67. Exploration Battle (10) – Interlude
It’s difficult for the Academy to accurately monitor what’s happening inside the boundary.
Certainly, it covers a vast area, and monitoring the entire area is unreasonable. Moreover, if detection were possible, there might be concerns of undue interference.
That said, it’s not feasible to simply send the students in without doing anything, so the safety measure in place is an automatic transfer out of the area if a student seriously injures themselves during the exploration.
–Some might wonder about the risk of death, but this is a nation that upholds strength above all else. There’s a strange notion here: if someone dies during a test, they’re ultimately deemed unworthy.
Lorenzo entered a lounge where the stone gates were clearly visible and lit up a mana-cigarette.
He lit another one of who-knows-how-many mana-cigarettes and quietly gazed at the stone gate.
“This is taking quite a while this time.”
Truthfully, it’s rare to find a group like this year’s recruits who dislike each other so much.
Not just East and West factions, but this group of students have a relationship that goes beyond mere animosity. Lucas and Carla growl at each other whenever they meet, almost desperate to attack. Carla’s tension with Ivan leads to Liam, and the Western faction has been set against the East in quite a sharp confrontation.
“Perhaps it’s time for one or two of them to be carried out.”
Young, hot-headed lads.
Lorenzo, reflecting on his own days at the Academy, remembered that many of the students—often over half—would end up injured in fights between East and West factions during the tests.
And this cycle has continued with every group of recruits, so Lorenzo figured the same might happen this year. But given the delays, either some kind of equilibrium has been reached, or disputes haven’t occurred yet…
“But these aren’t students without competitive spirits, so disputes must have happened. Maybe they’ve struck a balance?”
The end of the mana-cigarette emitted a faint blue flame as Lorenzo drew in a deep puff and then slowly exhaled the smoke. It drifted like a thick blue fog toward the stone gate.
There’s only two days left.
If there’s no conclusive victory by then, the exploration score doesn’t count.
“Hopefully, no one gets too injured.”
Finishing the last drag, Lorenzo extinguished the stub in the ashtray and was about to stand when he noticed a man who had appeared before him. Lorenzo stood still, staring blankly at the man.
“Long time no see, Lorenzo. How have you been?”
“Lord Cascata, sir.”
Indeed, it was Lord Cascata.
Lorenzo hadn’t noticed Lord Cascata enter the lounge. The noble now stood, observing him from above.
“Sit. Sit down. No need for formalities. I understand everything, so go ahead and sit.”
“…Alright, sir.”
Lord Cascata smiled faintly and sat beside Lorenzo.
Given that this wasn’t exactly someone Lorenzo was thrilled to see and there wasn’t much to talk about, Lorenzo wanted to leave. But given Lord Cascata’s status, leaving abruptly would be disrespectful, so he lit another mana-cigarette just to fill the uncomfortable silence.
“Do you have another one? For me?”
“I didn’t know you smoked, sir. Here you go.”
Lorenzo handed him one from the box. As Lord Cascata drew deeply, without doing anything in particular, a fiery spark emerged from the end of the cigarette and settled into a red ember.
“How are this year’s freshmen?”
“I’m only standing in for Albina, so I don’t know much.”
“I see. I know that. Albina the major, no, now that she’s retired, Albina the instructor, has been detained. I’m aware that you’ve only recently taken over from her. Therefore, I’m asking—how are this year’s freshmen?”
“Are you asking about your nephew, perhaps?”
The pupils of Lord Cascata’s eyes rolled before settling on Lorenzo.
Lorenzo didn’t even glance at Lord Cascata. He merely gazed into the distance while puffing on his cigarette, acting as if this were just an ordinary question.
“Would you believe me if I said no?”
“No.”
“You’re still the same as ever, Lorenzo. Anyway, about your nephew first… and the other freshmen. The truth is, I’m curious about the entire class. Given that the war is ongoing, the future commanders of the Imperial Mage Legion are vital to the Empire.”
“As for your nephew, meaning Carla, it’s unfortunate, but she might not cut it. She has an incredible mana capacity, but that’s all she really has. For a martial mage with physical impairments, that could be an insurmountable disadvantage.”
“What if that disadvantage is resolved?”
“If it is… given her instincts, wouldn’t she become an excellent talent? She really does take after her uncle.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere. …So, what about the other guy, Ivan Kontadino?”
“Genius. That’s the word for him.”
“Is he?”
“Absolutely.”
“Elaborate.”
Ivan Kontadino.
A potential threat to the Empire.
More confirmation is needed, but at this point, his identity is almost certainly determined.
“His magical circuit is flawless. The most perfect one I’ve ever seen.”
“And the worst?”
Lorenzo didn’t bother elaborating on that point. It wasn’t necessary.
“As for his mana… he surpasses Carla. It’s as if there’s an ocean of mana he’s drawing from. If he continues to grow properly, he will undoubtedly become a great support for the Empire.”
“Compared to Carla?”
“As I’ve mentioned, he far exceeds Carla in every aspect: potential, application, combination skills. He surpasses her in every way.”
Carla is no slouch, either.
Had her arm been intact, she probably would’ve had a high rank, a general maybe, and contributed greatly to the Empire’s magical versatility.
However, Ivan surpasses her.
In every aspect, Ivan is perfect.
He embodies all the qualities a mage should have—creativity, application, endurance, and Ivan excels in every one.
“His abilities go beyond the term genius. That boy… he might not even be human. In his magical circuit alone, I’ve seen nothing so perfect in my life. If magic were to take human form, it might look exactly like him.”
“So, it seems… it’s as expected.”
Among the few closely guarded secrets of the Empire lies one known only by a select few.
There once was a great Empire that predates this one—an Empire that remains only in records now.
The current royal family destroyed that Empire.
Though it wasn’t during the current era, but farther back in history, it’s undeniable that the ancestors of the current royal family caused the fall of the ancient Empire. The records remain and are preserved in the royal archives, and it’s said that the last emperor of the ancient Empire left behind a curse as he perished, promising to return and destroy the current royal family.
The last emperor of the old Empire is said to have been divine in his mastery of magic, achieving 33 nodes beyond the traditional 31 buds.
If Ivan is his reincarnation, this could jeopardize the Empire.
Before his death, the old emperor cursed the royal family, promising retribution. And regarding the curse…
“Would you like another one?”
Lorenzo extended the box.
Lord Cascata eyed it for a moment, looked at Lorenzo briefly, then back down at the box.
“…Thank you.”
“It seems you’re deep in thought. Is it about your nephew?”
“No, it isn’t.”
Lord Cascata’s duty is to protect this Empire.
To safeguard the royal family, preserve the nation, and ensure its legacy remains immortal.
Venere and Mercurio are also such figures.
The royal family, the aristocrats, the countless citizens—they’ve all been supported by his sacrifices.
However, the presence of Ivan before him now could be the calamity that threatens the very foundation of the Empire he strives so hard to protect.
With the suspicion that Ivan carries the bloodline of the cursed old imperial family, there is no other option.
If the bloodline is confirmed, it would leave little room for choice apart from eliminating Ivan.
“Ivan will do fine.”
“I’ve noticed you’ve been paying a lot of attention to Emil.”
Upon hearing this, Lorenzo hesitated.
Although Lorenzo could not discern the exact machinations of the retainers of Aufstik who had infiltrated the Academy, the condition of Emil’s magical circuit left no room for optimistic assumptions.
“…Yes, what of it?”
“The Aufstik lot is too cunning. Hard to read… Ignore their threats and act freely. This is the Academy, not their playground. So…”
At that moment, an urgent signal sounded from the evacuation boundary.
The urgent movement of rescue personnel became visible, prompting Lorenzo to extinguish his newly lit mana-cigarette and rise to his feet.
“Looks like we’ve got our first victim. I’ll see to it.”
“Go ahead. We’ll talk again.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lorenzo bowed briefly before striding off.
Even while retreating from his superior, he adheres to protocol and doesn’t run, which shows that he is a discerning individual.
After extinguishing his own mana-cigarette, Lord Cascata slowly stood up.
He wanted to see who had been evacuated to better understand the situation.
