[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 15

    Alkas was momentarily taken aback.

    No, how could he not know this?

    It was common knowledge.

    Even if he came from a rural area, there was no way he could not know.

    To Alkas, Kaylen finally spoke the words he had prepared in advance.

    “Why do you think I became a Sword Master? Doesn’t it seem strange? At such a young age, and as a student of the Magic Academy, no less.”

    “Well, that’s true, but...”

    A boy who had never trained, completely distant from a sword, with a body that looked far from a warrior’s.

    And yet, this student from the Magic Academy was a Sword Master.

    If this story were told outside, no one would believe it.

    “I inherited the power and memories of an ancestor who was a former Sword Master. In exchange, I lost some of my current memories.”

    “Ah...”

    To inherit the power of an ancestor.

    If anyone else had said this, they would have been treated as insane.

    But since it was Kaylen, a student of the Magic Academy who had shown the divine status of a Sword Master, it didn’t sound like a lie.

    As Alkas nodded, Kaylen spoke again.

    “Then you need to fill in the gaps of my common sense.”

    “Understood. I will tell you everything I know. Mana suits, Meister... Ah, do you not even know why Mana suits were developed?”

    “Uh, yes, please explain that as well.”

    “Then I will start with that.”

    500 years ago.

    Suddenly, dungeons appeared in the world. A passageway used by demons from the Demon Realm, a dungeon.

    It was known to appear as a precursor to the Demon King’s descent.

    ‘I thought I had already driven the Demon King away 1,000 years ago.’

    Once driven out, the Demon King would not appear for a thousand years.

    But dungeons had started appearing 500 years ago?

    Kaylen was puzzled, but continued to listen to Alkas’s words.

    “According to old records, dungeons were said to disappear if the monsters inside were eliminated and the magic circle erased... But the dungeon that appeared back then was different.”

    “How was it different?”

    “The dungeon that appeared 500 years ago had a massive core inside it.”

    If a dungeon was left unchecked, the surrounding area would be devastated by the monsters that continued to emerge from it.

    So, when a dungeon appeared, one of the main tasks of the military was to send a hunting squad to eliminate it.

    Kaylen, having commanded the Empire’s army, was an expert in dungeon eradication, but he had never heard of a dungeon core.

    “The dungeon’s core resembled a Mana Stone. This could not be destroyed by normal force.”

    “Then what happened?”

    “It required a very powerful destructive force, the power of Mana. For example, a Sword Master’s Aura Sword... or a method where several high-level mages simultaneously cast powerful magic attacks.”

    “Was it that powerful?”

    “Yes. For any dungeon of any level, that much power was needed.”

    Only with a very strong blow of Mana could the core of the dungeon be destroyed.

    No matter how many soldiers, knights, or mages there were, it was all useless.

    Unless one reached the highest level, a dungeon could not be destroyed.

    However, those who reached that level were extremely few, even if you searched the whole world.

    No matter how hard they tried to destroy the dungeon, they could not keep up with the rate at which they appeared.

    Moreover, some dungeons housed monstrously strong creatures that made it impossible for even a master to subdue them without taking damage.

    As dungeons gradually multiplied, monsters began to emerge from them, and humanity started losing ground.

    “The borders no longer held any meaning.” The borders that once defined a nation’s territory. Now, due to the monster uprisings, it no longer mattered whose land this was.

    The available forces for dungeon eradication were limited.

    Except for the capital and other major cities, almost everything was left abandoned.

    “If the dungeons have existed since 500 years ago, does that mean the Demon King hasn’t descended?”

    “That’s correct. The Demon King hasn’t descended, and only lower-level demons have appeared sporadically.”

    “I see...”

    Normally, the appearance of a dungeon would be a signal for the Demon King’s arrival.

    But seeing how humanity had managed to survive for 500 years, it seemed the Demon King had not come.

    A world vastly different from the one he knew.

    Kaylen wanted to see the changes of the era with his own eyes.

    Especially the dungeon cores and Mana Suits.

    Among them, the Mana Suit was something he could get a glimpse of.

    “Alkas, what do I need to do to become a Meister?”

    “Do you intend to become a Meister?”

    “I just want to see a Mana Suit.”

    He had been told that if he became a Meister, he could rent a Mana Suit.

    When Kaylen mentioned his contract with the head of the Florence family, Alkas fell into deep thought.

    “For knights, the process is complicated. After passing the Meister exam at the Knight Academy, you’ll need to go to a Meister Academy that matches your attribute and train there for many years.”

    “Many years?”

    “Yes, at least five years...”

    Go back to an academy again?

    "Five years?"

    Furthermore, what they would teach there would likely just be handling the powers of the four major elements.

    For Kaylen, who could wield not only the four elements but also the sword of light and darkness, it was hardly an appealing option.

    “What about mages?”

    “Once you reach the 3rd circle, you can apply for the Meister exam. Mages usually take the exam in their third year at the Magic Academy.”

    “The 3rd circle...”

    Before forming a Mana Body, it was possible to use 3rd circle magic.

    However, now, only one Mana Circle had formed, following the shape of his body.

    "Fireball."

    Kaylen tried casting a 3rd circle spell as he had done before, but the Fireball didn’t appear. The mana circle could only channel mana through a single circle, and no matter how much he tried, it wouldn’t generate the spell.

    “Firebolt.”

    Determined, Kaylen tried using a 2nd circle spell. Unlike the Fireball from the 3rd circle, the mana began swirling around in the circle, and a fireball took form.

    “It worked.”

    “Is... is this Firebolt?” Alkas, who was watching Kaylen summon the Firebolt, was left in astonishment. A typical Firebolt of the 2nd circle would usually be an upgrade of the 1st circle Fire Arrow, taking the form of an arrow.

    But this was more like a long spear than an arrow.

    The intense heat from it made the surroundings feel as though they could catch fire at any moment.

    “Dismiss.”

    Kaylen, who was satisfied with the spear-like Firebolt, dismissed it. As he did, the temperature in the room gradually began to cool down.

    ‘With one circle, it seems I can use up to the 2nd circle magic.’

    The mana in the new circle was certainly sufficient, but perhaps due to his incomplete understanding of circle magic, he could only use magic up to the 2nd circle with the one circle marked on his body.

    ‘To take the Meister exam, I need the 3rd circle.’

    He would need to engrave another circle on his body by investing mana.

    To do so, an enormous amount of mana would be required...

    But fortunately for Kaylen, he had just that amount of mana available.

    ‘The Mana Stones from the Florence family.’

    One high-grade Mana Stone.

    Five medium-grade Mana Stones.

    With that amount of mana, it would be more than enough to form a new circle.

    ‘That family is really helping me a lot.’

    Originally, Lina de Florence, the true owner of Kaylen’s body, who had used him without hesitation, now appeared almost... appealing in his eyes.

    ‘I’ll make good use of it.’

    Three days later, Kaylen was able to inscribe another circle onto his body.

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]