Chapter 41: The Proof of the Magic Swordsman (1)

The day of the exam arrived.

As soon as lunchtime began, I went straight to find Yuria.

“Huh? Senior?”

“Have you eaten? If not, let’s go grab something.”

“I haven’t answered yet.”

“Oh, you’ve eaten? Then just sit and watch me eat. Come on.”

I dragged her along, and we started talking.

The topic, of course, was the verification process Yuria was about to face.

Last night, Baron had told me that the professors had prepared a three-stage verification process.

It sounded reasonable the moment I heard it, and the difficulty seemed appropriate.

Baron added that while the details might change overnight, the overall structure was unlikely to shift significantly.

Yuria’s expression as she listened was more serious than ever.

By the time the soup in front of her had gone cold, I finished explaining.

“What do you think?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Yuria replied.

“I think I can do it. No, I will do it.”

“You sure? You know there’s no time to practice separately. The evaluation starts right after afternoon classes.”

“I don’t care. I’m going to make it happen, no matter what.”

Yuria clenched her fist tightly, muttering as if making a vow.

But as lunchtime drew to a close, a trace of tension began to creep onto her face.

She couldn’t focus on the conversation and kept asking me to repeat myself.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I was saying…”

I thought it was only natural.

Even I, who wasn’t the one being tested, felt this anxious.

How much worse must it be for Yuria, the one actually facing it?

She’d probably be even more nervous.

As time passed, the pressure to pass would weigh heavier on her shoulders.

Before we parted, I handed her a flask filled with Lumigan root tea.

It was the tea she’d given me yesterday, which I’d brewed fresh and poured into the flask.

“Oh, thanks, Senior.”

“Don’t be too nervous.”

“…I’m not nervous.”

Liar.

I gave a light chuckle.

“Good to hear. See you later.”

Yuria bowed her head slightly and headed to her classroom.

With that, I’d done everything I could.

All that was left was to trust and wait.

…Or so I told myself, but I couldn’t help feeling a lingering sense of regret.

Wasn’t there something more I could’ve done to help?

If I’d looked harder, maybe I could’ve found at least one way.

If only we’d had one more day.

Those kinds of regrets.

The afternoon class was a third-year course, “Advanced Interpersonal Combat.”

But I couldn’t focus on a single word of the lecture.

Lost in thoughts about what was about to happen, I barely noticed when the bell rang, signaling the end of the class.

Deeeeng──

Deeeeng──

When I stepped outside, Yuria and Ivan were waiting for me.

We headed to the designated meeting place.

Behind the main building.

The area was awash in a sea of white from the blooming cherry blossom trees.

Cherry blossom petals fluttered in the breeze.

As the setting sun cast lengthening shadows across the street.

And as those shadows multiplied like a forest.

We stopped walking.

The Dean, Vice-Dean, and several professors, including department heads, were waiting for us.

“You’re here? Come over.”

The Dean beckoned us.

“Hello, Dean.”

“Yes. You must be Yuria. Your mentor told me about you.”

“Yes.”

“Then this should be straightforward. From now on, you must prove to everyone here that your choice was not a mistake.”

“…”

“The verification consists of three stages. If you fail even one, you’ll be deemed unfit, and you won’t be allowed to even glance at the secret tomes of magic. Additionally, the mentor who instilled false information and ideals in a cadet will be stripped of their qualifications.”

At those words, Yuria’s already pale face grew even whiter.

“Ready?”

“I’m ready.”

As if trying to overcome the pressure, Yuria answered with vigor.

“Good fire in your eyes. Let’s see the results, then. Head of Development.”

“Yes, Dean.”

“Begin.”

“Understood.”

The Head of Development ran to the center of the clearing.

There, tools for the verification were displayed.

Among them, the most eye-catching was a 10-pyeong space enclosed by reinforced glass and a cage inside it.

Within the cage, a black shadow writhed.

I stared at it for a while before turning away.

Right in front of me stood Yuria, visibly tense.

When I placed a hand on her shoulder, she flinched and looked up at me.

“Oh, Senior. You startled me.”

“Nervous?”

She shook her head, as expected.

But moments later, she gave a tiny nod.

“Actually… just a little.”

“I knew it.”

“Are you nervous, Senior?”

“In a situation like this, wouldn’t it be weirder if I wasn’t?”

Honestly, seeing it in person, the scale was much bigger than I’d expected.

When Baron told me about it yesterday, I thought it’d just be the people in the Vice-Dean’s office.

But now, it looked like someone had spread the word deliberately.

Professors who’d finished their classes were gathering.

Well, with the Dean, Vice-Dean, and department heads all heading to one place, it’s no surprise rumors spread.

Anyway, professors gathered.

And as they did, curious cadets followed, wondering what was going on.

“What’s happening? Why’s everyone here?”

“Apparently, they’re holding some kind of verification. The professors and the Dean are involved.”

“Verification? With the Dean himself?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh. Now that you mention it, the Dean’s here.”

“Who’s it for, that the Dean’s personally overseeing?”

“Over there. That girl.”

A group of cadets pointed in our direction.

Their blue emblems marked them as the 887th class—fourth-year seniors who happened to still be on campus.

“She’s pretty. Where’s she from?”

“Just a common freshman who got in this year, I heard. But she’s a swordsmanship specialist who also wants to learn magic or something.”

“…Crazy. Swordsmanship and magic? Did I hear that right?”

“She’s just an attention-seeker.”

It wasn’t just them judging Yuria.

Professors clicked their tongues, and cadets whispered while stealing glances.

Some looked like they were at a zoo, eagerly awaiting the spectacle.

Others spoke as if they were certain an accident was about to happen.

Among their words were criticisms of me, her mentor.

One thing was clear: not a single person here believed Yuria would succeed.

Their voices weren’t quiet, and Yuria must’ve heard them.

Buzz buzz.

Worried, I glanced at her.

Yuria looked the same as always.

A calm expression.

When I asked if she was okay, she nodded.

“I’m fine. I told you, I’m going to make it happen, no matter what.”

“No, I mean what people are saying…”

At that moment, the Head of Development called out to Yuria from afar.

“Yuria!”

“Oh, they’re calling me. I’ll be back, Senior.”

Yuria turned with a smile.

I hoped nothing would go wrong, but why did unease keep rising?

The smile she gave before leaving lingered in my vision like an afterimage.

It was clearly a forced smile to mask her pressure.

“The first verification is ‘Langlai’s Approval.’”

The Head of Development’s voice rang out from the center, and I looked up.

The verification had begun.

* * *

It was exactly as Baron had described.

The first verification: Langlai’s Approval.

‘Langlai’ was a top-tier artifact among staff-type items, better known at the Academy by its nickname.

The Talent Certificate.

Magicians with ordinary talent—those with subpar mana circuits—couldn’t wield ‘Langlai.’

Langlai’s specs were among the highest for staff-type artifacts.

The problem was its core material: the cursed tooth of a magic dragon, which shocked the user’s mana circuits.

It was said that only exceptional mana circuits could withstand it.

Just as physical abilities vary, a magician with fragile mana circuits would be repelled violently by Langlai’s rejection.

Hence, its nickname, the ‘Talent Certificate.’

I watched the scene with eyes full of tension.

I had no doubts, but now that the verification had started, I felt like a parent watching their child at the edge of a river.

“The first verification is to assess the performance of your mana circuits. Even as a swordsmanship specialist, you’ve likely heard of Langlai’s notoriety, right?”

“I know.”

“Go pick it up. Then use one magic spell you’re confident in. If you manifest the spell without a rejection reaction, you pass. If not, you fail.”

Langlai was wrapped in luxurious red cloth, placed inside a box.

Yuria approached it.

Everyone held their breath, watching her closely.

The Head of Development stood nearby, ready for any accidents.

“Pick it up.”

The signal was given.

Yuria’s hand reached for Langlai without hesitation.

Hwaaaak──

Langlai’s crystal emitted a red glow in all directions.

Even someone unfamiliar with magic could tell something intense was happening.

Yuria’s mana was clashing with Langlai.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed hard.

A heavy tension filled the clearing.

But at some point, the glow began to fade.

Though she looked slightly exhausted, Yuria stood proudly holding Langlai.

The Head of Development, who’d been watching in a daze, cleared his throat and spoke.

“Ahem. Pass. Next.”

The crowd stirred.

“What? That’s it?”

“Looks like it.”

“Lame. Don’t tell me the others will end like this too.”

My brow furrowed instinctively.

Did they really want to see Yuria get hurt by Langlai’s rejection?

I knew the perception of magic swordsmen was bad, but hearing it directly didn’t feel great.

“Mana circuits are innate, right? She must have some talent.”

“With that level, shouldn’t she have chosen magic as her specialty instead of swordsmanship?”

“Now I’m curious about her swordsmanship.”

“Let’s wait and see. She’ll show us.”

By now, Yuria had set Langlai down and was listening to the explanation for the next verification.

The Head of Development raised his right palm for all to see.

“The second verification is to test how well you can control mana. Gather the surrounding mana onto your palm and form a single sphere. Then, create another sphere inside it. Like this.”

A bluish sphere floated above his palm.

It was a mana sphere, mana given form and made visible to the human eye.

“Those who’ve taken magic classes systematically will know, but this shape, with mana spheres of different sizes layered together, is called ‘Berel’s Rune.’ It looks simple, but Berel’s Rune is a foundational technique for advanced magic. Naturally, it’s difficult to create in one go without considerable mana control.”

By now, two spheres, one large and one small, were spinning together on his palm.

“Creating this is the second verification. Begin.”

All eyes turned to Yuria.

If she could pull this off after Langlai’s approval, her talent as a magician would essentially be proven.

Perhaps because of that, the area was silent except for the chirping of crickets.

The air was taut with tension, as if I could hear the heartbeat of the person next to me.

In contrast, I waited with a relatively light heart.

Why? Because, thanks to Baron’s tip, we’d tried this during lunch today.

Yuria had done it without much difficulty.

In fact, she’d said this was easier than ‘Langlai’s Approval.’

So, watching this felt relaxing.

But.

“Hm?”

Seeing Yuria standing motionless, as if time had stopped, I sensed something was off.

Normally, she would’ve swiftly formed the sphere the moment the signal was given.

What was wrong?

I looked at her with worried eyes.

More time passed.

One by one, others began to notice something was amiss.

“…What’s going on?”

“Why’s she just standing there?”

“Is she focusing?”

“Even so, it’s taking too long.”

“Wait. Look at that. Isn’t she trembling?”

“Oh no… maybe she can’t do it at all.”

By now, everyone could see Yuria was struggling to form the sphere.

She focused and focused, but kept failing.

Until her clothes were soaked with sweat.

But the situation didn’t improve.

Emotional volatility is a magician’s deadliest poison.

Tension, pressure, panic, and fear from failure—all these hindered magic manifestation.

And Yuria had failed to control them.

From that moment, the verification was essentially over.

“It’s done.”

The professors, knowing this, shook their heads.

The atmosphere began to shift toward wrapping up.

Judging it pointless to give more time, the Head of Development declared ‘verification failed’ and turned toward the professors.

“What? That’s it?”

“She got Langlai’s approval, so I thought she had something, but this is even more anticlimactic than before.”

“Yeah. Well, that’s normal, I guess.”

Disinterested cadets began to leave.

The staff grumbled as they tidied up.

I stood still, organizing my thoughts.

“…”

No.

I moved.

“Where are you going, Senior Gerard?!”

Ivan called out, but I didn’t answer and kept walking.

Toward Yuria.

I didn’t have any special plan.

It just felt like a waste.

All the effort and time poured into Yuria.

So, I wanted to do everything I could.

I didn’t have the ability or method to help, but since this was a mental issue, maybe comforting her could fix it.

With that vague thought, I approached her.

Yuria stood alone in the middle of the clearing.

Her eyes were tightly shut, and she muttered repeatedly.

“Please. Please. Please…”

Her shoulders trembled faintly, and beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

I rolled up my sleeve and wiped her face.

Yuria’s eyes slowly opened, meeting mine.

“Senior.”

“Yeah.”

“Is it over?”

Anyone could see the situation was wrapping up, but I shook my head.

“No. Not yet.”

“Then?”

“There’s still time. You can keep going.”

I felt a sharp gaze on the back of my head.

The professors who hadn’t left were watching us.

Among them, the most intense gaze.

The Dean.

He’d been watching me since Yuria failed to focus.

His eyes held the look of someone expecting something.

“Why didn’t you do it? You did fine at lunch.”

“…I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“There were too many people.”

Yuria lowered her gaze.

“And too many thoughts. What if I mess up? No, I already messed up. What if people think badly of me? Things are finally getting better. For me and for you, Senior, things are supposed to get better too. If my mistake makes people talk badly about you again…”

She sounded like someone in a panic.

I firmly gripped the shoulders of Yuria, who was rambling like a broken robot.

Her trembling transmitted through my fingertips.

“Scared?”

This time, she didn’t shake her head like before.

“…Yes.”

“Of what? People’s gazes? Their judgments? Their criticisms?”

“All of it.”

I burst out laughing.

“What? Why’re you scared of that? It’s only natural.”

Yuria, startled by my laughter, glanced up at me.

“All of it… is natural?”

Her gaze was one of incomprehension.

So, I grinned even wider, showing my teeth.

“Of course. You’re an Academy cadet. The gazes and judgments of the crowd are par for the course.”

“…”

“And did you forget? You’ve just taken your first step on the thorny path of a magic swordsman. Situations like this will keep happening, now and in the future. You didn’t think this one verification would be the end of it, did you?”

Magic swordsmen are not welcomed and those who aren’t welcomed must always prove themselves.

That’s their fate.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to be a flame that brightly lights up the night?”

Yuria’s eyes trembled widely.

“Then think of this moment as just a wisp of smoke.”

“…Smoke?”

“Yeah. A bit of acrid smoke that briefly clouds your view. When a spark starts to burn, it’s natural for smoke to rise. But smoke always gets blown away by the wind.”

“…!”

“So don’t be scared. This is natural. You’re a spark that’s just ignited, and all that’s left is for you to blaze fiercely. Focus on that.”

Her trembling gradually subsided.

And then, slip, my hand fell from her shoulder.

Yuria had taken a step back.

I studied her expression.

Her face was still pale.

But the gaze she directed at me was calm, like a still lake.

Different from before.

“Ah!”

“Wow…”

At the same time, gasps erupted from the crowd.

Someone shouted loudly from behind.

“Hey! Hey! Wait! Don’t leave, look at that!”

The next words stopped the departing crowd in their tracks.

“She… she did it?”

On Yuria’s hand, a perfectly formed ‘Berel’s Rune’ was spinning smoothly.

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