༺ I Became a Black Wizard of the Academy ༻
Time remaining until the first class── 4 days.
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Alexon. The one who came closest to the throne of the Mercenary King. The Knight Crusher. The Weapon Master.
Among those who lived by the blade in the current era, there was no one who did not know his name. He always fought on the front lines with his axe and although he might have gained scars, he had never lost.
Just listing the Black Wizards whose heads were taken by his axe revealed why Alexon’s fame resounded throughout the world. 『Leather Thief』, 『Evil Landkeeper』, 『Bloodline Blade』.
Above all, the reason he was respected was that he always kept true to his faith and moral values even on the merciless battlefield. He never abandoned his comrades and stayed behind if someone was needed to buy time. He was always the first to face danger and led those who were lacking.
It was a famous story that he became hostile to one of the Grand Duke’s territories to keep his loyalty to the mercenary group under his command. He always cherished his own people. Unconditionally.
That was why…
Entering as Alexon’s disciple could be the best cover one could ask for.===============================================================
Bennett Helton. A 2nd-Year at the Academy. His main weapon was a longsword.
After enrolling, he stood out among the students with his excellent physical abilities and swordsmanship overflowing with killing intent. Thus, he caught Alexon’s eye and was able to form a loose master-disciple relationship. This relationship had continued to this day.
This was all planned.
After closely analyzing Alexon’ personality and concluding that he enjoyed giving advice to others, Bennett approached him with deliberately batshit crazy swordsmanship. It was an effective strategy.
Although Alexon’s main weapon was an axe, he was proficient with many weapons. Attempting to deceive him clumsily would only earn a comment like, ‘Why are you deliberately swinging your sword so strangely?’, and arouse suspicion.
Therefore, Bennett did his best to learn swordsmanship in an odd manner. He studied the swordsmanship manual of a maniac on his own without taking a swordsmanship instructor. Was it because his efforts were so extensive that it had practically reached the sky?
Alexon wanted to correct Bennett’s swordsmanship, which had ‘grown deformed because he swung with killing intent’. Of course, Bennett did not miss the opportunity to build a connection. He swung his sword until his hands were about to break. Alexon was very pleased with his perseverance and tenacity.
With that, he had acquired a reliable shield at the Academy.
When his disciple received a ‘wrongful accusation’, Alexon would protect him until the truth had been ascertained. Moreover, he would even smooth over a minor accusation as a misunderstanding.
As such, even if something went wrong and Bennett was discovered to be a Black Wizard…It was at least possible for Alexon to buy time for him. And that would be a huge help to the plan.
……The day of reckoning was approaching.
Black Wizards who had infiltrated the Academy would install magic circles throughout its grounds by the designated date. With that, they would cause disturbances behind the scenes and fuel the students’ fear and anxiety. If their identity was not revealed, they would operate in secret; if revealed, they would cause maximum casualties.
It would serve as fertilizer for the Grand Magic that the Black Wizard commanding this raid, 『Corpse Flower that Consumes Fear』, would cast──『Nightmare Summon』.
She could absorb the negative emotions of humans to enhance the power of her magic one step further. The gloomier and darker the atmosphere of the Academy, the stronger she would become.
Already, the atmosphere at the Academy was far from pleasing.
There were conflicts between the two factions, students grinding their teeth in endless competition, teaching assistants being cut at the ankles for the sake of a professor’s achievement, and those living without entertainment and pleasure; they were all under enough stress to explode if prodded.
Naturally, the darkening atmosphere of the Academy was thanks to the large magic circle affecting the entire Academy, meticulously completed in small amounts by the Black Wizards who had infiltrated and been discovered repeatedly over 30 years. This magic circle subtly stimulated the biggest emotions within every living creature in range.
The rumors spread cunningly by the Black Wizards also played a part. Like the horror story that an individual with a high-status requested the murder and removal of a student they did not like.
A little more instigation would do the trick. Just a bit more.
While dressed in an Academy uniform, Bennett Helton had a longsword hanging from his left waist. Today, he was summoned by Alexon. As such, he was on his way to the professors’ residential area. He didn’t know what the matter was, but it was a critical time.
Before leaving the dormitory, Bennett looked at his reflection in the mirror. He saw his dull grey hair and the gruesome scar covering half of his face. Also, his blind eye. The scar was a memory. Every time Bennett looked in the mirror, he could vividly recall his deep-seated grudge.
There were many strong-willed people at the Academy. But the reason why Bennett was accepted by Alexon even among them might be because they both shared the fate of losing one eye, thus fostering a sense of kinship. Or at least, that was what he thought.
Perhaps it would be better to increase intimacy with Alexon a bit more before the day of reckoning.
===============================================================
“You’re here, Bennett!”
A voice loud enough to feel its resonance greeted Bennett. Alexon’s residence was a neatly decorated, modest-sized detached house. The furniture inside was arranged with precise, neat angles.
Judging by his appearance alone, a large tent or a hut with a barbaric vibe would have seemed more fitting. However, Alexon was a man of delicate tastes, contrary to his looks.
“Did you call for me, Master?”
“Yes, I did. It’s nothing special. I just found someone suitable to be your Master.”
Bennett’s vigilance heightened immediately. To think that he was finding a different Master for him, so out of the blue. Had he made some sort of mistake? Or was Alexon planning to leave the Academy?
“HAHAHA! Don’t make such a face, Bennett! I truly mean what I said! I found someone from whom you could learn from.”
Bang!
Alexon, with his rough hand akin to a pot lid, thumped Bennett on the back. Bennett thought that if he got hit like that three more times, he would become incapable of any sort of combat. He seriously wondered if this was a ploy to lower his guard and then inflict damage on him.
Alexon rubbed his bushy beard with his hand. It was a habit of his whenever he was pondering or reminiscing.
“There’s a rule in the Academy that 『Countermeasures to Illusion Magic』 must be taught no matter what. But since the previous Professor left due to an unfortunate incident…We had to find a new one.”
“I see.”
“I was thinking of requesting a professor from the Purple Magic Tower. Someone with rich practical experience and a long career, you see. 『Puppet Lorei』, known for her remarkable character, was a candidate. So was 『Charlie of Pain』, who, despite his infamous reputation, would have been perfect as a professor.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“But then….. The Second Prince suddenly stuck in someone else. He said that in addition to 『Countermeasures to Illusion Magic』, this person could also be in charge of aiding in the students’ lack of practical experiences.”
“……What? Impossible. Does that mean we are expected to experience actual combat through Illusion Magic?”
It was a ludicrous idea, not even worthy of a laugh. There had been several attempts to incorporate Illusion Magic into practical training, but all had failed. Either the disparity between reality and illusion was too great or the output was too weak and could be easily broken.
Injecting realism into an illusion was no easy feat. Even a world created by three Illusion Wizards squeezing out every little bit of their mana had to downsize information by deforming people and objects.
As such, real combat experience could not possibly be accumulated against goblins that looked like lumps of squished clay.
“That’s right, it was an impossible idea, so…….I opposed it. I told that bastard to try proving himself. Let’s see if you can talk your way out of this, just like how you coaxed the Second Prince. That’s what I thought. But then, Alejandro, that narrow-minded punk, was done in.”
“Do you mean Professor Alejandro……?”
“That isn’t all. There’s more. Shockingly, I lost to a wizard in a theoretical sword duel of words.”
“……Excuse me?”
Bennett’s mind went blank. It was like a cleric losing an argument to a random farmer passing by. If it had been anyone else, they might have been scorned and cursed at. ‘How could you possibly lose a battle of words to a wizard?’ That was what they would have heard. But not Alexon. He was not someone to be belittled like that. His skills were far too overwhelming, after all.
“I’ve said it time and time again. Weapons contain the heart. The soul. The mind. This isn’t just some philosophical nonsense.”
It was an enlightenment Alexon had gained from traversing countless battlefields for 40 years.
“Do I need to attack? Do I need to evade? Do I need to defend? If attacking, how much damage to myself is acceptable? Where would I mix in my tricks and schemes? Battle is where such decisions intertwine simultaneously.”
There were some similarities with chess. Actions incorporated decisions. One might swing with 60% attack and 40% defense, anticipate the opponent’s next move for a counter, or focus their strength at a specific moment.
Thus, by dissecting the decisions embedded in a weapon, one could see through the person. It allowed one to infer how they would fight and behave.
“That’s why I say your sword reeks of killing intent. After all, your sword fundamentally presupposes ‘winning at the cost of even sacrificing an arm’. But the swordsmanship that bloomed atop that punk’s tongue was…….”
A faint fear flickered through Alexon’s eyes.
It was not a sort of fear that was scared of mere ghosts. It was a fear of the incomprehensible, like witnessing the sun rise from the west or the sea water falling skywards.
He reminisced.
“The first move was to lure out an attack. When I did so, the opponent also sent a move to probe me. Even then, I already felt it wasn’t any ordinary battle. A sword duel of words is a kind of argument……..if one side starts persisting in being unreasonable, it does not hold up. But that guy was calculating every move correctly.”
Considering weight, destructive power, muscle mass, and more. When excluding intangible factors like mana and Metamorphosis, he could feel him faithfully considering every piece of data. After clearly recognizing his own physical limitations, he made a move that deflected the incoming axe.
Though only words were exchanged, Alexon could vividly imagine a structured battle unfolding. In his mind, a sword clashed with an axe.
“Three exchanges passed by like that and we approached the fourth. It was then…that I felt something…….strange.”
That swing…
Was a trajectory that he had never seen before in any existing school of martial arts. Alexon’s mind, recalling the trajectory drawn by the wizard’s tongue, went momentarily blank.
His head dismissed it as a move crudely sketched by a wizard unfamiliar with the basics of martial arts.
But his heart. His heart, honed in countless battlefields over the years, screamed the opposite. That it was…dangerous. He felt a tightening in his heart. Though he didn’t know why…Though he couldn’t understand, it was a move that decided the battle.
“At some point in time, our roles were reversed.”
So naturally that it was almost imperceptible, the aggressive Alexon found himself forced into defense. Despite being undeniably slow and frail, the wizard’s blade was always a step ahead.
However, instead of admiring the refined martial arts, Alexon became frightened by the unpleasant feeling that seemed as if worms were wriggling through his veins.
Dismantlement.
The wizard’s sword efficiently dismantled Alexon. It moved just as much as needed in a mechanical manner, swung without excess or deficiency, and always ended the exchange with an ever so slight advantage.
There was no passion in it. No heart. No soul. Should offense be prioritized? Should defense? What should it aim for? That was all that could be felt from the wizard. Every single thing was changed based on pure efficiency. Alexon felt as if he was fighting a monster with a hundred heads.
And that monster always derived only the most efficient moves. Without fail.
He was whittled away.
Bit by bit, peeled from the outside; like that, he was disappearing.
“By the second half…….it was no different from mere flailing. A desperate struggle that was utterly futile.”
It was as if the act of thinly peeling off skin was repeated over and over until one’s very existence vanished. Alexon sweated profusely, struggling with all his might. However, he could not escape the inevitable outcome of being peeled away, layer by layer.
“As such, I died on the 147th exchange.”
The recollection ended.
Alexon’s expression was severely contorted; just the act of reminiscing made him break out in a cold sweat. At a certain point in time, his trembling hands were clenched tight.
Bennett had never seen Alexon like this before.
“…….At that moment, I acknowledged him. If that wizard had been born with a perfect body as well……perhaps one day, he could have aimed for the Empire’s Boy Knight.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“Go and seek his tutelage, Bennett. If I hadn’t reached Metamorphosis…….perhaps I would have tried to emulate that wizard’s way of fighting. But I’ve chosen my path and it has already been set. You are different, Bennett…….Go and learn the swordsmanship of that wizard.”
Go learn from a greater Master, in broader waters. That was what Alexon was saying. He was admitting his own shortcomings and advising his disciple accordingly. Bennett clenched his teeth.
Inside his mind, a whirlwind swirled. He didn’t know what to think.
“…….Yes, Master.”
Bennett nodded and stood up.
It was a variable.
The wizard from the Purple Magic Tower…… If Alexon held him in such high regard, then he definitely posed a variable to the plan. It was necessary to investigate and inform the infiltrated Black Wizards. If he posed a problem, prioritizing his removal might be necessary.
As Bennett looked at Alexon, who was seemingly enveloped in a sense of emptiness, he blurted out without thinking.
“But still, I only have one Master.”
“You punk……”
Alexon’s expression brightened slightly. Bennett bowed low and left Alexon’s residence.
Alexon’s social standing remained unchanged. He still provided good cover and a solid shield. Hence, offering comforting words to a disheartened Alexon was……probably necessary for the plan.
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The information Bennett scraped together from the Black Wizards and his classmates was as follows.
Name Unknown.
Age Unknown.
Purple Magic Tower Affiliation.
The Star Disciple of the Purple Magic Tower Master.
Has the Second Prince as a backer.
Seen being pampered by a female butler dressed in a formal suit.
Involved in a love triangle between said female butler and a female student of the Academy.
Visited the women’s underwear shop within the school grounds as soon as he entered the Academy.
Spotted engaging in suspicious activities at several locations within the Academy.
Testimony of being witnessed leaving the professors’ residential area and moving south the night before.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Bennett decided to report to the higher-ups, labeling the subject in question as a lecher. That with such an openly lascivious character, honey traps might be effective.
“Suspicious activities, they say……”
Direct contact with him was postponed. For now, Bennett intended to investigate what the Purple Tower Wizard was plotting within the Academy. By that, he meant tonight, when everyone else was fast asleep.
Bennett closed his eyes and felt around the contours of his soul. And then, he cautiously tore off a corner. A brief, heart-wrenching pain passed, leaving a massive amount of mana at his fingertips.
The soul and the body were closely linked. If the soul was harmed, the body, too, suffered. Thus, using one’s own soul as material for casting Black Magic inevitably shortened one’s lifespan.
Bennett always hesitated whenever he used Black Magic with his soul.
But after reminding himself that everything he once had was consumed in a blaze anyway…That nothing was left but the mere ashes in his hands, courage would swell within him. The courage to do whatever it took to complete the plan.
“Burnt Offering – 『Tracing the Past』.”
The magic, enhanced by the consumption of his soul, unleashed a whirl of mana that settled into Bennet’s eyes. He spat the rising bile and blood into a trash can.
Though he had lost about three years of his lifespan just now, it didn’t matter if it meant fulfilling the plan.
The magic that would usually show 1 minute into the past was now enhanced, revealing the scene from a day ago in vivid detail. Bennett followed the illusion of a wizard wearing a hood and a beauty dressed in a suit.
He arrived at a clearing in the lecture facility area.
He caught the image of the wizard burying something in the ground with a shovel. After surveying the surroundings and confirming no one was around, Bennett used magic to quickly dig up the soil.
“……A sword?”
A plain-looking sword was buried in that spot.
It was unlikely they had come out in the dead of night── in the rain, at that, just to dispose of trash. Moreover, they used a shovel. To leave no magical trace, presumably. Such meticulous action suggested it wasn’t just any ordinary sword.
Bennett, suspecting as much, lightly cut his palm with the sword.
Blood dripped down. And then, the Demonic Sword, absorbing the blood, woke from its hibernation mode.
The sword was designed to awaken immediately upon detecting blood. The reason for this was to prevent someone from going ‘I should feed the Demonic Sword’ and start killing civilians.
-Are you my new Master? To think that you would awak…….
“『Artifact Seal of the Marsh Devil』.”
After confirming it was a Demonic Sword, Bennett immediately sealed it. He then strapped the sword to his waist. He couldn’t risk being discovered by someone.
“……Blatantly expressing his carnal desires for women, backed by the Second Prince, possessing the wisdom to defeat Alexon in a duel of words, and hiding a Demonic Sword in the Academy………”
……Was he also a Black Wizard?
Bennett considered the possibility that this was a higher-ranked Black Wizard dispatched by 『Corpse Flower that Consumes Fear』 for the completion of the plan.
The Black Wizard community was structured in cells. Bennett could only communicate with his ‘superiors’ and had no way of knowing who else among the Academy was a disguised Black Wizard. Therefore, it was impossible to immediately ascertain whether the wizard from the Purple Magic Tower was an ally
If they were indeed a Black Wizard as well, was it perhaps better to re-bury the Demonic Sword?
If he wasn’t a Black Wizard, keeping the sword posed no issue. However, there seemed no logical reason for him to bury a Demonic Sword in the Academy if he wasn’t a Black Wizard. After all, if it was brought to the Church, they would take care of it and even provide a reward.
As his dilemma deepened, he sensed a human presence.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
He didn’t have the time to re-bury it or disguise himself. Bennett quickly left the scene with the Demonic Sword in hand.
***
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