9. The girl who will become a count (3)
#9
Room 201 of the inn.
All kinds of miscellaneous things were strewn about on the wooden plank floor. Although they were all different types of items, including swords, potions, and rings, there was a common denominator that they all sparkled.
Marja opened her mouth as she looked at the loot lined up on the floor.
“So, these are the unsold items left over? “You guys use it?”
“huh.”
“These are quite high-quality items… Why did you leave three swords?”
“It breaks down quickly.”
Hans’ sword, which had already lost a lot of teeth, was proof of this.
Even in his last life, Ronan changed his weapons once a month. Most weapons could not handle his swift sword.
“Well, anyway… Ah, Mr. It still hurts. “Be gentle.”
Marya grumbled as she smoothed out the lump on her head. Ronan opened her mouth and showed her the cut on her tongue. It was the spot he chewed when he received the uppercut.
“Do you think this was created when a sparrow pecked it?”
“Chi, if I were a little stronger, I could have cut it off.”
Even though Asher used magic to intervene, the two still exchanged blows one more time.
Marya stabbed Ronan in the neck with her elbow, and Ronan stuck a honey chestnut in the same spot as before.
Although Marya was incredibly strong for her size, she was ultimately no match for Ronan.
The match ended with Marya waking up after fainting for a moment and admitting defeat.
“Anyway, it looks like it was written quite harshly. “If you are a swordsman, you must treat your knife with care.”
“A knife is just a tool. “It doesn’t matter who wields it.”
“Oh~ I guess you’re confident in your skills? Do you want to spar later? “Even though it’s like this, I’m the strongest in our group.”
“So.”
After the commotion ended, Ronan and Marya managed to become close friends. It was thanks to each other’s courage. (Aser could not possibly understand this process.)
The three went out to the square, ate Marbas’ famous crawfish pasta, and then returned to their lodgings.
Marya kindly explained information about Phileon, and now the boys were looking at the loot one by one that they had intentionally left unsold.
“Well, anyway. All the items left here are useful. In particular, this long sword is made of real black iron. Although the management is a bit disappointing.”
“Are you sure?”
“You don’t trust my eyesight? “My dad often asks me about metal.”
Heukcheol, as its name suggests, was iron that was black in color. Because it was rare and strong, it was mainly used to make weapons for knights and nobles.
Ronan’s sword made of black iron was also a weapon he preferred, as it was easy to use for about six months.
“Then I’m glad.”
“And the stone embedded in this staff is also a real magic stone. Hey there, cutie.”
Asher, who was organizing his luggage, belatedly turned his head. In Marya’s hand was a metal cane that seemed to be about 1 meter long. Like the black iron sword, it was an item left unsold.
“huh? Could it be…me?”
“Then is that what you said to that barbarian? “I couldn’t ask you earlier because I was in a hurry, but are you a wizard?”
Asher nodded. Without saying a word, Marya threw her staff at him. Asher, startled, stopped his staff with telekinesis.
“You almost got hurt!”
“Besides, telekinesis… if you do well, I will enroll you with a scholarship. “That will help to some extent.”
Asher looked at the staff floating in the air. I felt mana gathering in the stone embedded at the end. He left it behind because he thought it was unusual when he first found it, but he didn’t know it was a real magic wand.
The magic wand itself was expensive, and with the magic stone embedded in it, it must have been extremely expensive. Marya sat down on the bed and looked back at Ronan.
“The problem is between us two. “What skills are you going to show me?”
“technology?”
“Yes, Phileon’s skills are famous, right?”
Candidates had to demonstrate their most confident skills in front of a panel of judges comprised of faculty.
The test was conducted for a total of 8 days, including written and practical parts. The format was to take a practical exam over the previous 7 days and a written exam on the last day.
Phileon’s entrance exam boasted a literally astronomical level of competition. This is because anyone could apply as long as they met the age requirements, regardless of status or origin.
There was a clear difference in score allocation between practical and written exams. Although the written test was not negligible, the test that determined whether or not one passed was the score on the practical test.
“There are a lot of idiots, but there are also a lot of talented people. “You have to prove your worth.”
“Damn, as long as the swordsman was good at killing. What do they usually show?”
“Um… well? Nobles often demonstrate their family’s secret techniques… and cutting something as hard as a rock was also popular for a while. But the most common thing is to show your own fighting method using mana.”
“for a moment.”
For an instant, Ronan’s face hardened. There was a lot of disbelief and doubt between the narrowed eyebrows. Marja tilted her head.
“what’s the matter?”
“At that age, there are probably some kids out there who haven’t even grown up yet. You’re not even a wizard, but you’re dealing with mana? Do I look like an imbecile?”
“huh···? You’re saying you’re not an Auror, you’re a Mana? “You just need to know how to react to apply it in battle, right?”
“Are aurors and mana different?”
“… what?”
Coogung! The moment she heard those words, lightning fell on Marya’s head. How would you feel if you were asked what the difference is between a bean bug and a dragon? Marya opened her mouth with a feeling of confusion.
“You… do you know how to respond to mana?”
“What is that again?”
“ah.”
Lightning struck once more. Ronan’s answer was not ‘I can’t’, but ‘I don’t know’.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t develop his senses due to lack of effort or talent, but rather that he didn’t know the concept of mana sensitivity itself.
As far as she knew, about half of those who passed the Phileon Martial Arts Department had reached the level of ‘sword users’ who could at least simply manipulate mana. Naturally, there was no one who could not respond to mana, which was the most basic of basics.
I thought this was a bit harsh. Still, isn’t he a Phil Leon wannabe like himself?
“Are you kidding me? “You really don’t know?”
“I don’t know. Don’t change your mind, man. So, what is the difference between aurors and mana?”
She looked at the imbecile in front of her, speechless. Ronan’s eyes were still narrowed with suspicion.
Marya felt her embarrassment turning into anger in real time.
I see I taught an idiot who couldn’t tell the difference between mana and auras the entrance exam requirements for the best academy on the continent. And that too, with great effort for an entire day.
She sat quietly and laughed, then got up and kicked off the bed.
“Follow me.”
“ok?”
“Let’s do it now, sparring. I’ll tell you what the difference is between Auror and Mana, which you’re so curious about. “Even about the stupid mana sensitivity.”
Marya picked up two short swords lying on the floor. These were the remaining swords left for Ronan to use.
Although it did not use a precious metal like black iron, it was a very well-made steel sword.
“I was almost fooled because you picked it up so confidently. That’s ours, man.”
“You left my knife behind. “It’ll be over in an instant anyway, so I’ll just use it once.”
“What if it goes bad?”
“Ha… double. No, I’ll charge you three times the price. “Okay?”
“Well, if that’s the condition…”
bang! Marya kicked the door down and left before Ronan could respond. Asher, who was surprised, began to hiccup, and Ronan advised Asher that women sometimes behave like that and left the room.
****
Mana is the power that forms the source of all things.
Common concepts such as aura, magic, core, and circle were named according to the type of mana or the way it was handled. Mana sensitivity, as the name suggests, refers to the ability to feel mana, which is the basis of everything.
“The time when you can feel mana varies from person to person. There are many people who don’t feel it until they die, but if you have at least the slightest talent, you usually regain your senses in about a year. Of course, what’s important is what comes next.”
The three people left the inn and moved to a nearby vacant lot. Noise from the main street could be heard beyond the fence surrounding it on three sides. Marya walked about five steps toward Ronan and then turned around.
“In the grand scheme of things, aurors are a type of mana, but no one sees the two together. ‘Auror’ refers to the unique mana you create yourself. “It’s not natural mana that exists everywhere.”
“In other words, it is not someone else’s poop, but my own poop that I pulled out with my own strength.”
“There’s no such example… ha, no…”
Marja shook her head. He didn’t know how far to lower his expectations of Ronan. Ronan asked, scratching the back of his head.
“I have one more question. Blooming that aura? “Is it that difficult to do?”
“of course. Developing your Aura means creating your own mana that cannot be replaced. Even if a talented person trains consistently, it takes at least 10 years for an Auror to bloom.”
“···okay?”
Ronan thought about the enemies he had defeated so far. Now that I think about it, I remember that those who were said to have developed Aurors were particularly talkative before fighting. Since this body is an Auror user, I feel like I need to beg for it right now.
All of those friends had strange or useless abilities, but I felt somewhat sorry for them when I thought that they were the result of tremendous effort. They all die anyway if their heads fall off.
“Then shall we begin?”
Marya was slowly turning the sword in both hands. Two smoothly drawn circles were proof of her talent.
It was a difficult feat to perform unless one had considerable strength and wrist flexibility. Ronan nodded.
“okay.”
Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. Instead of a new sword made of black iron, Hans’ sword, with its teeth removed, was pulled out. Marya asked, raising her eyebrows.
“With that knife? Will it hurt if it breaks or breaks?”
“Okay, let’s get started.”
“···Well, if you say so.”
The short sword that was spinning stopped spinning. Her skills had reached the level of a sword user.
This is the stage where mana can be loaded onto the sword, leaving the stage where mana was simply circulated within the body.
Among mana users, he was not very strong, but compared to ordinary people, the difference was as big as heaven and earth.
‘Rather than experience humiliation at the test site, it would be better to feel your limits here and then return.’
In fact, her anger had already subsided. Because she realized too late that her anger was caused not by Ronan’s ignorance, but by her own inaction.
She was looking at Ronan quite well. His speech was vulgar and his behavior was like an asshole, but he didn’t seem like a son of a bitch. She seemed like it would be fun to go to the academy together.
This sparring was a kind of mercy. Marya smiled bitterly and took a stance.
“Then… get ready…”
Asher, who was in charge of refereeing, counted down. Her slender fingers folded one by one. Three, two, one. The moment the last finger folded, Marya’s body jumped out like a bullet.
Kang!
The three sword paths intersected and a sharp metallic sound rang out. Ronan responded while standing still. The sword bodies that were in contact were creaking and screaming. Ronan whistled.
“It’s pretty good?”
Marya was so shocked that she couldn’t say anything. It had been a very long time since the first attack was blocked. Even the two swords she held were loaded with mana.
“what is your identity?”
“Ronan. “Anyway, your strength is really strong.”
Ronan was equally surprised. Marya’s power had become incomparably stronger than before. The ferocious swordsmanship using two swords was reminiscent of the jaws of a giant cat or wild beast.
I felt like the buzzing in my wrist would become bothersome if it took more time. Ronan said.
“I need to finish it quickly.”
The sword that was touching fell. Ronan, who momentarily lowered his body, swung his sword as if it were bouncing. Marya did not respond but just leaned back. The sword strike narrowly passed by Marya’s sword.
His sword skills were unbelievable for an ordinary person who did not know how to use mana. I could feel her calm heart beating faster and faster. A smile spread across Marya’s lips.
“I should have brought my knife.”
“Probably not.”
But suddenly, Ronan sheathed his sword. Marja, who was about to go on the attack, frowned at him. Ronan glanced at Marya and spoke something incomprehensible.
“It was three times as much.”
Ronan turned around and started walking away without saying a word. Marya, who had been standing still, called him out in frustration. This wasn’t the level where I stopped cumming, it was like trying to cum and the toilet exploded.
“···What are we going to do now?”
Instead of answering, Ronan raised his right hand.
“You have talent. However, the center of gravity was slightly shifted to the right.”
The tone of voice was as if he had leftover change. It was a car trying to tell me what nonsense I was talking about.
Cheer up.
Something fell at Marya’s feet. Two severed sword bodies were rolling around at his feet.
