17. Morning Star of the Empire
#17
[Deputy Dean of Martial Arts / Ronan]
The cigarette that was in Ronan’s mouth fell out. For a moment time stretched out.
The noise in the square died down and only the letters burning in silver light remained occupying a corner of my narrowed field of vision.
2nd place.
The letters flashing in front of his name definitely said that.
Second place? What did Cha Seok mean? I don’t think it was a bad thing. Was it the name of a fruit?
At that time Asher’s voice came from somewhere.
“Ro Ronan! “Chacha is the runner-up!”
“huh?”
“It’s the second from the top! “You did it!”
That’s right that’s what I meant.
Time began to flow again. Ronan who came to his senses belatedly lowered his head.
Asher’s face almost crying as he spoke caught her eye. Marya came running a month later and hung on Ronan’s neck.
“You said it would be me right? huh?”
Marya held onto Ronan’s neck and did not let him go. Ronan patted her on the back and looked at the small print next to her own name.
[Department of Martial Arts / Ronan: 1st in practical skills 5712th in written tests]
“her.”
It was so absurd that I laughed. Ranking 5712 was a number that was too precious to be considered a rank. I was curious as to how many points were given on the practical test to get a result like this.
“You know how to look at people.”
But I guess it was none of my business. The important thing was that she was second from the top. There were undoubtedly various special benefits including scholarships.
[Chief of Martial Arts / Schlieffen Sinivan de Grancia: 2nd place in practical 1st place in written test (3)]
The only thing that bothers me is that she busted Schlieffen’s ass in practical training.
Ronan clicked her tongue recalling memories of her past life.
‘If I do this wrong it will be a hassle again.’
There was no doubt about Schlieffen’s skills but his unique spirit of winning appealed to her.
He was the pinnacle of humanity unable to bear the fact that someone was above him.
“Well then… shall we go now?”
It was the moment Ronan turned her around with her friends. Suddenly an unknown chill ran down her spine.
“hmm…!”
It was an unpleasant yet familiar sensation as if the cool winter wind was blowing through her entire body. The sound of the wind blowing seemed to linger in my ears.
“Ah…no way….”
Ronan swallowed her saliva and slowly looked around her. His gaze soon became fixed on one place.
A boy in a blue uniform was approaching with great strides. Ronan squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.
“Shit.”
It was a familiar face. Even though it was over ten meters away it was clearly visible.
The people who recognized the boy’s face split to both sides.
“Wow…look at that person. “What’s your face…huh?!”
“You are the morning star of my empire.”
“It’s an honor to meet you!”
Eventually the boy stopped in front of Ronan. Of the three it was Marya who reacted first. Her eyes widened as she looked up at her boy’s face.
“Schlieffen?!”
He was tall and handsome. His dark blue hair was as dark as the deep sea.
He definitely felt younger as time went by but his cold impression as if he had been carved from a glacier had not changed.
He was a boy who later became the strongest swordsman on the continent beyond the empire. Schlieffen muttered lowly.
“You are Ronan.”
“huh? “Isn’t it?”
Ronan whistled and averted his gaze. Asher and Marya’s faces hardened. A slight wrinkle appeared between Schlieffen’s eyebrows.
“Why are you lying?”
“You’re lying man. Do you have any proof that I’m Ronan? And when did he say he saw it? ok?”
“…evidence.”
Schlieffen shut his mouth. He was able to present a total of two pieces of evidence.
The first was that I overheard their conversation and the second was that I felt an unusual energy from Ronan.
Aura blooming. He who had reached the state of opening his eyes was able to see it. The ring that wraps around Asher’s heart and the lump growing in Marya’s danjeon. An incomprehensible mana pulsed within Ronan’s chest.
But Schlieffen did not explain either.
“Oh my gosh!”
Suddenly Ronan cursed and grabbed the hilt of his sword. For a moment I thought Schlieffen’s hand would disappear and then a spark burst out of the air.
Kang! A belated metallic sound rang out.
“Aaaah!”
“It’s a fight!”
“Ronan!!”
Screams erupted from all around. It happened so quickly that people didn’t see what happened before Ronan and Schlieffen crossed swords.
Black iron and mithril. The two sword bodies facing each other were growling in the air. Schlieffen muttered lowly.
“This is the proof.”
“what?”
“If you weren’t the best in practical skills you wouldn’t have been able to accept it. “I want to know what skills you showed.”
“You’re not crazy!”
Ronan raised his eyebrows and shouted. The obsession has gone too far.
Even when I met him on the battlefield in the past I thought he wasn’t an ordinary human but I never thought that would have improved as I grew older.
“I’ll show you!”
In any case if you stay still even after being provoked like this you are either a cripple or an idiot. Ronan grabbed the hilt of his sword.
As soon as the secret blade was removed three sword strikes were fired at Schlieffen. For the first time panic flashed through Schlieffen’s eyes which had always been calm.
“Mmm!”
Cancankang! Three fireworks rose up in the air at no intervals. Ronan shook off the blade and spat on the floor.
“Are you done now?”
“…You definitely deserve to be the best in practical skills.”
The blow was enough to shatter an ordinary sword but Schlieffen’s sword body made of mithril stubbornly withstood the impact. Ronan continued.
“Yes bastard. If you always come in first place you should be satisfied with second place. “Isn’t that right?”
Schlieffen looking at his cut off collar nodded his head. It was a formidable quick sword that could have been fatal if you were not careful.
It was the moment when Ronan who inwardly breathed a sigh of relief was about to lead the way.
“But I don’t understand why you beat me.”
“what?”
“Show me what you’re hiding.”
Schlieffen suddenly looked sober and thrust out his sword. Ronan hurriedly raised his sword and parried the attack. A sharp sound of metal tore through the air.
“Do it in moderation you bastard! “What on earth are you dissatisfied with?”
Schlieffen did not answer. More than ten battles went back and forth in a matter of seconds. The slash I returned sparked a spark and the sting I passed over grazed my cheek.
Ronan blamed himself for not leaving sooner. This noble psychopath would no doubt continue this ruckus until his curiosity was answered.
Suddenly an ominous premonition passed through Ronan’s mind.
‘Isn’t this bastard even activating his aura?’
Ronan ignored most Auror users. This is because there were many cases where it was just needlessly flashy and not very helpful in practice.
But Schlieffen’s case was different. His auror called the Storm Sword was a rare fraud technique that was treated as a strategic weapon.
Of course since he had returned to the past he would not be able to reach the power he had at the time and he could not be sure whether he would activate his aura in the middle of a crowd without going crazy. He had to hurry up and get out of the situation.
While he was pondering what could be better a flash of light flashed in his head.
‘There was this.’
Ronan looked at Schlieffen’s sword which was shining bluishly. It was definitely a mithril filled with mana. Ronan was quickly rummaging through his inner pocket and a round lump came out in his right hand.
He put his left hand behind his back and made a V-shape with his index and middle fingers. Asher who had been heartbroken in the background opened his eyes wide. It was a hand signal that he and Ronan established after the Luna Goblin incident.
Meaning: [jump]
“Ma Marya. let’s go.”
“uh? Huh? Where are you going?!”
Asher disappeared into the crowd while holding Marya’s hand. It was the moment when Schlieffen’s sword was fired again.
Ronan lowered his sword and quickly raised his right arm.
“Stop!”
“what…!”
Schlieffen hurriedly strengthened his arm and tried to stop his sword but the sword body had already reached Ronan’s eyes. A blade made of mithril struck Ronan’s palm.
-Chaaaaaaaang-!!!
A bizarre metallic sound echoed throughout the plaza.
“Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck?!”
The crowd covered their ears to a roar they had never heard before. It was a resonance sound a unique characteristic of Mithril.
The shock reminiscent of an earthquake wave spread beyond his hands and throughout his body. Schlieffen lost sight of the hilt of his sword.
Ronan caught the opportunity and headbutted him in the face. Kwasik! Schlieffen crumpled holding his nose.
“Ugh!”
“After all it’s a phantom species. “They show filial piety even before they are born.”
Ronan smiled in satisfaction and looked at the egg of Marfez held in his hand. As expected there were no scratches on the eggshell.
This was possible because Schlieffen’s sword was mithril. Ronan put his egg back into his pocket.
And he shouted at Schlieffen who was staggering and trying to get up.
“Keep your head cool until the day of admission bastard!” A man must also know how to accept the results!”
“Ugh…Stop right there…!”
Ronan turned his back and disappeared as if he was being sucked into the crowd. Not long after he left his guards wearing heavy armor came running.
The guards who recognized Schlieffen urgently helped him up.
“Shu Schlieffen! Are you okay? “What did you hear just now?!”
Schlieffen stood up clutching his bloody nose. He tried to track Ronan’s mana by expanding his mana but he could not sense that the distance had already grown.
“…yes. it’s okay.”
“Who dared do this? “If you tell me what you look like…!”
“Right now I am definitely a test taker.”
The guards who did not immediately understand what he meant tilted their heads. It took a few seconds for them to realize that it meant not to speak loudly.
“Hot…! yes! Do you understand…no I understand.”
“And it was no big deal. I asked for a light sparring and the author simply responded. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
“But still….”
“I will guarantee this in the name of the Grancia family.”
Since the heir of the Duke of Grancia had said that the guards had nothing more to say. They bowed politely and then left.
Schlieffen picked up the sword that was lying on the floor. His eyes widened as he examined the sword body.
He had a nick on the blade albeit a very minor one.
‘What the hell…?’
There were more than one strange thing.
The sphere that caused the mithril blade to protrude was a problem but the biggest problem was that the inexplicable mana that had always been thought to belong to Ronan was actually flowing from the sphere.
‘I couldn’t feel any mana from myself.’
Schlieffen recalled the battle he had with Ronan. Although he did not activate his aura he still went into battle with a considerable amount of mana loaded into his sword.
I thought Ronan was like that too…
‘No that can’t be possible.’
Schlieffen thought for a moment about the possibility that Ronan fought without using mana. But he soon shook his head. It was impossible.
Rather it is secret mana that appears extremely rarely. The hypothesis that he was born with the so-called shadow mana was more plausible. Then everything was explained.
“…shit.”
The nosebleed stopped. When my senses returned the wind felt cold.
Ronan’s words about knowing how to accept the results lingered in my mind. He had to admit that he was overly excited due to the shock of finishing second in the practical exam.
Schlieffen raised his head. The names of successful applicants were still embroidered in the sky with stars.
He fixed his gaze on the two letters burning beneath his name.
“Ronan.”
His hand holding the hilt of his sword tightened. Phileon Academy. I thought it was just a process I had to go through to become a swordsman but it didn’t seem like that was necessarily the case.
Schlieffen took his steps towards the street. I felt my heart beating at a different speed than usual. The young genius didn’t know that the name of that feeling was anticipation.
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