The Genius Son-in-law of the Swordmaster Household—Blessed by Authority

Chapter 117 : Grandmaster (1)

Grandmaster (1)

After receiving guidance from Aris to become a Grandmaster, Ian had set his top priority.

'Gathering aura of all elements.'

Aura attributes are broadly classified into the ten major elements:

Fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, ice, wood, metal, light, and darkness.

'Currently, the attributes I possess number four.'

The light attribute, accumulated through Hisperion's direct cultivation method, the Heavenly Dawn Technique.

The lightning attribute, accumulated through the mastery of thunder energy in the Sky Thunder, Deep as the Clouds.

The metal attribute, accumulated by consuming countless Millennium Gold Essence elixirs.

And now, thanks to extra lessons from Aris, Ian learned a new cultivation method, the Celestial Frost Spirit Art, to gather the ice attribute.

'As for the fire and water attribute elixirs, Aris promised to prepare them as top rewards.'

So now, the rest—

Ian would have to personally secure earth, wind, wood, and darkness attribute aura.

'The goal is to acquire all attributes before the end of this summer when I turn fifteen.'

Although there were cheap elixirs that contained attribute aura, their purity was too low to be of use.

He needed high-quality aura with at least 90% purity.

He only needed to find one of each type.

As long as the quality was secured, the quantity could always be increased using the Authority of Projection.

'I should stop by Nightingale for the first time in a while.'

Ian immediately headed for the secret intelligence organization Nightingale and submitted a request.

― Request: Please find these elixirs.

― One each of earth, wind, wood, and darkness attribute.

― The purity of each attribute must be at least 90%.

― I would prefer items that can be traded for money or bartered.

It wasn't long before a reply arrived at Lunabreeze Mansion.

― Report following our investigation:

― Earth attribute elixir: The heart of the great spirit Terramorg, owned by Duke Oster of the Roderun Empire. The economic situation in the Oster Duchy is currently poor, so he may be willing to trade for money.

― Wind attribute elixir: The Wind God's Orb Shard, inserted into the sabre of the infamous pirate Jack Crow. With a high enough bounty, you can acquire it immediately once Jack Crow is apprehended.

― Wood attribute elixir: The three-hundred-year fruit of the World Tree, set to be auctioned in the capital of the Rimhail Kingdom.

― Darkness attribute elixir: The Millenium Darkness Crystal, excavated by dwarves in the Starlight Vein Mine, currently seeking a buyer. This item is immediately available for trade.

As soon as Ian read the reply, he asked Nightingale to make the purchases as well.

Naturally, Ian paid for everything himself.

He could have simply projected gold or coins for the transactions, but Ian refused to do so.

After all, that would be counterfeiting currency, and could lead to various social complications.

Moreover, each of the elixirs Ian was seeking was a supreme treasure, carrying astronomical value. He felt uneasy about such massive sums exchanging hands as counterfeit currency.

So, he projected valuables like Millennium Gold Essence and subspace artifacts in large quantities and tasked Nightingale to sell them as his agent.

That's how he gathered the funds to purchase the attribute elixirs.

Although Nightingale was an intelligence organization, they took on Ian's buying and selling commissions without complaint.

They didn't bother asking annoying questions like where he was getting so many treasures like Millennium Gold Essence or subspace artifacts.

They simply regarded it as the financial power and capability of Ian, a member of Nightingale's Night Apostles.

From Ian's perspective, they were very convenient secret errand-runners.

A little while after he made his request,

The attribute elixirs Ian wanted were gathered in an instant, and Ian obtained eight attributes.

'How convenient this is.'

Is this the taste of capital and authority?

'Now, once I receive the top rewards this summer, I will have all the attributes.'

The exam to select this semester's top student was a dungeon practicum.

Now that it had been a year since entering the Sword Dragon Hall, the basic combat and survival training was over; now, they would have hands-on experience killing living monsters and collecting loot.

Before anyone realized it, the snow melted and small sprouts began to appear on the earth.

While focusing on gathering attribute aura, Ian also spent his time teaching Sophia, supporting Yuria's growth, and watching over Charlotte.

The Sword Dragon Hall's classes increased their focus on practical training.

In February, they fought monster illusions.

In March, they fought insect-type monsters and beast-type monsters.

April brought battles with greenskin monster-types like goblins and orcs.

In May, they hunted wild monsters in real combat training.

During theoretical class times, there was mental education like what would happen if monsters were neglected, as well as psychological counseling for those still unfamiliar or afraid of killing.

Thus, summer came in the blink of an eye, and the dungeon practicum—an exam to determine the semester's top student—passed smoothly.

Then came a brief awards ceremony to close the semester.

"Top student, Ian Greysel cadet. Step forward."

Naturally, Ian was the top student this semester as well.

He had found the most treasures in the giant artificial dungeon and reached the clear point the fastest.

Thus, Ian received the top student rewards that Aris had prepared: the water attribute elixir 'Deep Sea Dragon's Pearl' and the fire attribute elixir 'Phoenix's Heart-Blood'.

It was the moment when Ian finally held all ten elements.

'Now, all that remains...'

To harmonize and contemplate the attributes he had gathered and fuse them with his own will and identity.

Then to ascend as a Grandmaster.

In this way, the early days of his fifteenth summer passed swiftly.

The short break ended, and a new semester began.

The final exam for the second semester this year would be a mock siege with the Roderun Empire Academy.

The test was a joint event with the Empire, but it didn't require group lodging.

Class and training for the finals passed by in a blur.

Summer—Sophia's and Ian's birthdays came and went.

Autumn—Charlotte's birthday passed.

Winter—Yuria's birthday passed.

A year went by like that, and January arrived, with Ian now sixteen.

The day of the mock siege with the Roderun Empire Academy had dawned.

* * *

The most powerful and vast nation on the continent.

The Roderun Empire.

A place where all the greatest elite nobles and gifted students gathered.

Roderun Empire Academy.

Of those, the most exceptional minds and creative thinkers were entrusted with the Empire's future.

The Department of Alchemic Magic Engineering.

There, a female student had focused solely on researching artifacts for defensive warfare.

Viola Silvers.

"Huhuhet..."

She let out a sly laugh atop the examination's fortress wall.

The Sword Dragon Hall cadets below the wall looked like ants to her.

This test felt as if the stage had been tailored solely for her.

'Everyone here but me is just an extra! Nothing but background characters!'

A mock siege exam, after she alone had researched nothing but defensive war artifacts.

"Hehet!"

Viola had prepared thoroughly.

She had installed the latest automatic interception artifacts all along the fortress wall, layered the main gate with every possible defensive artifact, and double-checked every single power source to ensure nothing would stop working.

'All that's left now is to take the spotlight!'

Countless high-ranking officials of the Roderun Empire were here to observe.

If she could prove the value of her defensive artifacts here, she would easily secure all sorts of investments and sponsorships.

Once she graduated, she could choose any Magic Tower she wanted.

'Just come at me, you primitives of Hisperion!'

Humans transcend their limits through tools.

Yet those swordsmen stubbornly cling to nothing but cold weapons and aura, like relics.

How advantageous was this?

Her side could use all the tools they wanted, while the enemy was limited to the bare minimum of tools and their own abilities.

It was perfect for a massacre.

― Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Soon, the Sword Dragon Hall cadets advanced, maintaining formation behind their shields.

― Kugugugugugu!!

At the same time, siege towers and battering rams began to approach.

'Here they come!'

Viola let out a snort of pride.

'Welcome! Sacrifices for my future!'

A sardonic smirk crept up one side of her mouth.

'I'll show you the difference in intellect! And the difference in technology! Don't you dare complain if you're crushed too horribly!'

The words were meant not only for the Sword Dragon Hall's cadets, but for her peers and upperclassmen, too.

'This is a competition to see who stands out the most!'

― Fwsh!

At that moment—

From the shield formation, a tall boy with gray hair suddenly sprang out and began charging alone.

"What?"

The exclamation slipped from Viola's lips before she realized it.

― Woom!

At the same time, the automatic interception artifact detected an enemy in its range, locked onto the boy, and began charging up its magic power.

In moments, interception magic would be unleashed.

"That stupid brat! Kuhuhu!"

Viola bared her teeth and laughed.

Despite the automatic interception system on the fortress wall, someone had charged in alone.

It was basically asking to be blown up.

And it wasn't only her interception system on the wall.

Barrages of arrows from the Archery Department's archers and magic from the Magic Department's mages were trained on the boy.

He would soon become a pincushion, riddled with arrows and spells.

He was about to become the first flashy dropout of this exam.

"Goodbye! You'll be my first stepping stone!"

― Thwishshshshsh!

― Pabababababababa!

A rain of arrows and spells poured down on the gray-haired boy from atop the wall.

But—

― Spin.

― Pababababababat!

― Kwagagagagaga!

Simply turning his body lightly, the boy dodged every attack.

"W-What!?"

A cloud of dust rose from the spells.

But the gray-haired boy burst through the dust, running straight toward the wall again.

"H-How!?"

His movement was as if he'd become a ghost for a moment, then returned.

There was no way a human could dodge that many attacks covering such a wide area—how did he do it?

How was he running in again, unharmed!?

"What is that!?"

"Crazy! He's totally fine!"

"That's impossible! Shoot again! Hurry!"

The other Academy students were equally shocked.

― Thwishshshshsh!

― Pabababababababa!

Another salvo of arrows and spellfire.

This time, it wasn't a volley.

― Thwishthsh!

― Pang! Pang! Pang!

― Pyung! Pyung! Pyung!

― Pabababa!!

Projectiles came from all directions in a messy, irregular, never-ending barrage.

― Swish! Swish! Swish!

― Ting! Taeng! Teoung!

Yet the gray-haired boy dodged and tumbled like an acrobat, deflected with a shield, swatted away with his sword, and moved step by step closer to the main gate.

"C-Crazy!"

"What a monster!"

"Shoot! Keep shooting!"

Archers and mages continued firing relentlessly.

But the boy with the bizarre, dazzling movements continued to approach the gate, nullifying all their efforts.

"M-My God...!"

Viola watched, jaw agape, in utter shock.

However...

"U-Ugh!"

His evasion was impressive, but surely that was all.

That boy would not be able to breach the gate.

The interception artifacts might miss, since they hadn't left testing yet, but the defensive artifacts had been her specialty since even before she entered the academy.

If her defensive artifacts could block the Sword Dragon Hall cadet who had shown such overwhelming feats, she would surely attract tremendous attention.

But her thoughts hadn't lasted even three seconds before—

― THUUD!!!

"What...?"

With a single kick from Ian, the city gate flew open wide.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Hmm, author-nim speedrun the school phase...

He knows and we know that if he detailed Ian's every action, it would just be glazing and boring...

It's already established that he's a cut above the rest of his classmates...

Next arc will probably against a territory or roaming around the world...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】