I stepped outside to say goodbye to Rie, as she hopped into her carriage.

The holidays had started and everyone was heading back to their homes, one after the other.

Astina had already taken off, and Rie was on the verge of leaving after spending an extra day at the academy.

"Remember to write to me often. Don't forget."

"I know. Now off you go."

Before she took off, Rie reminded me several times.

She was planning on sending me updates about the political situation and other news, so she wanted me to write back if anything went down at the academy.

I questioned if that was really necessary, but she was pretty adamant.

She argued that since odd incidents happened at the academy all the time, we needed to be ready for something to happen during the break as well.

She piled up so many reasons that all I could do was nod in agreement.

After all, writing a letter wasn't too hard.

"Rudy, should we head back in now?" Luna asked, standing by my side.

She had joined me in seeing Rie off.

Luna also chose to stay at the academy over the break.

I suggested she take a trip home before the special lectures held over the break started, but she said no.

She felt it was best to focus on her studies.

"Then I'm off to get some exercise. See you later."

"Sure! I'll meet you at the cafeteria later!"

Luna headed for the library, and I set off for the field.

Now that my injuries were on the mend, it was time to get moving.

I had been laying off physical activity for a while and I could feel my body getting sluggish and my energy levels dropping.

"Well let's get this started."

And so, I began my run on the field.

It felt odd to be running after such a long break.

My joints ached, my breath was short, and my body was screaming for me to stop.

But I pushed all that aside and ran on.

After a while, the pain just sort of fades away.

I found myself running in a kind of trance.

During my run, I noticed someone watching me.

A muscular man was eyeing me from a bench, a huge double-bladed axe by his side. If I had to describe him, I'd say 'barbarian.'

A fearsome-looking barbarian, bloodthirsty, lethal.

But the real shocker was that he was wearing the academy's uniform.

He had rolled up the sleeves of his unbuttoned shirt.

Looking at his biceps, I wondered if those buttons ever stood a chance.

The idea of a student with that face and those muscles gave me chills.

Was he a part of the Swordsmanship Department?

Did all students in that department turn out like this?

"Huff..."

Once I finished my workout, I wiped away my sweat.

It felt like I'd been exercising for quite a while.

Still, the barbarian was watching me.

Now, I was starting to feel uncomfortable.

What was his deal?

Why was he staring at me like that?

Sure, some people would glance my way during their workouts, but no one had ever gawked at me quite like this before.

While I was busy trying to figure out his intentions, the man rose from his spot and started walking in my direction.

Was he planning to jump me?

I quickly dismissed the thought.

If he wanted to ambush me, he wouldn't just sit in plain sight; he would've hidden somewhere.

So what was he up to?

Before I could puzzle it out, he was standing right in front of me.

I thought he might simply walk past, but he stopped, looking down at me.

Then he started talking.

His question took me by surprise.

"Do you study under Professor Robert?"

"...What?"

"Are you a student of Professor Robert? You're Rudy Astria, right?"

He had a deep, booming voice that matched his build.

"Yes... But why?"

Then, he extended his hand toward me.

"I'm Borval, a second-year student in the Magic Department."

I stared blankly at his outstretched hand.

"Do you not shake hands with commoners?

"No, that's not it."

Caught off guard, I took his hand and shook it.

You run well. I heard you had been bedridden for a while.

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

Following our brief exchange, an awkward silence fell between us.

I guessed he must have had a reason for approaching me, so I asked.

"Did Professor Robert send you?"

"Not exactly. But it's related."

That response left me more confused.

"We'll talk more later."

With that, Borval left.

"But... He's in the Magic Department?"

A guy with that face and physique is in the Magic Department?

And why does he carry around that massive axe?

It felt like my image of the Magic Department was crashing down.

"You're here?"

When I entered Professor Robert's office, I found Borval and Robert waiting for me.

Professor Robert, seated at his desk, began to talk.

"I hear he sought you out of his own accord, though I didn't ask him to."

"Huh?"

"Just wanted to see what kind of person he is."

Borval responded to Professor Robert's comments.

With an irritated look, Professor Robert kept talking.

"Well, you met this guy earlier, right? I've taught him a bit."

"So... he's senior?"

At that, Professor Robert grimaced.

"What do you mean, senior? Neither of you are my students."

The criteria Professor Robert uses to determine his students remains a mystery.

Does he even officially have any students?

Nonetheless, after hearing it repeatedly, I've gotten used to hearing it.

"Why did you call on Borval senior?"

"He's going to be teaching you for a while."

As I asked, Professor Robert passed me a book.

"This is..."

"The contents of that book. Research related stuff on your own."

The book was filled with information about Luna's book.

"Isn't this what you were studying, Professor Robert?"

"Don't worry, there's another copy."

After giving me the book, Professor Robert gestured at Borval.

"I've got to head out in a week, so you'll be learning from this guy. Until I leave, I'll supervise as well."

"Where are you heading?"

As far as I'm aware, Professor Robert doesn't have any family, and I didn't think he had other commitments.

"Don't pry too much. Just know that I have somewhere to be."

Acknowledging Professor Robert's words, I turned to Borval.

"But, Borval Senior, you're about to become a third-year. Won't you be busy?"

"I'm aiming to be a professor, so it's not an issue."

"Ah..."

Aiming to be a professor.

In other words, he was on track to become a graduate student, a teaching assistant.

Upon hearing that, I couldn't help but feel a lump form in my throat.

Walking into hell on his own.

"Well... hang in there."

"...What are you implying."

"Quit the small talk and start teaching him magic."

At Professor Robert's command, Borval nodded and turned to me.

"I've heard your magic skills are impressive. How proficient are you?"

"Well... I can use about 3-4 kinds of black magic. I know how to use various kinds of beginner magic, but my proficiency is low."

"That's remarkable for a first-year."

Borval pulled out a piece of paper and pitched a question at me.

"Do you have a considerable understanding of magic, then?"

"I do have a good grasp of basic magical theory."

I said, filled with confidence.

I've been studiously learning the theoretical aspects since joining the academy.

I considered myself among the top tier of first-year students when it came to theory.

At the start of the semester, I was casting spells without any understanding of the underlying principles.

But as I continued practicing magic, it was natural that I became curious about its mechanics and started noticing the areas where I was lacking.

Theoretical knowledge filled in those gaps.

Diving into the theory, one learns about the limitations of magic and efficient methods of use.

These theories greatly boosted my learning speed.

So, I had been enhancing my magic skills through a balanced combination of theory and practice.

"Let me put a question to you, then. What distinguishes the mana of a knight from that of a wizard?"

"...A knight?"

"I misspoke. It isn't exclusive to knights. It encompasses all who wield weapons."

I fell into a moment of thought.

This was not something I had studied.

Usually, we learn theories that can be easily applied to practical situations rather than explaining such fundamental aspects.

Nevertheless, based on what I had learned so far, I could formulate a guess.

"...They are the same?"

The mana employed couldn't be different.

Otherwise, entities like Evan, a magic swordsman, couldn't exist.

"That's correct. The mana used is identical. So, what distinguishes a knight from a wizard?"

"A knight wields sword aura, and a wizard wields magic."

The contrast between a knight and a wizard.

The biggest difference is that wizards cast magic while knights utilize sword aura.

However, there was a strange point.

The existence of a magic swordsman.

A magic swordsman is a being that can use both.

This implies wizards could wield sword aura, and knights could cast magic.

Still, something felt off.

Why don't wizards use sword aura?

The field of magic is vast and complex.

It's understandable to think knights would forgo learning it.

Using basic magic would likely be less efficient in actual combat than an additional sword swing.

If one truly wanted to incorporate magic into combat, utilizing scrolls would be more advantageous.

Before I could answer, Borval posed another question.

"There is one more thing that's different."

Another difference...

I sank into thought.

The only knight I was acquainted with was Locke...

Ah.

Come to think of it, I had seen another knight.

Harpel and Eric.

"Body reinforcement?"

The reason they survived Astina's onslaught.

It was due to body reinforcement.

However, a knight's body reinforcement differs from a wizard's body reinforcement magic.

"You're certainly talented. These aren't topics typically taught in the first year. You're correct. This is the most significant difference between wizards and knights."

Borval sketched a human figure on the paper in front of him.

"So, why is there such a difference?"

I mused for a moment before responding.

"I... I'm unsure."

Borval dotted the heart of the figure he sketched on the paper.

"Wizards amass mana in their hearts."

He then drew another figure and dotted various parts of the body.

"Knights, on the other hand, distribute mana throughout their bodies."

Borval proceeded with his explanation.

"This discrepancy arises because the usage of sword aura and magic differs. Let's take dark magic as an example. How do you cast dark magic?"

"In my case, I envision a container and fill it with mana."

"Exactly, you conjure that image to extract a specific amount of mana. Forming such an image simplifies the process."

Borval traced a line on the figure with the marked heart.

"A wizard must manage a precise amount of mana to cast spells. It's far more accurate and efficient to use mana concentrated in one place rather than gathering it from all over the body as a knight would. Hence, this method is preferred."

I nodded in understanding.

But why is he telling me this?

"You said you wanted to learn powerful magic from Professor Robert. Magic that can be used as a finishing blow."

Perhaps my thoughts were obvious because Borval spoke first.

A finishing move.

The lack of a finishing move was a disadvantage I felt during the last fight.

So, I requested Professor Robert to teach me, and it appears he relayed my request to Borval.

"Frankly, given your current skill level, there's no magic that I can teach that could be called a finishing move. Your current level is simply too low."

"Is that so?"

Although I was a bit disheartened hearing this, knowing that I had only been attending the academy for a year, I nodded in agreement.

"However, it's not like there's absolutely no way. This technique will also be helpful with dark magic, and it's my specialty, so I'll explain in detail."

Upon hearing that, my expectations rose.

"I'm looking forward to it."

***

4/5 Enjoy the chappy!

Coming soon!