Doggone Academy-Chapter 18: Secret

Silveryn discarded the robe she had been wearing.

A maid followed her, picking up the robe that was sprawled on the floor. Another maid with a silver tray in hand caught up to Silveryn’s side.

Silveryn removed her earrings, necklace, bracelet, and rings one by one and placed them on the silver tray. Each piece of jewelry bore a gem of a different color, and there were more than ten pieces if one were to count just the accessories.

Some were imbued with the highest level of magic enchantments, and selling just one of them could afford a house to spare.

Being exceedingly sensitive to magic, even the slightest magical residue contained within the artifacts would irritate her. She had to cast it all off, leaving nothing behind.

Stripped of all such trivial adornments and clothing, Silveryn stepped into the bathroom. In the center of the bathroom stood a large bathtub filled with steaming water.

She entered the bathtub, completely bare.

This moment was when Silveryn could truly relax.

Silveryn sprawled herself out in the bathtub.

Yet, even in such a rare moment of respite, she couldn’t relax completely and have peace of mind. The gnarled knots in her head continuously grazed her nerves.

Damian, having heard about the Masters Class, initially seemed flustered but soon accepted it calmly.

A soft murmur from Damian lingers in Silveryn’s mind.

‘I can do well.’

Whether it was the ghoul subjugation or the Masters Class examination, it was all the same to her.

Even if Damian were to fail the examination, it wouldn’t be a considerable disappointment to her.

There wouldn’t be any big problem in Damian’s life either.

In fact, failing the exam would make his academy life smoother since the Masters Class involved a grueling process.

Failing the exam didn’t mean cancellation of admission. With her guidance, entering the academy would be no issue.

Even if he finished last, as long as he obtained a diploma from Eternia, his future was bright. An Eternia diploma held immense value, unexchangeable even for a noble title.

The issue lay within Damian himself.

He was diligent in learning, with good comprehension, and often followed Silveryn’s words well. Just a little incitement, and he would unfold his sails and journey far on his own.

No rough edges marred his character, and he didn’t rebel.

Though still unpolished at times, he was adept at looking out for his own advantages.

Teaching him wasn’t as satisfying as it could be, but his attempts to achieve things on his own were admirable.

‘There’s nothing wrong.’

And that was precisely the problem.

A smooth-sailed and healthy persona typically reflected noble children who grew up in affluent environments with unconditional parental love, not a typical aspect of orphans.

Most orphans inevitably live with hefty trauma that is too much to bear, as they are all abandoned by their parents.

Growing up as an orphan and fending for himself at a young age, it was highly likely Damian’s insides were damaged in various ways.

He might be hiding issues and pushing himself to prove his worth just to avoid being abandoned again.

Or maybe he’s always nurturing his abilities with the looming thought of being discarded someday.

Either way, it was just as pitiable.

‘Did Damian have friends…?’

He didn’t seem to long for any friends after coming alone to a distant place. Nor did he seem to regard friends as important.

He also didn’t talk much about his past, as if hiding something carefully.

If there was a need, it would be normal to lean on someone a little, but Damian tried to accomplish everything on his own, even if he had to force it.

There seemed to be no issues, but everything he was holding together could come crashing down with just one small failure.

Silveryn watched the void with weary eyes and absentmindedly twirled her long hair with her fingers.

‘It wouldn’t be so bad to act more like a child sometimes.’

***

Training resumed the very next day.

The upcoming Masters Class examination didn’t significantly change the training method.

The usual foundation of endurance, strength, and footwork exercises continued throughout the morning.

Damian, who should be exhausted from the continuous high-intensity repetition training, followed along without complaints. He seemed even more enthusiastic, perhaps reflecting on the ghoul subjugation.

Such foundational endurance and strength would shine during the entrance exams of Eternia.

Damian didn’t know, but any student who received a recommendation letter is guaranteed admission simply by participating in the entrance exam. Damian believed he’s getting additional points, but Silveryn thought to keep it that way for motivation.

Nonetheless, the higher the scores, the better the living and learning facilities that would be provided, so it was beneficial to score highly.

With limited time, the focus had to be on training that could produce significant results swiftly.

‘It’s not the time to concentrate on swordsmanship.’

He had to learn how to engage in combat with a sword eventually, but it was not currently very practical.

Thanks to the magic sword Damian wielded.

Without being surrounded by sword energies, it would be impossible to even receive the magic sword.

Time passed quickly. After a wholehearted training session, the day had reached its zenith.

After lunch, Silveryn and Damian returned to the training field.

There, a maid stood with an hourglass in hand.

Damian looked puzzled, prompting Silveryn to say,

“I’m going to start timing you now.”

“What kind of timing?”

“How long you can maintain your sword.”

If there was a way to achieve the most results in a short time, it was undoubtedly by increasing the duration for which the magic sword could be maintained. The magic sword unleashed tremendous power but could only be summoned for a very limited time.

She motioned the maid to move away. Then, to Damian, she said,

“Stand still.”

Once the maid found a safe distance and place, Silveryn placed her hand on Damian’s chest.

She intended to observe the flow of magic within Damian’s body.

“Summon your sword now.”

Understanding the situation, Damian glanced at Silveryn once and then closed his eyes.

Shortly after, a light emanated from Damian’s hand and a radiant sword of brilliant luster materialized.

Silveryn looked towards the maid, who flipped the hourglass.

She concentrated on the hand resting on Damian’s chest.

After summoning the sword, Damian was being pressed by an overwhelming magical pressure.

Even if one could skilfully handle sword energy, this level of magic pressure wasn’t something easily endured.

‘The force is much stronger than I thought?’

Her words implied that the amount of magic concentrated in the magic sword greatly exceeded her expectations.

It was curious to see Damian bear such pressure without showing any signs of knowing.

One minute, two minutes.

While holding her breath, Silveryn checked Damian’s condition.

The magic inside Damian began to dwindle.

‘It’s even taking the little bit of magic he has.’

As expected, the magic sword was draining Damian’s own magic.

But what was puzzling was that the quantity of magic being drained wasn’t that large.

Compared to the average person, the total volume of magic Damian could contain was lower. If the vessel were considered, it would take him about 6-7 years just to perform basic magic.

Considering the amount of magic Damian possessed, the magic extracted by the magic sword was essentially trivial.

‘Something’s not right.’

The magic pressure from the sword was getting stronger, but the amount Damian’s magic declined was minimal.

‘Which means it’s drawing magic from an external source then.’

Even Silveryn could not detect the origin of this energy.

His magic was diminishing and approaching its limit.

Damian’s heart began to throb as if squeezed. Simultaneously, the light of the magic sword wavered.

His body was starting to be burdened.

“That’s enough. Cancel the summoning.”

The sword disappeared, and Damian staggered. If Silveryn hadn’t caught him, he would have fallen over.

Turning her head to check the time, she noticed the maid sitting on the dirt floor. The magic pressure had affected even the maid who was at a distance.

Damian detached himself from Silveryn’s supporting arm and said,

“I’m okay.”

“Wait a moment.”

Silveryn approached the maid and examined the hourglass. Luckily, the maid had marked the remaining sand.

Silveryn approached Damian, supported him to a rock, and seated him.

She checked the marks on the hourglass and then spoke,

“I’ve found out a few things about you and your sword. Don’t answer; just listen.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t answer. You’re currently in a state of magic depletion. You’ll be without energy until tomorrow, so we’ll end today’s training here.”

“I can still go on.”

“You can manage that sword for a stable time of about 7 minutes and 30 seconds. Considering strenuous movements, it drops to 6 minutes, and if you were firing sword blasts, even less.”

“It felt longer than that.”

Silveryn pinched Damian’s cheek.

“I told you not to respond. This is why you need to conserve your sword. If you don’t finish within 6 minutes, you’ll die. The sword should always be your last resort.”

Damian nodded.

“From now on, we’ll train to maintain the magic sword longer. That’s the priority for now.”

Silveryn released his pinched cheek and sighed. If Damian were to walk now, it might be too strenuous.

It was fascinating how he had managed to wield the sword until now.

“I’ll call someone over, so just wait here.”

“I’m really okay.”

It wasn’t just for show.

Contrary to Silveryn’s concerns, Damian shook off the dirt and stood up, stretching out his body.

For someone drained of magic, he moved with surprising lightness.

Silveryn watched him with a perplexed expression.

When magic depletes, it strains the body. For someone who doesn’t train in magic, it would typically take three to four days to fully recover.

“What’s with you… you’re drained, yet how are you doing this?”

Damian also seemed perplexed by Silveryn’s reaction.

“I usually recover quickly…”

“Just wait.”

Silveryn once again placed her hand on Damian’s chest.

She paused and measured the magic within him for a moment.

Tilting her head in puzzlement, she found that the magic that should have been depleted was completely restored.

“…?”

‘Has it all recovered?’

His capacity for harboring magic was below average, yet his recovery rate was as good as that of a high-level magician.

‘Could it be?’

The puzzle in Silveryn’s mind started to fit together.

The secret behind the vast magic absorbed by the magic sword lay in Damian’s astonishing regenerative capacities. The magic sword pulled in as much as it could, but his body immediately produced new magic in response.

This was unusual. The capacity for magic and the ability to regenerate it usually grow in tandem and proportionally, an inseparable pair.

Having high regeneration yet a small vessel was extremely rare, suggesting postnatal factors had intervened to affect abilities.

Silveryn’s eyes narrowed as she watched Damian.

‘Could it be…’

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