Eps 263 The Ogent Family's Circumstances (2)
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There’s none :)
Kuan was in the middle of a conversation with a female teacher. This teacher was also someone Reina had heard of through rumors.
It was none other than Kiyora Ellis, a renowned surgeon in the kingdom.
Ellis specialized in neural connections, a field known to be impossible without genius-level talent, even among surgical procedures.
However, Reina, who had begun to distrust the Kaizen Swordsmanship Academy, wondered if this reputation was just exaggerated.
If Ellis could really perform neural connections, then why was Kuan, standing right in front of her, still limping on one leg?
Kuan said something with a cold expression, causing Ellis to cover her mouth and laugh.
“Hahaha! So, you just showed up, had a meal, and left? Honestly, it’s so like you.”
“Shut up. Do that again, and I’ll kill you.”
Ellis patted Kuan on the back.
“Oh, come on, it’s nothing to get so angry about. A childhood friend is aging alone out of pity, so of course, this Noona had to step in. Besides, if it’s Oliver Sienna, she’s a perfect bride candidate.”
Kuan recalled what happened a few days ago.
He had gone out, saying he had an important appointment, only to find that Ellis had set up a matchmaking meeting.
The opponent was Oliver Sienna, a mage currently attending the Alpheas Magic Academy.
From the start, it was clear nothing would come of it, as she seemed to be there under family pressure as well.
Of course, she wasn’t tactless enough to let such feelings show, but if she had truly liked him, wouldn’t her eyes have given her away?
“She was a good person. Refined and all.”
“Oh?”
Ellis was genuinely surprised.
Kuan had never once complimented a woman before. In his youth, he had been obsessed with the sword, and after injuring his achilles tendon, he lost interest in the world entirely.
For him to say someone was a “good person” was practically the highest praise.
“So, you liked her? In that case, I’ll set up another meeting…!”
At the sight of Kuan’s eyes gleaming with murderous intent, Ellis shrank back in fear.
Kuan was someone you absolutely didn’t mess with in moments like this.
On the other hand, Ellis couldn’t help but feel sorry for her friend.
If Kuan had liked Sienna, he should have taken action then and there. But knowing his personality, he would never do something like that.
‘Could it be... did she pick on him because of his leg?’
Even if Oliver Family was well-mannered by default, you never know.
Word had it that Sienna had been forced into the meeting, and more than anything, most of the time things between men and women are cases where they can't control their emotions.
‘What’s the big deal about a slight limp? Honestly, she has no eye for men.’
Kuan’s injury couldn’t be healed even with Ellis’s neural connection expertise. His ligament hadn’t just been torn; it had been completely severed.
When Kuan returned from the battlefield with a lost leg, Ellis had cried for days, overwhelmed by her helplessness.
Before he earned the title “Death Mage,” Kuan had been hailed as the “Incarnation of the Sword.” For such a man to lose a leg—his heartbreak must have been unimaginable.
A year later, Ellis offered Kuan a teaching position at the swordsmanship academy. She had made up her mind to fix his leg, no matter how long it took.
As such, she hated a woman named Sienna to death.
Though Ellis had never seen her, but as expected from an authority on ice magic, there was probably a chilling wind blowing around her.
Who does she think she is to reject Kuan?
Her taste in men was completely awful.
"Kuan, could it be that woman...!"
Reina approached, cutting off Ellis' words.
“Teacher Kuan!”
Kuan looked Reina up and down before asking indifferently,
“Who are you?”
"I'm Reina, Rian's sister! We had an appointment for a meeting today."
Kuan sipped his coffee and nodded.
"Ah, there was something like that."
Reina was at a loss.
A parent requested a meeting, and he says, "There was something like that."
With such an insincere teacher, it's no wonder he couldn't see Rian's true abilities and gave him a failing grade.
Ellis smiled brightly and gestured for them to take a seat.
"Oh, is that so? Rian is such a kind and righteous kid. Please, please, come this way. Would you like some coffee? Or perhaps some other tea?"
As Ellis spoke politely, Reina tried to calm her excitement.
That is, if Kuan didn’t throw fuel on the fire.
"So, what brings you here? It doesn't seem like Rian has any particular issues. He's still ignorant, still only doing strength training, still at the bottom of the class, haha."
As venom filled Reina's eyes, Ellis, noticing the atmosphere, quietly excused herself.
Based on past experience, she knew that the best course of action in such moments was to leave as quickly as possible.
Reina, thinking she'd hold it in just once, handed over the report card.
"Here, please look at this."
"Rian’s report card. The bottom of the class."
"As far as I’ve heard, Rian’s grades aren't falling behind the other students. So why is he failing? I'd like an explanation."
Kuan said as if it was nothing.
"He can't do Schema."
Reina was at a loss for words.
"Even so, how can you fail him just for that? I know how to do Schema too! But if I fought Rian right now, I'd probably lose! Are you judging students based on something as trivial as that?"
"If Ms. Reina had learned swordsmanship, you would indeed have defeated Rian."
Reina was speechless.
In the end, that was the point. For a swordsman, especially one who would lead hundreds or even tens of thousands of soldiers in the future, knowing Schema is essential.
"Still, how can you give him the lowest grade...?"
Tears welled up in Reina's eyes, overwhelmed with frustration.
She had practically raised her youngest brother, having lost their mother at an early age.
While her other brothers excelled, Rian could not escape from being at the bottom.
Just thinking about how frustrated her brother must feel made her heart sink.
They say that a woman's tears are a weakness for a man, but that wasn't the case for Kuan.
"He has no talent. At this rate, he won’t even be able to graduate. Even if he does graduate, who would hire a swordsman who can’t perform Schema? At best, he’d end up as a bodyguard for some nouveau riche. Lately, he’s been trying some nonsense called ‘Imaginary Schema,’ but from what I see, it’s useless. He has no sense for the sword at all."
Reina slammed the table with both hands and protested.
"I’ve looked into it too, Imaginary Schema! While it’s not academically verified, there’s definitely potential. I read in a book that it leads to something called Transcendence..."
“Ah, Divine Transcendence (신적초월).”
Kuan cut off Reina’s words.
Even the polite attitude he had maintained disappeared, and a faint murderous intent flickered in his eyes.
Divine Transcendence.
Transcending the physical body? What a ridiculous notion.
"Do you see my leg right now? I’m limping on one side. My achilles tendon was torn off. So I limp. The body is like a machine. Without parts, it cannot function. If Divine Transcendence were possible, I wouldn’t be limping. Imaginary Schema is merely about enhancing the brain through Schema’s formula. It’s not some kind of magic."
Reina didn’t want to talk any further. She couldn’t let her brother continue learning in an academy like this.
"I’ll start the transfer process. I’m taking Rian. Handle it now."
"Do you really think things will change at another academy?"
“I don’t think that’s something Mr. Kuan should worry about anymore. Whether my brother boils or roasts, our family will handle it."
Reina threw out the words as if making a proclamation and turned away.
The teachers who had been watching the situation shook their heads. This was already the seventh case of a parent transferring their child after a confrontation with Kuan.
As Reina walked away, Kuan muttered under his breath.
"I think it’s worth watching a little longer."
Reina's steps halted abruptly.
She turned around with a surprised expression, and Kuan, his face twisted in a scowl, added another word.
“If I may be as generous as possible, then yes.”
The teachers were bewildered.
Kuan, known for his notoriously bad temper, had never once tried to stop a departing student.
Reina walked back toward Kuan, grasping at straws, and asked,
"So... does that mean there’s still a possibility?”
Kuan scratched his head, seemingly annoyed.
"Listen, Ms. Reina. I know you’re a great musician. But swordsmanship isn’t an art. It’s purely a functional killing technique. The philosophy of swordsmanship is a privilege only those who reach the highest level can enjoy. Rian certainly lacks talent. But in terms of Imaginary Schema, there might be a chance."
"That’s exactly what I’ve been saying! So why did you lie about it?"
Kuan sighed.
"Imaginary Schema belongs to the realm of willpower. It’s not something that can be scientifically proven, but any swordsman who has spent enough time on the battlefield experiences it at least once. I believe it exists. But for that very reason, no one can force it. What Rian needs is more running and more swinging."
"So, you deliberately gave him the lowest grade? To make him practice more?"
"To put it simply, yes, that’s about it."
Reina shook her head.
"Do you really think that makes sense? And what about his grades? Even if he graduates, how can a bottom-ranking student become a commander?"
Kuan picked up Rian’s report card from the table.
Next to the "last place" ranking were the scores from the various tests Rian had taken.
"What exactly is the problem? Rian currently has 1.8 times the strength of a student who can perform Schema. Particularly, the strength of his dominant right arm is 3.7 times stronger. This is an extremely rare case, and the academy has been paying close attention. It seems he experienced some kind of awakening during the break..."
Reina recalled Rian bragging after he returned from Galliant Island.
If Kuan was saying this much, maybe her brother's stories weren't all just nonsense.
"For a swordsman, that’s enough. Grades don’t guarantee a swordsman’s survival. It’s not like enemies on the battlefield will spare the top student and kill the one ranked last."
Reina slowly lowered her head.
"B- But then, what if Rian gets discouraged...?"
Kuan looked at Reina with a pitying expression.
Well, how could someone who spends all day with musical instruments understand the mindset of someone who wields a sword?
"Ms. Reina, if Rian were the type to get discouraged by grades, he wouldn’t be capable of Imagination Schema, nor would he be able to train hard enough to achieve these strength levels. These records are the result of sheer effort. I don’t know how well you know your brother, but right now, he’s pushing his body beyond human limits every single day. He’s practically dissecting his own body like it’s someone else’s. You can’t even imagine how painful that is. Do you think a grades like this would even be of any interest to someone whose every day is hell?”
Reina blinked in surprise.
She hadn’t known because he never showed it. Rian, who had always seemed so young, was enduring such painful training.
Kuan handed the report card back to Reina.
"Ah…."
As Reina accepted, Kuan turned around and said.
"Do whatever you want—take him or leave him. But it’d be better not to fill his head with nonsense about things like 'Divine Transcendence.' That’s the only way that kid can make a living with his sword. Since no one can bear that pain for him, it’s best you keep quiet."
Reina looked down at the report card.
Last place.
But next to that was the record of the numbers Rian had achieved.
She could now picture Rian, swinging his sword until his muscles tore, all for the sake of improving by 0.1 points.
Reina clutched the report card in both hands and bowed her head to Kuan.
"I ask for your continued guidance and support for Rian."
Kuan simply furrowed his brows without answering.
@
As Reina left the teacher’s office, she felt lighthearted for the first time in a long while.
Up until now, thoughts of her brother had weighed heavily on her, but this meeting had given her hope, and she was relieved.
‘Yes, if a man decides to do something, he should climb all the way to the top. If it’s Divine Transcendence, he could even aim to become a Great Sword Master.’
While her heart fluttered with excitement, she didn’t forget Kuan’s advice.
Never let Rian notice.
For someone enduring grueling training every day, even words of encouragement could break their will.
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