Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The origins of the Onyx Square trace back to a secret technique passed down by a Grand Master from the East.

Grand Master.

It is a title bestowed upon the strongest who have reached a realm beyond human reach…

In the realm of magic, it represents the 10th Circle.

In the realm of the sword, it was a stage where one could manifest Sword Qi that transcended even a Sword Master.

“…Actually, that’s nothing but nonsense.”

However, there was a woman who clicked her tongue and challenged this background—Professor McCally, the head of the Onyx Square School.

Inside a training ground prepared for practice.

She was currently adjusting her horn-rimmed glasses, explaining the school’s history and goals to Khal, the student she had recently taken as a disciple.

“The Onyx Square Mana Cultivation Method aims to awaken the innate properties of the mana that a person is born with.”

“Properties?”

“For example, something like this.”

She poured mana into beans placed in a prepared bowl.

As the shimmering crimson mana permeated the beans, the once-still beans began to sprout with a cracking sound.

“…My goodness.”

Lily, who was observing the lesson, let out an involuntary exclamation of awe.

Khal immediately grasped what she was trying to convey.

“So, you’re saying the property of the Little Professor’s mana is ‘growth,’ and the way you awakened that property is through this current mana cultivation method?”

Snap!

“Oho. You crazy disciple. How much longer are you going to call your master by the nickname ‘Little Professor’?”

“Want me to correct it?”

“Sigh, forget it. Do as you please.”

‘What an insolent disciple,’ McCally muttered to herself, letting the matter go.

In the first place, her relationship with Khal was not a typical master-disciple bond.

It was a relationship where they filled each other’s deficiencies.

Today was the first time she had explained the school’s background. However, if practicing based on the mana manual they were currently researching counted as a lesson, more than ten days had already passed since they began.

McCally narrowed her eyes and looked at Khal.

‘It’s no exaggeration to say his sense for handling mana is purely instinctive.’

Khal’s case was entirely different from anyone she had seen before.

The majority of people reach their pinnacle by accumulating mana within the body and tempering it into a mana suitable for themselves.

But for some reason, the trajectory of this man’s mana was worlds apart from others.

Though the quantity of mana was small, its concentration was excessively dense and filled with such majesty that it was almost chilling.

It was a dangerous mana that could collapse the body itself if not perfectly controlled.

If she succeeded in refining this mana into usable power, McCally’s research would advance exponentially.

‘Ultimately, the reason this man came here was to find me.’

The reason she didn’t bother asking Khal about the true identity of the mana he possessed was…

Because she knew Khal was reluctant to share it.

If Khal were to leave because of a troublesome question, it would be a devastating loss for her.

Who in the world would slaughter a goose that lays golden eggs?

It was simply a matter of neither side crossing each other’s lines.

Grin.

As things reached this point, McCally’s heart began to flutter with excitement.

‘It’s a first.’

The suffocating competition with those steeped in elitism.

And the task of succeeding the research of a strange school that no one recognized had been thankless and only added to her suffering until now.

‘Still, since it’s a task Her Majesty the Queen requested, I must revive this school no matter what.’

For the first time since inheriting the school, she smiled triumphantly and spoke to Khal.

“Crazy disciple. It would be best for you to focus on awakening your mana properties as much as possible until the academic conference is held.”

At those words, Khal frowned and spoke as he handed back the mana manual and mana circuit diagram she had given him yesterday.

“The mana circuit diagram you drew yesterday—it’s wrong in about three places, so go ahead and fix it.”

“Kraaaaagh! I take back everything I said about you being a blessing! You really are obnoxious, you brat!”

McCally exploded in rage once again, shouting at the top of her lungs.

Bickering.

Lily’s face was full of worry as she watched Khal and McCally trade barbs.

‘The level is just too high.’

At first, she had approached Khal out of curiosity as to why he was the top student.

But after watching him for these ten days, Kalliant Stark truly deserved to be the top student.

His personality was completely eccentric and arrogant beyond measure.

However, compared to the students of the Sceletus School who generally looked down on the weak, the quality of his character was fundamentally different.

If someone picked a fight, he would thoroughly crush them so they could never crawl back up, but he never looked down on the weak for no reason.

Most of all, though McCally likely hadn’t noticed, one could occasionally glimpse his kindness through his maid, who delivered meals to ensure the professor didn’t skip them.

Rustle.

Even now, on the mana circuit diagram that McCally was examining with an indignant expression, there were detailed notes on exactly why her theory had gone astray.

…Even a cursory glance showed the depth of the critique.

Among the students, excluding Deses, there wasn’t a single one who could debate with a professor to that extent.

Even for her, the Second Princess, it was an impossible feat.

‘I’m jealous.’

Lily was swept by jealousy once again, but she barely swallowed the negative emotion and focused on learning.

“Professor, I have a question.”

“Hmph, what is it?”

The sulking McCally looked at Lily, and Lily asked what had been on her mind honestly.

“The other seven schools of Partes are classified according to mana properties. How is the property pursued by Onyx Square different from the other schools?”

McCally adjusted her glasses with a serious gaze and began her explanation.

“For example, it’s like this. A person’s life changes based on their temperament and personality. You know what that means, right, Lily?”

Lily nodded and answered McCally’s question.

“I learned that temperament is an innate trait one is born with, while personality is a coping mechanism one can acquire through life. For instance, a person with a fierce temperament can practice having a calm personality, and an introverted person can develop an extroverted personality through practice.”

“It’s a similar context. Classifying mana into attributes like Void, the Four Elements, the Sun, or the Moon is the method of other schools. What Onyx Square pursues is awakening the unique property of the mana that the user themselves possesses through the mana tempering method. For example…”

Pull.

McCally reached out and pulled the cheek of Khal, who was sitting quietly and listening.

Snap!

Veins bulged on Khal’s forehead, but McCally resumed the conversation without a care.

“Assuming this crazy disciple’s mana attribute is fire, he possesses a property as fierce as a raging forest fire. But is a forest fire the only kind of fire there is?”

“…No. A candle flame burns very quietly, and a flame used for cooking is gentle and steady… Ah!”

While answering, Lily finally realized what McCally was trying to say.

What the Onyx Square School truly pursued was the inherent nature of the mana.

In the case of other schools, they decide on a target attribute and teach students accordingly. On the other hand, Onyx Square helps the student awaken and develop the unique nature of the mana they already possess.

Lily naturally realized the vision of the Onyx Square School.

‘…Depending on how it’s applied, you could find the perfect education method from an early age and make someone grow in an instant.’

She felt like she understood why Isilia was spending so much of the budget to revive this school.

“I’m quite a trusted individual, you know.”

When Lily looked at her with awe-filled eyes, McCally gave an innocent smile.

Then, as if slightly embarrassed, she avoided her disciples’ gazes.

Pat.

At that moment, Khal placed his hand on McCally’s head and spoke.

“I’ll give you credit. I’ll help you with all my might until you reach the results you want.”

Snap!

McCally tensed her facial muscles and exploded in anger once again.

“Oh really! You crazy disciple! You must be quite bored. Is this the start of round two? I’ll take you on! Come at me!”

She threw punches at Khal with her short arms.

As if he had expected it, Khal placed his hand on her forehead and kept her at a distance.

“…They really are master and disciple, right?”

Lily’s face was filled with worry as she watched the scene with an exasperated expression.

* * *

After the lecture with McCally ended, Khal began to earnestly train his mana cultivation method as he had been taught.

Rip!

On the first day of training, a calendar page was torn away.

On the first day he began tempering his mana based on McCally’s research, he started learning the improved cultivation method, ‘Onyx Square.’

In the process, his mana surged violently in reverse, causing him to vomit blood.

McCally, who was watching from the side, was restless with worry before she finally managed to stabilize him.

Rip!

On the third day of training, another calendar page was torn away.

When he reflexively came to his senses, he had reached the 1-Star Grade of Onyx Square, and the impurities settled in his body were expelled.

His body became even lighter, and the mana that had seemed on the verge of running wild transformed into refined mana.

There were clear results, but due to the influence of achieving 1-Star, he suffered all day from a high fever.

Rip!

On the tenth day of training, another calendar page was torn away.

Khal bickered with McCally, who criticized him for being reckless. Still, following his master’s advice to look at the forest rather than the trees, he examined his body as a whole, spreading the turbulent mana throughout every corner to suppress the side effects.

Rip!

One month into training, another calendar page was torn away.

As his control over mana grew stronger, his physical abilities rose to a surprising degree.

Even after practicing basic martial arts training all day in the common classes, he didn’t feel tired; instead, he felt a surge of vitality.

His once meager body gradually gained definition and bulk.

Rip!

Another week passed, and calendar pages were torn away in succession.

Before long, only one day remained until the academic conference.

Khal’s growth was smooth, but McCally’s expression turned dark.

It was because Khal had yet to awaken the mana property, which was the core of the thesis she had to present at the conference.

Khal himself was aware of this and was gripped by anxiety.

‘How annoying.’

It was anger directed at himself, not McCally.

Because he had never lived as a weakling, he was experiencing for the first time how rewarding yet frustrating growth could be.

Furthermore, he didn’t want to see his master, McCally, look disappointed.

While he was tempering his mana in a lotus position…

“That’s enough for now.”

Shhh.

At McCally’s declaration to stop, Khal narrowed his brows and looked at her.

She gave a clear and cheerful smile as she spoke.

“Crazy disciple. You’re doing well enough. If you overload your body, I’m the one who will get blamed. Take a rest today.”

“…Fine.”

Khal wiped away the sweat drenching his forehead and bit his lower lip in frustration.

“Go on then.”

Pat, pat.

McCally patted Khal’s head and then returned to her laboratory.

“This leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

Watching her gaunt back as she walked away, Khal scowled.

* * *

A full day passed, and the day for presenting research topics at the conference finally dawned.

Lily was more concerned about the Onyx Square research than her own school’s, so she eventually went to find McCally early in the morning.

Creak!

“Professor, are you all ready?”

Lily, who had opened the door and intended to greet her warmly as usual, suddenly froze with a stiff face as she scanned McCally’s room.

The first thing that caught her eye was the writing scrawled across the entire wall of the laboratory.

「GET LOST. YOU USELESS LEECH!」

Furthermore, the thesis that McCally had worked so hard to prepare was torn to shreds.

“…”

Whatever she was thinking, McCally was staring blankly at the scene.

Grit!

“Who on earth did this?! I’ll go call the inspection committee right now!!!”

As an infuriated Lily started to storm out, McCally grabbed her sleeve tightly.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s a waste, but I can just prepare it again.”

“How is it fine! You don’t even have a backup. What did you ever do to deserve this, Professor!”

“Well, it’s true that I’m a useless person. A useless person who just gobbles up the budget… It’s for the best. Let’s just give up and let it go. Don’t tell him. I’ll just say I prepared the thesis wrong and face a bit of embarrassment.”

“…Professor! Aren’t you furious? You’ve worked so hard until now.”

Lily looked at McCally, who was struggling to smile through eyes that seemed about to well up.

McCally’s mouth twitched as if to speak, but she couldn’t say anything before finally letting out a single word.

“…I am.”

Trickle.

Soon, the tears she had been holding back poured out uncontrollably, and Lily simply held McCally close.

* * *

The sound of McCally’s sobbing was faintly transmitted through the walls of the cabin.

However, the emotion reaching Khal’s heart was anything but faint.

Thrum, thrum!

Veins bulged all over Khal’s forehead as he was swept by fury.

He wanted to find the bastards who turned McCally’s research into a mess and tear them to pieces right this instant.

But McCally’s sorrow could not be resolved by the demon way of simply killing.

‘Find it. The best method of retaliation that only Kalliant Stark can pull off…’

Barely regaining his reason, Khal began to seek out his next move.