I walked down the corridor.
Recently, with my busy schedule, I hadn't been able to focus on other matters.
But now, I was starting to sense something wrong.
It was about Yeniel.
It felt like an eternity since she was supposed to return.
There hadn't been any news of her either, which was concerning.
I made a decision.
I needed to meet someone who knew about Yeniel.
And that person was none other than Principal McDowell.
He, along with Astina and me, knew that Yeniel was affiliated with The Rebels.
Among us, he was likely the one with the most information.
If Yeniel's status as a double agent for the rebels was exposed...
She might be subject to severe torture.
To protect Yeniel's identity, the number of people in the know was kept to a minimum.
That's why McDowell was my only option for information about her.
Also, I needed to discuss something with McDowell.
The leader of the Rebels had mentioned wanting to meet me.
I pondered over this for a while.
Why did the leader want to see me?
I wasn't completely sure of the reason.
However, there was one thing.
Something originally happened at this point in time with the rebels.
Rudy Astria's sudden change of allegiance.
He unexpectedly joins the rebels and attempts to kill Evan during a joint exercise.
However, that incident wasn't going to happen now.
The problem was around this time was when the Rebels made contact with Rudy.
"Rudy Astria here. May I come in?"
So, I planned to talk with McDowell about this.
If the leader of the Rebels is seeking me out directly, surely there's a way to use this to our advantage?
Moreover, I'd heard that the leader was injured.
Approaching at a time when he's weakened felt like an opportunity.
An opportunity to capture the leader.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})A mix of unease and hope bubbled within me.
Without the leader, the dreaded 'annihilation ending' where everyone in the academy perishes might be avoidable.
A chance to end all this and live happily might be within reach if we could eliminate the leader, Aryandor.
"Come in,"
A voice beckoned from inside the principal's office.
"…?"
It wasn't McDowell's voice.
Feeling confused, I entered nonetheless.
Opening the door, my suspicion was confirmed.
"Professor Cromwell... No, Vice Principal. Why are you here?"
There he was, donning glasses and handling some documents.
Cromwell sat in the principal's chair, processing paperwork.
"Ah, the Principal had to step out for a bit, so I'm handling some of his duties,"
Cromwell replied nonchalantly, removing his glasses.
"Do you have something to say to the Principal?"
"Well, I do, but..."
I was lost in thought for a moment.
When will the Principal return?
It wasn't just a simple matter to just pass on.
It could be a golden opportunity to capture the leader of the rebels.
"Excuse me... Do you know when the Principal will return?"
Cromwell crossed his arms and stared intently at me.
"Are you looking for the principal to cause more trouble?"
"Ahaha... not exactly trouble..."
I said with an awkward smile.
However, I felt slightly wronged.
Have I ever caused any trouble?
Aren’t I always bringing good things like a lucky charm?
Cromwell pointed his finger towards the door.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, I was drawn inward, and the door I was holding shut with a loud bang.
It seemed Cromwell used telekinesis magic.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"Silent."
He then cast another spell, preventing sound from escaping our vicinity.
After using the spells, Cromwell sighed and spoke.
"You seem to have something important."
Cromwell looked quite serious.
"Go ahead, tell me."
Seeing him like this, I felt there was no use in hesitating.
"Can we discuss it together with the Principal? It's important."
"The Principal won’t be here for a while."
"...What?"
It wasn’t uncommon for the Principal to be absent for a while, but he often visited the academy when needed.
Seeing my bewildered expression, Cromwell elaborated.
"The Principal is seriously injured."
I was taken aback.
Principal McDowell, injured?
He wasn’t just any person.
In terms of strength in the empire, he was among the top five.
The highest-ranking wizard of flash magic.
Who could harm such a person...
"Was it the leader of the rebels?"
At my words, Cromwell’s eyes widened.
"How do you know that?"
I began to understand the situation.
There were only a few who could hurt the leader or the Principal.
And if those two clashed...
I decided to explain everything to Cromwell.
"I came because of the rebels."
I began to lay out everything to Cromwell.
I also asked.
How did McDowell get hurt?
"He was injured trying to save someone named Yeniel."
"Ah..."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})I sighed.
Knowing McDowell's nature, it made sense.
He was the type to risk his life for anyone in the academy.
But it was reassuring to hear.
"The good news is, neither of their lives are in danger. They can't move right now though..."
I nodded in response to Cromwell’s words.
"So, what will you do now? About the rebels..."
"Even if the leader of the rebels is injured, we can’t be reckless. It seems he isn't as hurt as the Principal."
Considering McDowell fought while protecting Yeniel, this was expected.
"However, we must take measures to protect you."
Cromwell stood up and patted my shoulder.
"Don't worry. We'll prepare as best as we can. If we do it right, we might even be able to eliminate him."
With a troubled heart, I headed toward Professor Robert's laboratory.
McDowell isn't at the academy.
And in such a place, the leader of the Rebels arrives.
If he came alone, we might stand a chance.
No matter how potent his time magic is, it has its limits.
Time magic.
Its power is incomparable, almost on par with the Astria family's space magic.
But it doesn't possess the destructive force of space magic.
However, the real issue is the user.
The leader of the Rebels, Aryandor.
He's not just any ordinary wizard.
He's a wizard swordsman.
A rare individual who wields both magic and the sword.
A unique case that's hard to come across in a lifetime.
A talent that is said to emerge only once in a millennium.
Someone capable of handling two forms of mana.
Normally, magic and sword aura can't coexist, but he has the ability to meld them seamlessly in battle.
A realm often considered beyond human capabilities.
Of course, there's is someone within the academy with similar potential...
Perhaps with that person's help, we can find the wizard swordsman's weakness?
With these thoughts in mind, I entered Professor Robert's lab.
"Incredible. What kind of training have you undergone...?"
"…?"
As I entered Robert's lab, there was a guy I hardly recognized.
A man, gazing at Borval with shining eyes.
"Ah, Rudy Astria has arrived."
Borval noticed me and spoke up.
"Yes... Professor Robert called me to his lab..."
My voice trailed off as I looked at the young man beside him.
He met my gaze with a twinkle in his eye.
"Hello! I'm Diark Verdès, a first-year student in the Magic Department!"
With a burst of enthusiasm, Diark greeted me, making me frown a bit.
Diark... Diark...
"Oh?"
Diark Verdès.
A talent rare as once in a millennium.
A being that transcended human limitations.
Someone who has a similar ability to the leader of the Rebels.
He was the top student in the Magic Department, a first-year student, renowned for having the talent of a wizard swordsman.
Of course, while the leader of the Rebels wielded both the sword and time magic, Diark would be considered much below him.
Come to think of it, I've met him before.
I believe he participated in Yuni's student council.
I looked directly at Diark standing before me.
However, there was something off about his gaze.
His eyes sparkled as he looked at me with admiration.
I wasn't used to such intense gazes and felt slightly uncomfortable.
"Why are you here?"
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, I took a step back as I questioned him.
"Ah...! I've been learning a thing or two from Borval!"
Diark responded, standing straight like a new recruit brimming with pride.
"From Borval?"
I was puzzled.
Is he implying he's learning dark magic?
From what I know, Diark belongs to a quite renowned family, doesn't he?
While I had a grasp on most of the main characters' backgrounds, my memory about this particular fellow was fuzzy.
Originally, he was a one-off antagonist who went after Evan.
A clichéd story about a freshman, the most powerful in his year, challenging the top second-year student.
It was a predictable outcome.
His easy defeat didn’t need any elaboration.
Thus, I didn't know anything more about him.
“I didn’t come here to learn dark magic. Out of nowhere, they said I had the talent of a magic swordsman and began talking to me about it."
Hearing his story, I knit my brows.
"I've been thinking that maybe someone like Borval could also be a type of magic swordsman! That's why, as someone on the same path, I wanted to observe and learn from his journey!"
At Diark's words, I gave him a baffled look.
You could argue that, in some ways, Borval, who uses magic and wields an axe, could be considered a magic axeman.
But there was a distinct difference from a magic swordsman.
The inability to harness sword aura.
Even if one could enhance their physique, if they couldn’t use sword aura, they couldn’t truly be on the same path.
“Moreover, I've heard Rudy Astria is also on a similar path!”
Diark spoke with such fervor, as if deeply moved, closing his eyes and nodding.
“The way Rudy Astria has achieved so much, tackling monumental tasks and yet still pioneering a new path... It's truly inspiring! It’s remarkable!
I aspire to be like you!"
“Could you... maybe lower your voice a bit?”
Why on earth was he behaving like this?
I was taken aback by Diark's fanatic admiration.
What had I done to him?
I couldn’t recall interacting with him at all.
Nevertheless, there was no reason to reject someone's admiration.
I was trying to find a magic swordsman to understand their abilities better.
If someone like that genuinely admired and approached me with such enthusiasm, why wouldn't that be a good thing?
A grin formed on my face.
“Right, you should also give it your best.”
Seems I've found a promising acquaintance.
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