The Academy’s Barbarian
Chapter 61.1 - It Is Not Your Decision (2)

In the midst of the duel between Ulan and the Count, a tangible tension gripped the air, thick with anticipation.

As the two of them closed the distance between them, they seemed to dissolve into thin air, a telltale sign that the Master's domain had been activated. Yet, as it did, the domain barred even the sight of ordinary folk.

Clang! Clatter! Thud!

The resounding clash of weapons reverberated, yet nothing was visible to the naked eye. It was as if they battled in the midst of teleportation, leaving Berge utterly perplexed, his brow furrowed.

"...Do you see anything at all?"

"No, I don't see anything."

Deflyn shook her head. Even if she was an archmage, it was impossible to follow the Master's Domain with her eyes.

"I can sense it, though."

"What do you mean?"

"The epicenter, where Ulan and the Count clash, is the sole location where the natural flow of mana has been disrupted," Deflyn replied.

"And what does that signify?"

"It means there's an intense surge of mana swirling around, potent enough to sever the normal flow of mana. If you accidentally get caught up in it, you could be half-dead."

In other words, it was as dangerous as it sounded.

Berge, with a renewed anxious expression, continued to observe the duel, hoping that no harm would come to Ulan.

Yet, that momentary distraction was short-lived. Berge's musings were abruptly interrupted by Deflyn, her gaze repeatedly flicking in his direction.

"What have you been looking at so much?"

"Hehe, well, you see," Deflyn chuckled nervously, her voice trailing off before she mustered the courage to speak in hushed tones, "Given the current circumstances with Ulan, my research..."

Of course, you will extend the period a little more, right? Deflyn was about to ask that, but Berge's thoughts veered in an unexpected direction.

"Of course it has to be a no-go. You couldn't stop Count Istan and Ulan from meeting, could you?"

"Ahaha, you're joking, right?" Deflyn attempted a feeble laugh.

"Do I appear to be joking?"

"......."

His face was serious, devoid of any amusement.

Did she realize that the situation was going wrong? Deflyn soon slumped her shoulders. In the midst of this, inspectors approached.

"Reporting to the Dean."

"We have secured some suspicious people."

"Hmm? What is this about?"

"We captured two students who were hiding in the forest and watching this place."

Students were watching?

As Berge frowned at the unexpected statement, the Inspector held up something. It was a student ID card confiscated from the captured students.

【Noah Darshen. Year-1. Class-3】

【Ibella Elearde. Year-1, Class-2】

"If they're in Class-3..."

…they were in the same class as Ulan. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ N0vᴇlFire(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

He felt like he had a general idea of how the situation had unfolded. Berge's eyes narrowed, and the Inspectors asked cautiously, "What should we do?"

"Hmm, bring them here first."

After Berge's response, and a little while later…,

…two girls were brought, bound by ropes; their faces bore signs of tension. After instructing the release of the ropes, Berge questioned them, "Why did you come here?"

"Well, because......," Noah stammered, seemingly flustered. Originally, she was just following behind Ibella, but if she said that, she would be putting the blame on Ibella. So she made up a new reason, "Ah, Ulan said he was coming here!"

"He mentioned visiting the Fountain of Magic with the Special Operations Unit, so we came to see what's going on."

After their responses, Berge, wearing a somewhat unsurprised expression, threw a second question, "And how much did you see?"

"Uh, that's..."

This required a careful response.

Noah hesitated, but Ibella was different. She seemed to have no intention of hiding anything, at least with this answer, "I saw everything."

"Huh? What?"

"I saw the whole thing, from beginning to end."

Right after Ibella's answer, the atmosphere around them froze.

Noah was no exception. It was only natural. The answer she just gave was probably the worst one possible in this situation.

"Sigh, I guess there's no other way," Berge exhaled a long sigh; his eyes gleamed sharply, "I have no choice but to do this."

"......!"

Was he going to silence them? Noah's complexion turned pale in anticipation of the worst. However, the response that came back was unexpected.

"You'll need to sign an oath."

"An oath?"

"Yes, an oath that you will not disclose anything you saw here to the outside world."

It was a more reasonable response than she had expected.

As Noah stood there dumbfounded, Berge instructed the inspectors to bring the oath document.

"I would appreciate your cooperation in preventing Ulan's true abilities from leaking out to the outside world."

"Yes, yes! We'll do it."

After letting out a sigh of relief, she finally looked around; among those present, three individuals particularly caught her eye and she widened her eyes in surprise—

'Berge Erkazan, Deflyn Chernihiv, and even Sir Seoric al-Ghorfant are here?!'

—all three were named characters.

In fact, Sir Seoric was famous as the so-called oldest character that can be played directly by users; he would rise to the pinnacle of the Imperial military in the future, and face the Monsters of the Abyss on a different battlefield than the Seven Warriors.

‘But this never happened in the original.’

Berge and Deflyn could have met because they are the heads of the Military Studies and Magic Departments, respectively. However, Seoric al-Ghorfant was an exception; the man was a hero on the Western Front.

And at this point in the story, he should have been concentrating on building his own power and not even considering visiting the academy.

'But the fact that he is here is...'

…is also because of the variable of Ulan.

Just how far was the future distorting itself? When she sighed inwardly, Ibella's voice suddenly reached her ears.

"......Dean," Staring directly at Berge, she asked with a trembling voice, "Is Ulan really an Expert?" Her gaze was as shaky as her voice. She shifted her gaze back to the duel, "If so, how can he fight Count Deorg on equal terms? That's like..."

"I'll answer your question after you sign the oath."

The oath document arrived just in time.

She didn't even bother to read it, just signed it, as if it wasn't important right now.

"Now tell me."

A brash attitude. Berge furrowed his eyebrows. However, that was only for a moment. After retrieving the oath, he nodded in agreement, "That's right. It's as you guessed."

"Huh? That means...?"

"Ulan is not an expert. He's a powerful figure who has reached the realm of a Master."

"......!?"

The moment speculation turned into certainty, disbelief and shock flickered in Ibella's eyes.

Did she realize it? Dean Berge added further explanation, "Of course, it's not easy to understand with common sense. But in a situation like this, denying what's happening right in front of us wouldn't be right, would it?"

After finishing his response, with a gaze that showed wrinkles around his eyes, he looked towards the duel. A battle that still eludes the eye. He gestured to a scene allowed only for the Master and spoke in a calm, advising tone, "If you have no other questions, then watch."

Masters had a significant impact on even the most skilled swordsman simply by swinging their swords. And if it was a battle between Masters, then how much more so?

"You may not be able to see inside the domain, but even so, this battle will be of great help to those who walk the path of the sword."

"......."

However, there was no need for advice. Even before Berge's words were spoken, Ibella had already turned her gaze to the dueling grounds.

It was an instinctive realization. Even if it couldn't be seen, it had to be engraved in the eyes.

It was the same for Noah.

For completely different reasons, of course.

'...Ulan was a master?'

His eyes were filled with confusion and shock. It was natural. Ulan becoming a Master was only possible after the age of twenty-seven.

'It's impossible! Even if he had the Mark of a Hero, the speed is too ridiculous!'

No matter how outstanding Kazan's abilities were, it wasn't enough to narrow down ten years. So, what could be a variable to surpass these years? With eyes that trembled in agitation, Noah bit her lip, feeling an uneasiness that she could not seem to calm down.

‘Is this world really.......’

…the world of [Arsene Continental War] she knew?

With these sudden questions and doubts…

…Noah's gaze trembled incessantly, like a candle flickering nervously in the wind.

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

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