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Student Cafeteria.
"So, everyone except Liber and Luna decided to major in 4-element magic?"
"Yeah. It's actually the most common major choice for magic students."
"I guess magic is all about 4-element magic after all."
"Plus, this year's 3rd-year 4-element magic professor is Head of the Magic Department, Sirims Andrian."
"I know. Who would have thought the Head of the Magic Department would be teaching our grade again."
Liber asked,
"But you guys in the Swordsmanship Department must be bummed out. You won't be able to take the Head of the Swordsmanship Department's class anymore."
Davian replied,
"What are you talking about."
"Huh?"
"What's wrong with Professor Stella? We'll probably learn even more from her."
"Oh, really?"
Karin asked.
"What's this? Davian, are you taking Professor Stella's side right now? Wouldn't it be better to learn from the Head of the Swordsmanship Department if we had the choice? I don't know much about swordsmanship though."
Bonita, who was quietly eating her beef stew, opened her mouth.
"I agree with Davian. Honestly, I liked her class better in the first year."
"Really? Are being strong and teaching well two different things?"
"Maybe."
Davian, who was listening to the conversation, thought to himself.
'Head of the Swordsmanship Department and Professor Stella. I wonder who's stronger... I don't know anymore?'
He had seen it clearly with his own eyes.
Stella Cloud's figure, cutting through the chest of the crazed dragon Insaneness, who even the academy's senior faculty couldn't inflict a scratch on, despite all their efforts.
Her blade didn't even have any aura imbued in it.
'It resembles Bonita's sword.'
Moreover, Professor Stella Cloud had officially announced during her first class.
That she would be teaching swordsmanship that doesn't focus on aura or internal energy.
This could be a great opportunity for the 3rd-year students in the Swordsmanship Department.
Because true swordsmanship isn't just about forcefully imbuing aura to destroy the opponent's sword.
"Tubbery, you said there are only two people majoring in mental magic, including you?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Okay Tubbery, but who's the other one?"
"Elaim Bristin."
"Elaim? Wasn't he specializing in spirit magic?"
"He changed his major."
"Why? Isn't he supposed to be quite attuned to spirits?"
"He met Bellus in the forest behind the Medio Garden, and he said he didn't think he deserved to become a spirit mage."
"Bellus? Ah... then that might be the case."
Davian also nodded.
Elaim is a student with quite high spirit affinity.
Since he can see and feel spirits that allow themselves to be seen by humans, it's not unreasonable that he would think that way after seeing Bellus playing and chatting with dozens of spirits in the forest.
A few days ago.
"Davian oppa! I made friends with a high-level spirit!"
"Really? Who?"
"A Sylph!"
"A Sylph? The highest-level wind spirit?"
"Yes! Didn't I do well!"
It wasn't just doing well.
It was truly an amazing contract.
The four major spirits representing the four elements: fire, water, wind, and earth.
The highest level among all spirits.
Even the ice spirit Glacier doesn't make the cut, and Undine, the highest-level water spirit, is Glacier's older sister.
Of course, unlike Glacier, she has multiple contractors throughout the human realm, so her influence is diluted and she doesn't exert as much power as Glacier.
But still, one of the four highest-level spirits.
As Bellus's magic grows, the influence that spirits can exert in the human realm also grows.
"Luna, you must be happy to be able to take the class of the professor you respect, Medium Frill?"
"Yeah! I'm so happy."
The school nurse, Medium Frill, became a full-time professor this year.
The condition that Medium Frill made when she received the offer of a full-time professorship was one thing.
That she would continue to be in charge of the students she had been in charge of.
Although it was against the rules, the academy, which couldn't afford to lose a practical professor like Medium, allowed it.
"She said she will keep teaching our grade from now on!"
"That's great, Luna."
"Yeah! So so much!"
But there was something Luna didn't know.
The reason why Medium Frill insisted on continuing to take the same grade was Davian Naone.
Davian and his friends became 3rd graders.
And as every year, new freshmen entered the academy.
1st-year dormitory lounge.
Werner Dyke, who passed the entrance exam at the top of his class and became the male student representative, asked,
"Conrad, did you find out?"
"Yeah! I hired someone to gather information from the upperclassmen on the weekends. It cost a lot of money because I had to bribe them here and there. They weren't willing to tell me easily."
"Good job. So, what's the mid-term exam for the 1st-year Swordsmanship Department?"
"Well, it's some bad news."
"What do you mean bad news when all I asked you to do was find out what the mid-term exam is?"
"Well, I guess Werner Dyke, you might not get beaten up."
Male student representative Werner Dyke's voice dropped coldly.
"Beaten up? What nonsense are you spouting? I'm asking what the mid-term exam is."
Startled, Conrad shrunk his neck and replied.
"Ah... Apparently, it's a sparring match with the 3rd-year Swordsmanship Department seniors. Depending on your skill level, you'll be divided into groups A, B, and C and go up against a 3rd-year senior one-on-one."
"That's nothing. Why did you drag it out like that?"
"The problem is... this is like an old tradition of our Elton Academy, a time to learn humility during the first exam of the first year."
"Humility?"
"Yeah. Before entering here, everyone must have been renowned talents from all over, so it's supposed to mean, 'Don't be cocky now and attend classes with humility.' It's practically a time for the 3rd-year seniors to beat up the 1st-years to their heart's content. Of course, with the infirmary right next door."
Werner Dyke's eyes narrowed.
"So, it's a time for the 1st-years to get beaten up by the 3rd-year seniors under the guise of an exam?"
"Yeah, that's what it's like."
Werner Dyke slowly nodded.
"I see. There's nothing better than a beating to teach humility."
"T-that's right?"
"Then I guess I'll have to teach them some humility. The 3rd-year seniors, I mean."
"What?"
Werner Dyke.
The eldest son of the Dyke Marquis family, a prestigious family of swordsmen, and one of the most promising swordsmanship geniuses on the continent.
He became the male student representative after taking the entrance exam with an overwhelming difference in skill that was hard to believe for a freshman.
Less than a month after entering, he already had followers.
He is exerting the greatest influence on the 1st year by gathering classmates who have skills or are useful and incorporating them into his group.
"Then who's the best among the 3rd-year Swordsmanship Department seniors?"
He asked Conrad, but another student answered.
"It's Davian Naone, senior! He's a legendary senior! I heard he gathered all the Magic Department professors a while ago and showed them something amazing!"
"I don't think I was asking you, Philip."
"Ah? Ah. Sorry, Werner."
"Conrad, continue."
Conrad.
The son of a wealthy merchant family.
He wasn't in a position to join Werner's group either in terms of skill or background.
However, he became friends with Werner by chance when they were in the same group during the entrance exam.
Since then, Conrad has naturally taken his position to avoid Werner's displeasure.
Based on the money he brought with him, which seemed endless, he asked around for information Werner needed.
It was the only way for someone from a merchant family to become friends with the eldest son of a marquis family.
"U-uh, the aces of the 3rd-year Swordsmanship Department are Bonita Fortis, senior, and Davian Naone, senior. They seem to be neck and neck. Bonita, senior, won at the 1st-year final exam, and Davian, senior, received a higher grade at the official promotion exam. And the 2nd-year final exam was a team tournament, but they had a one-on-one battle, and the battle didn't end because the other team members' battles ended."
Werner Dyke slowly nodded.
"I heard they were legendary seniors, but that senior Davian doesn't seem to be anything special in swordsmanship. I've heard he's really good at magic, but he's neck and neck with an unnamed senior in the Swordsmanship Department."
"Uh? Well... Bonita, senior, seems to be quite famous in swordsmanship."
Ha.
Werner let out a burst of laughter.
"Famous? What did you say earlier? Bonita Fortis? She must be from a rural noble family, but no matter how good someone from such an unheard-of family is at swordsmanship."
"W-well, you're from a prestigious swordsmanship family, Werner. And you're also the most promising swordsmanship genius."
Werner smiled with a satisfied expression.
"I was wondering whether to enter or not. I like Elton Academy. From the first midterm exam, there's such a fun event. It's a great opportunity to spread my name, Werner Dyke, and the majesty of our Dyke family."
"T-that's right? You'll be able to do it, Werner."
"Let Bonita or Davian come. If possible, I'd prefer the legendary senior Davian. It's a swordsmanship sparring match, so he won't be able to use magic, right? Then there's no problem. I'll surpass the legend at this opportunity."
Another friend made a fuss.
"Oh, of course, you can't use magic in the swordsmanship exam. Is our Werner really going to knock down that legendary senior and become a new legend?"
Werner Dyke smiled with a satisfied expression.
The Capital City, Kanzar.
The backyard of the mansion of Espin Ellaina, Marquis of the 5th Imperial Guard.
Rustle, rustle.
"You've improved a lot, Monster Eyes."
"Thanks to you."
Espin Ellaina, Marquis, wore an expression of surprise.
"I never thought I would hear those words from you, Solvere Linea."
"Are you finally going to call me by my name? Espin Ellaina."
"Since we can't call ourselves enemies anymore."
Solvere's pupils narrowed down to a small dot.
The size of the pupils controlled by emotion.
"I'm getting used to those eyeballs too as I keep seeing them. Who is the end of that sharper grace aiming at?"
"The root cause of all this."
"What, are you planning to kill that commander who attacked your Pinnis Kingdom? The one who caused your father's death?"
Solvere Linea tilted her head.
She had quite a lot of time to talk with Marquis Espin alone.
She also explained what had happened to her homeland and what her father's last moments were like.
'I killed my father with my own hands. I told him everything, but did he already forget?'
Well, that's not important.
"I'm going to kill him too, of course, but that's not where the end of my grace is heading."
"Then who is at that end?"
"The one who swallowed the Manum Continent."
"If that's the case...?"
"The Emperor."
Marino Empire's Imperial Palace.
Kwaang!
Emperor Kaiser Lapax's fist struck Behemoth's face.
Ancient species Behemoth.
Descriptions of Behemoth in ancient books are as follows.
Behold his strong loins.
Behold the strength in the muscles of his belly.
His legs are as strong as pillars of bronze, his bones like bars of iron.
His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are like bars of iron.
Behemoth.
He is the chief of the works of God.
Kwaang!
The Emperor's fist hit Behemoth's side.
A bare fist with no inner energy or magic imbued in it.
Kreaah!
Behemoth, whose body is tens of meters tall, howls in pain.
Kwaang!
Kwaang!
Each time the Emperor's fist pierced into Behemoth's thick hide, bones broke and internal organs twisted.
Behemoth resurrected by the chief summoning mage of the Imperial Palace.
A beast that leads beasts.
King of ancient beasts.
When he had just been resurrected through the summoning circle, he could not have imagined that he would suffer such great pain from the fist of a single human.
Kreaah!
Behemoth, full of anger, swung his huge tail.
Whoosh.
The 20-meter-long tail covered the Emperor with the force to collapse even Mount Tai.
Thud!
The Emperor, who caught the tail with both arms, endured Behemoth's tremendous tail strength.
Veins popped out on the Emperor's arms and legs.
"Now you've summoned someone a little more fun."
The Emperor of the Marino Empire.
The existence above the heads of all humans living on the Manum Continent.
Kaiser Lapax smiled and applied more force to both arms.
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