Book 2 Chapter 15
Episode 39
Bloodline Limit, Bell Quirius, definitively eliminated the Rivendell School's spiritual creature, the Flame Serpent.
But…
The problem was that it was a 5-star spell. While performing inverse verification, his brain burned pure white, and his mana was completely depleted.
"Cough…"
Blood bursting from his eyes was merely the beginning. As the movement of mana became disordered, dark red vomit of blood gushed out and accumulated in layers on the ground.
'In a real fight, it would have been an impossible gamble.'
First, using Bell Quirius, I raised the mana level that this illusionary world applied to my body to nearly 50,000.
Even that mana was depleted after I erased the Flame Serpent with Bell Quirius, but…
Perhaps because I was forcibly made to gain an immense amount of mana, 50,000, my internal organs seemed damaged as a side effect. Not an illusion, but real.
'How pathetic, it means my vessel isn't complete yet…'
Now, the task would be to hide until the end of the test so as not to lose any points. With this body, barely able to cast a single spell.
"What are you doing, get out of the way!"
Gertrude, who had been in a state of panic on the border between life and death, snapped out of it at Rain's shout.
The girl with the braided hair quickly pushed off the ground, skillfully somersaulted, and climbed from a rock onto a tree.
Lillian, who had been half-stunned in another sense, also composed herself upon seeing the situation.
'My compatibility with that brat from the Fenton family isn't good. If I want to devour her, I'll have to summon the Flame Serpent again, but…'
For some reason, she hesitated. Because of the presence of Rain Ludwig over there.
Lillian's mana, born with the baptism of fire, was comparable to that of a Gladus (4-star) mage, but only when using fire magic.
Even for such a Lillian, the Flame Serpent was a considerably burdensome summoning spell.
There's a tremendous difference in mana requirements between resummoning the Flame Serpent and maintaining its summoned state.
'If I summon the Flame Serpent again and it disappears again…'
I'll lose the ability to participate in the competition for first and second place. Lillian alternated glances between Rain and Gertrude, then took a stance.
It was an intuition.
An intuition that Rain Ludwig was definitely involved in the recent disappearance of the Flame Serpent. Otherwise, there's no way he would be suffering from such intense mana overload side effects.
'No, what he did isn't important. If he's in such a defenseless state right now…'
I just need to devour him.
Because Rain Ludwig is currently in first place.
Lillian turned towards Rain and pulled five talismans from her pocket.
'First place, I have to be first place…'
The talismans released from her hand resonated with the brand engraved on her tongue, transforming into flames, taking the form of fire snakes, and charging towards Rain.
Flame Serpents, Flame Serpents.
However, perhaps because they were summoned in a hurry, or as a reaction to their sudden disappearance, they didn't possess the terrifying heat they had before.
"!"
Rain threw himself forward, practically flying.
A cataclysm struck where Rain had just been standing, and a dozen trees were instantly incinerated.
He avoided the direct hit of the flames, but then the aftershock of the residual heat swept through, causing a stinging and scorching pain on his skin.
But at the moment the Flame Serpents were far from their master for the attack, a deluge of water poured down on Lillian's head.
"…!"
When the Flame Serpents instantly returned to their master and coiled around her body to protect it, a small girl softly landed behind Lillian.
"To be distracted when Gertrude is right in front of you, you must be incredibly brave, aren't you?"
"Don't interfere."
"But I must interfere. If Young Master Rain gets expelled, our dear Lady Krista might fall ill with lovesickness and be bedridden, you see."
Krista's face, who was watching this in real-time, turned bright red.
The students whispered as they watched Krista. The girls covered their mouths with both hands, and the boys whistled.
Krista was at the center of this uncomfortable attention, and beside her, Logan timidly gave a thumbs-up.
"I'll be cheering you on, miss."
Veins bulged from Krista's clenched fist, which then promptly plunged deep into Logan's solar plexus.
"What are you talking about now? You're exposing me! You believe that? If that guy comes out, I'm really dead!"
Although she was joking in that manner… in fact, Gertrude's actions stemmed from a similar conclusion to Lillian's.
'Judging by that bewildered reaction, it couldn't have been Lillian herself who eliminated the Flame Serpent.'
'They say that when the Ludwig family's Bloodline Limit reaches its peak, they can freely control all magic (not just their own, but also their opponent's), but surely not?'
'But wasn't that only three people in the thousand-year history of the Ludwig family? And I heard they only used it after they were old.'
No, this opponent is too overwhelming for long contemplation. I can just ask him directly later.
'The Fenton family owes no one. We are pillars supporting the Warden family, so if we incur a debt, it is only to the Warden family.'
As Gertrude and Lillian clashed, hyenas began to gather, one by one, towards Rain, who was stumbling, gasping for breath, and hiding himself.
This is a big problem.
Is it a natural consequence, having used precious mana in such a place?
"Here I come!"
A student cast a spell as if claiming "that's mine." The magic circle shattered, and extraordinary powers overlaid on reality—daggers of lightning—flew fiercely.
"Tch…"
Rain, clicking his tongue, gathered his last remaining bit of mana in his palm, and that mana flowed into the twig he held.
A bluish light emanated from the grain of the twig, achieving rigidification… and Rain spun the twig behind his side.
"Fourth Form, Elephant."
Then, the twig, gripped anew, left an afterimage as if extending infinitely, sweeping in all directions, batting away all incoming lightning magic.
"Th-that…!"
"The staff arts of the Osarius School…!"
The students' pupils widened.
No, the professors were even more shocked. Professor Caroline stared at Elin, her mouth agape.
"Now that I think about it, I wanted to ask last time, how does Rain Ludwig know the Osarius style staff arts?"
But Elin also looked surprised.
"How would I know?"
"I'm asking seriously."
"Seriously, I can only explain it by saying he's a genius. That annoying nephew, Rain, he masters anything instantly just by seeing it once."
The truth was that Rain was the founder of those staff arts, but… the students hesitated and backed away at Rain's eccentric feat, but soon narrowed their eyes.
'But why isn't he counterattacking?'
'Look at him, he's gasping for breath.'
'That, he has no mana.'
Of course, the professors couldn't fail to notice that fact.
"From high-speed computation of 3-star magic to the imitation of Osarius style staff arts… he is certainly a talent beyond what one would call a 'Calamity Young Master,' but he's still lacking."
"I agree. It means his mana distribution isn't well managed."
"From that perspective, Krista Warden can be seen as more advanced."
Elin Ludwig had to frown deeply at such professors.
'These idiots, it's because he used Bell Quirius just now.'
It was Bell Quirius that had erased Rivendell's Flame Serpent… She bit her lip in vexation, but in truth, Elin hadn't seen that scene either.
Everything was just circumstantial evidence…
The only witness, Marhena, simply gazed silently at the window reflecting Rain Ludwig.
'Helping others is good. But if it's recklessness born of incapability, it will only end meaninglessly, just like now.'
Reason or emotion, it seems modern magic is at a crossroads of choice right now, but for a mage, the most important thing is still skill.
'Now, what will you do, Scard's grandson.'
Rain leaned against a large tree as if about to collapse, and successively aimed the twig at five students.
"Five seconds."
Pull it out.
Even a single strand is fine.
Recover just a tiny, really tiny bit of mana. It's mana breathing. Carefully, thoughtfully.
"If you disappear within 5 seconds, I'll make sure you don't get an F. This is your first and last warning."
A strange sense of intimidation was imbued in those words, and the students who had approached, aiming for Rain's points, felt their bodies stiffen.
'Isn't that a bluff…?'
'But what if it's not a bluff…?'
'I heard Logan also won with just one broom…'
That 'what if' assumption became a sharp chain, gripping their ankles.
Since they ultimately survived, a B grade was guaranteed. But if they overdid it here… it would be an S or an F.
At the moment everyone hesitated, at the very moment one student opened a book as if in desperation, about to cast a spell.
Second Form, Wolf.
A stance preparing for an imposing force.
Rain, who seemed to momentarily lower the tip of his twig, pushed off the ground and shot forward like an arrow, *thwack*, piercing the opponent's grimoire while simultaneously striking their solar plexus.
"…!"
"…!"
"…!"
He accurately struck the mana point.
Watching the guy flying backward and rolling in the mud, he thought. With this, that fellow is incapacitated…
Now, all he had to do was spread this fear.
"Next."
He casually draped the twig over his shoulder and looked back at the remaining targets. The four students, with wide eyes, began to hesitate nervously.
'Was he just pretending to be exhausted…?'
'No, he seems genuinely tired…'
'But what was that just now…?'
That hesitation was fatal.
Because just as they finished calculating what to do for a long time and were about to act, a loud horn blared, and the magical device on their wrists glowed.
[End of Exam.]
Only then did Rain sigh in relief, sliding his back down the large tree and slumping onto the muddy ground.
'I'm doing all sorts of crazy things just to raise the proficiency of my unique magic, ugh…'
He didn't even have the strength to walk, so he just sat there. For some reason, no students came to help him. They just discreetly avoided him.
'No, I'm getting unnecessarily sad.'
It was a long time before an assistant instructor, who had come in to manage the situation, helped him out of the barrier, when a sharp voice was heard from behind.
"What did you do?"
It was Lillian Carline.
That voice, exploding like flames, there was no need to even turn around.
"I wonder."
"Answer me!"
"I'll answer if you satisfy my curiosity first."
"What is it?"
"You, you actually respect your father, don't you?"
What did he say… That was Lillian's sore spot. Mana surged inside her like flames, and her body grew hot.
"Are you picking a fight right now?"
"No? You're doing exactly what that Dadan character did. Trampling on everything around you for your own goals."
At that pure question, that knife-sharp question that plunged deep beneath her ribcage, Lillian momentarily staggered and stopped in her tracks.
"If that's the kind of adult you want to be, then I have nothing to say."
Shut up…
Her Adam's apple bobbed weakly.
What do you know, who grew up enjoying everything in a harmonious family… What exactly do you know…?
- Lillian, what kind of mage do you want to be when you grow up?
As she trembled, recalling that voice she had long forgotten, students one by one began to descend the mountain first.
"Rain!"
"Young Master!"
As Gertrude and Rain emerged from the barrier, Krista and Logan came running. Gertrude smiled broadly and ran towards them.
"Milady, did you see my great performance── *Guh!*"
Of course, she was immediately hit by Krista's fist, and a bump instantly swelled on her small crown…
"What on earth are you blabbering about! You're exposing me! You're really exposing meee! How embarrassing was it when everyone was staring at me earlier!"
"…Hmph, but it's true."
"Ex-exposing me! You're exposing me! Seriously, stop exposing me so much!"
Rain tilted his head, watching Gertrude being repeatedly hit by Krista.
"Why is she like that?"
"There's just… some of that, sir."
"Really?"
If it wasn't important, then fine.
As he was being supported by Logan and looking for somewhere to sit, Krista spoke.
"Rain, you helped Gertrude just now, didn't you?"
He couldn't answer that question immediately. Because he hadn't helped her. It was purely for the acquisition of his unique magic, and nothing more. Therefore.
"No?"
"Don't lie. There's no way a mana overload phenomenon would suddenly occur."
"Why would I lie about something like this?"
That… was certainly true. Therefore, Krista, who had been about to press further, suddenly fell silent.
Gertrude also had a somewhat suspicious expression, but at Krista's gaze urging her to say something, she merely shrugged, having nothing particular to say.
So what was she to say?
When he himself said he didn't help?
'Then why did that Imoogi from the Rivendell School disappear? By whose power, what power?'
As he leaned against a rock with Logan's help, Rain chuckled.
"Ah, that was fun."
"Why are you laughing, sir?"
"Just… thinking I wouldn't have had this kind of experience if I hadn't come here."
If Lista hadn't left a note, if there hadn't been the custom for the top graduate of <Delighten> to meet Lin's corpse, then he probably wouldn't have had this experience.
Is this experience also a gift from you, Lista?
Stretching his neck and leaning his head against the rock, as if unburdening his thoughts to the sky, Rain murmured.
"Indeed, as you said, the world is interesting."
Meanwhile, Krista continued to wait in that spot after sending Gertrude away first.
As the examinees of Group C flocked to the entrance, Lillian Carline was the last to walk out of the barrier. With a listless gait, as if possessed by something.
As Lillian brushed past Krista, who stood with her arms haughtily crossed, Krista's eyes glinted menacingly.
"So you did something quite interesting to my cute servant, didn't you?"
"…?"
"Be prepared. I'll pay back this debt multiplied tens of times. Our Warden family can't live with debts unpaid, you see."
* * *
On the afternoon of the fourth day, the written exam for the <Understanding and Application of Runes> section was held.
On the morning of the fifth day of the exam, there was also a hellish practical exam, but the prevailing assessment was that it was nothing compared to the head professor's battle royale.
On Friday afternoon, after all exams had concluded and the students' grades were tallied, all professors in charge of the exams gathered in the conference room.
"There are a total of four students who received S grades in all subjects for both written and practical exams: Krista Warden, Nora Ledon, Caden, and Rain Ludwig."
The top of the year at <Delighten>, meaning 'the Sun,' has historically always been just one person. Therefore, the professors had been conducting a separate bonus point evaluation for students with S grades.
During this evaluation process, professors connected to the top candidate by blood or academic ties (like Caroline or Elin Ludwig) were excluded for fairness.
Elin Ludwig sat with her arms crossed and eyes closed as if disinterested, but her ears twitched violently whenever Rain's name was mentioned.
"I will give my point to Krista Warden."
"I'll give mine to student Caden. If you see him once, you'll understand my evaluation."
"What have you been seeing so far? Student Nora's talent is truly immense."
Each professor could award 1 bonus point, with the exception that the associate head professor could award 2 points, and the head professor 3 points.
"Professor Caroline, how did you nurture such a talent? It's truly remarkable."
"Hee hee, you flatter me."
Amidst the praises of other professors, Caroline glanced at Elin Ludwig and smiled faintly.
*Throb*, a vein bulged on Elin Ludwig's temple. The two accomplished women, who were once senior and junior colleagues, were now in an unspoken competition over their respective student and nephew.
In the meantime, the professors' opinions were being tallied.
Krista Warden was in sole lead with 6 points, while Nora had 4 points, Caden 3 points, and Rain Ludwig was at the bottom with 2 points.
Traditionally, the associate head professor and the head professor would cast their votes last. Finally, Associate Head Professor Kyle spoke.
"Student Krista Warden is indeed perfect."
At that, not only Krista but also the professors supporting other students bit their lips in tension. The associate head professor's 2 points were truly significant.
"Student Nora's precision in magic was also beyond description, and Student Caden's harmony between musical talent and magical understanding was truly remarkable."
"…!"
"However, I will cast my precious vote for the future of magic."
Kyle smiled faintly and pushed forward the stone tablet with the student's name written on it. The name written there was a name far beyond expectations: 'Rain Ludwig.'
"…!"
"…!"
"…!"
Everyone looked at Kyle with surprised eyes, but no one dared to object. Since it was a subjective evaluation to begin with.
But with this, it became an unchangeable truth that Krista would be the top student. Because the head professor had never exercised their bonus points even once.
Just as all the professors fell silent, someone burst into hearty laughter. It was Head Professor Marhena.
"The future of magic, huh… The brat who only knew how to sweet-talk girls as a chick now knows how to say quite splendid things."
"It's all thanks to you, Master."
"Did you also see that yesterday, you brat?"
"I think I saw something different from you, Master, but yes, I saw it."
"Hmph… well said. This vote should be an investment in the future of magic. And I, too, share your sentiment."
As Marhena, who was seated at the head of the conference table, picked up a chalk pencil and began writing a name on the stone tablet, the professors began to murmur, doubting their eyes.
'The Head Professor…?'
'He's going to evaluate bonus points…?'
'He's never cast a vote since he started working here…?'
Hadn't he always just said things like, 'There's no one worthy of points, so how am I supposed to give them…?'
Amidst such murmurs, Marhena eventually spun the stone tablet around and pushed it forward for everyone to see.
"…?!"
At that moment, Caroline's eyes wavered, then drooped with a hollow smile.
On the other hand, Elin Ludwig had to clench her fists under the table and desperately try to keep the corners of her mouth from rising.
After adding 3 points next to the candidate's name among those listed on the whiteboard, the assistant instructor, who was tallying the evaluation, announced the voting results in a trembling voice.
"Highest score: 7 points. With this, the student in question has been designated as the top student for this year's first-year midterm exams… Rain Ludwig."