Illusion Sword Master

＜ Imperial War University (2) ﹥

The Imperial War University Magic Department.

A place that had been producing great War Mages for centuries, leaving a mark on the empire’s history.

The new students gathered in the auditorium were thrilled to be part of the prestigious institution, while also looking around at their peers who would be going through the three-year education together.

Among them were young prodigies who had been renowned in their local regions, but there were some who stood out particularly.

One of them was Sera Zephir, the eldest daughter of the Zephir Duchy, one of the four great magic families of the empire.

“Look, it’s Seraphina, the young lady of the Zephyr Duchy!”

“Those accessories, are they all artifacts? If so, it’s like wearing a whole castle on her body.”

“Of course, a noble’s daughter is different from others.”

Among the noble children, she received envious glances, and she made up her mind.

“The top spot is a given, and I need to make my own people. In my family, I’ve been pushed around by my brothers just because I’m a girl, so I need to make up for it here.”

She had the ambition to build her own network and create a solid foundation here.

“Oh! Minka Admin is here too!”

“Isn’t she the daughter of the fallen Admin Viscount family, who avenged her father’s death by burning hundreds of manuscripts?”

“Wow, isn’t that Roem of the Karlen Earl family?”

“Our mother always compared me to Roem when she came back from social gatherings!”

“I’ve heard he’s very handsome.”

The students were excited about the appearance of geniuses who had made a name for themselves before entering the school.

“Minka Admin and Roem Karlen. I need to surpass them in competition and make them my allies.”

Sera had obtained the list of new students in advance through her family’s information network and had marked those two.

In magic, one genius can overpower a hundred ordinary people. According to Sera’s information, the other students were like monkeys who could only use magic, compared to those two.

However, there was one student who caught her attention.

“Who is that?”

It was because of his clearly different atmosphere from the other students.

His muscular body and the scars all over him. His sharp, piercing gaze. His calm and composed attitude, unlike the other nervous freshmen.

If he weren’t wearing the uniform of the Magic Department, she would have mistaken him for a skilled knight.

“He’s not ordinary. I need to find out who he is. If he has good skills or a good background, I need to make him my person as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the entrance ceremony began.

[The Imperial War Academy Magic Department’s 427th entrance ceremony begins.]

[During your time here, regardless of your social status or family background, you will be equal students······]

[As those who have been chosen by mana, you will devote yourselves to the empire and serve the emperor······]

The imperial army officers’ speeches to boost the freshmen’s morale continued, but Sera couldn’t focus due to her curiosity about the mysterious student.

“Are you Miss Sera? My father has always admired Duke Zephyr······”

“Our family has been doing business with the Zephyr family for three generations. We are always grateful·····”

As soon as the entrance ceremony ended, the other students approached Sera. Their intentions to connect with her family were clear.

“Back off.”

Sera had no interest in those who would eventually come under her. She roughly pushed them away.

And she approached the student she had been eyeing.

“Hey.”

Sera called out to him, but he didn’t even turn his head and quickly walked away. Sera chased after him, grabbing his shoulder.

“What’s your name?”

The student turned his head.

“Ethan.”

Ethan. Sera had not seen his name on the list of new students.

Then, it was clear that he was a person who had been added at the last minute due to the influence of a powerful person.

“I’ve never heard of that name. Which family are you from?”

“There’s no family name.”

“There’s no family name? Ah, I see. You’re a commoner, then. What do your parents do?”

“I don’t know, but I think they’re probably hiding somewhere… I don’t really know, since I’m an orphan. And I’m really busy right now, so let’s talk about it later.”

Ethan’s attitude was fresh and unpleasant to Sara. Did he think she was bothering him just because she was a commoner?

Sara managed to hold back her thoughts and not let them slip out. If a commoner was attending the War University, it meant they had a certain level of talent to make up for their lack of background.

“I apologize for suddenly calling you out. But I have to satisfy my curiosity. When did you start being able to sense magic?”

“Hmm, around ten years old, I think? But don’t you know what ‘later’ means? It means not now.”

Sara, who had received elite education and had magic sensitivity since she was twelve, was surprised but hid her emotions and asked again.

“Then… what about your special magic?”

“I don’t have one yet. I’ve never used magic before.”

“You mean you can’t use magic at all?”

“I only found out I had a talent for magic last week. Can’t you see I’m busy?”

Sara was confused.

“Is he trying to mock me?”

Just a moment ago, he said he had magic sensitivity since he was ten, but now he said he found out about his talent last week. The story didn’t add up.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll leave.”

Sara thought Ethan was trying to insult her by lying. The content was too ridiculous to be true.

Her patience, which was already worn thin, quickly ran out.

“Listen, I don’t know what you’re relying on to act so boldly, but you’ll regret mocking me.”

Sara warned him in a growling tone.

“No, I just answered your question. You’re a really strange girl.”

But Ethan responded with a tone that implied he was being wronged and quickly turned around to leave.

“How dare a commoner…”

Sara’s face turned red with anger, but she soon regained her composure.

As a noble’s daughter, she needed to have political acumen. Even in the midst of anger, she could calmly judge the situation.

“No, maybe the ‘commoner’ thing was a lie too. He seems to have a strong backing, and I need to investigate further.”

She calmed down.

#

“Whew… I really thought I was going to die.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

I had been concentrating on my lower abdomen for hours due to a stomachache right before the entrance ceremony.

“I ate too much greasy food and now my stomach hurts.”

The War University’s cafeteria provided unlimited warm meat, which was a big change from the dry bread, thin stew, and dried meat I had been eating for the past ten years.

“Anyway, what was up with that crazy girl?”

After emptying my stomach and regaining my composure, I thought back to the female student who had argued with me earlier. It wasn’t really an argument, but more like she was acting crazy one-sidedly.

She had suddenly asked me about my family background, and I had almost lost my temper and cursed her out.

If I were a student here, I would definitely be a noble, so I answered her question honestly, but she got angry by herself.

Was she paranoid or something?

“Let’s just forget about it.”

I roughly organized my thoughts. I didn’t have the energy to waste on a crazy person like her.

The effort I made to become a knight for 10 years was actually a waste, and the Minister of Justice misinterpreted my loyalty as being overly good, which is why I was sent here as a parachute. However, as a result, enrolling in the War Academy turned out to be a great opportunity for me.

It doesn’t matter if I’m a mage instead of a knight. In fact, it’s better.

Initially, I wanted to become a knight because I wanted to live comfortably.

As a mage, I’d be much safer, providing firepower support from the rear lines without getting entangled with the enemy.

If I’m lucky, I might even get to suck up to the top or enjoy the luxuries of the rear lines.

Of course, this is all predicated on me learning magic properly and graduating.

I didn’t officially “retire” from the military; I was “dispatched” to the War Academy.

If I get kicked out due to lack of talent, I’ll be dragged back to the front lines and forced to fight until I die.

I made a vow to myself in front of the mirror.

“For the next three years, no matter what happens, I’ll endure.”

As I was about to leave the bathroom, a young man’s voice called out to me.

“Hey, weren’t you named Ethan?”

The voice came from the other side of the bathroom stall. I caught a glimpse of his eyes through the slightly open door.

“That’s right.”

“We’re fellow students, so let’s speak informally, okay?”

“Yeah… I guess. But how did you know me?”

“I saw you talking to Sera Zephyr just now. You’re really impressive, aren’t you? Everyone’s been trying to get close to her, but she won’t give them the time of day.”

The girl who was giving me a hard time just now was named Sera, it seems.

Wait, Zephyr sounds familiar…

“Zephyr? You mean the Zephyr from the Zephyr Duchy?”

“That’s right. Sera Zephyr, the eldest daughter of the Zephyr Duchy. There’s no other Zephyr in the empire. This is quite an interesting coincidence.”

It wasn’t interesting at all.

The Zephyr Duchy is a renowned noble family, even I know that.

This means I’ve been caught up with one of the top-tier nobles in the empire from the very start.

Do I have to cater to that crazy girl’s whims, even if it’s embarrassing?

“You did well.”

“No, you did great. You handled it really well. Sera Zephyr is obsessed with building her own faction. There’s no need to react to her provocative behavior.”

It’s better to avoid getting entangled in politics if you want to live a long and narrow life.

If factional strife breaks out, someone like me will end up getting crushed in the crossfire.

A nobody without backing will always get used as a pawn.

“Thanks. That’s reassuring. It’s better to stay away from factions like that.”

“You think so too? It feels like we’ve found a kindred spirit. Our duty as students is to hone our individual abilities and loyalty to become capable mages who can serve the empire. Personal and familial interests are secondary to that.”

His words were sincere. He seemed like the type who adheres to the rules. If he becomes an officer, he’ll be the most troublesome kind.

“Anyway, you don’t have to worry about getting into trouble because of Sera Zephyr. She may not be a model noble, but she’s not the type to cross the line easily either. Even if she does, I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks for the reassurance… Can I get out of this bathroom now?”

“…”

I expressed my pent-up curiosity, and an awkward silence followed.

“Actually, I don’t have anything to use for backup. I brought a single emergency magic scroll from my family, but it’s too valuable to use for this.”

He’s going on and on about not having anything to rely on.

“Just wait a minute.”

I took out the crumpled paper and handed it to him through the gap in the door. Although it was far from the toilet paper used on Earth, it was much better than the rough, scratchy paper used in the military.

A moment later, my colleague, who had been trapped in the toilet, emerged.

“You’re next, kid.”

He was a classic, stereotypical pretty boy, with a face that fit the phrase “chiseled features” perfectly.

“Thanks. I was in the biggest crisis of my life, but thanks to you, I was able to resolve it well. I owe you a huge debt.”

“A debt? It’s camaraderie, national love!”

“Camaraderie… national love? Ah! You mean that the bond between comrades transcends factions and contributes to the strengthening of national power?”

I was thrilled by his clever words.

“Exactly! We can become great friends.”

I gave him a suitable response. I needed a noble friend like him. I needed to adapt to this place, and also, to avoid the potential harm from other nobles.

“Great friend, I’m thrilled. My name is Roem. Nice to meet you, friend.”

Roem smiled brightly and extended his hand.

His casual behavior and handsome face created a different atmosphere. If we weren’t in a bathroom, it would have been like a scene from a youth movie.

Even after a few seconds, I didn’t shake his hand, and Roem tilted his head.

“Is there a problem?”

“That… can you wash your hands first?”

“Ah!”

The “ah” was ridiculous.

Imperial War Academy, Department of Magic.

A place where the future leaders of the empire, who would lead the imperial army, gathered.

In reality, it was a place where victims of delusions, pretty boys who didn’t wash their hands, and people who had somehow managed to enroll after only wielding a sword for ten years gathered.

I was genuinely worried about the empire’s future.

＜ Imperial War Academy (2) ﹥ End