Book 1 Chapter 269
“Specific specs for the weapons we’ll be using?”
“Hmm… I haven’t really thought about it?”
The students of Lumern wore looks of bewilderment.
Not just the average students, but even the top students from each department showed difficulty.
“I have a rough idea of the specs for the magic staff I use, though.”
Chelsea took out her staff from her pocket.
While Abad and Chloe used long staffs as tall as themselves, Chelsea’s main staff was a short staff about 30cm long.
Of course, as each type of staff had its pros and cons, Chelsea also owned a long staff magic staff.
Kal said, resting his clasped hands on his head, “The staff you favor is one of the heirlooms of the Rwalin family, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s Flammen, which was used by the 5th generation head.”
Flammen.
It was a weapon classified at the same grade as Celia’s beloved sword, ‘Flame Storm’.
Weapon grades were broadly divided into five categories.
[Common], [Magic], [Hero], [Legend].
And finally, [Divine].
[Common] referred to weapons made of steel produced by ordinary blacksmiths.
They were the most commonly seen weapons and possessed no special power.
From the [Magic] grade onwards, these were weapons crafted by blacksmiths with a knack for magic engineering.
Weapons that went through special manufacturing processes using magic engineering or weapons imbued with mana were classified as [Magic].
[Hero] were weapons with special powers even within the magic grade, used by individuals of heroic caliber.
Legend, above that, referred to weapons that had left their mark in the hero records.
And finally, [Divine].
Weapons made with the craftsmanship of a god.
Throughout history, there was only one person who could create weapons of [Divine] grade: the divine blacksmith Dwenno.
Both Celia’s Flame Storm and Chelsea’s Flammen were classified as [Legend].
They were symbolic weapons of Zerdinger and Rwalin.
“I’m always envious when I see it.”
Kal admired Flammen.
It was a weapon that even with a lifetime of effort, an ordinary mage would find it difficult to even glimpse, let alone obtain.
“Speaking of which, were there four people in our year who possessed Legend-grade weapons?”
Celia, Abad, Chelsea, and Eliza, all hailing from hero families with long and storied histories.
The Zerdinger, Rwalin, and Hergin families were exceptional in their history and reputation compared to ordinary hero families.
Even Duran’s family had a short history, so they did not possess any weapons classified as [Legend].
‘When I think about that, I genuinely wonder how I ended up being friends with them.’
As Kal shook his head in disbelief.
Chloe asked, “If it’s a magic staff of that caliber, don’t you not need any other staff?”
“Not necessarily. While Flammen is a powerful magic staff, it’s not omnipotent. It complements my specialty wind magic well, but it doesn’t work well with other types of magic.”
Chelsea pouted.
“It’s a staff that holds more power than any other, but that’s why I can’t handle it perfectly. I have to adapt to the staff. That’s why I need a custom magic staff.”
Weapons imbued with immense power were that much harder to wield.
Chelsea, though an outstanding mage, was still an inexperienced fifteen-year-old.
Despite being Flammen’s owner, she couldn’t wield it perfectly yet.
The same applied to Celia, Abad, and Eliza.
“But no matter how I think about it, why do we need to know the specific details of a weapon when commissioning a magic staff?”
“That’s right. What Defetto-nim meant was that it’s important to understand the weapon itself, not just its specs.”
Chloe nodded in agreement with Chelsea’s words.
“You need to know.”
At that moment, Leo approached the magic department students and spoke.
Kal tilted his head. “Is there a significant advantage to knowing?”
“The advantage is immense.”
At Leo’s words, Emio, who was listening from afar, smirked.
“Let’s hear the student council president’s advice on just how great that advantage is.”
“Ah, he’s acting up again.”
Chelsea scowled.
Seeing Chelsea’s expression, Emio frowned menacingly.
“Are you picking a fight?”
“You started it, didn’t you?”
Chelsea stuck out her tongue.
“Now, now, stop fighting and let’s listen to the story.”
Abad intervened between the two.
“Hmph!”
Chelsea scoffed, and Emio twisted his face and turned away.
“Leo. Would you please tell us your thoughts?”
At Abad’s question, Leo took out a piece of ore from his pocket.
“Mithril?”
Kal, skilled in alchemy, recognized the mithril ore instantly.
“That’s right. I borrowed it from Defetto Smith.”
Leo tossed the unrefined mithril ore back and forth.
“Since Lumern fundamentally teaches magic engineering, you all know about mithril’s properties, right?”
“It has high mana conductivity and mana amplification effects.”
“Right. That’s why it’s most commonly chosen as the basic material for magic staffs.”
“Hmph, anyone knows something that basic. Did you come here to tell us common knowledge as if it were something amazing?”
In response to Emio’s sarcastic reaction, Leo tossed the mithril ore at Emio.
Thwack!
“What do you want me to do with this?”
“Can you enchant that ore?”
Emio scoffed and cast an enchantment spell.
Whoosh-!
The surrounding students gasped at the sight of the mithril ore engulfed in flames.
It wasn’t just because an enchantment spell was cast.
‘There’s almost no mana loss?’
‘Even with mithril ore, enchanting an ore with many impurities will inevitably lead to mana loss.’
This would be impossible without exceptional mana control.
Most of the mages in the room would experience mana loss if they tried to cast magic on such an impure ore.
‘If mithril is contained, even with many impurities, mana loss can be almost eliminated.’
“Why are you giving us a task that’s so easy it makes you yawn?”
Emio threw the enchanted mithril ore back to Leo.
Thump.
Leo caught the mithril ore without much difficulty.
Emio’s magic was instantly dispelled.
“Excellent. But you haven’t fully utilized mithril’s properties.”
“Are you criticizing my enchantment magic now?”
“It’s not a criticism, just pointing out an area for improvement.”
Fwoosh-!
“……!”
Emio’s eyes widened.
Leo cast an enchantment on the mithril ore.
Then, it emitted a much stronger firepower compared to Emio’s flames.
The magic used was the same, and the mana used was the same.
Yet, Leo’s magic exerted a more powerful effect.
“Did you use a special magic formation? A trick. How petty.”
“Unfortunately, it’s the same magic you used.”
Leo ostentatiously held out the burning ore.
No matter how you looked at it, it was the same formation as the magic Emio had used.
Seeing that, Emio contorted his face.
Chloe asked with wide eyes, “How did you do that?”
“I utilized mithril’s mana amplification property.”
“Isn’t it nearly impossible to utilize that property with ore that isn’t highly pure?”
Chloe’s eyes sparkled.
She displayed her curiosity for things she didn’t know.
“It’s not easy. But if you know the approximate mithril content of this ore, it’s possible.”
Leo dispelled the magic.
“It’s the same with weapons. If you know exactly what materials it’s made of and what properties it has, you can wield your weapon more freely. This applies to knights, mages, and summoners alike.”
Chelsea raised her hand at Leo’s words.
“Leo-oppa, but even without knowing the specifics, don’t we all wield our magic staffs freely? Don’t we all utilize our weapons to their full potential?”
The students nodded at Chelsea’s words.
However, Abad and Chloe pondered for a moment and then said, “It’s true that we all utilize our staffs to their full potential. But is there anyone who uses them to their absolute limit?”
Abad’s words made Chelsea pause.
“Well… no.”
“Right. If you overuse it, it overloads.”
“But Leo just enchanted the mithril ore very stably.”
Chloe continued, “If we consider this mithril ore as a magic staff, it’s like using our staffs to their absolute limit without any issues.”
The magic department students began to murmur.
Leo nodded at those words.
“That’s right. Actually, this isn’t particularly related to magic techniques. It’s simply a skill for handling objects well. It’s not usually of great help, but.”
Leo said calmly, “In extreme situations, whether you can do this or not makes a big difference. It can be a matter of life and death.”
At Leo’s words, the magic department students gulped dryly.
Upon reaching the second year, their academic life, where life-and-death situations would truly begin, was starting.
Therefore, the word ‘life’ mentioned by Leo carried significant weight.
“If you want to aim for a higher level as a hero candidate, the skill to perfectly grasp and utilize a weapon’s specs is essential.”
Leo nodded at Abad’s mumbling.
“Yes. And I hear that blacksmiths can judge a client’s worth based on what kind of weapon they desire.”
“Who said that?”
“An acquaintance who’s a blacksmith told me.”
Leo said with a smile.
“I’ll return this now.”
Leo headed towards Defetto with the ore.
After hearing Leo’s words, the magic department students began writing down the weapon specs they had conceived in their notebooks.
“Abad, what are you doing?”
Kal asked Abad, who was staring intently at Leo’s retreating back, with a perplexed expression.
“No, I just felt the gap again.”
Abad mumbled, clenching and unclenching his fists.
‘It’s not like a difference in talent… it feels different.’
Abad looked down at his hands as if confused.
‘It feels like a difference in experience.’
“You’re being unusually sensitive.”
Kal said, looking at the slightly stiff Abad.
“In that sense, Kal. Did you find out what kind of weapon Leo is commissioning?”
“Why are you asking that?”
“Let’s call it checking the target for defeat.”
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t use me as a spy?”
“It’s something friends can share, isn’t it?”
Abad put a friendly arm around Kal’s shoulder.
Kal said to Abad, “I don’t know either. I asked him to show me, but he said he didn’t prepare anything.”
“No way?”
Leo is undoubtedly a top student.
Therefore, he is meticulous about his academic preparations.
The idea that such a Leo would come unprepared was hard for Abad to believe.
“Chloe. Do you happen to know what kind of item Leo plans to commission from Demian?”
“He said he didn’t prepare anything.”
Chloe shook her head, looking puzzled.
At those words, Abad wore a strange expression.
‘What is he thinking?’
***
After two hours, the presentations began.
The presentations were conducted in turns by each school.
And the students of Lumern and Seirun faltered during their presentations.
While they were accustomed to presenting their academic achievements, many students struggled with presentations in fields they knew nothing about.
They explained the specific specs well, but the materials were indeed what tripped them up.
Defetto nodded as he watched the students’ presentations.
‘As expected, they are excellent. Especially in this presentation, everyone has a good grasp of what Demian wants.’
Understanding the weapon one will use.
It signifies perfectly drawing out the capabilities of the weapon one uses.
‘There are many powerful weapons in this world.’
And there are countless individuals who are swayed by weapons.
And most of those powerful weapons are made by Demian.
Demian’s students and alumni.
Blacksmiths who carry on the will of the great divine blacksmith Dwenno create and recreate weapons in an attempt to reach Dwenno’s domain.
‘A craftsman wants someone who can perfectly wield the item they created.’
An undeserved weapon is like pearls before swine.
Most Demian students held this belief.
Therefore, blacksmiths want users who fit their ideals.
‘Especially these second-year students, their dexterity is outstanding.’
Their pride as Smiths was equally high.
‘Well, there is one eccentric mixed in.’
Defetto’s eyes twinkled as he saw a Demian female student diligently taking notes.
‘That Driana, she’s appraising the presenter’s charm again instead of the weapon being presented!’
Defetto rubbed his temples as he looked at Driana, who seemed to be suffering from an art complex.
“Oh?”
At that moment, exclamations erupted from among the Demian students.
A male student from Lumern’s magic department was presenting.
‘Let’s see, it’s a magic bullet specific magic staff. The presenter is… Kal Thomas?’
The concept of the weapon was intriguing.
‘It’s not a weapon to defeat enemies, but a weapon to keep them in check… Indeed, is he aiming for a supporter role? Aiming for a supporter at this age. He’s decided his career path early.’
From the direction of the weapon, one could discern the role they aimed for.
A very rare choice for a hero candidate, aiming for a supporter.
Students from other schools showed indifferent expressions.
However, Demian’s students’ eyes sparkled at its ingenuity.
As Smiths, they showed fervent interest in ingenious items that stimulated their craftsmanship.
‘He seems to have some skill in materials engineering as well… He’s more of a crafting partner than a client.’
Defetto looked at Kal with amusement.
Not only Defetto but also Demian’s students showed great interest in Kal.
Meanwhile.
The presentations of the skilled individuals began.
The skilled students from each school, fitting their abilities, had considerable requirements for their weapons.
“A battle axe coated with black iron, made of an alloy of 70% Adamantium, 15% Mithril, and 5% Orichalcum.”
Dion Den, the second-best second-year student of Azonia, a giant beastman, made perfect demands to the Demian students regarding the weapon he desired.
It wasn’t just Dion Den.
Surprisingly, Azonia’s students were performing the best in this presentation among the three schools.
Their demands were all concise but definitive.
Celia, watching from behind the stage, crossed her arms.
“Unexpected. To present so perfectly.”
Arga, listening from behind, snorted at Celia’s words.
“For a warrior, perfectly understanding the weapon they will use is the basic of basics!”
“Indeed, that’s something to learn.”
Celia nodded.
“By the way, I have something to ask the black rabbit.”
“Leo is last. It’s your turn after the next one. Ask him after the presentation.”
“The black rabbit cousin is so strict.”
‘How long will she keep calling Leo a black rabbit? If it were a white rabbit, maybe.’
Hearing ‘black rabbit’ made Celia inexplicably concerned.
Thus, the presentation reached its final stage.
Leo, standing at the very back, watched the Demian students who were watching the presentations with their arms crossed.
‘Well, everyone wants their creations to be used by someone worthy. Dwenno was the same.’
Dwenno wasn’t particularly interested in crafting weapons.
However, as a creator, he demonstrated a craftsman’s spirit by only making items for those who were ‘worthy’.
On the first day Dwenno joined the expeditionary force, he declared,
‘Do not use any weapon other than the ones I make.’
‘I use Folium.’
‘Isn’t that a staff made by a god directly?’
Dwenno glanced at Luna once and continued,
‘I am an artist, but before that, I am a craftsman. I cannot tolerate those whom I have acknowledged using items made by other craftsmen.’
Dwenno smirked.
‘If a situation arises where you must use one, then rest assured of one thing. You are people recognized by me, Dwenno, and who receive custom weapons. Therefore…’
“Leo Flob.”
Finally, it was Leo’s turn.
Clomp- Clomp-
Leo ascended the podium.
Demian students showed interest in the unprecedented appearance of an all-class student.
The Demian students’ eyes gleamed. They were curious what kind of weapon the all-class student would present.
Amidst that, Leo said, “I am confident that I can perfectly wield any weapon.”
At Leo’s words, the Demian students paused.
“So please make it well.”
All the students had dumbfounded expressions.
This was a venue for Demian students to evaluate other hero academy students.
And here, Leo declared.
‘I absolutely cannot allow you to be evaluated. If there’s anyone foolish enough to do such a thing, I’ll smash their head with my hammer, so be warned!’
“Because I will be the one evaluating.”