WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Oblivious

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Weakest Knight Became a Swordmaster, But Only in Dungeons ◈

Chapter 45: Second Semester

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─ Master, I hope you have been well. This is Ron Hazely.

I sincerely and deeply thank you for the kindness you showed your unworthy squire at the eastern border last time.

I have always considered it an honor to serve you.

I will now submit my growth report...

Birds chirped outside the window.

Daylight shone upon hair as white as snow. Fox ears perked up above it.

Lucia Silverbane sat in her chair with her eyes gently closed.

Her white fox tail, extending beneath the back of the chair, slowly swayed from side to side.

"...That concludes Ron Hazely's growth report."

After reading the contents of Ron Hazely's letter, the short-haired secretary concluded her report.

"My squire has already reached Third Tier."

"Yes."

"How admirable."

Lucia smiled faintly.

Ron had originally intended to submit his growth report as soon as he arrived at the knight school. However, Violet had immediately returned to school, so he changed his plans.

He decided to report once changes occurred while he was learning magic from Violet.

As a result, Ron was able to tell Lucia that he had entered Third Tier.

"What is my squire's handwriting like? Could you describe it in detail?"

"...?"

The secretary was puzzled.

'His handwriting?'

Why ask about his handwriting? It did not seem as though Lucia doubted Ron had sent the letter...

Of course, the secretary knew Lucia took a great interest in Ron. His swordsmanship was extraordinary, after all.

But asking about his handwriting was a different kind of interest, was it not?

Still, the secretary's doubts lasted only a moment. They decided not to think too deeply about it.

"To be honest... it isn't pretty, but I can see that he tried to form every letter neatly and beautifully."

"I see. How cute."

"...Pardon?"

This time, even the secretary, who always maintained a poker face, could not hide her surprise.

It was enough to make her wonder whether she had misheard.

Meanwhile, Lucia merely wore a pleased smile.

Lucia did not hold any particular personal interest in anyone. Was Ron the sole exception?

Naturally, the reason could not be something trivial. The secretary did not try to pry into it.

Knock, knock.

A knock suddenly rang out at the commander's office door.

A dignified voice followed from outside.

"Commander, it is time for you to attend the meeting."

"Yes, let's go."

Lucia rose from her seat and left with her secretary.

They arrived at a luxurious conference room. An elegant round table stood at its center.

The meeting was attended by the five commanders of the Imperial Five Wings, several of the Imperial Family's highest-ranking knights, and a delegation from the Holy Nation.

Lucia sat in a chair embedded with silver-white swords.

After calling attendance, an elderly Imperial Guard knight spoke.

"We shall begin the meeting. We must discuss how the Empire of the Great Griffin and the Holy Nation, which must accept a Swordmaster's oath, should receive this unknown new Swordmaster."

The round table meeting began.

* * *

"The significance of a Word Command lies in giving magic concrete form."

Violet, who had somehow acquired a pair of black glasses, adjusted them once. I casually called her Teacher Violet in my head.

In a secluded part of the knight school, Violet stood before me as I sat on a bench and continued her explanation.

With her arms crossed beneath her generous chest, Violet raised one hand and extended an index finger.

Violet often took that pose whenever she taught magic. It was rather cute, so I did not point it out.

"You must first clearly imagine what form your unique aura magic will take and how you will handle it."

"Oh."

"Then, you tell your mana, 'You, transform like this!' That's a Word Command. Calculating in your head, controlling your mana, and completing the magic formula are merely preparation."

If magic formula calculations and mana control were architectural design and leveling the ground...

Then the Word Command was constructing the framework.

And magic was the completed building.

"Aura magic especially relies on feeling. Since it handles aura, which possesses powerful physical force... the importance of the Word Command becomes even greater."

For some reason, Violet adjusted her glasses again with a long, supple finger.

I had no idea why Violet kept doing that, but she probably thought it looked cool. It was entertaining, so that was fine.

"I understand perfectly."

I nodded.

Whenever Elise used aura magic, she said Word Commands like, "Bloom, scatter," right?

There were other variations too, like telling it to bloom or do this and that.

It was probably all for the reason Violet had explained.

"Alright, I should try it."

"Yes, I'll help too!"

"Oh, and Violet."

"Yes?"

"You'd make a good teacher."

"Ah... Ehehe..."

Violet gave a strangely empty smile and turned away from me. She pressed the fingers of both hands together and fidgeted.

The confident, intellectual look from earlier was nowhere to be found. She even looked a little forlorn.

"Would anyone even attend a class taught by someone like me...?"

"Ah..."

Oh dear, Violet had become depressed again...

What was I supposed to do about that self-esteem buried in the abyss?

A cliché like, 'I'll attend!' would probably not do much. So, without a word, I patted Violet's shoulder.

...

Training Ground Seven.

Crackle!

Fwoosh!

I could understand why even Elise and Lara controlled their aura magic with Word Commands.

'Damn, this is insanely hard.'

I had risen to Third tier and could now smoothly use two-circle elemental magic.

Yet no matter how hard I tried to control my lightning-flame aura and blend it with magic, I kept failing because it was so difficult.

"Ah, argh..."

Ah, my mana circuits were overloaded. Ah, it hurt like hell...

I lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling as I rested.

I had let all my mana dissipate to calm my mana circuits.

'Imagine, give form, manifest...'

I had tried imagining all sorts of things.

For example, I tried copying the moves of the electric mouse from Pokémon Star in my previous life.

Of course, every attempt failed.

"Ron, have you decided on an image for your aura magic?"

Perhaps she could not bear to watch any longer. Elise Lorendia, the female cadet with magenta hair, suddenly asked me.

Until then, she had been training separately with her hair tied in a ponytail.

I glanced at Elise, then looked back at the ceiling.

"Not a final version yet. I'm trying different things to see what suits me."

"Like what?"

"Million Volt, Volt Tackle, or Electric Ball?"

"What are those supposed to be...?"

Elise let out a hollow laugh and came closer.

Then she crouched with her legs together, rested her crossed arms on her knees, and looked down at me.

"I told you before, didn't I? Your aura is too wild, Ron. It doesn't obey your will."

"That is true..."

"But it seems like you're trying too hard to control your aura."

"Am I? I tried because ordinary magic usually feels like that. Hmm..."

Come to think of it, my magic sword technique, Raging Thunder Sword, condensed aura for an instant before detonating it. It was not as though I controlled it at all.

More precisely, all I could control was its power and direction.

Wait, then how had Elise and Lara done it? I suddenly became curious.

"Elise. How did you and Lara end up using aura magic like that?"

Elise pressed a finger into her soft cheek and looked upward with turquoise eyes.

"Hmm, for me... the fairy I contracted with handled magic that way, so I got some ideas from that. I also thought it would suit Flower Dance Sword and my own style."

Elise continued calmly.

"As for Lara, she's small, right? She wanted a sword she could wield freely without being limited by her build. That's probably why she developed her aura magic into its current form."

To make the most of one's strengths, or make up for one's weaknesses...

At that moment, several memories rose to the surface of my mind.

The characteristics of my aura. How to fight the enemy in Chapter 2, Act 2 of <For Elise>. The principles of Raging Thunder Sword.

Then a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

I abruptly sat up, threw my head back, and opened my eyes wide.

"I figured it out. The key to aura magic...!"

"Hm? Isn't that a little premature...?"

Elise smiled awkwardly.

I had been trying to create original techniques by thinking of the electric mouse's moves from my previous life for no reason.

'I just need to do what I'm good at. At the same time, I can make better use of my strengths or cover my weaknesses.'

My motivation ignited.

For several days, I tested new aura magic until late at night.

Every day, my mana circuits and muscles screamed. Still, I gritted my teeth and tried aura magic hundreds, thousands, countless times.

'Instead of exploding it or using it for acceleration, I should spread the aura. Let my aura run wilder and more freely. Carry it on fire and wind...'

I swung my sword with a Word Command on my lips.

'Extend.'

Boom!

Fwoosh!

Crackle!

Aura exploded along the path of my sword strike.

Two-circle wind magic and fire magic carried blue lightning flames, spreading outward in a magnificent fan shape.

It was clearly different from the irregular, chaotic results I had gotten until now.

"Oh...!"

"Ooh."

The moment my cool aura magic succeeded, an exclamation escaped my lips. A thrilling sense of achievement ran down my spine.

Beside me, Elise smiled, applauded, and admired it.

"See? I did it..."

My mana circuits tingled, and all strength suddenly drained from my body. I fell straight onto the floor.

Elise hurried over in concern, swept the hair at the side of her face behind her ear, and leaned toward me.

Elise's shadow fell over my body.

"Ron, are you alright?"

"I pushed too hard... My mana circuits are really ringing..."

"What should we do? Should I take you to the infirmary?"

"Yeah, please..."

When I looked at Elise, my words caught in my throat.

She was narrowing her eyes seductively as she looked down at me, smiling mischievously.

'This is... 100 percent her trying to tease me.'

She must have been doing it because she was sure I was alright.

I looked away from Elise.

"It's fine... I'll be alright after some rest."

"Really? Then I should stay with you~"

Elise spoke nonchalantly in a gentle voice, sat beside me, and hugged her knees.

"You don't have to worry about me that much. You can ignore me and go train..."

"I'm resting too while I'm at it."

"...I see."

Elise smiled brightly and looked ahead. Then she spoke quietly.

"Ron."

"Yeah."

"Congratulations."

I gave Elise a thumbs-up.

Night deepened.

...

For the rest of the break, I practiced aura magic and discussed plans for the next scenario with Violet.

"This is the mana steel plate Mr. Hazely asked for."

I tapped the mana steel plate Violet handed me with my knuckle.

Clang!

"Thanks. It's tough. Did anyone say anything when you brought it in?"

"They didn't say anything about something like this. They probably thought it was a training tool...!"

True, it was not a suspicious item. Plenty of people brought all sorts of magical devices into the school. With that, I had gathered my supplies as well.

Time passed. The lush greenery gradually faded, and yellow leaves began to speckle the campus.

Griffin Knight School's summer break ended, and the cadets returned.

"Welcome back, half-baked squires!"

At the first-year parade ground, faint sunlight shone down from a morning sky that still held darkness.

With the first-year cadets gathered before him, Instructor Logan, a man with black hair and a rough beard, shouted heartily.

"You must've spent the whole summer break enjoying every bit of sweet comfort you could find! Your discipline must be unbelievably lax! I can see it without even looking! But don't worry! The second semester will be a hell that cannot compare to the first! You'll get it back soon enough!"

Instructor Logan chuckled evilly.

"Are all of you ready to fall into hell!?"

"Yes!!"

"Louder!!"

"Yes!!!"

"Good! Everyone, run!"

"Agh!!"

"Go!!"

Chapter 2, Act 1 of <For Elise>, the slice-of-life arc titled "Second Semester," had begun.

It covered the very beginning of the first year's second semester, confirming the protagonists' growth and letting them interact with one another.

In the story's third playthrough, the enemy from Chapter 2, Act 2 had also appeared early.

"Faster!!"

We went on a long-distance mountain run.

The pace could not compare to the first semester. We ran up rough mountain terrain with long strides.

As expected of the cadets who had made it through the first semester, everyone completed the harsh training without much trouble. Of course, some still struggled.

Most of them must have trained hard during the break. The protagonists in particular had probably grown noticeably stronger.

'It has definitely gotten tougher, but... I can manage.'

Of course, I had grown too. I was now at least competent among the cadets who remained.

Eventually, we returned to the parade ground along the designated route. I caught my breath roughly.

"Huff, huff..."

"Oh! Cadet Number Seventeen!"

Instructor Logan came closer to me.

"Cadet Number Seventeen, Ron Hazely!"

"For once, you're not in last place! Does that mean you trained during the break!?"

"Yes! I did nothing but train!"

"You did nothing but train!? And why!?"

"To faithfully follow your first-semester instruction that I should diligently improve myself, Instructor!!"

"Damn it! As expected, that's a damned admirable attitude, Ron Hazely! Though you may be in the lower ranks, you are truly an example and model for all squires!!!"

"Thank you!!"

"The second semester will be far harder than the first!! Before long, you will have to endure Search Tactics Training as well!! Can you handle it!?"

"Yes!!"

"Good!! I will be watching you, Ron Hazely!!"

I wished he would stop shouting with his head right next to mine. My ears hurt, and it was stressful...

'Anyway, I finally escaped last place.'

The first morning roll-call training of the second semester gave me a pretty good idea.

Goodbye to my disgraceful past as the last-place cadet.

...

With the start of the second semester came the time to measure mana again.

In the mana measurement room, William, the gray-haired instructor with a calm demeanor, was once again in charge of measuring the first-years' mana.

As a result, every protagonist except Elise and Lara had raised their Mana Grade by one step.

'Just as expected of the protagonists.'

Theodore Garniel, a protagonist whom I had felt kinship with because we both had Mana Grade C-, had also quickly advanced to C Grade.

How sad... I needed to get stronger soon too.

And then.

"Nadia Dembarok, step forward."

"Yes."

A female cadet with shoulder-length blue bobbed hair stepped forward. Her skin was bronze.

The cadets began whispering.

"Who is that? I've never seen her before..."

"I heard about her earlier. They say she's a returning student."

"A returning student? Did she take a leave of absence right after the first semester last year?"

"Why?"

"Maybe she barely made it through the first semester, realized her limits, and came back after improving?"

"Still, unless she had some serious reason, taking a leave means penalties. It's not like she wouldn't know that..."

Thanks, Speedwagon.

...Of course, I knew exactly who the returning student named Nadia was.

Whoosh.

Nadia placed her hand on the mana measurement device and sent mana into it.

The indicator glowed brightly.

"Nadia Dembarok, C+."

The cadets' mouths fell open at the high result. It was a Mana Grade worthy of the upper ranks.

However.

'That bastard's Mana Grade isn't what matters.'

Nadia Dembarok.

She was a Demonkin who had disguised herself as a human with remarkable precision due to her inherent trait, and she belonged to the Exchange Realm Society.

She was also the enemy in Chapter 2, Act 2, "Search Tactics Training," of <For Elise>'s third playthrough.

Compared to the Demonkin who had appeared so far, she was on the weaker side, and she could not even create a Gate...

'She's an assassin, though.'

She specialized in assassination, which made her just as dangerous.

She would take out several cadets, kill Elise as well, and attempt to steal the fairy's power.

Even if Elise avoided death, that would not mean everything would be fine.

In every route of the third playthrough, Elise suffered quite a lot because of Nadia.

'Of course I have to stop her.'

Still, there was no point secretly reporting to the knight orders or the school that Nadia was a Demonkin.

As long as Nadia maintained her human appearance, there was currently no way to prove she was a Demonkin.

It would only alert the Exchange Realm Society, making it little different from suicide for me.

"......"

Violet watched Nadia with a serious expression.

It was nothing new, but Violet had a constitution that could sense even demonic energy that had not been released outside the body.

I had already told Violet that a Demonkin disguised as a human would return to school, so Violet did not seem surprised despite sensing demonic energy.

"You may return."

"Yes."

Nadia finished her mana measurement and returned to the cadets. Then, as she passed by me.

Brush.

"!"

Something suddenly brushed against my waist. Startled, I quickly looked down at my side.

...Nothing was wrong.

Nadia stood beside me with her bent index finger held toward me.

It seemed she had touched my waist with it.

"What are you doing...?"

I looked at Nadia with a confused expression. She was grinning.

"I was just surprised that someone called the weakest has survived this long. I heard rumors about you, so I felt like playing a little joke."

"...?"

"You're as slow as they say. If this had been a blade, you would've been dead long ago."

What kind of joke was that to suddenly play on me...?

'Come to think of it, Kilohr knew about Elise and my relationship too, right?'

Kilohr, the Demonkin who controlled puppets, must have received all kinds of information from the Exchange Realm Society.

Nadia was probably the same.

'Is that why she's showing an interest in me?'

Well then...

I deliberately frowned deeply, put on an unpleasant expression, and faced forward.

"Tch. Even jokes have a line you shouldn't cross..."

"...What?"

"Please get going, senior. Or should I drop the formalities since we're both first-years?"

"..."

My Demonkin aversion syndrome was acting up. It was a diagnosis I had made up, but the symptoms were clear.

I barely held back the urge to draw my sword, cut off Nadia's head, and vomit.

Perhaps because of that, my disgust and irritation were fully present in my voice. If I were Nadia, I would have found it quite unpleasant too.

Nadia silently glared at me with murderous eyes. Then she gave an incredulous laugh and returned to her place.

'You can't touch me, can you?'

The time when the Exchange Realm Society had permitted Nadia to run wild was during the first tactical training of the second semester.

That was when Nadia's abilities could be fully displayed, and she could target Elise more easily.

If she caused trouble anywhere in the knight school under normal circumstances, there was a high chance she would be dealt with instead. She would only waste a good opportunity. For now, she had no choice but to endure.

So, we'll see each other then, you Demonkin bastard.

...

"I will now begin Search Tactics Training!"

Several days later, Chapter 2, Act 2 of <For Elise> began.

Footnotes:

“Thanks, Speedwagon” references Robert E. O. Speedwagon from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, a character associated with explaining events to the audience.

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