Oscar’s water-based attack magic flew right in front of my eyes.
Wave, wave, wave.
This time, the ‘Shadow Roar’ was performed.
A movement method that is more crude than ‘shadow rhythm’, but allows for much more linear and powerful movements.
At the same time, Rubin released the power of the Blood Frost he was holding.
Wheeeeeeing.
Oscar paused, suddenly realizing that his surroundings were covered in a blizzard.
‘When on earth did you learn this ice magic?’
Not only was his water-based magic neutralized, but if things continued like this, the outside world would not be able to know about the situation.
And what’s even more amazing is…
“You, surely… … ?”
Rubin’s figure was approaching at a speed that was too fast to follow with the eyes. That movement was clearly not a magical power.
“You were a demon warrior?”
It’s not common for a madou to be able to use both mana and aura. Oscar had only heard of it in stories. That was Rubin!
Rubin made no reply.
Everything was going according to his plan.
‘As expected. Everything is frozen as expected.’
Oscar had created water bullets in the air. They should have been flying towards Rubin, but now they were all frozen solid.
Blood Frost combined and froze the water bullets. And it didn’t stop there, it even shaped them into sharp ice arrows.
‘If it goes on like this, it will be the same as an ice arrow.’
The tip of the sharp ice arrow turned its head upside down. It aimed at Oscar according to Rubin’s will.
“What, what is it!”
Oscar hurriedly tried to block it with defensive magic, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, Rubin was right in front of him.
While Oscar was unable to do anything, one of the Ice Strike’s bullets sank into Oscar’s sparring armor.
Rubin didn’t miss that opportunity.
‘I need you to pass out for a moment, Per Lorenzini.’
Rubin’s darkness squeezed Oscar’s breath.
