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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Horse, or perhaps ‘Horny’, Egenir mused.
A gay student council president… He was dragged to the training grounds by Harfon.
“A warrior’s spirit is important, but a man must know when to draw his sword and when to sheathe it.”
Harfon’s passionate lecture.
‘What bullshit.’
Telling him not to draw his sword against a guy who was ready to snap his neck? When was he supposed to draw his sword, then?
Ella was already at the training grounds, practicing her swordsmanship.
“You’re out of the hospital?”
She was drenched in sweat, practicing the Wind Swordsmanship Harfon had taught her.
‘Why am I the only one stuck with physical conditioning?’
Harfon, claiming Ella was already physically fit, had put Egenir on a strength-training regimen the moment he’d recovered.
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“Assign people to watch Egenir.”
“Watch…him?”
Horse stared at his subordinate.
“Yes! Understood!”
“Report his every move to me.”
“But…why are you so interested in a first-year?”
His vice president, adjusting his glasses, inquired.
Horse looked at him and said,
“I’m just teaching a wildcat a lesson.”
He smiled, then pulled back the curtains.
“I’ll definitely have to postpone my graduation.”
He was more interested in Egenir than his royal duties. If Egenir had heard this, he would have screamed,
[You creepy gay bastard! Get lost!]
“Interesting…very interesting…”
Horse chuckled, a satisfied expression on his face.
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“Ugh…”
Egenir sighed, exhausted.
“The training grounds are getting crowded.”
“It’s the magic studies department. No need to interfere.”
Harfon shrugged indifferently. Cecilia was sitting on the sidelines, watching Egenir’s training.
“Shouldn’t you ask her to leave?”
“Why bother? She came on her own. Besides, it’s good to be friendly with the magic studies department. Like you said, we can help each other.”
He couldn’t argue with Harfon’s logic, especially since he was hoping for the Salamander synergy effect. And the trait was already proving to be more beneficial than he’d anticipated.
‘My limits…’
He hadn’t measured it precisely, but his stamina, his spirit…it had increased by at least 50%.
‘Could it be…because of her?’
He’d assumed the Salamander trait only amplified his rage, making him more destructive. But it seemed to be enhancing his physical abilities as well, even his Brawling skill.
‘Overpowered.’
That’s what he thought. This academy, this world…traits were inherently overpowered.
‘That’s why the demons exist.’
Human traits allowed them to master magic and swordsmanship, to become powerful. But just like a coin has two sides, the demons, born from the same power, also existed.
Humans weren’t inherently good, but being called “demonic” was the worst insult, so they must be relatively decent.
“Ugh! Push!”
He lifted the barbell, Cecilia watching intently.
“Her stare is distracting.”
“It’s youth! Enjoy it!”
Harfon glanced at Egenir, noticing his receding hairline.
“I’m still young!”
Harfon covered his head, yelling defensively.
“I didn’t say anything…”
“Don’t look! Three more sets of deadlifts!”
“You’re trying to kill me!”
Ella, seemingly accustomed to Harfon’s eccentricities, continued practicing her swordsmanship.
The synergy between Dragon Swordsmanship and Wind Swordsmanship…Dragon Swordsmanship generated powerful gusts of wind, which, combined with Wind Swordsmanship’s ability to manipulate air currents, created a devastating combination.
‘She’s the only one getting the elite treatment.’
The academy’s swordsmanship techniques, though officially restricted to knights, were easily leaked.
Wind Swordsmanship, like Dragon Swordsmanship, was a high-level technique, but…
‘She’ll master it…’
He was certain. Ella, fueled by her resentment, had the potential to surpass him.
“Five-minute break!”
Cecilia immediately rushed over as he sat down.
“Thirsty?”
“I’m burning up.”
“Right?”
She offered him her canteen.
“You should just study magic.”
Cecilia, knowing the limitations of Magic Swordsmen, didn’t understand his obsession, but she seemed supportive. Her affinity was over 70. If it weren’t for her high affinity, she’d be scolding him.
“I told you, swordsmanship and magic are both tools for protection.”
“You can’t master everything.”
If he’d listened to that advice, he wouldn’t have suffered so much in his previous regressions.
‘All those efforts to acquire a trait…’
He’d followed the stories of those who’d acquired traits through hard work, searching for his own hidden talent.
He’d become a jack-of-all-trades, mastering magic, swordsmanship, and alchemy, but…
‘It’s my legacy.’
The skills he’d acquired through countless deaths. It would be a waste not to use them, now that he could acquire traits.
‘A waste.’
He could acquire multiple traits now. And she said he couldn’t master everything?
“I can.”
“Egenir…”
She whispered.
“You have a fire trait, don’t you?”
Cecilia, as a future master of fire magic and student council president, could sense it.
“Yeah.”
“But…learning swordsmanship…”
“I know what you’re saying.”
He understood her concern, her genuine worry.
“I’m going to have it all. Remember that.”
“Have it all?”
“Just wait for the trait evaluation. You’ll see.”
He was exhausted, practically lying on the ground, but she felt a surge of…faith?
[It’s okay.]
A fleeting memory suddenly played in her head.
He was offering her a hand, rescuing her from a demon during a battle, after she’d acquired her fire trait. She’d never fought a demon before.
‘A hallucination?’
Mages valued logic and reason. They were trained to maintain their composure, even while casting powerful spells. The Salamander trait was unpredictable, but she usually embodied the ideal mage.
‘A strange…hallucination…’
She wanted to ask him about it, but it felt too vague, too unsubstantiated. She decided to keep quiet.
“Oh, the student council president came to see me.”
“What? Horse?”
Horse, the current president, was an obstacle she’d have to overcome to achieve her own ambitions.
“I heard he’s graduating early…”
He was scheduled to give a speech at the graduation ceremony after spring break.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s feeling sentimental. That’s why he was acting like a creep.”
“What did he say?”
“He tried to snap my neck.”
Flames flickered around Cecilia.
“I’m fine. I’d have cut his head off if he tried anything.”
He calmed her down, but Ella, overhearing their conversation, intensified her training.
A Sword Expert.
A student who’d achieved such a level, a prince destined for greatness. Even without sponsors, everyone wanted to be associated with him.
Ella, recognizing his power, seemed to have renewed her focus.
‘Her affinity is almost maxed out.’
Ella’s affinity had increased significantly after the fire incident, reaching the 40s. Harfon’s affinity was also high, at 41.
‘Spenny is still at 49.’
While the others’ affinities increased, Spenny’s remained stagnant.
‘She needs a…romantic event.’
He wasn’t interested in romance with men, but he was sure there were ways to raise Harfon’s affinity beyond 50.
He hoped this academy didn’t require him to…engage in homosexual acts.
‘Hopefully not…’
The thought of having to seduce Horse made him shudder. Harfon’s advice suddenly made sense.
Just shut up and train.
“Haaaa!”
“Good! More spirit!”
He moved on to bench presses, focusing on his training. The crowd of onlookers grew, some lingering longer than others.
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Wouldn’t it be funny if Horse turned out to be a princess instead of a prince?
This is what I was literally thinking about as soon as prince has started to show “sus” interest to MC. We don’t have gender bender tag, but who knows..