The Academy’s Hard-Headed Swordmaster

Kyle, surprised to see only Yuri and Arthur at the meeting point, tilted his head and asked, “Why are you two here?”

“We were invited.”

“Invited?”

“Yeah.”

Yuri glanced at Sera as she spoke.

Sera, feeling their gazes, scratched the back of her head with a nervous chuckle.

Her reason for enticing Yuri was simple: Yuri’s father was a Six-Star Magician, a Master-level powerhouse.

Having inherited his bloodline, Yuri had the potential to become a Grand Magician, surpassing even a Duke in power.

The method she used to persuade Yuri was even simpler.

After securing Kyle, she extended the invitation to Yuri, and like a needle following a thread, Yuri readily agreed.

As for Arthur, Sera wasn’t sure what abilities he possessed, but her gamer’s intuition told her he had something valuable enough to make him a target for kidnappers.

Kyle, figuring there must be a reason Sera had gathered them, looked at her and asked, “So? Why did you call us?”

“Hee hee, today we’re going to uncover the Academy’s secrets.”

“Secrets?”

“Yes, secrets.”

Secrets?

Kyle, who had spent his time mindlessly grinding and leveling, had no idea what hidden elements existed, let alone how to find them.

A game that offered players freedom also meant that some elements might remain hidden forever from those who didn’t know where to look.

Chuckling, Sera beckoned them with a finger.

“Right here,” she said, pointing to the building where they stood.

The Academy’s Grand Library, where all the world’s books and grimoires were supposedly sealed away.

* * *

“Entry authorized. Student Kim Sera.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The Academy’s Grand Library.

This place, where countless books and grimoires were sealed, was normally off-limits to ordinary students.

While the first floor was open to the public, the underground levels, where the grimoires and forbidden texts were kept, were restricted even to most professors.

Sera, however, possessed a permit for the underground library.

Surprised, Yuri let out a gasp and asked how she had managed to obtain it.

“Where did you get the permit?”

“From the principal.”

“…What did you do to get it?”

“That’s a secret.”

With a ‘shhh’, she placed a finger to her lips and let out a playful hum, then proceeded to lead the way as if she had been there many times before.

The others exchanged puzzled glances and began whispering amongst themselves.

“…Something’s strange, right?”

“Yeah, it’s weird… like she’s been here countless times…”

While Yuri and Arthur murmured to each other, Sera, striding confidently ahead, stopped at a bookshelf.

Turning abruptly, she frowned slightly at the group, who were chatting amongst themselves.

“Hey, what are you guys talking about without me?”

“Nothing.”

“Yeah, nothing at all.”

“…I feel like I’m being left out. Oh well.”

Sera started tapping on the bookshelf. “So, what do you think is the most important thing for a Magician?”

“Stars (affinity).”

“How well you can control your Magic Power.”

“Creativity.”

Various opinions were voiced, but Sera shook her head, declaring them all wrong.

While important, they weren’t ‘the’ most important thing. That would be…

“Two actions per turn.”

“What?”

“Casting two spells at once. That’s the most crucial thing!”

Double Casting.

Something no Magician had ever achieved.

It wasn’t impossible for a high-level Magician to simultaneously cast multiple lower-level spells, but that wasn’t true Double Casting.

True Double Casting meant concurrently processing two spells of the same level.

That was the dream of every Magician.

At her words, Yuri couldn’t help but scoff. “Impossible.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Double Casting… it’s theoretically impossible.”

A 1-Star Magician could manipulate one law of magic at a time.

If they wanted to cast two spells at once, they would need to manipulate two laws simultaneously.

In other words, they would need to reach the 2-Star level.

If a 1-Star Magician ‘could’ manipulate two laws at once, they would already be a 2-Star Magician.

Even this phenomenon only occurred at lower levels.

The required Magic Power increased exponentially with each level, making Double Casting theoretically impossible at 3-Stars and above.

However…

“I’m not talking about theory.”

“…Then what?”

“Supernatural abilities—I’m talking about Force.”

“Force is an innate ability.”

Yuri pressed Sera, implying she lacked basic knowledge. But Sera, tapping the bookshelf, retorted, “What if there was a way to acquire Force?”

“There can’t be—that’s impossible!”

“Rules are meant to be broken.”

Saying this, Sera took three steps into the aisle and looked at the seventh book from the top on the shelf.

Reaching for it, she realized it was just out of her grasp and glanced at Kyle.

Sighing, Kyle stepped behind her and retrieved the book.

The moment the dust-covered book was opened, a light erupted from within, engulfing them.

Emerging from the blinding light, like passing through an event horizon, they found themselves in a completely different environment.

“This is…”

“This is the hidden place of the Magician who researched Double Casting!”

Sera exclaimed, spreading her arms wide. “The Grand Magic Chamber!”

The others stared at her blankly for a moment before one of them spoke, needing to address the elephant in the room.

“…How did you even know about this?”

“Th-The principal told me.”

“Really?”

A lie. Yuri knew it instantly.

But before questioning Sera’s honesty, there was something more important to confirm—whether the secret of Double Casting truly lay within this place.

* * *

The Grand Magic Chamber, true to its name, was a dungeon left behind by a Magician who had dedicated his life to the study of magic.

Within its depths roamed the Magician’s failed experimental subjects and the vengeful spirit of the Magician himself.

The spectral beings were a nuisance, immune to physical attacks yet capable of inflicting damage.

Fortunately, Kyle, an Aura Master capable of cleaving even spiritual entities, was present.

—‘KREEEEE!’

“Good! Just like that!”

Sera cheered as Kyle effortlessly sliced through the ghosts with his Aura Blade.

When she had ventured into this dungeon in the game, these ghosts had been an infuriating obstacle.

Immune to physical attacks, adept at dodging magic, and summoning skeletons if faced with an all-Magician party—it had been a nightmare.

But with an Aura Master as an ally, all those problems vanished.

‘He’s so broken…’

Sera was curious how Kyle had become an Aura Master, but he only ever responded with, “I worked hard,” never offering a proper explanation.

She longed to delve into his logs, to see the life he had led, but this wasn’t a game.

It was reality, based on the game.

As Kyle continued his spectral extermination, Yuri cautiously spoke, “Kyle.”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“You hid it from me, but you show it off in front of her.”

“…She already knew.”

“Really?”

Yuri looked at Sera with a sharp gaze, questioning the truth of his words.

Feeling Yuri’s piercing stare, Sera quickly nodded in confirmation.

While Yuri felt a pang of displeasure at the thought of others learning her fiancé’s secret, a sense of pride swelled within her at the same time.

It was a strange, conflicting emotion that left her feeling bewildered.

As these mixed feelings churned within her, the group finally reached the deepest part of the Grand Magic Chamber.

With a ‘creak’, the door opened, and as expected, a ghost emerged.

—Welcome, seeker of tr…

‘SWOOSH!’

“Huh?”

A vibrant Aura Blade cleaved through the spectral form of the Grand Magician, cutting him down before he could finish his sentence.

Sera stared at Kyle with an incredulous expression.

Kyle, meeting her gaze, tilted his head in confusion.

“What?”

“N-No, what are you doing…?”

“Was I not supposed to kill him?”

Having been slaughtering ghosts left and right, Kyle had instinctively reacted to the Grand Magician’s appearance, cutting him down without a second thought.

He now looked back at Sera questioningly.

Sera silently nodded.

‘We’re screwed.’

Originally, the Grand Magician’s spirit was supposed to test those who entered, granting them the ability to Double Cast—the power people called Force—if they were deemed worthy.

Naturally, attacking the Grand Magician wasn’t even an option in the game, so Sera had no idea what the consequences of killing him would be.

“Uh, oh…”

Doomed.

Realizing this, Sera slumped to the ground, trembling.

Kyle, scratching his head as he watched her, began scanning the room, looking for anything the Grand Magician might have left behind.

And then—the Aura Master’s sharpened senses detected a subtle shift in the air currents within the room.

“There’s something here.”

“What? That’s impossible…”

Ignoring Sera’s hollow protest, Kyle approached the wall and swung his sword.

The Aura Blade tore through the seemingly solid wall, ripping it apart.

As the concealed section of the wall crumbled, a small room filled with books, papers, and magic circles was revealed.

“—Huh?”

It was the dead Magician’s personal study.