Genius Wizard Hides His Sword Skills [EN]: Chapter 16

Let’s Go to the Magic Tower

“The graduation ceremony will be held in a week, so everyone please return.”

With Aloy’s words, the graduation examination ended. I was heading back to the dormitory with Drew and Ariel.

“…So, Ariel can’t graduate?”

Drew cautiously broached the subject. However, Ariel didn’t seem too sad.

“Don’t worry. It’s just that my skills are inferior to Ian’s.”

He was trying to comfort us instead.

“Ian, go to the Magic Tower first and secure a spot. I’ll catch up as soon as I can.”

I couldn’t help but feel more concerned by his calm demeanor.

‘He’s like an old man…’

[It’s a shame about his talent.]

It was an unfortunate result since he couldn’t graduate because he had to face me.

[But it’s much better for geniuses like him to stumble when they’re young.]

That was true. Rather than always being on a winning streak, experiencing a setback would be greater for his growth.

Such experiences are better when they’re young. I just hoped that this incident would be a good stimulus for him.

“Ian.”

At the sound of the voice from the side, all three of us turned our heads.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

It was Liu.

‘What’s going on?’

Since there was no lesson today, I was wondering what was happening.

“Ah, ah, hello!”

Drew quickly bowed his head towards him. He noticed Delemah’s presence from the red eyes. Liu stroked the boy’s head.

“You don’t have to be so scared. I’m just here as Ian’s uncle.”

“Ah, yes! Hello!”

“Yes, it’s nice to see you too. Sorry, but can I take Ian for a moment?”

Unlike Drew, who had a bright smile, my mind was complicated.

‘Could it be that he found out about Laxon?’

[Maybe.]

Liu tilted his head.

“Ian. You have an unusual expression, not like you. Did you see someone you shouldn’t have?”

“…No. That’s impossible.”

I had no choice but to follow Liu.

“Drew, Ariel. Go on ahead. I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay! Take your time!”

Liu headed to the back of the auditorium where he always held his lessons.

“Oh… you came?”

McDuff was already there.

‘It seems like it’s not related to Laxon.’

It was the first time I was glad to see him.

[If it were, he wouldn’t have called Show-off either.]

McDuff, who waved his hand at me awkwardly, turned his head towards Liu.

“Uncle, there’s no lesson today. Why did you call us?”

“I saw your graduation exams. I heard you both passed? It’ll be hard to see you for a while once you leave for the Magic Tower, so I came to say goodbye.”

As he reached into his pocket, McDuff shouted.

“Uncle! Don’t tell me you’re giving us homework until the very end?”

Because he always took out assignments to be solved from his pocket at times like this. His reaction was only natural.

“You rascal. You must have hated it a lot. This isn’t homework, it’s a gift.”

However, what Liu handed us was a small ring.

“It’s an artifact I made myself. Of course, it’s enchanted too.”

He personally put the rings on our little fingers.

“What kind of magic is it?”

“It’s something you’ll definitely need. If you inject mana into it, you can change the color of your eyes. There will definitely be times when you want to hide your red eyes when you go outside.”

A smile naturally spread across my face.

‘Have you ever seen such a kind uncle?’

It was a very useful function, especially for me. I couldn’t train with a sword with red eyes.

[Somehow, your uncles seem to be more interested than I thought.]

‘I know. They seem to care a lot more than they appear to.’

Whether it was Liu or Laxon. I didn’t know their intentions, but they seemed to be paying a lot of attention.

[Are you going to get caught up in the family’s political struggles soon?]

‘Hey, come on, we’re still young kids. Would they even care about that yet?’

I hated that kind of situation. I didn’t know how to do that kind of thing either. To me, Delemah was just a place to stay until I became strong enough.

* * *

The next day, at dawn.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I headed to the warehouse in the corner of the academy. I was on my way to the library, thanks to the saying ‘Graduation exam passers are exempt from classes.’

[Surely Laxon won’t come again, will he?]

‘He said he’d let me off if I passed the test.’

There were no classes. It was an opportunity to be in the library all day.

‘I’ll be able to transcribe the remaining books until graduation.’

Fortunately, Liu’s space movement magic was still maintained, and Laxon was not there. I roamed the now familiar space and transcribed.

‘I should take another look to see if there are any useful elemental theories.’

It was true that they seemed less valuable compared to the family’s secret arts.

However, like Kane Gurf’s ‘Applied magic combining brain and numbers,’ there might be books that would be of great help in actual combat. It contained tremendous power that even I was impressed by.

‘Oh. There’s content like this too.’

There were many things that seemed insignificant when I saw them before, but looked new when I saw them again.

‘I guess I can use magic now.’

I was engrossed in copying books.

[It’s about time to go.]

Oberon was urging me with a sulky expression.

‘Is it already that time?’

[You have to go train with your sword soon.]

‘Okay. Okay.’

Because of him, who was sticking his head over the book.

Thump!

I had no choice but to put the book I was looking at away.

‘Let’s go. Drew will be waiting too.’

Only then did Oberon smile satisfactorily.

Inside the dormitory, Drew was breathing heavily as always.

“Hah… Hah… You came?”

It was because the intensity of the training had been increased according to his training progress. I stood next to Drew and did sit-ups together.

‘The gathered aura is probably about 3 stars now.’

[Wow. To start feeling the aura and reach 3 stars in 3 years… Your old skills are still there.]

Oberon nodded in satisfaction and turned his gaze towards Drew.

[But what does this guy eat to get so big?]

Drew’s body had become quite sturdy. I didn’t know how much he was eating, but his muscles had grown quite a bit even though his fat remained the same.

‘Now that we’re going to the Magic Tower, I should slowly teach him the Aura Cultivation Technique.’

[That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while. Now, Sturdy will unknowingly walk the path of a swordsman!]

Oberon’s wicked smile was directed at Drew.

“Huff! Huff!”

Drew was concentrating on his training, unaware of his fate.

* * *

A week later, the graduation ceremony went smoothly. The graduation exam had already been completed, and it was just a formality. If there was anything particularly unusual.

“Congratulations, Ian. You’re also graduating at the top of your class.”

It was that I went up on the podium as the representative of the graduates and received praise from Aloy.

“Ian! What’s going on!”

Titania greeted me excitedly when I returned home.

“To go to the Magic Tower at 15. That’s amazing!”

“I was just lucky.”

Then the nanny next to her made even more of a fuss.

“Lucky! Young master. I heard that you have never missed first place from admission to graduation?”

I don’t know where she heard that from. Even though the Delemah family was large, the rumors spread faster than I thought.

“For the young master to have grown up so much already. It feels like just yesterday that I was changing your diapers…”

The nanny was teary-eyed, as if she was moved.

‘Why say unnecessary things?’

[Kyahaha! Keuhak!]

Thanks to the nanny’s unnecessary words, only Oberon’s strange laughter was echoing in my ears.

Even in this situation, Titania’s face was tearful.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your face, but we have to part ways again already.”

“That’s how it is.”

“You have to go in just a week, right?”

Because the Magic Tower’s entrance ceremony was soon. It wasn’t a coincidence. The graduation date of Delemah Academy was set according to the Magic Tower’s annual entrance ceremony schedule.

“Yes. I’m sad too.”

It was just lip service, but Titania’s eyes sparkled.

“Then, do you have any thoughts of postponing it for a year?”

Of course, that would never happen.

[What is this woman daring to say!]

Even if Oberon wasn’t going crazy, I wanted to get out of Delemah too.

‘I have to swing my sword as much as I want outside.’

I always trained in secret, so I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“No. I want to go out and experience the wide world as soon as possible. And I can see you again during the Magic Tower’s vacation.”

Titania showed a brief sad expression, but soon hid her emotions.

“Yes. The more experience, the better.”

Then Titania hugged me tightly.

“Ian. Don’t ever be discouraged outside. Even if someone says you’re cursed, you’re my proudest son.”

Her love was always overwhelming. So much so that I wondered if I, with Adonis’s spirit, deserved to receive it.

Perhaps that’s why I didn’t want to pull away this time.

“This is no time to be doing this!”

It was the nanny’s fuss that broke that sentiment.

“There’s only a week left, so I’ll quickly prepare a delicious meal! Look forward to a feast every day!”

She ran straight to the kitchen.

* * *

The day of heading to the Magic Tower.

[I think you’ve gained about 5 kilos [11 lbs]?]

‘Hoo. My stomach is still bloated.’

It was because I had been subjected to a week of food torture. I was leaving the house after eating a table full of food until the very end.

“Ian. Are you sure that’s all you need?”

Titania looked worriedly at my back.

“Yes. This is fine.”

Because there was only one bundle on my back.

‘This is enough.’

The books I had transcribed from the Delemah library. I had carefully selected only the most important ones.

“Young master. Take this with you. You need to eat while you’re traveling.”

The nanny handed me a bundle of food.

‘After feeding me so much, you’re giving me more!’

I instinctively pulled my hand back, but the nanny’s speed was even faster.

‘Why are you so fast when giving food?’

At that moment, she seemed like a skilled martial artist, so I had no choice but to accept the bundle.

“Oh, right! Look at my mind. I baked more cookies too! I’ll bring them to you right away!”

There was a glimmer of hope for me.

“Ian!”

It was Drew who had returned to Delemah’s territory after a week. We had promised to move to the Magic Tower together.

“Oh! Drew, you came? Let’s go quickly!”

I hurriedly put my arm around him and bowed my head.

“Then I’ll be back!”

Before the nanny went into the house to get the cookies, I hurriedly moved my feet.

“N, nice to meet you! Ah, goodbye!”

Drew, who didn’t know what was going on, could only follow along in a daze.

[Why? You said the food your nanny makes is delicious.]

‘There’s a limit to how delicious it can be. This is too much.’

The nanny’s voice, ‘Young master! Take the cookies!’ seemed to echo behind us, but it must have been an illusion.

‘Haa. I was so hungry in my past life, but this time I’m afraid of eating.’

Shaking my head, we headed to the portal management office in the territory.

[The most useful thing wizards have done.]

It was a large magic that wizards had implemented over several generations because they couldn’t travel the vast continent on foot.

“Oh! Where are you going, young master?”

The unknown manager bows his head. He recognized the red eyes.

“I’m going to Ias in the northern part of the continent.”

“Ah, you’re going to the Magic Tower!”

The reason why Oberon and I wanted to leave Delemah and go to the Magic Tower was not just sword training.

Ias.

A port city in the northern part of the continent, and the location of the Empire’s Magic Tower.

[Finally going.]

It was an unfamiliar city name to me, but the old name of the city of Ias that I heard from Oberon was Sheraton.

‘I have to go. I’m going to see if my babies are doing well.’

That was the place I used as my base when I was active as Adonis a thousand years ago.