The Wizard, But Also Skilled with a Sword…
Chapter – 18…
Pilancheva was training alone in the private sparring hall provided by Marquis Eastern.
He pushed himself to the limit, practicing swordsmanship and magic, mixing martial and magical techniques until both his stamina and mana were nearly depleted.
“Huff… huff…”
Even as he trained so hard that the taste of blood filled his mouth, Pilancheva did not stop.
He knew that understanding his own limits first was essential to making the right decisions and handling dangerous situations.
Although Pilancheva had the body of a child, his mind was that of someone close to 40 years old.
Of course, even for a 40-year-old, his social experience was limited to university and special military service, but during his time in Freedom, he had met countless people and gained a wide range of experiences.
Eventually, Pilancheva collapsed to the floor from exhaustion, unable to stand, and gasped for breath.
“Huff… huff…”
He lay there for a while, calming his wildly beating heart.
“No wonder people say making a mana circle in your heart can make it explode. This is exhausting.”
He muttered to himself.
“My limit now is being able to move at full power for about three hours, and after that, I could move for another two hours, but I wouldn’t have the strength to fight properly.”
Considering he was still young and physically weak, even that much time was impressive.
“When I hunted boss monsters alone in Freedom, I fought for up to three days straight. I need my body to endure that much, at least at maximum power.”
Lying on the floor, Pilancheva thought about what to focus on next in his training.
“In addition to what I’ve been training so far, I need practical combat training. I’ll ask the Marquis to let me spar with the knights every day.”
He believed that by sparring with various knights in different ways, he would grow considerably.
“Since it’s late today, I’ll train my mind technique one more time, then visit the Marquis tomorrow and make my request.”
It had already been more than a year since Pilancheva had arrived at Marquis Lawrence’s castle to train.
He always followed the plans he set for himself and rarely deviated from them.
Tap… tap… tap…
At Pilancheva’s request, Marquis Eastern arranged for him to spar with different knights every day. The knights initially underestimated the young boy, but as his skill grew daily, they began to take their matches with him seriously.
Sparring with Pilancheva every day became a sort of game among the knights, who would bet on who would be the first to lose to him.
Of course, if the knights fought at full strength, Pilancheva couldn’t win. But as they got used to him, they would slack off, make mistakes, and leave opportunities that he could exploit.
Pilancheva knew that the knights enjoyed these matches and their bets, but he didn’t mind. It allowed him to train in real combat and sharpen his instincts for battle, which was exactly what he wanted.
Thus, Pilancheva spent his days in skirmishes with trainees and his nights sparring with knights, living in a whirlwind of activity.
Time flew, and when Pilancheva turned 10, he had already spent three years at Marquis Lawrence’s castle.
Thanks to his training, he had grown tall and robust for his age, with broad shoulders and well-defined muscles that would impress even adults.
His handsome face added to his appeal, making him popular among the women working at the castle.
Whether he realized it or not, Pilancheva continued to grow steadily, focusing on his work without being swayed by his newfound popularity.
“Based on what we’ve observed, what do you think?”
Marquis Eastern asked the knight commander, Foren.
“I think he may have more talent as a knight than as a wizard. Pilancheva has trained and sparred with knights every single day without rest, steadily improving his skills,” Foren replied.
“Really?”
“Now, considering he’s only 10 years old, his perseverance, patience, and effort are remarkable.”
Marquis Eastern glanced at the head of the magic corps, Ollis, standing next to Foren.
“If Commander Foren sees it that way, Pilancheva may indeed have knightly talent, but his magical talent surpasses even prodigies. It’s the kind of talent one could call demonic.”
Marquis Eastern was surprised; he rarely heard Ollis praise anyone so highly.
“What made him impress you so much?”
“About a year ago, Pilancheva presented his first mana theory to you, the one he called his first principle, correct?”
“Yes. You also knew about that theory, didn’t you?”
“When I first heard it, I thought it was absurd,” Ollis admitted.
“Right, I remember you said it was too dangerous for a child to attempt.”
“But after careful consideration, I realized there might be no need to create a mana circle in the heart. Considering the effects on the heart, his theory wasn’t baseless at all.”
“So?”
“Do you know Hopkins, a former wizard in our corps who lost his mana circle due to mana reflux?”
“Yes, I know. It was unfortunate, but he is living at the main castle, conducting magical research since he can’t cast magic.”
“Exactly. Using Pilancheva’s diagram, Hopkins successfully created a mana circle in his kidneys.”
The room fell silent.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“But Commander, isn’t it said that once a mana circle is destroyed, a wizard can never make one again?”
“For most cases, yes. But Hopkins was able to do it with Pilancheva’s diagram, and we’ve witnessed him using first-circle spells. Making the mana circle in the kidneys also enhanced ice magic, while fire magic reached levels comparable to other elements. Everything worked exactly as Pilancheva predicted.”
Marquis Eastern was too shocked to speak.
“So, Pilancheva’s theory could allow a wizard who lost their mana circle to make one again and use magic?”
“Yes.”
“That strengthens House Iliya.”
Hearing Foren’s remark, Marquis Eastern nodded and asked Ollis,
“Have you tested this on others?”
“We did. But it seems it’s only possible with the help of Pilancheva’s diagram.”
“I see.”
“However, in experiments on candidates who haven’t yet created a mana circle, it is possible to form one in locations other than the heart. The downside is that it’s more difficult and requires a complicated process.”
“Every disadvantage has an advantage too, right?”
“Since there’s no strain on the heart, they can move while casting magic. But the power of fire magic is reduced, so we need to check the efficiency.”
In battle, powerful fire magic was critical, especially in large-scale battles, where it could demoralize enemies.
“Making it in the kidneys doesn’t mean fire magic can’t be used, right?”
“It won’t be as strong,” Ollis replied.
“You said ice magic is powerful?”
“Limited spells can be used. For area attacks, a caster must be at least fifth-circle; a fourth-circle using Ice Arrow is inefficient.”
Marquis Eastern fell silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Then he spoke:
“It would help wizards whose mana circles were destroyed by reflux.”
“Yes.”
“Pilancheva’s theory has surely reached House Iliya?”
“Probably.”
“Geniuses always think beyond what we imagine.”
He handed a thin book to Foren.
“This is the mana cultivation method sent by Elina from House Iliya.”
“For real?”
Foren took the book and skimmed its contents.
“Hm…”
“Interesting, isn’t it?”
“The theory suggests restructuring the body through mana cultivation to optimize the body for swordsmanship, then creating mana halls. It’s confusing because creating the body requires a mana hall first…”
“When Ollis first heard Pilancheva’s theory, he had the same reaction as you.”
“So, it’s possible?”
“I think it is. The diagrams show how to draw mana around oneself.”
“Yes, that’s how Pilancheva is doing it now.”
“The fact that both geniuses thought the same way shows it could work.”
Foren and Ollis recalled Elina and Pilancheva.
“However, for Elina, this cannot be applied to knights who already have mana halls. But it can be applied to those aspiring to become knights. We should try it according to the theory.”
“Understood. There are suitable candidates, so we can test it on them.”
“Suitable candidates?”
“The Crows.”
Hearing the name, Ollis flinched.
Although Marquis Eastern was respected by nobles and subjects alike, he occasionally handled secretive matters. To accomplish these, he needed a covert organization, which he called the Crows.
Many hereditary nobles maintained similar secret groups for such purposes.
“Teaching the Crows Elina’s mana cultivation method… interesting idea.”
“They’re rough people. Teaching them could be dangerous…”
Ollis protested.
“Don’t worry. If they wanted to, they could have stolen this method from other knights. They’re capable enough.”
Ollis agreed. The Crows were indeed a formidable organization, skilled at silently eliminating targets and vanishing without a trace.
“Foren will teach the Crows Elina’s method. Since Pilancheva’s theory succeeded, hers should work too.”
“I’ll ensure the results prove Elina’s theory is correct.”
“Do that. And Ollis, you and I will go to House Iliya.”
“To House Iliya?”
“You said it’s difficult without Pilancheva’s diagram, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to get that diagram. While we’re at it, we can tell Count Armand about Elina’s theory and learn Pilancheva’s methods ourselves. It benefits us too.”
“Understood. We’ll handle it that way.”
