The Academy’s Barbarian
Chapter 50: The Eve Before The Storm (2)

Istan el Deorg.

Upon hearing that Istan El Deorg, one of the Five Swords of the Empire, would be visiting the Arsene Academy, Professor Berge called an emergency meeting of those involved in the matter.

Ethan Arnoff.

Stella Natalia.

Deflyn Chernihiv.

Those who knew of the military's plan.

At the same time, they were also the ones who had seen Ulan's mishap at the recent competition firsthand.

"......1 hour ago, Count Deorg announced his intention to visit the Academy through the military."

The Head of the Military Department, Berge Erkazan looked at the three men and women with a stern face, "I don't need to explain the reason, do I?"

The three nodded in silence; because there was only one reason.

"Is he, by any chance, coming up from the Count's estate?"

"No. We've been contacted by a Command Center on the Southern Border, so he’s probably coming from the Desert."

"That's good to know," Ethan quietly sighed in relief.

It would take three days to reach here from the Count's territory by horse. On the other hand, it would take at least a fortnight to get here from the southern border at the fastest speed.

So.......

"We need to come up with a plan within a fortnight," Berge’s eyes flashed fiercely.

Ethan was quick to respond, "First of all, we need to make sure that the Count does not meet Ulan."

"That's right. Even if he is a cold-hearted person, his only child is injured."

Stella nodded in agreement.

Count Deorg, as she had mentioned, had a reputation for being extremely rational and cold.

So much so, in fact, that during his time as a commander on the Southern Front, the desert heretics referred to him as the Ice Golem.

'For he was known to take no prisoners.’

In all his years as a field commander across the Empire's borders, he has never received a single enemy surrender or capitulation.

He was the Empire's sword, who executed all enemies with an ice-cold gaze, like a golem, without showing any emotion.

That was Count Deorg.

'And.......'

Stella, too, had seen Count Deorg when she was serving on the Eastern Front.

Her impression at the time was…

‘...a dangerous man.’

She felt a sense of obsession and madness from the Count.

Although she didn't know the details, it was clear that he was obsessed with something; and it was so strong that it was scary. That's why she personally didn't like him very much.

"I see. I hear you."

As Stella was reminiscing about the past,

Berge soon asked a question.

"But how are we going to make sure they don't run into each other? Since he's visiting the academy, he's going to try to find Ulan somehow?"

"How about putting him in solitary confinement?"

"Solitary confinement?"

"No outsiders, even if they’re a parent, are allowed to stay on campus for more than a week."

These were the rules of the Academy.

Except for students, professors, and those working for the academy, outsiders could only stay on campus for a maximum of one week.

"So you want to lock Ulan up for the time being?"

"Yes, then they won't meet...?"

"No, they'll definitely meet."

But at that moment,

Ethan shook his head. He interrupted Stella, and then continued, "Even if he's in solitary confinement, if the Count insists on seeing Ulan, we have no reason to refuse."

Moreover, the Count was in the realm of a Master; if he barged into the cell, there weren't many who could stop him. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"So, we have to hide him thoroughly. So thoroughly that the Count cannot find him, or even if he finds him, he cannot go to see him easily," Ethan's eyes glowed intensely.

Berge, on the other hand, looked troubled.

"Hmm, I suppose you have a point, but I'm not sure there's any place that's good enough for that..."

"The Fountain of Magic, Arsen."

And that moment…,

…the one who had been silent so far spoke up — Deflyn Chernihiv, Head of the Magic Department.

Twirling her fingers through her apricot-colored hair, she continued, "We have a temporary situation room set up there for the investigation of the recent disappearance case, right? Why don't we hide him there?"

As soon as Deflyn's answer was finished, Ethan and Stella's eyes widened.

"Surely if it's the Fountain of Magic..."

"It wouldn't be easy to access, would it? He would need permission from Head Chernihiv to enter the fountain!"

This was indeed a subtle move.

The Fountain of Magic was a place jointly managed not only by the Academy, but also by the Empire and the Kingdom Alliance.

Unauthorized entry would not only violate academy regulations but also incur the anger of nations worldwide.

"Not bad. Do you have any justification?"

Berge asked, and Deflyn waited for a nod before answering, "I suppose we could pretend that there's an investigation going on in connection with the disappearances, or I could explain it to Count Deorg myself."

"You'll do it yourself?"

"Yes, I'm a little familiar with the Count."

"Hmm, well, if you can do that, then we'll have a de facto plan in place......."

Berge trailed off.

All the mages he knew were ungrateful and demanded a price for everything they did.

The same could be said for Deflyn.

So he asked with his eyes. If you want something, say it now. When Deflyn noticed this, she immediately smiled, "Hehe, on one condition, of course."

"What is it?"

"I want to borrow Ulan."

A rather outlandish price.

Bergé scratched his head, "Hmm? Ulan?"

"About three days will be enough."

"Why?"

"I have some personal research I need to do, and I think I can finish it ahead of schedule if Ulan helps me."

As soon as the detailed reason was revealed…,

…Ethan and Stella questioned.

"If that's all it is, there's no need to ask the Head for cooperation, is there?"

"That's right. You can just ask Ulan for help later, I think..."

Then, given Ulan's personality, he would be willing to cooperate.

Stella was sure of that. Berge sensed the oddity, too, and asked with an incredulous look, "Is this dangerous research?"

"Not at all, I swear."

After shaking his head, Deflyn let out a short sigh, "Phew, I've actually earned Ulan's hatred."

"Hatred? Why?"

"I think it's because of an accident that happened during the specialty test."

The incident in question had already been mentioned — how a mana golem went on a rampage and nearly killed a student

Of course, this was self-inflicted. Because it was Deflyn who caused the golem to go berserk. But there was no way that Berge, Ethan, or Stella could know this fact.

"He’s been avoiding me ever since, so even if I wanted to ask for his cooperation, I can't."

Deflyn deliberately faked a despondent expression.

And it worked.

"If that's the case, then I understand. Then I'll reduce your suspension a bit, and replace it with volunteer work in your lab."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, but in return, you will be responsible for handling Count Deorg. Is that acceptable?"

"Of course!"

Her face lit up with excitement.

The day had finally come when she could take Ulan to her lab, and through legal means at that! Her eyes sparkled with anticipation when—

— "......Head," Ethan abruptly spoke up, his expression somewhat rigid.

“I have something else to report.”

"Hmm? What's it about?"

"It's about mock battles."

Ethan sighed briefly before explaining what had happened before he came here.

A moment later, Berge furrowed his brow.

"What? Withdrawals?"

"Yes, Dilia Arpen, Ibella Elearde, and Noah Darshen. With the withdrawal of these three students, there are currently vacancies.”

“What was the reason for their withdrawal?”

“Hmm, that’s it....”

As Ethan continued his report with a sigh, Deflyn was lost in thought.

One of the three withdrawees — it was about Noah.

‘Noah Darshen.’

The barbarian shaman who'd enrolled with Ulan.

And yesterday, she was the girl who faced Deflyn’s disciple, Dilia, in the finals of the preliminary rounds.

‘Aah, it was really amazing, wasn’t it?’

Deflyn’s eyes shone brightly.

She had never seen a shaman cast a spell so quickly before.

And judging from the match yesterday, it seemed that Noah also possessed a similar talent to Dilia.

‘A person blessed by mana.’

A genius that appears once in a hundred years.

Deflyn’s eyes were filled with greed.

‘This is an opportunity from heaven.’

Unlike Dilia, Noah has no noble bloodline or any significant power. In other words, it meant that there was no risk in experimenting with her.

So Deflyn made up her mind.

Sooner or later, she'll contact Noah, get to know her, and use her for various experiments.

'But for now.......'

Ulan took precedence. She was curious about her talent —blessed by mana— but more than that, she was even more curious about Ulan’s body that had two mana vessels.

‘Anyway, there’s plenty of time.’

There was no need to be impatient.

Just as she was calming her mind—

Snick!

—one of her pointed ears twitched.

"Huh?"

His eyes widened slightly.

After a moment, Deflyn's gaze focused beyond the window onto the vast forest.

'What was that...?'

In a brief moment, she detected a phenomenon where the flow of mana twisted and distorted violently. The location was none other than the enormous forest known as the "Eastern Forest."

That place would serve as the stage for the mock battles taking place a month from now.

'Who would do this?'

The flow of mana wouldn't be distorted unless it was in an unusual place, like the Fountain of Magic. Unless someone artificially interferes.

'Someone intentionally caused this, but what could be the purpose?'

Her curiosity was piqued; however, her attention was soon drawn elsewhere.

She involuntarily wrinkled her nose.

Just like the unusual mana phenomenon from the Eastern Forest, a peculiar scent wafted from there.

'This smell is definitely.......'

…Of a mage who had reached a powerful level.

…A scent that only those who have roamed the battlefield can smell. It is the lingering scent of a beast.

'That's quite a powerful presence.’

Deflyn scratched her head, wondering if there was a beast in the Academy with such a strong presence.

As she pondered this unusual occurrence, Berge's voice suddenly broke her reverie, "Head Chernihiv?"

"Huh, yes?"

"Is there anything out there?"

"Uhm, no, it's nothing."

It was far from nothing; it was a significant event. Having a beast inside the academy was a considerable security risk. If left unchecked, a student might become a victim, or worse, a catastrophic incident could occur during the mock battles.

But Deflyn just laughed.

"For some reason, I thought it was going to rain."

And she decided.

To just pretend not to know.

If she were to report this information, there was a high chance she would be assigned to investigate immediately. It was a risky endeavor with no apparent benefits.

'I hate troublesome things.'

After a while.

The flow of mana subsided again. The reverberations of the beast had also disappeared, meaning that there was no immediate danger of it appearing.

'So.......'

For now, let's just focus on Ulan.

With this rather selfish judgment, Deflyn smiled once more.

Then, she pretended to listen attentively to the discussion about the withdrawing students.

✦ ✦ ✦

Meanwhile, around that time…

The two-hour-long statement investigation had just concluded. The inspector, who had been filling out the statements in his notebook, nodded as if he understood, "I see. So that's what happened."

Ulan and Himmel. Everything that had transpired between them, every conversation and situation, had been meticulously documented in the notebook, complete with an audio recording.

"I heard you. If all of your statements are true, the punishment will be much lighter."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"However, based on these statements, I'll need to convene the committee again. Until then, I hope you will abide by the conditions I mentioned earlier."

"Understood. I'll keep that in mind."

Ulan replied matter-of-factly.

The Inspector seemed satisfied and smiled. "I'll be back soon. Rest up."

Now it was time for the military to take action. They would use the statements they had collected to build a plausible explanation for Ulan's actions. With this goal in mind, the Inspector left the room…

Kiiik! Kwang!

…and the door slammed shut behind him.

Ulan remained lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. He recalled the discussion he had just had regarding the ‘restrictions.’

‘Restrictions on disciplinary suspension.’

At Arsene, disciplinary action was not just about halting one's studies. It included various restrictions and penalties.

Firstly, during the disciplinary period, a student was prohibited from attending all types of classes, including auditory lectures.

For new students who had just entered the academy, this was a rather severe measure. However, Ulan wasn't particularly concerned about it.

‘Secondly, there are restrictions on access to certain areas.’

During the 30-day disciplinary period, Ulan was not allowed to access any area except around the dormitory; not even the library or the cafeteria.

Therefore, he would be served meals three times a day directly by the assigned Inspector.

'Finally, the third thing is.......'

There were restrictions on contact with others.

This included not only students in the same class but also students from other departments and professors. Ulan's only contact would be with the assigned Inspector.

Just as he was thinking about the restrictions.

"........!"

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice outside the window.

He got up from his position and looked out the window, where he saw a familiar face.

"Why can't I go in?!"

It was Ibella, holding a thick book in her hand, engaged in a heated argument with the inspector.

"As I said before, Ulan Bator is under disciplinary action. He cannot have any contact with other students until his disciplinary period is over."

"I just wanted to say hello and tell him a few things, I'm not trying to do anything in particular."

"It's not allowed. Rules are rules."

But the Inspector was adamant; his expression didn't show any emotions, but he wasn't completely indifferent either.

"If you have something to say, tell me through me. I can allow that much."

"......."

Ibella made a pouty face.

Eventually, her shoulders sagged. She realized that meeting with Ulan would be difficult.

She said with a sigh, "Haah, I understand. Then please give this book to Ulan. Is this okay?"

"Of course. I'll deliver it right away."

The inspector accepted the thick book.

Afterward, Ibella looked in the direction of the dormitory with a wistful face and soon turned away.

A few minutes later…

Knock! Knock!

…someone knocked on the door. It was the Inspector who had stopped Ibella from entering earlier.

"It's lunch. And this is a book that a girl asked me to give you."

He handed over a thick book along with a tray of food. Ulan finished the meal as if it were a matter of course, then looked at the book.

"This book is called......."

The cover looked somehow familiar.

It said:

【Legendary Weapons in Myths (Revised Edition)】

This was the revised edition of a book that Ulan had borrowed from the library sometime before. It had also been recommended by Ibella at the time with a mention.

‘I remember she said that the weapons were organized by type and even provided information about their locations.’

Recalling the memories of that time, Ulan opened the book.

Just as Ibella had mentioned, the table of contents divided the weapons into sections by type — Swords. Spears. Bludgeons. Bows. Spellbooks. And many more.

{T/N:- Bludgeons = Blunt weapons.}

He even spotted the axe he frequently used.

"I suppose I won't be bored for a while."

Ulan laughed to himself, grateful to Ibella. He then turned to the page with information about the battle axe.

He flipped to the first page, and there it was, the first image he saw, a familiar weapon; an axe that looked big and heavy even in a picture—

— Aksid, known as the Axe of Giants.

This was the axe that Ulan had wielded in his previous life.

It was one of the masterpieces created by the legendary blacksmith, Master ‘K'kunta.’

True to its name, Aksid was incredibly heavy, to the point where it was almost impossible to wield with ordinary strength. So, before Ulan began using it as a weapon, it had been displayed as a symbol and sculpture at the Paladin Training Grounds in the Holy Kingdom.

'It was certainly a good weapon.’

Because it had been forged by a legendary master, the blessing bestowed on the axe was also extraordinary — that is, the blessing of immutability.

It did not rust even if it was not maintained for a long time, and the blade did not dull. It was a perfect weapon for Ulan, who traveled the battlefield as if he was eating a meal.

"But it wasn't immortal."

This was proven in his battle with the Largtan, the Giant King. It broke in the middle of the fight.

So in this life, he had wished for a sturdier weapon than the Axe of Giants. With a casual thought, he flipped through the pages, accompanied by a faint wind.

How much time had passed?

Ulan felt dizzy for a moment. He staggered for a moment, but soon realized the reason.

"I've been reading too much."

Before he knew it, he had read nine pages.

Even though about 80% of the content was images, Ulan had already surpassed his average information absorption limit.

In other words, he was at risk of information overload.

"Let's take a look at one more and then take a break."

He could still manage a bit more.

Pressing his finger to his temple, Ulan turned to the tenth page.

And at that moment...

…his crimson eyes gleamed.

"What's this..."

It was something a bit unusual — Two hand axes.

So far, each page had featured only one weapon, but here, two weapons were presented together.

After a moment, Ulan realized the reason.

【Twin Axes: Ose & Gula】

✧ The last masterpiece forged by the legendary master blacksmith K'kunta. Simultaneously considered a masterpiece and a 'freak' work that was shunned by warriors of the time.

The twin axes were named for a reason.

In other words, these two axes were meant to be used together.

Ulan's gaze was drawn more to the person who had crafted these axes than to the weapons themselves: the legendary master blacksmith, K'kunta, who had also crafted the Axe of Giants.

Did this pique his interest?

He meticulously read the descriptions of each axe, starting with the one with a pristine white blade.

‘Para Stone.’

It was a mineral that even Ulan remembered. Produced exclusively in the Holy Kingdom, it was said to contain the power of the gods and had properties that repelled magic.

Due to its scarcity, Para Stone was known as one of the most challenging minerals to obtain in the world.

'They said the Holy Sword was made of Para Stone.’

One of the Seven Heroes, Paladin Ian, had used Para Stone to forge the ‘Holy Sword Cadaron.’ Ulan looked at the axe with newfound interest.

After a while.

Ulan's gaze turned to the next axe.

Unlike the Axe of Destruction, this axe was entirely covered in a deep black color from hilt to blade.

The description went like this.

Ulan's eyes lit up.

There was only one reason. It was the words at the bottom of the description, 'Restoration Spell'.

‘It can be restored with magic?’

That meant that even if it broke, it could always be used again. While it might not be as sturdy as the Axe of Giants, it still aligned with his needs.

As long as he could use it again even after it broke, durability wasn't that important. Ulan stared at the final part of the description with a serious expression.

The reason the twin axes were shunned had nothing to do with Ulan. As someone born with incredible physical strength, he had confidence in his own power.

Just as he was engrossed in this…,

Drip! Drip!

…a sudden trickle of blood, nosebleed.

Along with a dizzy feeling, Ulan staggered from his seat. The dizziness was far more intense than before. It was the beginning of information overload.

But he couldn't stop reading.

He needed to know the most critical part—the location where the axes were kept.

Struggling to maintain his focus, he turned his head with great effort. When he confirmed the storage location for the Twin Axes, his eyes widened.

"......!"

His crimson eyes grew larger.

It was natural. The storage location was exceptionally familiar to Ulan.

【Storage Location: Fountain of Magic, Arsen】

✧ It is recorded as the last place seen. However, the detailed location is not known.

Was this a coincidence?

Or fate?

Either way, it didn't matter. The moment Ulan confirmed what the twin axes could do, and where they were kept, he had already made up his mind.

‘I will definitely obtain them.’

Even though he had no clues yet.

By gradually following the trail, he would undoubtedly find the Twin Axes someday.

With a clearer goal in mind and a satisfied smile on his lips—

—Ulan fell unconscious.

【Axe of Destruction, Ose】

✧ An axe forged from Para Stone.

✧ This axe, named after the god of judgment and punishment, Perose, has the power to interfere with magic or cut off the flow of mana, as it is made of Para Stone.

✧ Legend has it that if wielded by one who has reached the realm of a master, the sealed power will be released.

【Axe of Gluttony, Gula】

✧ An axe forged from the Craving Stone.

✧ This axe, named after the god of greed and predation, Grugula, has the power to absorb the opponent's mana through the blade, as its name suggests.

✧ Even if it is destroyed, it is said to be endowed with a ‘Restoration Spell’ that allows it to be restored to its original state at any time, as long as it contains enough mana.

The properties of the Para Stone and the Craving Stone were polar opposites; like the poles of a magnet, they repel each other, creating a strong magnetic force.

To wield both axes together, one needed to possess a power strong enough to resist this force, which was why they were referred to as 'freak' works.

(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )

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