Chapter 440

440.

It was the sunset of the second week, marking the exact halfway point of the training camp.

Students congregated in groups, enthusiastically discussing the outcomes of their day’s training sessions.

“Watch this! My spell activation time has drastically decreased!”

Illiana exclaimed with a thrill in her voice.

Extending her palm, she manifested her primary attribute, light magic, in an instant.

“Hmph—at this pace, I’ll completely conquer my primary flaw, which has always been my sluggish invocation speed.”

Chelsea observed Illiana, who was smugly stroking her chin, and flashed a look of utter disdain.

“Illiana, the only reason your invocation speed was sluggish is that you completely ignored your academic coursework.”

“That is entirely untrue! Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a magic swordsman to maintain rapid mobility while channeling spells? Are you aware of the sheer complexity a magic swordsman faces when balancing both aura and magic concurrently?!”

“It remains an undeniable fact that you ignored your academic coursework.”

Flinching at Chelsea’s blunt retort, Illiana barked out an ‘Aha!’ and abruptly leaped to her feet.

She then defiantly folded her arms and countered,

“You’re simply terrified that I’ll overtake your own specialty, high-speed invocation, aren’t you? Hehe! You’re so envious.”

Whoosh—!

“Kyaaaah!”

“What in the world was that?”

Illiana was sent tumbling backward by a sudden blast of wind magic that triggered without warning.

Watching the spectacle, Kyle commented while gnawing on a piece of dried meat.

“Chelsea, your invocation speed seems to have reached an even higher level, hasn’t it?”

“Indeed, I believe it’s the direct outcome of my sessions with Instructor Arkan!”

Nelia shifted her gaze toward the proudly smiling Chelsea, looking somewhat perplexed.

“But I heard he lacks any formal background when it comes to magic?”

“Yes, his theoretical knowledge of magic is limited. However, his battlefield insights, techniques for sharpening focus, and practical skills are extraordinary! I’ve absorbed an immense variety of knowledge from him!”

Nelia offered a tender smile as she observed Chelsea’s passionate explanation, gently patting her on the head.

Tade grumbled under his breath as he took in the scene.

“The scholars from the Knight Department must be weeping right about now. They’re already terrified of Chelsea, labeling her the ‘Knight Hunter’.”

Chelsea, who held the most formidable close-quarters combat prowess among the second-year magic pupils, had become the undisputed nemesis of the Knight Department.

For this very reason, she had earned the moniker ‘Knight Hunter’ among those martial students.

Chelsea flashed a confident victory sign.

Right at that moment.

“Oh! Look, it’s Instructor Arkan!”

“Instructor Arkan! Have you eaten your evening meal yet?!”

A sudden wave of excitement swept through the encampment.

When the students turned their attention, Arkan was approaching.

“He certainly draws a crowd.”

“In comparison to the senior alumni, he is practically a saint.”

Illiana, who had finally trudged back after being blasted away by Chelsea, chimed in response to Nelia’s observation.

“Furthermore, he is fundamentally striking to look at!”

“Honestly, give them someone attractive and they lose all rationality.”

“Ouch!”

When Tade scoffed, Illiana brought her heel down hard on his foot.

Utterly disregarding Tade, who was now clutching his foot and rolling across the dirt, Illiana rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

“How should I describe it? He possesses a truly distinct allure, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, unlike the majority of beastfolk who tend to be coarse and aggressive, Instructor Arkan carries himself with gentleness.”

“And his capabilities are rumored to be extraordinary, right? I heard he isn’t even an alumnus of Azonia, but I truly wish he would join our academy as a permanent professor.”

Nelia and Illiana continued their eager chatter while watching Arion.

Meanwhile.

Arion, encircled by a flock of female students, offered a mild, courteous smile.

This gesture caused the surrounding girls to sigh in collective admiration.

“Initially, I felt Arion-nim bore a resemblance to someone else but seemed somewhat fragile, which didn’t appeal to me.”

“You felt that way too? So did I. How can I put it? I suppose I’ve grown to adore that exact trait in him.”

“Yes, he is quite captivating. It makes me feel an urge to shield him from harm.”

The female scholars from Azonia whispered among themselves with glittering eyes.

“Hmph!”

Just then, Borman shoved his way between two of the female students.

“Hmph, Instructor Arkan is undeniably a potent warrior. However, a beastman ought to naturally exhibit a fierce and untamed demeanor!”

Borman, eyes wide, glanced toward his flank.

“Don’t you agree, Dion!”

“The only thing fierce and untamed around here is Dion’s thick skull.”

“You are nothing more than a brainless brawler.”

The Azonia female students snapped back with biting remarks.

At those words, Borman proclaimed with absolute confidence,

“Is my majestic presence during combat not magnificent?”

“It does evoke a certain awe, yes.”

“Indeed, because of your sheer mindlessness. The truly magnificent one is our feline commander!”

“Precisely! Ar is vastly more majestic and impressive than you could ever be!”

“That creature?”

Borman squinted his eyes, pointing a finger toward Ar.

“Terrified of water. Terrified of water. Terrified of water.”

Ar, hugging his shins and shivering intensely before the blazing campfire, looked entirely devoid of majesty or composure.

The Azonia pupils wore bewildered expressions as they observed Ar, who had been behaving peculiar for quite some time.

The two female students from Azonia exchanged glances before suddenly squealing,

“Even that vulnerability is adorable!”

“He resembles a malfunctioning kitten!”

Borman muttered irritably, witnessing his classmates react with even greater fervor.

“There is absolutely no deciphering the thoughts of women.”

“No matter who stood there, they would deem him more impressive than a brute like you, wouldn’t they?”

“Are you attempting to instigate another quarrel? You sly fox.”

While the Azonia students engaged in their usual bickering.

Arion strolled over to the area where the Seirun students had gathered.

On the whole, Arion enjoyed immense popularity among the female demographic, but the Seirun contingent preferred to avoid making spectacles and showed little fascination with him.

“Eiran.”

Arion smiled softly, pulling several treats from his vest.

“For you.”

“Ah, my thanks.”

Eiran, who had been quietly engrossed in a text in an isolated corner, beamed brightly upon receiving the treats from Arion.

“What literature are you reviewing?”

“A manual.”

“Ah, how reminiscent. That youth was also quite fond of literature.”

Eiran, fully aware of the individual Arion was invoking, offered a timid smile.

“By the way, what is the subject matter? That youth also refused to ever show me what they were reviewing.”

“It’s, it’s merely a tome of magic! A tome of magic! It is simply the standard textbook for the Seirun arcane curriculum.”

Eiran slammed the manual shut, laughing nervously.

Lunia, who happened to be strolling past, caught sight of the manual’s binding and narrowed her gaze.

“[A Study of Night Sky Constellations and Star Magic]? Is that not a curriculum piece for first-year scholars? Why are you reviewing that? Could you perhaps be engaging in something peculiar once more… Ugh?!”

“R-review! Review! Lady Lunia! Re-examining material is vital, is it not?”

Lunia, whose speech was instantly cut off by Eiran’s hand, hastily tapped Eiran’s forearm to free herself.

“It is quite a pity that your focus lies in magic. Were it martial arts, I could offer you proper guidance.”

“No, that’s not required! Instructor Arkan’s insights have provided immense benefit!”

“Is that so?”

Arion, who had softly patted Eiran’s head following her cheerful response, began to walk away.

Seeing this, the other Seirun female students pressed her urgently,

“Lady Eiran. It appears Instructor Arkan has been showing you an exceptional amount of attention recently?”

“Could it be that you share some sort of intimate bond with the instructor?”

Eiran smiled subtly, gazing at her peers whose eyes practically sparkled with curiosity.

“I believe he simply holds a fondness for me.”

“Heavens! Truly!?”

“He certainly carries himself with great dignity, distinctly apart from other beastfolk.”

“It is not that sort of bond.”

The underlying reason for Arion’s attentiveness toward Eiran was direct.

It was due to her lineage as a descendant of his past pupil, Berkhia.

Given that Arion had held Berkhia in incredibly high regard, he naturally found himself dedicating greater attention to Eiran.

As the Seirun female pupils crowded around Eiran, Alice interjected,

“Eiran, at this pace, Lunia is going to perish!”

“Eh? Oh! Lady Lunia! Regain consciousness!”

Eiran shrieked, noticing Lunia had collapsed on the spot with her eyes rolled back into her head.

While the usually tranquil Seirun group fell into chaos.

The subsequent individual Arion approached was Chen Shia, who remained immersed in meditation with closed eyelids despite the clamor around her.

Arion, standing a brief distance away while observing her, spoke up,

“Would it not be wiser to avoid immersing yourself too deeply?”

Hearing his voice, Chen Shia deliberately unsealed her eyes.

Blinking her large orbs a few times, a wave of astonishment washed over her features.

“How were you able to discern that?”

“Because I detected an underlying intent to kill. I was able to visualize the exact sequences you were formulating in your mind.”

“Your perception is frightening.”

At Arion’s revelation, Chen Shia felt a profound shock.

As a operative trained in the shadows, Chen Shia had mastered the art of masking her lethal intent.

Even at the precise instant of executing a target, Chen Shia could keep her lethal aura fully masked.

It was staggering enough that he could perceive the incredibly faint trace of intent she released while meditating against an imaginary adversary, but he had even deduced her exact sequences based entirely on that trace.

‘Just how monumental is his martial comprehension?’

Chen Shia marveled internally.

Observing Chen Shia, Arion produced additional treats from his vest and presented them to her.

Chen Shia accepted them with deep respect using both hands and murmured,

“I am grateful for your constant consideration. Yet, what is the underlying motivation for your attention toward me?”

Chen Shia was fully aware that Arion, in his role as an instructor, aided all the students.

However, she harbored curiosity regarding why he seemed to accord her a greater degree of focus than the others.

“Because you bear a striking resemblance to someone from my past.”

Arion offered a tender smile.

In his position as Kyle’s pupil, Arion was well acquainted with Biharu.

He was equally aware of the reality that she had shed blood within the dark corners of the world to safeguard everyone else.

‘That youth possessed a genuine reverence for Kyle.’

Arion had deeply desired for Biharu to live a life focused on a radiant tomorrow.

Consequently, when he discovered that Biharu had existed solely in the shadows, hidden from the annals of history for the sake of her innate gifts, his spirit grieved.

While there may have been absolute necessities dictating that path, it was far from the tomorrow Arion had envisioned for her.

“If you choose to safeguard another’s flank.”

“……?”

“It is vital that you abandon the notion of offering up your own life for their sake.”

Hearing Arion’s words, Chen Shia’s eyes flickered.

“Do not abandon your path; continue forward.”

Absorbing those words, Chen Shia comprehended the true meaning behind Arion’s guidance.

Just moments prior, during her internal combat simulation.

The moment she breached the enemy’s guard to strike.

Chen Shia had fully factored in her own demise.

Faced with Arion’s counsel, Chen Shia let out a melancholy smile.

“The master I serve is an extraordinary individual. However, the trajectory he intends to follow is far too grueling.”

Chen Shia lowered her eyelids.

“For that reason, I desire to take my position behind him to shield him. Because my debt to him is immeasurable.”

‘Because the moment he assured me that I could reach out and transform into a hero, my entire reality was flooded with light.’

“I am completely prepared to lay down my life for him. Therefore, I ask that you do not offer me your pity.”

“I am not offering you pity.”

Arion smiled tenderly.

“Because that individual would never desire your demise.”

Arion locked his gaze with Chen Shia’s eyes, speaking with deliberate force,

“The individual whose flank you wish to safeguard would become enraged if you offered up your life for him. Because that is precisely the nature of his character.”

“Are you deeply acquainted with Lord Leo?”

“I am well aware of him.”

Arion smiled.

“He is someone who would refuse to yield, regardless of the severity of the circumstances, correct? If your goal is to serve as his pillar, you must likewise refuse to yield.”

“……”

Chen Shia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Instructor Arkan… did you perhaps endure a comparable path in your past?”

“I did.”

“Instructor Arkan, did you hold firm and refuse to yield?”

“……”

Arion shut his eyes.

And allowed a melancholy smile to form on his lips.

“I yielded. I proved to be a craven.”

Chen Shia blinked in silence.

“You must resolve to never follow that path.”

Arion gently brushed his hand over Chen Shia’s head and whispered,

“Never allow yourself to become such an errant companion… an errant younger sibling.”