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Bellum nudged Nubes's arm.
"Is that really Davian?"
"I don't know. He looks like Davian, but what on earth happened?"
Before them, Davian was calmly and neatly drawing out sword forms.
Steady and precise movements of the sword's tip.
Body movements flowing naturally like water for him.
Besides Bellum and Nubes, several students were staring at Davian with surprised eyes.
Among them were Lex Flumen and his gang, standing far away.
Lex frowned and said,
"...What's with that guy? What are those movements?"
Another guy chimed in.
"Huh? He definitely couldn't even hold a sword properly before, right?"
Lex, who was carefully observing Davian's swordsmanship, gritted his teeth.
"I need to fix his habits before it's too late. I'll do it myself."
In the meantime, Davian's sword dance ended.
Clap clap clap.
Bellum approached, clapping his hands.
"Amazing! Davian. When did you practice so much? No, can you even achieve that with practice? In just a few weeks?"
"It's all thanks to Bonita's help."
"Helped? Bonita, who always says she doesn't have enough time for her own training? Bonita! Me too! Help me too. How can I improve as fast as Davian?"
Bonita approached and said,
"It won't work for you guys. Only Davian can do it."
"Why? Why can only Davian do it?"
"When I tried it, it only worked for someone who's a mess without any basics."
"It only works if you're a mess?"
"Yeah. You guys know, right? How much of a mess Davian was."
"We know that very well. He was a mess."
"Right. A complete mess."
Davian put his sword back into its sheath.
"I'm starting to feel bad listening to this. So, how was it? Bonita."
"Not bad."
"That's it? No mentioning if the sword path was off or anything?"
"Nope."
Nubes asked.
"Nothing? Then isn't that the same as saying Davian's sword dance was perfect just now?"
"Well, he drew it perfectly as far as he could read it. Impressive. It's just that he still can't read the really important sword path."
Bonita turned around and headed for the gymnasium exit.
"I'm going to practice my spirit arts now. Good luck, everyone."
"Already? How long has it been since you started sword training?"
"I can't neglect spirit arts either. I'm off."
Bonita thought as she headed for the exit.
'He saw it once and did that? He almost copied half of it. What on earth is he? Davian.'
Saturday.
Kanzar City, the capital of the Alkancia Kingdom.
The temporary residence of Leo Martian, the Head of the Swordsmanship Department.
"Thank you for coming all the way here. Head of the Magic Department, Sirims."
"I came by magic circle, so it wasn't much trouble, Head of the Swordsmanship Department, Leo."
"You asked Stella for my residence. Is there something urgent?"
"I just came to ask about the situation in the capital. ...Actually, there was a pretty big incident."
"An incident?"
"There was a spy in the academy. That person woke up the Gray Witch on the day the first-year students went on a group practice to the Northern Ice Region."
Leo Martian was so surprised that he jumped up.
"What? The students? What happened to the students?"
"Some students were injured, but there was no major damage."
"Didn't you say the Gray Witch woke up? How can there be no major damage?"
"Fortunately, a few first-year students defeated the Gray Witch in the ice cave. Thanks to that, we avoided a great disaster."
"First-year students? The Gray Witch?"
"Yes. There seem to be many excellent students in this year's class."
Leo, the Head of Swordsmanship, sat back down.
"That's amazing. To defeat the Gray Witch in an ice cave... But who sent the spy?"
"We're investigating. That's why I came to see the Head of Swordsmanship today. To ask about the situation in the capital as well."
Leo frowned and muttered as if to himself.
"Could they be targeting even the academy where the students are?"
"Do you have any leads?"
"No. It's just that the movements of the Marino Empire have been unsettling lately. The activities of spies have become very active, and they keep recruiting our people, so it's hard to know who to trust anymore."
"It's not just Kanzar City where they're sending spies, is it?"
"Yes. Elton City, where the academy is, will be the same. But I didn't think they would try to do something to the academy. If they did something... Ah, this is just my personal opinion, of course. We'll have to investigate, as the Head of the Magic Department said."
"If the Marino Empire is meddling with Elton Academy, this is a very serious matter. It's like saying they're going to crush the future of our kingdom."
"I can report this to the King, right?"
"Of course. I'll let you know through a letter as soon as the investigation results are out."
Leo, the Head of Swordsmanship, rested his chin on his right hand and slowly shook his head.
"It's really ominous. A few days ago, there was a thief in the Royal Palace History Archives."
"A thief? If it's the Royal Palace History Archives, isn't that the very center of the Royal Palace? You're saying there was a thief there?"
"Yes. It's really absurd. It's directly related to the Royal Palace's security, so there's a hush-hush atmosphere within the Royal Palace. It's a place where Alkancia's history and countless treasures are preserved. For it to be breached."
"So? What did the thief aim for?"
"That's also quite strange. The magic gloves used by the first King. Only those disappeared."
"Are you perhaps referring to the 'Ferrarius's Gloves'?"
"Yes. That's right. There were no traces of anyone taking them, and everything else was the same, but only those disappeared without a trace. They seem to be investigating even now, but they haven't found any clues."
"That's a strange thing."
At the same time.
Mons's lodging in Elton City.
Davian's room.
As Davian closed his eyes and imagined drawing sword paths, he heard a familiar voice in his ear.
"Davian! Hi."
When he opened his eyes and looked to the side, the spirit Glacie, the size of a small fairy, was floating in the air.
"Oh, hi. Glacie."
"Your inner strength has grown more while I haven't seen you? You're improving so quickly, Davian?"
"Well, I guess I am."
"That's right. That's my friend."
Whoosh.
The view brightened in an instant and then darkened again.
This time, Glacie was standing in front of Davian in human size.
"Here, a gift."
Glacie took out a pair of gloves from her arms and held them out.
"What's this?"
"I said I'd give you gloves, right? Erium used to use them, and I gave them to him back then too. I asked a blacksmith who was one of Undine's contractors to make them. He was super famous... What was his name? Ferrario? Ferrarius? Something like that."
Davian took the gloves Glacie handed him.
They were metal gloves, not leather, but they were as thin as leather gloves.
The connection of the moving joint parts was so smooth that when he fully extended his fingers, the joint parts were not even visible.
And the innermost joints of the four fingers from the index finger to the pinky were made of a different material.
Davian put his hand on the metal and felt the mana.
"These are magic rings?"
"Yeah! Isn't it amazing? They processed magic rings and combined them with gloves. That blacksmith made these gloves, and I don't think gloves like these have been made in the world for hundreds of years after that. I don't know if there are any now?"
Each of the magic rings that were processed as one with the gloves was of a grade that Davian had never even seen in his previous lives.
A notification window appeared in Davian's eyes as he examined the gloves.
=====
[Ferrarius's Gloves]
―Rarity: ★★★★
―Metal gloves with 4 elemental magic amplification rings embedded in them.
―Made by synthesizing a metal resistant to fire and ice attributes with Durum, one of the strongest metals.
―Partially seals the power of the ice spirit Glacie.
―Magic amplification function. Fire and ice attribute magic defense. Ice sword creation function.
=====
Davian's eyes widened as he checked the notification window.
The rarity was as high as four stars.
"These are really amazing gloves."
"Right? I don't know how much I was pestered by my sister to make these back then."
"You've had these for a thousand years?"
Davian put on the gloves.
Cha-ra-ra-rak.
The gloves, made of small metal pieces connected together, magically shrank to fit Davian's hand size perfectly.
"Huh? No. Why would I? Humans were taking good care of them?"
The original owner of these gloves was Erium Alkancia.
The founding king who established the Alkancia Kingdom.
Then?
"Humans? ...Wait? Did you take these from the Royal Palace History Archives?"
"I don't know what room it was, but they were keeping them deep in the middle of the Royal Palace."
"...Did you at least tell them before taking them?"
"Tell them what? They're mine, why would I tell anyone before taking them."
"That's true, but... I don't know if I should use these. I feel like I'll be arrested if I get caught."
"Just say I gave them to you. Hehehe. Now, make a sword. An ice sword."
"An ice sword? I can only make a solid ice club. You said you'd come and make an ice sword when I need one, right?"
"I can do it for you, but you can do it yourself with these gloves. I put my power into them. Go ahead and try."
Ah, now that he thought about it, it said 'Ice sword creation possible' in the notification window.
Davian manifested water elemental magic with his gloved hands.
A stream of water stretched out from his hand and froze, becoming a long icicle.
"Now try to make a sword. Use your magic to make a sword shape, whether it works or not."
Davian stared at the ice club and pushed in his magic power.
Thinking of carving it into a sword shape.
At that moment, Ferrarius's Gloves began to vibrate subtly.
Along with a bluish light.
Crack!
The outside of the ice club split, and small pieces of ice fell to the floor.
And a long, smooth ice sword remained in Davian's hand.
"Oh!"
"Wow! You did it in one try? Erium couldn't even do that in one try. Amazing. Hehehe."
Glacie ran her finger along the blade of the ice sword.
"You can probably cut down most things even now. But as your magic power increases, this sword will become sharper and stronger. Moreover..."
"Moreover?"
"I don't think Erium could make such a sharp ice sword at your age? Amazing, Davian."
"Wasn't that Erium person supposed to be super great?"
"He was great. But I'm telling you, he couldn't even make this ice sword in one try."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're still amazing, my new friend. By the way, how are the gloves? Are your hands not cold?"
"Yeah. Not at all. These are really good."
Clap clap clap.
Glacie clapped her hands with a bright face.
"I'm glad you like them! Davian. Is he in the next room? Mons."
"Yeah, he is."
"Let's go out with him. I want to see you two spar."
"Me and Mons?"
"Yeah."
Glacie, with excited steps, approached the door, opened it wide, and shouted.
"Mons!"
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