"I'm in big trouble."
The surroundings became chaotic.
Suddenly, a large tremor occurred and an explosion occurred in one of the training halls…
"It's strange not knowing."
Sure enough.
Knights from all directions were rushing.
It seemed to be the Iron Cross Knights responsible for guarding the academy.
Seo Woojin chuckled at the sight before him.
"What excuse should I make?"
The training ground turned into a mess.
The area where the sword was embedded had a literal crack, and the surroundings were all overturned by its aftermath.
The firm stones that covered the training ground had instantly transformed into the dirt field of a local playground.
"What is this…!"
"An enemy?"
The expressions of the Iron Cross Knights who arrived at the training ground became serious.
"Oh, it's me, not the enemy. It's just that I was experimenting with a skill."
Seo Woojin raised his hand casually and voluntarily reported.
The Empire was currently in a state of emergency.
Followers of the Demon King appeared, and there was almost a disaster where they almost wiped out the Heroes.
Naturally, the academy was on high alert, and the Iron Cross Knights in charge were in an extremely sensitive situation.
It was better to step forward before those knights misunderstood unnecessarily.
"Seo Woojin, isn't it?"
Surprisingly, the knights knew about Seo Woojin's existence.
Slightly surprised, thinking they wouldn't know him as a D-rank hero.
"Did you use a skill?"
"Yes? Yes, I did. I acquired a new skill this time."
Seo Woojin said, glancing around.
But the knights didn't seem to suspect Seo Woojin.
No, on the contrary, there was an atmosphere of admiration.
"I heard your level is not that high yet, but it seems you've got a good skill."
The training ground of the academy was under a powerful protective spell.
Since it was a place for Heroes to use, it had to withstand a reasonable amount of shock.
This place was no exception.
It was a small training ground on the outskirts, but of course it was protected by magic.
The power needed to break through that magic and destroy the outpost?
Even Baek Siwoo had not been able to break the training hall's protective magic yet, so it was not unreasonable for the knights to be impressed.
Seo Woojin nodded his head with a somewhat grim expression.
"Yes, I was a bit lucky. By the way, what should we do about making such a mess like this?"
"It doesn't matter."
They replied nonchalantly to his concerned question.
If anything, the knights seemed apologetic for not putting up even stronger magical defenses.
"It's fortunate that it wasn't an actual attack."
If it wasn't the followers of the Demon King causing trouble again, it didn't matter if Seo Woojin destroyed or burned down the outpost.
After briefly looking around, the knights returned to their positions with greetings.
"Phew."
Seo Woo-jin breathed a sigh of relief.
Contrary to his expectations, nothing significant had happened.
He had thought that there might be some inquiries or investigations in the worst-case scenario.
"Well, with the skills of the Heroes, breaking a couple of outposts is child's play."
The same went for Lee Ji-ah and Kim Da-hye.
Adjusting their strength, they easily destroyed a few outposts.
However, if they used all their skills at full power?
These outposts would instantly turn into wastelands.
…At least that's what Seo Woo-jin thought.
It was just a thought since he didn't know about the existence of protective magic.
Seo Woojin considered himself fortunate to be able to move on without any trouble.
Then, he suddenly tilted his head.
It was strange that the knights seemed to know him.
"Did I do something to attract attention?"
When I think about it, it wasn't entirely absent.
He crushed Lee Jin-ho's face at the party and was quite active in subjugating goblins.
They don't know about what happened with Gerald, but excluding that, it was enough to attract attention.
Moreover, Seo Woojin's rank was D-grade…
"So, am I more well-known now?"
If Baek Siwoo had made such achievements, everyone would have just taken it for granted because he was SSS-grade.
But Seo Woojin is different.
If a D-grade level 10 were to make a contribution, it would naturally be surprising.
Especially because of the rumor that Swordmaster Dariel personally sought him out for a duel, it was even more so.
Seo Woojin was quietly gaining the interest of many people.
"It's not good."
Like water blending with water, like alcohol blending with alcohol.
Seo Woojin's intentions were only to reveal himself enough not to be ignored by others.
"Who can I blame…"
He did everything himself.
No one ordered him to do it, and it was done with his own will, so there was no one to blame.
This incident was no exception.
Even if it was an unexpected event, his name would once again be on people's lips because of this incident.
The knights might not know, but at least to the Heroes looking in his direction from over there.
"Did you see?"
"Is that a giant sword?"
"Is that a skill level that 'Sword Soilder' can use?"
If Seo Woojin's skill was just summoning a giant sword, they wouldn't have been so surprised.
However, judging by the devastated training ground, the destructive power seemed formidable as well.
Considering Seo Woojin's grade and level, there was no other way to think.
"Damn it."
In response to the murmurs of the Heroes, Seo Woojin frowned.
It seemed like he would have to keep quiet for a while until the attention on him subsided.
* * *
"He's an interesting one."
Dariel chuckled.
The report he just heard was about Seo Woojin.
"Why are you laughing now?"
Agna sighed as she looked at Dariel.
"Should I cry then?"
It would not be strange to say that the two looked like grandfather and granddaughter.
But in reality, they were friends.
This was possible because Agna, like Van Slaine, had reorganized her body.
"I'm not in the mood for jokes. This guy is really weird."
Agna shook the document containing the report on Seo Woojin.
"I checked it myself. I don't sense any Magi from him."
"Well, that may be true, but…"
This is a fact that Dariel personally confirmed by drawing his sword out.
Denying that fact could even be seen as ignoring Dariel.
Knowing how strong his pride was, Agna, who knew him best, chose to remain silent to avoid unnecessary arguments.
"Well, it's still quite unusual."
A skill that summons a giant sword…
It was something that caught the interest of the Sword Master Dariel.
"Its power is quite remarkable."
The Academy was an institution painstakingly created by the Empire.
Not a single brick or pillar was spared in its construction.
Among them, the Enchantment Department, in particular, received special attention.
It was magic personally imbued by one of the Empire's most outstanding mages.
"It broke the spell that even Aura could put an scratch on. Saying it's remarkable is an understatement."
"A real Aura."
Dariel corrected Agna's statement.
"Yeah, a real Aura. A real Aura, not a skill."
The magic used by Heroes, 'Aura' also possessed formidable power.
However, in Dariel's eyes, it was a technique lacking in enlightenment, simply artificially created with poured-in mana.
It was far inferior compared to a real Aura perfected after decades of training.
"But that guy shattered it all with just one skill."
To Agna, Seo Woojin seemed odd in many ways.
You can call it a sixth sense, or you can call it a result of gathering information.
Whatever it was, she was convinced that Seo Woojin was hiding something.
"I don't know what it is, and that's the problem."
As if it were a habit, Agna tapped the desk with her finger.
"Is there any harm to us? Anyway, he's a Hero. It's not bad for us if he grows stronger."
In fact, it would be troublesome if he wasn't strong enough.
Because then they wouldn't be able to stop the Demon King.
"Are you sure he has nothing to do with the Demon King?"
Agna asked once more with a hint of suspicion.
At that moment, Dariel's expression twisted.
"I'm sure I told you, right?"
It was a signal not to ask the same question again.
"Because of your concerns, I sent someone to Sion and even checked it myself. So you still don't believe me?"
"I don't distrust you."
If Agna had to pick the person she trusted the most, it would undoubtedly be Dariel.
He was more trustworthy than the emperor of the empire.
Despite being eccentric and unyielding, Dariel never spoke empty words or deceived others.
"But still, it's unsettling. I think we need to keep an eye on him."
Dariel stared at Agna as if disapproving of her thoughts.
However, he didn't say anything more.
That was because he understood Agna's cautious nature, which always worried about the future.
Instead, the conversation turned to a different topic.
"What happened to those rascals?"
"Who? Oh, those Heroes?"
Agnar quickly caught on to who Dreel was referring to.
"They should recover by tomorrow. It's said that just leveling up can heal severed limbs. Truly absurd beings."
"One of them is Baek Siwoo, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. Have you seen him before?"
Dreel nodded.
There was a time when, reluctantly at the Emperor's request, he went to take a look at Baek Siwoo's sword.
"He's quite talented." Dreel admitted.
Was it because of his SSS-class profession?
Baek Siwoo's talent with the sword was surprisingly outstanding, to Dreel's amazement.
But that was all there was to it.
The current Baek Siwoo was too weak.
Perhaps with decades of strenuous effort, he could reach a higher level, but…
"That's why it's too late now."
Even though it seemed like he was making an effort, Baek Siwoo hadn't made much progress in Dariel's standard.
"As long as he can be useful until the Advent War."
That was the reason for summoning the Heroes.
The Heroes that Agna thinks about are weapons.
Effective and powerful weapons that can be produced quickly.
There was no other value.
"What about the emperor?"
"He's ordering more whipping. It seems the Heroes were a bit shocked by what they suffered from Gerald this time. Especially Baek Siwoo."
Baek Siwoo, who had been raised with all kinds of support from the empire, almost died at the hands of a mere follower, not even a demon king.
Although he was still an unfinished Hero, the emperor seemed dissatisfied.
"Do you mean to speed up more than now?"
"Yes. That's why they're completely revamping the Academy's curriculum."
Externally, they said they postponed the Academy's schedule for rest, but in reality, it was for a different reason.
"How will it change?"
Dariel asked with a curious expression.
He already had dissatisfaction with the educational process.
"There will be many changes, but… to summarize, it'll be like Sion's style?"
It was a very condensed explanation.
But Dariel understood its meaning right away.
"Sion… that sounds interesting."
A smile appeared on his face.
It was a chilling smile, somehow seeming cruel to the point of being ruthless.