Chapter 392

After my major classes were replaced, I trained to become familiar with the power of Alsvinger. Since it was known within the Royal Class that I was the owner of Alsvinger, I could use it in the training grounds. However, since Alsvinger is a sharp sword that separates flesh and bone upon contact, it was agreed to only use it in the high-level combat training grounds instead of the regular training grounds. Although I was busy with training, I still attended regular classes and had free time. I thought about ways to make a name for myself on the continent as the owner of Alsvinger, but there were no suitable opportunities yet. Charlotte was still doing well, but whenever she faced me, she had a look that seemed like she was about to cry. She was grateful to me, but I felt sorry for her. "It sounds like an excuse from an alcoholic. Anyway, I shared with the council that you were chosen as the owner of Alsvinger, and the construction of the dungeon seems to be going smoothly. By the way, the magic research club members are acting strange. They made something that doesn't make sense. Power cartridges and Moonshine. Lucien seemed to have found out about it. Even if I asked him to make it right away, I wouldn't be able to make two of those, let alone make them in a few months. According to the research data, there didn't seem to be any flaws. I thought they were just kids who would be outstanding in the Royal Class, but when I saw the result, Lucien thought it was ridiculous. Two things that even the Road Vampire, who is called the Grand Sorcerer and has been studying magic for a long time, would be amazed at, were made at the high school club level. Of course, Adelia and Christina's talents are unreasonable, and in fact, our grade is too outstanding in the Royal Class. Moonshine and Power Cartridges. I don't know how they got to see that research data, but Lucien realized that the Magic Research Club was not just a place where kids gathered to discuss magic. I can understand why you wanted to keep it a secret... but it's a shame. And then there's that cutie. Are you talking about Harriet? Yeah. If you're going to talk about something that doesn't make sense, she's the weirdest. She reinterpreted Scroll Magic into Rune Magic. Why? How does that even work? I think I heard about the new magic system that Harriet developed while talking to the members of the Magic Research Club. I'm pathetic to think about what I've been doing with my life until now. These kids who aren't even twenty yet... Am I really talentless? In other words... something that I pushed with time... something like that? Lucien started to sound self-deprecating. Anyway, Lucien was amazed at the genius of the members of the Magic Research Club, and especially at Harriet's talent. It's just greed to run around here and there while pretending to be protecting. If I were Kantus Magna, I would be more interested in them than a few magic books. I think so too. You don't seem to think about using them to meet Kantus Magna. There are things like hiding research results, and Lucien is watching in real-time how I'm actually doing at the temple. He can't help but know that I won't try to use the kids. World peace, huh." Lucien stretches as if he's about to tear apart and says, "Linehart, those who dream of such things cannot die by excommunication." "There's no such rule." "The positive thing is that it's somewhat good." After stretching, Lucien looks up at me with a deep, serious look, unlike his usual playful demeanor. "It's okay to run away before you accumulate too many emotions and get overwhelmed." Running away before getting too close to others. Disappearing. I could understand the meaning behind Lucien's words, that it might be better before too many emotions build up. "But it seems too late for that." If that's the case, then it's already too late. Lucien shows a lonely smile at my self-deprecating words. "...Yeah, it seems that way." He added. * * * Another first-year student, Lucien, who frequently visits the second-year A-class dormitory, has been added to the dormitory as a new first-year student. "Where's our oppa?" "Ah... if you mean Linehart, isn't he at the training ground...?" "Oh, yes! Thank you, senior!" Lucien bows to Heinrich and runs to the training ground. Linehart, who has been picking on the silver-haired first-year students since the beginning of the new semester. The freshman named Lucien calls him "our oppa" while other seniors call him "senior" and follows him around. Linehart even looks disgusted by it. So everyone was reigniting their old grudges. But of course, it couldn't be physically expressed. That guy is the one chosen by Alsvinger, where the emperor's will is firmly established. Even the cute junior's attention. And Alsvinger. Why does he get everything! Everyone was cursing the world for being too unfair. Lucien runs around the second-year dormitory, greeting seniors. "Oh, hello, senior." "Uh, um. Well. Yeah." Veritas meets Lucien in the dormitory hallway and greets him with an uncomfortable expression. Silver hair. Because it acts as a kind of PTSD for Veritas. So Veritas, who always wore a mask and dealt with people skillfully, couldn't hide his discomfort every time he met Lucien. It's not Lucien who can't notice that discomfort. "Do you hate me, senior?" "Huh? Oh, no. There's no reason to." "But why do you always avoid eye contact when you see me?" "Ah... did I do that? Um, no. I don't know." He couldn't say that he had developed a silver hair allergy, so Veritas pursed his lips while looking up at Lucien with an innocent expression. "Veritas has been preoccupied with temple duties lately and is often staying at the Winter Palace, so he is unaware of what is happening in the dormitory. He only knows that Linehart is under a lot of stress due to recent events involving Charlotte. Lucien, a new first-year student with silver hair, always follows Linehart around. Veritas can see that Linehart has already targeted the first-year student, but he doesn't know why. Veritas, who is a chosen hero of Alsvringe and a saint of Tuwan, is engaged to Charlotte and is the future imperial groom. He is also the winner of the cross-dressing competition and has a fetish for silver hair. Veritas grabs Lucien's shoulder and warns him to be careful of Linehart. Meanwhile, the most important thing at the moment is to catch Kantus Magna in the dungeon created in collaboration with Black Order in Dark Land. Personally, Veritas is wondering how to proceed with his engagement to Charlotte and how to explain it to the others. The magic research club has achieved results, but it has not been disbanded. Louis Ancton seems to be sharing the results of the research with the students and improving their skills. Ellen and I are receiving combat training from Saviole Tanah. Although we are on an unpredictable thin ice, we are having a relatively safe first semester. However, our lifestyle has changed slightly since becoming second-year students." As the high-level combat training facility was quite far from the dormitory, Ellen and I were completely absorbed in clashing swords there. The intensity of the battles was higher and rougher than what we had experienced in the practice room so far. Ellen used Lament, while I used Alsvringe or Tiamata. I could have used Raphael too, but I couldn't. This was because the flame wave emitted from Raphael would blow me away like an automatic interception system, and it was impossible to penetrate Raphael's power. So Ellen used only Lament, and I alternated between using two relics and clashed swords all day long. If last year's Ellen and I had faced each other, I would have won, of course. But now, one year later, I still couldn't beat Ellen. Just as I had become much stronger than last year's me, Ellen had become much stronger than last year's herself. Ellen caught my attack with her strength and used it to grab my sleeve, then flipped me over and aimed her sword at my neck as if it were a joint lock. "You're dead." "...It doesn't matter anyway since we'll just be resurrected." "...Yeah." Here, we attack each other with all our might, and it doesn't matter even if we cut or stab each other. However, during the year we had been fighting each other endlessly, Ellen had developed a habit of stopping after suppressing me just before the decisive blow. We were close enough that we could feel each other's sweaty hair and rough breath. This close proximity was no longer awkward for us. While still holding me down, Ellen looked down at me and muttered absentmindedly, "You smell like sweat." "...Don't you think you do too?" "...?" Ellen looked at me blankly and then suddenly got up. "I want to take a shower." No. No! That was just something you say! You don't smell like sweat! I regretted my habit of responding to anything I heard without thinking.