Chapter 10 (1/2)

“Hopeless.”

“Sorry?”

“I said it’s hopeless, brat! What? You want to learn magic? That’s easier said than done. Did you think any simpleton could just learn it if they wanted to?”

“You could still give me a chance…”

“All the students here can feel and use the mana within them. Have you ever felt your mana?”

“If you teach me how, I could give it a….”

“Our schedules are packed from start to finish. We do not have time to give a lecture just for you.”

It was the most insulting response imaginable. Isaac’s face went red with embarra.s.sment as all the students in the cla.s.s snickered away. But that didn’t stop Isaac. He steeled himself from the mocking laughter of the students and tried to ask for permission to listen to the lecture. Before he could however, the lecturer had already answered his question with his stare. A stare of irritation and disdain. All Isaac could do was leave without a word. Mazelan’s wholehearted laugh was starting to test his temper.

“f.u.c.ker. Do you think I’m that desperate for magic? I’ll just become a Sword Master instead.”

“You want to learn swordsmans.h.i.+p?”

The next day, Isaac visited the School of Military for their permission. The lecturer seemed reluctant at best.

“It annoys me that you came to us after being rejected by the School of Magic, but we won’t kick you out yet. We aren’t as stingy as those bookworms, you see.”

“Thank you!”

“Let me introduce myself. I am Casey. I am the lecturer of the 3rd military school in Campus. You know that both wizards and swordsmen must know how to use mana right? I’m going easy on you, because I heard that you were rejected before you were given a chance for this test. If you can’t feel and use mana, we can’t help you. Let’s see if you can at least feel it. I suggest you give up if you fail.”

“That will never happen!”

Isaac’s shout was full of confidence, but it didn’t seem to impress Casey. He simply shook his head.

“Sword and magic. Their properties may be polar opposites, but their foundation is the same. How much you’ve trained and strengthened your mana is what’s important. Therefore, the only way to strengthen yourself is through constant training coupled with talent. Mana always gathers just below the chest of the user, and we call that the ‘Core’. At first, it’s no larger than a single grain, but through training it will become larger.”

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t swordsmen and wizards store their mana in different locations?”

“Hmm. I don’t know where you’ve heard that nonsense. Why would the position of the Core be different when they both use the same mana?”

“I guess you’re right. Then does that mean anyone who trains their mana can use both magic and sword ki?”

“That’s right. Let me guess. You just thought that you’d become invincible if you used both sword ki and magic at the same time right?”

“… Yes.”

“Well, you’re not the only person to think that. But they all failed.”

”Why?”

“Do you think you’d have time to idly cast your magic when a sword is flas.h.i.+ng before your eyes? It’s much more efficient to stab the b.a.s.t.a.r.d one more time than try to cast some magic.”

“B, but maybe you could mislead them or break their stance or…”

“For such basic spells, it’d be much simpler to use a weapon enchanted with such magic. That doesn’t mean it’s effective either. Your core can naturally resist such simple spells, and even if it doesn’t, you would usually wear magically enchanted armour to defend you against such things. As they say, if you run after two hares, you will catch neither.”

“…”

Breath in… breath out… Fill your lungs, and then slowly let it go. In… out… Forget everything and reach ascension.

Ah, am I finally catching a glimpse of it? It feels so so sweet.

Smack! A sudden blow to Isaac’s head had brought him back from his sleep. His eyes went wide and a scream echoed into the air.

“Ow! Oww! My leg!”

Casey watched Isaac writhe on the floor in pain. He had been sitting still for quite some time, and a sudden flinch of his leg from the pain had caused a muscle cramp.

“What a fiasco this is.”

It took some time before Isaac finally calmed down from the cramp, but the cramp wasn’t the problem now. As he slowly turned to meet Casey’s eyes, Casey stated his harsh opinion.

“Rejected. There is no hope for you. Just give up. How can someone who sleeps whenever he meditates train his mana?”

Mazelan’s irritating laugh echoed in Isaac’s mind.

In… out… Gather the mana through your breathing, and store it within. In… ou….

“Ah, Hot!”

A b.u.mp protruded in the middle of Isaac’s forehead.

“Weren’t you so sure you wouldn’t fall asleep this time?”

“W, well…”

“We decided to train with a candle in front of you because of your constant nagging, and now look at yourself. Don’t you think now is the perfect time to give up?”

“But there’s still regret in giving up so soon…”

“How can someone who can’t even gather mana from his surrounding learn swordsmans.h.i.+p or magic?”

“…”

“Gasp…… gasp.”

At this point, Mazelan exhausted was from all the laughter. Isaac felt his anger rise as Mazelan lay on the floor struggling to take a breath in between his laughing.

Sword master! Staple of the Isekai fantasy! What heart pounding emotions that word brings!

Wizards! Fire b.a.l.l.s in one hand, priceless magical artifacts in another. Well, he never intended on becoming so powerful that nothing could oppose him. It would have suited him fine if he was strong enough to take care of himself.