NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14
“I will aim for an S-rank!”
It was a bold statement, but whether I could actually achieve it was questionable.
Here I was, having just awakened my mana, claiming I would earn an S-rank.
It was no easy feat for a commoner like me to stand out among the nobles who had been training and awakening their mana since birth.
“The remaining time is two weeks. I’m going all-in on equipment.”
Thus, I decided to go all-in on my gear.
Rather than awkwardly training my mana synthesis or learning swordsmanship, it was much better to leverage my unique strengths.
“Mechanic blueprints.”
With that, I resolved to follow the “Mechanic Blueprints” I’d been putting off for so long.
To create the ultimate equipment, the “Plasma Beam Titanium Alloy Gauntlet.”
-Krack!
Need I say more?
I immediately started hammering away.
Now that I could handle mana, I had no fear of hitting a wall while crafting my equipment.
──Intermediate Crafting Recipe──
“‘Mana Stabilizer’ Recipe”
: Impurity-removed iron
: Mana Absorption Scroll
: Intricately crafted glass tube
I decided to methodically proceed from the intermediate recipe.
I’d been unable to craft the “Mana Stabilizer” before due to a lack of a “Mana Absorption Scroll,” but now, as a proper mana user, I could create the scroll myself.
-Swoosh!
I quickly unfurled the “Spell Storage Scroll.”
On the pristine, white scroll, I inscribed the “Absorption” spell I learned from Elena and infused it with my mana.
-Crackle!
Then the spell absorbed the mana, completing the “Mana Absorption Scroll.”
I had easily obtained the key ingredient needed to make the “Mana Stabilizer.”
-Ding!
[The Mana Absorption Scroll has been completed!]
[Successfully creating the scroll grants 3XP to ‘Lv.1 Magic Engineering.’]
As soon as I made the mana absorption scroll, a reward notification appeared.
The reward for crafting the scroll was a skill experience boost of 3XP.
It wasn’t a lot, but it was a decent reward.
After all, I’d be making countless scrolls from here on out.
Even if it was just 3XP, it would add up to create significant change.
“Now, shall we move on to the next step?”
With a satisfied smile, I transitioned to the next phase.
The next step was crafting the “Mana Stabilizer,” which was almost essential for any gear that utilized mana.
Using the materials I prepared earlier and the Mana Absorption Scroll, I attempted to make the Mana Stabilizer.
-Ding!
[The Mana Stabilizer has been crafted!]
[Successfully crafting equipment grants 5XP to ‘Lv.2 Engineering Thought.’]
[Successfully crafting equipment grants 5XP to ‘Lv.1 Magic Engineering.’]
Things were going smoothly.
With the most difficult ingredient, the “Scroll,” being so easily supplied, I was able to move forward at a rapid pace.
Previously, I couldn’t complete the Mana Stabilizer even after days of deliberation, but now I finished it in just 2 hours.
“Alright, at this rate, I’ll have it done in no time!”
I smiled and checked the next recipe.
This time, it was an advanced recipe.
──Advanced Crafting Recipe──
“‘Mana Storage Device’ Recipe”
: Advanced Mana Stone x 2
: Mana Stabilizer x 3
: Impurity-removed Blue Gemstone
The Mana Storage Device required for the highest-level crafting recipe.
At first glance, the materials seem complicated, but it wasn’t too hard.
The Advanced Mana Stone could be crafted by raising the temperature of the standard Mana Stone and continually infusing it with mana, and the impurity-removed Blue Gemstone just required some straightforward manual labor using “Hand Skills.”
This meant I could sufficiently create the equipment at my current level.
“I could finish this today!”
With only 2 weeks left until the entrance ceremony, this tight schedule was a hopeful sign that I could complete the advanced recipe within a day.
If I could make 4 of the required materials for the advanced recipe, I would finally be able to craft the long-awaited “Plasma Beam Titanium Alloy Gauntlet.”
I hammered away, envisioning the day I could wield that gauntlet.
Bang!
***
Year 473 of the Empire.
That spring, the cherry blossoms bloomed more vigorously than ever.
As if to celebrate the opening day of the Imperial Royal Academy, the path leading to the academy was lined with blooming cherry blossoms.
“······.”
Yet, the students walking this floral path still bore the harshness of winter in their eyes.
Representing their respective houses with their family names, they were all determined not to tarnish their family names in this crucial moment.
“·····At this rate, my drawing will not be proper…”
And here stood Enya of the Cruel family.
Having inherited the name of the renowned knight family, “Cruel,” she aimed to display her finely honed skills without holding back, to elevate her family’s prestige.
“Sigh…”
But just like the long sigh she just let out, that dream seemed to be fading away.
She had prepared a splendid sword sheath to showcase her overwhelming drawing style, yet that very sheath ended up tripping her up.
In short, the sheath was too tight.
“Although I don’t have to use the drawing technique… still…”
However, drawing was not everything there was to swordsmanship.
From the moment she picked up a sword, she had been recognized as a genius among geniuses, able to wield dozens of sword techniques.
Yet, none of those numerous techniques suited her fancy.
Only utterly destructive techniques developed purely for slaughter, that mechanical swordsmanship could never capture her heart.
“I’m not moved at all. Stabbing and cutting vital points. There’s nothing beyond that.”
She needed something that transcended swordsmanship.
Not this mechanical swordplay devoid of any beauty, but a style that resonates with her soul.
In the midst of it all, her gaze fell upon a manga titled “Sword Drawing Hero.”
It was a hero’s tale focused solely on defeating foes with nothing but drawing.
“How fun!”
As soon as Enya opened that manga, she was instantly engrossed.
She devoured dozens of volumes at lightning speed and finally reached the episode, “Lightning Jackal.”
The “Sword Drawing Hero vs. Lightning Jackal” episode became the pivotal moment that turned her into a drawing fanatic.
-Kuh-uh! Sword Drawing Hero, you’ll never surpass me, Lightning Jackal. As long as you avoid my magnificent drawing, you’re nothing.
-Really? Well then, let’s see if you can dodge.
She anxiously watched as the hero faced the speedy jackal.
As the Jackal said, the Sword Drawing Hero poured all energy into drawing, meaning if they couldn’t finish the opponent with the drawing, defeat was inevitable.
That’s why she read the manga with bated breath, worried over whether the Jackal might evade the drawing.
And then came the moment the Sword Drawing Hero drew.
-Swoosh!
A blinding strike slashed through as the drawing was executed.
Simultaneously, the Jackal moved at lightning speed.
-Swish.
As she turned the page, there was a smirk plastered across the Jackal’s face.
The drawing had failed.
-Ha ha! Sword Drawing Hero! Now you’re done for! I’ll shred you to bits!
-…No, you’ve already died.
Yet, the Sword Drawing Hero calmly sheathed their sword.
Turning gracefully, they presented their back to the enemy.
With a sneer, the Jackal dashed toward the Sword Drawing Hero.
-…Huh?
But in that instant,
A vein appeared on the Jackal’s neck.
As if someone flipped a switch, his body crumbled, and his head, momentarily suspended in the air, was flung to the ground.
Thud. Tumbling on the ground, his neck twisted, and his vision spun like a top.
However, the undeniable laws of physics soon steadied that whirl.
His head rolling on the ground eventually came to a halt.
-S-Sword Drawing Hero…
In the last moments of his life, the last thing the Jackal saw was the departing silhouette of the Sword Drawing Hero.
Without looking back, the hero walked away, unhurriedly.
The Jackal’s vision gradually faded into darkness.
“This… this is it…”
A hero’s tale.
Thus, Enya became a drawing enthusiast.
She abandoned all other sword styles and began dedicating herself solely to the study of drawing techniques.
Even when the master swordsman, Illeia, begged her father for help, her fervor for the drawing technique did not wane.
“…The sheath is too tight…”
But what good would it do to train the drawing technique, defying her parents’ opposition?
Last night, in a hurried attempt to remodel her sheath to match the one used by the Drawing Hero, she nearly ruined everything.
At this rate, she wouldn’t be able to properly showcase the drawing techniques she had honed over the past two years.
She couldn’t create that moment which resonated deeply within her.
“It seems there’s an issue with the sheath.”
Just then, a voice sounded from a stranger.
Turning around, she saw a handsome black-haired boy looking her way.
With the spring breeze blowing, his black hair and her silver hair danced in the air.
The boy’s gaze shifted to her sheath.
“Can I take a look at that? I think I can fix it.”