“Step back. Junior.”
“……!”
“Your side is exposed. If your reflexes can’t keep up, retreat.”
“Hup!”
“Good improvisation. But against Camilla, such large movements are basically suicide. Your neck would be—”
Swish—!
Aaron’s sword stopped just in front of my neck. I failed to dodge.
I knew it was coming, but I couldn’t react because of my physical limitations.
“You’ll lose your head.”
“Kh…”
Sweat poured down like rain. The gym floor had become slippery because of all the sweat I had shed.
“Still, this is impressive progress for just three days. You’ve got talent, junior.”
“Do I, really…”
“When it comes to perception, you’re on par with Knight Department students. The problem is your body. Your reflexes can’t keep up.”
“If it’s about specs, I’ll find a way to manage.”
“I see. In that case, we’ll just need to make you more accustomed to sword strikes.”
It had already been four days since I asked Aaron for sparring practice. Without a single complaint, he’d been helping me train for two hours every day.
Thanks to that, I’d made quite a bit of progress in a short amount of time.
At first, I couldn’t even see his sword strikes properly. But now, I was starting to catch glimpses of them. By today, I was finally at a point where dodging was somewhat possible.
But that wasn’t because of any special talent on Adel’s part.
◆ [Shape Transformation] Trait Activated…
The training I had postponed until now was being forcibly carried out through this near-real combat.
Focusing my mana waves to generate short bursts of strength had become second nature. It was a skill born from repeated desperate attempts to dodge the sword.
Of course, every movement pushed my muscles to the limit. But physical training is, after all, just the cycle of tearing and rebuilding muscle. This was bound to happen eventually.
◆ Stamina +1
◆ Stamina +1
My Stamina went up, so I’m not collapsing…
I sighed at the system messages that flashed briefly at the corner of my vision.
Thanks to the stamina boost, I could continue training even after Aaron left…
But it was exhausting.
It would’ve been better if I could just collapse. But instead, I was constantly kept on the edge. I was utterly drained, yet still able to go on.
“Hmm. That’s enough for today. You seem to be adjusting, so we can increase the pace from tomorrow for better results.”
That was Aaron’s signal to wrap up. I dragged myself over to the bench and collapsed onto it. I struggled to catch my breath.
Every breath reminded me painfully of how real all of this was.
“……”
After I had been silently catching my breath for a while, Aaron suddenly spoke.
“…Junior.”
“Yes?”
“Maybe… No, never mind… Right. I just wanted to say the Knight Department is always open to you. I wasn’t just being polite when I said you have talent.”
“Ah.”
The Knight Department is always open.
Aaron said it in a roundabout way, but there’s no way I could miss what he meant.
“If magic doesn’t work out, why not switch to the Knight Department?” That’s probably what he was getting at.
But he’s seen how much I want to become a proper mage. That’s why he can’t say it outright. He wants to let me know there are other options, but he’s afraid saying so might weaken my resolve.
“As I said, I’m not going to give up.”
“…Right.”
“Never.”
“……”
Of course I won’t give up. I don’t want to die. And besides, someone like me born with a body that can’t use magic wouldn’t thrive as a knight, either.
“…Hah!! That was out of line!! Hmm! I nearly got in the way of your path!! I apologize!”
“I made you worry. Please don’t.”
“Understood!! This hopeless senior shall take his leave now! See you tomorrow, junior!”
“Thanks for showing up every day, even when you’re busy, senior.”
“Nonsense!! It’s only right!!”
With that shout, Aaron walked off in that odd, shuffling way of his. Knowing his personality, he probably really thinks he misspoke.
I’ll have to thank him properly later.
Anyway, with him gone, the soft singing from the baby angel statue in the gym came to a stop.
The midterms were approaching, so all the knight students who shared the gym had already returned to the dorms.
Moonlight seeped through the windows, filling the depths of the gym…
And after a long while,
Once I’d roughly finished resting, I sat up straight and closed my eyes.
“……”
All right.
Now begins my personal training time.
In the empty gym, I conjured up the image of Camilla from the game. I’d been doing image training like this for a few days now.
Camilla when she wasn’t controlled by the player. How was she in those scenes?
Yes. That was the true presence of Camilla Bliss.
The way she charged straight through a barrage of spells with nothing but a sword. How she dashed along ceilings in tight tunnels to take down multiple enemies at once. The way she reacted to surprise long-range spell snipes as if it were second nature.
And her tone of voice naturally filled with intimidation.
That rigidity in her speech made you think she might be bad at improvising.
But in reality, she’s nothing like that.
When needed, she kicks without hesitation, and she’s thrown her sword like a spear more than a few times.
Even when ambushed and run through, she only frowns slightly before lopping off her enemy’s head.
“……”
Come to think of it, there was a scene where Camilla gets captured if the player controls her poorly and loses.
Though I’ve never seen it myself.
Even under torture where each of her fingers was cut off one by one, she stayed calm and managed to escape….yes, that’s how it was.
There were many playable characters, but no fixed protagonist in the game Empire of Kohonbach.
I used to think that she was the true protagonist of this game…….
But all those moments are from Camilla in her third year or after she graduates.
The current Camilla is only in her second year. And barely a month into it, at that.
It’s obvious she wouldn’t be able to show that level of skill yet.
Her traits and abilities probably haven’t fully developed. She wouldn’t have access to the skills learned in the third year yet. She’s not part of the Imperial Family either, so her mana pool should be low. She likely hasn’t received any kind of support.
If that’s the case, then I definitely have a shot. I’ve done no small amount of preparation myself.
On top of that, I’m starting to get used to sparring with Aaron.
If I’m being optimistic, it might even be fair to call it fifty-fifty……
It was at that moment.
Thump.
“…Tch……”
Lately, I’ve been feeling my heartbeat more often.
And for good reason.
“…….”
◆Warning! [Demon’s Seed] is beginning to sprout.
“…Yeah, I know, you bastard.”
In this body’s current state, I can sense it more accurately than what the system window displays.
I pulled up my shirt.
A black flame-like pattern wrapped around my left chest. That flame was growing stronger and more intense.
If you’ve played the game for around twenty thousand hours, you can tell the seed’s growth stage just by the shape of those flames.
“…At this rate, I’d say about six days… give or take.”
The blooming of the [Demon’s Seed] and the appearance of “Mad Adel”.
From what I remember, that event takes place sometime before the midterms. Given the current timing, it matches up exactly.
“I should start setting things up so I can use my preparations at a moment’s notice…”
Thump─
“…Khak.”
Spit.
I coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Slowly.
Some part of my body was changing….into something not human.
Feels like shit… heh…
I muttered quietly.
“…Clean.”
***
At the moment Adel coughed up blood—
Someone was watching him, covering her mouth and holding her breath.
…Blood?
Irina Harunsdel.
Because of her particular personality, she’d taken a short break from studying to drop by the gym, curious about what Adel was up to.
However, when she saw Adel struggling for the first time, Irina stopped herself from calling out to him and stayed hidden.
Because of training…? But coughing up blood is seriously abnormal…
The words she couldn’t say swirled like a storm, consuming her thoughts. Honestly, she wanted to snap at him with something like, “Are you an idiot?!”
But there was no excuse for the fact that she had been secretly watching this whole time. And then, something suddenly came to mind. Something she had heard once before.
…Come to think of it, I remember hearing this. People with magic disabled constitutions tend to die young.
She didn’t go around telling people, but she was the daughter of the Harunsdel family.
Harunsdel. One of the two major merchant groups that dominated the Empire.
Through ruthless operations, it had shown terrifying growth since its founding and had finally risen to become a massive trade house. She was the daughter of that very Harunsdel.
The fact that Irina was enrolled in the Knight Department, while it was due to her own complicated circumstances, didn’t change the fact that she was a Harunsdel.
When it came to mysteries and arcane knowledge, she had heard more than most. She knew about the way the unique magical waves of magic-null individuals could end up killing them.
…I’m pretty sure I learned it during family lessons… That many of them die before reaching adulthood.
Sometimes, too much information can hide the truth.
And that was exactly the case with the Adel she was watching. She couldn’t bring herself to ask and instead began jumping to conclusions.
He said he was ready to die. Was he actually serious?
That overly smooth, almost hollow demeanor. The way he reacted the day he fell out with Camilla. His nonchalant face, even when his hands were a wreck. The way he trained like someone who had nothing to lose.
“……”
That was definitely not how a typical boy his age would act. But what if….what if all of that behavior… was only possible because he had already accepted that he wouldn’t live to adulthood?
The look he showed in front of his sister. What if that was the betrayal he felt toward a family that didn’t understand his condition? What if skipping out of the house without a word was because he knew he was going to die soon anyway…?
If that were true—
Irina felt like the blood was draining from her face as she lifted her head.
If it really is like that… this is no time to be embarrassed!
The girl made up her mind.
For Adel, who had been her friend even if only for a short time….she would throw away something like momentary shame!
“Hey──!!! Adel!! You…!!!”
“Why are you yelling?”
The answer came from right beside her.
“Eueeeekk?!”
“Wah!! You scared me! Why is the one who was spying more surprised?”
“…Y-You, y-y-you! Wh-when did you…! A-And I wasn’t spying!!”
“Then what? You just happened to be looking toward the gym, and I just happened to be inside?”
“…W-wow, spot on! That’s exactly what happened!!!”
“Ohh. I see. Well, if you’ve got nothing else to say, I’m leaving.”
Irina hesitated.
Was it really okay to just brush things off like this? To completely forget the fact that Adel had coughed up blood, and take his nonchalant attitude at face value?
“…Hey.”
“Hmm?”
“……”
Silence.
“What is it? Hurry up and talk. I’ll have you know I’m a busy guy.”
“…A-Are you… okay?”
I should’ve asked more indirectly!!
Regret hit her hard, and she turned her head away.
But there’s no way Adel could have known what she was really thinking.
All he wanted was to involve as few people as possible.
“Of course I’m fine. A little tired, sure, but with all the exercise, I dunno… every day feels kind of energizing, you know?”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah. It’s more fun than I expected.”
“……”
“Water tastes so sweet after a workout. Who knew? Those Knight Department guys… keeping this amazing stuff all to themselves…”
“…Liar.”
“What?”
“───Liar liar liar!! You’re a liar!! I saw everything!! Back there…you were coughing up blood!! Clutching your chest like you were about to die!!!”
“…U-Uhhh…”
“You’re magic disabled but you still have a mana circuit!! That hurts, doesn’t it?! Every time your heart beats, it hurts, right?! So why are you lying?! If it hurts, say it hurts! Just say it!!”
Irina’s tension surged all at once. And Adel’s honest reaction to that was…
Honestly, I have no idea what her problem is.
So what if I coughed up a bit of blood? Doesn’t mean I’m dying.
But of course, any thoughts tied to the seed of the demon made Adel’s mood crash, inevitably.
And Irina was someone he considered a close acquaintance.
He truly hoped she wouldn’t get involved with things like demon cults and that wish triggered his cold response.
“What would telling you accomplish?”
“…….!”
“…Sorry. That came out harsh. But I’d still like you to keep this a secret.”
“…You…”
“I mean, I never told anyone that your boyfriend’s a Damagen Academy student… So, how about we call it even?”
“……”
“Silence means yes, as they say.”
“……”
“Alright then. I’ll take it as a yes… I’m off.”
Leaving only those words behind, Adel exited the gym.
“……”
And then, about ten minutes passed.
“… That… I went to see my older brother…”
The words Irina mumbled in the empty gym scattered into the air, unheard….and her unspoken feelings turned into fury as they circled back to her.
…Adel… So that’s how you’re going to act? Ah…fine, I see how it is! If that’s the way it’s going to be, then I’ll bring you back to your senses out of sheer spite. What do you take the Harunsdel Merchant Guild for, huh?!
One after another, all sorts of magical tonics and elixirs that could help stabilize his mana, things Adel would surely need, flashed through Irina’s mind only to fade again.
“Liar. Honey badger!! I didn’t want to rely on my family!!”
With that strange insult, she stomped her foot and stormed back to the dormitory.
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