novelraw Chapter 39 : Increased Bullying (1)
Chapter 39 : Increased Bullying (1)
Chapter 39: Increased Bullying (1)
The infirmary’s characteristic medicinal smell tickled my nose.
As the scent pulled me toward consciousness, a burning sensation and a crushing weight—like a lump of lead—pressed against my chest, forcing my eyes open.
“Ha, why does it still hurt?”
It was something I blurted out reflexively the moment I opened my eyes.
The bed I lay on happened to be beside the window, so on my right was a large window, and on my left hung a white curtain.
That white curtain unique to infirmary and hospital beds.
I subtly turned my head toward the window to check the weather outside.
Seeing that the sun hadn’t set yet, it seemed I hadn’t been asleep for too long.
“Ugh……”
Every time I moved my body, the pain remained.
Especially with the tightness in my chest, I could tell without checking that it was wrapped tightly in bandages.
Each time I tried to shift my position and leaned weakly against the bed’s headboard—letting out more than two groans for every one movement—it happened.
“You’re awake, Artel?”
Hei’s voice came from beyond the curtain to my left.
I had been worried because he’d fallen into burnout in his 1st Class state, but judging from his voice, he seemed to have recovered a bit.
Of course, he still sounded weak.
“Yeah. Hei, what about you? You seemed like you were in a burnout state—are you okay?”
“How do you know about burnout? I only heard about the symptoms today from the infirmary teacher, and it was my first time experiencing it.”
“I studied hard. One of the books I read talked about that kind of phenomenon.”
“Oh, really? So you didn’t only study methods of implementing magic.”
“Well… it just turned out that way?”
Since burnout wasn’t something taught during class or in textbooks, Hei obviously didn’t know its formal name.
There was no need for him to know anyway, since it wasn’t something a beginner mage—someone in 1st or 2nd Class—could normally experience.
Using up mana until reaching one’s limit.
It sounded simple in words, but could early teenagers realistically push past that limit?
If I had to give a similar example: imagine trying to sprint 200 meters at full strength while extremely drunk—staggering and seeing double.
For an adult, it would be simple—just collapse afterward. But for a young 1st Class student, it was a challenge too daunting to even attempt.
No doubt one of the reasons Hei had been able to break through such limits was because, despite being a mage, he had a naturally sturdy body.
“Anyway, I asked how your body feels.”
“I’m a little sleepy… and I don’t have much strength, but I’m not in pain. But they said I shouldn’t attend classes and should rest in the infirmary for a week.”
There was only one method to recover from burnout.
Since it was the brain that had been overloaded, the only way to cool it down was to rest.
For adults—mages of 4th Class and above—one or two days of rest was enough for recovery, but for Hei, still at 1st Class, he needed a relatively long week.
“But Artel, are you okay? You looked like you were dead, your whole body having turned red.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
As our conversation paused and silence began to creep in, something I wanted to ask Hei came to mind.
“Oh, Hei. There’s something I want to ask.”
“What is it?”
“When we were sparring—why did you overdo it like that? Enough to push yourself into burnout.”
“Ah… that?”
Hei’s expression sank heavily as he answered.
“It’s just… Kiena’s called a summoner stronger than elementals, and you’re a double caster. I felt like if I stayed behind, I wouldn’t be able to go to the main academy with you two. Besides, Kiena’s had five straight wins. Compared to that, I…”
He pretended to be fine outwardly, but he still carried his own worries and concerns.
“Don’t worry. From what I saw today, the only one who could beat you in fire element was Banshi.”
“That lie is way too obvious.”
“I’m serious. Was there anyone else in 1st Class who could implement two spells at once?”
“You and Banshi.”
“Besides us?”
“Mm… now that I think about it, no one.”
“Being able to do something never taught in class is definitely amazing. So don’t push yourself next time. Burnout goes away with rest, but it’s still dangerous.”
Hei pondered something for a while, then suddenly burst into loud laughter.
“Puhaha!”
“What? Why are you suddenly laughing?”
“It’s funny when I think about it. Back at the orphanage and all the way to Class 0, Kiena and I worried about you every day because you were weak. But now you’re worrying about me.”
“How is that funny?”
“You used to mess with me, telling me to call you ‘big brother,’ and now it looks like I’ll be the one calling you big brother.”
Still, the fortunate thing was that the turmoil in his heart seemed to have truly eased.
“Ugh, it’s so noisy I can’t even sleep.”
An unexpected voice filled the infirmary.
The sound came from the bed next to Hei.
Meaning, the bed next to his.
“Banshi?”
“Yeah.”
For Banshi to be in the infirmary… had she also overstrained her mana while in a linking state?
No—if that were the case, then my request for fire to reach second place with six wins must have ended in complete failure.
Startled, I quickly flung open the curtain on my left.
But the one I made eye contact with was Hei.
The bed beside him—where Banshi should be—still had the curtain drawn.
“Banshi also went into burnout.”
Hei explained on her behalf.
Of course. Even though I had forced my mana into her abruptly, it had clearly been too much.
Naturally, even someone at Banshi’s 6th Class level would fall into burnout.
“So I’m resting for a week just like Hei.”
Banshi explained her condition, but that didn’t matter.
What mattered most to me was the result of the duel after I lost consciousness.
Shrrr.
As if she fully understood my mental state, Banshi pulled her own curtain aside and approached the front of my bed.
“I have something to talk about. Want to step outside for a bit?”
She must have meant the events that took place in the dueling grounds after I collapsed.
“Yeah. Let’s do that.”
As I forced my body to move and tried to get up, Hei immediately tried to stop me.
“The infirmary teacher said you absolutely weren’t allowed to go anywhere.”
“It’s fine. It’ll be quick. And the infirmary teacher isn’t even here right now.”
But Banshi answered before I could finish.
Hearing her tone, I sensed how important it was—important enough for her to say it so quickly—so I pushed through the pain and finally stood up from the bed.
“Like Banshi said, the infirmary teacher isn’t here, so it’ll be fine. Let’s go, Banshi.”
“Yeah.”
The place the two of us arrived at was the school garden.
Luckily, there were no students in sight today.
My condition was too bad for me to head deep into the corridors like before.
So we chose the garden, the closest place to the infirmary.
I went straight to the point.
“Tell me. Why the sudden burnout? Even in a linking state, did it really strain you that much?”
“No.”
Her unexpected answer made me tilt my head reflexively.
“But you said you were in burnout.”
“To be exact, I lied about having burnout.”
“Why? Why bother?”
“Professor Nide’s suspicion was too strong, so I intentionally pushed myself at the end and pretended to be in burnout.”
“Ah……”
I thought I had fooled her well—did I make a mistake somewhere?
Or maybe Professor Nide was far more skilled than I had expected.
Either way, what was certain was that Banshi had analyzed the situation after I collapsed and made the best possible decision.
“If that was the reason, you did well. So, the results of the duels?”
“Dark element, 9 consecutive wins, 1st place. Fire element, 6 consecutive wins, 2nd place. Summoning class finished with 5 consecutive wins, 3rd place.”
And in the midst of all that, she fulfilled every request I made—truly commendable.
“Good job.”
I tousled her hair roughly but fondly as I spoke sincerely.
Banshi’s face turned a little red, and she lowered her head slightly, offering only a quiet thank-you.
“That’s what you wanted to tell me, so you called me out here?”
“Yes.”
“Anything else unusual?”
“No.”
“Really? Then let’s go back. I’m dying from the pain.”
“Ah… um… before you go back, there is something I must ask.”
Banshi’s expression grew unusually serious.
I had never seen her look this serious before.
“What is it?”
“The way you fought in this duel. Especially the way you used your body along with your magic. I’ve never seen that kind of combat method in any book I’ve read. But how did you… Arkis-nim…?”
“Oh, that?”
Fortunately, what she wanted to know wasn’t anything sensitive.
“Back in my previous life, even before I became an Archmage, I never imagined a method like that either. Using magic to coat your body and fighting mainly with physicality. I learned it after meeting that guy.”
“That guy…? Was he a mage you were close to? Since you call him ‘that guy.’”
“No, he was someone I hated as much as Tyrant. Did it sound friendly?”
“Apologies.”
“Curious about who he is?”
At my question, Banshi cautiously and slowly nodded.
“Sylarid.”
“……”
“He didn’t become the worst, strongest mage in magical history for nothing, nor was it luck that he killed eight swordsmen—whose bodies were stronger than mages—during the Full Moon Battle.”
“‘Learning and knowledge exist everywhere. Even in one’s enemy…’”
Banshi muttered those words.
And those words were very familiar to me.
I couldn’t hide my surprised expression.
“How do you know that? That was something my master often said.”
“It’s a phrase passed down in my family almost like a secret mantra. So the origin of that saying was your master, Alarize-nim. We never knew where it came from.”
“That’s strange. My master and I never had much interaction with the Emmet Family, so how did you learn it?”
“I’m curious about that as well.”
“Anyway, Sylarid is that amazing—and that dangerous. Honestly, if I had to face him again, I’d be scared, wondering if I could even win.”
Sylarid wasn’t dead.
He was merely sealed away at the top of the main academy.
And Tyrant killed me in order to absorb Sylarid’s power.
Whether in the far future or some day not so distant, Sylarid would inevitably return to the world.
During the Full Moon Battle, my master, eight swordsmen, and I fought him together. But now, with all of them gone, the next fight would be mine alone.
Even so, I couldn’t give up.
Not if I wanted to honor my master’s final wish.
“That all you wanted to ask?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go back. Support me a little—walking is hard.”
“Understood.”
I wrapped one arm over Banshi’s shoulder and made my slow way back toward the infirmary.
When we returned, a young woman with black-rimmed glasses and red hair and eyes was scolding Hei while fuming.
“Student Hei! I clearly told you to keep a close eye on Student Artel!”
She wore casual clothes with a thin, long white coat over them.
From her attire and her words, I could tell she was the infirmary teacher.
“Ah… I fell asleep for just a moment, and he must have gone out then. I’m sor—”
Hei cut himself off the moment he saw me entering the infirmary.
Naturally, the infirmary teacher’s gaze followed his and landed on the doorway—then her scolding flew straight at me.
“Student Artel!”