Chapter 49

“Kunta, I’ve got a question. So, how do we win this battle? Do we just kill everyone?”

“…You’re asking that now?”

“Mr. Barbarian, you’re quite the character, haha!”

“??”

Kunta blinked innocently as he sat in the stands, watching the war game. He had a burning desire to fight alongside the young sprouts, but unfortunately, this battlefield wasn’t meant for him. Though he watched the warriors’ struggle calmly, he still didn’t quite grasp the rules of this game.

However, it wasn’t entirely fair to hold it against him. He wasn’t yet fluent in the common language, and no one had bothered to explain what a war game was to him. It was as much the fault of his companions for not informing him as it was his own.

“To explain, killing is prohibited in the war game.”

“But it’s a war?”

“It’s a mock battle. If someone dies, it wouldn’t be a ‘mock’ battle anymore. So, no killing allowed.”

“Hmm, I don’t get it, but fine, Kunta understands.”

“This guy really shouldn’t be allowed to participate in the war game.”

Garand chuckled at Kunta’s dangerous mindset, while Arno continued with a silent nod.

“The methods of battle in the war game vary. Sometimes it’s a siege, other times it’s an all-out fight. But today, it’s quite simple.”

“What is it?”

“Capture the Flag. The main rule of this game is to protect your leader until the end.”

“Ah, so that’s why everyone’s carrying flags. Kunta thought they were toys.”

“They might look like toys, but…”

A roaring sound erupted.

“-It’s deadly serious for those in the fight.”

As Garand finished speaking, flames erupted towards the sprouts.

Seventeen mages.

That was the number excluding Irene Wendler and a few other social misfits who skipped class.

These seventeen effectively represented the magic department.

However, their low number didn’t mean they could be underestimated.

Each mage wielded dangerous power on their own.

An experienced high-level mage could single-handedly shift the tide of battle, earning them the title of strategic weapons.

These were talents who might one day earn such a title.

A massive current of air swirled around them.

The catalyst was telekinesis, pulling in wind around it.

The intense gusts compressed into a mass of oxygen and, in an instant—

“[Burn, hotter and more destructive].”

The flames burst forth.

A spell.

While it might sound like a mere incantation, in the realm of mages, a spell is much more than that.

The longer the spell, the more powerful it becomes.

However, the time required to chant a spell depends solely on the individual’s talent, magical capacity, and mental fortitude.

But here were seventeen mages gathered.

While individually they might not match Irene Wendler, together, they could unleash magic beyond her reach.

A colossal blaze.

The mere sight of it was enough to make one’s legs tremble.

How immense must the power within it be?

“We’ll end this quickly. It’s the most mercy we can offer.”

“Yes, well said, Instructor.”

They weren’t as arrogant as Odwal, but fundamentally, mages viewed those without magic as weak creatures.

Where their professor saw non-magical people as vermin, the mages simply saw them as pets—cats and dogs, at best.

A different race altogether, fragile beings to be protected.

They were showing mercy, engaging earnestly even in this “decided victory.”

“[Fire].”

And with a display of courtesy and mercy, they resolved to end this swiftly.

Delivering a blow that would extinguish their opponents’ will to fight.

This was their form of mercy and consensus.

A boulder-sized fireball shot forward.

Launched like a catapult, it wasn’t merely a fireball, but a fireball containing a spell.

There was no way their opponents could block it.

‘It’s over.’

Instructor Mage Ron sensed that the battle was over the moment the fireball flew.

They wouldn’t die.

If they had any sense, they would dodge…

“Huh? What are they doing?”

“Why aren’t they moving?”

“!!?”

But the mages were horrified.

They stood there, motionless, facing the oncoming fireball without a hint of fear.

The mages, realizing the oddity of the situation, tried to cancel the spell, but they weren’t skilled enough to dispel a launched spell.

With pale faces, they shut their eyes, bracing for the catastrophe that was about to unfold.

However,

“Raise spears—!!!”

The sprouts, or rather, the berserkers clad in bearskins, raised their spears.

It was a stance as if they were about to launch them any moment.

Despite being the weakest physically among them, the girl issuing orders displayed unmatched spirit and bravery.

Levi Folt raised her hand, pointing precisely where they needed to aim, and the others awaited her command.

In less than a second,

The girl decided it was time to unleash their full power.

“Throw spears.”

With a calm command, she hurled her spear first, and the others followed suit.

To onlookers, the wooden spears appeared feeble.

Why wooden spears when they could wield steel?

The spectators were nervous, but then—

Boom!

Eighteen wooden spears collided with the fireball, causing a massive explosion.

Strength versus strength.

Ordinarily, it would be impossible to counter the fireball’s power, yet, amazingly, the eighteen spears—

Swish!

Extinguished the fireball.

“They canceled it out?!”

Professor Odwal, watching from the magic department, was appalled.

The flames, that destructive magic, had been negated in an instant.

By mere wooden sticks…!

It was unfathomable.

How could they cancel out such a spell?

As he struggled to comprehend, the cadets and faculty watching the game, as well as—

“What am I witnessing?”

“Did they use Aura techniques?”

“No, it wasn’t Aura, but they used explosive force.”

The nobles, especially those familiar with Aura techniques, saw it.

The tremendous flow of power condensed in the wooden spears.

It wasn’t Aura, but it was pure force similar to it, contained within the wooden spears.

Even if someone questioned the explanation, they couldn’t provide a clearer answer.

Having never seen anything like it before, they were amazed.

But the instructor, observing his students’ growth, was indifferent to their reactions.

He cared only about their display of true strength.

“Yes, that’s spear force.”

“So if you channel it through a sword, is it called sword force?”

“That’s right.”

“…The names are quite simple.”

“Simple names are easier to remember.”

“Hmm.”

“And above all—”

The stronger the firepower, the better.

Descendants of Hwanwoong valued firepower and more firepower above all else.

No matter the reincarnation, his spirit held a proud love for this strength.

“Now!”

Levi Folt was now in a position to give commands.

Unlike others, she had studied strategy and military tactics from a young age.

Boom!

They obeyed Levi Folt’s commands.

It wasn’t just because she had learned more, but because they trusted her.

The girl who called them “seniors” and the strength the Great Instructor instilled in them earned their admiration.

They ran, their footsteps leaving grooves in the ground.

They hadn’t used Aura techniques, they were merely pushing their strength to its limits.

But their movement resembled that of a bear.

Not because they were clad in bearskins, but because they were like bears ready to hunt, both fierce and agile.

Having trained in Aura, their bodies strengthened, allowing them to reach an impressive speed of 30 km/h.

However, they couldn’t maintain this speed indefinitely.

So, they ran because—

“Now!”

Boom!

In a spear-throwing stance once more, they brought out their spears, now closer than before.

Crack!

They poured mass into their bodies, using Aura, but still couldn’t fully channel their mass yet.

But even so—

‘We can still put a quarter of our strength into it!’

And that alone was enough to threaten the enemy.

Whoosh! The spears flew towards the mages.

The mages scrambled to block them with telekinesis.

But—

Boom!

Crash!

Crack!

“Ah, grrk!”

“Ugh!”

“Ames!!”

“Damn it! What the hell is this?!”

The pressure was overwhelming, too strong to be entirely neutralized by telekinesis.

After closing the distance, the warriors threw their spears from every direction like a flock of birds.

Each warrior carried eight spears.

Having used most of them, they prepared for a final throw.

To finish things quickly.

But before they could launch,

“[Blow, stronger, like a sharp blade!]”

A spell echoed.

The mages weren’t just sitting idly by.

“It’s a wind spell! Fall back immediately! Don’t throw your spears!”

Levi Folt shouted, and the excited warriors hurried to retreat.

However,

“[Pour, fast and drenching!]”

“[Melt, deep into the ground!]”

“[Freeze, bring the tundra’s chill!]”

The expected wind was a ruse.

They had prepared a different attack, as mages are born strategists.

Swish!

The warriors were caught in the mages’ spells before they could escape.

Suddenly, it rained heavily, and the ground turned to mud, freezing over.

Their feet were bound, slipping and freezing in place.

They lost their mobility instantly.

They looked around, their expressions grim, and the mages seized the opportunity.

“…Were they planning a speed battle?”

Ron, the lead mage, quickly understood their strategy.

A swift, decisive battle.

They had no intention of dragging it out.

But their reason was likely not as merciful as the mages’.

There had to be another reason.

“So, that’s it. Their strength has a time limit!”

Ron realized.

Their power, whether it was Aura or not, didn’t matter now.

The important thing was that their power had a time limit.

If not, they wouldn’t be so alarmed at losing mobility.

Aware of this, Ron felt assured that time was on the mages’ side.

They’d suffered a bit, but victory was now within reach…

“-The Great Instructor always said that there’s no one as arrogant as mages, that they always get caught off guard. And he was right.”

“!!?”

How did she get so close?

Though she had lagged behind, the girl had never given up and now stood with her sword drawn.

Levi Folt, with a face devoid of hesitation or despair, spoke in a calm voice.

A picture of calmness.

She didn’t seem to believe victory was lost and showed no signs of giving up.

“Yes, you’re right. Neither I nor my seniors are skilled with Aura. So, yes, we are lacking.”

Their Aura would last only fifteen minutes at most.

In real combat, it could shrink to three minutes.

That was why this had to be a swift battle.

It was their only option for victory.

So—

“We needed to get close.”

With only five steps between them and the mages,

But a barrier of telekinesis lay in their way, so they’d have to break through to reach them.

However,

“But the objective isn’t to overpower you, is it?”

Yes, this was a game.

With a victory condition.

Capture the Flag.

And aiming for the fluttering flag, she said,

“Thank you, Instructor.”

With genuine gratitude, she swung her sword through the air.

The mages were perplexed at her seemingly foolish action, but then—

Whoosh!

A sharp wind swept past the mages’ heads.

Thud…

“…Huh?”

The mages turned around.

The flag.

The flag they were supposed to protect.

“It… broke?”

It had fallen to the ground so simply it was almost absurd.

“…….”

The mages stared dumbfoundedly back and forth between the broken flag and Levi Folt.

Too confused to comprehend, they were paralyzed.

But Levi Folt paid them no mind.

Now—

“…We did it.”

The thrill and joy of victory.

She was busy savoring the feeling.

She was thrilled.

Even if she didn’t yet have the power to pierce through rocks like her instructor,

It was enough to break a flag.

The release of Aura.

It was called—

“‘Eruption Force’ worked after all.”

Thud.

The exhausted girl collapsed, but a bright smile spread across her face.

As radiant as a flower.

2 minutes, 39 seconds.

That was the time it took the Swordsmanship Department to defeat the Magic Department.

“Yes, hmm, now what did you say?”

“……”

“That you’d do whatever the victor says?”

“……”

“Come now, slave. Don’t cry, just answer.”

“…Ugh!”

Professor Odwal Bernard.

It was the beginning of a rough journey for him.