Illusion Sword Master

＜ 427th Magic Research Club (1) ﹥

Sera Zephir, who wants to increase her influence in the department, couldn’t afford to be isolated from the other key figures.

“……Let’s do it that way.”

Sera accepted my proposal after a brief moment of consideration. Thanks to that, I was able to avoid the misunderstanding that I had taken Minka Admin away from her.

I, along with the Magic Department Troika, formed a study group and moved to the free research room.

The other students who didn’t pass the test were attending Professor Quora’s lecture, so the spacious room was empty.

An awkward atmosphere flowed between the four of us, who had occupied the space.

“Since we’ve formed a group, let’s decide on a name and a leader. Any group needs a process to function properly.”

Sera was the first to speak. Having joined unexpectedly, she wanted to take control of the situation.

“Miss Sera’s words are absolutely right.”

I chimed in.

To switch from the struggling 3rd Prince line to the thriving 1st Prince line, I needed to start currying favor with her from now on.

“What do the others think?”

Sera looked at the other two, her expression momentarily surprised.

“Whatever.”

Minka agreed reluctantly. She only cared about practical training and didn’t mind the formalities.

“Um… I agree too.”

Roem nodded with an enigmatic expression. He disliked Sera, but he was too sincere to forcefully oppose her.

“Good. I thought of the name ‘427th Magic Research Club’. Any objections?”

The name didn’t matter.

“It’s concise and clear, a great name. Miss Sera’s naming sense is truly exceptional.”

I flattered her again, and the other two followed suit. Her expression brightened.

“Next is the leader of this group… I think I’m the most suitable candidate.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Why not? You haven’t even given me a reason yet.”

Sera showed a sharp reaction to Roem’s opposition, which seemed to be expected.

“You can’t be trusted. You’ve forgotten your duty as a student and are only focused on factionalism. This gathering should be a place for pure exchange of knowledge and experience.”

“Then, what are you going to do? You’re a careless person who can’t even wear a shirt properly?”

“Ah?”

Sera pointed out that Roem had put his shirt on inside out. Roem realized it belatedly, but he had gotten used to such mistakes and didn’t think much of it.

“I’m not saying I’ll do it. I’m saying you’re not suitable.”

“Who do you think is suitable then?”

“Obviously, it’s Ethan. He’s a model student who doesn’t care about factions and focuses on his training, even doing righteous deeds during breaks.”

Sera snorted, turned her head, and glared at me.

No, this is getting out of hand.

“No, Roem. In my opinion, Sera seems to be very suitable for the president position. It’s better for someone with determination to do it. Isn’t that right?”

I intervened, trying to mediate between the two and appease Sera’s feelings.

But…

“Look, that’s why Ethan should be the president. He doesn’t have any vain ambitions.”

“Hmph. You’re just pretending to be a good person, trying to get your friend to do the dirty work, right?”

In the end, I got caught in the crossfire. To Sera, I seemed to be just like a mother-in-law who only knows how to nag.

“No, that’s not it…”

“Don’t talk nonsense about Ethan, you corrupt noble’s daughter who only cares about your own interests.”

Just as I was about to explain, Roem spoke coldly and approached Sera. It was a side of him I hadn’t seen in the past year.

Roem’s friendship felt more like resentment.

No, I’m fine, right?

“How dare you… insult our family? You’re just a country bumpkin from the east who pretends to be loyal?”

Sera didn’t back down, standing in front of Roem.

Their emotions were running high, with their families’ names being mentioned.

I tried to separate them, placing a hand on their shoulders.

Spark! A spark flew out.

The clash between the two genius mages, still inexperienced, was unlike a normal fight between young people.

Their emotions responded, and mana began to gather around them.

A purple current flowed around Sera, and cracks began to form on the ground around Roem.

In class, they were strictly controlled by the professors, but outside, they were like bombs that could kill dozens with just a thought.

“Stop! You’re going to kill each other?”

My shout seemed to fall on deaf ears, as they just stood there, frozen. The mana gathering around them only grew stronger.

“It’s messed up.”

Mentor said.

“Yeah, the situation is really messed up.”

“No, I mean the mana.”

I quickly understood what he meant.

Sera and Roem were simultaneously responding to a large amount of mana, and their mana was getting entangled in a chaotic form.

The two stood silently, focusing their minds to try and resolve the situation. But the more they did, the more their mana got entangled.

Their harmony was really messed up.

If this continued, one of them would get seriously hurt. If they were unlucky, both would.

I had learned about dealing with such situations in my first-year course.

‘When someone else with more precise mana control intervenes and untangles the knotted part, you need to quickly burn away the out-of-control mana before it goes wild.’

Professor Dars had clearly said that.

Menka was observing the situation with a scrunched-up face. Those idiots, she muttered under her breath.

“Can you handle that?”

I urgently asked Menka for help.

“No. I’m not confident in my mana control precision. If I mess up, I might end up burning them instead.”

“Damn it.”

Looking at how the situation was unfolding, it was clear that we didn’t have time to call the professor.

In the end, I had no choice but to step in again.

Luckily, mana control was my specialty, which I had honed through my training. I could clearly observe the point where their mana was tangled.

“I’ll untangle the mana knot. You take care of the scattered mana. Can you do that?”

“I can do it. Instead, let’s send them out and continue our training today. That’s why I came here anyway.”

“Alright, just help me out well.”

I carefully contained my mana with my sword drawn.

Sera and Roem were 30cm apart, with their mana tangled in a taiji pattern between them.

If either Menka or I failed, it would be a huge disaster.

‘Is there a concept like the Good Samaritan law in the imperial law?’

No, there wasn’t.

If I messed up, I would be responsible for the tragedy that would befall the two prestigious families. But if I just stood by and did nothing, the situation would still spiral out of control.

‘Damn it. Did I really have such bad luck?’

It was a ridiculous thought. From the moment I was transported to this world, I had been stuck in a series of unfortunate events.

‘Focus.’

I swallowed my dry saliva.

And, like a surgeon’s scalpel, I carefully and precisely cut through the tangled mana without hesitation.

Pabapabat! The mana contained in my sword clashed with theirs, producing a series of blue sparks.

The imperfect flow was broken, and the out-of-control mana scattered in all directions before gathering in one direction.

The massive amount of mana that had gathered around Menka, like a whirlwind, followed her hand movements and surged forward.

Whoosh!

In an instant, a massive flame pillar erupted, filling my vision before disappearing.

“What just happened?”

It was an overwhelming display of firepower that was hard to believe I had accomplished in an instant.

If not for the completely charred wall and the pungent smell that stung my nose, I would have doubted what I had seen.

“Is that it? Let’s quickly clean up and continue our training.”

Menka’s still gloomy tone made me realize what I had to do.

Roem and Sera were sitting on the spot, panting heavily. They seemed to be exhausted from overusing their mental power, but they weren’t injured.

“I’m sorry. Eidan, Menka. I showed you a pathetic sight. Losing control of my emotions like that, it’s unbecoming of a student.”

“It’s okay. At least no one got hurt, right? We learned a lesson from today’s incident, so it’s not a total loss.”

“Eidan…”

I consoled Roem, who was apologizing in a gloomy tone. Thanks to that, we had a big commotion, but there was no point in dwelling on it.

I recalled the five silver coins I borrowed from Roem before the semester break. I still haven’t paid him back, and I probably never will.

“Mi… Mi…”

Unlike Roem, Sera, with her noble pride, couldn’t easily apologize, her face reflecting a mix of shame and reluctance.

“You crazy…! You almost got us killed! You should’ve called the professor right away!”

“!!!”

Roem was shocked by Sera’s reaction. I quickly intervened before he could say anything.

It’s okay. Sera was already crazy in my eyes. Having experienced a long military life, I know that dealing with crazy people requires a different approach.

From the start, she didn’t need to be normal. As long as she played her role as my savior in this precarious future, that’s all that mattered.

For the sake of future peace, I could let go of my current anger and put on a bright smile.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Sera.”

“Ah, anyway. I also made a mistake today, so I won’t press charges.”

Good grief. Despite her nonchalant tone, her flushed face revealed her embarrassment.

“Has the chairman been decided?”

Mentor, who was standing at a distance, spoke up. Although he didn’t specify anyone, everyone instinctively looked at Sera.

“Uh… Yes, that’s right. The chairman of the 427th Magic Research Association is Ethan. You’ll be in charge.”

No. I didn’t want to do it, but…

“I’ll take on this excessive responsibility for now. I’ll return it to you when Sera is ready.”

However, refusing here would only prolong the issue, so I had no choice but to take on this unwanted role.

As the study group leader, my first words were these.

“Roem and Sera need to calm down, so let’s head back and rest for today.”

This study group was already a mess from day one.

I wanted to quickly return to my dorm bed.

To prevent Roem and Sera from starting a second round, I created a time gap and sent them off first, leaving only Mentor and me behind.

“Phew. A promise is a promise. So, how can I help you?”

We had just made a promise to train together.

“Easy. I’ll use every means to attack you. You can do the same to me.”

“Wait… Isn’t that more like a duel than training?”

“A duel is fine too. I just want to test my magic without limits. During classes, I had to hold back due to the professors.”

Whoa. Mentor’s expressionless face gazed back at me, her flames burning behind her.

‘I’m doomed.’

I belatedly regretted my decision.

I had tangled with someone who radiated an aura of ‘don’t mess with me,’ and now this was happening.

＜ End of 427th Magic Research Association (1) ﹥