1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

78. Incompetent Instructors (3)

Leana trudged past the entrance of the castle walls, burdened by a block of ice the size of a single bed.

She was nearly last.

In the training yard, students who had signed up for Bellen’s class had already arrived, busy stealing glances at Leana.

“…She brought that?”

“Why not just smash it and stuff it in a sack like we did?”

Leana dropped the ice onto the ground, gasping for breath.

As she began to calm down, Bellen appeared with two professors in tow.

A bottle of liquor was clutched in her hand.

“Get ready.”

Bellen commanded tersely, and the professors waved their staffs, bringing forth large basins to place before the students.

As if heated over a fire, the metal basins hissed as they met the ground.

One student, eyes wide with surprise, asked, “What is this?”

“Dump the ice you brought into there.”

“The ice?”

Bellen swallowed her drink, as if to say she wouldn’t answer.

The students, faces blank with confusion, began to pour their ice into the basins.

Steam rose as the ice melted rapidly.

Sizzle!

“Ugh, ah…”

Bellen walked, casting a sidelong glance at the orderly rows of basins in the training yard.

“Disqualified. You too.”

The students pointed at Bellen, their faces twisted in indignation.

“What? Why is that?”

“Why on earth?”

“The basin isn’t even full!”

The basins of the accused students were filled only halfway.

“No, you should have set the standard from the start.”

“I clearly told you to bring a basin’s worth, didn’t I?”

“Did you think I meant this kind of basin?”

“A basin is a vessel if you look at it broadly; why all the fuss?”

Bellen tore his gaze from the questioning students and dismissed them one after another.

“You’re out too. You think I wouldn’t notice if you tried to sneak in now? Off you go.”

The ruthless declaration of disqualification drew grumbles from the students.

“What kind of class is this?”

“Seriously… I thought I’d learn something from a once-famous knight, but all he does is give us strange tasks.”

The students began to fade away, one by one.

Bellen halted before a basin.

Sssssss!

There was still ice melting away.

Water had long since overflowed, soaking the floor beneath.

As the steam cleared, Leana’s face emerged.

Bellen narrowed his eyes and spoke gruffly.

“You brought something foolishly large.”

After inspecting the last basin, Bellen surveyed the remaining students, now fewer than half.

“The water quality is poor. Bring cleaner ice tomorrow.”

Complaints erupted from the students’ lips.

“What? Tomorrow too?”

“Is there even a point in bringing ice?”

“What am I supposed to do with this hard-won stuff?”

Bellen chuckled as he replied.

“The water I asked you to bring was meant for brewing. But it’s all of such poor quality? Dispose of it as you wish.”

“Is it… alcohol?”

Only then did the students realize.

What Bellen was doing was nothing but bullying disguised as a lesson.

“Damn, what a waste of time.”

“I’m not doing it either.”

Once again, the class dispersed.

This time, it was a voluntary retreat.

Bellen, watching the vanishing group, emptied his bottle with a satisfied air.

Then, he turned sharply upon seeing the remaining student, still caught in the act.

“…”

Leana was still in a daze.

For it was indeed true, bringing a large block of ice was the answer.

– Just a word of caution, there’s no need to feel guilty. It’s not a competition where you trample others. It’s about seeing who has the qualities to carry out that bizarre task.

What lent credibility to his words was the attitude of the professors supporting Bellen’s class, which was hardly worthy of being called a lesson.

The academy must have had its reasons for accepting it.

Leana stood tall in the parade ground, gazing at the Shulafe tower.

‘…How does he know?’

People seem just a little different.

Perhaps she had been paying some attention after all.

Soon, Leana shook her head.

That would be a bit of an overreach.

Given their blood relation, it was likely he had heard something by chance.

“…”

Yet, she could not deny the impression that lingered.

* * *

Henderson walked down the corridor, led by the old professor.

Then he halted, captivated by the scene outside the window.

He could see Hershel receiving fish from a little maid.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, just… I was looking to see what’s out there.”

His gaze lingered still upon the window.

Professor No spoke with a voice tinged with bewilderment.

“Hmm, but I cannot comprehend.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t the hundreds of gold your cherished weapon? Why would you give that, which you scoured the world to amass, to a student?”

Only then did Henderson tear his gaze away, turning to face the professor.

“What of it? That’s the mind of a soon-to-die man.”

Professor No lowered his voice, asking,

“…Did you know?”

“Since the moment I set foot here. To be precise, I knew after laying eyes on that b*stard’s face.”

When Henderson had arrived at Frost Heart, he had sensed, upon seeing the man with curly black hair, that this place was a site of execution.

Professor No muttered softly.

“Did you see Rockefeller…?”

Rockefeller possessed a magic that unraveled the memories of men.

Though a security spell had been cast to prevent such a thing, it was merely a matter of time.

They would eventually break through, and once the spell was lifted, they would realize that extracting the brain was the method.

“Isn’t it too much? To die at the hands of a traitor b*stard who deserves to be torn apart.”

“It’s a stretch to call him a traitor. At that time, Rockefeller was a soldier. He merely did what he had to do.”

Henderson tapped his head, asking,

“So how long will it take?”

“A month, I’d say.”

Once more, his gaze drifted to the window.

Henderson glanced at Hessel and smirked.

‘Fools. Search for a hundred days if you wish.’

The hundreds of gold held another secret, one that not only resonated with mana but also possessed the quality of containment.

The memory of inventory magic had already passed along with the hundreds of gold.

In preparation for emergencies, he had sealed the memory within the gold using dark magic.

“Ah, perhaps I haven’t been sleeping well lately? I’m terribly fatigued. I keep yawning.”

It was merely that the ant-like tendrils of mana, due to the cursed armor, had made progress slow and painstaking.

“Hmm? You’re bleeding from your nose. Wipe it.”

“Thank you, inspiration.”

If I were to draw the cipher set in hundreds of gold, memories would replay in that blonde skull.

Of course, Henderson had no intention of handing over the key.

He was merely a means to conceal the vision magic, nothing more, nothing less…

Meanwhile, in the principal’s office, Rockefeller reported calmly.

“The Henderson matter should be resolved in about a month.”

Interpreting the complex and intricate security spells he had woven in his mind was only a matter of time.

There was no way but to extract the brain, but what mattered was only the memory of the inventory magic.

The life of a condemned man held no value.

“It’s good to hear there’s progress. His Majesty will be quite pleased.”

Akandric smiled, seemingly satisfied.

Rockefeller let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

He had expected to be pressed about why that fellow was still in the Ministry of Magic, but things had been quiet lately.

“Oh, by the way. Among those who have entered dungeon practice this time, do you see any promising ones?”

“Yes. There’s an exceptional talent.”

“Oh? It’s rare for you to praise someone. Please, elaborate.”

“Rix Don Orian. A student with remarkable leadership. He even fosters unity to the point where there’s no coin scramble. The core members he leads are also not ones to linger in Shulafe.”

A bloom of delight spread across Akandric’s face.

“A hidden gem, perhaps? This year is turning out quite splendidly.”

Indeed, as he said.

The number of talented individuals in the year barely reached ten, yet this year it had doubled.

Among them, eight stood out particularly.

“Those making a mark in the Adel Hall are already vying for the position of the Ten Full.”

Riamon Sel Levectura of the Adel Hall.

A first-year student capable of infusing aura into a sword.

If things go well, he might even enter the Ten Full before completing a year since enrollment.

“Quite the expectations are rising. I suppose I must encourage that fellow a bit more?”

That fellow could only refer to the man Akandric himself was teaching.

“What of Luon Al Banas?”

“Oh, he’s growing well. Isn’t he one of the students I’ve marked? I’m delighted to think our academy will soon have a magic swordsman.”

Recently, Akandrik had been preoccupied with Luon.

It was no wonder, for he was one who had awakened the olfactory talent, deemed the highest among magical abilities, without even a hint of training.

Moreover, he had chosen the path of the sword rather than magic, making his worth exceedingly rare.

Yet, there were many concerns.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be alright. You know well what kind of man he is, don’t you, Headmaster?”

Before even suggesting a donation for admission to the Vanas family, he had thoroughly investigated everything.

From his childhood, only ill tales had poured forth about that man, leaving a particularly deep impression.

A twisted human who had left his stepmother and half-siblings in such a state, cunningly leaving no evidence behind.

Rockefeller had felt this certainty when he first faced him.

‘He is a monster with intellect.’

He had seen that kind of gaze countless times on the battlefield.

A person who wielded his sword not out of duty, but purely for his own primal pleasure.

If he were to learn the qualities of a swordmaster and the swordsmanship of the old man known as the Frostblade, the outcome was all too clear.

Akandrik, who had maintained his silence, finally spoke.

“I understand your concerns, but this is a place of learning. Before graduation, we shall find a way to mend his spirit.”

Rockefeller could not bring himself to say more.

In Akandrik’s eyes, Luon must have been a talent he did not wish to let slip away, even at the risk.

“I will no longer question the Headmaster’s decision. Then, I shall take my leave.”

Just as he was about to bow and exit, having seen the end of the discussion—

“By the way, what has become of Hessel van Tenest?”

Ah.

The moment had come.

“That is…”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. You can speak freely. I have no intention of grilling you over that matter any longer.”

“Pardon?”

Rockefeller doubted his own ears.

The man who had always hounded him as if ready to devour him was now speaking gently.

“Actually, thanks to that fellow, something quite good has come about.”

Akandrik pulled a letter from the storage cabinet.

“Do you know what this is? A letter from the lady of the Tenest family.”

Rockefeller’s eyes widened as he read the letter he had been handed.

“This, this is…”

It was about Mircel’s admission.

Though it came with the absurd condition of being sent home once a month, considering his innate talent, it was a reasonable expectation.

The Tenest family was one of the pillars of the Empire, and the head of the family was also a graduate of Frost Heart, so they would surely take security seriously.

Rockefeller instinctively understood Akandric’s reaction.

“How could I possibly hate that mischievous little brat who says he wants to come here to see my brother?”

The top recruit, who had been eyed by other academies, was now coming of his own accord.

Despite his young age, he was already overflowing with nonsensical benefits, and there were even rumors in the royal family that they would consider a political marriage to take him in…

With such a fortunate turn of events, he would surely attract envious and jealous gazes at the meeting of the headmasters.

“I suppose it’s a bit disappointing, but Mircel will do. Let’s set aside the matter of Hessel.”

But.

That could not be.

“I will transfer Hessel Ben Tenest to the Knight Department.”

The animosity was overwhelming, enough to make his teeth clench, yet even rationally, it was the right decision.

“Hmm?”

“Because he possesses the qualities to achieve greatness as a knight. No, I would say he has already reached the pinnacle. I have witnessed it with my own eyes on several occasions.”

He might have even approached Aol.

If that were the case, he was already on the verge of accomplishment after traversing a long path of training.

The remaining steps to the rank of the strongest were merely one or two at most.

Yet, to turn back now and wander down the side path of magic was something he could not condone as an educator.

“That would be a regression.”

Such talent could not be squandered living as a nameless sorcerer.

“Above all, I do not recognize him as a magician.”

Rockefeller finished his statement and cleared his throat.

It was a moment of awkwardness, having unintentionally poured out such intense emotions.

Fortunately, the headmaster seemed to take it well, chuckling softly.

“Do you understand my feelings about not giving up on Luon?”

Rockefeller suddenly realized his mistake.

He had likely intended to bring up the letter after discussing Luon.

—

Indeed, he is a man with a serpent’s cunning.

“Very well. If that is what you wish, then so be it. But tell me, what method do you intend to employ? I believe I heard a rumor that the lad is destined for the Adel Hall. You know? It must be done discreetly, within the bounds of regulation.”

In response to Akandric’s inquiry, Rockefeller answered calmly.

“I plan to pull a trick during the midterms in a month. Once again, I shall make it abundantly clear to him that the only way to reach Adel Hall is through transfer.”