The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 235
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Chapter 235
"You possess a considerable amount of aura. Next."
Most new cadets are just sixteen, having only recently come of age.
No matter how talented they are, it's practically impossible for them to have an extraordinary amount of mana or aura.
Of course, things are different for those who have been raised on elixirs from a young age.
"Ooh... my goodness."
While everyone else was showing fairly average results, the atmosphere changed the moment Rubas Hontail, the youngest son of the Hontail family, stepped up.
Unlike with the previous students, the measuring device reacted strongly, displaying an overwhelming mana reading.
As most cadets gasped in awe at the astonishing numbers, Rubas turned around with a pleased expression and gave a sidelong glance at Basara Krevad, heir to the Spear Saint family.
"I heard the youngest son of the Hontail family and Spear Saint’s disciple have a history. Apparently, there's some rivalry between them."
"That's expected at their age. Especially for a genius with mana reserves on par with a full professor."
Even objectively speaking, Rubas Hontail possessed an amount of mana unmatched among his peers, rivaling that of the academy's professors.
With a victorious smile, Rubas descended the platform leisurely.
Several more cadets followed, but none of them displayed particularly remarkable levels of mana or aura.
Once the bar had been raised, even those who might normally have been praised seemed average in comparison.
"Next, Cadet Basara Krevad. Please step forward."
"Yes."
Amidst the growing attention, Spear Saint’s disciple, Basara Krevad, stepped forward.
With his massive build, each step gave the illusion of a giant moving.
Standing before the device, he placed his large hand upon it.
He slowly drew up his aura, resonating with the machine.
Wuuuuung…
The measuring device resonated swiftly and displayed a value.
In terms of pure numbers, it was much lower than that of Rubas Hontail.
But Basara Krevad wore a calm expression, while the Hontail heir clicked his tongue in annoyance.
After all, aura and mana differ in how they accumulate and in their efficiency.
Just because someone has 10 units of mana and another has only 1 unit of aura doesn’t automatically make the mana superior.
In fact, by proportion, the aura could be more significant depending on how the two energies are utilized.
"Impressive. I’ve rarely seen this level of aura even while working at the academy."
"Haha. Thank you."
Though his reply was gentle, it carried an air of strong confidence.
As he turned to step down, his eyes met mine—whether by chance or intention, I couldn’t say.
He stared at me in silence for a moment, then smirked slightly and returned to his seat.
"Leon, that chick seems to be underestimating you."
"If nothing showed up, that would’ve been more suspicious. I made sure to display a reasonable amount."
The energy I harbor—be it mana or aura—is at a level that once touched the extreme.
Perhaps that’s why no one’s really sensed it properly until now.
Like ants that can’t distinguish whether they’re facing a wall or the edge of the world, what he likely sensed from me was no more than the early stages of an Expert.
Maybe that’s why he sneered.
After that, Lishia Hevilion, the granddaughter of the head of the Alchemy School, stepped up, but she didn’t possess the overwhelming amount of mana the two before her had shown.
"Still… is it really necessary to gather everyone like this and inspect them one by one?"
I suddenly asked the professors as I watched.
"Well, you’re not wrong. Until recently, that’s how it was done. But..."
"Something happened?"
"We received complaints about letting the examined cadets leave early. Some had to wait, while others got to prepare for the next test."
What nonsense.
But I can’t help but laugh because it actually makes sense.
"Also, there was a past incident where some cadets caused trouble outside, unable to control their excitement. It's easier to keep everyone in one place and move as a group."
Makes sense for easier control.
As I nodded in understanding, more cadets continued to step up for mana measurements.
At that moment, I overheard a conversation between Rubas Hontail and Basara Krevad.
"You've built up more than I expected. Not bad. But my ranking is still a little higher."
"You're one to talk. Have you been training? It’ll be boring if you drop out early again. You know real combat isn’t just about having a lot of mana."
"Don’t be ridiculous. You think I’ve been slacking off?"
Their competitiveness was on full display as they bickered over who was superior.
Then, Lishia Hevilion, the silent golem master of the Alchemy School, spoke up irritably.
"Would you two keep it down? You act like big fish in a small pond—what exactly are you so proud of?"
"What?"
"What did you say?"
"Honestly, neither of you is anywhere close to being the top student. It’s just amusing watching you argue over who's better." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Her words clearly provoked the two boys.
"Not top student? Then who is? Are you blind?"
Rubas retorted coldly, and Basara, apparently agreeing, backed him up.
"She’s right about one thing. Can’t you see the gap between us and the rest?"
"Did I say you weren’t good? I just said to stop being noisy. You two might be impressive, but the top student is already decided."
Her voice echoed calmly.
Beep!
At that precise moment, a sound rang out and everyone turned their heads, eyes widening.
The status screen in the air displayed the name Ashuria Abelgard with a rating far exceeding the others.
The measuring device hadn’t even fully measured her mana—it just displayed the maximum value it could.
"What?"
"What the hell is that…?"
As the cadets murmured in confusion—unable to sense any mana from her—Ashuria Abelgard, showing no interest, turned and stepped down from the platform.
The other cadets seemed unaware, but Ashuria hadn’t withheld her mana.
They simply couldn’t perceive it.
Unlike the cadets, the professors looked quite surprised, their eyes wide.
But none of them seemed shocked, just impressed.
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So I asked.
"Why aren’t you more surprised?"
"Uh… hmm?"
"I mean, isn’t that an incredible student? At this level, mages should be tripping over themselves to take her as a disciple."
She’s the ideal vessel for a mage—born for greatness.
If she had entered the Labyrinthos in my place, how much shorter would the process have been?
At the very least, I can’t begin to estimate it.
She might have broken through a realm I would need decades to reach — in just a few months.
At my question, the professors exchanged uneasy glances.
“Well… she’s certainly impressive, but…”
“Hmph… perhaps it’s because the threshold has risen… ahem!”
Ah.
Is it because of me?
Was the mana storm I caused in the Black Forest that influential?
“When taking measurements, whether it’s aura or mana, it always manifests externally. If nothing was visible, how can she be the top scorer? Isn’t it possible the machine malfunctioned?”
In response to Rubas Hontail’s protest, the staff member replied calmly.
“There’s no issue with her test results. It’s just a simple test, after all.”
The two boys from prestigious houses looked quite displeased about losing the top rank.
It’s a common phase at that age.
Ashuria Abelgard, who had been staring at the ranking list with lifeless eyes devoid of ambition, pulled down her robe’s hood and silently walked out to sit in the waiting area.
Even though she drew much attention for surpassing the noble scions to take first place, the cadets didn’t dare approach her carelessly.
There was an unspoken pressure that radiated from her.
The heirs who had been competing for the top spot clearly didn’t like the situation and didn’t hide it on their faces.
“Well. We’ll see in the actual combat.”
Once the mana measurements were complete, the cadets moved in an orderly fashion.
Their destination was a much larger indoor hall than before.
There, numerous senior cadets had already gathered to watch the one-on-one matches.
“It feels like a coliseum.”
“Whether one can display their true strength under many watchful eyes — that’s part of the evaluation criteria. It’s also a tradition of the academy.”
Ahh.
I sat in a seat near the second-floor railing.
Next to me, though I hadn’t noticed when he arrived, was Professor Rommel.
As soon as he saw me, he chuckled and waved.
“Welcome. So, what do you think, seeing it for yourself?”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“What else? The new batch of cadets, of course.”
“They all seem to have trained hard.”
At my response, he clicked his tongue with a smile.
“That’s all you have to say? We’re talking about the disciple of the archmage who had sworn never to take one, raised after his retirement.”
“Well… she is impressive. Talent, sure — but she must have worked hard too. Still, judging someone solely based on a mana test seems premature.”
I subtly changed the subject.
“But it’s quite noisy here. Did all the senior cadets gather too?”
“Attendance is voluntary, but it’s tradition — most of them usually show up.”
Perhaps because it was considered a kind of event.
“But there are quite a few cadets. Are they going to test each one individually? That’ll take a while.”
“It’s not just a competition to determine a winner. Each cadet needs to be clearly assessed, even if it takes time.”
As the cadets entered the dueling grounds with their weapons, assistant instructors aligned with the professors and assistant professors began stepping up slowly.
Even though the cadets were talented, those assigned to face them were clearly experienced with this kind of work.
“By the way, how are the cadets under your care doing? I’ve been hearing rumors here and there.”
“They’re talented. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t have made it this far.”
It wasn’t just lip service.
They’d endured despite flawed methods and a late start.
Though they currently ranked low, in terms of raw talent, they could easily be among the top.
“That’s good to hear. But… do you think the current training can help those kids grow? It seemed like a rather unfamiliar approach.”
Professor Rommel cautiously continued as he watched the cadets begin sparring in their own styles in the arena.
“Of course, I’m not questioning your method, young lord… it’s just so unusual. I’m curious about its principles.”
“To an outsider, it might look like nothing special, but it nurtures exactly what those kids need — elementally, at that. If they have the will, it’ll definitely work. Though realistically, something like top rank is out of reach.”
Even an intense month of training wouldn’t make someone that strong unless they had an exceptional method.
“Fascinating, truly. Then again, not all academy curricula are suited for every cadet. I believe it’s because you, Lord Leon, see things differently from others that you’ve become so strong.”
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