Chapter 43

Chapter 43

***

The next morning, Sirone headed to the training ground early. Unlike usual, many students were already there. It looks like everyone’s thinking the same thing.

With training for the practical evaluation starting today, the atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm. The exam subjects varied by class. For Sirone’s class, the subject was targeting, which was also known as “speed gun.”

“Ugh, it’s non-stop practice for speed gun from now until the evaluation. It’s the subject I’m least confident in,” one student grumbled. “Target form users have it much easier given their huge advantage.”

“That’s not necessarily the case,” another student countered. “While the target form excels in precision shots, the evaluation subjects us to relentless waves of targets. Switching to the attack form to obliterate everything might be a more effective strategy.”

“That’ll just exhaust you too quickly. It seems like the target form or the attack form are the only sensible choices for this exam. I doubt anyone would use the isolation form. How would they take down all the targets?”

“There are exceptions, like Iruki. He might use the isolation form again,” someone chimed in.

“Ha! Unless he’s a fool, why would he? But I’m curious about Sirone. He’s strong in actual combat. Maybe he’ll find a way through with his defense form again.”

Despite not being at the top of their class, Sirone and Iruki’s names were often mentioned. It was a testament to their star quality and the anticipation that they might pull off something spectacular during the bi-monthly practical evaluation.

Meanwhile, Sirone was anxious. Far from feeling strong in actual combat, he hadn’t yet succeeded with Photon Emission. What should I do? I’m so lost.

Suddenly, chaos erupted at the other end of the training ground. The sound of a dog barking drew attention, especially from the girls, while the boys ran over to investigate.

“What’s going on? How did it get in?” someone asked.

“It must be a stray dog from the mountains. But why is it barking like that?” another wondered.

As more people gathered, the dog snarled as it felt threatened. Students from Class Seven started throwing stones at it.

“Hey! Get lost! You’re bringing bad luck!” they shouted.

The upperclassmen didn’t intervene, thinking the dog was just like any wild animal and aggressive with people. However, after carefully listening to the dog’s howling, Sirone ran toward the commotion, visibly surprised.

“Wait! Don’t throw stones!”

Mark quickly stepped forward. “Hey, hey! Take it easy. He says to stop.”

The students from Class Seven paused, and Sirone confidently approached the growling dog with Mark close behind.

“Mister Sirone, it’s dangerous,” he cautioned. “That’s a wild dog.”

“Even if it’s wild, dogs don’t easily attack people. They’d rather run away.”

“But it’s barking so fiercely!”

“That might be because...”

The dog growled in a low tone but hesitated to attack and backed away instead. Sirone, maintaining eye contact, carefully pushed the dog back into the woods. There, as he had suspected, lay a puppy with an injured leg struggling in the grass.

“It’s hurt its leg,” Sirone observed. Poor thing.”

“Huh? You’re right! Guys! There’s a puppy—”

“Don’t call others over just yet,” Sirone interrupted. “Even if it’s just a dog, you never know how it’ll react when its pup is in danger.”

“Oh, I see. Never mind! Stay back, everyone!”

“Can you find someone who can cast healing spells? Perhaps from Class Five?” Sirone asked.

Seryel would have been an excellent choice, but he hesitated to call upon an upperclassman, no matter how close they were.

“Maria knows healing spells. Just a moment. I’ll bring her over.”

Maria, who had completed her disciplinary action and was now under Thad’s mentorship, had shown noticeable improvement in her spirits.

“What happened here?” she asked, concerned.

“It probably got in a fight over territory. Do you think you can use your healing magic to help it?” Sirone asked.

“Of course. That’s not a difficult task.”

Having been a student at the school from a young age, Maria possessed a wide array of magic skills. After the healing, the rejuvenated puppy yipped and pranced around joyfully. As the puppy and its mother departed, Sirone turned to see the underclassmen who had been observing in awe with pleased expressions.

“Amazing, Mister Sirone. How did you know?” one asked.

“I spent a considerable amount of time living in the mountains,” he explained.

“Really? You did?” another asked with surprise.

Only a select few were aware of Sirone’s upbringing in the wilderness.

“Yeah. Animals cry differently when they have young ones. They sound... almost mournful. My father and I stumbled upon a red bear on a hunt once. The creature was known to be dangerous, and although it was trapped in a large snare, it was so strong that it was about to break free. My father had his bow drawn, ready to shoot, when suddenly...”

The underclassmen listened attentively.

“My father lowered his bow. I found it strange and asked him why.” Sirone fondly reminisced about that moment.

“Dad, why aren’t you catching it?” Sirone had asked.

Vincent had crouched down, pointing toward the bush. “Look over there.”

Upon closer inspection, Sirone had seen a baby bear whining beside its trapped mother.

“We don’t hunt animals when they have young ones. The love for family is the same among humans and beasts.”

“But that means we’re passing up on a prime opportunity. There’s a great catch right in front of us.”

Vincent stroked Sirone’s head gently. “Just like that bear has its cub, I have you. As a parent, how could I ignore that? The struggle for survival is the same for both humans and animals. But we shouldn’t do such things in front of our children. It’s an unwritten rule that applies to all life.”

Sirone couldn’t put it into words at the time, but he had felt something warm and indelible etching into his heart. It was something that wouldn’t fade for a lifetime.

The students were touched by Sirone’s story and murmured in admiration.

“Wow, that’s incredible,” one said.

Even nobles took pleasure in hunting, which made it hard for the noble offspring to imagine that Sirone’s story stemmed from his experience as a woodsman’s child rather than as one of their own.

“What an amazing father,” another student commented.

“Yeah, that explains Sirone’s kind nature,” someone added.

As the classmates shared their thoughts, Iruki appeared, his words instantly dampening the mood. “That’s a naive view. Hunters don’t spare animals for sentimental reasons.”

His blunt words caused a ripple of discomfort among the underclassmen.

Undeterred by their reactions, Iruki continued, “Choosing not to kill an animal with young is more about preventing future generations from developing aggression toward humans. It’s known as imprinting in zoology. If the offspring learn to harbor hostility toward humans, it becomes hereditary, complicating future hunting endeavors. But even killing the offspring risks hindering the animal’s future reproduction.”

Sirone frowned in frustration. Whether Iruki’s statement held truth or not, he had hoped to convey a sentiment beyond mere zoology.

“How can you say something so insensitive? Some hunters may think that way, but most release animals out of genuine compassion,” Sirone said.

“Heart, emotions, compassion... Those can be spun any way you like. I’m talking about reality. I don’t delude people with foolish idealism like you do.”

“What? Delude? Are you done?” Sirone snapped.

With that, he marched toward Iruki, reigniting the argument they had previously in the Paranormal Science Club.

The surrounding students looked on, bewildered.

“What’s happening? Did something happen between them? They seem like they’ve been at odds for ages,” a confused student whispered.

“It’s probably rivalry,” another speculated. “They’re both likely candidates for the next advancement in Class Five.”

Sirone’s gaze hardened, but Iruki appeared distracted, lost in his own thoughts.

“Hey, hey! Enough, you two! The professor is about to arrive, so let’s cut it out and regroup.” Nade’s timely intervention prevented the argument from escalating further.

Yet, Sirone remained vexed. What’s his problem? He was frustrated by Iruki’s apparent disregard for the deeper implications of their discussions, be it about explosions or animal hunting. Forget it. I’m done trying to talk to him.

As class time neared, Professor Etala made her entrance onto the training ground. Her appearance, likely due to the evaluation period, caught everyone off guard. She wore a short-sleeved training outfit with shorts that revealed her legs. It was a stark contrast to her usual attire, and notably, her glasses were absent.

The students couldn’t help but wonder how someone could look so different. She had always been likable, but now her presence was almost overwhelming, making it challenging to even start a conversation.

“Attention, everyone. As you’re aware, special training starts today. Due to scheduling at the practice grounds, Class Five will be the first to undergo the speed gun. From tomorrow, each class will have designated times, so please remember your schedules. To kick off today’s lesson, we have a demonstration from our teaching assistant, Sanuel. Please come forward.”

Sanuel, a blonde and strikingly handsome young man in his early twenties with hair cascading down to his waist, stepped beside Professor Etala.

“Saneul, our teaching assistant for today, is from the graduating class. He specializes in incantation and is here specifically to demonstrate skills crucial for enhancing the Spirit Zone, so please pay close attention.”

The students, particularly the girls, greeted Sanuel’s introduction with enthusiastic applause.

“I’m delighted to meet you all,” Sanuel addressed the class warmly. “It feels like it was just yesterday that I was sitting where you are now. Although my skills might not be exceptional, I hope my demonstration will enrich your learning.”

Sirone’s interest was piqued at the mention of the graduating class. It was an opportunity to see the caliber of students Amy was competing against. As Sanuel expanded his Spirit Zone from the Image Zone, audible gasps filled the air. A sphere with a diameter of forty-two meters enveloped him, roughly the same size as Sirone’s.

“Incantation is a form of magic that amplifies spells through the power of words,” Sanuel explained. “First, I’ll demonstrate a spell without incantation for comparison. Let’s begin with a spell called Tornado.”

Effortlessly lifting his hands, Sanuel conjured a brief yet intense whirlwind, leaving the students awestruck.

“I-it’s so fast,” one student murmured, astounded by the stark difference in proficiency compared to the same spell some had learned.

Sanuel, with a kind smile, addressed the class, “Remember the power of the tornado I just summoned. Now, I’ll enhance that same spell using incantation, which harnesses the power of words. By channeling the intent within language, we fortify a mage’s mental strength.” He then began to recite a carefully crafted eight-line poem, “O Land of Exuberance, I beseech your might, gently guide my hand. Let the heavens witness, as the saga of eons is seized in an instant. When the power of the void nestles within my grasp...”

The atmosphere suddenly resembled that of a literature class, resulting in yawns and weary expressions from some students.

Unfazed, Sanuel continued to the end of the poem. Then, with a measured motion, he raised his hands and announced, “Tornado.”

The whirlwind rose with a tremendous roar, leaving the students breathless. The dense wind swirled around Sanuel, his figure flickering like a mirage amid the chaos. A hushed awe fell over the crowd.

“This is the power of incantation. Language is infused with purpose, and relishing that purpose enhances the mind. To speak and to reflect—this is the essence of incantation.”

The students exhaled, thawing from the gust of wind that had enveloped them.

Sanuel, with a smile on his face, continued, “Now, let’s move on to the actual demonstration.”