The Nameless Extra: I Proofread This World-Chapter 42: Polaris Circle (2)

Ruvian finished reading Griffer’s Runeheart and found himself staring at the empty space where the sapphire page had been.

There was nothing worth noting about his Runeheart.

Nothing at all!

Even Ruvain himself was a little surprised that the loud, thick-headed guy possessed a magic affinity at all.

The rest of his graded-based attributes did nothing to improve his impression.

They were modest to the point of being forgettable, which only made Griffer’s earlier bravado feel out of place.

Honestly, those attributes were exactly what one would expect from an average Class E scholar. And Ruvian understood why people clung to Runeheart stats.

They were easy to rely on, and gave the comforting illusion of certainty. Ruvian did not deny their usefulness.

But they were still just simple graded-based ones.

In actual situations, experience, awareness, and the ability to stay composed mattered just as much as raw strength or mana, sometimes far more.

Thus, a neat set of stats meant little if the person behind them could not act when it counted.

With that in mind, Ruvian dismissed Griffer’s Runeheart and let the data fade from his vision.

There was no point in lingering on the sapphire page that said nothing new to him.

’Let’s see what you can actually do.’

He shifted his attention to Griffer.

Griffer stepped into the arena and the grin he usually wore faded almost immediately.

He adjusted the grip on his spear, then he launched the first thrust.

It was clean and direct, the tip stopping precisely before retracting along the same line. The next continuous thrust followed without pause and with steady footsteps.

Ruvian watched closely.

There was no flair in his movements, wasted swings or exaggerated motions. Each of his strikes was purposely.

Ruvian frowned slightly.

’Damn it.’

Griffer was better than he expected. Though he was not that impressive in an actual sense, he was still solid in a way that mattered.

Ruvian folded his arms.

’Well, anyone who trains properly with a spear can do this much.’

’Besides... he needs to do more than just that.’

What Griffer had shown was just a mere performance. If it was a real battle, he won’t even get to lift a finger.

The remaining two, Corwin and Melia, moved toward the weapon racks soon after, the brief attention on Griffer fading as the rotation continued.

Corwin approached his slot with visible hesitation and accepted a short sword when the runes released it.

The blade was narrow and practical, light enough to retreat with, and long enough to keep distance.

He held it stiffly, testing the weight before retreating toward the arena without a word, his face turned paler than it ever was.

’He picked a sword?’

In all seriousness, Ruvian doesn’t have any faith that this cowardice boy was built for the battlefield.

Then, again.

Why would he care about him?

He sighed and watched the next person stepping forward.

Melia followed with quiet steps. Her rack responded by presenting a bow and arrows that was simple in its design.

She accepted it with both hands, checked the string for a few seconds, and walked off after Corwin without comment, her expression unreadable as always.

Ruvian stepped forward to his assigned rack and placed his hand against the frame.

The runes flickered briefly before releasing a wand into his palm.

Airin noticed it.

"Oh?" she said, her lips curving into a small smile.

"So you picked a wand."

Ruvian glanced at the object in his hand, then nodded.

"Yes."

"I’ve never really handled weapons before. Never had much reason to if I’m being honest."

He calmly said as if it were an unimportant detail.

"So I figured a wand would suit me best."

"At the very least, it lets me keep some distance. Even then, I don’t really have a foundation to work from."

[You have earned +10 Plot points!]

Truth be told, he was not truly frustrated by what he had said. It was all just an act, spoken plainly, as if he were explaining his situation rather than looking for help.

He had chosen his words carefully, leaving just enough there to be understood.

If his judgment was right, Airin would notice it. She seemed like a caring instructor who paid attention to the small details of her scholar.

And if she did, she would not ignore it.

At the very least, she would teach him a few basic [Pure Mana] spells during today’s session.

Which was what he was hoping for.

Airin looked at him for a moment longer, her smile softening, something thoughtful passing through her purple eyes.

Then she nodded lightly and gestured toward the arena.

"It’s alright. That’s why I’m here."

"As your supervisor, I’ll help you the best I can."

Ruvian smiled contentedly.

That was what he wanted to hear from her.

*****

From time to time, Airin moved across the arena, shifting naturally from one scholar to the next as she offered guidance where it was needed.

With Noelle, she focused on her footwork.

Whenever Noelle’s steps grew light or her weight leaned forward, Airin corrected her and made her repeat the pattern until she got it right.

Meanwhile, Griffer received a different kind of instruction.

Airin stopped him after a few exchanges and told him to slow down, then had him practice heavy thrusts from a stable stance.

As for Corwin and Melia, they were guided together as neither seemed particularly familiar with their weapons, though the reasons differed.

Airin showed Corwin how to hold his sword properly.

Melia, on the other hand, listened quietly as Airin demonstrated how to nock an arrow, draw the string, and release without tensing her shoulders.

After finishing her rounds and leaving the other four to their drills, Airin finally made her way to the edge of the arena, where Ruvian had been waiting

"Sorry for making you wait so long."

Ruvian shrugged, unbothered.

"It’s fine. I understand."

Airin stopped beside him, her expression turning a little more thoughtful.

"There is one concern, though," she continued.

"We haven’t evaluated your magic affinity yet. That usually happens during tomorrow’s class. Most scholars begin learning spells only after that, since they’re guided toward what suits them best."

It was a reasonable point.

In most cases, mages were taught according to what they were naturally attuned to, narrowing their path early to avoid wasted effort.

She hesitated briefly before adding, "If you’d prefer, we can start properly after the evaluation. It might be more efficient."

Ruvian shook his head without much thought.

"No, it’s fine. We can start today," he replied.

"I’d like to learn regardless... affinity or not."

Airin blinked, caught off guard.

"You want to learn every type of magic?" she asked.

"If given the chance, yes, as much as I can,"

Ruvian answered simply.

[You have earned +20 Plot points!]

For a moment, she looked at him with something close to admiration.

’This one has the right attitude.’ Airin thought.

Scholars who pursued magic for its own sake were rare. Most chased strength, status, or practicality. Very few were interested in understanding magic itself.

At least, that was what she thought.

She smiled faintly. "That’s... admirable."

All in all, she was not wrong about how rare such people were. If anything, she was only wrong about... him.

For Ruvian, this was not because of passion or simple curiosity.

No, he had his own motives.

He needed to win Airin’s favor first. Since she was her supervisor from now on... there will be a day when he needs her to do something for him.

"I’ll... take that as encouragement." he replied with an inscrutable smile.

"Good, let’s begin." Airin said.

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[Chapter 42: Polaris Circle (2)]

PP= 11260