Illusion Sword Master

＜ Royal War University (5) ﹥

Time flew by at the war university, and the first year of the three-year magic course was already over.

Professor Dars called me every day, without exception, even on weekends and holidays.

His private lessons were more like a mad scientist and his experiment subject than a professor and his student.

He didn’t care about the experiment subject’s safety or condition at all.

“‘Ethan-Dars-style Masegusul’ is a magic that shines in situations where ordinary magicians would give up.”

He would throw dozens of iron balls at me from all directions and tell me to block them.

“The ultimate goal of ‘Ethan-Dars-style Masegusul’ is to replace the role of knights with skilled magic users. I’ve borrowed a golem used for knights’ training.”

He would bring a 4-meter-tall stone humanoid and make me fight it.

Anyway, this crazy scientist was trying to turn me into a human weapon that could handle any situation, preparing me for all kinds of scenarios that a magician could face.

Every day, I would repeat the process of exhausting my mana and returning to my room, feeling like my head was going to explode and my legs were going to give out.

“It was a terrible time. I thought I had escaped the battlefield, but now I’m being treated like a dog.”

When Professor Dars’ term ended, I bid him farewell with a smile, secretly chanting “Hurray!” three times.

Thanks to him, my magic and swordsmanship had improved daily.

“Ethan, what are you doing?”

Roem, who was eating cookies in my room, asked. Crunch. Every time he opened his mouth, cookie crumbs fell on the floor.

I was balancing on a sword hovering in the air, surfing-like, which looked quite amazing.

“I’m practicing aerial sword flight. It’s hard to balance when it accelerates.”

I had developed several techniques that utilized my unique ability to maximize the magic effect on swords.

The aerial sword flight I was practicing now was one of them.

It was a simple technique that involved riding on a sword moving with magic, but Professor Dars praised it as an innovative application that could supplement a magician’s limited mobility.

“You’ll be able to move quickly and freely on the battlefield.”

Unlike Professor Dars’ expectations, the reason I was honing this skill was to quickly escape when I was dragged into the battlefield.

“Even if you become proficient, you’ll be able to swiftly move around the battlefield and make a difference. It’s indeed a brilliant idea, worthy of the recognition of Professor Dars.”

“What’s brilliant about it? You didn’t even know how to cast magic when you first entered, and you had to rely on me for help. It’s all thanks to you.”

“No, anyone can give that kind of advice. It’s your own realization that matters.”

Professor Dars, who mistook me for a fellow idol otaku, openly favored me in front of the other students.

As a result, Roem’s trust in me, which was already high, skyrocketed.

Roem was a renowned magical genius who had been rumored to be able to cast magic without even washing his hands or cleaning his clothes.

On the other hand, I was a half-baked mage who couldn’t even properly use my unique magic, which only worked on non-living targets.

His praise was embarrassing.

“So, I’m not a genius or anything? It’s like catching a frog while pretending to be a hero.”

“Ethan, excessive humility can be worse than arrogance. Of course, I respect that aspect of you as well. The other students are all full of themselves, only caring about their privileges and not thinking about their duties.”

Every time, it seemed like I was okay with guaranteeing my own safety without any sense of loyalty.

‘Originally, I was going to ask if I could use my connections to get a rear-guard position after graduation, but…’

Having a noble friend sparked a small, petty desire.

“It seems like we won’t be able to see each other for a while starting tomorrow.”

As I maintained my aerial flight while manipulating another sword with my magic, Roem brought up a new topic.

I had become skilled enough to handle two swords with my magic while still being able to converse.

“Where are you planning to go during the break?”

“Yeah, I’ll be going back to my estate. I’ll use what I’ve learned here to further research my family’s vision.”

“That sounds great. You have a home to return to.”

Life at the War Academy was better than being on the battlefield in every way, but this was a new series of challenges in its own right.

The amount of studying was murderous, and I learned that people could actually die from overwork.

In addition to magic training, there were countless other things I had to learn as a mage in the Imperial Army.

Tactics, geography, horse riding, material science, history, ancient languages, and moral education…

Even as a commoner, I had to take a separate course on “Table Manners” because the Empire’s elite students couldn’t be ignorant of basic etiquette.

And on top of that, I had to deal with Professor Dars’ secret private lessons, which made me wonder when I last had a good night’s sleep.

And after enduring all these hardships, a two-month break was waiting for me.

“Ethan, how are you going to spend it?”

Most students would return to their estates to prepare for the next year or enjoy the infrastructure of the Imperial Capital and socialize.

I didn’t have a home or a hometown. The only connection I had was the front lines, where I had to face the green faces of the orcs.

And I didn’t have the connections or money to indulge in social activities.

I had nothing from the start.

“I’ll just hole up in the dormitory and take a break.”

What kind of special break was I supposed to have?

At least the dormitory provided three meals a day and did my laundry for me.

Right now, I was even cleaning up the cookie crumbs Roem was scattering in real-time, but if I could just sleep comfortably in this soft bed, that would be okay.

A true, idle break.

That was enough of a reward for me.

But Roem’s reaction was unexpected.

“Huh? Ethan… didn’t you receive the official document?”

“What’s going on?”

“The dormitory is closed during the break due to facility maintenance and security work.”

Ugh…

─ Thud!

I lost my balance and fell off the bed, unable to adapt to the sudden change in situation.

“What’s wrong, Ethan? Are you okay?”

“No, I suddenly found myself on the streets, so I’m not okay.”

I lay on the floor, deep in thought.

How am I supposed to survive for two months without a single penny?

But the answer came to me quickly, as if it was obvious.

I’m currently an elite student at the Empire’s Magic Academy, with a decent credit score and noble friends.

Can I not have a luxurious vacation?

I jumped up and grabbed Roem’s shoulders.

“Roem, aren’t we friends?”

“What’s with the sudden question? Of course, we are.”

“Can you lend me some money?”

“Yeah, sure. How much do you need?”

Typical of a noble family’s descendant – no questions asked, just straight to the amount.

The phrase “those who have more give more” didn’t apply in front of a true noble who was ready to practice noblesse oblige.

“How much can you lend me?”

#

Hwangdo Empelium.

The imperial capital where the Emperor resides, and a vast territory where all the good things in the Empire gather.

Along the beautiful river that runs through the city, high-end restaurants and grand mansions stood in abundance.

As I passed by the magnificent scenery, feeling like I was looking at a painting, I arrived at a shabby inn in a back alley, recalling an old saying.

“Those who have more give more.”

If you’re from a noble family, you’d have so much wealth that you could bathe in gold coins, but Roem’s entire fortune, which he handed over with a smile, was only five silver coins.

This amount would barely cover my living expenses for two months in this cheap inn.

Still, the inn itself wasn’t bad.

“Hey, sweetheart! Bring me another beer!”

“If you call me sweetheart one more time, I’ll rip out your tongue!”

A drunkard flirting with the waitress, who firmly rejected him.

“It’s said that the knight who fought the evil dragon said, ‘I’ll put down my sword and come back to fight again later’!”

A troubadour singing a heroic tale on stage, with a sword at his side.

A man who looked out of place, with an expensive-looking sword, drinking alone, as if he had a sad story to tell.

“Yes, this is the fantasy I’ve been looking for.”

The ideal fantasy scene I had imagined was unfolding before my eyes.

This might be an ordinary scene to others, but to me, it was a fresh and new experience.

I decided to put aside my worries and enjoy life in this world, at least for today.

“Kiya!”

After downing a few glasses of bitter beer, all the troubles I’d been worrying about seemed to disappear.

“Sa, save me!”

Someone burst into the inn, screaming in a high-pitched voice.

The boisterous crowd fell silent.

“Those people are going to kill me! Please help me!”

The girl looked around ten years old. I remembered being around that age when I first fell into this world.

‘Where did she escape from?’

From the tattered clothes she wore, which were more like rags, and the rope marks on her hands and feet, it was easy to guess what kind of ordeal she’d been through.

“Where did she come from? Ah, damn it. Where’s that bitch?”

“There!”

“This damn year is making a big deal out of nothing!”

Nine rough-looking men entered, each with a sword at their waist. They didn’t look like ordinary thugs.

‘I don’t need this kind of fantasy.’

I belatedly recalled the law of the fantasy world, where accidents always happen in cheap inns.

“No need to think about getting hurt. Let’s just drink and have a good time!”

One of the thugs threatened the girl, taking a step closer to her.

“Hii… Hiiik… Please help me!”

It was clear the girl was terrified of them, her body trembling like a leaf.

The pitiful scene unfolded before my eyes, but there was no one to help the girl, who desperately looked around for someone to rescue her.

Accidents. Troubles.

These were the two things I hated the most.

My survival principle was to avoid getting entangled in dangerous situations at all costs.

But if I didn’t do something, the girl would suffer a terrible fate, worse than what I had to endure as a ten-year-old orphan abandoned on the battlefield.

So, I decided to break my principle and offer some help, no matter how small.

The girl’s gaze was fixed on me.

‘Go to that person.’

I mouthed the words, pointing to the other side.

It was a man who looked like he could handle himself, with an expensive-looking sword at his side. Anyone could see he was capable of defeating the thugs and saving the girl. He was already gripping the hilt of his sword, looking furious at the situation.

However, the panicked girl seemed to have misinterpreted my intentions.

“Help me!”

“No, not here!”

I shouted, but it was too late. The girl threw herself at me, grabbing my leg.

“You can’t even understand warnings.”

The thugs’ target had become me.

“No, that’s not it…”

I tried to push the girl away and explain, but she refused to let go of my leg.

“If I still had this much power, I should’ve kept running away!

“Hey, mister. This is your last warning. You seem to have confidence in your sword skills, but don’t you see how many of us there are? Even if you join our group and become a guard, you’ll be kicked out soon.”

My rugged yet handsome appearance, along with the two swords at my waist, seemed to have misled the thugs into thinking I was eager to fight.

Meanwhile, nine thugs surrounded me, their tense atmosphere suggesting they could draw their swords at any moment.

“This can’t be helped. Just give up.”

Just then, a man with a story to tell intervened.

He approached me with a steady pace.

As I was about to hand over the girl and leave, he whispered to me in a low tone.

“This isn’t an opponent you can handle with words. I’ll take care of the five on the left, and you take care of the four on the right. Be careful not to let the child get hurt.”

“No… just a minute…”

This damn guy’s luck.

As soon as the man drew his sword, the battle began.

＜ The Imperial War Academy (5) ﹥ End