49. Karla, Karla, Oh, Karla. (3)
The Exchange Battle is currently the hottest topic of conversation.
With the Exchange Battle just a week away, Lorenzo was quietly pleased that everyone seemed to be preparing diligently.
Among them, Karla was naturally the one on his mind the most. Judging from the small scrapes that appeared and disappeared on her face, she was certainly putting in a lot of effort.
“The group battles are just as important as the individual matches. After all, our team is essentially operating with only four real fighters.”
Lorenzo’s words brought a cold silence to the group.
While it was typical for Lorenzo to speak without thinking, even he might have realized this was a bit harsh. Still, everyone had at least some awareness of the situation. More than Lorenzo’s words, it was Karla’s reaction that weighed on their minds.
But Karla herself said nothing.
In an uncharacteristic move, she simply nodded silently.
For nearly a week now, Karla had been training continuously with Ivan’s help, but the results hadn’t been good.
Though they say effort never betrays, she was coming to a stark realization: sometimes, even effort crumbles in the face of harsh reality.
“Anyway, instructors aren’t allowed to interfere during lessons. You all need to manage on your own. Everyone, keep practicing. That’s all for today’s class. Oh, Emil, come with me.”
Lorenzo gestured to Emil with a nod and left the classroom.
Emil followed him with an uneasy expression.
—
“Take a seat over there.”
As soon as they entered the teacher’s office, Lorenzo lit a mana-cigarette.
He smoked it as if he couldn’t breathe without it, taking several quick puffs.
“Emil.”
“Yes?!”
Emil, who had been sitting at the desk, jumped in surprise and looked at Lorenzo.
But under Lorenzo’s strange gaze—void of any clear emotion or desire—Emil lowered his head again.
“…Are you still not ready to talk about it?”
“W-well…”
“I’m talking about your mana circuits. Albina might be willing to ignore it, but I’m not. There are clear signs of artificial damage and tampering. Emil, I’ve seen such circuits before—only once.”
“Professor…”
Lorenzo brushed the collar of his jacket to clear the smoke, then exhaled a sigh while absently stroking his untrimmed beard. Suddenly, his gaze turned sharp, piercing directly into Emil.
Emil felt a chill run down his spine.
Lorenzo’s stare felt like a demand to spill everything on the spot.
“…I can’t… It’s not something I can easily talk about.”
“That’s understandable. Matters of the Aufschtyk house aren’t easy to discuss. But Emil, this is about more than just your house. This concerns your future. We can’t just let this slide easily—it’s too important.”
Emil kept his head lowered, not saying a word.
It seemed like there was nothing he could do.
The Aufschtyk family, Emil’s main house, was one of the four great pillars of the empire, though it was the smallest.
Given their contributions, this might seem odd, but their small size was due to their unique hereditary magic, which influenced their standing.
The magic they wielded was not merely summoning magic—it was called “Incarnation Magic.”
Once successfully invoked, this hereditary magic had the power to completely reverse the tide of battle and was so potent that it could overwhelm even an army of mages or a magic regiment. The moment Aufschtyk invoked something akin to a “god,” the battlefield was irrevocably changed. The appearance of a divine entity in a fight between mere humans would always result in an asymmetric power balance.
However, the Aufschtyk family’s small size stemmed from the secrecy of this magic. Not only did the ritual require great sacrifices, but it was something that should never be known by many. This secrecy limited the family’s external activities, shortened the lifespans of its chieftains, and accelerated generational transitions. This culminated in the worst-case scenario: even though Emil was already an adult, he couldn’t properly refine the family’s hereditary magic.
“My father said… there is a way. And that it’s for my own good.”
“Emil.”
Lorenzo lit another mana-cigarette.
It was a complicated situation—the abnormal state of Emil’s magic circuits.
If Lorenzo’s assumptions were correct, then Emil wouldn’t live long.
That was why Lorenzo wanted to know the full story, but getting it from Emil was proving difficult.
“…Are you aware that there are retainers from the Aufschtyk family hiding in the academy?”
“Yes.”
The cloaked figures who had advised Lorenzo to stop investigating Emil. Somehow, they had infiltrated the academy, though even the principal was aware of their presence. With his hands tied, Lorenzo couldn’t do much about it.
“Emil.”
“…”
Lorenzo, having finished his smoke, extinguished it in the ashtray and waved away the lingering smoke.
“Your life is longer than any hereditary magic. Remember that.”
Emil lowered his head, his eyes dimming.
“…Yes.”
—
Emil quietly closed the door of the teacher’s office and turned around.
Returning to the classroom now would likely find it empty.
After tidying up his books, he decided it might be better to head back to the dormitory… But instead, turned toward the classroom.
—
Surely, it would be empty.
The moment Emil hastily opened the door, he was startled.
“…Liam?”
A colossal shadow loomed near the window where the sunset was fading.
Liam, his giant sword strapped to his back, sat on the window frame, gazing at Emil.
“You’re late, Emil.”
His face was concealed in the shadow, so Emil couldn’t tell his expression, but based on Liam’s tone, he didn’t seem angry.
“Yeah, sorry. But…were you waiting for me?”
Emil asked, forcing a somewhat awkward smile.
“Yeah, I was. I suggested we practice our coordination, didn’t I?”
With a surprising agility for a giant, Liam hopped off the window frame.
And that reminded Emil of their earlier conversation in the morning.
—
“Emil, how many Unseen Magical Strikes can you fire?”
“Up to 1028 strikes… Why?”
“I fight in close combat. You support me from behind. I think that combination could work well.”
“Is that so…?”
“I’m sure of it. Want to try it out after today’s lecture? As group battle practice.”
“Yeah, okay.”
—
“…Right, sorry I’m late.”
“It’s fine. Actually, I kind of like how the sky’s turning red.”
Liam slowly approached Emil.
Standing nearly a head taller and with a build nearly twice Emil’s, Liam smiled down at him.
“The color of fire, right? In our hometown, we call this time of day ‘Burning Afternoon.'”
“Burning Afternoon…”
It was a fitting and nice phrase. The tone pleased Emil, who couldn’t help but smile faintly.
“Yeah. Let’s go, Liam.”
—
“Liam, how’s Karla doing, by the way?”
On the way to the practice hall.
Emil cautiously asked Liam, who glanced at Emil before scratching his cheek hesitantly.
“Hmm…I can’t exactly say she’s doing well.”
Liam was aware.
He had witnessed Karla’s astonishing magic firsthand—in fact, had he fought her at full strength, Liam doubted he could’ve won. Even the power that instantly annihilated a slime was beyond Liam’s ability to withstand.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. The more someone has, the greater the rebound when they lose it. Karla had such immense power once… and now with her arm like that… it’s disappointing. I always thought of her as an exceptional woman.”
“…”
“So… does your country also have rules where women can’t become clan leaders?”
“Yes.”
Liam answered without hesitation.
“Isn’t a woman ultimately meant to birth children? It’s unfortunate Karla was born a woman. Not just our country, even the empire doesn’t allow women to become generals… and a clan leader who can’t become a general—it’s ironic.”
“That’s true…”
Emil’s face darkened noticeably.
“The less capable women… there are many of those too, right?”
“That’s women for you, Emil. Karla was extraordinary. She must’ve worked incredibly hard to reach her level. It’s impressive that a woman could do so much. That’s why it’s more regrettable.”
Emil’s expression didn’t improve at all.
“Nonetheless, Emil, both you and I need to work harder. If we men can’t reach the level Karla achieved, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”
“Y-yeah…”
Emil’s voice lacked any strength.
—
