Episode 9: Bunch of Weirdos
Abel felt wronged. Truly.
“Abel, what on earth were you thinking?!”
At first, when he heard it was a power measurement, he assumed he’d be demonstrating his ability against a professor.
But once he entered the testing room, all he found was a scarecrow-like device.
At first, he felt a twinge of disappointment, but maybe this was better.
If he really had to use his powers against a professor, he might subconsciously hesitate or feel resistance.
Bringing out his full power against another person was still something difficult for him.
In fact, one of the reasons he’d come to the academy was to overcome this very issue.
“Professor, I swear, I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
“Didn’t mean to?”
“Yes. You said I should attack the device with my full power. That I could swing my sword or use physical force. So I just did as instructed.”
The moment the professor gave the start signal, the device began glowing blue.
It looked pretty sturdy, and since it seemed to measure the rebound from an impact, Abel didn’t worry too much. He drew his sword and swung.
“Don’t reveal your full strength, Abel.”
That one comment from Caligo, spoken in passing, echoed in his mind.
It wasn’t just the request of someone who wanted to keep a low profile. It was the sincere advice of a fellow ability user, asking him to think not of now, but of the future.
If he showed everything he had and put on a spectacle, he’d certainly make a name for himself at the academy. He’d be the center of attention.
But what then? Once he graduated, he’d become a target—an ability user from another country. If he showed too much now, enemies could come up with countermeasures. It would be like putting shackles on himself.
It’s true that the academy phase is important in ability-based stories.
But it’s also true that it’s not everything.
If you think about the future, revealing everything now is reckless.
It’s the kind of thing only a naïve, attention-seeking rookie would do.
So what should he do?
What’s the right answer here?
Hand on his sword, drawing it from its sheath, controlling his breath, and raising the blade in front of him… Abel, after much thought, finally made up his mind.
“Whatever happens, I refuse to play the ‘hidden power’ game.”
Even if his actions today earned him unwanted attention.
Even if it meant shackles on his feet.
If he believed he could break those shackles one day, then the true way of an ability user was to act first and deal with the rest later.
Once the inner conflict ended and his decision was made, his target became crystal clear.
That clarity turned into a sword path—a downward slash meant to cleave everything in sight.
He felt it.
He knew instinctively—it was a perfect strike.
When was the last time using his sword and powers felt this exhilarating?
Thrilled by the clarity and freshness of it all, Abel carried out the strike to its end.
“ABEL!!”
And just like that, once the sword was withdrawn,
There was a slight problem: not only the device, but the entire testing room had been split in half.
“…Haaah.”
Professor Rei massaged his temple as he stared at the neatly bisected device and the testing room still collapsing with a thunderous noise.
Finally, he spoke.
“Alright, Abel. I admit that was my mistake. I should’ve phrased it differently instead of telling you to give it everything you’ve got.”
“…”
“But may I offer one piece of advice—as your professor and your senior?”
“I’m listening.”
Thankfully, he didn’t seem like an arrogant freshman drunk on his own power.
Relieved by that, Professor Rei continued.
“Doing your best is fine. But don’t show everything.”
“Is that… for the sake of the future?”
“At the academy, everyone’s a student. But after graduation, you’re a foreign power’s ability user. At best, a rival. At worst, an enemy. Give too much away, and you’ll only make it easier for others to prepare countermeasures.”
In the past, large-scale wars were frequent.
Many of them involved battles between ability users.
But after the establishment of the Continental Academy, the number of wars led by ability users dropped drastically.
It was thanks to the diplomatic strategies created by experts who feared such disasters.
Now, since countries have some knowledge about foreign ability users, they calculate the risks and benefits more carefully.
Nobody wants to lose valuable assets, so they think twice before engaging.
Conflicts between nations still happen, but they don’t escalate into battles involving ability users anymore.
This is the real reason why countries send their ability users to the Continental Academy.
They reveal just enough, hide just enough—to create threats, deterrents, and sometimes, openings for negotiation.
“I understand what you’re saying, Professor.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s why, while I did do my best today, I didn’t show everything I had.”
“…What?”
For a brief moment, Professor Reiga’s face twisted in discomfort—but it soon faded.
He wondered if the student was lying, trying to mess with him.
But with over a decade of experience as both an ability user and an educator, he could tell truth from bluff.
“…Is that true?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“…Hmm.”
Indeed, looking at him now, there’s not even a hint of fatigue. It’s too much to say he’s simply hiding his exhaustion—he looks completely at ease.
At the very least, he should show a slight tremble in his body, but there’s nothing. Even if he does possess a body-enhancement ability, this student is clearly something different.
“Abel Rotensilt. I’ll give you a high score.”
“Thank you!”
“However, the wary eyes and restraint you’ll face from now on are yours to handle alone. You know the academy rules, don’t you? Training duels between students are allowed, but anything that causes serious harm is strictly forbidden. If you break that rule, it won’t just end with expulsion.”
When Abel nodded again in response, Professor Rei didn’t say anything more and began writing down his record on the measurement form.
“More importantly… I’m in a tight spot now.”
“Is it because I destroyed the testing ground, and now you’ll be held responsible?”
“Well, I can’t say I’m completely blameless, but that’s not the real issue. The problem is the other students waiting to be tested.”
Then Abel raised his hand with a confident look and said he had a solution. For some reason, just hearing that made Rei feel like he was about to get a bigger headache, but still, he asked out of curiosity. Abel lightly tapped his chest and replied:
“I can take the place of the measuring device. I’ve trained my body steadily since childhood in preparation for my awakening, so if there’s one thing I can say for sure, it’s that I’m—”
“Abel.”
“Yes, Professor?”
“Turn around quietly and leave.”
Are all kids these days like this? There’s not even a twenty-year gap between us, so how did they turn out this way?
Grumbling that he just couldn’t understand the younger generation anymore, Professor Rei realized he had no choice but to contact the academy president directly about this disaster.
‘Senior… No, Principal. Your face is going to be all crumpled up again.’
Abilities are such overwhelming forces that the scale of incidents at the Continental Academy is in a league of its own.
No matter how cautious they are, every year there are numerous injuries—and in the worst cases, even deaths. Though the latter is extremely rare thanks to the constant presence of healing-type ability users.
Rei rummaged through his drawer and pulled out the safety tape he hoped he’d never need to use.
Then, passing by the waiting freshmen, he drew a line at the entrance to the destroyed testing ground and spoke to the chattering students.
“Alright, attention everyone. Those scheduled to take the power test at Test Site 3 today will now move to Test Site 5 immediately. We have a tight schedule, so move quickly.”
“Professor! Was that loud noise from earlier?”
“What happened inside the testing site?”
For the record, professors don’t usually share what happens in the academy with students.
Not because there’s some secret, but because there are always a few reckless students who will get fired up with competitive spirit and try to copy what happened.
You can bet on it—if word gets out that someone split a testing ground in half, someone else will definitely try to do the same.
“There was an issue with the equipment. It’s nothing serious, so that’s enough chatter—move along.”
“But aren’t the academy testing sites supposed to be extremely durable? Even the devices are supposed to be super sturdy!”
“I heard from a senior that failures during power tests are almost unheard of!”
“Alright, enough! Move! Or are you saying you won’t listen to your professor?”
Only after he forcefully asserted his authority did the students finally stop questioning and begin to follow Professor Rei.
But just because their mouths shut didn’t mean their curiosity had vanished. Most of them were still whispering to one another, eager to uncover what had happened.
And among them, there were two particularly dazzling stars.
“What do you think, Irshu?”
“Same as you, Tarshu.”
Hair white as snow and silver eyes. More astonishing than their features was how the two of them looked like perfect mirror images.
They were twin sisters who moved together as if they were one being. They entered the academy together and were now standing in line for the power test at Test Site 3.
“That was an incredible aura.”
“A truly overwhelming presence.”
“Stronger than any warrior from the North.”
“Greater than any blizzard of winter.”
From the northern reaches of the continent, from the so-called Winter Principality—Duchy of Nord—came these two ability users of snow and ice.
Following the North’s strict code of power supremacy, the twin princesses had enrolled in the Continental Academy to prove their strength.
Irshu Scandia. Tarshu Scandia.
“I’m curious about the man who went into the testing room just now, Irshu.”
“It’s definitely the guy who came out of there just now, Tarshu.”
They didn’t know his name, his background, or even what he looked like exactly. But when it came to sensing the presence of the powerful, there was no one better than those from the Winter Principality.
And so, the twin sisters quietly slipped out of line and began to follow someone stealthily.
Like snow leopards tracking their prey through the tundra.
New girls nicee
ReplyDelete