Chapter 47: The Reincarnated One Takes Care of Everything

At the Mu Hak-gwan in Akalcoof.

At the beginning of the semester, it was usually quiet as the cadets rarely engaged in sparring, but today, over a thousand cadets had gathered, bringing a lively atmosphere.

"Will she really come?"

"Considering how openly she provoked us, there's no way she won't."

"She might cause a commotion before getting expelled. After all, she can't be a hero anymore because of the mana barrier."

Although many had come out of curiosity to see what would happen, only a few truly believed that Louise would actually participate in the sparring.

It was not only because overcoming the mana barrier seemed absurd but also because her opponent, Gerwin, was in a position that was not easily challenged.

"It's true that she threw this to bring attention back to the incident from half a year ago."

"I've also heard rumors that she's already fled overseas."

"If it turns out to be a no-show, let's just go get some food."

The cadets, who had come out for a leisurely stroll on a weekend, were sitting on benches, watching the scene.

Isuhun, who had been observing their reactions from a bench, finished the last of his triangle rice cake and said, "See? I didn't really expect much from you."

"Shut up."

Louise, who answered curtly, put on her hat more firmly and adjusted her sunglasses on her nose while eating the triangle rice cake in her hand.

Isuhun, looking at her bizarre and suspicious disguise with a bewildered expression, sighed deeply.

"How are you going to spar like this…?"

"Ah, shut up, damn it!"

"Alright, alright. I get it."

No matter how others saw it, if she felt more comfortable covering up, what could he do? Seeing Louise's tense appearance, Isuhun silently sat beside her and tore open a new triangle rice cake.

'Thirty minutes until the sparring…'

By this time, they should have gone to the waiting room inside, but Louise showed no sign of getting up from the bench.

This was her first sparring after six months of rehabilitation, and her opponent was the one who had defeated her, with over a thousand people watching.

At this point, it would be reasonable to say that not being nervous would be a problem.

"As I said before, you can't shrink back in any situation."

But instead of understanding, Isuhun pushed her even harder.

"Command magic loses its power when your confidence wavers. If you can't handle a simple sparring match, you won't be able to use even half of your true strength in a real fight."

A good command mage is determined by how well they can fight against someone stronger than themselves. This was something the old dog used to say, and it was indeed the most crucial factor.

No matter how excellent one's skills were in practice, they were meaningless if they couldn't be demonstrated in a real fight.

"I know. Stop nagging…"

Louise, grumbling in dissatisfaction, stuffed the last triangle rice cake into her mouth and pulled up her mask.

After a long pause, she moved her mouth and asked, lowering her head slightly.

"Did you say I would win?"

"Of course. There's no reason for you to lose."

"…Right."

There's no reason to lose. Muttering this under her mask, Louise slowly stood up.

"I'm going."

"Alright. I'll go to the waiting room before it starts."

"Don't come. I can't concentrate."

Louise, answering curtly, headed inside the Mu Hak-gwan, and Isuhun, watching her back, had an ambiguous expression.

"Hmm…"

Purely in terms of ability, there's really no reason for Louise to lose in this sparring.

Considering her own skills, the performance of the Barg he created, and the 'synergy' with her opponent, there's no way she could lose.

'The question is whether she can fully utilize her abilities…'

Given the temperament of the old dog, whom he knew, Louise would likely become reckless and wild once the fight started, even if she was nervous now.

But the current Louise was more like a novice compared to the old dog, who had experienced everything.

In other words, there's a possibility she could make mistakes even in such a well-prepared situation.

'Hmm… Should I encourage her a bit more?'

The old dog would have told her to shut up and get lost, but Louise might secretly enjoy it even if she grumbled.

Although it was a bit embarrassing, Isuhun, who had decided to try to reform Louise, stood up.

"Alright. I'll do it."

Before the reincarnation, he had been told a few times not to go around praising people, but if he spoke sincerely, the other side would surely understand.

The moment Isuhun made his decision and entered the Mu Hak-gwan.

Beep───

A strange ringing in his ears.

It was so faint that it could barely be heard without concentration, but Isuhun felt his senses heighten.

'What is this?'

His current physical abilities were in the lower ranks of Babel. Even in terms of hearing, the cadets around him were far superior, yet none of them showed any reaction to the ringing.

Feeling a sense of dissonance in the scene, Isuhun moved naturally as if he hadn't heard anything.

'There's nothing wrong with my ears. So it must be something that only those who meet certain conditions can hear.'

He wouldn't usually react so sensitively, but today was the day of Louise's sparring.

And if it was 'Dawn,' they would certainly not want Louise to overcome her trauma and win the sparring.

Deciding to find the source of the sound, Isuhun immediately channeled his mana to enhance his hearing.

Beep──

But as the surrounding sounds became clearer, the ringing became even fainter, and Isuhun's eyes narrowed.

'This is…'

A possibility flashed through his mind, and Isuhun quickly suppressed his mana and activated a spirit magic.

Swish─

A temporary channel opened within his body. The moment the empty channel, which had not yet settled with mana, took hold, the ringing in his ears changed.

Beep───

The ringing became much clearer than before, and he felt something penetrating the empty channel.

Recognizing the 'condition' for the ringing, Isuhun quickly ran towards the source.

'Whatever they're after, I need to stop it quickly.'

Although he had used the mana erosion device a few more times without Louise's knowledge, he had always cleaned up using Hongnyeon.

If even the small amount of residue could react this much, it would have a much stronger effect on Louise, who had been eroded for a long time.

Whatever the effect might be, he needed to remove the cause as quickly as possible and check on Louise's condition.

'If it's this way, it must be near the waiting room or the arena.'

The waiting room where Louise was located was on the third floor.

Climbing the stairs in one go, Isuhun forcibly channeled mana into the prayer beads on his limbs, accelerating the mana erosion in his body.

Beep───!

The faint ringing became much clearer, scratching his ears. At the same time, he roughly determined the direction.

Whoosh!

Pulling out the black flame hammer he received from Jake from his subspace pocket, Isuhun gripped it firmly and swung it with all his might at the door of a storage room in a corner of the third-floor corridor.

Bang!

The locked door handle shattered, and the neatly organized storage room was revealed.

Quickly scanning the items inside, Isuhun's gaze fixed on a large cardboard box.

'That's it.'

The source of the ringing in his ears.

Recognizing it, Isuhun immediately moved to grab the hammer.

"Having such a long dream, huh?"

A woman's voice from behind. Familiar, yet impossible to hear in this place, Isuhun's body stiffened.

"How long do you plan to keep up this childish game? I'm embarrassed just watching you."

"…"

"Don't you think it's ridiculous? That a piece of trash like that dagger sent you to the distant past."

The woman's mocking question was met with Isuhun's calm response.

"It's possible."

"No, it's not. You always make excuses in impossible situations."

The voice grew closer, and the surroundings blurred. The familiar sound echoed.

Whoosh─

A black wave surged from afar, slowly sweeping away the scenery. The young body, returning to its past, crumbled before the wave.

A bloodied, battered body. And the backs of three people sitting helplessly in front of him. The image of the world on the brink of destruction reappeared before his eyes.

"Dreams are like that. They feel endless while you're in them, but they become fleeting once you wake up."

"…"

"The wave is coming. Do you want to live a miserable life?"

The voice, now close behind him, tickled his ear and gently gripped the handle of the hammer in his hand.

Smash his head before the wave swallows him. Encouraged by the woman's voice, Isuhun slowly raised his hand.

"One thing to correct."

And he spoke to the illusion of his master behind him.

"Master wouldn't say 'get lost' so long-windedly."

Whoosh!

The hammer, charged with mana, flew forward, and the hallucination that filled his vision was torn apart.

Bang!!

With a loud noise, the paper box was crushed. Confirming that the ringing and everything else had disappeared, Isuhun slowly took a breath.

"Huff…"

The mana-infused prayer beads pulled at his limbs, and his mana-depleted body felt heavy like a water-soaked sponge. This was telling him that this was not a dream, but reality.

Of course, even this could be a lie, but Isuhun cut off his thoughts.

'Whatever it is, this is reality now.'

He had confirmed it in the morning, so there was no need or reason to worry about it today. With this certainty, the green mana remaining in his body completely dissolved and disappeared.

[You have acquired the skill 'Awakening Dream (C)'.]

A new skill he had never seen before was acquired.

'This is…?'

A skill he had never seen before the reincarnation. Isuhun, looking at it with a puzzled expression, soon shook his head, realizing his situation.

'This is for later.'

After confirming that his body was fine, Isuhun quickly put away the hammer that had crushed the paper box and examined the inside.

Crackle─

A machine that was so badly damaged it was unrecognizable. As Isuhun reached out to examine it more closely,

Whoosh!

It suddenly caught fire and burned to ashes, leaving no trace. Although the sudden disappearance of the evidence might have been disheartening, Isuhun's eyes sparkled.

'Those bastards from Dawn, indeed.'

A special spell used by Dawn to prevent tracking. Having seen it a few times before the reincarnation, Isuhun recognized it immediately.

'Although it's disappointing to lose the evidence… at least this is not bad.'

He had finally confirmed the identity of the enemies he had only speculated about. Putting aside his disappointment, Isuhun checked the time.

'Ten minutes until the sparring.'

The effect of the ringing was to stimulate the trauma of the mana-eroded target, causing self-harm. Even with accelerated erosion, if this was the extent for him, then for Louise…

'No… she'll be fine.'

Unlike before, Louise had grown over the past two weeks and would be able to handle it. Believing this, Isuhun, despite his exhausted body, ran out again.

* * *

"Huff…"

Arriving at the waiting room, Louise sat down and looked at herself in the mirror.

Despite her anxious mind, her face was calm. Feeling a bit more relaxed at her unusually composed appearance, she thought,

'It's okay.'

Her body was in good condition, and her mind was clear. There was no reason to lose. Looking at herself in the mirror, Louise kept muttering,

"I can do it."

Even if it wasn't true, believing it was the mindset of a command mage. Recalling Isuhun's advice, Louise continued to give herself positive affirmations.

Beep───

A faint ringing in her ears.

Although not very loud, the sound was strangely irritating, and Louise frowned, looking around.

'Is that it?'

The speaker on the ceiling. It might be a test before the sparring that had some problem.

Thinking it would be fixed soon, Louise covered her ears and tried to focus again.

Beep───

But the ringing didn't stop, and as time passed, the sound grew louder, making her stomach churn.

"Really…"

If this continued, the sparring would be impossible. Getting up irritably, Louise was about to leave the waiting room when,

"…Huh?"

The ringing suddenly stopped.

The surroundings, which had been noisy a moment ago, were now quiet, and Louise looked at the speaker with a strange expression.

"What is this…?"

Even though it seemed to be fixed, she felt an uneasy sensation.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Louise turned away from the door and saw her neck wrapped in white bandages.

The bandages she never took off, even when washing or sleeping. Although they felt like a part of her body, for some reason, Louise felt suffocated by her appearance.

'Maybe it's because I'm already healed but still wrapped up.'

No matter how much she said she was healed, no one would believe her if she looked like this. Thinking this, Louise hesitated for a moment before making a decision.

'It's okay.'

Unlike before when she couldn't change the bandages herself.

Slowly raising her hand, Louise peeled off the tape and began to carefully unwrap the bandages.

And as the white skin, different from the rest, was revealed,

Rustle─

A scar running across half of her neck appeared in the mirror.

A scar she had only seen in photos during her examination, or rather, one she could never see properly and had only heard about.

'It's okay…'

The wound was already healed and wouldn't harm her.

Repeating this obvious fact in her mind several times, Louise felt her body trembling.

"Huff… Huff…"

Her breathing became rough, and a chill ran through her body, making her vision unstable. The rising discomfort made her want to look away, but her eyes wouldn't leave the scar.

"Huff… Huff…"

Her rough breathing didn't subside, and cold sweat dripped down her body.

A headache that felt like her head was splitting and a nausea that twisted her stomach.

In the fading consciousness, Louise instinctively strangled her neck with the bandages in her hand.

"Choke…"

The tangled bandages dug into her neck, but her hands didn't stop. When the bandages in her hands ran out, Louise slowly lifted her head and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"…"

Her messy hair and face drenched in cold sweat. Her neck, now more tightly wrapped than before. Seeing her pitiful appearance, Louise felt her resolve wavering.

'I am…'

Nothing has changed.

The mysterious command magic Isuhun taught her and the Barg that dramatically enhanced her power couldn't change her.

Realizing this, a question arose in Louise's mind.

'Am I really okay?'

Can the current her really defeat Gerwin Kruger?

Not just him, but there was also Bier Barumut behind him, and Professor Charles, whom she trusted and relied on.

"…"

They might have set up some trick in the arena, or even prepared something secretly in this waiting room.

The endless doubts and fears gnawed at Louise's heart, and the scene of the sparring room in the mirror began to distort.

Her gaze naturally turned to her neck, and

Crack─

The tightly wrapped bandages on her neck turned red.

"Choke…"

The healed wound couldn't suddenly reopen.

Knowing that the scene before her was a hallucination caused by a seizure, Louise instinctively grabbed her neck with both hands.

Crack─

Pressing her neck to stop the bleeding, but blood continued to flow through the gaps in her hands.

Everything is a hallucination. I'm not bleeding. The muttering was embarrassing, but the face reflected in the mirror had already lost its color.

'No…'

She couldn't trust the scene before her eyes or her senses.

What if she had really been injured by a surprise attack from the opponent? What if it wasn't a hallucination but a reality? Thinking this, Louise couldn't deny the scene before her.

'I need to stop the bleeding… I need something to stop the bleeding…'

Looking around, Louise saw a towel in front of the mirror. She quickly reached out with her right hand to grab it, and

Rip─

Through the shredded right hand, more than half of her neck was torn open.

"───!"

Spitting out something that could be blood or vomit, Louise, losing her balance, fell to the ground, curling up and closing her eyes, covering her ears.

'I don't want this.'

This was the trauma Isuhun said she needed to overcome.

The obstacle she needed to face was right in front of her, but instead of fighting, Louise turned away.

'I don't want to fail