—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“You saved me,”
Ed said to Charlotte, who was sitting next to him.
About five minutes earlier, she had rescued him from a predicament.
“I-I’m glad. I, I could help… Hehe.”
Five minutes ago, Ed had tentatively chosen Enya.
Because her affections were still wavering at this point.
“E-Ed!”
Just as he was about to say Enya’s name, a girl with green curly hair and round glasses called out to him.
It was Charlotte, who had been observing his situation.
“Wh-what are you doing over there! We, we were going to sit together, remember?”
She winked as she pushed her glasses down her nose.
Her eyes, unexpectedly pretty without the glasses, caught him off guard.
But his situation was too urgent for such observations.
He quickly grasped the lifeline Charlotte offered.
“Oh, right! After the first evaluation, we talked about taking this course together!”
“Yeah! You, you said you weren’t good with mana, and that you needed to take this course.”
“Oh…! Right! We agreed to take it together. I completely forgot.”
“There’s a seat open next to me! N-no one ever wants to sit next to me…”
“Oh? Oh, okay.”
Ed apologized to Enya and Isabella, explaining he had a prior engagement, and went to sit with Charlotte.
Enya and Isabella seemed to argue for a bit, but the commotion subsided when Professor Gracia entered the classroom.
The atmosphere shifted instantly, a hush falling over the room as he approached the lectern.
“Greetings. I am Sword Master Gracia.”
He introduced himself simply, with just the title “Sword Master.”
But that single phrase was enough to establish the authority of the class.
They were in the presence of one of only five Sword Masters in the Empire.
If not for the Emperor’s decree, they would never have had the opportunity to receive his instruction.
“There are two main methods of using mana to attack an opponent.”
As the students sat frozen with anticipation, Gracia began his lecture.
He skipped the usual introductions and dove straight into the material.
“The first method is formula-based attacks. This involves using formulas visualized in the mind to damage an opponent’s mind or body, or to manipulate the environment or even space itself.”
Despite the abrupt start, the students were completely focused.
Only their breathing and Gracia’s voice echoed in the vast lecture hall.
“However, implementing effective formulas requires significant talent. Precise calculation skills, geometric visualization, the insight to simplify complex formula structures, and the imagination to combine thousands of formulas for practical application on the battlefield—a skilled formula user must possess all of these abilities. Therefore, only a select few geniuses can reach this level.”
Gracia glanced at Isabella, but his gaze lingered for only a moment before he continued.
“The other method involves physically enhancing oneself using only the ‘Strengthening’ Formula and engaging in direct combat. This method allows individuals with limited aptitude for formulas to achieve a certain level of proficiency. The barrier to entry is lower compared to formula users, or mages.”
Gracia paced as he spoke, the students’ eyes following him.
“But does this mean that Enhancement users require less effort than Formula users? No. Enhancement users require even more precise and meticulous mana manipulation.”
He pressed a switch in his hand.
A light flickered on, projecting an image onto the white wall.
It was a diagram of the human body filled with mana.
“Observe the diagram. This is a visual representation of the mana distribution within my body. Assuming a total mana capacity of 100%, you can see that 30% is concentrated in my right arm.”
As he explained, a large concentration of mana was visible in his right arm.
A single arm held 30% of his total mana capacity.
“This allows me to unleash a powerful slash. Its range and lethality are comparable to that of a highly skilled Formula user. I have honed this single strike for countless hours.”
Gracia switched to the next image.
It depicted an area with a radius of 10 meters completely devastated.
“This image shows the power of the slash I’ve honed for decades.”
Silence fell over the classroom.
The destructive power was overwhelming.
A single swing of his sword could cause such devastation.
‘A single missile could probably do the same’
Ed thought absently.
Gracia switched back to the previous image.
“However, everyone’s mana capacity and distribution are different. For example, Sword Saint Eleiya has 40% of his mana concentrated in his head. But he also possesses an aptitude for formulas, so he combines physical techniques with formula-based attacks. That’s what makes him the strongest swordsman.”
He used Enya’s father as an example.
Enya flinched, as if her father had suddenly been summoned into the room.
“Therefore, for Enhancement users, understanding their mana distribution is crucial. If you have low mana capacity in your legs, you need to devise ways to compensate. Conversely, if you have high capacity in your chest, you should leverage that to maximize your strengths.”
*Beep.*
Gracia pressed the switch, advancing the slides.
“Here are the ranks for swordsmen: Sword Runner, Sword User, Sword Expert, Sword Master, and Grand Sword Master. However, the Grand Sword Master rank is a tribute to Lord Kassel, a legendary figure, so we’ll exclude it from this course.”
Grand Sword Master Kassel, a figure who lived approximately 340 years ago, was revered as a god among swordsmen.
As far as Ed knew, the current physical and weapon techniques all originated from the “Kassel Style.”
“Now, a question for you. Which rank do you believe you belong to?”
Silence filled the room.
Gracia pointed at Ed.
“Edgar Fix, I’ve heard rumors of your vast knowledge. Answer me. What is the average rank in this classroom?”
Ed froze, caught off guard.
As everyone’s attention focused on him, he recalled the information he had gleaned from the game’s lore during his numerous playthroughs.
“Sword User.”
“Oh? And your reasoning?”
“As far as I know, a mana efficiency of 60% or higher is required to qualify as a Sword User.”
“Elaborate.”
“The rank restriction for this course is B-class and above. And to achieve B-class, one must demonstrate a destructive power equivalent to the amount of mana expended during the first and second evaluations.”
In other words, if someone used 100 mana but only generated destructive power equivalent to 60 or less, they wouldn’t have reached B-class.
Gracia smiled, pleased.
“Correct. My class doesn’t tolerate Sword Runners.”
Charlotte flinched and nervously glanced around.
Gracia continued, unfazed.
“As Edgar Fix explained, a Sword User is someone who has reached a certain level of mana efficiency. 60-70% is considered low-level, 70-80% is mid-level, 80-90% is high-level, and 90-100% is top-level.”
‘I’m a high-level Sword User’
Elena had told him so.
With a little more training, he could reach top-level.
“Once you reach top-level Sword User, you can progress to Sword Expert. A Sword Expert must be able to efficiently distribute mana according to their capacity. Observe the next slide.”
The slide changed.
Enya twirled her pen, a bored expression on her face, as if she already knew everything.
“Here we have Swordsman A. Swordsman A is naturally gifted with a left hand capable of holding 60% of their total mana capacity. But do you think they can actually fill it with 60% of their mana just because the capacity is there?”
He paused.
“No. Without training, they would struggle to fill even 30%. They wouldn’t be able to utilize their strengths.”
Ed felt a pang of guilt.
He was already capable of doing that, thanks to the formulas inscribed on his mana stones, which allowed him to distribute mana without special training.
“The key requirement for a Sword Expert is ‘efficient mana distribution.’ For example, if we assume a total mana capacity of 100%, with 60% in the left hand, 5% in the right hand, 15% in the head, 10% in the chest, and 5% in each foot, a Sword Expert at the peak of their abilities can perfectly distribute mana according to these proportions, without any deviation.”
‘I can already do that too’
He was using the Blood Dragon’s mechanism.
“And upon reaching this stage, one can awaken the ‘Blue Eye.’ This is the realm of perfect mana manipulation, allowing one to perceive an opponent’s mana flow. This is the first step towards becoming a Sword Master.”
Gracia activated his Blue Eye, his eyes glowing with a blue light.
“At this stage, you can anticipate your opponent’s formulas. There’s a significant difference between dodging knowingly and dodging blindly. It simplifies defense and allows for more aggressive attacks.”
Ed tried to activate his own Blue Eye, but it didn’t work. The Blue Eye required highly refined mana receptors.
‘Could I connect my optic nerves to the mana stones?’
“Beyond this point, is a realm I cannot explain. It involves establishing your own footwork, breathing techniques, evasion, maneuverability, and attack style based on your mana capacity and honing them through rigorous training.”
Gracia’s explanation highlighted just how monstrous Enya was.
She hadn’t awakened the Blue Eye yet, but she was already developing her own sword style, “Quickdraw.”
Whether Quickdraw was suitable for her mana capacity was another question.
“Today, I will assess your mana capacity. Your assignment is to choose a training method and a weapon based on the information I provide and report back to me next week at this time. Enya Cruel, step forward.”
Gracia called Enya to the front.
He observed her carefully with his Blue Eye activated, then exclaimed in admiration,
“As expected of Eleiya’s blood. I’m honestly surprised. You’ve reached this level at such a young age. You’ll awaken the Blue Eye before the year is over. Do you have a particular sword style in mind?”
“…Quickdraw.”
“…? Quickdraw? What kind of swordsmanship is that?”
“It’s a sword technique that converts the frictional energy generated when drawing the sword into a powerful slash.”
“Hehehe…Your jokes are as terrible as your skills are impressive. Bring me at least a general concept by next week. Next.”
Gracia mistook Enya’s serious answer for a joke.
He proceeded to assess each student’s mana capacity.
Charlotte was scolded for her lack of mana training.
Then, it was Isabella’s turn.
“…Frankly, I’m curious why you’re even here.”
“I want to understand the weaknesses of Enhancement users.”
“Is that so? And what weaknesses have you identified?”
“I haven’t found any yet. I’ll need to attend more classes.”
“…Very well. Then I’ll give you a different assignment. Each week, I’ll provide you with information on the students’ mana capacity. Based on that information, you will deduce their potential sword styles and develop countermeasures. Now, number four…”
“Actually…”
Isabella interrupted with a sly smile on her face.
“You don’t have to tell me. I can use the Blue Eye too.”
Her eyes glowed blue.
“And if I combine it with my Trait magic, it becomes the Black Eye.”
Her eyes turned completely black.
Gracia chuckled.
“Hehehe…I forgot that a highly skilled Formula user can also awaken the Blue Eye. Very well. Choose five students each week, analyze their mana capacity, and report their potential sword styles and weaknesses to me.”
“Sure. Sounds fun.”
Isabella returned to her seat.
Gracia called Ed’s name.
He was staring at Ed with a bewildered expression, as if thinking,
“What is with this kid?”
“How…How is this possible?”
He muttered with a dumbfounded look.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
