Chapter 43: Siege Warfare (2)

“I’m nervous. I’ve never had a lecture like this before.”

“I heard there were similar lectures in the senior division as well—is that not so?”

“I only transferred last semester. I was preparing for the college‑division entrance exam. Even then, due to various circumstances I wasn’t able to attend lectures properly. This is my first time hearing about Bavaria’s educational style since coming up here.”

Laysis gently smoothed her hand and offered a faint smile, as if fluttering with excitement.

Carl and Laysis were currently stationed at the rearguard, guarding the stronghold’s flag.

Since they were new cadets, they were given relatively easy positions as consideration.

The others had gone ahead to build attack and defense lines at other strongholds.

Because the probability of being attacked at the early stage was small, they had leisure to chat idly.

“But I thought Laysis‑yang’s main strength was the sword. I didn’t know you were interested in magic.”

“It’s not so much interest as curiosity. It’s a harsh world to live by sword alone, right? If one has the means, one should learn as much as possible.”

“So you chose magic.”

“Yes. It’s probably the most major discipline used. In fact, a big reason was Yuria’s strong recommendation.”

“…Yuria‑yang’s love for magic is enormous.”

“It’s so big that it’s problematic, though.”

Carl and Laysis exchanged wry smiles.

“So she said we should take the lecture together, and then she ran off saying it was bothersome.”

“It seems top‑tier magicians don’t apply for this lecture.”

“Yes. They say they’d rather continue their research.”

Carl nodded.

A magician at Yuria’s level didn’t really need to attend a practical lecture like this.

It would be more efficient to focus on one’s own research during that time.

A magician’s lack of real combat experience could typically be covered with magic.

“Carl, you had some proficiency in magic too, right? You were called a magic swordsman during the entrance exam.”

“I only learned basic magic as part of theoretical study. Our household focuses on swordsmanship, so delving deeply felt awkward.”

Carl raised a finger and summoned swirling light.

Then he added wind spells atop it, causing the gathered light mass to lose color and transform into a Phantom Bullet.

“I initially learned it lightly as part of study, but the more I delved, the more fun it became. Why does mixing wind chant into light magic turn it into a Phantom Bullet?”

“Scattering Light.”

To define this magic in words: it could be divided into ‘scattering’ and ‘light.’

The emphasis lay on the ‘scattering’ described earlier.

The light that followed referred to attributes.

In other words, Scattering Light was not true light magic but a spell that gathered airflows imbued with light components.

“The wind chant changes the nature of that scattering airflow. Instead of gathering via light’s element, it’s done via air itself. Thus the light orb becomes an intangible bullet called Phantom Bullet.”

“I see… I didn’t know that before.”

Laysis widened her eyes and looked at Carl with admiration in her expression.

“Do others analyze and delve into it like that?”

“Not everyone does it like this. My approach is raw, I usually define spells via structure, resonance, and conversion description. That way is actually more precise and clear.”

“But Carl’s approach feels more emotional. The important part is not the light, but the attraction.”

Magic and emotion.

Carl stifled a laugh inside.

“Well, magic does have that side.”

He would never forget the feeling the first time his magic manifested in this world.

The sensation of looking at the orb of light floating in his hand—it would stay with him forever.

“If you think about it, swordsmanship is similar. The movement of the tip, the angle of the fingers, the direction of the shoulder. Depending on those, the trajectory of the swing greatly changes.”

“Exactly. When you go into detail in any discipline, you see similar patterns. The principles are all essentially the same.”

Carl smiled and nodded.

Indeed Laysis was astute.

To penetrate the core so easily.

“And the reason it’s called Phantom Bullet isn’t simply because of cohesion. When you do this…”

Ping─!

When Carl lifted his finger as if shooting a gun, an intangible bullet condensed in midair and shot sharply into the forest.

“As the name implies, it fires sharply.”

“Ugh!”

“Damn it, we’ve been spotted! Attack!”

Three cadets burst out from the forest.

One of them clutched his reddened forehead—it looked like Carl’s Phantom Bullet had struck him.

“Surprise…!”

Startled by the approaching presence, Laysis hastily extended her hand and fired a Phantom Bullet.

It was not a difficult basic spell, but since she was still unfamiliar with magic, it took some time until she completed the Phantom Bullet.

Just as the opponent’s bullet flew to point‑blank range toward her body.

Tat‑tat‑tat!

She thrust herself away with force and dodged the trajectory aimed at her.

There was only a rule to use Phantom Bullet—and no rule against using physical ability.

But the problem was that Laysis’s side was guarding the stronghold’s flag.

Swoosh!

A cadet aiming at her vacant space fired a sharp bullet at the flag.

“Ahh!”

Instinctively stepping back to avoid the Phantom Bullet, Laysis made a startled expression.

Reaching too late, she tried to block it with her body, but it seemed impossible to stop in time.

Ting!

Just before the fired Phantom Bullet pierced the flag, a bullet flown from somewhere twisted its trajectory.

Carl, having successfully defended the flag, looked toward Laysis who was out front and said:

“I’ll handle the defense, so please take the offense.”

Defense in this role type was much more difficult.

So placing somewhat clumsy Laysis in the vanguard was the correct strategy.

‘Even if she’s slow at using Phantom Bullet, she can dodge physically with physical ability.’

Fortunately, the attackers who ambushed them all appeared to be magicians.

Even if they enhanced their physical ability with mana, they could not match the true speed of a swordsman.

“Ugh.”

“Snipe the flag first! Then they can’t do anything!”

Ping! Ping! Ping!

The cadets risked Laysis’s attacks and aimed for the flag.

Of course, Carl, standing before them, displayed ironclad defense and allowed not a single trajectory to hit the flag.

Hmm.

While continuously scattering dummy jellies in midair to neutrali­ze Phantom Bullets.

Carl suddenly felt a question:

‘Even using wind chant, they don’t notice?’

Finger Wind literally referred to a technique that flicked the finger to shoot out wind.

Phantom Bullet was about condensing air and firing it like a bullet, while Finger Wind sent out compressed air imbued with internal energy.

On the surface, they were hard to distinguish, so he flicked his finger lightly.

“Ugh!”

A cadet who got hit in the nose clutched his face and staggered.

Since they were inside the Illusion Field, physical impact was converted into mental fatigue.

They would just faint upon reaching their limit anyway, so it wasn’t a real issue.

‘Not bad.’

Carl, finding this oddly fun, began mixing Finger Wind between Phantom Bullets.

The biggest difference between the two was that Finger Wind couldn’t be blocked by Dummy Jelly.

“What the hell? How did you do that?!”

“It just pierces through?”

The cadets’ faces were full of confusion.

Everyone knew that Phantom Bullets were blocked by Dummy Jelly.

But that common knowledge was currently being shattered spectacularly, and they had no idea what to do.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

Meanwhile, Laysis had circled around the rear and was targeting their backs, so the damage kept piling up.

New faces emerged from the bushes.

“You held out well!”

It was Harnes, who was in charge of the defense line.

He looked relieved and praised Carl and Laysis as he joined the fray.

Carl, who had just knocked another cadet unconscious by hitting his forehead with Finger Wind, simply offered a faint smile.

The second week at Bavaria passed in a flash.

It had a different kind of fun compared to the Heavenly Righteousness Academy in the Central Plains.

Back then, he had hovered around the outer edge of the academy’s junior members.

He pretended to be the heir of some nameless martial house in a backwater region.

Even that only lasted two or three months at most.

A long tail always got stepped on eventually.

But this was Carl’s first time preparing and planning long-term like this, so each day felt fresh.

‘It’s also different in that I now have people close to me.’

The Leipzig Family, his family.

NOX, his subordinate force.

And even the cadets at the academy.

In the Central Plains, he had never formed attachments to anyone.

There wasn’t even someone he could call a close acquaintance.

‘…No, maybe just one.’

Azure Sky Sword Dragon, Namgung Han.

Though he was a junior of a righteous sect, he oddly got along well with Carl, who was an assassin.

The memories of drinking with him frequently still lingered strongly.

Even on the day Carl left the academy, they had a conversation.

What was it again?

“Are you leaving?”

“Yeah. I’ve got no reason to stay here anymore.”

“I actually felt something was off from the start. So I kept an eye on you—but you were an interesting guy, so I just let you be. Be grateful for my kindness.”

“You brat. Do you even know who I am?”

Carl let out a soft laugh.

Did he let him go so easily because he knew who Carl was?

At the time, Carl wasn’t yet the Greatest Assassin of the Central Plains, but he was still a top-tier assassin of the Killing Veil.

Even if Namgung Han was the successor of the Namgung Family, one of the strongest martial houses, he still fell short against Carl back then.

So right before leaving, they ended up in a match—and Namgung Han was crushed and left face down in defeat.

Looking back, it seemed Carl had genuinely considered him a friend.

Namgung Han probably felt the same.

It didn’t seem like he had anyone else to open up to, either.

‘What a sight we were.’

A junior of a righteous sect and an assassin.

Truly polar opposites.

It was also probably Carl’s first and last real connection.

After leaving the academy, he never took a contract targeting anyone related to the Namgung Family.

Every time he heard the name Namgung, that guy’s face would come to mind.

Later, when Carl rose to become the Greatest Assassin of the Central Plains and earned the title “Unkillable”…

Namgung Han also became the Clan Head of the Namgung Family.

And likewise, he was given the title Azure Sky Sword God.

‘Sword God, my ass.’

When Carl first heard that name, he couldn’t help but scoff.

To him, Namgung Han would always be the Azure Sky Sword Dragon.

He wondered if he could meet such a person even in Artenia.

If he met even one person like Namgung Han, then maybe he could say his life here wasn’t so bad.

Just like he was doing now, reminiscing and looking back on the past.

“Carl!”

From ahead, Maximilian and the other cadets waved their hands and called out to him.

It was nearing lunchtime, and they were hurrying to secure a good spot.

“……”

Carl waved back and walked toward them.

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