Book 1 Chapter 440

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

The students were busy gathering and talking about their training achievements for the day.

"Look! I can deploy magic a little faster now!"

Iliana said in an excited voice.

As she extended her hand, her specialty, light magic, activated.

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

Seeing Iliana stroking her chin with a smug look, Chelsea gave her a look of pity.

"Iliana, the reason your incantation speed was slow was simply because you were lazy with your theoretical studies."

"No way! Do you know how hard it is for me, a magic swordsman, to chant magic while moving fast? Do you know the struggles of a magic swordsman who uses aura and magic power simultaneously!"

"It's a fact that you were lazy with your theoretical studies."

Chelsea's indifferent words made Iliana flinch, then she suddenly exclaimed, "Aha!" and jumped up from her seat.

Then, with her arms crossed, she said,

"You're afraid I'll catch up to your specialty, high-speed incantations, right? Hehe! Jealousy."

Whoosh-!

"Kyaaah!"

"What are you talking about?"

Iliana was sent flying by a gust of wind magic that activated without a hint.

Seeing that, Kal muttered while chewing jerky.

"Chelsea, doesn't it seem like your incantation speed has gotten even faster?"

"Yes, I think it's the result of training with Instructor Akan!"

Seeing Chelsea smile with satisfaction, Nella looked confused.

"I heard he knows nothing about magic?"

"Yes. He doesn't know much about magic. But he taught me a lot about combat know-how, how to increase concentration, and more!"

Nel­la, smiling gently at Chelsea, who was speaking excitedly, stroked her head.

Seeing that, Tayd muttered.

"The students from the Knights Department must be crying. They're already scared of Chelsea, calling her 'Knight Hunter'."

Chelsea, who has the best close-quarters combat skills in the second-year Magic Department, has become a natural enemy of the Knights Department students.

Because of that, Chelsea is called 'Knight Hunter' among the Knights Department students.

Chelsea drew a V.

It was then.

"Ah! It's Instructor Akan!"

"Instructor Akan! Did you have dinner?!"

A commotion arose in the campsite.

When the students turned their heads, Akan was there.

"He's popular."

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

Iliana, who had been sent flying by Chelsea and returned, replied to Nella's mumbling.

"He's basically handsome too!"

"Anyway, you can't resist a handsome man."

"Kyaak!"

As Tayd teased, Iliana stomped on his foot.

Iliana, ignoring Tayd who was writhing on the ground holding his foot, stroked her chin.

"It's like… he has a strange charm."

"Yes, unlike most other beastmen who are rough and wild, Instructor Akan is gentle."

"They say he's incredibly talented too. I heard he's not an Azonia graduate. I wish he'd come to our school as a professor."

Nella and Iliana were busy chattering while looking at Aron.

Meanwhile.

Surrounded by female students, Aron smiled gently.

At that, the female students let out exclamations.

"At first, I didn't like Aron because he looked somewhat weak despite looking similar to me."

"You thought so too? I thought so too. It's like… I like this side of him too?"

"Yes. He's charming. Should I say I want to protect him?"

The female students of Azonia murmured with dreamy eyes.

"Hmph!"

Just then, Borman stood between two female students.

"Hmph, Instructor Akan is definitely a strong man. But a beastman man should have a strong and wild side!"

Borman glared to the side.

"Isn't that right, Dion!"

"Only Dion has the strong and wild side."

"You're just a muscle-head."

The female students of Azonia reacted sharply.

At that, Borman shouted confidently,

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

"It's certainly admirable."

"Yes, that's right, because he's ignorant. The cool one is our leader, the cat!"

"Right! Arga is much more confident and cool than you are!"

"That?"

Borman narrowed his eyes and pointed at Ar.

"Afraid of water. Afraid of water. Afraid of water."

Ar, huddled by the campfire with his knees hugged, shivering, was far from looking confident and cool.

The students of Azonia looked at Ar, who had been acting strangely for some time, with peculiar expressions.

Two female students from Azonia looked at each other's faces and then shouted,

"That side of him is cute too!"

"He's like a broken cat!"

Seeing their more enthusiastic reactions, Borman grumbled.

"I can never understand women's hearts."

"Whoever you compare him to, they'll say he's cooler than you, you ignorant person."

"Why are you picking a fight again? Fox."

While the Azonia students bickered.

Aron headed towards where the Seirun students were.

Although Aron was generally popular with the female students, the Seirun students didn't like to make a fuss, so they didn't pay much attention to Aron.

"Eiran."

Aron smiled and took out a snack from his pocket.

"Here."

"Ah, thank you."

Eiran, who was secretly reading a book in a corner, smiled brightly when she saw Aron offering her a snack.

"What are you reading?"

"A book."

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

Eiran, who knew who Aron was talking about, smiled shyly.

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

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

Eiran closed the book and smiled awkwardly.

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

"[A Study on the Constellations of the Night Sky and Star Magic]? This is a first-year textbook! Why are you reading this? Are you perhaps doing something strange again… Ugh?!"

"It's, it's a review! A review! Miss Lunia! Review is important, isn't it?"

Lunia, covering her mouth, hurriedly patted Eiran's arm.

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

"No! Instructor Akan's teachings are a great help!"

"Really?"

Aron, who had patted Eiran's head as she replied with a bright smile, left.

Then, the Seirun female students urgently asked,

"Miss Eiran, it seems like Instructor Akan has been taking special care of you for a while now?"

"Do you perhaps have some kind of relationship with that instructor?"

Seeing her classmates asking with shining eyes, Eiran smiled.

"I guess he likes me."

"Hok! No way!?"

"He is certainly a graceful person, unlike other beastmen."

"It's not that kind of relationship."

The reason Aron took care of Eiran was simple.

She was the descendant of his disciple, Berchia.

Aron, who doted on Berchia, naturally gravitated towards Eiran.

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

"Eiran, Lunia is going to die at this rate."

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

Seeing Lunia with her eyes rolled back and fainted, Eiran cried out.

As the quiet Seirun students became noisy.

Aron next headed to Chen Xia, who was meditating with his eyes closed despite the noisy atmosphere.

Aron, who watched him from a short distance, said,

"Wouldn't it be a bad choice to dig in?"

At that word, Chen Xia slowly opened his eyes.

Blinking his large eyes a few times, Chen Xia looked amazed.

"How did you know?"

"I sensed killing intent. I could see what kind of moves you were thinking of."

"You're amazing."

Chen Xia was awestruck by Aron's words.

As a shadow, Chen Xia learned to conceal killing intent.

Even at the moment of killing someone, Chen Xia can conceal killing intent.

Not only did he sense the faint killing intent he emitted while meditating and sparring with a virtual enemy, but he also predicted his movements based on that killing intent.

'Just how high of a cultivation level does he have?'

Chen Xia marveled.

Seeing Chen Xia like that, Aron took out a snack from his pocket and offered it to him.

Chen Xia, who received it politely with both hands, said,

"Thank you for taking care of me. But why are you paying attention to me?"

Chen Xia knew that Aron cared for other students as an instructor.

But he was curious why Aron paid more attention to him than to other students.

"Because you resemble someone I know."

Aron smiled.

As a disciple of Kyle, Aron also knew Bihar.

And he knew that he had shed blood in the darkness on behalf of everyone else.

'That child truly respected Kyle.'

Aron wanted Bihar to live a life dreaming of a bright future.

That's why he was heartbroken to hear that Bihar had lived in the darkness, behind history, for his talent.

There might have been a reason for it, but it wasn't the future Aron desired.

"If you're protecting someone's back."

"……?"

"Don't think about sacrificing yourself for someone else."

At Aron's words, Chen Xia blinked.

"Don't give up and move forward."

Hearing that, Chen Xia realized what Aron was talking about.

During the fight in his meditation just now.

When he dug into the enemy's embrace.

Chen Xia had assumed death.

Chen Xia smiled bitterly at Aron's advice.

"The person I follow is a great person. But the path they want to walk is too arduous."

Chen Xia closed his eyes.

"That's why I want to stand on their back and protect them. I owe them a great debt."

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

"I am prepared to sacrifice myself for that person, so please don't pity me."

"I'm not pitying you."

Aron smiled.

"That person wouldn't want you to die."

Making eye contact with Chen Xia, Aron said forcefully.

"The person whose back you want to stand behind will get angry if you sacrifice yourself for them. That's the kind of person they are."

"Do you know Leo well?"

"Very well."

Aron smiled.

"No matter the situation, they'll never give up, right? If you want to be their strength, you must never give up either."

"……"

Chen Xia's eyes widened.

"Did Instructor Akan… have a similar experience?"

"I did."

"Didn't Instructor Akan give up?"

"……"

Aron closed his eyes.

And smiled bitterly.

"I gave up. I was a coward."

Chen Xia blinked.

"You must never do that."

Aron stroked Chen Xia's head and said.

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