Chapter 15: Questions (2)
Chapter 15: Questions (2)
Ariel’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the suddenness of it all. What Jin said next left her stunned.
“…No, it’s nothing… nothing at all.”
His voice came out noticeably quieter than before, nothing like what Ariel had expected. Was this what it felt like when a carriage, running smoothly, suddenly came to a jarring halt? She was at a complete loss for words.
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
For whatever reason, that was all he said.
“…What?”
Her reaction only deepened the mystery. Ariel’s face slackened.
Even Jin himself seemed uneasy about what he had just said. His expression grew increasingly twisted after he spoke, yet his lips remained stubbornly sealed, refusing to let another word escape.
Closing his eyes tightly, he ran a hand down his face in frustration, then let it drop limply to his side. Shortly after, he exhaled a quiet sigh and opened his eyes again. Lowering the hand that had been covering his mouth, he ran it along the back of his neck before slowly turning his gaze toward Ariel once more.
Their eyes met – her sharp gaze clouded with bewilderment, his filled with confusion. Though his expression had regained its composure, Ariel noticed the faintest tremor in his shoulders.
Then, contradicting the turmoil in his eyes, his voice rang out, calm and level.
“Since you missed the basic instructions at the clearing earlier because of me, I’ll go over them for you now. Listen carefully, then you can leave.”
With that, he turned away and walked toward the center of the room. Resting his arm on the back of a small sofa by a table, he added, “Have a seat here.”
The abrupt conclusion, the unnatural change of topic – nothing about it felt resolved.
“….”
For a moment, Ariel stood frozen like a statue, staring blankly at the scene before her.
‘What the hell is this?’
She was honestly baffled. Was she really supposed to just go over there and sit down? She hesitated for a brief second.
But it didn’t take long for her to realize she had no other choice. If he refused to talk, there was no way for her to force an answer out of him. And as her superior, he had every right to explain protocol to a newcomer like her. How could she refuse?
In the end, Ariel had no choice but to walk over. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unfairness. As she moved, tension built in her lips and hands, and it remained there until Jin finished his explanation.
And so, her much-anticipated first encounter with Jin Kreutz ended in nothing but frustration and discomfort.
* * *
A new day dawned in a different place.
For over a week, the skies had remained murky, but early that morning, the rain had finally begun to pour and with relentless force. It was as if a long-contained dam had finally burst.
By late morning, under the merciless downpour, a group of fresh trainees gathered in an open field where temporary tents had been set up.
Scattered across the field were signposts marked with letters and numbers, spaced at regular intervals. In the middle of the clearing, outside the tents, a commanding officer sat on a magic circle, wearing a raincoat and braving the rain as he observed the gathering trainees. His voice rang out sharply.
“I trust you all remember your assigned team numbers from the deployment chart. Move to your designated groups now.”
At his command, the trainees immediately sprang into action. Having already learned the hard way that sluggishness led to severe reprimands, they moved swiftly and efficiently.
Among them, of course, was Ariel.
Her encounter with Jin Kreutz that morning had left a lingering discomfort, and her expression remained grim. Already known for her sharp features, the tension only made her look fiercer as she arrived at the signpost marking her team’s position. All the other members had already gathered.
“Sis! You’re here!”
The moment she appeared, a familiar face greeted her with a bright smile – Joshua. Even in the gloomy weather, his golden hair gleamed as he moved animatedly.
His conspicuous enthusiasm drew the attention of the others around him. Soon, every gaze in their circle shifted toward Ariel.
Unlike the wiry Joshua, the rest were all towering, broad-shouldered men with disciplined postures. Dressed in military uniforms and lightly armed, they were not magicians but regular soldiers.
To Ariel, who had spent her life among ordinary city folk, their sheer presence felt overwhelming. Steeling herself, she gripped Rayner tightly and stepped forward. As she neared, the men’s gazes subtly lowered.
Choosing the somewhat more familiar company of Joshua, she took a place beside him. Seeing her stand next to him, Joshua grinned wider before casually reaching out to pat her head – an all-too-natural gesture for him.
“This here is our team’s—”
“Get your hand off me. Who said you could introduce me?”
Ariel swatted his hand away before he could finish. Joshua slumped like a rain-drenched puppy, but Ariel mercilessly ignored him. Oddly enough, the brief exchange eased her nerves. Now more composed, she turned to face the burly men, meeting their gazes head-on. She spoke clearly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ariel Elias. A combat wizard.”
After scanning her from head to toe, the men offered their own greetings in turn.
“Our team’s main striker has finally arrived. Good to have you.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Wizard.”
“Welcome aboard.”
With introductions complete, the group naturally fell into casual conversation, the atmosphere lightened by Joshua and a few other sociable members.
“We’ve got the smallest team. Just twenty of us! And only two wizards!”
“But I heard our combat wizard is a monster.”
“This small, delicate-looking person?”
“Physical size doesn’t matter for wizards. Word is, she nearly ruptured everyone’s eardrums at the exam site.”
“Eardrums? How?”
“Oh, that. There was a bit of an explosion. A loud one.”
“Ahh….”
“She is a ‘Phema,’ right? Wizards that draws power from written words. I heard it’s insanely powerful.”
“Isn’t that just like regular magic? Wizards use written spells all the time.”
“Who knows? We should ask her.”
“You’re right. Miss Wizard, what’s the difference?”
Naturally, the conversation gravitated toward Ariel. Just as the discussion was gaining momentum—
BOOM!
A deafening roar shattered the chatter. In the distance, a streak of blue light slashed across the stormy sky. The sheer force of the sound silenced the entire tent in an instant. All eyes turned toward the source of the lightning.
“What the hell was that?”
As if in response, multiple lightning bolts rained down in rapid succession, each strike accompanied by another earth-shaking boom. Though the strikes were far off, every trainee who saw the spectacle was left dumbfounded. Even the commanding officer, who should have been accustomed to such sights, turned his head.
[Unbelievable.]
Even Rayner, who rarely spoke first, suddenly muttered in Ariel’s mind. Startled by the unexpected comment, she flinched.
‘What do you mean?’
[What else? That lightning. I didn’t expect to find a wizard here who could unleash that kind of power so recklessly.]
Was it really that impressive? While Ariel could tell it was powerful, she lacked the knowledge to grasp just how extraordinary it was. Then, as if clicking his tongue in disapproval, Rayner scoffed.
[If you think that’s merely impressive, you’re utterly clueless.]
His dismissive tone irked her, but he wasn’t wrong. Ariel had no idea what level of mastery was required to summon such a display.
Unlike her, however, the other combat wizards present understood exactly what they were witnessing. And in their minds, only one name came to the forefront.
The pure White Mage who shone even in the dark of dawn – Jin Kreutz.
There was no one else in the world who could summon such a relentless barrage of lightning.
“Alright, everyone, attention!”
After some time had passed, the commander, who had regained his composure relatively earlier than the others, turned his head back to its original position and shouted. Though the hall remained silent, his voice was much louder than before.
“Don’t worry about what’s happening over there! Everyone, get up from your seats now.”
The loud voice snapped the trainees out of their daze. Their unfocused eyes quickly regained their clarity. The commander continued speaking.
“Magic Division, follow me. General Division, follow the instructor who will be arriving shortly! Everyone, on your feet! Move out!”
The trainees inside the tent immediately sprang to their feet in perfect formation, standing at attention as they followed the order.
* * *
The mock battlefield was a magical construct designed for the training of the Magic Division. It was filled with mechanical dummies programmed to replicate the movements and attack patterns of various non-human species as closely as possible, though they could not cause actual harm.
The General Division followed a standardized training structure, as their formations and positions were clearly defined for maximum efficiency. However, the Magic Division was composed of mages, each possessing unique abilities, making such rigid training methods ineffective.
Thus, the training for the Magic Division was largely self-directed within teams. The mock battlefield had been created specifically to help them discover their most effective combat strategies.
“Over the next two weeks, you will engage in approximately thirty mock battles, twice a day, within this battlefield.”
Inside the large, dull green tent, dozens of sheets covered in complex magic circles were plastered haphazardly across the walls. The quality of the paper and ink was exceptional. Despite being drenched in rain, not a single intricate pattern had smudged.
Standing with his back to the tent, the commander who had led the Magic Division training team swept aside his wet bangs, which clung to his forehead, and continued his explanation.
“Currently, the battlefield system does not contain data on magic-wielding giants. That means you will only be able to train against ordinary giants. Keep that in mind and be even more vigilant in real combat. Any questions will be answered after you’ve experienced it firsthand. That’s all. Enter!”
With those final words, the commander turned and approached the tent. Standing before the entrance, he pressed his body against one of the magic-inscribed sheets and began chanting an incantation.
In response to his words, the magic circles activated, enveloping the tent’s perimeter in a glowing light.
