“Daike, good work today.”
“You worked hard as well, Sir Teron.”
Teron and Daike looked at each other and smiled.
After running around nonstop for days, they had finally finished all preparations to harvest the highest-grade magic stones.
Caron had praised them and even given them two merit points as a reward.
On top of that, they’d even been granted some time to rest.
Brushing ash off himself, Teron muttered.
“Professor Caron… really is clear with rewards and punishments. More flexible than he looks, too.”
“He keeps work and personal matters strictly separate as well.”
“He’s an excellent teacher on top of that. If I could, I’d invite him into the family. Once he retires from the academy, His Majesty wouldn’t mind.”
“Three years until graduation. By then, he wouldn’t be too young to retire. The problem is the retainers will oppose it…”
“Tsk. What do those old fossils who judge people by rumors know? Well… I get it, considering he was apparently terrifying in the past.”
He had felt it back in the family as well, but it had hit him even harder after coming to the academy.
‘That capable people are always in short supply.’
From guys who only talked big, to complete nobodies, and even people you couldn’t communicate with at all.
Compared to the family servants, it was honestly embarrassing.
In that sense, Caron was an outstanding talent. An absurdly outstanding one.
“The information Professor Caron holds will be a huge asset as well. Avoiding him because he’s scary just means the person in charge is incompetent.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
They were enjoying a pleasant break under the sunlight they hadn’t felt in a while.
That was when a certain talented individual entered Teron’s sight.
It was Zero.
The kid who had rejected his offer and formed an alliance with Yuridia and Victoria.
Rude as hell, yet for some reason he couldn’t help but keep thinking about him.
“…He stands out way too much. Still as arrogant as ever.”
Hearing Teron, Daike could easily tell.
He could hear the regret and obsession Teron still had about Zero.
“I’ll definitely win next time! I’m sure of it.”
Daike’s eyes burned with resolve.
If he were the one to crush Zero, Teron would finally be able to let go of the boy.
Letting his emotions show so openly that his subordinate worried about him—how pathetic.
Teron gave an awkward laugh.
“…I slipped up. Don’t worry. I don’t doubt your victory, and I have no interest in that brat anymore.”
However.
“I am curious why he’s with Lady Lowell, though.”
“Sir Teron…”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. Analyzing the enemy isn’t optional, it’s mandatory.”
Rustle, rustle—.
Teron and Daike began tailing Zero’s group.
The strange thing was that Daike kept an unusually large distance.
He was so far that Zero’s party looked like dots on the horizon.
“Do we really need to follow them from this far away?”
“…There’s one rabbit in that group with sharp instincts. Based on my experiments so far, this is the optimal distance.”
“Ho… That rabbit’s more capable than I thought. Now I see why he keeps her around.”
Teron hummed, clearly in a good mood.
Daike, on the other hand, was far from pleased. This, too, was praise for Zero.
‘So he really hasn’t given up yet.’
It wasn’t that he was jealous of Zero. Well, there was a little jealousy mixed in, but Daike honestly thought Zero was impressive too.
‘But now that he’s an enemy, I have no intention of losing.’
Bringing victory to Teron—that was his role.
Zero’s group headed toward the bamboo grove south of Trash Village.
But the bamboo forest quickly turned into an open clearing.
Bamboo stalks toppled in droves under Lowell’s sword.
“So that’s the famous technique from the rumors…”
“…It’s incredible.”
It was Ring Annihilation Slash, the technique created by Lowell Lucid, the third child of House Lucid.
A technique that cut through everything the blade touched while simultaneously releasing a wave of aura.
Its power was just as overwhelming as the rumors claimed.
What was strange was how Zero, standing in the middle of the clearing, suddenly took a stance.
The exact same stance Lowell had just used.
“So he’s in the middle of receiving instruction?”
“Do you think he’s going to become Lady Lowell’s disciple?”
“Most likely. With that much talent… of course he’d catch her eye.”
Teron had praised Zero without even realizing it.
Noticing Daike’s discomfort, he hurriedly continued.
“Well, Lady Lowell tends to take on a lot of disciples. He’s probably just one more in the bunch.”
“Those disciples were mostly for networking. I think taking Zero as a disciple is a bit different…”
“Maybe so. But who cares if he’s her disciple? More importantly, even Zero can’t learn that technique so easily—”
KABOOOOM—!!
A thunderous explosion cut him off mid-sentence.
A moment later, the two of them saw it.
Zero, who had just executed Ring Annihilation Slash perfectly.
“Aura…?”
And the shockwave of black flames spreading outward around him.
Watching the black aura slowly fade, Teron muttered.
“He could use aura? And that freely? Zero, that brat is really…!”
Teron, who had been exclaiming in excitement without thinking, suddenly stopped.
He had just realized his mistake.
“…”
“Daike…”
Daike had reached the 5-star realm long ago.
But for some reason, he still couldn’t use aura.
He had been examined by all sorts of renowned experts, yet all they ever said was, “You’ll be able to use it soon,” over and over again.
And now, in a situation like this, he had to watch his rival Zero freely wield aura right before his eyes.
Daike clenched his fist so tight it trembled.
‘Damn it…!’
After losing to Zero, he hadn’t taken a single day off from swinging his sword.
He had thought the gap had narrowed. That it was still far, but he’d at least gained a little ground.
But he was wrong. The gap hadn’t shrunk.
‘It’s gotten wider…!’
In fact, it had widened dramatically. And that distance would only keep growing.
Because he was still unable to use aura at all.
“…Let’s go.”
Suddenly, he felt a warm weight on his shoulder.
Teron’s hand was resting there.
It was obvious he had noticed Daike’s condition.
Like his father, he was sharp and perceptive. He must have fully grasped Daike’s sense of defeat.
And his despair.
Daike shouted immediately.
“Sir Teron! I can beat him. Right now—!”
Teron shook his head.
“I received word that my father will be arriving at the academy soon.”
“The Duke…?”
Daike’s face turned pale.
Forcing a smile, Teron gave him a gentle push on the back.
“Come on, let’s go prepare to receive him. That’s the more important matter right now.”
And with that, the two of them left.
Black flames had spread outward along with the shockwave.
Through them, we could see it.
The kids staring with their jaws hanging open, and Lowell looking no different.
Especially Lowell; her mouth was so wide open a butterfly could have flown in and out.
“Phew…”
I turned the longsword back into ring form and checked my surroundings.
It was the same technique, but it didn’t reach Lowell’s level of power.
“Keke, maybe about a quarter of hers?”
The circle I carved was smaller than Lowell’s. My stats and skill ranks were lower, after all.
‘If I’d used Divine Imitation with it… I probably could’ve matched Lowell’s destructive power.’
But I hadn’t used that power.
Even this much was more than enough to shock everyone.
If I’d used this technique with [Divine Imitation], things wouldn’t have ended with simple surprise.
“You… just what are you?”
“Keke, just an ordinary student.”
“Ordinary students can’t do that, okay? Anyone can tell you’re a weird one!”
Lowell grumbled, though there wasn’t any real complaint in her voice.
It was closer to a playful whine.
“Aren’t you angry?”
“Huh? Why would I be?”
“I copied a technique you’ve trained for years in no time at all.”
Luna, for instance, was like that.
Envy, jealousy, competitiveness, and a healthy dose of “I wanna do it too.”
All those tangled emotions were reflected in the way she looked at me.
So how must Lowell feel, having her personal technique stolen right in front of her eyes?
But Lowell spoke as if it were nothing special.
“I got over those sorts of feelings a long time ago. Besides… I know two people even more talented than you.”
Two geniuses.
She was obviously talking about Lucia and Lucas.
“At first, I was jealous too. But do you know what I eventually realized?”
“What is it?”
The question didn’t come from me, but from Luna.
She probably didn’t know what to do with the feeling of being jealous of a friend.
Lowell patted Luna lightly and spoke.
“You just let geniuses walk their own path. What’s important is your path.”
“My path…?”
“Yeah. If you give up just because someone is ahead of you, there’d hardly be anyone left standing in this world. And if you keep walking your own path, you end up meeting them again anyway.”
The geniuses who ran ahead and tripped, the geniuses who shattered, and the ones who kept going far ahead.
“So there’s really no need to be jealous. If anything… it’s even better if you make those geniuses who are ahead of you your allies. Honestly, it doesn’t get easier than that.”
“Mm… I’m not sure I completely get it, but I kind of do. You’re saying I should tie Zero down nice and tight, right? So he can’t run away.”
No, Luna, that was nowhere in what she said!? Stop putting your own spin on it!
“Exactly. He’s a bit… no, very rude, but so what.”
Lowell grinned. Looking straight at me, she continued.
“What matters is that he’s mine.”
??? Excuse me, since when was I yours? I don’t remember signing up for that.
“You sure you don’t want anything else? Like this big sister’s love, maybe?”
…Her character feels way different from the original. This damn affection system is to blame.
Lowell nudged me with her elbow, flirting shamelessly.
Then she was suddenly pushed aside. Luna had dashed over and wrapped herself around my arm.
“Protecting your boyfriend, are we?”
“No, it’s because you’re trying to steal what’s mine without permission.”
“Even though I’m your teacher?”
“Even if you’re my teacher, no means no.”
Luna hugged my arm with her whole body, clinging tight.
I didn’t feel any movement from the bushes nearby.
Not that there was anywhere to hide anyway, since the trees around us had all been wiped out.
After bickering with Luna for a bit, Lowell cleared her throat.
“Come to think of it… I should give the other disciples a present too.”
“A present? Then teach me that! Ring Annihilation Slash!”
“You’re not Zero, are you? You can’t even use aura.”
“That’s…”
Luna’s shoulders drooped. In truth, her specs were already enough for her to use aura.
‘If she just learned a mana method, she could start using aura whenever she wanted.’
The academy even provides official mana methods.
And yet Luna had refused to learn any of them.
“I’m sorry. I… want to learn my family’s method. I don’t remember much, but… I’ll find it somehow. If I search the old blood alliance archives or track down people, I’m sure…!”
It was because she stubbornly wanted to learn the Lester Family’s mana method, her birthright.
But with the Lester family branded as traitors, it was practically impossible for her to get her hands on that mana method now.
Looking annoyed, Lowell pried Luna off my arm.
“Just learn the one I’m going to teach you.”
“But…!”
“You should listen to your teacher, shouldn’t you? Don’t worry. You’ll like it.”
Standing behind Luna, Lowell leaned in and began whispering something into her ear.
At the same time, she placed a hand on Luna’s waist and channeled mana into her.
She was guiding the flow of mana through Luna’s meridians and acupoints, teaching her the formula of the mana method.
‘No need to stop her.’
I didn’t know exactly which mana method it was, but I had no idea where to even find [Lester Family Mana Method].
Letting Luna cling to something she might never obtain would only slow her growth. It was better to force a mana method on her like this.
At first, Luna resisted, but then her movements gradually ceased. A short while later—
“Phew… it’s been a while since I did that. I’m tired.”
Lowell wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Luna checked the state of her body, then stared at Lowell in disbelief.
“How did you…?”
“It just kind of happened? Back then I was starving for knowledge. The timing worked out.”
As I followed their conversation, a system window popped up in front of my eyes.
Only then did I understand why Luna had stopped resisting.
[Party member ‘Luna’ has learned Lester Family Mana Method (F).]
“Ah…”
Tears streamed down Luna’s cheeks.
Lowell wrapped her in a hug.
“Work hard. So you won’t bring shame to that name.”
Luna didn’t answer. She just nodded her head frantically in Lowell’s arms.
Before long, Luna would be able to use aura too.
“Hmm… those two are done. So the only one left is…”
All our gazes focused on one spot. There, we saw—
“Kkiik?”
Rezé, secretly munching on a carrot.
…What am I supposed to give this rabbit?
–TL Notes–
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Thanks for the release.
To be honest, I would have thought that Caron would have been able to provide Lester Family Mana Method!
One thing I am wondering is that Zero is not trying to learn a Mana Method so far.
Most likely, he is waiting for a Hidden Piece
Good catch! Caron seem like a prime candidate to know!
Damn…Lowel mentorship give such huge dividents! The Lester family hidden pieces keep surfacing too!
And I thought Teron and Daike would grapse Zero secret by seeing him use Darkness but I guess he hid it with Aura…
The Teron arc will soon start and Daike already received new motivation! What will this lead to!? Daike forming a Demon contract too? Daike awakening Aura mid fight super saiyan style?
But Teron is so happy here I hope his father doesn’t grill him too badly