Chapter 51

Jake licked his lips, watching Raon enter the arena.

‘Finally.’

The boring period had ended, and the most important moment of the day had finally arrived.

Whir.

He rotated the mana circle around his heart in a way that wouldn’t be noticed by Rimmer, who was next to him.

‘I need to hide the magic inside another magic.’

He needed to overlap multiple magics for the orc to critically injure Raon.

“Sir Magician.”

While he was preparing several incantations in his head, Rimmer approached him.

“He is the strongest one here. Please take out the strongest orc you have.”

“Alright.”

Jake nodded, lowering his lips.

‘That’s a relief.’

Since he’d actually asked him to get the strongest orc, it became easier for him to use the magic he’d prepared. Holding back his laughter with difficulty, he chanted the spell.

“Summon Monster.”

Jake lifted his hand and summoned the orc from the Dollan mountains that he’d received from Karoon.

Thud!

The ground trembled as the biggest orc so far burst from the magic circle.

The teeth protruding from its mouth reached its earlobes, its inflated muscles were full of vitality, and its eyes were ferocious enough to eat humans alive.

“Grrr!”

The trainees grew pale hearing the orc’s roar.

“Oh, that orc looks pretty strong.”

Without realizing anything, Rimmer nodded in satisfaction.

“Then I’ll strengthen it with magic.”

“Ah, sure.”

“Strength, Endurance.”

While using spells to strengthen its physical abilities, he also engraved the berserker magic that he’d prepared in its body.

Berserker magic could multiply the target’s physical abilities by over 1.5 times the norm. Moreover, the orc was from the Dollan mountains, which meant it wasn’t at a level a mere trainee could fight against.

Considering its ferocity, it was at least going to cut off one of Raon’s arms before the instructors could interfere.

Jake extended his wrist to make the orc look like a human, then nodded.

“Please be ready for the match.”

After Raon nodded and started to warm up, Jake activated the berserker magic he’d engraved in the orc.

“Grrrr!”

As the berserker magic activated, its muscles swelled up and the magic circle that was confining it broke apart.

“Grrrr!”

Naturally, the orc pounced at Raon—who was closest to him—with a horrible shriek.

Thump!

The orc kicked off from the ground and dashed at him. It had an extremely murderous intent, and it was aiming to kill Raon in one fell swoop.

‘I did it!’

Raon hadn’t even unsheathed his sword yet. Overwhelmed by the orc’s murderous intent, he was certainly going to lose an arm, at least.

Jake was exhilarated as he watched the orc strike down at Raon.

Rage!

A red line—no, golden after taking on the evening glow—cut through the dim space.

“Grr…”

The orc’s body stiffened, and its head fell to the ground.

“Wh-what?!”

What happened?!

It was an orc from Dollan Mountains, and a berserker spell that multiplied all its abilities by 1.5 times had been cast on it.

And Raon cut down such a monster in a single strike. There was no hesitation, fear, or naivety in his action. It was a perfect strike, as if he was already an accomplished swordsman.

Despite the situation, he even thought it was beautiful.

Over the orc’s collapsing body, he met Raon Zieghart’s eyes. His heart dropped, facing the two burning red eyes.

“Ugh!”

He unconsciously fell back and grabbed his neck. He couldn’t breathe because of the young trainee’s pressure. It felt like his lungs had disappeared from his body.

‘M-monster…’

He started to back away while on his knees. Just as he was about to piss his pants, the frightening murderous intent finally abated.

“Aah…”

Although the murderous intent had stopped, the fear still remained. As Jake was trembling, Rimmer came up next to him.

“Sir Magician looks very tired. I guess you did summon a lot of monsters today.”

Rimmer grinned and lifted him up.

“But there’s still one person remaining. Since she is fully motivated, please work one more time.”

Rimmer’s finger pointed at Runaan, who was standing in the arena.

“I-I-I see.”

Jake nodded, while shivering. He felt like he could do anything if it meant if he wasn’t going to be glared at by Raon Zieghart.

Catching his breath, he prepared for the last summoning.

* * *

“Runaan, are you okay? Can you do it?”

“Yes.”

Runaan visibly nodded to Rimmer’s question and entered the arena.

The floor was soaked with blood, but her eyes weren’t trembling anymore. Her purple eyes were looking straight ahead, with no sign of fear.

“Please make your preparations.”

“U-understood.”

Jake lifted his trembling hand and summoned an orc. It looked like he wasn’t an intermediate magician for nothing, as he properly cast the strengthening magic despite his terrified state.

“Then let’s s-start.”

After using the hallucination to make the orc look like a human, he released the magic circle that was restraining the orc.

“Grrr!”

At the same time as the orc started dashing, Runaan unsheathed her sword.

Clank!

Along with a thin blue pressure, the air was filled with a silver haze.

“Grrrr!”

The skin-freezing frost spread around, but it couldn’t stop the orc. It pounced at her while covered in frost.

“Hmm.”

Runaan pouted a little and used her footwork. Moving as if she was gliding left and right, she dodged the orc’s axe.

“Kiaaa!”

The orc didn’t step back despite its frozen skin. It kept swinging its axe, determined to kill her at the cost of its own life.

“Hmm.”

Unable to find an opportunity to swing her sword, Runaan kept dodging the axe. In the meantime, the frost spreading from her continued and the orc was already half frozen.

“Tsk.”

Raon clicked his tongue, watching Runaan spread frost while stepping back, as if she was running away.

‘Is it still not solved?’

Runaan didn’t manage to swing her sword once after entering the arena. She was just freezing the orc while running away.

‘She’s too kind.’

The reason she was brainwashed by Syria was simple.

Because she was kind.

Because she learned about death at an early age, she was afraid of blood, unable to injure the orc.

She was completely different from the Raon in his previous life, who would kill anyone in order to survive.

Because of her cold appearance and gaze, Runaan was easily misunderstood as haughty. However, her personality was actually the complete opposite.

‘Her sword tells it all.’

The reason she didn’t include coldness in her blade during the spar and spread frost in the air instead was in order to suppress the opponent without hurting them.

Runaan was the most gentle and kind person in the fifth training ground. And Syria had been using such a kind child by chaining her heart.

‘Runaan.’

Now that he thought about it, the reason Runaan approached him first in the gymnasium wasn’t to copy his training method, but probably because she felt pity for him, who was always alone.

“Lady Runaan!”

“Just cut it down!”

“Runaan!”

The instructors and trainees shouted Runaan’s name, but she just kept running around while blocking the orc’s attacks without being able to turn on the offense.

“Ugh…”

Runaan’s movement slowed down, probably because she used too much aura from spreading the frost. On the other hand, the orc kept swinging its axe with a more ferocious gaze, despite most of its body being frozen.

“Haa.”

Raon licked his lips and stood up. She couldn’t just freeze the orc to death like that. She needed to put an end to it in order to be released from Syria’s brainwashing.

“Runaan!”

Runaan, who hadn’t reacted to anyone, turned her head for the first time.

“It’s fine.”

As he smiled, telling her that everything would be fine, the trembling in Runaan’s gaze stopped. The purple eyes shone in a dark silver glow, like a snowfield that nobody’s stepped on.

Raon could feel the darkness in her eyes scatter like dust.

“Kieee!”

The moment the orc struck down its axe at Runaan’s immobile head, a silvery trajectory burst into the air.

Crack!

The blade, shining in silver, split the head of the ax in half and pierced through the orc’s heart.

“Guaa…”

The orc’s eyes, filled with insanity, faded away like a candlelight as it fell onto its back.

Spurt!

Warm blood gushed from the orc’s heart, which wasn’t frozen yet. Although Runaan’s hand was soaked in the orc’s blood, her expression remained calm.

She turned around to look at Raon. She nodded, as if she was asking him how it was, so he nodded her back.

She got out.

‘Indeed.’

Raon snickered. There was no fear in Runaan’s expression anymore.

Instead, she was displaying a refreshing smile.

Although she was going to need a bit more time, Syria's darkness was clearly removed. His brainwashing couldn’t affect Runaan anymore.

‘I know that better than anyone.’

Since he’d spent most of his previous life being brainwashed, he knew that for sure.

“Woaah…”

“Wh-what was that?”

“What did Raon tell her for her to change like that all of a sudden?”

“S-scary.”

The trainees dropped their jaws because of Runaan’s ability to freeze the orc in a single strike, and the fact that it was Raon that made her do that.

Even Burren and Martha looked surprised as they looked at him.

“J-just what did you tell her?”

Dorian approached him with wide eyes.

“It was nothing special.”

Raon smirked and shook his head.

“She did it on her own.”

Giving him a reasonable answer, Raon looked up at the platform. Jake, who met his eyes, gasped and stepped back.

‘Well, then.’

It was time to engrave fear into that guy, so that he wouldn’t dare oppose him ever again.

As he was about to send a thin and sharp pressure up to the platform, Rimmer interfered.

“You don’t look well. Let’s end it here.”

Rimmer grinned and raised Jake up.

“Tsk.”

Raon clicked his tongue and dispersed his murderous intent.

‘But I’m not done yet.’

He couldn’t engrave fear into Jake. He wasn’t going to dare come at him again or think of doing anything stupid, but he wanted to see him piss his pants.

“Good job everyone.”

Rimmer grinned as he supported Jake.

“It was honestly difficult training, yet everyone did better than I expected.”

He raised his thumb at everyone.

“Today’s experience is going to help you greatly during a real battle. Don’t hesitate once the fight starts. Your hesitation will result in an ally’s death. Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

The trainees answered loud and clear, straightening their spines.

“That’s a good sound. It looks like you are really ready for a mission.”

“Oh!”

“M-mission?”

“Really?”

The children’s expressions brightened upon hearing the word mission.

“Yes. We should start preparing slowly. Today’s training ends now. To wrap it up, give a round of applause to the magician Jake, who worked hard today!”

“Thank you!”

Hearing the trainees clap, he left the training ground with Jake.

***

“Kuh…”

Jake left the fifth training ground, supported by Rimmer. He wanted to move on his own, but his strength left his limbs because of the shock from Raon’s murderous intent.

“You must’ve overworked yourself.”

Rimmer gently supported him, as if he didn’t know anything, and brought him to the magic tower.

“Haa…”

He came back to his senses a little bit after enjoying the cool breeze for a while.

“I-I’m fine now. I’ll go on my own from here.”

Jake stopped around the third training ground, where the combat unit trained. He had to go to the Central Martial Palace to report his failure.

“Oh, I see.”

Rimmer nodded and made him sit on the chair next to him.

“Thank you for your help.”

Jake bowed at Rimmer while sitting. And once he lifted his head, he realized something had changed.

The wind that was blowing strongly enough to flutter the clothes couldn’t be felt anymore. The wind had literally disappeared.

And terrible murderous intent that gave him goosebumps was emanating from in front of him.

He didn’t want to look. However, a strange force made him lift his head.

And he was there.

The monster that was said to explode his madness next to Glenn Zieghart a few dozen years ago. Zieghart’s Sword of Light was looking down at him with yellow eyes.

“Ah, ah…”

His throat tightened and his nose started bleeding. He couldn’t move a single finger.

‘I-I heard he broke down…’

He heard that Zieghart’s Sword of Light had become disabled because of his energy center breaking. However, that didn’t seem to be the case. The monster might have gotten weaker, but it didn’t disappear.

“Go and tell him.”

His teeth clattered at Rimmer’s cold voice.

“The lord’s son or whatnot. Tell him that if you touch my students, then I’ll cut your head off.”

Although there was no wind at all, the blood gushed out of his chin and the skin on his arm was cracked. The murderous intent was singlehandedly slicing his body.

“Arrgh!”

The man knew everything. Despite knowing everything, he was just watching how far he went.

“A-ah…”

He felt like his heart had stopped. The fear made him unable to do anything.

Bang!

A dark green wind burst out from the ground Rimmer was standing on.

“Huff!”

Jake closed his eyes, facing the powerful wind, and thought it was over. However, he felt no pain.

When he opened his eyes to the wind blowing once again, Rimmer was nowhere to be seen. However, the murderous intent he’d left behind remained in the air.

“Eek! The teacher and the student are both monsters, fucking monsters…”

Jake knelt with liquid flowing from his eyes, nose, and mouth. His eyes kept shivering like an insane person.

“Uaaah!”

Despite Raon’s regret, fear was deeply engraved in Jake’s soul.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]