NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: More Than a Tool
The spar was one-sided.
Sloppy but relentless attacks. Silvan was busy just avoiding attacks.
On top of that, he got hit in the head and staggered.
Would he lose like this without even landing a counterattack?
Just as he was thinking that, Silvan's momentum suddenly changed. Ferda, who was watching, also opened his eyes wide.
'Nether mana.'
Just for an instant, but he felt negative energy.
Soon after, Mond's movements became sluggish.
His face turning pale. Similar to Casher who had been overwhelmed by him before.
'An opening appeared.'
Freezing up during a spar was fatal. No matter how talentless Silvan was at swordsmanship, he should be able to recognize that this was an opening.
Thwack!
Silvan's first attack succeeded refreshingly.
When he followed up with a knee strike, Mond fell backward.
Watching that scene, he felt certain.
It succeeded.
=====
[Notification]
*Discovered a new ability of 'Silvan Arcdute.'
*Ability name: [Death Eyes]
=====
'Good.'
Without realizing it, he clenched his fist.
This was the fastest speed among all cycles.
He should be able to handle the coming crisis easily too. As the tight tension relaxed, relief came.
That's when the system window appeared again.
=====
[Sealed Death Eyes]
*Unlock conditions
-Hero grade or higher potential
-Nether mana: [1,000] achieved
=====
Of course, he couldn't be satisfied with the first spoonful.
Still, this was doing remarkably well.
Of the two conditions, one was already as good as achieved, and the other was scheduled to be achieved soon.
'The moment he awakens necromancy, he gets Death Eyes.'
He felt good about Silvan's rapid growth.
That's when he felt a gaze from afar.
Turning his head, Silvan was making a triumphant expression.
As if asking 'How was that?'
"Very well done."
With an inaudible mutter, he gave a thumbs up.
Seeing this, Silvan grinned.
Facing that expression, Ferda also smiled broadly.
***
Three days later, Sunday.
Knock knock—
"Excuse me."
Aaron opened the door and entered.
After bowing slightly to Ferda, he continued.
"Um, the young master invites you to dinner..."
"Let's go."
"Yes, yes!"
Ferda got up from his seat.
Since his first victory in sword lessons, Silvan had invited Ferda to dinner every day.
Soon after arriving in front of the room, Ferda raised his hand to knock.
"Come in."
Silvan's voice came first.
He must have detected Ferda's footsteps. Opening the door and entering, Silvan greeted him.
An expressionless face.
But looking at his sharply perked ears, he seemed to be in a good mood.
Ferda narrowed his eyes and brought up Silvan's status window.
=====
[Name]: Silvan Arcdute
[Level]: 9
[Talent]: Necromancy - Mythical Grade
[Strength]: 15/15 [Stamina]: 18/18
[Agility]: 24/24 [Magic Power]: 952/952
[Charm]: 96/99 [Luck]: 54/75
[Affection]: 21
*The higher the affection rating, the better the educational effects.
=====
In just ten days, Silvan's stats had changed noticeably.
Among them, the biggest change was definitely his magic power.
'Since I fed him that many Death Herbs.'
The Death Herbs Silvan had consumed so far exceeded two hundred roots. If an ordinary person had eaten them, they would have been poisoned by negative energy and died long ago after suffering.
Meanwhile, Silvan looked perfectly healthy, far from suffering.
'His affection has also gone up a lot.'
The affection that was minus 100 when they first met had somehow turned positive.
Moreover, he'd even achieved the feat of reaching double digits.
Feeling proud and smiling with satisfaction.
"Ferda?"
Silvan tilted his head.
Ferda staying quiet without saying anything must have seemed strange.
"What's wrong? Is the food not good?"
"No, this is pretty good."
"Really?"
"It would be even better if we could change the chicken to something else."
Having only roasted chicken for over ten days wasn't quite right.
At Ferda's answer, Silvan burst into laughter. Soon after, with clattering sounds, their meal for two began.
"You know."
Some time after the meal ended.
Silvan muttered quietly.
"I had a nostalgic dream recently."
What followed was a story about the 'forest' where Silvan had lived.
Ferda listened quietly.
Though he already knew the whole story, this was the first time Silvan had brought up his past himself.
When the suddenly started story was ending.
Silvan suddenly buried his face between his knees.
"...Will I never be able to go back?"
A melancholy voice flowed out.
He understood the feeling. Silvan had been dragged here against his will.
Also, every time he mentioned wanting to return to the forest, negative answers came back, so it was natural for him to think that way.
However, this was just groundless worry.
Because an opportunity would come soon.
"You should be able to go soon."
"Huh? How?"
"There's the coming-of-age ceremony."
Dark elves hold a coming-of-age ceremony when they turn 14. It's a kind of test, and after passing it, they're recognized as adults by the clan.
"Right. Come to think of it..."
Silvan also seemed to remember this and opened his eyes wide.
Then he asked with a puzzled expression.
"But how do you know about that, Ferda?"
"I picked up various things while doing mercenary work."
At those words, Silvan nodded.
The mercenary background setting was convenient for this reason. When faced with difficult questions to answer, even if you roughly attached it, everyone would accept it and move on.
"But will they really let me go peacefully?"
That's when Silvan's face darkened again.
Now he was a member of Count Arcdute's household, not the Dark Elf clan. Even if it was an important test, it was questionable whether they'd let him go.
About such worries, Ferda answered without hesitation.
"It's okay. You can go back."
It was a voice filled with conviction.
It wasn't baseless conviction. He couldn't explain the reason, but his answer was believable.
Just as Silvan was thinking that, Ferda added.
"If they don't let you go, I'll solve it for you."
"How?"
Was there some brilliant method?
Silvan's eyes shone with anticipation. However, the answer that came back was extremely simple.
"We'll just sneak out."
Because he had enough ability to do so. That's why he answered confidently.
Meanwhile, Silvan looked blank for a moment.
What reaction would he show next?
Would he become serious and tell him not to joke? Or would he get angry asking if he was mocking him?
If it was the usual Silvan, it would probably be one of the two.
Ferda thought so.
But it was neither.
"Yeah, I understand."
Silvan nodded obediently.
A smile spread across his lips.
"If that happens, please take care of me then."
"..."
Ferda kept his mouth firmly shut.
Because earnestness was evident in his voice.
If it had been someone else, they could have taken it as a joke.
But Silvan didn't. No, he couldn't. For him, the 'forest' wasn't light enough to dismiss as a joke.
So he couldn't laugh it off. So he couldn't get angry.
If only he could return to the forest, he'd want to grasp at even straws.
'...Right. That was it.'
A genius with Mythical grade talent and the protagonist of a novel.
Naturally, it seemed like he could do anything well, accomplish anything.
But there was something that came before that.
Before being a genius and protagonist, Silvan Arcdute was just a thirteen-year-old boy.
When he left the forest where he'd lived for over ten years and came to a strange place.
And when he realized he couldn't trust anyone. When he became aware that he was alone.
How scared must he have been? How lonely?
Every night, how many tears did he swallow alone?
Thinking such thoughts, anger suddenly burst forth.
'Such an obvious thing...'
Why did he only now think of something that anyone could think of with a little consideration?
As he was reproaching himself.
"Ferda?"
Silvan tilted his head.
At that moment, he woke from his thoughts.
"Are you okay? You don't look well..."
Silvan had somehow come close to him.
Looking at him asking with a worried face, Ferda raised his head. Then he suddenly reached out and ruffled Silvan's hair.
"Wh-what?"
Looking at Silvan's flustered face.
Ferda bit his lips hard.
His initial purpose was simple.
Unlike previous cycles that repeated failures, he planned to make Silvan grow quickly.
Then, steadily preparing for the coming crisis was his goal. He judged this method to be the most efficient and safe.
But something was missing.
Silvan's will.
Silvan's opinions or intentions weren't included in his purpose at all. No, it would be more accurate to say he didn't feel the need to include them.
Because for him, Silvan was nothing more than a 'tool' that would prevent disaster and lead the novel to completion.
Yes, he thought of him as a tool. He only now realized that he had.
'Having such thoughts...'
What tutor, what student.
He wasn't even qualified to be called a teacher in the first place.
"...Silvan."
Ferda opened his mouth.
Silvan looked up at him with a bewildered face.
"What do you most want to achieve right now?"
"Huh? What I want to achieve?"
"Yeah. What you most want to do."
Why was he suddenly asking such a thing?
Puzzled questions formed in his eyes.
But since Ferda's expression was so serious, Silvan obediently gave an answer.
"That's obviously..."
Returning to the forest.
There was nothing else he wanted besides this.
If he had to mention something else, it would be wanting to punch Casher in the face.
And as soon as Silvan finished answering.
"I understand."
Ferda nodded.
"I'll definitely take you to the forest."
With serious eyes and voice.
He carved resolve into each word.
"No matter what happens. Without fail."
If left alone, he seemed ready to make another oath to Cardiranto.
Silvan stared at Ferda with a bewildered face.
"Uh, I don't know why you're suddenly acting like this..."
It was flustering. He had no idea why he was suddenly acting this way.
However, one thing was clearly conveyed.
That Ferda's words right now contained sincerity.
"Yeah, I understand."
So he was happy.
Ferda was the first person to take his desire to return to the forest so seriously.
"I'll only trust Ferda."
"Yeah. Trust only me."
Now Silvan wasn't just a protagonist in a novel. He was definitely not a tool.
He was Ferda's student that he had accepted.
Therefore, Ferda resolved.
Just like at Hunter Academy, he would teach him responsibly to the end.
"I'm your tutor after all."
Until the day this novel world reaches its conclusion.