Chapter 31: Reunion (1)
Varen opened his mouth. His gaze remained fixed on Marpez and Cita.
“In the center is a vampire from the Barshaba lineage, and on the right is an Atia fairy. Each possesses magic related to blood manipulation and the ability to heal wounds.”
“I recognize Orsego, but I’m not sure about the others. Are these the people who might have influenced Cita?”
“Yes, indeed. Starting with its appearance resembling a Black Dragon and the abilities of the other two. Even assuming the appearance came from a dragon, the combination of blood magic and healing magic in one dragon is unheard of in my knowledge. Furthermore, vampires have been extremely rare within the Empire, and fairies live in places far removed from civilization…”
“Well, it sounds like we’re not making much progress.”
“I apologize, but that’s correct. However, I’ve formulated a hypothesis.”
“A hypothesis?”
Ronan blinked. Varen cleared his throat and pointed towards Cita.
“What Cita displayed before hatching… perhaps it wasn’t mana absorption at all, but something else.”
“What do you mean?”
“As I mentioned before, Dreambirds are exceedingly rare even among fantastical creatures. There’s hardly any known information about them.”
With that statement, Varen brought out a thick notebook. It contained notes compiled over 40 years of living with Marpez, documenting everything about Dreambirds. He stated that over 80% of all known information about Dreambirds was contained within this single book.
“The phenomena displayed by Cita before her hatching differs significantly from the information we have. Perhaps this incident could lead to new research findings about Dreambirds.”
Even in its egg state, it absorbed mana. And now, it even drank blood.
Its behavior upon waking was extremely peculiar. Silent high-speed flight, magic related to blood manipulation, wound healing, and more. There were no other creatures with such diverse abilities.
“If it’s not mana, then what is it absorbing?”
“Well, that’s a tough question. I believe there’s a possibility it could be more abstract concepts, like emotions or souls… something along those lines.”
Suddenly, Varen let out a deep sigh.
“Well… to be honest, it’s all uncertain speculation. As a professor, I should be providing help, but the more I dwell into this, the more my incompetence becomes evident. However, the research will continue, and if you can just bear with me a little longer…”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ve already named it, so we just need to have some fun watching it.”
Ronan clapped his hands and whistled. Cita flew to him, holding Marpez in its arms. Despite almost dropping it a few times due to its weak arms, it eventually managed to place Marpez on Ronan’s lap.
– Squee~
“You little cuties!”
“Are you that excited about them, these bundles of fur?”
Ronan petted the two Dreambirds. The texture of their black and blue feathers felt quite pleasant. Suddenly, Ronan seemed to remember something and looked at Varen.
“By the way, have you been receiving updates regularly?”
About a month ago, while Varen was away on a business trip, Ronan left a note on his desk. The note contained a rough description of Cita, a sketch, and a message stating that he had made contact with the smuggling organization Caribolo.
Varen nodded his head heavily.
“Sure.”
Ronan noticed a momentary change in Varen’s expression. He was making an effort to conceal any signs of tension, even holding back his claws from showing. Varen rummaged through his jacket pocket and retrieved a crumpled piece of paper, about three or four notes in total.
“It’s written in great detail. You’ve done quite a significant job.”
“It’s related to the vein, I mean… the incident in the Fountain of Phaenar.”
“Not really. Thanks to your information, we were able to resolve it early. Here, take a look.”
Ronan nodded as he received the note. It was a report sent by Valus, a lower-ranking member of the smuggling organization kaliborro.
The address Ronan provided for sending in reports happened to be Varen’s office. The note contained information about the movements and lists of various branches of kaliborro, along with their major plans.
“It seems that Valus was quite terrified of both me and Cita.”
“Apparently, the Imperial Forest Patrol has achieved unprecedented results. If things continue like this, it might be possible to completely root out kaliborro from the Empire.”
Using the information from Valus’s report, Varen had forwarded the details to the Imperial Forestry Office. There was a slight concern that the information was too accurate and could raise suspicions, but Varen’s identity as a professor from the Philleon Academy helped alleviate those concerns.
Two of the branches had already been eradicated, and there were gradually emerging clues about the main headquarters of kaliborro. Unexpectedly, Varen lowered his head deeply.
“I truly don’t know how to thank you enough. Ronan… no, ever since meeting you, my life has been changing. I feel like this retribution must…”
“Ah, it’s alright. We can discuss that later. Do you remember what I mentioned last time? About the club?”
*Creak!*
Ronan was about to bring up their previous conversation. Suddenly, the office door swung open, revealing a familiar figure.
Dressed in emerald green robes, a large sword slanted across her back, and a flying sword, Bijian, hanging on her waist, a familiar figure entered. The woman looked at Ronan and spoke.
“So, you’re here, Ronan.”
“P-Professor Navirose? What are you doing here…?!”
Varen raised an eyebrow. Navirose was seen suddenly grabbing Ronan’s ear, her grip strong enough that her nails could easily have dug into his flesh. From Ronan’s mouth came a scream that could rival a monkey with its tail stepped on.
“Aaargh!!”
“Apologies, Professor Varen. I shall take my leave.”
Navirose bowed politely, her grip still firm enough to almost rip Ronan’s ear off. She glanced at him sternly.
“Wha-what’s going on here…”
Varen just looked at them, not sure what to make of the situation. Ronan struggled and shouted.
“For heaven’s sake, let go! Varen, help me out here!”
“Quiet. Follow me.”
“For crying out loud, you’re a Wyre Lion! You don’t get to order me around like this! Argh, don’t twist it!”
Navirose left the office, still gripping Ronan’s ear. With a thud, the door closed, yet Ronan’s agonized scream continued to echo through the hallway.
After Navirose and Ronan left, Varen and the two Dreambirds stared blankly at the closed door. Varen scratched his head and mumbled.
“This… is something.”
****
It wasn’t until they reached the main Galerion building that Navirose released her grip on Ronan’s ear. He stumbled backward, his ear throbbing as if it had been scorched by fire, and shouted.
“What the hell was that! What’s with this sudden behavior? Damn it, do you have any idea what you’ve done to a student?”
“Why didn’t you come looking for me? I told you to come to my office as soon as your weapons were ready.”
Her voice was cold. Her green eyes reminiscent of the forest glinted. Ronan noticed that Navirose was suppressing her anger.
‘…What if I provoked her by mistake? This could get really bad.’
For a moment, he had forgotten. Somehow, he didn’t have any memories of meeting her or hearing her name in his past life, but Navirose was a legendary swordmaster. At his current level, Ronan had no chance of winning against her.
‘If she tells me to lick her toes after cutting off my limbs… I’d probably have to do it while crying.’
Realizing the gap in strength, a chill ran down his spine. Ronan suppressed his instinctual voice
of resistance.
“Well, um, my weapons aren’t ready yet, so… I mean, they need to be completed before I can bring them.”
“Is that a dagger at your waist?”
“This is a temporary sword I borrowed. Once I have a proper weapon ready, I was planning to go…”
“Even if you go all the way to the artisan city of Lodium to buy one, it wouldn’t take as long as this. Did you even commission it in Gran Cappadocia?”
Ronan’s eyes widened.
“Huh? How did you know?”
“Are you even trying to lie anymore? You wouldn’t even know what it is.”
Navirose reached out her hand. Ronan covered his ears with his palms.
“For crying out loud, not my ears! Alright, fine, I’ll tell you. The sword… Did Doron make it for you?”
“… How did you know about that?”
Navirose hesitated. Ronan explained the events in Gran Cappadocia, giving her an abridged version.
The old forge connected to an elevator, dwarves moving among the Endurium. With each detail, Navirose’s eyes flickered.
‘It’s definitely not a place just anyone can enter.’
The conditions to commission something in Gran Cappadocia were incredibly stringent. Only those who had proven themselves in a specific field, or those who were fortunate enough to show potential, could entrust the artisans of Gran Cappadocia with a request. And if it were Doron, wasn’t the chief blacksmith among the best?
‘Is there someone else who recognized his talent?’
Navirose smiled faintly. She turned away from Ronan.
“Alright. Just follow me quietly.”
His resistance had long been crushed. Ronan obediently followed her. The two of them walked along the grand corridor for a few minutes.
Finally, an enormous door appeared, a door unlike any he had seen in his lifetime. It seemed large enough to accommodate beings of all sizes and races. Navirose placed her hand on the door and spoke.
“First Arena. Remember this. My classes will always be held here.”
With a slight push from Navirose, the door smoothly opened. What lay ahead was not so much a classroom but a space that resembled a gladiatorial arena. Echoes of clashing metal reverberated through the enclosed space.
The vast expanse of the stone floor arena hosted dozens of students forming groups to engage in combat. Most of them were unfamiliar faces, yet there were some aspects that Ronan recognized.
“Haah!”
“Your strength is great, but you’re still slow, Braum!”
Braum’s heavy sword was tracing a destructive arc. The rapier, infused with mana, relentlessly darted forward, exploiting any opening it found. The combatants were Braum, a sophomore, and the second-year top student Nasdo.
“That kid’s here today, too… Huh?”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. In a corner of the arena, Shullifen was kneeling, holding a sword. Unlike other students who were dueling, he sat there with his sword in hand. Ronan furrowed his brows.
“Why’s he just sitting there while everyone else is fighting?”
“He’s practicing manipulating mana. Since he doesn’t have a student to spar with, he’s practicing with his sword occasionally. It’s just a level of training where I occasionally oversee his swordsmanship.”
Navirose explained. She was certain that Shullifen would eventually surpass her.
At the age of eleven, Shullifen’s talent for manipulating mana had indeed been a gift, but his obsession with strength had far exceeded normal bounds. Navirose, examining Shullifen’s core, nodded in approval.
“Excellent. Once you learn to manipulate mana, follow Shullifen’s example, Ronan.”
“I’ll give it a try. Even though I don’t really understand what’s what.”
“You have potential. As an educator, I won’t let your talent go to waste.”
Navirose’s expression remained as serious as ever. She thought of the two boys who might
become her successors and the girl who had yet to reach the level of a sword expert after several years.
“There are so many people in this world who can’t attain what they desire…”
Due to the quiet murmur, Ronan didn’t hear her words. He had no intention of stopping his
observation of the other students’ sparring. Interesting combat techniques he had never seen in his previous life were being exchanged.
“How about a match using only sword techniques?”
“Sure, go for it. Attack or defend.”
Among the combatants, there were those who engaged solely in blade-to-blade combat. Noticing the distinct tie color, Ronan could vaguely tell they were senior students, likely third-years or higher. Navirose spoke.
“Originally, only students who reached the level of Sword Expert or higher could attend my classes.”
“But that’s not the case now?”
“That’s right… Since last year.”
Swoosh!
Navirose suddenly drew her great sword and sent a blade of energy toward the ceiling. The crescent-shaped energy blade struck a massive bell hanging from the ceiling.
Dong!
The resounding bell drowned out all the noise. Students who had been sparring instinctively stopped and turned their heads. Navirose spoke in her usual, unchanging tone.
“Everyone, gather.”
The students assembled. Some discarded their jackets, others removed their tops, but Navirose didn’t comment on their attire. With a slight sigh, she continued.
“Starting today, you’ll be attending class together. Ronan, step forward.”
Ronan scratched his head and stepped forward. All eyes were on the first-year student with the crimson tie. Murmurs from senior students other than second-years filled the air.
“Is that him? The top newcomer this year? He’s good-looking.”
“I don’t like the look in his eyes. He seems arrogant.”
“I don’t really feel anything special… Did Navirose instructor make a mistake bringing him here?”
The whispers were loud enough to be heard without even trying. Ronan shot Navirose a pleading glance. He was communicating through his gaze.
‘Can you give in just a little bit?’
Navirose tilted her head slightly. In a composed voice, she asked.
“Ronan, what subjects did you learn in Philleon till now? Only combat subjects?”
“Yes? Um… yeah. I mean, Imperial Swordsmanship, Imperial Spear Technique, and Basic Shield Technique…”
“Enough. Show me each of them one by one. Weapons and shields are all prepared.”
“Okay, sure.”
It was a demonstration of his abilities. Ronan drew his sword, understanding her intentions.
Swish!
The white hilt of the longsword Doron had provided emerged from its sheath.
‘Looking at it again, it’s really well-made. I’m looking forward to a few days from now.’
It was hard to believe that the object being treated with such casualness was an extraordinary sword. Ronan, who had somewhat cooled down his temper, spoke with a sulky tone.
“Well, then, here I go.”
Ronan began to swing the sword according to what he had learned. Before the senior students’ eyes, he displayed nine different sword techniques, followed by two additional techniques. The initial reactions of admiration gradually transformed into silence, their awe giving way to overwhelming silence.
“Is this his… talent?”
“…I’m at a loss for words.”
“Darn it, did you not hear what I just said?”
Navirose watched the scene with an emotionless gaze. She knew that there was nothing better than a demonstration of skill to wipe out unnecessary pretensions. At that moment, the entrance to the arena opened slightly, and a tall girl burst in.
“I-I’m sorry, Instructor! I stayed back for extra lessons, so…”
“It’s alright. But rather than that, look at that student. What do you think?”
Navirose pointed her finger towards Ronan. He was currently holding a spear and demonstrating the second form of Imperial Spear Technique. The girl covered her mouth with both hands and exclaimed.
“Wow…! Who is he? He’s a newcomer judging by the red tie, but how is he so skilled with that technique…”
“Can you recognize what’s impressive about it?”
“Of course. First of all, his distribution of strength is perfect. When wielding a spear, people often make common mistakes, but… balance… huh? Could it be that he’s not using mana right now?”
The girl precisely pointed out why Ronan’s martial arts were exceptional. Her analysis was sharper than that of most instructors. Navirose pursed her lips in a half-smile.
“If her skill were only half as keen as her insight, it would be wonderful.”
Finally, Navirose turned her gaze towards the girl. There was a significant height difference, so the girl had to tilt her head up.
“One of the lucky few in this world. Keep a close eye on him. He’ll quickly reach heights that aren’t even visible at a glance.”
Navirose noted the girl’s midnight-black hair, porcelain skin, and prominent nose. She murmured the girl’s name under her breath.
“Adeshan.”
