[Raul PoV]
Several days had passed since the duel between Brian and me ...
With the awakening of Brian's power as a Hero, my first goal was achieved: to make him much stronger so that he could at least protect himself if ever trapped in a desperate situation.
The next issue was the demons. Surely, the Demon King must have sensed the hero's awakening yesterday. He might send some of his underlings to find out who has been chosen as the Hero.
However, I still had time before the demons found Brian.
For now, my primary focus was training some students at the Academy to prepare them for fighting these demons in the future. Some of the members of the disciplinary committee had quit, unable to endure the rigorous training I imposed on them yesterday.
I suppose it's for the best, especially since it was only the seniors and a few second-year students who left the committee. It seems I'll need to find some new recruits to fill the empty slots.
"You will now learn how to project your individual Nature mana."
I was attending a magic class with Master Erina. In the future, she would become the Head of the Mage Council, succeeding Valeria's father, who was killed while battling the Demon Prince Asmogold.
She was the one who discovered Brian and enrolled him in Grunbelt Academy.
"Every human possesses only one type of Nature mana," Master Erina explained about elemental magic. "Only one in a million can use more than one Nature mana." She glanced toward Valeria as she spoke.
Nature mana refers to the inherent magical affinity an individual has. This mana determines which type of magic a person is best suited to use. For example, a mage with Fire Nature mana would be far more adept at using fire magic than one who lacks that affinity.
On the other hand, if a mage tries to cast magic outside their Nature mana, the spell will consume more mana and be far less effective.
Valeria de Artagnan could use every type of Nature mana thanks to her blessing—Endless Wisdom. With such a gift, she was destined to become the greatest mage in the Empire's history.
"Try to project your individual Nature mana; the instructions are on page 17."
After hearing Master Erina's command, I opened my palm and tried to project my Nature mana over it.
Not long after, a thin black mist appeared above my hand.
Raul possesses Shadow Nature mana, which enhances his stealth and agility.
With this Nature mana, Raul can manipulate shadows at will. However, when Raul sells his soul to a demon in the game, he gains a second Nature mana: Black Fire.
"Once you've identified your Nature mana, step forward and show it to me," said Master Erina. "I will record it in the Academy's database."
The Academy's database is an information card that tracks each student's abilities. The Empire wants to ensure they are fully aware of the magical skills of their knights and mages, so they can assign missions suited to their talents.
I saw President Elena step forward to present her Nature mana to Master Erina.
If I recall correctly, Elena de Aragon has Lightning Nature mana. This elemental magic enhances both speed and physical strength several times over.
The Emperor's family possesses special mana because they are direct descendants of Aragon, the God of Thunder. As a result, all of their descendants inherit a stronger form of Lightning Nature mana than ordinary mages.
Not just the Aragon family—many prominent noble families also descend from legendary figures. They inherit the magic of their ancestors who founded their dynasties.
---
After attending the magic class, I walked with Eric around the Academy, searching for new recruits to replace the students who quit the disciplinary committee.
"Are you sure about this guy?" I asked him.
"Trust me, Captain. He'll be easy to convince if we give him what he wants," Eric assured me.
Eric de Andalus is a top-tier student and heir to Count Gerold de Andalus, a nobleman from the western region of the Empire.
Though Eric's combat skills are mediocre, his other abilities will be quite useful to me in the future.
"Alright, let's go meet this guy."
We headed to Melina's Tavern, not far from the Academy. It's a popular spot for regular students since the food and drink are cheaper than in the Academy cafeteria.
"That's him, Captain." Eric pointed to a man sitting at a table.
His unfocused eyes, disheveled appearance, and haggard face made him look more like a beggar than an Academy student.
I shot Eric a look that said, Are you serious about this guy?
Eric, understanding my expression, just nodded confidently.
We approached the disheveled man.
"Joshua de Ginoa?" I called his name.
He looked at me with eyes glazed over, like someone who had too much to drink.
"Hiccup... Yeah... I'm Joshua... Son of... Hiccup... Blerrrhhh..." Just as he was introducing himself, the man vomited all over the tavern floor.
What? So, your name is Joshua Son of a Btch?* I couldn't help but think that. From his behavior, it was clear he was completely drunk.
"Ngghh... Zzzzz... Nghhh..." He suddenly passed out.
Eric and I dragged him out of the tavern and placed him in a pigsty nearby. He smiled to himself in his sleep.
Was he dreaming about something pleasant?
I picked up a bucket of water and splashed it on Joshua's face.
"Ha...! Marina! Where are you, Marina!?" He shot up and tried to hug me with his filthy body.
– Bam!
I punched him hard in the face, and he grabbed his nose in pain.
"Damn it! That hurt, you bastard!" he complained, glaring at me.
"Are you sober now?" I asked, looking into his bloodshot eyes.
"Huh? Who are you? What do you want from me? And why am I in a pigsty!?"
Ugh... Now that he's sober, he has so many questions. How troublesome.
I pulled a gold coin from my pocket and held it in front of Joshua's face. I moved it left and right, up and down.
Joshua's eyes were fixated on the coin.
"Do you want this?"
Joshua nodded eagerly, never taking his eyes off the gold coin.
"Join the disciplinary committee, and you can have it," I said, like a devil offering a human a soul-binding contract.
"I'll do it! I'll do it! Just give me the coin!"
I tossed the coin into the group of pigs that were eating. Joshua immediately dove in to retrieve it.
"See, Captain? His dedication to a goal is quite admirable, isn't it?" Eric said, half-joking.
No, it just shows how pathetic his life is.
I sighed at Eric's odd comment. "Come with us, Joshua."
That day, we managed to recruit six new members and brought them to the combat arena for orientation.
I looked at the six students we had picked up off the streets.
A drunkard, a playboy, a magic fanatic, a troublemaker, a fallen noble, and a coward.
They were more like a band of misfits than a disciplinary committee.
Why could I only recruit such shady people? It's because no one wanted to join a group led by a rotten noble like me, Raul, known for my cruelty and arrogance.
However, with their backgrounds, they would be far more loyal to me than recruits with ordinary upbringings.
"Attention!"
The six of them looked at me in confusion, probably wondering why I had brought them here.
"Listen carefully," I said, pacing while looking at each of them in turn. "You're all losers! Your lives are meaningless, and you're nothing but a stain on your family names!"
Hearing my words, they lowered their heads in shame. These students had all failed the Academy's promotion exams. They were left behind and only had one more chance to pass before the Academy expelled them.
"But this time will be different. I will turn you from stray dogs into conquerors feared by all!"
I would turn the disciplinary committee into a force that would shape the future—an elite group that would stand at the forefront against the Demon King's invasion.