Illusion Sword Master

Chapter 3

＜ Imperial War Academy (3) ﹥

The lecture room of the Department of Magic gave the impression of being empty, despite its high ceiling and wide area, due to the limited space actually being used.

“I suppose so. You need this much space to cast magic freely.”

I sat down in my seat and picked up the thick textbook on my desk, titled “The Basics of Magic”, which gave me a sense of comfort.

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“The basics are important.”

Unlike other students who had been on the elite course since childhood, I knew nothing about magic.

It was strange for me to be sitting in the lecture room of the Department of Magic.

As I finished reading the table of contents, the professor who had entered the room announced the start of the lesson.

“I am Professor Dars, and I will be in charge of your magic education for the next year.”

Professor Dars was a middle-aged man with a nervous temperament. Despite not intentionally trying to intimidate, his face showed signs of fatigue and irritation.

As someone who had developed an interest in physiognomy during my long military service, I could confidently say that he was the type who would make life difficult if you got on his bad side.

“You are magicians. As special beings chosen by mana, you are here to burn the empire’s enemies. You are not mere sword-wielders, but will perform noble tasks.”

From the start, he made condescending remarks about knights and frontline soldiers.

I accepted it calmly. I would have to face such arrogance often in the future.

Magicians believe that they are the most superior, and everyone else is inferior, which is deeply ingrained in their arrogant nature.

“‘When you’re fighting for your life, you can’t afford to slack off, but there are some kids who can’t even do that.'”

“‘But even if you’re not talented, you can still make it if you’re lucky enough, and that’s just infuriating.'”

This was the general perception of mages among the soldiers on the battlefield, and it was true for most mages.

Professor Dars, who had been ranting about the superiority of mages and the inferiority of knights, finally got to the point.

“Some of you may have had high expectations. You’re in the Magic Department of the War University, so you must be learning some special magic from the start, right?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

A few students responded enthusiastically to the professor’s words.

“Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The beginning is the same for everyone. The basics are the most important thing.”

That’s right. The basics are the most important thing. You have to start from the very beginning and build up gradually.

“Don’t think you can slack off, either. If you can’t keep up with my lectures, I’ll use my authority as a professor to expel you. The War University Magic Department doesn’t need anyone with mediocre talent.”

I prepared to take notes as the professor spoke, and turned the page. The chapter title was “What is Mana?”

“Look at page 172 of your textbook.”

Huh?

No, Professor. The pace is too fast.

While I was stunned, the only sound was the rustling of pages being turned. I also quickly opened to the designated page.

“What is Mana?”

“History of Magic”

“A Mage’s Mindset”

And so on. The chapters seemed easy, but they flew by quickly, and the chapter “Basic Mana Operation Training: Using Yemdong” appeared.

“Yemdong is a magic that’s not often used in actual combat. It’s a magic that directly manipulates objects or bodies, and it consumes a lot of mana compared to other magic. However, it’s the most suitable magic for developing the sense of manipulating mana.”

At the same time, Professor Dars stretched out his hand.

A blue particle gathered in his hand, taking the shape of a long, extended hand that reached out in front of him.

“Yemdong is the most pure manipulation of magical power. There’s no technique to it. You just have to imagine moving an object with your mana and it’ll happen.”

“W-w-w-what?”

One student let out a stupid sound.

It was because a book suddenly flew out of his hand. The abandoned book slowly flew through the air and landed in Professor Javine’s hand.

“It looks like you were looking at a different page. You must have wanted to study ahead and get bored with my lecture, but if you can do this, I’ll let it slide.”

─ Whoosh!

The book flew through the air like a thrown weapon, heading straight for its owner.

“Ah!”

Just before the book was about to hit the student’s head with its kinetic energy, it stopped moving in mid-air and…

“Huh?”

It dropped to the ground with a thud.

Even I, who didn’t know magic, could see that it was an incredible feat of speed control.

“Wow!”

“You can use Yemdong to that extent?”

“I thought it was just a magic to show off one’s magical power.”

The other students also let out exclamations of amazement.

But there was a difference in their reactions compared to mine.

“I didn’t see the flow of mana at all.”

“I almost skipped the casting process! You’re indeed a master of Yeomdong magic…”

“It’s scary. If someone like that suddenly targets me, I might get hit before I can even put up a defense, right?”

I could clearly see the flow of mana in my eyes.

“From now on, we’re going to practice Yeomdong magic. This process is to enhance your mana manipulation skills, so do your best even if you don’t feel like it. Unless you’re not planning to challenge my authority, that is.”

As soon as the professor finished speaking, the students began practicing as if they had been waiting for it.

Books were floating in the air, drawing curves and flying freely, creating a whirlwind scene.

Although the students’ abilities to wield magic varied greatly, one thing was certain – they were all handling magic with ease.

Except for me, of course.

“This isn’t the time to worry about others.”

I also started practicing immediately.

“I just need to imagine moving objects with mana sensitivity…”

It shouldn’t be that hard, right? I can do it too.

My optimism wasn’t unfounded.

Mana sensitivity was a magical preparation process that connected me with mana.

I had repeated this process for the past 10 years, mistaking it for aura training.

I was confident in my own abilities.

I focused my mana and shaped it into a hand, just like Professor Darus had done.

I imagined a hand made of mana holding a book.

It worked.

The book moved, albeit only 5mm, but I felt a sense of joy inside.

“It works!”

I realized that I could perform magical actions as soon as I acknowledged myself as a mage.

My past self, who had swung a sword saying I would become a knight, felt ridiculous.

This time, I imagined the mana holding the book lifting it up and stretched out my hand.

The book really lifted up slightly.

Just as I was about to focus my mind and finish the task-

Tick. The connection with mana was cut off, leaving me with a sense of disappointment.

The book was peacefully back in its original place.

“What are you doing? I clearly told you to practice Yeomdong magic.”

Professor Darus suddenly appeared in front of me.

“I, I was in the middle of it…”

Although I was doing my best, it seemed like I was just pretending to Professor Darus.

I hastily tried to cast Yeomdong magic again.

Tick. I failed again.

“…”

After a brief silence.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll try again.”

I tried several more times, but the result was the same.

It was a crazy situation.

Clearly, if I just did a little more, I could do it, but at the last moment, my connection with mana was cut off.

“That’s enough. I can’t watch this anymore.”

Professor Dars’ patience was wearing thin.

“It’s inevitable that there are one or two students like you who go through a strict evaluation process every year.”

Although his tone was scornful, I found some comfort in his words.

It seemed that there were always students like me every year.

“You self-proclaimed geniuses who challenge the professor’s authority. Do you enjoy making a fool of me with this kind of farce?”

Huh?

It seemed like there was some misunderstanding.

And it was heading in a bad direction for me.

“Professor, that’s not it…”

“What else could it be? If you have magical talent, even a fool can do it. Does it mean that a useless person like you is in my classroom?”

Exactly.

I wanted to say that, but the professor’s next words shut my mouth.

“It’s impossible, but if that’s true, I’ll expel you. You’re a student who shouldn’t be here in the first place.”

If I didn’t clear up the misunderstanding, I’d become a student who disrespected the professor, and if I did, I’d be expelled for lacking qualifications. It was a difficult time, caught between a rock and a hard place.

─ Ding! Ding! Ding!

Just then, the bell rang, saving me.

Professor Dars turned his gaze away from me and said, “To assess your understanding, the next class will include an evaluation on the application of magic and output enhancement. It’s a test that will affect your grades, so think carefully.”

Then, he glared at me again.

“You, in particular, need to be careful. If you want to make up for today’s rudeness, you need to prove that you’re a special person. Only those with sufficient talent can be forgiven for their youthful mistakes.”

The professor left, leaving the classroom feeling cold.

‘It’s over.’

Even in my despair, I accurately assessed the situation.

Why couldn’t I use magic?

If I could only sense mana, even a fool could use magic, right?

Maybe I just didn’t have talent?

Did I have talent? Was I deceived by the magician?

“That Ethan guy. Is he crazy? How did he dare to defy Professor Dars?”

“Half of the students who got expelled in the previous year were because of Professor Dars.”

“His face looks tough, doesn’t it? Look at that scar. He’s not a ordinary student, but a magician with a scar like that. He must have a fierce personality and gotten into fights all the time.”

The students’ gossiping words scratched at my heart.

Let them think what they want.

I didn’t even have the energy to lift my head, when someone approached me.

“The strategy was good. You must have known, right? Professor Dars may seem harsh, but he’s generous to talented students.”

It was Cera Zephyr.

What’s with this guy?

“‘That’s amazing courage. Professor Dars is really picky about magic, especially the ones that don’t have practical applications. He’s been digging into it for decades.'”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re telling me something, but I don’t get it.”

“Stop playing dumb. I already know everything. You’re planning to show off your skills in the next class, right? The more flashy the entrance, the deeper it gets etched in people’s minds.”

Sera gave a smug smile, as if saying “I told you so.”

“I may not know your true identity, but I can sense your intentions. I’ll find out the parts I don’t know soon enough. You’re from the opposing faction of my family, sent to keep an eye on me, right?”

And before I could say anything, she turned around and disappeared.

I didn’t know what was going on, but she seemed happy, so I just let it be. A happy crazy person is better than a grumpy one, after all.

Mostly, I just wanted to be alone.

This wish didn’t come true.

“Edan, you’re amazing. You got angry at Professor Dars’ words, didn’t you?”

This time, it was Roem who came up to me, making some noise.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What do you mean ‘what’s that supposed to mean’? Professor Dars insulted the knights and soldiers, didn’t he? He called the ones who fight closest to the enemy ‘idiots’, which is a huge mistake.”

This guy was also thinking whatever he wanted.

“Even if your anger is justified, you were too reckless this time. As a student, it’s your duty to respect the professor’s authority and participate actively in class. You should try to fix the situation in the next class.”

I was already getting a headache from listening to all this nonsense.

“Ugh, why are you doing this too? Can’t I just be alone…?”

For a moment.

Roem thought I was a good person. He was the only one I could ask for help.

“That’s right. Roem, help me out.”

“Of course. If I can help, just tell me anything.”

His small flaw of not washing his hands after using the bathroom wasn’t important. I grabbed Roem’s hand tightly and said:

“That’s the truth…”

I made sure no one was listening around us and told Roem about my problem.

Originally, I wanted to be a knight, so I wielded a sword for 10 years.

So, I didn’t know anything about magic.

I tried to use magic, but I failed because my connection with mana was cut off.

“I think I know what’s going on, but where do I even start?”

“Let’s start from the basics. Think of it like teaching an orc.”

“Okay. Let’s see…”

Roem opened his textbook and showed me a page with a drawing of the human brain.

“Here, there’s a mana circuit around the back of the head, right? This organ is activated, allowing people to sense mana and become mages.”

I nodded.

“The mana circuit isn’t a visible organ like our limbs, is it? Instead, it connects with mana to realize our thoughts. Um… sorry, is this a bit difficult for an orc?”

“Keep going. I’m not a real orc, anyway.”

“Mages train their mana circuits from a young age using their family’s meditation techniques. They repeatedly imagine specific thoughts and transform them into suitable forms.”

This explanation was somewhat understandable, but my doubts weren’t fully cleared.

“Is it because I skipped that training that I can’t use magic? Even a beginner who just started sensing mana can do simple magic.”

“Yeah, even a beginner can do it. In your case, it’s not about ‘kipping’ the training, but ‘eplacing’ it. You’ve been using swordsmanship to train your mana circuit instead of meditation.”

I asked with a sense of foreboding.

“Maybe…”

“I’m not sure about this, but maybe your mana circuit only works properly when you have a sword.”

You need a sword to use magic!

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I returned to my room, realizing the problem through Roem’s explanation.

The spacious single-room dormitory was a privilege given only to magic department students at the War University.

Suppressing the temptation to lie down on the soft bed provided, I opened the bag I had brought from the front line.

I had given away all my previous belongings to the rear unit, so the only thing I had left was the familiar sword.

“I did well not to get rid of it.”

It wasn’t because I had an attachment to the sword. What could I do with it anyway, since I couldn’t even become a knight?

I had planned to keep it well and use it to tell stories to my grandchildren in the future, saying, “Your grandfather used this sword to harvest the heads of orcs on the front line.”

But I ended up holding the sword for a different purpose, sooner than I thought.

A cool and heavy sensation.

It felt familiar, like holding an old friend.

My worries disappeared, and my mind cleared up.

I held the sword and tried to sense my mana.

And I activated my elemental magic.

The target was a cup on a shelf about 1M away.

“I did it!”

I succeeded in moving the cup.

It was very slow and precarious, but the cup floated in the air and landed in my hand.

“It’s not bad for a first try…”

I couldn’t be too happy about succeeding in using magic for the first time, though.

Compared to other students, my level was pathetic. I wouldn’t be able to satisfy Professor Dars with this.

If I continued to disappoint him, the chances of getting kicked out of the War University would skyrocket.

It would mean my plan to graduate and get assigned to a safe place to live a peaceful life would be ruined.

Wake up, my talent.

I repeated my elemental magic practice, targeting the cup, until the sun went down.

My whole body was drenched in sweat, and the cup had traveled back and forth between the shelf and my hand dozens of times, but I didn’t see any significant results.

“This is going nowhere…”

I sat on the bed for a moment, organizing my thoughts.

“The difference between me and other mages is indeed the ‘word’.”

While others strengthened their connection between their mana circuit and mana through meditation, I had created an abnormal condition for magic activation by wielding a sword during my training.

Mana circuit – magic activation

Mana circuit – sword – magic activation

The process had an extra step added to it.

If I had a sword, I could activate magic, but it was at a pathetic level.

“Then, what if I use the sword itself as a medium for magic?”

I experimented by imagining the sword I was holding piercing the cup on the shelf and activated my elemental magic.

“Huh?”

My hand moved faster than I realized, and the sword flew out-

─ Clang!

Before I knew it, the cup was shattered and stuck to the wall.

The speed was similar to when Professor Dars demonstrated it.

Gulp. I swallowed my dry spit, imagining the sword stuck in the wall, drawing a “乙” shape and flying back into my hand.