Book 1 Chapter 440

440.

It was the evening of the second week, with half of the training camp already over.

Students gathered, each busy talking about the results of today's training.

"Look! I can cast spells much faster now!"

Illiana said in an excited voice.

As she stretched out her hand, her specialty, light magic, activated.

"Hmph- At this rate, I might soon overcome my weakness, which is my slow chanting speed."

Chelsea looked at Illiana, who was stroking her chin with a smug look, and made a contemptuous expression.

"Illiana, your chanting speed was slow simply because you neglected your theoretical studies."

"No, it's not! Do you know how hard it is for me, a magic swordsman, to move quickly while chanting spells? Do you know the difficulties of a magic swordsman who uses both aura and magic simultaneously?!"

"It's a fact that you neglected your theoretical studies."

Illiana, who flinched at Chelsea's nonchalant words, shouted 'Aha!' and sprang to her feet.

Then she defiantly crossed her arms and said,

"You're just afraid I'll catch up to your specialty, high-speed chanting, aren't you? Huhu! So jealous."

Whoosh-!

"Kyaaaah!"

"What was that?"

Illiana was sent flying by a gust of wind magic that activated without a moment's notice.

Seeing that, Kyle muttered while chewing on jerky.

"Chelsea, your chanting speed seems to have gotten even faster, somehow?"

"Yeah, I think it's the result of training with Instructor Arkan!"

Nelia looked at Chelsea, who was smiling proudly, with a puzzled expression.

"I heard he's an outsider when it comes to magic, though?"

"Yes, he doesn't know much about magic. But combat know-how, methods to improve concentration, and so on! I've learned a lot of different things!"

Nelia smiled gently as she watched Chelsea speak excitedly, then stroked her head.

Tade muttered as he watched them.

"The students from the Knight Department will be making tearful faces. They're already scared of Chelsea, calling her the 'Knight Hunter'."

Chelsea, who possessed the best close-quarters combat abilities among second-year magic students, had established herself as the natural enemy of the Knight Department students.

Because of this, Chelsea was called the 'Knight Hunter' among the Knight Department students.

Chelsea made a V-sign.

Just then.

"Oh! It's Instructor Arkan!"

"Instructor Arkan! Have you had dinner?!"

A commotion arose in the camp.

As the students turned their heads, Arkan was there.

"He's popular."

"Compared to the graduates, he's literally like an angel."

Illiana, who had been sent flying by Chelsea and returned, replied to Nelia's mutterings.

"And he's fundamentally handsome too!"

"Anyway, if someone is handsome, they lose their mind."

"Aargh!"

When Tade scoffed, Illiana stomped hard on his foot.

Illiana neatly ignored Tade, who was clutching his foot and rolling on the ground, and stroked her chin.

"How should I put it, he has a peculiar charm, doesn't he?"

"Yes, unlike most other beastfolk who are rough and wild, Instructor Arkan is gentle."

"And they say his abilities are amazing, right? I heard he's not even an Azonia graduate, but I wish he'd come as a professor to our school."

Nelia and Illiana were busy chattering while looking at Arion.

Meanwhile.

Arion, surrounded by female students, gave a gentle smile.

At that, the female students gasped in admiration.

"At first, I thought Arion-nim looked similar but was somehow weak, which I didn't like."

"You thought so too? I thought so too. How should I put it. I guess I like that side of him too?"

"Yeah, he's charming. Should I say I want to protect him?"

The Azonia female students murmured with starry eyes.

"Hmph!"

Just then, Borman stood between the two female students.

"Hmph, Instructor Arkan is certainly a strong man. But a beastman should naturally have a tough and wild side!"

Borman, with wide-open eyes, looked to the side.

"Isn't that right, Dion!"

"The tough and wild side is only in Dion."

"You're just a muscle-brained idiot."

The Azonia female students gave sharp reactions.

At that, Borman confidently shouted,

"Isn't my dignified appearance in battle cool?"

"Admiration does come out, yes."

"Yeah, because you're ignorant. The cool one is our boss cat!"

"Exactly! Ar is much more dignified and cool than you!"

"That thing?"

Borman narrowed his eyes and pointed at Ar.

"Scared of water. Scared of water. Scared of water."

Ar, clutching his knees and trembling in front of the campfire, was far from dignified and cool.

The Azonia students made strange expressions watching Ar, who had been acting strangely for a while now.

The two Azonia female students looked at each other's faces, then soon shouted,

"Even that look is cute!"

"He's like a broken cat!"

Borman grumbled, seeing his peers who were reacting even more enthusiastically.

"There's no knowing the minds of women at all."

"No matter who you bring, they'd say he's cooler than ignorant you, wouldn't they?"

"Why are you looking for a fight again? Fox."

While the Azonia students bickered.

Arion headed to where the Seirun students were.

Overall, Arion was popular with female students, but the Seirun students didn't like to make a fuss, so they didn't show much interest in Arion.

"Eiran."

Arion smiled and took out some snacks from his pocket.

"Here you go."

"Ah, thank you."

Eiran, who had been secretly reading a book in the corner, smiled brightly as she saw Arion handing her snacks.

"What are you reading?"

"A book."

"Wow, it's the same. That child also liked books."

Eiran, knowing who Arion was referring to, smiled shyly.

"By the way, what's it about? That child never showed me what they were reading either."

"It's, it's just a grimoire! A grimoire! It's the Seirun magic class textbook."

Eiran closed the book and laughed awkwardly.

Lunia, who was passing by, checked the book cover and narrowed her eyes.

"[A Study of Night Sky Constellations and Star Magic]? Isn't this a first-year textbook? Why are you reading this? Are you perhaps doing something strange again… Ugh?!"

"R-review! Review! Miss Lunia! Review is important, isn't it?"

Lunia, whose mouth was covered, quickly patted Eiran's arm.

"It's a shame it's magic. If it were martial arts, I could help you."

"No, it's not! Instructor Arkan's teachings are a great help!"

"Really?"

Arion, who had gently stroked Eiran's head after she replied with a bright smile, left.

At that, the Seirun female students urgently asked,

"Miss Eiran. It seems like Instructor Arkan has been taking care of you a lot for a while now?"

"Are you perhaps in some kind of relationship with that instructor?"

Eiran smiled, looking at her classmates who were asking with sparkling eyes.

"I guess he's fond of me."

"Gasp! No way!?"

"He certainly is a dignified person, unlike other beastfolk."

"It's not that kind of relationship."

The reason Arion took care of Eiran was simple.

It was because she was the descendant of his disciple, Berkhia.

As Arion had been very fond of Berkhia, he couldn't help but pay more attention to Eiran.

As the Seirun female students gathered around Eiran, Alice said,

"Eiran, at this rate, Lunia will die!"

"Huh? Oh! Miss Lunia! Wake up!"

Eiran cried out, seeing Lunia who had fainted with her eyes rolled back.

While the quiet Seirun students grew boisterous.

The next place Arion headed to was Chen Shia, who was meditating with her eyes closed despite the boisterous atmosphere.

Arion, who had been watching her from a short distance, said,

"Wouldn't it be better not to delve in too deeply?"

At his words, Chen Shia slowly opened her eyes.

Chen Shia, who blinked her large eyes a few times, made a surprised expression.

"How did you know?"

"Because I felt killing intent. I could see what movements you were thinking of."

"You're amazing."

At Arion's words, Chen Shia was astounded.

As a shadow, Chen Shia had learned to conceal her killing intent.

Even at the very moment of killing someone, Chen Shia could conceal her killing intent.

It was amazing enough that he felt the very faint killing intent she emitted while meditating and facing a virtual enemy, but he even predicted her movements based on that killing intent.

'Just how high is his martial prowess?'

Chen Shia marveled.

Seeing Chen Shia, Arion took out some snacks from his pocket and offered them to her.

Chen Shia received them politely with both hands and said,

"Thank you for taking care of me. But what is the reason you pay attention to me?"

Chen Shia knew that Arion, as an instructor, took care of other students.

But she was curious about why he paid a little more attention to her compared to other students.

"Because you resemble someone I know."

Arion smiled gently.

As Kyle's disciple, Arion also knew Biharu.

And he also knew the fact that she had spilled blood in the darkness on behalf of everyone else.

'That child genuinely respected Kyle.'

Arion wished that Biharu would live dreaming of a bright future.

Therefore, when he heard that Biharu had lived in the shadows, behind history, for the sake of her talent, his heart ached.

There might have been a reason why it had to be that way, but it wasn't the future Arion wanted.

"If you protect someone's back."

"……?"

"It's better not to think of sacrificing yourself on behalf of someone else."

At Arion's words, Chen Shia blinked.

"Don't give up and move forward."

Hearing those words, Chen Shia realized what Arion was saying.

A moment ago, when she was fighting in her meditation.

When she delved into the enemy's embrace.

Chen Shia had assumed her own death.

At Arion's advice, Chen Shia gave a bitter smile.

"The person I follow is an amazing person. But the path he wishes to walk is too arduous."

Chen Shia closed her eyes.

"That's why I want to stand behind him and protect him. Because I owe him a great debt."

'Because when he told me I could reach out and become a hero, my world filled with light.'

"I am willingly prepared to sacrifice myself for him. So please, don't pity me."

"I'm not pitying you."

Arion smiled gently.

"Because that person wouldn't want you to die."

Arion looked Chen Shia in the eyes and said with emphasis,

"The person whose back you want to stand behind would get angry if you sacrificed yourself for him. Because that's the kind of person he is."

"Do you know Lord Leo well?"

"I know him well."

Arion smiled.

"He would never give up, no matter the situation, would he? If you want to be his strength, you must never give up either."

"……"

Chen Shia's eyes widened.

"Instructor Arkan… did you also have a similar experience?"

"I did."

"Instructor Arkan, did you not give up?"

"……"

Arion closed his eyes.

And gave a bitter smile.

"I gave up. I was a coward."

Chen Shia blinked.

"You must never do that."

Arion stroked Chen Shia's head and said,

"Never become such a bad friend… a bad younger sibling."