Genius Wizard Hides His Sword Skills [EN]: Chapter 10

10. Liu’s Test (2)

“What?”

Large eyes looked up at me, brimming with tears. Eriel’s eyes were filled with tears. How frustrated and wronged this young one must be to act like this.

“I’ll help you get your revenge.”

In a fleeting moment, her eyes shifted, displaying a kaleidoscope of emotions: anger, doubt, and hope all swirled within them.

“What do you know?”

But the last emotion reflected was resignation. The tears that had welled up vanished as if they had never been there.

“What is it?”

“You don’t know anything. Being born a Delema [a member of a privileged family], you wouldn’t understand how unfair the world is. Don’t give me your pathetic sympathy and go your own way.”

*That* I don’t know anything… That word made one side of my chest feel hot. I knew best about the sting of discrimination for not being born into a good family. More than anyone else.

“You’re the one talking nonsense.”

“What?”

“You may not be *a* Delema, but you were born into a pretty good environment.”

“What does that…”

“In the end, aren’t you living a privileged life compared to commoners?”

“What?”

“Have you ever woken up in the morning wondering how to fill your stomach that day? Or have you ever spent a cold winter night shivering on the streets?”

For commoners, especially children who lost their parents at a young age, the world was brutally harsh. That was me in my previous life.

“The outside is a living hell. Don’t talk about unfairness when you’re a hothouse flower. You still grew up being treated well in your family and even came to the Delema Academy like this.”

I had to swallow the words ‘How many people aren’t even given this opportunity.’

[Aren’t you being too harsh?]

Oberon stopped me, who was getting agitated.

‘Hoo. I guess so. She’s just an eleven-year-old kid.’

She was a strange child. To stir up my emotions, who had experienced all sorts of hardships. Her mature appearance, unlike her young age, must have been what stimulated me.

“Then you don’t know *their* lives either!”

Eriel suddenly shouted. Because of that, I almost blurted out that it was all my experience.

“Whether it’s my experience or not, it doesn’t matter; it’s just the truth. If you *were* born a Delema, would you blame not being born into the Imperial Family? Don’t compare yourself to others’ circumstances and find a way to make better use of your talents.”

What helpful advice this is. It was the Sword Emperor [a legendary figure known for their mastery of the sword], who had achieved the realm of a 9-star knight, even though he was a commoner, giving this advice. Of course, she wouldn’t know that.

Before I knew it, Eriel was staring blankly at me. She seemed quite shocked by my relentless attack.

“Anyway. You could have beaten McDuff, but you held back, right? Because that guy brought up Delema.”

Eriel nodded silently.

“If McDuff does that again, fight him properly. I’ll stop him from harming your family.”

“…Really?”

A suspicious look. Could I really stop him?

“Yeah. Are you ignoring me? I’m a Delema too.”

Even so, Eriel couldn’t readily take my hand.

“But, why are you helping me?”

“I told you. It’s because I realized something thanks to you. Just think of it as a reward for that. And my help isn’t free.”

Eriel makes a face that says, ‘Of course.’

“What’s the price?”

“Give me all the mana stones you find, so I can be number one.”

“Mana stones?”

“Yeah. I have a use for them. I’ll use them for one day, and then I’ll distribute them fairly to your team members and our team members.”

It wasn’t a bad condition for Eriel either. It’s not like I was taking them away completely, and I was giving them back.

In the end, Eriel nodded. A strange smile bloomed on the face of the girl who took my hand and got up from her seat.

‘McDuff’s expression will be worth seeing.’

I was curious about the expression of Eriel, who had always been bullied, getting back at him.

[But what enlightenment did you get from her?]

‘Ah. It’s nothing much. Eriel found the mana stones using water.’

[She did.]

‘But that wasn’t a standardized magic. She just applied the element she was comfortable with.’

The girl who controlled the water stream to pick up the mana stones. She looked as comfortable as if she were finding them with her own hands.

‘I was too stuck in a frame. From the beginning, I was trying to use magic, so nothing worked.’

[Well, that could be the case. After all, you have the experience of the Sword Emperor.]

As a knight, I had faced thousands of magicians, and they all used specific and refined magic. After experiencing such high-level magic, those images were etched in my mind.

‘I can’t even crawl, but I can’t run.’

I had only just felt mana, so there was no way I could use the magic in my head.

‘I need to practice creating elements from scratch again.’

McDuff’s flame, Eriel’s water.

They all manifested it in a way that their bodies were familiar with, not trying to use a specific magic.

[Well, I don’t know much about magic either. By the way, how are you going to stop the brat? You can’t stop him from telling his mother.]

‘Oberon. Even if I don’t have much influence in the family, can’t I beat an eleven-year-old with political maneuvering?’

It was time to show the young brat the experience of a life senior who had gone through all sorts of hardships.

* * *

As expected, McDuff’s actions were predictable. As expected, he touched the mana stone that Eriel had found again.

“Oh! There’s another mana stone floating on the water here?”

Perhaps because he thought he had suppressed Eriel once, he was even more confident this time. He picked up the mana stone on the water stream as if it were natural.

[That kid only picks bad things to do.]

‘We need to make him come to his senses when he’s still a young sprout.’

As I said, this time Eriel didn’t hold back.

“Give it back when I’m asking nicely.”

“Nicely? What are you going to do if I *don’t* say it nicely?”

McDuff approached Eriel without hesitation. Flames were rising in his hand.

“Didn’t you learn your lesson from being hit earlier? Should I burn your hair or something?”

But this time, Eriel’s eyes didn’t waver either.

Whoosh!

Water droplets began to gather in front of Eriel’s body.

“How dare you, what are you doing… Huh?”

McDuff, who was approaching Eriel, stopped. What was reflected in the eyes of the flustered guy.

‘He’s crazy.’

It was a water ball.

‘Has Eriel become a 2-star mage too?’

The manifestation of a clear 2-star magic. The condensed water droplets were forming a sphere in front of Eriel.

“You should come to your senses. Don’t act up relying only on your family when you don’t even have talent.”

When Eriel waved her hand, the water ball shot out quickly.

Whoosh!

Although the size was only about the size of a fist, the power would not be insignificant.

“Eek!”

McDuff hurriedly raised both hands.

But the weak flame in his hand was not enough to block the water ball. The water ball that extinguished the flame in an instant hits McDuff’s cheek.

Splash!

As if to avenge being hit on the cheek earlier, the water ball burst in all directions.

[Oh my, that must hurt!]

With that, the guy who floated in the air was stopped only after rolling once on the floor.

“Y-You…! You crazy girl!”

McDuff shouted with a vengeance and raised his head.

“How dare you touch a Delema!”

He got up from his seat as if he was about to rush in. What was reflected in McDuff’s gaze was not Eriel.

“What are you guys doing right now?”

Alloy, who had appeared before he knew it, was blocking the two people. Drew, who was seen behind him, winks one eye.

‘Nice timing.’

I had Drew call Alloy in advance.

“Aren’t you guys ignoring the instructor too much?”

Even Alloy’s always playful expression was exuding a chill this time.

‘Wow, is that really a 5-star mage?’

[I know. Why is the energy of a mage so sharp?]

It was not a force that eleven-year-old children could handle. Even McDuff, who was shouting, couldn’t say anything.

Alloy took a deep breath and shook his head.

“Hoo. How dare you fight during class. You both get 5 penalty points each.”

“5 points!”

McDuff was about to babble something, but a cold aura emanated from Alloy’s body again. He had no choice but to shut his mouth.

‘Is his penalty score 9 points now?’

The guy, who was always causing trouble, had accumulated 4 penalty points so far.

That means.

‘If he gets one more point, he’ll be forced to leave school.’

It was the Delema Academy’s penalty point system. People who accumulate 10 penalty points have to pack their bags.

“Today’s class is over.”

Alloy hurriedly gathered the children. He ranked them with the mana stones collected so far.

“Ian is in first place again.”

Since I received Eriel’s mana stone, it was easy for me to take first place. Somehow, after entering the academy, I was unintentionally always taking first place.

“Ian! Here!”

Drew, who had collected the mana stones from the other children, had already arrived. He received all the mana stones as a reward for the first-place team.

‘It’ll be about 20.’

[But why did you collect this? Isn’t this necessary when practicing feeling mana? Other kids need it, but you don’t need it anymore.]

‘There’s a use for everything.’

As I held the mana stone in my arms.

“Ian.”

Eriel approached.

“Good job. I told you in advance that you would get penalty points, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t care about that. I’ve never received penalty points anyway. More than that, I really wanted to hit that guy once.”

Eriel had no problem with her usual behavior, so she was in a different position from McDuff. She wouldn’t get any penalty points in the future either.

“You were great. You’re already using Water Ball.”

Even with the compliment, Eriel’s expression was full of worry.

“More than that, you have to keep your promise to prevent McDuff from harming our family.”

“Of course. I always keep my promises.”

There was no revenge that McDuff could do directly yet. After all, he was just an eleven-year-old child. The only possible scenario was to tell Helena.

‘I can’t tell her right away.’

But today is the day I meet Liu. He wouldn’t be able to go to Helena right away.

* * *

Liu, who I met at night, didn’t seem to care much about McDuff’s injured face.

“Puhahat! Why is your eye black and blue?”

Rather, he was teasing him as if it was fun. But there was a moment when his expression hardened.

“I was hit by a classmate. With magic.”

It was after he heard those words from me.

“…You were hit by a classmate?”

McDuff became arrogant again at that sight.

“Yes, Uncle! Go and punish him right away! He dared to hit a Delema!”

As expected, he was trying to take revenge through Helena. Liu just shook his hand as if he had a headache.