LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 49 - Now, call it magic.
Chapter 49 Now, call it magic.
If you were to name one of the most famous attractions of the Merhen Academy, the Sword Emperor would undoubtedly be among them.
The stadium was already packed, with not a single inch to spare. This year’s opening match, in the combat category, had been a massive success.
“Wow… It’s only the first-year match, and it’s already this crowded.”
Eric, a scout from the Mysterious Valley, muttered as he took a sip of his drink.
“Of course, it should be at least this popular. It’s a combat event.”
Colin, sitting beside him on the right, chimed in. Naturally, she was also a scout.
“Well, the rules are simple, and it’s easy to watch… It’s no wonder this category is so popular.”
Combat was an event that offered a lot of appeal to many spectators.
Thanks to the straightforward one-on-one format, it was easy to assess each participant’s capabilities, and the raw power they unleashed in the arena provided a spectacle for the audience.
“Anyway… we have work to do. Let’s get ready.”
As Colin cast a glance, Eric immediately began casting illusion-type magic.
Today, they would capture the match scenes vividly and turn them into visual data.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to focus on work. We might end up just watching Yvonne and lose track of time.”
“You say that now, but try doing this job for over ten years. Students stop looking like students and just become merchandise.”
“Ugh… That’s a gross thing to say.”
Eric frowned as if the thought alone was repulsive.
“And one more thing. We’re not watching Yvonne today.”
At Colin’s sudden remark, Eric tilted his head to the side.
“What? Then what are we supposed to do…?”
“Focus on Flan. Record everything about that guy.”
“What…? What do you mean…?”
“The leader, Elyse, specifically instructed us to do so.”
“Ah.”
Elyse. At that name, Eric immediately understood. If she gave the order, you followed it—that was the way of the Mysterious Valley.
“…Huh?”
Just as Eric was about to begin his observation in earnest, he suddenly sensed something ominous.
Looking over at Colin, he saw that she had a similar expression.
Their gazes simultaneously turned towards the right side of the audience.
“It seems to be over there.”
“Indeed, could it be a vampire?”
But soon, that faint aura disappeared without a trace.
Eric, still unable to take his eyes off that spot, murmured.
“What should we do? Should we check it out?”
“Forget it. Vampires aren’t something a newbie can just identify. For now, focus on the task we’ve been given.”
––A match between Yvonne Rose of the Knight Department and Flan of the Magic Department!
The announcer began the official commentary, and Flan and Yvonne appeared inside the arena.
Colin reconfirmed.
“You got it, right? Don’t miss a single movement from Flan. The leader emphasized it several times.”
“Yeah, yeah… I got it….”
Eric focused his gaze on Flan, who stood opposite Yvonne.
A face filled with nothing but confidence, without a trace of hesitation. That alone made it clear that he was no ordinary individual.
The intense spirit that didn’t shrink even in front of Yvonne, the unbowed head despite the many spectators doubting him.
The attitude of dismissing the disdain directed at him.
Eric began to vaguely understand why Elyse had told them to pay close attention to him, but still….
‘Leaving Yvonne aside to focus on that guy?’
Eric couldn’t fully comprehend it.
◈
A knight’s inherent ability.
An intense power that elevates their status from that of an ordinary knight to a superhuman level. I found it intriguing.
What commonalities did it share with magic, and what differences did it possess?
Today, I intended to thoroughly resolve my questions regarding that.
“Are you feeling shy or something?”
A vigorous voice broke my train of thought.
Yvonne’s hand, once again extended towards me. I stared at it blankly.
Then, I put my hands in my pockets and turned away indifferently.
“Flan!”
But she quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“I told you, let’s do this well.”
“Then just do it well.”
“That’s not the point.”
Her expression grew quite serious.
“With teleportation magic in place, we can safely display our best skills. So let’s approach this duel with respect and courtesy. Let’s seal that promise with a handshake.”
“A verbal agreement should hold the same effect.”
“Please, just do it!”
Yvonne fervently shook her right hand up and down.
Seeing that this could go on indefinitely, I reluctantly complied and shook her hand.
––The match will begin. Three!
After the handshake, we each moved back, and the announcer began the countdown.
Yvonne pulled out the sword she had planted in the ground.
––Two!
A bright white aura emanated from her. The sharp energy enveloped not only her body but also her sword.
It must be her inherent ability.
Although it was the first time I saw it, there was nothing problematic about it. I would observe and understand it simultaneously.
First, observation.
I would view everything in the world from a “magical” perspective.
When I overlaid mana onto my eyes, all objects were soon translated into lines and circles. At the same time, I began to understand everything as a magician.
I started seeing the lines drawn all over Yvonne’s body. These were not blood vessels; each one was a magic circuit.
Seeing the circuits meant that, ultimately, her inherent ability was just another method of utilizing mana.
It wasn’t much different from magic.
Which meant….
‘…Interesting.’
However, inherent abilities didn’t seem to require “understanding” or “application” for activation.
She could simply decide to use it and still have the leisure to focus on her sword.
In simple terms, it seemed that inherent abilities could be understood as magic scrolls that knights carried within their bodies.
This all happened in just one second.
––One!
Yvonne’s center of gravity shifted forward.
It was merely a preparatory movement, but the power behind it was substantial. Her toes were already digging into the ground.
I, too, slowly began to release my mana.
To achieve the “overwhelming victory” that I had boldly declared on the posters I had personally written and posted….
I pulled my concentration to its utmost.
––Start!
At that instant, Yvonne charged like a streak of light.
No, to be precise, she tried to.
“That’s not it.”
Whack—!
Yvonne’s head snapped back violently.
She couldn’t push off from the ground as she had planned. My telekinesis had struck her forehead faster.
“Try again.”
“…?”
Yvonne’s head, which had been tilted back, slowly returned to its original position.
Though a brief look of confusion flashed across her face, it quickly vanished.
Yvonne, who had regained her composure, adjusted her stance and asked with her expression.
“Again.”
I responded briefly. There was an absolutely optimal move that transcended personal preferences and tastes.
Of course, there was.
Magic wasn’t an emotional art; it was an area of logic and calculation. Her previous output had a flaw.
“Hoo.”
Yvonne calmed her breathing and immediately kicked off from the ground.
Simultaneously, her sword slashed through the air several times like a flash of lightning. The simple swing had already outpaced the sound.
Shhh—!
The delayed sonic boom rang in my ears.
Minimal movements, an error-free trajectory, a speed difficult to track without intense focus.
The precision of Yvonne’s body and sword was almost unbelievable, to the point where it was hard to accept that she had executed those movements.
But because it was so precise, it was easy to observe.
I observed her ‘lines’ with an intrigued gaze.
It wasn’t difficult at all when using the eyes of a magician to their fullest. Her movements left behind lines in the air.
The sword guided by her inherent ability carved vicious patterns into the void, but as long as I avoided those lines, I wouldn’t get hurt.
“Hup!”
Shhh—!
I dodged her consecutive strikes with minimal movements.
I kept watching and observing the patterns she etched, as if I were admiring a piece of artwork….
“This line looks pretty.”
Without realizing it, I stepped forward.
Instead of retreating, I moved in closer, reaching for her wrist.
With just a slight push, her sword once again cut a straight path through the air. This was satisfactory.
“…!”
Yvonne flinched, stepping back.
“What are you doing?”
“Don’t you like it? I think it’s better this way.”
There was a brief moment of silence.
Shhh—!
Once again, I dodged her slashing sword.
“This time, you won’t be able to see it.”
Yvonne murmured as she retreated. Even her retreat was remarkably fast.
Crack!
At the same time, her figure disappeared, and the rocks on the ground scattered in all directions.
I fired three non-elemental spheres straight ahead.
Simultaneously, Yvonne’s figure appeared as she tore through the spheres.
Yvonne was already right in front of me, her speed, enhanced by her inherent ability, was indeed close to a flash.
A moment in time.
I combined all the information: the circuits visible in the flash, Yvonne’s body as it made contact with the spheres three times….
In my mind, I drew three formulas simultaneously.
Interference, destruction, illusion.
These three combinations would be sufficient.
Just as the sword in Yvonne’s hand was about to pierce through my chest,
Swish!
After stabbing at the air above my shoulder
, the female knight’s body completely flipped in mid-air.
“…!”
Illusion, to make her believe she had pierced me.
Interference, to manipulate her body like magic.
Destruction, to disorient her.
As Yvonne flipped in the air, our eyes met.
Time seemed to slow down, and as I met her bewildered gaze, I communicated with my expression.
That’s not how you use it.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Yvonne’s body rolled madly across the ground, crashing into the wall as she couldn’t overcome her speed.
But that sort of thing no longer interested me.
Curiosity, intellectual passion, and intrigue… all surged within me.
Apart from praising her practical skill and power, Yvonne was enduring all the backlash from using her inherent ability with her body alone.
‘Is it because of the lack of understanding?’
Understanding must accompany whatever you use.
Magicians manifest their spells in a straightforward way through equivalent exchange.
Since they only use as much mana as they understand, the backlash isn’t severe.
However, knights who can manifest these near-miraculous abilities as effortlessly as breathing probably don’t feel much need to understand the principles.
They might even be under the illusion that they understand it perfectly.
If all the knights in this world were using their inherent abilities in this manner….
‘Ten years… No.’
Their shelf life would be no more than eight years. Even that would be a generous estimate.
“…What did you just do?”
Yvonne muttered as she approached with large strides. Unfortunately, I was too absorbed in my thoughts.
“….”
Unknowingly, a smile crept onto my lips as I rubbed my chin.
This is fascinating.
No matter how much I think about it, it’s fascinating.
I want to keep exploring this interest until I’ve exhausted it.
“Is this all you’ve got?”
“…?”
“Why don’t you try something else?”
Yvonne’s eyes grew noticeably sharper. The white aura began to envelop her body again.
She was activating her inherent ability once more.
However, the density was noticeably thinner. She was also experiencing a ‘total’ limitation.
“Huff…!”
After roughly wiping the dirt off her face, she once again kicked off the ground with all her might.
This time it was different.
Like a bolt of lightning, Yvonne slashed numerous straight lines as she charged forward.
But that speed… was the problem.
“Guh!”
The sword barely missed me again. Yvonne twisted in the air and crashed to the ground once more.
“Why…! Why is this happening!”
Yvonne shouted as she grasped her sword once more. But the result didn’t change.
Yvonne crashed two more times.
When interference-type spells were applied to an inherent ability, it naturally generated resistance.
Three times.
Thud!
I confirmed that combining an inherent ability with support-type spells didn’t result in any additional effects.
Four times.
Thud!
There seemed to be some interaction when combined with harmony-type spells. However, deeper research would be needed to find the right cogs that fit together.
.
.
.
Nine times.
Thud!
Even when I perfectly traced the circuits of her inherent ability, there was still a margin of error in the manifestation.
In other words, if a magician wanted to produce the same effect, they would have to draw different types of formulas. I remembered that clearly.
‘Perhaps, instead of manifestation, approaching it as a summoning….’
As I organized my thoughts,
“…I simply can’t understand.”
It was only upon hearing Yvonne’s voice that I realized she was no longer charging toward me.
It was then that I noticed her pitiful state.
Everything was a mess. Her hair and body were covered in dirt, her ankle didn’t seem properly aligned as if it had been twisted.
Yvonne was already a wreck. The only thing intact was the blazing light in her eyes.
The sight of her wretched state made me scowl. I spoke up first.
“There’s no time to be sitting around, Yvonne.”
I adjusted my clothes and looked down at Yvonne, who was now little more than a dirt-covered figure.
“…I still have a lot of questions.”
There were no cheers or jeers from the audience.
Only a desolate silence that bordered on emptiness.
“If you won’t come, I’ll come to you.”
Of course, I didn’t mean that I would move toward her.
—So don’t worry, just advance forward.
I contemplated and contemplated what kind of scene I should show to make the other magicians cast aside their worries.
Finally, I reached a conclusion.
Nine times.
I quickly compiled the information I had gathered from knocking Yvonne into the ground nine times.
‘Summoning.’
Summoning, but not just any summoning.
A specific destination.
A certainty that would drive me forward.
A creation spoken of by a magician.
A negation and change that would push away the world as it is.
An unyielding attitude that would not bow to anyone.
The practice that I had emphasized until death.
An inspiration to others.
The hope that would continue on.
I performed the summoning with all these thoughts in mind.
I insisted on efficiency, considering the total amount of mana available.
Fortunately, Yvonne’s high level of swordsmanship was an advantage for me.
Since her swordsmanship was precise and executed with minimal movements, I, too, could use the least amount of mana.
Just drawing the magic circle wasn’t enough. I pressed my palms together and slowly rotated them as if meshing gears.
Boom—!
Finally, with a blast, the summoned figure appeared.
As the smoke cleared, Yvonne’s eyes widened.
Golden blonde hair like a wheat field, full lips. There was no one in the arena who didn’t recognize this appearance.
“…It’s me.”
Yvonne murmured quietly.
Indeed, I had summoned a doll based on her.
The hand holding Yvonne’s sword trembled slightly. She glared at me with wide-open eyes, gritting her teeth.
“What are you thinking?”
The aura surrounding her became incredibly intense.
“I won’t ask again. What do you intend to do with a mere doll that imitates my appearance?”
The storm-like aura that began to swirl around her clearly conveyed her fury.
I met her golden eyes without flinching.
“Yvonne, who has devoted her life to the sword, and Yvonne, whom I’ve observed nine times….”
Then, I calmly spoke.
“Which do you think has the superior swordsmanship?”
A vertical vein popped out on Yvonne’s forehead. She roared in anger.
“Are you trying to insult me!”
Clang!
But as Yvonne charged forward, the doll skillfully blocked her sword.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“What…?”
Yvonne gritted her teeth and began swinging her sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sparks that flew from their clashing swords were intense. The loud noise was deafening, and rocks scattered each time their feet hit the ground.
“Cowardly…! Hiding behind that thing!”
Yvonne tried to bypass the summon and attack me, but the doll moved swiftly to block every time.
“Come out! Face me properly…!”
Finally, the doll’s body began to glow with a white aura.
I had implanted the circuits I had read from Yvonne directly into it, and they had just been activated.
“Well, it’s something like this.”
My words made Yvonne’s shoulders tremble. Her mouth slightly opened.
“How… how did you replicate my inherent ability….”
The sword in her hand shook slightly.
“And even my swordsmanship….”
“It’s not swordsmanship.”
I cut her off.
“How can you say something so disrespectful, Yvonne?”
And I corrected her.
There was a clear term that properly described this phenomenon.
“Now, call it magic.”