Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 30 (Part 2)

Rodin watched the snow falling from the sky and headed to the lake. Suddenly, the last image of Chairman Kreate, whom he had met here three years ago, came to mind.

“I didn’t know it would be the last time.”

The Chairman Kreate Rodin remembered was an old mage striving to return to his roots. He was also an old politician who overestimated the 13-nation alliance and the Riyaz Kingdom within it.

“War is just around the corner.”

The Ingram Empire had been preparing for war for three years. After the Crown Prince won the long civil war and ascended the throne, the preparations accelerated.

“Was it really fortunate that the Empire had a fierce civil war?”

The Ingram Empire lost many troops to the civil war. The Eastern Army suffered the most, with its strength halved.

However, those who survived became seasoned veterans, merging with new recruits to form a harmonious force.

“It may be unfortunate for the 13-nation alliance, but it’s fortunate for me.”

Had it not been for the Ingram Empire’s prolonged civil war, Rodin wouldn’t have grown as much.

“5th circle. Hmm, the 6th circle is not far off.”

Originally, Rodin planned to reveal his 5th circle status only after reaching the 6th circle. Keeping one circle hidden could serve as a lifeline in the worst situations.

However, two days ago, he disclosed his 5th circle status, even though he was still far from the 6th circle.

“I was too impulsive.”

There were no more books to read in the library. He had read all the books in both the general and advanced libraries.

There were sections dedicated to aura and swordsmanship, but those were off-limits to him from the start.

Frustrated, he acted on impulse without realizing it.

“Was it a mistake? But I feel relieved.”

He had always hidden part of his abilities for survival, pretending to be a lower circle mage than he was. This unspoken pressure seemed more intense than he realized.

Once he revealed his 5th circle status, he felt a sense of liberation. It was the first time in years he felt such relief.

“What should I do now?”

There were no more books to read in the library. He had long since stopped developing new training methods, and he erased the slave seal as soon as he reached the 4th circle.

Shaving the hair at the back of his head would still reveal the slave seal. On the surface, it seemed intact.

But the explosive property once held by the seal no longer existed. It was just a tattoo, no different from any ordinary one.

“Should I stay in the training facility?”

Having escaped the influence of the slave stick, he could run away at any time.

He had stayed here so far because there was still something to gain.

There were unread books in the library, and the mana training room was hard to come by outside.

However, one of the reasons for staying had disappeared.

‘If only I could learn more about runes.’

Since yesterday, he had been seriously considering escaping.

Rodin valued the library and books more than the training room. He rarely used the training room because of the constant surveillance.

He visited the training room daily, but he usually performed only two cycles of intermediate mana training methods. Sometimes, he didn’t train at all.

The training room wasn’t a cure-all. It increased the speed of gathering mana but had its drawbacks.

‘Hedler, Lant, Cory. If it weren’t for those guys, I would just leave. Sigh, so frustrating… ‘

Just then, Jito alerted him to someone’s approach. Sharing his sight, he saw Cory.

“What’s he doing here?”

“Rodin! Rooooooodiiiin!”

“Is this what they call public embarrassment?”

Cory ran toward him, shouting, with his arms flailing.

What an embarrassing companion.

“Rodin!”

“Alright, alright. Speak quietly.”

“Huff, huff. So tiring.”

Cory took a while to catch his breath but soon calmed down. Such running wasn’t much of a challenge for him.

After choosing his major, Cory had stopped participating in morning exercises. He argued that since he had to climb mountains every other day, he could skip the runs.

But two years ago, he started joining the morning exercises again. Moreover, he forced himself to find time to work out.

“Why are you so tired from such a short run?”

“Do you think we’re the same? I only recently started exercising.”

“Did I tell you to stop? You chose not to.”

Swordsmanship majors Hedler and Lant naturally had strong bodies. Lant’s body was a weapon in itself, and Hedler boasted a well-balanced physique and sculpted muscles.

Rodin was also quite strong. Although he was still young and not very noticeable, his dormitory roommates knew he was all muscle.

Cory was the only one among the 301 dormitory mates with an unimpressive body. It seemed to hurt his pride.

“Tsk, but I’m still taller.”

“Why bring up height now? So, why are you here?”

“Why? I often come to the lake.”

“Only when it’s warm. Today is extremely cold.”

“Indeed. It’s terribly cold.”

As his sweat cooled, the chill hit hard. Cory shivered and hunched over.

“Tsk, then why are you out here?”

“The cold doesn’t bother me. Come forth, Selist.”

Cory summoned an intermediate fire spirit, warming himself with its heat. The shivering gradually stopped.

“It’s not cold enough to need a spirit.”

“I’m a spirit mage contracted with fire spirits. I don’t get along with the cold.”

“But you also have a contract with a wind spirit.”

“My wind is warm, a comforting breeze. And it’s still a lower spirit. Fire suits me better.”

A few months ago, Cory advanced his lower fire spirit to an intermediate level, equivalent to a 3rd-circle mage.

Moreover, his lower wind spirit was close to advancing. According to Cory, it would reach the intermediate level within a year at most.

“I still haven’t said it. Why are you here?”

“Ah! I almost forgot. The administration office wants to see you.”

“The administration office? Why?”

Rodin immediately stood up.

He had nothing else to do, so it seemed like a good opportunity. He planned to ask them to bring more books.

“Going right away?”

“Didn’t they say to come immediately?”

“They did. But since when were you such a good boy?”

“I have to go if I don’t want trouble.”

As Rodin moved, Cory reluctantly got up. His face clearly showed he didn’t want to go.

“Stay and rest if you want.”

“No, let’s go.”

Hyung_Otaku2

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