Chapter 28
"Don't use cheap tricks."
Around the age of 12, this was what Flynn heard when he defeated a senior two years older than him in a sword duel.
He hadn't used any memorized moves or broken any rules.
It was just that he could see the trajectory of the sword and read all of his opponent's intentions. He saw the way to win and simply followed it.
This was so natural to him, and he thought everyone could see it, but that wasn't the case.
Only Flynn could see it.
At some point, people started calling him a "genius" because of this.
He had grown up in a prestigious swordsmanship family and trained under the best practitioners.
Losing in duels was a rare occurrence, and he grew tired of hearing the word "genius”.
Even at the academy, where geniuses from all over gathered, Flynn held a top position in the pyramid.
There were those above Flynn, but he believed that no matter who they were, the gap was one he could easily close.
I can reach the top with my sword.
And as the flagpole broke, Flynn's belief also shattered.
All that fame, honor, the name of the prestigious swordsmanship family, and Eternia Academy suddenly felt meaningless.
Only then did he examine the dwarf treasure sword in his hand.
The blade where it had met the strange sword was half-hollowed out, damaging the rune letters.
He wondered what Nash, his close friend, would think if he saw this.
If he told him that next year's freshman had done this, Nash would tease him, asking if he had taken the wrong potion.
Well, he wasn't supposed to disclose this matter anyway, so Nash wouldn't hear anything about this.
Gael approached Flynn and extended her hand.
"Good work."
Flynn let out a heavy sigh.
"Teacher, I'll do anything else... But I never want to do something like this again."
Flynn was thoroughly disgusted.
Gael also had a face full of something weighing on her chest.
She looked at Flynn's face for a moment and, finally letting go of her burden, said, "...Don't worry. Someone like him won't appear for at least a few decades."
Gael was also acknowledging that Damian was a bizarre existence.
Flynn grabbed Gael's hand and stood up.
"Erzsebet will repair your sword later. Our mission is over now, so we should go finish the remaining academic schedule."
"Can't we rest a bit?"
"Unfortunately, no."
Thanks to having an inflexible teacher, Flynn couldn't even take a break.
Flynn quietly looked back at Damian.
There was much he wanted to ask when Damian woke up, but it seemed that wasn't allowed yet.
Even if not immediately, Damian would have to face Flynn and Gael again soon anyway.
The entrance exam was now just a month away.
Subtracting the travel time to the academy, there weren't even two weeks left.
***
The examiners and Erzsebet slowly walked toward Damian. Silveryn also followed alongside them.
They didn't engage in much conversation.
A female examiner checked Damian's condition.
"There's a bit of internal bleeding."
Then, she chanted a spell briefly. Soon after, a bluish light appeared in the examiner's hand, and that light slowly moved and entered Damian's body.
The examiner stood up and said to Silveryn, "I've put him in a deep sleep for about a day. He'll be completely healed when he wakes up."
"Thank you."
As if they had finished their mental preparation, one examiner took out a rolled parchment from their chest.
When they unrolled it and let go, the parchment floated rigidly in the air.
The examiner who first unrolled it stepped forward and stamped their seal where their name was written.
The floating parchment flew to the next examiner.
That examiner signed with long, thin nails.
A small fire scorched the spot, leaving a black signature.
The next examiner, and then the next, the parchment passed through the examiners and finally reached Erzsebet.
Erzsebet touched and traced over Gael's name written in the bottom signature space.
The part her hand passed over had changed into Erzsebet's signature space.
And finally, she left her signature.
When all procedures were complete, the parchment rolled up. A moment later, a Stitch flew from somewhere, snatched the parchment, and disappeared high into the sky.
***
Silveryn was sitting on the edge of the bed.
Damian was sound asleep beside her, oblivious to the world.
She quietly looked at Damian and gently brushed his tangled hair.
"It's the first time I've seen you take care of someone like that."
Silveryn turned her head slightly towards the source of the voice.
Erzsebet was standing on the balcony, haloed by the sun, looking at Silveryn.
"I told him I would take responsibility."
The Silveryn that Erzsebet knew wasn't someone who would take responsibility for others.
"Is there another reason you chose Damian besides his abilities?"
Silveryn was silent for a moment. Instead of answering the question, she changed the subject.
"Why didn't you return to the academy with Gael?"
As if there was no need to answer Erzsebet's question.
Erzsebet didn't press Silveryn further on this.
"I'm heading to the Holy City now."
"The Holy City?"
"Yes. The Holy Maiden doesn't have much time left."
The fact that Saint Flenche's lifespan was nearing its end was top secret information.
"She's lived for so long, it's understandable."
"As you probably feel too, the divine power protecting the earth is gradually losing its strength."
"What about the next candidate?"
The next Holy Maiden, Azelis, had also entered this Masters Class. She still needed time.
Erzsebet shook her head.
"She's too young, her divine power isn't fully developed yet."
Until the candidate fully matured, a gap in divine power was unavoidable.
And there would be those who grow in strength, taking advantage of this gap.
"I thought the ghouls had increased in number, so that was the reason. I had a vague idea, but..."
Erzsebet nodded.
"They'll start their activities in earnest now. I don't know exactly when, but it won't be long. And when the time comes, we'll need your strength."
Silveryn had to go north again.
"..."
Silveryn was lost in thought for a moment.
She turned back to look at Damian. As she looked at him, Silveryn's hardened face softened. Silveryn gently caressed his sleeping cheek.
"When that time comes, please take care of Damian."
Erzsebet nodded quietly.
***
When I opened my eyes, I was in my room's bed.
I didn't know how long I had been lying there. I thought my body would be in bad shape after pushing myself so hard, but surprisingly, I felt light.
Before I could finish checking my body's condition, I was greatly surprised to face a completely unexpected situation.
Erzsebet was sitting quietly in a chair to the right of my bed, deeply absorbed in reading.
Why is she in a place like this?
I froze as if a hornet had landed on my head.
I felt like I had been struck by lightning on a clear summer day.
Erzsebet took her eyes off the book and said, "Ah, you're awake now."
When I hesitated for a moment, tense, she continued speaking, "I saw your performance. You did quite well"
"Thank you... And I apologize for destroying all the Planteras you had made."
She shook her head.
"We brought them for you to destroy, so don't worry about it. I only made one of them anyway."
Still, judging by their size, it seemed like it would take a few weeks to make just one of them.
Honestly, rather than feeling good about destroying them, I felt more regretful.
"Then, the ones I destroyed were made by someone else..."
"No, they were made by other Planteras."
"...?"
My brain stopped working for a moment.
So, what she's saying is that Planteras made other Planteras? And she only made one?
Erzsebet smiled at me.
What on earth do Magic Engineering scholars do?
I was starting to understand a bit why Silveryn said to make sure to befriend Magic Engineering scholars.
"First, I should tell you this. You passed the Masters Class evaluation."
"...!"
"In Eternia's history, only fifty-two people have entered the Masters Class in the past hundred years. It's that honorable a position. That's also why I waited here personally until you woke up."
"...It's an honor to hear this directly."
It felt strange to hear this while having Eternia's Communicator sitting here as if she were visiting a sick person.
"You were using a unique sword. It would be best to keep your power hidden for a while."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"The owner of a magic sword always changes, and it only ends when it's in the hands of the one at the top of the food chain. Always remember this."
So my sword will be sealed again for a while.
"Um... Does this mean I shouldn't use the sword at the academy either?"
Erzsebet shook her head.
"For your growth, you should actively use the sword at the academy. But there's a condition."
She took out a wooden box the size of a thick encyclopedia from under the bed and handed it to me.
"This is a gift given to those who enter the Masters Class."
I took it and opened the box.
Inside was a wooden mask.
"...?"
When I picked it up and turned it over, there was a unique magic circle drawn on the side that touched the face.
"That will hide your identity. The condition is that you must wear the mask when you need to use the sword."
"Did everyone who entered the Masters Class receive this mask?"
She shook her head.
"We give them a disguise artifact that best suits them and that they can utilize well."
So, this mask is the best fit for hiding my identity?
I lightly placed the mask on my face.
Soon after, my hair started to turn dark red.
This was the first artifact I had ever used in my life.
Not bad.
Before even attending the entrance ceremony, I received my first assignment from Eternia.
I need to live a double life while wearing a mask.