NOVEL NEXT Chapter 163
Reaching the 6th Rank and opening the Merchant Association would indeed change a lot. There’s even a saying that the world is different before and after the Merchant Association opens.
You’ll be able to intuitively see something called mana, grasp its flow with your hands as if you were scattering it, and some say it feels like having eyes on your skin. Others even claim they can smell mana itself.
Well, putting those aside, the biggest change, of course, is that a new Dantian opens up.
The Merchant Association connects humans living on the ground to the heavens. It doesn’t hold mana but contains mental images, the heart’s power, that can manifest ideation.
Therefore, it’s on a different trajectory from the existing Dantians.
To summarize, it’s all about ideation.
These form mental images.
And the heart’s power that can handle the mental images.
It’s a bunch of nonsensical gibberish.
There’s no need to understand it. Just think of it as having more tools for battle and being overwhelmingly stronger than before.
If you’ve reached the level to open the Merchant Association, you can grasp those concepts with your body without needing to think.
Of course, there are people who understand it in their heads.
Paulo and Kaloso were among that group.
They might have been better at handling ideation in the beginning, but after experiencing various things and fighting hard, I found that understanding doesn’t help at all.
Humans somehow get used to things.
Initially, I didn’t need to care about such things. I have the experience of my previous life, after all.
What’s important now is that I’ve opened the Merchant Association and can finally interfere with the opponent’s ideation.
The manifestation of Samaela and the Eight-Headed Serpent.
Back then, I could only dodge the Eight-Headed Serpent’s attack and shove my body away.
But now, it means I can rip the scales of that huge snake.
Of course… I’ll have to use Purgatory.
Similarly, with Ashtar’s ideation, the various weapons that pop out from the similar swordsmanship technique can now be not only grabbed and swung but also smashed.
Fabiana’s teleportation…? Well, I can’t do anything about that, but I might be able to interrupt the flow in between.
So.
“Let’s spar.”
In the middle of the celebration party, I challenged Leona to a duel.
“Nope.”
I was immediately rejected.
“What are you talking about when we’re having a party?”
Stella chimed in, munching on a chicken leg.
“Wouldn’t it be great to eat something delicious, have a spar, and then sleep like a baby?”
“I promised myself to do nothing and just have fun this week. Right, Pina? I promised to go out and play with Pina.”
[That’s right…! (nervous squirrel face)]
“Are you really going to refuse the request of your one and only precious disciple?”
“Yep.”
“Hah, you’re not even thinking about it anymore.”
I clicked my tongue and turned my gaze away.
“Let’s spar.”
“Hmm. The Flame Sovereign cannot duel with you.”
“Why not?”
Are you scared of your master? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.
“That is… the moment my ideation comes out into the world… one of us must die.”
“Ugh.”
“Ooh…”
After a long pondering, Leona narrowed her eyes at the Flame Sovereign’s horrific statement, while Stella was in awe.
The saying goes that one must protect their own, and perhaps Stella found that awful, cringeworthy statement admirable.
I really shouldn’t emulate that…
“Miss! Then let’s duel!”
“We always spar with Yurasia. No thanks.”
“Gosh… how can you refuse so quickly…? Am I already tired of it?!”
Yurasia looked forlorn like a heroine forsaken by the trash male protagonist.
“I’m just someone you can enjoy and throw away anytime… It’s alright. I’ll wait for you, Miss. I’ve become someone who can’t live without you…”
“Oh my… Yurasia, what on earth are you saying? Are you reading some weird novels these days?”
“Ugh…”
“…Stella. Didn’t I tell you not to show Yurasia any weird books? You’re not showing them to Pina too, are you?”
“N-N-No, what are you talking about?! W-Where would there be a weird book?! I-I-I don’t…”
Stella flushed as she nervously glanced at the Flame Sovereign.
A weird book. I found it under the bed the last time I went to Stella’s room. It was titled “The Summer Lilies Garden,” featuring two girls attending the Academy having a very, very… unhealthy relationship.
I didn’t ask why she was reading such a book.
I thought, are all kids these days reading such things? and just looked at her with a complicated expression.
At that time, Stella’s excuse was simple curiosity, so I decided to believe that for now.
After all, she’s at an age where she has various interests.
“So, does that mean you and the Flame Sovereign won’t spar?”
“Not gonna happen.”
“The Flame Sovereign would like to, but… Eliaernes, I’m worried you might get hurt. My ideation is very dangerous.”
Is it true? I looked at Leona with that expression, and she nodded with a slightly displeased face.
If Leona, who casually laughs while breaking her disciple’s legs during each duel, agrees, then it must be truly dangerous.
“Well, then there’s nothing I can do.”
So, reluctantly, I sat down and picked up a fork.
“So, Miss Miss.”
“Yeah?”
Yurasia, skillfully cutting the steak for easy eating, sat next to me.
“How is it? Does the world really look different as people say?”
“It varies from person to person, so I’m not sure, but it hasn’t changed that much for me.”
I chewed on the steak Yurasia cut.
“Mmm… really?”
“Yeah. But I guess Yurasia feels a bigger change?”
“Hmm, really? Why?”
“Because the performance of your body can’t keep up with your heart and spirit.”
At my words, Leona and the Flame Sovereign nodded.
“Hmm… indeed. As Eliaernes said, Yurasia’s balance… can be said to have high growth potential in a good light, and in a bad light… it can be described as utterly dreadful.”
As the history professor of the Academy, the Flame Sovereign seemed to take pride in his authority as a professor while emphasizing the word ‘student.’
“According to Eliaernes and the Flame Sovereign, Yurasia, your balance of heart and spirit is indeed dreadful.”
Leona, chewing on a piece of meat that looked tough enough to wonder how one would even chew it, agreed with my statement.
“It’s unusually out of balance. It’s as if heart and spirit’s growth have been forcibly tied down.”
Then, Leona’s pupils dilated vertically, and her amber eyes sparkled like gold.
“Even with my ‘eyes,’ it can’t be seen.”
The fierce aura seemed to pierce through Yurasia’s body. This immediately shifted the atmosphere sharply, but Leona didn’t stretch it any further and laughed heartily!
“Still, it’s true that your potential for growth is high. You might even become stronger than my pathetic disciple!”
“No way. I’m absolutely going to be stronger than Yurasia.”
“Ah, ahaha… Yes. Thank you.”
I noticed Yurasia’s hands trembled at the gaze of Leona.
Even if Leona’s aura is intense, Yurasia shouldn’t be that afraid. Furthermore, Yurasia isn’t really that timid of a person.
So why? I wondered, but didn’t feel the need to pry further and popped a cherry tomato into Yurasia’s mouth.
“Mmm?”
“I hate cherry tomatoes.”
And then she giggled.
Only then did Yurasia seem to calm down a bit, and she put on her usual smile.
“Well then, Miss, I’ll eat all your cherry tomatoes!”
“What? Eliaernes, you eat ketchup just fine.”
And next to me, Stella handed me French fries dipped in ketchup.
I quickly took a bite.
“Ketchup and tomatoes are different.”
“It’s because you’re such a picky eater that you haven’t grown!”
“Unless it’s Yurasia or the Flame Sovereign, what’s with the height remarks when you don’t differ much from me?”
“Hah, I’m much taller than you! You’re in the 140s, but I’m in the 150s. At least 6 centimeters taller.”
“A 5th Circle child is talking about numbers; it’s ridiculous.”
“W-What?! Gosh…!”
Stella, who was about to yell “chimpanzee!”, glanced at Leona and covered her mouth with both hands.
I couldn’t help but giggle at Stella.
“Why? Go on, say it.”
“…Hmph. Fine. I won’t talk to someone in 43rd place. It’s below my level.”
“Wow… oh…”
My mouth was about to say “wetting your pants” but got stuck.
Then, I slowly turned my gaze towards Leona.
I saw Leona grinning.
Her eyes were crooked with a devilish smile. Her lip corners twisted upward… She was teasing me.
My lips tightly shut.
Someday… someday, when I become stronger than Leona… I’ll firmly resolve to seal that memory or whatever it is.
That should come before defeating the Demon King. Truly…
“Hey… huh? What? Why did you stop talking?”
Stella, who was usually ready to argue, tilted her head as she observed my and Leona’s looks.
“Just eat your food…”
“…You’re acting weird today. Do you know that?”
“What’s so weird?”
“You seem strange… hmm…”
She appeared puzzled as to why I didn’t tease her about wetting her pants. She seemed to be hesitant to put it into words but already held a thick suspicion.
But I didn’t respond any further.
Leona seemed to want to keep talking.
Nothing more should be revealed.
Moreover… moreover, Pina, who knows about my past life, is here. If ever… if such a terrible mistake were to come to light…
Damn, I’ll just end it all, Demon King or whatever.
chuckle – Leona pokes me in the side.
“…What is it?”
“What dessert do you want?”
“A Mint Chocolate Latte.”
“Really? I’m going to have lemonade.”
“…Don’t.”
“Heheh…”
For the first time, I held murderous intent towards Leona.
*
“Everyone, are you ready?”
Excited voices tinged with worry echoed throughout the classroom.
“It’s fun just to look at all the various things people brought.”
Looking at the students with a chuckle, Adelia joyfully spun around.
“Alright, let’s head to the final exam venue!”