Episode 40. The Consistent Brat (1)

The Sealing Festival has ended.

This year’s Sealing Festival, marked by an unprecedented monster attack, has been recorded as the worst festival since the founding of Reynaldo Hero School.

The only silver lining is that there were no casualties among the general tourists or the Candidates.

Although there were many injured, the quick response of the professors and some Candidates prevented the worst-case scenario.

However, just because there were no casualties doesn’t mean the incident of monsters rampaging inside the school will be brushed off as a simple mishap.

The school declared an indefinite suspension and focused all efforts on uncovering the truth of the incident.

Well, despite the grand expressions like “focusing all efforts,” the truth that was ultimately revealed wasn’t much.

The identity of Professor Morpheus, the festival’s overseer and responsible party, was that of a Mine.

He had disguised Mines as merchants and infiltrated them into the school, causing this commotion.

Immediately after the commotion, Professor Morpheus disappeared and fled outside the school.

These were the contents announced by the school.

Of course.

After the incident’s outline was announced, a flood of criticism poured towards the school.

The fact that a Mine disguised as a professor had infiltrated the school and acted as a professor for years without being detected.

The fact that the identity of the Mine disguised as Professor Morpheus and the purpose behind the commotion were not uncovered.

The fact that the main instigator of the incident was ultimately let go, and so on.

Due to these issues, public opinion was heading towards the worst situation, but it was barely calmed down by the mediation of the current headmaster of Reynaldo Hero School, Raonel Liu, the ‘Brain God,’ who ranks third in the Three Kingdoms Hero Comprehensive Ranking.

“This incident is my fault for leaving the school unattended for so long, so hold me accountable.”

Of course.

No one dared to hold accountable a hero from the renowned ‘Liu’ family, ranked third in the Three Kingdoms Hero Comprehensive Ranking and known as the Republic’s most prestigious family.

Thus, with Raonel Liu’s return, the monster commotion was brought to a close.

Reynaldo Hero School, after a two-week suspension, was about to return to normalcy.

* * *

Inside the school’s Treatment Center, in the Training Grounds.

It was a training ground used by injured Candidates for rehabilitation training.

‘Those who use private recovery rooms also have private training grounds.’

Money sure is great.

Beep.

[Hero Candidate ‘Dale Han.’ Identity confirmed.]

Upon entering through the Hero Watch, a training ground about 20 pyeong in size appeared.

“Let’s see.”

Sitting in the middle of the training ground, I gently close my eyes.

I spread the magic power sleeping within the Holy Mark through my meridians.

‘As expected, my magic power has increased after fighting Ashtaroth.’

Of course, it wasn’t like when I was engulfed by the Primordial Flame, possessing near-infinite magic power.

The magic power currently residing within the Holy Mark is about half compared to the average magic power held by Candidates.

Compared to before fighting Ashtaroth, my magic power has increased by about 1.5 times.

‘The important thing is that this increase happened all at once, not gradually.’

Magic power is fundamentally accumulated bit by bit through daily breathing techniques.

Of course.

Among those, there are rare cases where magic power increases all at once by taking elixirs that boost magic power or gaining some kind of enlightenment.

“Then, if I can engulf myself in the Primordial Flame like before, my magic power might increase again…”

The Primordial Flame, which fiercely raged while engulfing my entire body, had seeped back deep into the Holy Mark after the battle with Ashtaroth, not moving at all.

‘If I can enter the Fire God state at will, I won’t have to worry about magic power in the future.’

Fire God state.

I had given this name to the phenomenon where the Primordial Flame engulfed my entire body and raged.

‘As of now, I don’t even know why I entered the Fire God state in the first place.’

Recalling the memories of that time, I had come up with a few hypotheses.

‘The first hypothesis is experiencing many deaths in a short time.’

Since I knew from daily magic power training that the Primordial Flame reacts to my ‘death,’ I thought this was the most plausible hypothesis.

‘But even if I died repeatedly until my spirit was exhausted, I didn’t enter the Fire God state.’

I secretly left the recovery room without Iris knowing and repeatedly died and revived, but the Primordial Flame showed no reaction.

‘The second hypothesis was to use up all my magic power until it was exhausted.’

Again, the Primordial Flame didn’t budge.

“The last third hypothesis is…”

Honestly, even as I formed this hypothesis, I had doubts.

‘That the Primordial Flame moved in response to a strong will.’

When my mind was filled with the single thought of saving Iris.

Suddenly, the Primordial Flame engulfed my entire body and began to rage fiercely.

“In order, this seems correct…”

But I’m still not sure if that was the real reason the Primordial Flame moved.

“It’s not like some shonen manga.”

I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.

Anyway.

After various tests, one thing became clear.

‘There is currently no way to enter the Fire God state at will.’

Then it’s correct to think of the Fire God state as a power outside my main strength.

‘Since I can’t control it at will, I can’t include it in my main strength.’

I set aside thoughts about the Fire God state and gripped my sword.

If the Fire God state is outside my main strength, then all I gained this time is magic power?

‘That’s not it either.’

A shiver ran through my hand holding the sword.

An unfamiliar sensation, as if the sword and my hand were one.

A sensation I had never felt before, even after swinging a sword for thousands of years across the continent.

‘My swordsmanship has improved.’

After properly executing techniques I had only imagined in my head, my swordsmanship, which had been stagnant for years, broke through like a blocked vein and rose sharply.

“Well… even though I only properly executed it once.”

Even now, with the Fire God state gone, I can’t use those techniques again.

But just as there’s an insurmountable wall between 0 and 1.

The experience of using the 9th form of the Sun Sword, which can only be used after reaching ‘the extreme,’ has melted into my sword and elevated my realm by one level.

‘Thanks to that, my martial arts skills have also improved significantly.’

As they say, all roads lead to Rome.

It wasn’t just my swordsmanship that improved.

From basic movements to the martial arts I learned from Berald, everything had grown noticeably compared to before.

“Magic… honestly, it’s a bit ambiguous.”

Although I used barrier magic when fighting Ashtaroth.

Since I mainly learned magic theoretically, using it in actual combat is still awkward.

‘I should get used to using magic now.’

In the past, I was absolutely lacking in magic power and couldn’t even think of using magic, but now the situation is different.

If I can naturally use magic in combat along with swordsmanship and martial arts, I’ll be able to wield much stronger power than before.

“Let’s see… now I think I can take on Professor Lucas even without the Holy Mark Amplifier.”

I wanted to run to Professor Lucas right away and ask for another duel.

‘But if I did that, Iris wouldn’t just sit still.’

As I smirked and was about to continue training alone in the private training ground.

Bang!

As they say, speak of the devil.

The training ground door burst open, and the Saintess, with an excited expression, barged in.

“Mr. Dale! I clearly told you to rest quietly in bed, didn’t I? When did you come here again?!”

“Well, sweating a bit actually helps recovery…”

“Shut up!”

And so, I was dragged back to the recovery room by Iris.

* * *

After being cooped up in the private recovery room for a few days due to Iris’s nagging.

I finally enjoyed the joy of escaping the recovery room (?) and looked up at the shining sun.

“You could have stayed until the suspension was over…”

Iris muttered with a pouty expression, clearly dissatisfied with me leaving the Treatment Center.

“We agreed on just one more day. And Iris, isn’t it getting hard for you to just take care of me?”

“Well…”

Iris trailed off and glanced back at Camila, who was giving a sharp look from behind.

Camila let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

“Due to this incident, an investigation team from the Holy Kingdom has come to check on the Saintess’s safety. You must return to the dormitory today.”

“Ugh. Can’t I stay just one more day?”

“No.”

Camila shook her head with a firm expression.

Iris, looking regretful, glanced at me and then slumped her shoulders as she headed towards the dormitory.

“…Dale.”

“Yeah?”

Camila approached me subtly.

“Thank you.”

She bowed deeply, almost 90 degrees, towards me.

Although Camila had lost most of her memories before and after the incident due to Ashtaroth’s ‘Illusion,’ she seemed to have heard from Iris that I protected her during the monster attack.

The woman, who usually gave me disapproving looks, now offered her thanks with the most serious expression.

I looked down at the bowing Camila and chuckled.

“What are you doing, it doesn’t suit you.”

“Ugh… Sh-shut up!”

Camila blushed slightly and averted her gaze.

“Anyway. I mean it when I say thank you.”

“Just words?”

“Huh? Do you need a reward? If there’s something you want…”

“Hey hey, just kidding, just kidding.”

What reward is needed for protecting a past lover?

“No, I don’t feel comfortable just letting this go with words. If there’s something you want as a reward, say it.”

“Hmm.”

A reward from Camila.

Since I didn’t do it expecting a reward, nothing came to mind.

“Just… give me something appropriate, appropriate.”

“Tsk. Appropriate?! This is a reward for protecting the Saintess. You can’t just choose something appropriate!”

“Wow, you’re such a hardworking lady. Then give me something you think I’d like the most as a reward.”

“Y-you mean what you’d like the most…?”

For some reason, Camila blushed and stepped back.

She glanced at me and covered her (nothing to hide) chest with her hands.

“Y-you! Finally showing your true colors!”

“What?”

“Ugh. You… I mean, men! What they like the most is obvious!”

Camila shouted with a bright red face.

“T-that’s it, right? Haha, even if you say you don’t like it, your body is honest… or something! Or maybe your swordsmanship is first-rate but your lower half is third-rate… are you trying to force that situation on me?!”

“What are you talking about, woman?”

“Y-you… vulgar man!”

“No.”

The vulgar one is your head.

“Ugh…! A-alright! I’ll prepare a reward that can satisfy a man… I-I’ll get it ready!”

With those words, Camila quickly ran after Iris.

“……Sigh.”

I let out a deep sigh and turned my steps towards the dormitory.