<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family, Chapter 37>
“How’s that?”
Jin Yu-ri, who had just torn apart a group of trolls, asks with a smile that’s far too cheerful for someone who just engaged in such brutality.
Typically, in this kind of situation, people expect empty praises like “That was amazing,” or “You were incredible,” but not Jin Yu-ri.
The fact that she even asked indicates she’s not satisfied with something.
She wouldn’t have brought it up if she was happy with her own performance.
“It’s somewhat creative, but very clumsy.”
“Clumsy? What about it?”
Despite asking with curiosity, her expression remains bright.
She really is quite unique, isn’t she?
“The concept is fine. You set up a battlefield and control all the variables with magic. But it’s far too inefficient.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Everything. Every single part.”
Just now, Team 1 hunted down seven trolls.
However, more than 30 different types of magic were used in the process. Isn’t it absurd to look for efficiency in such a situation?
“You were buying time by laying down an Earth Wall, setting up three golems as bait. The hardest part to understand is the Ice Fog. Out of all the spells your team used, it was probably the most impressive combination spell. And yet, you only used it to trap their feet?”
“Hmm…”
“You even laid down flare mines as safety measures? And the number of final bombardment spells? How many are we counting so far? Are you all master magicians? Do you have mana to spare?”
“Indeed…”
“Should I break it down even further? Say there were 11 trolls? No, even 12 trolls instead of 7. Would the result really be any different? Do you not sense anything?”
“Ah…!”
“Realized it now, did you? Fortunately, that’s a relief. If you asked me ‘Isn’t this good?’ I would’ve been disappointed.”
The firepower Team 1 just displayed could’ve wiped out 12 trolls, not just 7.
The same outcome would have been achieved.
Why is this a problem? If that question arises, it’s an exceptionally one-dimensional query.
Mana is infinite in nature, sure. But the mana that we humans can hold is finite.
“At the moment, it’s overwhelming, but the longer the battle goes on? The conclusion is obvious. It won’t last. It won’t work against humans.”
At that moment, perhaps because the critique hit too close to home:
“Phew, I simply can’t listen to this.”
The members of Team 1, who had been lurking at the back, stepped forward.
“It’s clumsy? It’s inefficient? Who are you to judge us like this?”
“We admit it. It was our first time doing it properly, and we overdid it. But it’s not like we’re always this excessive.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Sure, those are good points you raised. But all the problems you’ve pointed out can be fixed immediately.”
“Not effective against humans? Hmph. How do you know? Have you seen it? Have you? And do you think we can’t tell the difference between humans and monsters? We had our reasons for doing it this way.”
Apparently, they were Team 1. With their pride hurt, they gritted their teeth and fired off their responses, one by one, in a very intimidating manner.
“You there. Yeah, you. Looking at you, you seem like the second-in-command after Jin Yu-ri. What should I call you?”
“Joo Na-yeon.”
“I’ll call you Na-yeon. What Na-yeon said is correct. You’re not always putting in this much effort, right? It will be different this time. Unless what’s on your shoulders is just for decoration, it should be different.”
“… Impolite!”
“One more thing. There’s something you said that’s actually true. What was it again? You said these issues can be fixed immediately, right? I agree. Honestly, the issues I pointed out are rather superficial.”
“So…”
“Shh, hear me out. Why did you highlight a problem you claim can be fixed immediately? It’s because of you. Since I’m human too, I didn’t intend to be too harsh the first time we met.”
But you set things up this way? That’s unacceptable.
“Alright, since you want to hear it so much, I’ll indulge you. You want to know the real problem with your team? Hey, Jin Yu-ri, why don’t you explain? You know what it is, right?”
“…”
“For heaven’s sake, this is why you’re not progressing. The problem is you. The biggest problem with Team 1 is that Jin Yu-ri is the ‘leader’.”
“…!!”
Shock on their faces. Jin Yu-ri herself, who didn’t expect such a direct callout, looked surprised.
So, now what?
There’s a misconception here. Since I came here, I’ve been protecting what I’ve come to care about, nurturing friends and family, and I’ve gotten softer. But fundamentally, I’m not a courteous person.
“Normally, I wouldn’t bother explaining too much, but since we’ll be working together for a while, I’ll be kind and explain things once. Listen closely.”
The biggest problem with Team 1 is Jin Yu-ri.
It starts with her taking on the completely inappropriate role of a team leader.
The concept of Team 1 is a magic-focused brigade.
A combat group comprised solely of the mage class, without any tanks, melee damage dealers, or other classes.
But for this to work, two things are necessary.
Teamwork and coordination.
Responding to all variables with magic is far more difficult than imagination suggests. Doing so collectively as a group? Making magic flow as if you’re one organic whole?
It demands far more mental effort than traditional positioning with a tank. The tank buys you time, but with this team, one mistake and they’re immediately in danger.
Coordination can also be explained with an example.
Let’s say an enemy is approaching. An Ice Spear twice should deal with them. But each person’s Ice Spear has different levels of destructive power. Some might exceed the average, some might fall below.
The process of approximating this maximum closely is called coordination.
In short, coordination reduces waste.
Here, one should see that the reason for the excessive waste during the previous battle was because this coordination went wrong.
And the coordinator in Team 1?
“… Jin Yu-ri, you.”
“….”
Jin Yu-ri is special in many ways.
Whether it’s her Dragon’s Eye or the way she approaches magic.
But what truly makes Jin Yu-ri special is…
Mana Drain (Mana Drain).
She absorbs natural mana without any extra process, almost as naturally as breathing.
Put simply, she’s a blessed individual who doesn’t know the value of scarcity when it comes to mana.
Can such a person manage coordination? Can someone who has spent all their life without worrying about money suddenly figure out how to break down a weekly budget?
It simply doesn’t make sense.
“… But there’s no obvious alternative, right? None of you have the ability to coordinate Jin Yu-ri’s magic, correct?”
“…”
“And what now? Can you change it immediately? Can you fix it?”
“…”
“The finest blade is rusting away in its scabbard thanks to you, you, you, and all of you. And yet, you’re all congratulating yourselves on how great you are?”
“… Then what should we do?”
“What should we do, indeed.”
My gaze swept over the children behind Jin Yu-ri before returning to her.
“You need to treat them all as ‘tools’.”
“…!!”
Coordination requires similar skill levels.
When there’s such a wide gap, it’s no longer coordination but one-sided orders being given without much thought.
Like tools without any agency being wielded.
The word ‘tools’ triggered suppressed anger to explode everywhere. People began yelling, insisting that they were not so weak that they deserved to be treated as mere tools.
“… And I’ve found another problem. It seems you truly believe you’re all promising talents?”
My my…
… At this point, it hurts to say more.
I’ve gotten softer by now, haven’t I? Don’t you think?
How is explaining basic magic theory to goblins any different from this? Spring might even understand better. At least Spring will d*e nodding at what I say.
I’ll just show you.
Magic brigade? This body was once a solo legion.
I’ll show you how to wield Jin Yu-ri, the illustrious sword.
“Come on, Jin Yu-ri.”
*
Jin Yu-ri was surprising.
How did she immediately understand my thought?
“Tell me honestly. Did you stage this scenario?”
That’s correct.
Truthfully, Jin Yu-ri found the role of a team leader cumbersome. She only accepted it due to the elders of the house, who insisted that since she has the lineage of the Divine Dragon, she should naturally be first, the top.
Perhaps her lifelong rival, the Sword Master and her entanglement with being first fueled her attachment to being a leader.
Jin Yu-ri thus became the leader of Team 1 and achieved the honor of being the first to present in this year’s exceptional group.
But when she became a leader, gathered members based on her concept, it didn’t work.
Much worse than expected.
And someone far earlier than Park Ki-hyuk foresaw this result.
That someone was Yggdrasil.
“You know, I said this during the entrance exam, but Yu-ri isn’t someone who leads others. Dragons are fundamentally solitary creatures.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, there was a case similar to Yu-ri. You might know her too. White Tiger, Park Min-ji, is similar.”
White Tiger Park Min-ji.
The second daughter of the Sword Master house, and a person often considered as the next guardian.
Despite wielding an overwhelming force when holding a sword, a well-known fact was that as a commander, she was utterly useless.
Even though she leads the White Tiger Unit, in reality, the unit is managed by her strategist, known as the Silver Gleam.
Jin Yu-ri had to acknowledge this.
Being a leader doesn’t fit me. I also need a friend, like Min-ji and her Silver Gleam, who can guide me.
And clearly, such a friend isn’t among her current group.
Acknowledging this made it easier. Still, Jin Yu-ri couldn’t dissolve the team immediately. She resolved to discard this inappropriate role after the semester ended and continued her academy life.
But then he appeared.
This man, Park Ki-hyuk.
Zzzz-
The flow of mana trembled. Literally.
For most novices, mana is like air. Always present but invisible.
But Jin Yu-ri is different.
With her Dragon’s Eye, mana is tangible.
She can see it.
Grasping the swaying mana lines, she pulled.
In an instant.
A lightning bolt piercing through the clouds.
It almost looked like the advanced Lightning spell, but surprisingly, this magic was the basic ‘Magic Missile.’
The crimson Magic Missile struck the troll, piercing its crown and exploded.
Killing a troll with Magic Missile?
An absurd reality that left onlookers dropping their jaws.
But Jin Yu-ri didn’t have time to marvel at such thoughts.
“I’m late.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Snap out of it. Re-adjust.”
“I’m ready.”
Mana lines intertwined in the air. Black and chaotic mana lines, akin to Park Ki-hyuk’s essence.
A 3D space.
The world of mana that Jin Yu-ri sees is always filled with these mana lines. From trees, rocks, even the air, countless mana lines tangle in this 3D space.
But among this incomprehensible world of mana, Park Ki-hyuk’s mana lines stood out distinctly.
The darkness that could swallow everything.
That pitch-black light danced with an almost beautiful elegance.
BOOM!
A compressed Magic Missile fired out like a cannon. The blow was so strong that the troll’s back bent. But the troll managed to rise and advance, trusting in its regenerative abilities and the support of its kin.
However, the misfortune for them was the enemy waiting ahead.
Park Ki-hyuk, wielding Jin Yu-ri the illustrious blade.
“Do you remember the numbers?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t forget. Let’s continue this way.”
The magic circle proliferates.
The Hexagram magic circle, now Park Ki-hyuk’s trademark.
Sparks of red flashed in the magic circle, which swallowed the air itself. Countless red stars lit up like the Milky Way, announcing their presence.
“Pull.”
Jin Yu-ri pulled the tense trigger.
And the Magic Missile…
Reinforced, compressed, elastic, rotating, and fragmented Magic Missile.
A Magic Missile reborn with mana from Park Ki-hyuk and Jin Yu-ri.
It tore through the Trolls.
The group of trolls was being torn apart.
The only thing Jin Yu-ri needed to focus on during the missile bombardment was one thing.
Pulling the mana.
Everything else was handled by Park Ki-hyuk.
“This is it!”
What she needed weren’t subordinates.
She needed a peer on her level.
A true companion who could complement each other, and at times, wield her as a weapon.
In this situation where she was being used as a weapon, Jin Yu-ri paradoxically felt liberation.
Jin Yu-ri laughed brightly as she pulled dozens of mana strings at once.
Kwaang-!!
