LIGHTNOVELSTORY Ch 48
As planned, I used the dagger to cut the unused cloth into strips to make cords.
We sat in a circle, repeatedly attaching, binding, and tying the pieces of wood together until they formed one long stick.
It took a while to craft the long pole and pull the flowers that floated like lotus leaves on the water’s surface to the shore.
This task was done in turns, but even just tapping to pull them in was difficult. The straight pole couldn’t hook the flowers properly. The flower stems kept trying to return to the spot where they were originally planted, and we couldn’t stop them.
After much effort, we finally got the hang of it, and I was able to grab two large Logi flowers, the size of an adult’s fist.
Once they were carefully packed into the box, it had already been over three hours since we entered the greenhouse.
Jenny, who had been looking over the map I had prepared earlier, smiled brightly.
“Looks like the route we planned is working well. If we head west before returning to the entrance, we’ll find the Moras mint garden. We can stop by there before heading out.”
“Do you think the plants here are spaced out like this because of the task we’re doing?”
“I don’t think so. If you look closely, each area seems to have different magical effects. Things like temperature, humidity, and even the texture of the sand affect the growth of medicinal plants, so maybe they’ve spaced them out to make sure each type gets the right conditions.”
“Wow, you can actually recognize the magic circles here?”
“I can recognize the basics. Oh, do you want me to write it down too?”
Marianne explained the magic circles she recognized, while Jenny eagerly took notes.
It was clear that the direction and intensity of the wind were governed by certain rules in each area, which wasn’t natural. In the central plains, the vast sand deserts were only found to the west of Sicheon, so I had never seen one before. I knew of them, but it felt like a distant dream—a strange, unfamiliar thing.
As I packed up our belongings, Ivan Holmos, who was usually quiet and didn’t speak much, suddenly apologized for making us work so hard, and I patted his back to reassure him. I told myself we had to leave soon before the heat made us all collapse.
The path to the Moras mint garden was also difficult, with our feet sinking into the sand. After some thought, I decided to take the lead.
Climbing trees, carrying the bags, and exerting myself, I too was starting to sweat in the heat.
I used my inner energy to flatten and compress the sand, making the ground firmer and reducing the number of times the younger students stumbled. At least that was a small relief.
The kids, like women picking up barley, were busy selecting suitable mint leaves and chattering away.
Moras mint, with its thick leaves covered in white fuzz, was known for being a useful herb for relieving stomach pains. It could be chewed and the juice squeezed out for temporary relief.
I also focused on picking the right leaves while listening to the children’s voices.
“I didn’t realize it would be this hard when we were with the professor. I feel like I’m going to die.”
“Back then, it really just felt like a nice long walk. The breeze was gentle, the ground was firm, and it wasn’t this hot.”
“Professor Cedric was a 4th Circle mage, right?”
“Yeah, I heard he majored in biology and minored in magic, so his circle level isn’t very high. But he uses everyday magic as naturally as breathing.”
“At the Sierun Academy, you can’t judge people by their circle levels.”
This was something we all understood, especially when we saw Douglas Mustang, who taught mana and aura classes.
In the central plains, powerful individuals took pride in their strength and treated it as their honor. They wielded swords with poise and elegance, never getting their hands dirty. They didn’t use their strength on petty matters, considering it a virtue to only fight with swords in serious combat.
But at Sierun, the strong used their power differently. They used their strength to expand the students’ senses or to make their walks more comfortable. I felt a bit proud as I reflected on using my inner energy to flatten the sand.
At Sierun, the strong weren’t defined by how many enemies they defeated, but by how they led their allies.
Though I had lived in the central plains where I had to fight enemies to survive, I slowly began to appreciate the ways of this land, learning and growing step by step.
Once we had gathered all the herbs needed for the task and packed them in a box, the way back was just as hot and stifling, but I felt lighthearted.
We gathered the exhausted younger students near the entrance of the greenhouse, waiting for the others who hadn’t finished their task yet.
In the end, I realized that, despite the physical challenges, being assigned to the desert-themed greenhouse wasn’t the worst choice.
The group assigned to the forest terrain had gotten lost in the dense foliage, while the one assigned to the jungle terrain had struggled with insects. The group at the beach had become exhausted from swimming through underwater caves. Only the ones assigned to the plains had returned comfortably, leisurely strolling through the grass. Everyone was busy comforting their familiar faces.
But not a single team had given up or failed to complete their task.
Sierun Academy was the top educational institution in the vast Sierun Empire, and all the students either paid exorbitant tuition or had talents worthy of such an investment.
Perhaps that was why, fundamentally, everyone had a strong and unyielding side.
The professors, knowing the limits of the students, were very skilled at pushing them just to that point, which was, in a way, natural.
After returning from the seaside terrain and exploring the underwater caves, Shayden, dragging his feet and complaining about having to swim eight times, became so spoiled that I ended up carrying him back to the dormitory building. The whole way back smelled faintly of salt.
I was curious and amazed at how they had managed to bring so much water into the greenhouse and create caves. I made a mental note to visit the ocean-themed greenhouse next time.
* * *
Since the conversation earlier, Lucilla had started to treat me with great affection and familiarity.
As a result, the number of people attending our advanced swordsmanship classes increased dramatically.
Originally, it had just been me and Benjamin Claudian, but now Prince Ruber Anti Sierun and Princess Lucilla Anti Sierun joined us, along with a scruffy boy named Matt Nicor, who had been with Lucilla before.
With five of us in a group, all eyes turned to us, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this was how it felt to be one of the “Three Dragons of the Central Plains.”
Every three years, the Martial Arts Alliance of the Central Plains held a “Dragon Phoenix Gathering.” The fighters were mostly concerned with one thing: which of us was stronger. The focus was on comparing swordsmanship, seeing whose style and techniques were superior.
Despite carrying the name of a righteous faction, the schools didn’t openly crush each other; instead, they ranked their disciples to predict which faction would be the strongest in the next generation.
At each of these gatherings, a few disciples between fifteen and thirty years old were chosen from each faction to stand in the arena.
The disciples were carefully nurtured, choosing the best environment, planting the best seeds, and cultivating them with care, so there were no talents that didn’t shine.
When I was younger, a disciple from Shaolin had been leading the ranks, standing shoulder to shoulder with those from Wudang. Then came the disciples from Huashan and Chongnan, and occasionally, one or two from the Five Great Families would hold their place before being knocked out.
Since martial arts revered strength, the five strongest young men and three women of each generation always drew attention.
I had definitely struggled, wanting to be among them when I was younger, and I often envied their position.
As I grew older and became closer to some of them, sharing drinks and mourning those who had passed, those ambitions, like a burning incense, gradually disappeared, leaving only good memories behind.
Now, receiving admiring glances from children of that age made me feel awkward and embarrassed.
It wasn’t the same feeling as when I had been noticed by the Ministry of Magic. Reflecting on that, I realized how much pride I took in my swordsmanship.
There were also benefits.
Top-tier martial artists with similar levels often found their minds awakened along with their bodies. They admired the breakthroughs of others and were equally critical when they found something lacking.
When I was with Benjamin, I didn’t speak up much, merely thinking about what he said. But now, as I overheard their discussions, I found them well-suited to my tastes.
Today, the topic was the duel I had had with Edwin Kiadris.
Although it was a little awkward, I found it interesting to hear them discuss the details of the fight, especially how they analyzed the forms, stances, and connections.
“First, Kiadris used an Ice Sphere right away. How did you perceive it and dodge it? You weren’t even looking up.”
“I extended my perception all the way to the ceiling. Since it took up so much mana at once, if you were close enough, there was no way you wouldn’t notice.”
“And then you kicked off and dodged like this?”
“Yes, I used my aura to enhance my speed by releasing a burst of energy beneath my feet.”
“Like this?”
“No, more like this…”
“Oh, I see. You used your body like that, which is how you can keep up with Blink, right?”
“Blink?”
“Didn’t you know? It’s a magic spell that allows you to quickly move your body to a location within your line of sight. Technically, it’s not the same as teleportation, but it does have a clear limit: it only works in places without obstacles along the straight path.”
“I see.”
I was learning a lot of new things.
For me, the familiar thing was swinging a sword that I already held in my hand and using my body as it was. When it came to magical terms and methods of operation, I was almost completely ignorant.
From constantly teaching and learning here, I had learned just how much a senior who entered a year earlier had already mastered and was able to pass on.
Ruber, noticing my interest, started to share various bits of knowledge, though it was clear he wasn’t as smooth with words as Lucilla. He often got interrupted before he could finish a sentence.
At that moment, I remembered the quiet late nights when I would calm my thoughts by gazing at the stars. The boy in front of me, his frustration obvious, seemed so different from the gentle, reserved boy I had once known.
Naturally, the Thursday lunchtime, which had always been just me and Benjamin, became a gathering of five.
During the meal, I learned that Matt Nicor’s mother was born into the Duke of Grimmsbane’s family.
Although his father was now a mere baron, Matt’s mother’s noble lineage allowed him to grow up close to Ruber and Lucilla. He mentioned that he had known about me even before entering school, as the love story between my parents had been very famous in the previous generation’s social circles. He went on to say that, just like his own parents, who had a loud and tumultuous romance, he had been curious about me.
Up until that point, I had known nothing about my own parents’ past, nor about Matt’s parents, so I just nodded and continued eating.
I had heard that the Grimmsbane family’s traditions were strong, simple, and focused on physical activities, so I casually thought it was probably similar to the Habei Peng family of Sierun.
However, when he continued, I was shocked to learn that Matt’s mother had abducted his father and ran away to elope. She had lived in the wilderness with him until Matt turned ten. This made me look at the scruffy boy in a completely new light.
As I sat through the meal, his offhand comment about having no food preferences didn’t seem like something casual to add to the conversation. It sounded even wilder than the Habei Peng family traditions, and I couldn’t help but sigh, though I restrained myself, thinking it wouldn’t be proper to express such thoughts aloud.