A Peaceful Day?

The explanation about swords was more concise.

Obviously, there were other weapons, but I focused only on the sword and the spear.

The board stated that a sword must always be fully covered in aura.

It didn’t matter whether the blade was thin or thick. If it was a thrusting blade and the enemy had a solid defense, concentrating all your aura at the tip would not help at all.

The blade would simply break and become useless in combat.

With a thick blade, parts of the edge would lose their sharpness if it wasn’t completely imbued with aura, and it would also be unsuitable for thrusting.

A standard sword—the most commonly used by swordsmen—was completely versatile, and at the same time the very definition of a weapon that must be fully coated in aura.

Compared to a spear, sword strikes would be weaker if both opponents possessed the same amount of aura. However, the sword compensated with higher attack speed and defensive utility. Its ability to parry attacks was remarkable.

Basically, a bunch of boring stuff I already know.

Chulsin had once invented a different kind of sword. Nowadays, there were no blacksmiths capable of forging that blade anymore.

It had only one sharpened edge and a thin profile, yet it was incredibly agile, perfect for rapid strikes.

That blade was flawless.

Just imagining channeling aura only along the cutting edge, imbuing the dragons there, and attacking at terrifying speeds made me feel dizzy with excitement.

I sighed.

“We’re done for today. Tomorrow will be practical class.”

Rèn began packing her belongings into her bag. Her clothes were clean and accentuated her sensuality—she hardly looked like a veteran swordswoman.

Truthfully, her muscles were less developed than some of the students’. Her training must have been different. There were many ways to increase strength.

Not all of them required muscles to stretch and grow; some merely toned them while maintaining a lean shape.

“Assir, want to grab something to eat together?”

Luiz approached me as he spoke.

“Shall we go to the café, then?”

The cafeteria was one of the best parts of the academy.

Sunlight filtered through, casting shadows between the trees and buildings.

The café was simple yet refined.

Glass walls—an expensive and enviable invention.

Glass itself wasn’t costly, but producing large glass windows required enormous investment.

Whoever invented it was clearly a genius and somehow managed to make it practical.

Remembering the story of the market hero, I caught myself wondering if I could ever become someone like that.

We entered the café.

There, I saw two beauties seated at a table meant for four. Luiz walked over and sat beside one of them. There was an empty chair next to the other, directly across from Luiz.

Was this a double date? Since when was this decided?

The chair I took was beside the aisle, while the girl next to me sat close to the glass wall.

A vase of flowers rested at the center of the table.

The girl’s eyes were like small rubies, and her hair resembled a pool of blood.

It was intensely red.

Those eyes weren’t cursed like my sister’s. Considering her hair had a dark crimson tone, like blood, it was likely part of her lineage.

She tried to hide her face behind the menu.

Luiz gave me a thumbs-up.

What the hell is he thinking?

The menu had many options, but I wanted something simple.

“A bitter coffee and a carrot cake with chocolate.”

I spoke at the same time as the girl.

Our eyes met, and the waiter who had approached us stared as if he had understood something.

Don’t make that face.

Even someone as clueless as me could understand the misunderstanding.

“I don’t even know her name.”

“Hyeol.”

I saw the waiter give a thumbs-up.

What the hell?

It felt like I had somehow used the situation to get her name.

The waiter left with our order, along with Luiz’s and the girl beside him.

“I’m Luiz, one of the best first-year cadets—and of course, a natural imitator. And this guy here is the best first-year cadet.”

He pointed at me.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Assir.”

The girl beside Luiz glanced at me.

Her eyes were black and cold.

Honestly, they were similar to mine. We could probably get along. I didn’t remember her from my past life either, so she must not have harmed me before.

She wore a hood and pulled it back, revealing hair as dark blue as the deep sea.

It felt as if waves brushed against my skin.

The scent of her hair filled my senses—white rose perfume.

Sometimes, I was grateful to Chulsin for his inventions.

Her hair fell over her shoulders and down to her chest.

“Nice to meet you, Assir. I’m Sirius, from Magic Class M, and one of the top-ranked as well.”

Huge.

“Hey, wake up.” Luiz waved his hands in front of me. Sirius let out a small laugh.

Luiz leaned closer and whispered.

“Hey Assir… you’re not in love with Sirius, are you?”

Pfft.

Sirius, who clearly overheard him, started laughing.

“I can’t believe you still believe in love at first sight, Luiz,” she said, barely holding back her laughter.

Luiz’s cheeks turned slightly red.

I frowned, realizing something.

He’s in love with her.

“But it is strange. He hasn’t taken his eyes off me.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I was just analyzing your aura. You seem capable of maintaining a constant flow throughout your body, so I was trying to gauge how much you have.”

“Oh, so that’s it. I thought you were staring at my chest. Guess I was wrong. As a swordswoman, I’m a bit disappointed in myself—if that were an enemy attack, I wouldn’t even know where he was aiming.”

That’s actually exactly what I was looking at… let’s omit that fact.

The waiter placed a large carrot cake on the table.

It was strange. Only Hyeol and I had ordered cake, yet he brought one large enough for four people, with leftovers to spare.

“We ordered too,” Sirius said, brushing her hair back. “I’ve always liked lighter foods. Carrot cake is nice sometimes.”

She picked up a knife and began cutting slices.

The waiter returned with the coffee.

Hyeol leaned slightly toward me to take a slice of cake.

The smell of carrot made my mouth water, and the surrounding chatter gradually faded away.

This feeling—I thought I had forgotten it.

The aroma of the coffee was perfect.

I took a sip.

It was delicious.