Mightiest Melee Magician

Repeatable quests could be completed daily.

Contrary to its unchanging reward, the required training was increasing day by day.

From 100 times to 200 times, 300 times, 400 times…

It was easier said than done since only the correct movements were counted.

To complete the quests, I would sometimes need to punch or kick nearly twice as much.

Compared to the growth in strength, because of the ever-increasing amount of training I needed to complete, there would be days where I couldn’t even walk properly.

If I sat down, I wanted to lie down. 

And if I lay down, I fell asleep like a dead man.

But I couldn’t skip doing it.

Why?

Punch: 0/1200

Kick: 0/1200

Spin Kick: 0/1200

“……”

If it went to the next day without the quest fully completed, all my progress was reset back to zero.

As usual, the strength reward didn’t increase anyways.

It’d mean I wasted an entire day. 

After finding out about this, I didn’t miss a single day.

Maybe it was a good thing that the Quest requirements didn’t go above 3000 times each?

And so, a month passed.

“Hooo. Should I finish up my morning exercise with this?”

As soon as I woke up, I went to the outdoor training area and did the kicks.

I did my punching quest when I found time during meals or while washing myself.

When I’d completed my daily punishment by doing volunteer work at the academy, I went straight to the outdoor training area again and focused only on completing my quest, not returning unless I finished it.

Thanks to this,

Obtained Skill: Body Arts

Body Arts *

Passive

Increases the abilities of the body.

Depending on one’s training, stronger and more elaborate movements will be possible.

I even got a Skill called Body Arts.

Diligence and consistency.

The virtues that were essential to becoming stronger.

Due to this, I had gotten used to using my body and could now kick 300 times in a row without breaking a sweat.

My level for ‘Body Arts’ had also increased.

My form steadily became correct and more stable, so I didn’t miss as much as before.

My body was giving an enjoyable(?) scream every day.

“Hasn’t Ruin been a bit odd as of late?”

“Yea, the guy who used to not even blink is now sleeping in class.”

“It’s more than that. Haven’t you seen him kicking at the training area? He practically lives there now, just practising his kicking.”

“Yeah, whatever. Damn… For that former ‘Magic Genius’ to be in that state. Tsk tsk.”

I knew very well what they said about me at the academy.

But I chose to ignore it.

I had no wish to try and explain my new powers or to flaunt them.

Of course, there was no reason to hide them, but I wanted to become sufficiently strong first.

“Ruin. You’re back again.”

“Yes. Hello.”

After completing my Quest, I usually spent the rest of my time at the library.

I came here frequently before, trying to find out more about my ‘Evocation Inability Disorder’ by going into the medical section and such, but it was different now.

“Has the book come in?”

“Yes. Here, I kept it for you.”

“Thank you.”

<History>

Ancient books containing the oldest records from the past of the continent of Frelia.

There was just one thing I looked for in these history books.

‘Draka… just who is he?’

It was for any information on the magician Draka.

For the past month, as I constantly alternated between completing the quest and going to the library, I chased after any clues about Draka.

<The Heroes of the Frealian Continent>

<History of Magic>

<The Fathers of Combat Magic>

<Introduction to Mana Theory>

<The Studies of the Small Magician on the Equations for the Metaphysical>

<Artifacts, The Instruments of Legend>

However,

‘It’s not here either.’

There were no records of the magician ‘Draka’ in any of the history books.

That wasn’t all.

‘Destroyer of Worlds’

‘Player’

‘Status Window’

‘Quest’

There was not even a clue to any of these either.

But I couldn’t give up.

Hoping for something different, I visited the history professor’s office.

“Hm? Who was it?”

“Draka. The Magician Draka.”

“Hmm… This is the first time I’ve heard of that name.”

“…damn. Really?”

“Instead, how about I recommend some books that might help. Go to the library and look for <History of Magic> and <The Fathers of Combat Magic>. If you read through those-”

“I’ve already read them.”

“What?”

“I’ve already read all the books in the library.”

“Oh… uh. Is that so?”

“Thank you for your time, professor.”

“Hmm. Sorry I couldn’t be of help.”

There were none.

There was nothing that helped anywhere.

Enough to make me think that maybe he didn’t exist at all.

If a magician who had ‘Evocation Disorder’ like me really did exist, I would’ve known about him beforehand.

But the records showed of no such person.

Since it was a curse only ‘I’ was born with.

If that was true, who really was Draka?

“Status.”

Ruin Ardell

Incarnation of Draka, Destroyer of Worlds

Strength: 470 +++

Agility: 100

Wisdom: 1550

Who was the one that gave me this power?

I had to pause my worries for now.

“Ruin!”

“Jason! Shush!”

“Ah. Sorry.”

The one who loudly called out my name, my roommate Jason.

After being told off by the librarian, he called out to me a bit more quietly.

“Ruin! Come out for a bit!”

“What? Did something happen?”

I closed my book and stepped outside.

Jason looked like he was really excited about something.

“Did you hear?”

“About what?”

“Guess you didn’t, since you wouldn’t be leisurely reading your books if you did.”

“What is it?”

“The head of the Ardell family came here!”

* * *

* * *

“……Who?”

“Your dad!”

I thought I heard him wrong the first time.

For my dad to be here…

“There’s no way.”

Travelling from the territory to the academy took just over half a month by carriage.

Not only that, my father never attended any of the parent-teacher meetings hosted by the academy.

Ever.

He was worried that the gathered nobles would interfere and threaten the authority of the academy.

“What do you mean ‘there’s no way?’ Look over there.”

Jason pointed out the window.

“I’m not lying.”

“……”

Jason was telling the truth.

In the academy gardens, the flag bearers of the Ardell family were on horseback, holding up the family seal with the depiction of an owl.

Unlike the parades of the average noble, it was simple, with only 2 flag bearers and the 3-4 family members.

And in the middle of this small group,

“F-Father?”

was my father.

‘Why was he here?’ was the first question that came to me, but I already knew the answer.

Looks like Jason also realised.

He looked at me sheepishly.

“It’s because of THAT incident from before, right?”

I answered him with a nod.

That’s right.

There was only one reason my father would come to the academy.

Because his one and only son had nearly died.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

I went straight down the stairs into the flower garden.

As I arrived in the garden, my father was talking to someone who I didn’t really expect to see.

‘Professor Hydel?’

It was Professor Hydel.

I couldn’t hear them since I was too far away, but they were conversing with an expression of familiarity that said that they had known each other for a long time.

However,

“Ruin.”

As soon as my father saw me, he retracted that expression and stretched out his arms.

“My son. Come here.”

I walked up awkwardly and hugged him.

I think he was also feeling a bit awkward as he talked with an inscrutable voice.

“You were just a wee 10-year-old when I sent you to the academy.”

10 years old.

At the prime age where I should be behaving like a kid and relying on my father, I had to say goodbye.

For over 6 years.

For 6 years my father hadn’t visited the academy.

If a noble were to enter and leave the academy as he pleased, it wouldn’t be a good influence on the academy which upheld fairness.

I knew this fact better than anyone else, so I admired and respected his decision.

“This is a bit awkward. Haha. For you to grow up this much.”

Was it because his son, who was always so small, grew up so much?

There was a hint of regret in my father’s expression.

So, I hugged him a little tighter and smiled for him.

“Have you been well, Father?”

10 years old.

Like those times I would fit snugly into his embrace.

Of course, I couldn’t act like a kid.

I think my intentions were relayed to him.

He said to me with a more relaxed expression,

“Yes, I’ve been well. How about you, Ruin, have you been…”

His voice faltered towards the end.

Mana Evocation Disorder.

Intentional harassment from others.

An accident that nearly took my life.

My father knew very well, even as he was asking, that my life had not been well.

But I smiled at him as wide as I could, enough to erase the worries of my father.

“It’s been good. Better than ever before.”

“…Hm?”

He looked at me as if it were unexpected.

He was surprised at my bright expression, the complete opposite expression to what he had expected.

Then, Professor Hydel said to me,

“Ruin, I’ll tell your homeroom teacher, so spend some quality time with your father.”

“Ah. Thank you.”

Then with some weird, meaningful expression, he bowed his head to my father.

“Then, I hope to see you again, Head of the Ardells.”

“Ah. Yes.”

My father responded in an awkward manner.

Were they acquaintances?

It looked like they had some personal connections, but there’s no way my father would know someone in the academy.

Whatever.

In any case, as soon as Professor Hydel left, I led my father by his wrist.

“It’s good that you came. I have so much to tell you.”

“Ok.”

“Let’s go to the living room.”

And so, I did.

“That armour. Looks like it never changed.”

“Hm?”

The leather armour my father was wearing looked the same as it did 6 years ago.

He must have taken great care of it, as there was no damage from the years to be seen.

At my question, he tapped his armor, looking a bit bashful.

“There was no reason to change.”

My father, who I had not seen in 6 years, was still the same as before.

I would not ask such a father an obvious question like, “Why did you come?”,

Not to a father who had travelled nonstop for half a month with all sorts of worries for his son.

He couldn’t say it, but I knew he was still shaking with anxiety.

I told him this.

To not worry.

To trust his son.

That I would protect Father and the family.

And that, this was not an impossibility.