Chapter: 23
The principal once again let his gaze sweep over my entire body.
Even now, he seemed uncertain.
He tilted his head slightly.
“How did I get caught?”
[Mental EX Rank calms the agitation.]
Wasn’t the principal’s “Dragon’s Eye” specialized only in seeing mana and magic?
It shouldn’t be possible to gauge a person’s physical development.
Then what exactly was he looking at to make a judgment instead of a test?
“Wait, is this right?”
After scrutinizing my forearms, legs, and chest, the principal suddenly changed his tone.
“I don’t know. Some parts look like a swordsman, some parts don’t. Hmm… what is it?”
He stroked his chin and stared at me intently for about ten seconds.
“…Ah, forget it. I don’t know.”
He declared defeat.
“Since Lionel confirmed it, it must be correct.”
The principal smiled gently at me.
I wanted to ask:
What exactly made you think I wasn’t a swordsman?
But I couldn’t actually ask.
If I ask, the conversation might drag on, and I’d be the one in trouble.
The principal might even say, “If you’re so curious, should I examine you properly?”
Better not to poke at it.
“Yes, understood.”
All I could do was nod, grateful that he had dropped his doubt.
“Then go rest. You must be exhausted.”
“Yes. I will.”
I stood up and walked out of the principal’s office.
[Mental EX Rank calms the agitation.]
My steps outside were quick.
In case he said anything else, I needed to leave as fast as possible.
“Ah, right. I almost forgot. Wait a moment.”
The principal stopped me.
My heart thumped.
[Mental EX Rank calms the anxiety.]
…Why is he stopping me?
Could it be that he discovered more evidence that I’m not a swordsman and wants to question me about it?
[Mental EX Rank calms the agitation.]
“Do you have something more to say?”
“Yes. I do. Something very important.”
His eyes were serious.
It really was a continuation of the earlier topic.
…Damn it.
I waited nervously for his next words.
“Your room. It’s destroyed. Are you planning to sleep there tonight?”
But surprisingly, the principal’s words weren’t doubting me at all.
“…Excuse me?”
“Don’t you remember your room?”
“Oh.”
My brain froze for a moment. This wasn’t a continuation of the “might not be a swordsman” comment.
Tension melted away as my muscles relaxed.
“I remember. You broke the wall, Principal…”
“Yes. It’s a mess.”
He opened a drawer, pulled out a key, and tossed it to me.
“Until your room is repaired, use that room.”
The key flew in a perfect arc and landed in my palm.
It looked incredibly luxurious—not like a regular dormitory key.
“Which room is this?”
“The key says Dong and Lake.”
“Oh.”
I examined the key.
It was labeled Garum Hall, Room 105.
“…Garum Hall?”
Of course, I knew the place.
“You seem to know where Garum Hall is.”
“…Yes. I do.”
This dormitory is only for the top 10 students in each grade.
Not only are the rooms excellent, but the dining and training facilities are all top-notch—an elite student dormitory.
“So, I can use this room?”
“Of course. I allowed it. Why wouldn’t you?”
“True, but…”
Many elite students in this dorm have elitist or pureblood supremacist ideologies.
If an unverified student like me enters, they’d surely cause a fuss.
“It’s fine. You won’t stay there permanently. Only for 3–4 days while your room is repaired. They’ll understand.”
“Hmm…”
I didn’t think they would.
“I already informed the dorm supervisor. There won’t be an issue entering. Go ahead.”
“Yes, understood.”
Considering the elite students’ troublesome nature… there could be problems.
…but if the principal says so, I’ll comply.
If there’s a problem, I can just request another room later.
“Then I’ll go. Once again, thank you for today.”
“Sure, sure. Go on.”
The principal smiled and waved.
I left the office and headed toward Garum Hall.
After I left the principal’s office, he stared out the window at my back, lost in thought.
“No matter how I look at it, the mana isn’t that of a swordsman…”
The reason he said earlier that I didn’t seem like a swordsman was this.
Heneta, as a dragon, can sense the mana hidden deep inside a person’s body.
When he checked the mana dormant inside me, it lacked the solid feel typical of a swordsman.
“The veins weren’t like a swordsman’s either.”
During the process of disabling the “Life-threatening Countdown” planted by Reaper, he checked the mana veins in my body.
The veins were unusually weak for someone trained in swordsmanship.
So naturally, he was convinced I was a mage.
“Already a somewhat accomplished genius swordsman…”
When he first heard my name, Jian Bellomata, he was truly shocked.
“But judging by the well-built body… maybe I am a swordsman…”
Heneta changed his mind because my physical conditioning was impressive.
Being unfamiliar with the human body, he couldn’t be 100% certain, but the body was clearly well-trained.
The skeletal structure was the best I’ve ever seen.
Even Lionel’s skeleton wasn’t this good.
Judging by the body alone, it wasn’t impossible to see me as a fully formed swordsman.
“I don’t understand.”
Mana says I’m not a swordsman, but the body says I am.
It’s impossible to judge.
“Anyway, since Lionel verified my skills, I must be a swordsman at least in a completed stage…”
Lionel’s judgment is trustworthy.
“But if he’s correct, then the unusual mana veins must be a congenital issue.”
Heneta has lived over 6,000 years as a dragon and has seen countless geniuses.
“Then it must be a Jilmaek?”
A Jilmaek is a congenital defect in mana veins—problems with the veins themselves or moving mana.
The more talented the individual, the higher the chance of a Jilmaek.
The abnormality in my body likely comes from this.
Tsk. That means a short lifespan…
Geniuses born with a Jilmaek usually die young.
Heneta’s expression turned very serious.
“I might need to call him later for a proper examination.”
He glanced around the room.
“Signs of being opened?”
He discovered traces of opening on the “painting,” the mechanism for the secret warehouse door.
Heneta hurriedly opened the warehouse and checked the secret safe inside.
“Damn it…!”
The safe was empty.
Leaving the principal’s office, I reflected on the words, “doesn’t look like a swordsman.”
Breathing fresh air calmed me, and my thoughts became clearer.
The principal must have judged my mana and thought I wasn’t a swordsman.
Though not certain, considering the “Dragon’s Eye,” it’s highly likely.
He changed his mind because my body looked well-trained and sturdy.
The Dragon’s Eye can see mana exceptionally, but not physical conditioning.
And as a dragon, the principal isn’t well-versed in human physiques.
So my flashy muscles might have looked like well-trained ones.
Hence, his conclusion: “I don’t know… Lionel’s word should be trusted.”
Mana says no, body says yes—so he deferred to Lionel, a top swordsman.
But for now, the principal now has some suspicion that I might not be a swordsman.
Respecting Lionel’s judgment for now, he suppressed his doubts, but the thought, “Jian’s mana doesn’t feel like a swordsman’s. Strange.” will linger.
If I show any un-swordsman-like behavior, that doubt will resurface.
He might think: Maybe Lionel was wrong. Maybe he’s not a swordsman.
Then he would want to verify my skills more rigorously.
And if it turns out I’m not a swordsman, that’s the end.
If I’m not a genius swordsman, my handling of the Death Knight case will be re-investigated.
Problems might arise with the Wyvern Hunt involving Princess Aris as well.
I’d earn a reputation as a liar and boastful fool.
My credibility at the academy would plummet.
If that happens, Zeiraon’s plans would be impossible to execute.
Then, the Reaper and other executives would become suspicious.
And if it escalates?
My life, gone.
I cannot get caught.
Being seen as a “complete genius swordsman” carries so many entanglements.
No matter what, this lie cannot be exposed.
What should I do?
How can I keep this lie from being discovered?
The best way is to become a real, complete swordsman…
Luckily, my body is like a crystallization of talent.
Using my gaming knowledge, I can train and grow insanely fast.
But the Ascendant’s growth system requires time. To reach the current public perception, at least half a year is needed.
Half a year to make the lie a truth.
How do I survive these six months?
I mulled over future scenarios and game knowledge to plan my next moves.
Am I here?
Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at Garum Hall.
I pressed the doorbell next to the firmly closed main gate.
A small beep sounded, and the lens next to the bell lit up.
Keying, kuuuuuu…
The gate opened with a loud noise.
The dorm supervisor must have checked my face and opened it immediately.
Still, I didn’t expect her to open it without a word.
That supervisor’s personality… normally, she’d make a fuss before opening.
Despite the principal’s orders, it wasn’t normal to accept a student so easily.
Did the principal threaten her not to act rashly?
I walked past the long garden unique to Garum Hall and entered the building.
“…”
As expected, the supervisor was at the entrance.
A woman in an outrageous outfit, not like a normal instructor.
Seria Guardian.
Did she just wake up? And still in a maid outfit? Does she sleep in that?
Whether due to bloodline supremacy or just her personality, she is famously rude.
Her rudeness makes her unpopular with some but popular with others because of the contrast with her maid outfit.
What kind of tirade will she start?
I rather like her. Initially very rude, but she improves over time.
I heard you’d come, but I didn’t expect it. Are you clueless, or did you abandon your dignity along the way?
That’s roughly what she’d say. I decided to listen casually and ignore her tone.
“Welcome.”
Seria bowed politely.
“I am Seria Guardian, practical instructor in charge of Garum Hall at Garum Academy.”
“…Huh?”
“Including me, all students of Garum Hall sincerely welcome Jian Bellomata.”
My mind went blank.
Welcome?
This rude supervisor wouldn’t normally say this on first meeting.
The principal must have given very strong instructions.
So now she was forced to pretend to be welcoming.
No doubt.
At that moment:
[Recognized as a member of Garum Academy, Garum Hall.]
Recognized?
A system message appeared. My eyes widened.
I had really been recognized as a member of Garum Hall?
“I will guide you to your room.”
Being recognized meant that Seria officially acknowledged me.
So when she welcomed me, she truly meant it?
Why? Why?
Wait. How did I get recognized? Being recognized as a member of Garum Hall means…
[Garum Hall Special Training Grounds unlocked. Training efficiency greatly increases when training there.]
Really?
The special training grounds have been unlocked at this time?
