abcnovels
Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Chapter 49: Interview (1)
Honestly, I was a bit surprised.
Set, known as the Prince of Sands, had a magic ranking of 3 stars, the highest among this year’s incoming students.
Therefore, the instructors installed a barrier of 4-star caliber, considering his abilities.
However, look at the state of the barrier now. It’s on the brink of collapse with just a slight touch.
In a fleeting moment, he demonstrated a transcendental level surpassing his own magic ranking.
If my Sphere of Nullity had been a bit delayed, the arena might have suffered some damage.
“…”
Contrary to expectations, Set remained indifferent.
With no mana left to spare in his drained state, even standing was a challenge.
“Cyan Vert…”
Gasping for breath, he barely uttered my name.
“My complete defeat.”
Once again, he acknowledged defeat with composure.
He probably won’t make any further moves in that situation.
“Swordsmanship, magic… I’ve been defeated in both, the two things I believed in the most. And it was utterly powerless…”
“Whether it’s comforting or not, you did great. You momentarily surpassed your magic ranking, didn’t you?”
“No comfort at all! Unlike me, you’re perfectly fine!”
Well, he’s got a point.
Shouldn’t I be struggling a bit for breath?
“A perfect defeat like this is a first for me. But thanks to that, I realized how much I still lack! My desire to train is burning hotter than ever!”
He seems ready to disappear into the mountains for secluded training.
Judging by the looks of it, he might skip classes for a while.
“I don’t know when it will happen, but I’ll challenge you again! And when that time comes, you’ll accept it, won’t you, Cyan Vert?”
“Well, if the opportunity arises…”
Set smiled broadly with satisfaction.
“Excellent! But it won’t take long! Through relentless training, I’ll surely…”
Thud!
That’s it.
The guy who was babbling to himself finally exhausted his strength and collapsed.
The instructors waiting nearby hurriedly rushed over and took him to the infirmary.
“Duel concluded! Winner: Cyan Vert!”
“…”
Despite announcing the winner, the arena fell into complete silence.
No cheers or applause, just eerie murmurs here and there.
“What? Wasn’t his magic ranking 1 star? And wasn’t his attribute useless darkness?”
“Seems like the Prince of Sands isn’t all that. Just defeated by a mere 1-star…”
“Did he learn some tricks from frontline knights?”
“Look at his indifferent expression! He’s really unlucky…”
They won’t look kindly on me, filled with jealousy and resentment.
After all, to pigs, everything looks like pigs, right?
But it’s not just them. From seniors to instructors, researchers, and even the nobles sitting in the VIP section, their eyes were all filled with suspicion.
“That’s supposed to be 1-star? It feels more like 4 stars or higher, doesn’t it?”
“Is he really a member of the Vert Duchy? That family doesn’t seem quite normal, huh?”
“At that age, already wielding the Sphere of Nullity… Even though it’s darkness attribute, his potential for the future is promising.”
Among them, the gaze of our leader or Instructor Silica was the most striking.
It felt as if she was saying, ‘Did you really have to show off like that, Cyan Vert?’ so vividly in my ears…
And then there was another person…
“…”
Kundel Quazel, the head of the Royal Academy.
He was staring at me with a stern gaze that was hard to read, unlike the others.
It seems I won’t be seeing any good looks from him.
Ignoring the numerous stares, I left the arena as it was.
* * *
“Young master, this…”
“What is it?”
While resting on the sofa, Brian handed me something.
It was a thin envelope with the Academy emblem on a red background.
“I’m not sure either. Lady Silica said she couldn’t give it herself, so she gave it to me. She wanted you to have it…”
I immediately opened the envelope to see its contents.
“… A warning?”
It wasn’t exactly a welcoming item for me.
“A bit disappointing for a victory gift, isn’t it?”
I thought it might be a surprise party invitation, but was I being too hopeful?
“Papa! What’s a warning?”
Our little one, with a mouthful of candy, asked innocently.
Her cheeks were so full it looked like a hamster.
“Well… to put it simply, it’s a threat that if we don’t listen to them, they’ll kick us out of here.”
“What do we do then? Are we going to sit on the street?”
“Where did you learn those words?”
Did she go outside while I wasn’t looking?
Well, to be honest, the current situation wasn’t much different from what I explained to the little one.
The warning mentioned additional warnings and sanctions for continued absence from classes, expulsion from the Royal Court for persistent misconduct, and even the possibility of expulsion from the academy itself if things got worse.
It wasn’t a surprise; this situation was bound to happen eventually.
The problem was that the warning didn’t come from the academy administration but from higher up.
-Kundel Quazel, Head of the Academy-
Beneath the warning was the name written plainly.
The highest authority of the academy had sent a warning to a mere freshman like me.
While the leader had informed me of his watchful eye, it seemed that the duel two days ago had intensified his interest.
“Should we move somewhere else then?”
“Huh? Not yet. We have to stay here until our little one grows up a bit more.”
I said as I gently stroked her head.
I wasn’t about to leave classes so easily.
In the first place, this warning from the head was like a love call to me.
A kind of call to come to him directly if I had any objections.
In order to freely roam within the confines of the academy, I ultimately had to negotiate with the leader of that domain.
So, this meeting is probably necessary for my unrestricted activities within the academy.
“Um, Young Master? Shouldn’t you consider giving her a name soon?”
“Huh?”
“In terms of the child’s emotions, and how long are you going to keep calling her ‘little one’?”
Continuously referring to her as ‘little one’ was quite uncomfortable.
I wasn’t doing it deliberately; I just couldn’t think of a good name.
Those dragons are sticklers for appearances, even names are not to be chosen lightly.
For example, a dragon I met in a past life was named ‘Marian Del Angtcarth Ruscal Dia Postharn,’ and even that was considered a short name by dragon standards.
But what’s the point of asking me all this useless stuff?
It’s their peculiar trait that has persisted for thousands of years; what can I do about it?
But come to think of it, this little one doesn’t really need to emulate those traits, right?
After all, she’s half human anyway?
Whatever it is, one’s own intentions are the most important.
I bent down, meeting the little one’s eyes, and asked, “Little one, do you have any name you’d like?”
“A name?”
“Yeah, a name. What name would you like us to call you in the future?”
The little one, lost in thought while munching on candy, soon smiled brightly and said,
“Nana!”
“Nana?”
It was an easy-to-call, cute enough name.
“Yeah! Let’s combine it with Papa’s last name, ‘Nana Vert,’ how about that?”
“Uh… Well, there’s nothing wrong with that…”
I felt like I’d been had.
When did this little one ever learn my last name?
Nevertheless, Nana, with an infinitely innocent face, began eating candy again.
* * *
Kundel Quazel.
He was also the teacher of Dionne Sevellerus, the current emperor of the empire, and continued that relationship to become the emperor’s father-in-law.
After the death of the former empress, Diana Quazel, he gave up everything in his family and is now concentrating on his job as president of the Academy.
Moreover, he’s one of the few on the continent to have reached the 9th rank in magical proficiency, which essentially means that with the right intent, he could easily wipe out a territory in the blink of an eye.
To put it somewhat bluntly, one shouldn’t provoke an old man like him.
Well, it’s not like I had any direct dealings with my past life.
I just heard a bit of criticism personally?
It’s not something to boast about, but in my past life, I graduated from the academy with an overall ranking of 5th.
It wasn’t about excelling in any one thing; it was intentionally achieving the grades I needed at the time.
(So, technically, I could have been the top student if I wanted.)
Anyway, the chancellor summoned me to his chamber, probably to suggest that I consider working at the academy.
However,
‘You’ve been hiding your power at the Academy all along.’
Though I didn’t show it, those words made my heart sink.
‘Joining the Knights of Light? Are you trying to follow in your talented brother’s footsteps? It doesn’t seem like the right path for you.’
When asked if the reason was because I’m a darkness attribute user, the chancellor chuckled and replied,.
‘Haha! Don’t you realize it doesn’t suit you? If I may advise you, going there will not end well for you. Even if you see it as a trial, ultimately, it will be a life of no gain for you.’
At the time, I didn’t pay much attention to his words, thinking them mere jests.
But now, looking back, he was absolutely right.
In the end, despite seeing so much, he couldn’t see his own future, a blind man.
Perhaps there were quite a few similarities between him and me.
Reflecting on the past, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile.
The chancellor’s office is located at the top of the main building.
It’s a bit late, but the chancellor is probably in his chambers.
The deserted corridors, with lights off and no one in sight, even the guards who usually patrol the building were nowhere to be seen.
Just as I wondered if they were hiding and waiting to ambush me,
“…!”
I felt an unfamiliar and ominous aura filling the main floor.
It wasn’t the aura of someone trying to kill me, but rather a murderous intent that made approaching itself undesirable.
There was no smell of blood, no particular presence, just artificial mana scattered around, brushing against my skin.
It was a containment barrier…
Generating a restricted area where a massive amount of mana prevents intrusion.
It creates an overwhelming sense of aversion upon entering, blocking access.
If the perceived mana is ordinary, it might be considered a security measure, but this wasn’t just for security purposes.
It was at least of 8th or 9th rank proficiency, magical power so overwhelming that only someone at the level of a grand mage could manifest it.
If there’s anyone in this academy at that level, it’s none other than Chancellor Quazel.
I instantly realized that the chancellor is testing me right now…
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