Chapter 71

Chapter : 71

At Bishot’s words that she had completed the treatment, I headed to the club room. Bishot had finally completed the treatment for Elzenic Disease. In many ways, the treatment had served many roles, so it was disappointing.

In order to prevent Bishot from ending up with the male leads, the best method was to block their contact itself. After all, something could only happen if they at least saw each other’s faces.

While she was making the treatment for Elzenic Disease, she stayed shut inside the laboratory, so it had been very convenient. Now that this was ending too, the taste in my mouth turned bitter.

Bishot was waiting for me in the club room. I was about to ask if she had eaten, but judging by her expression, it seemed something unpleasant had happened. Faced with her murderous gaze, I immediately got to the point.

“Is this the medicine you said was complete?”

The moment I arrived, a test tube filled completely with liquid greeted me.

“Yes. The medicine is complete. As I explained before, I changed the mechanism of action so that instead of removing mana from the body, it separates it....”

Since it was all something I would not understand even if I heard it, I only bobbed my chin up and down, pretending to understand.

“You worked hard. Now only the clinical trial remains. Have you discussed when the clinical trial will begin?”

“After speaking with her, she says she would be fine starting today. However, because of issues related to records, it will be difficult to begin immediately, and perhaps... it will be possible next week.”

“Good. Then let us do that right away. May I leave this to you again?”

“Yes.”

After pushing the troublesome work onto her, I changed the topic.

“After the clinical trial for the medicine is finished later, what do you intend to do? Is there anything else you want to do?”

“I have no plans yet. I have been running while looking only at this. If nothing special happens, I think I will probably rest for a while.”

“I suppose so. You really have worked hard all this time.”

“No, this was something I wanted to do....”

Hm.

The conversation did not continue smoothly. The atmosphere was heavy. She had been like this last time too, but the sense that she found me uncomfortable had grown even stronger.

Today, her eyes were filled with as much hatred as when she had looked at me before entering the Academy. What had suddenly happened? I searched my memory for something I had done wrong or some mistake I had made, but nothing particular came to mind.

She must be in a bad mood today.

I tried to part with her before sparks flew at me for no reason.

“Then let us stop here for today and meet again after the clinical trial ends.”

“There is no need for that. After the clinical trial, only commercialization remains, so there is no need to meet again. We can simply proceed according to the contract we have already written.”

It seemed she did not want to see my face twice.

“Yes, let us do that.”

---

At lunch, I met Leo.

The expression Berserk was somewhat embarrassing, so it was difficult to say aloud. In addition, apart from its actual performance, it gave the impression that the user could not even control their own power.

The power Ian and Leo used was different. They completely controlled their own power. In that sense, I created a new name for their power: Magical Power Flow.

It was a name I made from the fact that they artificially shifted the flow of mana to strengthen Magical Power.

There was no need to connect the name to anger. The trigger for awakening the power was fury so intense that one’s head nearly blew off and one’s blood seemed to flow backward, but once awakened, the power could be used regardless of one’s emotional state.

The reason Leo had been unable to use the power was purely because he had too little mana. Even after awakening Magical Power Flow, he could not handle the power.

The only way to solve that was to increase his mana.

If Leo steadily performed Mana Refinement, he would eventually be able to use Magical Power Flow, but the problem was time. There was no telling how much time would be consumed before he succeeded in using Magical Power Flow.

So I fed Leo Elixirs. I recorded their cost as debt, and for now, I accelerated his growth. I was impressed by the result.

“I can do it now.”

Leo emitted red fire from his eyes. He had succeeded in Magical Power Flow.

Perhaps because he had eaten his fill of Elixirs and diligently performed Mana Refinement all this time, Leo’s Mana Capacity had grown beyond recognition. As expected, money was the best.

“Then shall we see how much you have grown?”

“Yes, let us try. I am ready.”

I crossed swords with Leo lightly. Only his Magical Power had grown. His swordsmanship skill was the same, and he still could not use Sword Aura. Only his body’s performance had improved compared to before.

Even that alone was threatening. Each blow was heavy, and if we considered only the time between sword forms, he was faster than Jefrin.

Of course, it was not enough to call it a dramatic change. Since his swordsmanship skill had stagnated, I could plainly predict his next technique. Moreover, the time it took him to link one sword form to another was long, so no matter how quickly he swung his sword, it was easy to deal with.

Furthermore, if I used Sword Aura here, I could suppress him even more easily. The moment our swords clashed, Leo’s sword would snap. But later, if Leo reached the same level and also used Sword Aura?

‘He would have a chance against Jefrin.’

Even with Sword Aura, he would be at a disadvantage. But if the situation supported him, and if luck followed, there was a possibility that he could win.

Leo seemed to feel his own achievement as well. His expression was bright.

Since this sparring match was meant to test Leo’s growth rather than decide victory or defeat, we ended it vaguely without declaring a winner.

“Power is overflowing.”

The Magical Power Flow Leo was currently using was even stronger than the Magical Power Flow state he had entered before. This was the difference in Mana Capacity.

By eating Elixirs, he had increased the amount of mana itself, which formed the foundation of the ability. Since he had more mana, even the same Magical Power Flow produced greater strength.

“So I can grow too.”

Leo grinned as he laughed.

---

The conferral of Amikanbo was said to be at the ballroom this evening. Since there was no land or other reward and it was only a name, many people had to know about it. It felt troublesome, as though the matter was being made unnecessarily large, but since the other party was who he was, I simply accepted it.

Today, I attended the ball as well. I had occasionally picked up rumors from Navier, but this was my first time going in person. Feeling glad that I had ordered proper formal clothes in case something like this ever happened, I held out spare clothes to Ian.

As if the clothes I held out were filth, he recoiled and pulled his body back.

“Why would I?”

“You are the only friend I have to go with.”

“You can go alone.”

“Then everyone will think I have no friends. Come with me.”

I dragged the horrified Ian out by force. On the way to the ballroom, people were swarming everywhere. This was the only ball where the Crown Prince’s appearance had been officially confirmed.

Even if one wandered around the Academy every day, it was difficult to see even a hair of the Crown Prince until graduation, so everyone seemed to be taking this occasion as a chance to watch him.

As I moved inside the ballroom and glanced around, my eyes met people’s here and there. It seemed the reason the Crown Prince was appearing at the ballroom had spread by word of mouth as well.

“Congratulations.”

The man who spoke to me was probably a student from the same department as me. He glanced around, walked over hesitantly, spoke to me, and introduced himself. It was a name I had heard a few times. I responded that it was nice to meet him and sent him off.

Starting with him, people gathered one by one. Since a ball was a place where people gathered to meet others, they all approached sociably. I spent time dealing with them one by one, and then Kartea appeared.

He really dressed up.

“Raphael, come here.”

He seemed uncomfortable with this kind of occasion too. Or perhaps he simply found it annoying.

He called my name, apparently intending to finish the conferral quickly. I moved to the center of the ballroom where Kartea stood.

When I stood beside him, he spoke.

“Raphael Isaac accompanied me on this Path of the Emperor and guarded me from external threats....”

Listening to him, my ears grew hot. He was quite good at inventing things that had not happened.

“In recognition of such merit....”

It happened then. No one had expected Kartea’s words to be interrupted.

“That man is not qualified to receive the title.”

The child least suited to a place like this appeared. Even in a place that required formality, Bishot insisted on ordinary clothes. She walked one step at a time with a confident gait.

“Raphael, that man is a vicious person. He is not qualified to receive the title bestowed by Your Highness the Crown Prince. Amikanbo means one who becomes a friend of the Imperial Family.”

What was this kid saying?

She said I was vicious and unqualified to receive the name of Amikanbo.

Ah. She had attacked me.

Because it was such an impossible time to predict, my reaction was late.

My mind grew faint. My hands and feet trembled, and my breath came short. What should I do?

She had been quiet all this time, so why was she doing this suddenly? What had moved her? Why had she been quiet until now, only to suddenly explode? What did I do wrong?

Then what could I do right now?

Unless I ran over immediately and covered her mouth, there was nothing I could do. I was powerless. I had to make her close her mouth. I had to avoid shouldering the sins Raphael had committed.

Along with countless worries, Bishot opened her mouth again.

“He did to me....”

And then it closed. My eyes met Ian’s as he looked at me.

He laughed faintly.

Why? What was funny? Bishot’s mouth slowly closed.

Some magical power sealed her lips tightly together. As if her mouth had been zipped shut, she struggled desperately to part her lips, yet could not say a single word.

After drawing every bit of attention to herself, she froze in confusion when her words were blocked. The gazes around her clung to her thickly. She looked around, then staggered. Jefrin, who had been watching from afar as she collapsed where she stood, supported her and took her outside.

“Be grateful.”

“You did that? How?”

“Even if I told you, you would not understand.”

It seemed Ian had done something with magic. Thanks to his help, I received the title without disaster. But that was not what mattered.

Bishot had attacked me.