chapter 2

  The next morning.

  I woke to the ceiling of a cheap inn. I sat up. Last night's fatigue had completely vanished. If anything, my body felt lighter. Was this another facet of this "swordsman's body's" potential?

  "Alright then..."

  I sat up. Looking at my palms, I found several blisters from practicing mana control. My past-life self would never have endured this. But now—

  (I have to trust in this body's potential.)

  Yes, this was another world. And I was inside the story of Asura's Hidden Blade. The original owner was a formidable rival who would engage the protagonist in a death match during the story's final arc. Which meant this body possessed genius-level talent when it came to swordsmanship.

  But magic and ki remained unawakened. Like a sports car with a high-performance engine but no fuel.

  I checked the pouch by my bedside. Twenty-three silver coins, forty-seven copper. Three potions. Four pills remaining. I'd taken two last night, and they'd packed quite a punch. Consuming too many at once would be dangerous. Carefully, little by little.

  I left the inn and walked through the town.

  This town was called "Lados." A frontier trading post. In the main story, it was merely a backdrop the protagonist passed through, but for me now, it was a precious source of information.

  "...That must be it."

  A shopping district in the town center. In one corner hung a particularly weathered signboard.

  "Fergus Armory – Specializing in Artifacts"

  Light novel knowledge. No, according to the setting I'd read in my previous life, the owner, Fergus, was a retired master smith who'd made a name for himself throughout the kingdom in his youth. Now he ran a small, modest shop on the frontier. The protagonist never visited this shop in the main story, but I remembered reading about it in a setting guide.

  I opened the door. A bell went clink-clank.

  "Welcome. Well now, a young one. Rare to have a customer this early in the morning."

  Behind the counter, a large, graying man was watching me. Fergus. His arms were thick with muscle, his face bore several sword scars. One glance told you he wasn't ordinary.

  "Um... I'm looking for an artifact."

  "Hoh? A brat, all alone?"

  Fergus's eyes assessed me. I couldn't deceive him. Time for honesty...well, a slight embellishment.

  "Actually... I ran away from home. But to survive on my own, I need a weapon. Preferably not just an ordinary sword, but something that gives me an edge."

  "Hmph. A runaway rich kid, eh?"

  Fergus snorted, but he also seemed somewhat amused.

  "So, what's your budget?"

  "Twenty silver coins."

  "...Don't make me laugh. Artifacts you can buy for twenty silver are practically toys."

  "Even so, I'll take one. Don't you have anything?"

  Fergus thought for a while, then brought out two items from the back of a shelf.

  "I'll let these go for twenty silver. But there's a reason."

  The first was a short sword. A compact blade about twenty centimeters in length. But faint characters seemed etched into the blade.

  "'Echo Dagger.' When you channel magic through it, it replicates a slash you made a moment before, once more. But you can only use it once a day. And the magic consumption is no joke."

  The second was a ring. An old, silver ring with a small stone set in its center.

  "'Rock Tortoise Ring.' Channel magic through it, and it hardens your skin like rock for an instant. Also only usable once a day. And the magic consumption is considerable."

  "So... without magic, they're useless?"

  "Exactly. That's why they're so cheap. Anyone with magic wouldn't buy such inferior goods. But..."

  Fergus stared intently at me.

  "You got magic, boy?"

  "...Not much, right now. But I intend to acquire it."

  "Hoh?"

  Fergus laughed, intrigued.

  "Then take this on the house. Free."

  He tossed me a thin, worn book.

  'A Mage's First Steps – Fundamentals of Mana Control.'

  "A book an apprentice mage left behind long ago. Told me to throw it away when I finished reading it. Don't know if it'll suit you."

  "Thank you so much!"

  I bought the dagger and the ring, and accepted the book. Twenty silver and forty-seven copper were gone, leaving me with only three silver. But this was enough. I had the necessary equipment.

  "Hey, kid."

  Just as I was about to leave the shop, Fergus called out.

  "That ring and dagger might be cheap junk. But remember, tools can transform depending on who wields them. Make good use of them."

  I left the shop and returned to the inn. Immediately, I opened the book.

  —Mana is the life energy that flows through all things.

  —To sense mana, first turn your awareness inward.

  —The faint warmth circulating through your body, that is the flow of mana.

  —By consciously gathering and controlling it, magic is activated.

  (This... it's that "something" I felt from the pills yesterday.)

  I sat on the bed and closed my eyes. I turned my awareness inward. And there it was. A faint, subtle warm current. It coursed through my entire body.

  (This... is mana.)

  But I noticed at the same time. The amount of this mana was nowhere near enough to perform magic. To use an analogy, it was like trying to fill a pond with a single drop of water.

  (At this rate, I can't use the ring or the dagger...)

  Then it hit me. Of course. I wasn't like the protagonist of the main story, born with an immense well of magic. I needed to train diligently, to gradually increase my total mana capacity.

  (Which means I need a school or an organization.)

  ———Several days later.

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  After a few days at the inn, my remaining three silver coins were nearly gone. That's when I found a notice on the town bulletin board.

  "Crowley Academy of Magic – Recruiting 3rd Term Students"

  "Eligibility: Mana aptitude holders aged 10 to 20"

  "Instruction: Experienced mentors will teach mana control from fundamentals to advanced applications"

  "Upon completion: Introduction to the Adventurer's Guild available"

  (This is it...!)

  But one line caught my attention.

  "※Mana aptitude assessment required. Admission granted only to those who pass."

  Aptitude assessment. Meaning they'd measure how much mana I currently possessed.

  (Trouble. The assessment will expose me. This body should have unawakened mana. Close to zero. I'll be rejected.)

  What do I do? Try to deceive them?... Impossible. Magical measurements can't be deceived.

  (...Wait. Think about it the other way.)

  I folded the notice and turned my steps toward the academy's address written at the bottom.

  ---

  Crowley Academy – Administrative Office

  The building was compact but well-maintained. Aged stone construction, pristine windowpanes, a small front garden. I pushed open the heavy wooden door.

  Inside, behind a wooden counter, a woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties was sorting documents. She glanced at me. Then returned her gaze to her papers. And then, did a deliberate double-take.

  "Yes? State your business."

  "I saw the recruitment notice. I'd like to apply."

  She blinked at my clothing. Still the same worn-out garments I'd worn when I fled. Then she sighed, a small, weary sound. It was the sigh of someone who had seen countless near-beggars come seeking admission, only to turn them away.

  "Application forms cost one silver coin. Examination fee included."

  "...I don't have that silver coin right now."

  Her expression shifted like a Noh mask slipping into place. "Then come back when you do. Next."

  "Wait." I stepped forward, raising both hands. "Please. It's true I look penniless. But I have a proposal."

  She raised an eyebrow but didn't immediately throw me out. There was still room to be heard, apparently.

  "If I pass and once I start receiving commissions through the academy, deduct one silver piece from my very first payment. Before it ever reaches my hands."

  "And if you fail?"

  "Then I can't enroll, so the deal is void."

  She let out a snort of a laugh. "Cute. But rules are rules."

  "Then let me work it off in advance."

  At that, her eyes changed. "Work it off, you say?"

  "One month. I'll do any odd jobs the academy needs. Cleaning, hauling, repairs, anything. After one month, take the silver piece from the wages that would normally be paid to a laborer."

  For a long moment, she studied me, appraising.

  "You want in that badly?"

  "I want in that badly."

  Something flickered in her eyes. Not sympathy, she seemed utterly devoid of that. But perhaps... recognition. As if she'd seen this same scene play out many times before.

  "Boy," she said slowly, "how many starving hopefuls do you think come to me with the same story? 'I'll work it off, I'll pay later, just give me a chance'."

  "A considerable number, I imagine."

  "And you're telling me you're special?"

  I met her eyes directly. "Invest in me. Fail the exam, and I'm your free laborer for a month. Pass, and you gain a student who outworks everyone because he knows the price of entry."

  She stared at me.

  Then, slowly, the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

  "...You've got nerve, boy."

  She raised a finger, as if remembering something.

  "About that 'I'll do anything' of yours."

  "Yes?"

  "If you do a runner halfway through that month of odd jobs, just so you know, can you promise you won't complain if I have you killed?"

  A beat of silence. Then I laughed.

  "Actually, put that in the contract."

  "...What?"

  "If I abandon the odd jobs halfway through, a clause stating the academy may do with my life as it pleases. And make it a magically binding contract."

  Her eyes went wide.

  "You're serious?"

  "Dead serious. Think about it. Someone like me, background unknown, saying 'I'll pay later', there's normally no reason to trust that. So the only collateral I have is my life."

  "...Boy, are you insane?"

  "I get that a lot."

  A long silence. Then she suddenly burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

  "Hahahaha! In nearly fifty years at this job, I've never had some brat walk in and say 'you can kill me'!"

  "First time for me too, to be honest."

  Wiping her eyes, she pulled out a new form.

  "Alright. I'm in. I've got enough nerve left for a long shot myself. But..."

  Her gaze sharpened.

  "This contract is real. It carries magical weight. If you run, the academy will track you with pursuit magic and do as it pleases. In the worst case, it reserves the right to eliminate you on the spot. Still fine by you?"

  I nodded without hesitation.

  "Yes. That's only fair."

  She stared at me for a long while, then finally let out a breath.

  "...You really do have nerve."

  She slid the new contract across. Clauses densely packed. And indeed, the final line read:

  "In the event of violation of this clause, the academy shall hold all rights concerning the said individual's life and death."

  I signed without a moment's pause.

  She took it, nodded with satisfaction.

  "Good. This officially grants you the right to take the exam in three days. And if you fail, you'll work off the fee with one month of labor. Of course, meals and a place to sleep are guaranteed during that time, can't just promise to kill you, that'd be cruel."

  "...You're half-serious about that, aren't you?"

  "Half-serious. But if you really work, I'll make sure you're taken care of. I'm fair."

  She winked.

  "Forty years ago, I was the same. No silver. No connections. Just a stubborn girl who kept saying 'no'."

  I looked at her. Then I signed.

  "Thank you. I won't waste this chance."

  "See that you don't. Name?"

  "Leon."

  She wrote it down. "I'm Hilda. Hilda the clerk. Remember that for when you're famous."

  I tucked the form inside my tunic and left the office. My heart was pounding.

  The path was open. Now I just needed to deliver results.

  I left the office. In the sky, a crimson sunset spread wide.

  --

  ———Assessment day.

  The venue was an old mansion on the town's outskirts. Gathered there were over a dozen young people. A mixed lot, from well-dressed noble types to those looking like unemployed wanderers like me.

  "Hey, look at that guy."

  "Wearing shabby clothes. This isn't the place for someone like him."

  "Maybe he's in debt?"

  Whispers reached my ears. Ignore them.

  "Next, Leon!"

  My name was called. I entered the room. Inside were three examiners. A female mage in the center held a crystal ball.

  "Place your hand over it. Channel your mana."

  I held my hand over the crystal. I channeled my mana but all that emerged was the faintest trickle, squeezed out with utmost effort.

  The crystal glowed faintly. But not as strongly as with the other examinees. Barely, as if it had only just been touched.

  "...Hmm."

  The female mage frowned.

  "Your aptitude... is extremely low. At this rate, even basic magic would take you a year, if at all."

  "A guaranteed failure," the man behind her laughed.

  "But," I said, "I'm willing to work hard. I want to learn from the fundamentals."

  The female mage thought for a moment, then exchanged glances with an elderly mage beside her.

  "...Interesting. This is our first case like yours. Normally, with such low aptitude, we'd refuse admission."

  The elderly mage spoke up.

  "The Crowley Academy's philosophy is 'Opportunity for those without talent.' Very well, you're accepted. But you'll be placed in a special class, different from the others."

  "Special class?"

  "Yes. An intensive, small-group training class. Fall behind and you're out immediately. Are you prepared?"

  (This is it...! This is my stage to hide in plain sight.)

  "I am."

  ———The day after enrolling at the academy.

  Orientation.

  Four of us were gathered in the training ground.

  The first was a large-built boy. His magic was below average. However, he prided himself on his physical strength, which he believed was second to none.

  "Yo, nice to meetcha! I'm planning to make my way with a sword rather than magic, so I'll just take it easy!"

  The second was a cool-headed girl. "...Nice to meet you. Don't get in my way."

  The third was an energetic girl. She had magical ability, but her control was a mess. She often caused accidental eruptions. "Nice to meet you! Let's do our best together!"

  And the fourth. Me.

  "I'm Leon. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

  I added silently.

  Then our supervising instructor appeared. Klaus Weiss.

  "So you're the failure class."

  A gaunt man in a black robe. Unshaven, with perpetually sleepy eyes. But those eyes occasionally sharpened with a predator's gleam.

  "My name is Klaus. Officially, I'm an instructor, but my real profession—well, never mind. You're about to experience hell."

  "H-hell?" The energetic girl froze.

  "Low magic? No talent? That's no excuse. With my teaching methods, I can turn even the worst trash into a passable mage. But..."

  Klaus grinned.