Illusion Sword Master

＜ The Four Heavenly Kings of the Magic Academy (2) ﹥

In her dorm room, filled with rare items from her family, Seraphina Zephyr was wide awake, unable to sleep.

“No, this isn’t it.”

Despite preparing her favorite pajamas, doll, and a beloved blanket she had used for 15 years, she couldn’t sleep comfortably.

It was due to the anxiety that something was wrong.

She was a standout student at the Magic Academy.

Among the elite of her age group gathered from the empire, she was a level higher, an undeniable genius with magical talent.

Moreover, her father, Duke Zephyr, played a crucial role as a noble supporting the first prince.

She had both talent and background, making her an elite among elites.

That’s why she couldn’t accept the current situation.

“I need to gain my father’s recognition, but not like this.”

Seraphina jumped out of bed and headed to her desk. She opened her notebook and wrote down two names side by side.

Roem Carlen. Menka Admin.

Even after a year at the Magic Academy, being called the “Troika” along with these two geniuses was not an honor but a humiliating failure.

She had to be a unique existence that stood out from others.

“They should be under me.”

Sera wrote her own name above the names of the two, using a blue pen because she was special.

She knew this action was meaningless, but she felt anxious about it.

“I should have taken control of those two with my abilities and made them my close aides by now.”

But her ambitious plan was not making any progress.

She had managed to pull in other nobles from the 1st Prince faction into her own faction.

“They think magic is just a trivial matter, only good for flattering and boasting like monkeys.”

However, that was the asset of her family, not hers. Those people, no matter how many gathered, couldn’t influence the succession struggle of the Zephyr family.

“It’s all because of that person.”

Sera wrote Ethan’s name in a corner of her notes, using red ink because he was despicable.

She had a hunch that he would interfere with her plans.

From their first meeting, something had felt off.

“He provoked me from the very beginning…”

The worst encounter with him was still infuriating when she thought about it.

“He even received special treatment from Professor Dars…”

And on top of that, he monopolized the professor’s attention, which highlighted her own specialness.

“Did he even steal Roem Karlen?”

The Karlen Duke family was a renowned neutral family that didn’t belong to either the 1st Prince faction or the 2nd Prince faction. Roem was the heir of the Karlen family and a magical genius.

If she could lure him to her side and make the Karlen Duke family join the 1st Prince faction, her position within the family would greatly improve.

“That foolish Roem, what’s so great about that rude and ugly Ethan?”

Everything Ethan did grated on her nerves, but for the past year, she hadn’t taken any action.

Taking action without understanding the opponent’s intentions and backing could lead to a backlash.

So she had been cautious, but as soon as the second year started, she revealed her true identity in a flashy manner.

“No way, he’s a person of the 3rd Prince…”

The 3rd Prince, who didn’t have ambitions for the throne and wasn’t interested in socializing or improving his position, had personally come to the War University to recruit a student.

‘Ethan is the 3rd Prince’s pawn, sent to the War University to increase his influence.’

That was Sera Zephyr’s conclusion.

This explained all of Ethan’s actions up until now.

“Roem following Ethan could also be interpreted as the nobles who maintained neutrality gathering around him. Perhaps the 3rd Prince is also planning to participate in the succession struggle late in the game?”

Ethan might be at the center of a much larger plan than she had thought.

Facing an unpredictable existence was a fearful thing.

“But I can’t just sit back. I have to do something, something.”

Sera steeled her weakening heart and reviewed the names written on her notes again.

Sera Zephyr.

Roem Karlen. Menka Admin.

Ethan.

“Ethan and Roem are already gone. There’s no gap between them for me to intervene.”

In this game of chess, she couldn’t let herself be isolated.

#

As I entered my second year, many things changed.

The number of students decreased compared to when we first started our first year. Even among the elite, about one-fifth of them failed to meet the high standards and were expelled.

The professor in charge of the core subject, magic training, also changed.

“Magic is a field where talent determines one’s superiority. No matter how hard you work, you can’t surpass a genius.”

Professor Kuora, whose name sounded quite young, was a woman who looked relatively young compared to her position, and seemed quite gentle and relaxed compared to the sharp-featured Professor Dars.

“In other words, those who are good at it will naturally excel. As a professor, I plan to focus on bringing up the average by targeting the underachievers.”

This was the opposite of Professor Dars’ educational philosophy, which emphasized focusing on talented students.

“From now on, your goal is to break this block. You can use any means you like within the framework of magic.”

Professor Kuora pointed to the 1M-sized blocks placed on the podium.

I whispered to Roem, who was sitting next to me.

“What’s that? Is it just a rock?”

“It’s a mineral coated with mana-resistant ore. You can’t even scratch it with ordinary magic.”

Professor Kuora continued.

“Destructive power is what’s required of a magician! If you can break this and prove your skills, I’ll guarantee you the highest grade and freedom during my classes. What a genius needs is not a teacher, but time to understand themselves.”

It was a shocking condition, abandoning the top students and focusing on the underachievers to bring up the average.

“Alright, then. Since it’s the first day, let’s get to know each other’s faces. How about each of you come up and try?”

The test began.

Last year’s magic training had been rather dull, emphasizing the basics of mana manipulation and stability.

This time, the students showcased their family’s unique magic to achieve the highest firepower, and the room was filled with dazzling lights and colors.

A white destructive beam shot out from someone’s fingertips.

An ice spear was summoned out of thin air.

Mana was shaped like an arrow and fired…

My magic, which combined magic and swordsmanship, was different from the pure magic of others.

Kwaang! Pweong! Kkuung!

Each student made a loud noise, but only a few managed to completely destroy the white block.

Sera Zephir, who split the block in half with a purple lightning bolt.

Roem Karlen, who crushed the block with a massive fist created by his magic.

And Menka Admin, who melted half of the block with a fiercely burning flame.

These three, who had shown exceptional talent from the start, were known as the “Troikara” of the 427th class of the Magic Department.

These three students proved Professor Kuora’s words that magic is determined by talent, and they were far ahead of the others.

“It’s usually one student per grade who passes on the first day, but we already have four. This grade is truly exceptional.”

Another one was me.

Unlike the other three geniuses, my case was purely due to good luck.

I had recently discovered a way to overcome the weakness of my magic, which was its lack of destructive power.

Paldongcham.

I had recreated the incomplete Oracle Blade of Roland, which had been used to defeat the dark wizard Mercel Bach, and had been refining it during the break.

When I unleashed the stabilized Paldongcham with the sword given to me by the Three Emperors, the white block was cleanly cut in half.

“Sera Zephir, Roem Karlen, Menka Admin, and Ethan. The students who have been called may skip my classes. I’ll give you the highest grade, so you can focus on your individual talents.”

[If possible, please interact more with each other. Geniuses of the same age stimulate and develop each other.]

Professor Kuora only left these words, without any interference.

Since we had passed the magic training with the highest credit in the department’s curriculum, we didn’t have to go through the painful experience of being overwhelmed by the immense amount of studying like last year.

Perhaps I’ve gotten used to rolling with the punches. I felt a strange sense of unease about this comfortable situation.

“Is this really okay?”

Roem responded to my muttering as we walked down the corridor together.

“Magic after the basics depends on the family’s lineage or the student’s inclination, so it’s natural that it varies greatly. Even Professor Kuora had a hard time teaching it.”

He took this situation calmly. It seemed that being treated like a genius was familiar to him, having been discovered to have talent since he was young.

“Hey, it’s Roem.”

“Don’t pretend to know me. There’s Ethan next to you. Anyway, you two are always stuck together.”

The other students tried to greet Roem, but were stopped by another student. Roem didn’t notice, but I did, having developed the habit of being vigilant like a war veteran.

“Why? It’s not bad to have a chat now and then.”

“Aww, come on. Ethan is a strict guy who only talks to people he acknowledges. He doesn’t bother with anyone else.”

As I pretended not to care and listened in, they were having this conversation.

“This is ridiculous.”

In reality, there were no one who could have a proper conversation with me except Roem.

A commoner who had offended the noble Seraph Zefer.

A crazy guy who pretended to be a knight.

A sycophant who had gained favor with Professor Dars.

I had such a reputation, so it was unlikely that the noble students would approach me.

However, my heroic deeds during the vacation, which were exaggerated in the newspapers, and the attention I received from the Three Princes at the school opening ceremony, had reversed my evaluation.

A noble who dislikes factional strife.

A magical pioneer who even surpasses the realm of knights.

A hero’s seed that Professor Dars had discovered.

It had even gotten to the point where I was added to the 427 Troika and was called the King of Four Heavenly Kings after passing Professor Kuora’s test.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy my elevated status.

When I looked at my goal of survival and peaceful life, the current situation was not good in many ways.

Lord Rolland said that the number of dark magicians was increasing across the continent.

Wasn’t there a dark magician even in the Imperial Capital?

Perhaps there was no completely peaceful place in the Empire.

“Maybe it’s better to go to some island far away from the Imperial Capital.”

This goal was also distant now.

If I graduated like this, I would be caught by the Three Princes and sent somewhere. Even if I avoided being on the front lines, the pursuit of dark magicians was a equally dangerous risk factor.

“I can’t do that crazy thing again.”

I shuddered, remembering the Marquis of Mercel who had chased me and the pursuit that had haunted me.

I had two things to do.

First, I needed to find a new connection to get me out of the Three Princes’ grasp and send me to the rear lines. Second, I had to improve my magical skills to increase my chances of survival.

“Ethan, what do you think? Now that we have time, let’s practice magic together. Professor Kuora also said that we should interact with each other and grow.”

Roem made a timely suggestion.

Isn’t it true that studying is more effective when you’re with a model student?

“Sounds good. Let’s train together. But how should we do it? I’ve never practiced with another magician before, so I’m not sure.”

“Hmm… I’ve thought of a few ways, but… what method would be best? Let me think about it a bit more.”

While Roem was thinking, I saw Seraphina Zephir talking to someone in the corner of the corridor.

I grabbed Roem’s arm and stopped him, eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Menka Yang, how about exploring magic with me? I’ll prepare the best conditions for you.”

“What conditions?”

The person Seraphina Zephir was sweet-talking was Menka Admin, one of the three geniuses with a dark and gloomy impression.

Roem, my friend, was an exceptional outsider who surpassed me.

“I’ll share some of the vast magical knowledge passed down in my family. In return, Menka Yang can teach me how to control the fire element, which is your specialty.”

“That’s not necessary. What I want is practical experience. I need knowledge that can help me defeat the demons in front of me.”

“Ah, I see? I can meet that condition too. As a member of the Zephir family, I can access the records of the Magic Corps.”

Seraphina Zephir, despite being from a prestigious noble family, seemed desperate.

‘It doesn’t look easy.’

With my well-developed survival instincts, I could sense that Menka Admin was not normal. His past of losing family to demons made him obsessed with burning them.

This personality, combined with his specialty in fire magic, made him a vengeful spirit.

“Then, can we fight each other with the intention of killing? Like in real combat.”

“Yes? With the intention of killing? Do we really need to go that far…?”

Seeing Seraphina Zephir flattering Menka Admin, a new idea struck me.

‘Why not try to get on their good side?’

Seraphina Zephir wanted her own faction.

And my value was currently at its peak.

Her resentment towards me was all due to her misunderstanding, so if I could just resolve that, things might go more smoothly than expected.

The Zephir family was the leader of the First Prince’s faction.

I was just an unlucky person who got framed as the Third Prince’s loyalist, but in reality, I could be a clever and manipulative opportunist who could turn the tables.

‘Could it be possible?’

Snap! Roem suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed.

“That’s it! Practical training! We can analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each other’s magic through practical training and complement each other. Ethan has a lot of practical experience, and I’m good at theory, so we can definitely help each other a lot!”

Roem’s excited speech caught the attention of Seraphina and Menka.

Menka walked towards me, his eyes fixed on me.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop…”

And without listening to my excuse, he continued speaking.

“I’ll join in too. Practical training.”

Behind him, Seraphina Zephir was staring at me with a deadly gaze. Clearly, she thought I was trying to steal Menka away from her.

From my perspective, it would be more advantageous to win Menka over and gain Seraphina’s favor.

“It’s not that easy. This is a training session where Roem and I share our vision magic, so it’s not suitable for others to join in suddenly.”

“I can teach you our family’s vision magic too.”

“That’s a really grateful condition…”

Just as I was about to politely decline, Roem interrupted with an excited voice.

“Ah, the Admin family’s fire magic is something I’ve always wanted to research! Ethan, this is a great opportunity! Let’s do it together!”

“Where’s the rule that says this is allowed?! Minka Yang was discussing training with me, and now…”

Sera Zephir couldn’t hold back and intervened.

“What the… How are we supposed to deal with this?”

If we leave this situation unchecked, it’ll turn into a mess in no time.

Roem already dislikes Sera.

Sera dislikes me.

Minka finds Sera annoying.

Sera, for some reason, desperately wants Minka.

I also need a connection with Sera. Maybe it’ll help me escape the clutches of the 3rd Prince and Roland’s pursuit, making me a national hero.

The conclusion was clear.

“Why don’t we just do it together? Professor Quora also emphasized the importance of our interactions, after all.”

＜ The Four Heavenly Kings of the Magic Department (2) ﹥ End