Chapter 44

From then on, Ihan continued with his demonstrations.

"A magician’s magic generally includes telekinesis. As you saw earlier, the amount of mass telekinesis can handle is enormous. It’s a threatening power. To a regular soldier, it’s almost a disaster. But a knight must be able to resist such disasters. You need to live up to the title of a knight."

Ihan gave Irene a look, and she responded by activating her telekinesis.

Whoosh!

"Did you see that?"

"..."

They did. An invisible force exploded in the air like a burst balloon.

"There are three main ways a warrior can resist telekinesis. The first is through martial techniques, releasing aura to disrupt the flow of magic. The second way is to resist the telekinesis directly, though this risks being crushed and torn apart under the pressure. So it’s best to avoid that if possible."

"Th-then, what’s the third…?"

"Without martial techniques, the third way is your only option."

Whoosh!

Once again, an invisible force burst in the air.

"Force 'dispersal.' It’s the principle behind the Divine Fist of a Hundred Steps I just showed you. Think of it as 'shooting down' telekinesis. But be warned—not in all directions. Trying that could turn your body into dust."

"If a magician tried that, they’d be the ones turning to dust!"

Magic might be a near-universal power, but it wasn’t actually omnipotent. Handling such an all-encompassing force required immense capacity, effort, and composure. To disperse telekinesis in all directions was practically self-destructive. It would be like firing a cannon repeatedly with your bare hands until you coughed up blood and died.

"Oh, so that’s how that guy died? Good to know."

"..."

Apparently, Ihan had already experienced this before.

"Anyway, as you saw, to resist telekinesis, you must master what I did. There are only two aspects, so it should be easy enough to learn."

The manifestation and dispersal of power.

It would be an easy task, as Ihan imagined, for the cadets to grasp.

"...Where are you going?"

But to those who only saw the force bursting in the air, it was anything but simple. Why did that massive log split in half? How could telekinesis be 'shot down'?

"Raise your hand if you understood."

He had explained it, though it was a rather abstract explanation. Perhaps someone had grasped it?

With a glimmer of hope, he looked at them.

"Kunta didn’t understand. Kunta is a fool."

"You’re not a fool, Kunta. I don’t think anyone else got it either."

"Too vague, Instructor."

There were only awkward smiles. Ihan had expected Kunta, who was closest to his way of thinking, to get it… Maybe he should’ve been a bit clearer?

Just then…

"E-excuse me…"

A girl who hadn’t been expected to raise her hand did so.

"Are you saying, Instructor, that… we've been learning how to push ourselves to our limits? You emphasized that not just for increasing our strength, but also so we’d understand how our muscles work, right? You always stressed that."

Levy Folt. She was a fragile-looking, delicate girl, yet she had managed to endure the twenty-day training without running away. Now, with a hint of sharpness in her gaze, she shared her understanding.

"You always said, 'Feel the power.' It was vague, but I think we all noticed. Through the PT drills and climbing cliffs, we learned how muscles work, and that even when we’re exhausted, we can still manage to train. Thanks to you, Instructor, we’ve realized that strength doesn’t just come from muscles."

She had a way with words. Perhaps due to her noble upbringing, she didn’t speak bluntly but instead acknowledged others' efforts. She had a way of making people feel good.

But Ihan appreciated her explanation more than her elegant speech.

"Well explained, Chick Number One. Thanks. I’m not great at explanations, since I usually go by intuition, but you’ve cleared it up nicely."

"Oh, no, Instructor. I just expanded a bit on what you already know."

"Then I’ll give you a treat later."

"Wh-what?"

She was a pleasant child. Her gentle demeanor and pure heart stood out, a refreshing change from the gruff, prideful men.

‘A daughter like her would be nice.’

It was like seeing a much younger sister or a daughter. Ihan’s gaze softened with satisfaction, and Levy Folt’s cheeks turned pink. She wasn’t used to such compliments.

‘Why didn’t I get praised? I’m good at this too.’

On the other hand, the magical girl, unaccustomed to receiving such praise, felt indignant.

[Irene, you lost. You might be prettier, but we lost in grace, sniff.]

‘…Grace, my foot.’

She was unparalleled as a siege weapon but failed miserably in elegance, sulking with resentment.

Oblivious to the magical girl’s subtle irritation, Ihan focused on Levy Folt.

‘She’s impressive.’

It was a different type of impression from before. Over the past twenty days, though everyone had worked hard, few had been as diligent as Levy Folt.

‘She was always the first to rise and trained harder than anyone.’

She had a tenacious spirit. Despite her fragile appearance, her inner strength was fierce.

She knew she was starting far behind, so she never stopped pushing, biting down and giving her all. Now, she was finally at the starting line, ready to sprint. The wonders of Vulcan might have helped, but her efforts shouldn’t be overlooked.

‘She’s no longer just a Chick.’

She wasn’t just a noble young lady now but a true warrior. Whatever her reason for choosing this path, Ihan focused only on her determination and results.

And so…

"Levy Folt."

"Y-yes?!"

"Why so surprised?"

"Oh, it’s nothing…."

For the first time, he addressed her by her actual name. Her heart trembled just from that.

It felt as if she was recognized as herself, not as the Folt family’s daughter.

"Levy Folt, from what I’ve heard, you have the deepest understanding of 'power' among those present."

"B-but my body is still…."

"It’s lacking, indeed. But that’s inevitable. Others have trained for over ten years."

"Yes…."

"However."

"...?"

"What matters isn’t ‘time.’ Sometimes, what’s more important is how intense and meaningful the time is. In that sense, Cadet Levy Folt, you may have started late, but you’ve had an excellent start. Be proud of that."

"Instructor…"

He had a way of making people emotional. He had acknowledged her efforts, and more than that…

"So, to Cadet Levy Folt, who’s earned this, I’ll offer direct assistance."

"What do you mean…?"

"The instructor values fairness. So, I’ll give Cadet Levy Folt a special lesson."

"??"

She didn’t understand. Adults had a tendency to make things complicated.

She blinked in confusion as Ihan approached her.

"I’ll place my hand on your back. Is that alright?"

"Wh-what? Yes?"

"With your permission, of course. Know that my intentions are purely professional."

"Oh, yes, that’s fine."

She felt a bit shy, but after everything they’d been through at Vulcan, there wasn’t much left to be embarrassed about. She trusted him, so she agreed.

She took a breath.

"—All I can do as your instructor is guide you. But this experience should narrow the gap between you and the others. I hope it helps."

"..."

Her mind was reeling.

She’d long since forgotten her shyness.

For she was experiencing a ‘miracle.’

‘This, this is….’

Thrum…

His hand on her back was solid, like steel, but more shocking was the strong ‘pulse’ flowing through it.

The pulse of strength.

A powerful surge radiated from his muscles, bones, and sinews, flowing into her. Feeling it, sweat poured from her body.

‘I… I am so insignificant in comparison.’

It was like a massive wave crashing down on her. A majestic and overwhelming force. She felt like an early human marveling at the raw power of nature.

As that tidal force touched her, she felt the feeble flows within her body too.

A faint pulse.

If his power was a tidal wave, hers was a mere ripple on a puddle. Just as disappointment began to set in…

"Is that all you can feel?"

"Yes?"

"Focus more deeply. You’ll feel something even more amazing."

"..."

She followed his words. At that moment, he seemed like an unshakeable superhuman, someone she couldn’t dare oppose. Instinctively, she concentrated on the pulse within her own body.

“…Oh?”

She realized that the strength within her wasn’t just from muscles and bones.

Thud, thud.

Her heart.

Was her heart always this dynamic and powerful?

She felt the power flowing through her veins.

It was incredible.

Her blood was quick, relentless, and bold.

"Do you understand?"

"Y-yes."

"What do you understand?"

"That every part of me… isn’t weak or insignificant."

She had considered herself a weak person.

But she was wrong.

Every part of her being was strong and immense. She realized the magnitude of humanity.

"I may be insignificant compared to the sun and stars, but even I can become a star!"

"As expected of a noble lady, you have a poetic way of speaking."

"It’s the only way to express it!"

She was thrilled. She stood her ground, proud of her declaration. Anyone would be, after realizing the sheer strength within their own body.

"Then show me."

"Eh?"

"Show me the power you called a star."

"..."

"Are you afraid?"

"I-it’s just…"

"Have confidence. I’m here to help."

"!!"

"Go ahead. Feel the pulse, carry that power from your shoulder, to your elbow, and into your fist."

"..."

Hearing his words, Levy Folt took a gamble.

She wasn’t sure if it would work or what effect it would have.

But she was intoxicated by the pulse within her.

She gripped her fist and struck out.

It was a crude punch.

But…

Bam!

"...Ah!"

It wasn’t weak.

The force had burst forth.

The release of power. She stared wide-eyed at her fist.

It hurt.

She wasn’t used to channeling power this way, so it came with a price. But at this moment, pain didn’t matter.

"I… I did it! I did it…!!"

"Yes. You did that all on your own."

"Yes!!"

Compared to the joy and pride she felt now, the pain was nothing.

"Don’t forget this feeling. It’s the path you’ll dedicate yourself to for the rest of your life."

"I’ll never forget…!"

A new sense had ‘awakened.’ She would never forget this moment, not even in her final days.

‘Do they not realize what they’ve accomplished?’

Roen was in shock.

He had never been this astonished in his life.

What Ihan and Levy Folt had achieved wasn’t just the release of power!

‘It could replace martial techniques.’

A noble young lady, who had barely been training for a month, had shown a miracle. It was still weak but would undoubtedly grow. Though the path would be challenging, it was attainable through effort, not bloodlines.

And if it could replace martial techniques…

It would be a dagger against the privileges of knights and nobles.

‘Yes, that’s what I wanted!’

For the first time, he felt an intense desire.

‘I was arrogant.’

He finally admitted it. Before enrolling, he had been foolishly arrogant. He had thought he knew everything, that he didn’t need to learn anything from the academy and that no one could teach him.

…But he had been wrong.

Just look ahead.

There stood someone who showed him how humans could become superhuman, even without martial techniques.

‘Instructor, it sounds strange, but…’

Roen found himself contemplating.

For the first time in both his past and present lives.

‘Could you become my first true mentor?’

He wondered if he was finally finding someone worthy of his respect.

The young lion, who was justified in his arrogance, felt hopeful.

‘Maybe you could even be the key to my [great desire].’

A desire for revolution.